TKR Freedom works on recovery<<

[skigirl]

Oh sorry, I thought you mentioned that you were worried that the cab driver might not understand English . It was first thing in he morning for me when I read your post! Maine is probably like Montana with very few cities.

 

[Freedom]

Just had aquacel bandage removed. First look. Surgery was Jan 20.

Having trouble getting pic to load.

Got it. Friend on her way, leaving rehab and going home.

 

[kneeper]

 

[Clipless]

Yay, looking good!!!

 

[karol723]

Hi, good luck on recovering at home. Your pets will be so happy to see you ! I have 2 beagles, they were thrilled when I got home from rehab The walker kept them at a distance,thank goodness. Try not to overdo it, that's easy to do wen you get home.

 

[jarabas]

Hey Freedom, welcome home!
I had the aquacel bandage too and your photo could be mine--looks the same as mine looked at 10 days.
It's freaky to see isn't it?
I just noticed that you are in Methuen. I live in Melrose. For everyone not from New England, we are proud Bay Staters from the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (Skigirl, the Mainers actually call us massholes. Can you believe the nerve?)
For help with errands, you might try calling your city hall. See if they have a list of people who run errands. We have a whole group of folks down here who will go to the store, shovel out the driveway (thankfully, we haven't needed that this winter, right?) and run other errands. Some of them do it for free and some ask for pay. There's high school kids doing community service, church groups, veterans--all sorts.

 

[Freedom]

Those are great ideas, thanks Jarabas!

On Jan 20, 2016, I left the house at 6:15 AM for a left total knee replacement, then on to rehab. I returned home today Jan 30. Two sisters who run a pet sitter business cared for the Baker's Dozen, 8 cats and 5 fluffs (bichon frise), in my home. This is my return home at 3:30. This went on for at least 20 minutes non stop.
Enjoy!

 

[Clipless]

How sweet! I love dogs.

 

[jarabas]

Watching this made me so happy. I have furbabies too.
You can tell they are beside themselves with happiness to see you.
Hope things have calmed down a bit so you can get your rest.
Here's wishing you some pain-free sleep. Remember to take those meds, pile on the ice and set the alarm for the nighttime pills session.

 

[Celle]

They sure were glad to see you home. Good job you had your knee well-padded!

 

[Freedom]

Stopping in, not much new. Sunday (first full day home) VNA sent PT AND Nurse. Monday, PT. Tuesday (today) Nurse. Tomorrow will be PT again. Today the nurse scolded me a bit. I tackled the cellar stairs as laundry really needed to be started. Oops! I am 2 weeks today, and I am not cleared by PT for a full flight. AND while I was in the kitchen, I was moving around without my walker. He did NOT like that!!! OK so I need to pay more attention and keep to the rules. It is hard to do when you are alone and there are thousands of things which NEED to get done! I will work on the suggestions by jarabas, a few posts up, tomorrow.

 

[Clipless]

Just do what feels right, don't over-do, and you'll do fine. The tried and true "up with the good, down with the bad" is a worthy rule. The rest are more like suggestions. Like you I puttered around the kitchen without the walker, mostly because it got in my way!

 

[snowdrop]

Loved the video of your babies welcoming you home! You are so loved! Remember to take it easy though...you don't want to have a setback and have to leave those babies alone again, right? Sounds like you are doing well!!

 

[Freedom]

Thank you! All I have to do is THINK of that video, and I smile.

My knee feels tight all the time. Front, over the knee cap, and back center. So this is what is limiting my bend. Oh sure it is stiff when I first get up, even if sitting for just 15 minutes. That, I can work out and get going. But this stiffness, ugh. I really do want this to work, I can't face an adjustment of ANY sort. Come on knee, let's get moving!

 

[referee54]

That tightness is probably caused by some internal swelling---and external, as well. Even though the swelling has gone down some, it will still be there for some time.

Remember, the first four weeks of a TKR Recovery are called the "Dark Days", and for good reason, too.

I really do want this to work,

It is going to work; do not worry about it, but you have to be patient and understand that some TKR recoveries take upwards to a year---my BTKR took me every bit of eight months, and I still gained ROM upwards to a year post-BTKR. Patience is the key here---you cannot speed this up.

Patience, Grasshopper, Patience!!!

Come on knee, let's get moving!

WE have a saying here, that "the knee is in charge of the recovery." Your knee will move forward---at times progress is slower than the proverbial glacier---but you will get there---the destination of being fully recovered will be reached, but it will be on your knee's schedule, not yours.

Keep icing, elevating, and resting---at this stage of recovery, ice, elevation and rest are your best friends.

 

[referee54]

When you consider what was done to your knee, you will understand why the recovery is slow---frustratingly slow, but the surgical trauma done to the knee, and the ensuing result in swelling, stiffness, pain, etc---are all a a direct result of the massive trauma done during the surgery. If you have seen the pictures of a TKR performed, you will understand why you feel this stiffness at this stage of recovery---your knee is still reeling from the negative effects of the surgery.

TKR surgery - WARNING: real life photos by referee54

I do not think many of us (myself included) have an idea of what the surgery did to the knee during the placing of the implants. Slowly, the knee will lose its anger and the swelling, stiffness, and pain---along with the frustration---will subside.

 

[Freedom]

Ok. I just feel pressure to get the 90 degree bend from pt. An online friend is 1 month ahead of me has 90 finally, and her surgeon at yesterday's visit said she needs more or he has to do it for her. Scares me, and not even my doc!

 

[referee54]

Ok. I just feel pressure to get the 90 degree bend from pt. An online friend is 1 month ahead of me has 90 finally, and her surgeon at yesterday's visit said she needs more or he has to do it for her. Scares me, and not even my doc!

Do not let anybody scare you or push you.

Just as each of us is a unique individual, so is our TKR recovery. There is no "window of opportunity" ---there is no timeline that indicates that, "By this date you need to be doing this. "

In truth, the harder you work, the slower your recovery can be---there is nothing that you can do to speed up recovery, but there is plenty that you can do to slow it down, so do not let anybody push you to do more---it is counterproductive and simply causes more pain, swelling, stiffness, and frustration.

Do not compare yourself to others, as some will recover faster than you, and some will recover slower than you---again, your recovery is unique to you, and it has a time frame all of its own.

 

[jarabas]

Hi Freedom, I feel that frustration too. But since we can't force this, I have been trying to find other outlets that make me feel a bit calmer and more satisfied. It's tough with the swelling and the tiredness. I find it hard to get comfortable, hard to read for very long, hard to watch too many mindless movies (although it has been kind of fun to gorge on them.) I've started planning two trips for the summer. That has been fun--just browsing the possible places to stay. I don't even know if I can do them, but I'm not letting that stop me with the dreaming.

Just try to get through today has become my mantra. Sometimes just try to get through the next hour, or half hour. Here's wishing you a decent day today.

 

[Freedom]

Here is what one person posted on another forum -- I just did a copy paste, no editing. I am NOT going to allow this:

"Yesterday PT was pure hell . She warned me she needed to get aggressive with my knee. Bending , bending , bending ....beyond what I can physically do on my on. One tear fell , then another, next thing I know they were all falling. I had surgery on jan5th & had only made my bend to 74. She managed to get it to 80 & my "homework" is to come back at 83. I don't think my pain meds even put a dent in the pain when bending further. She tells me I need to make sure I am doing my exercises at home, but I feel as though that is all I am doing. Knee/thigh stretches & exercises ir icing.
I am just venting ....."

Another person posted she was stuck at 85 degrees at 8 weeks and had to have a MUA.

These are the things which make me sick to my stomach; and yes I do often throw up just from reading this stuff.