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Got home late Tuesday

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Simon

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Hi Folks

I got home late Tuesday (after 3 1/2 days on surgery floor and 10 days on rehab). It took us 4 hours to get home as we stopped every 45 minutes so I could stretch but getting in and out of the car was a bit tricky.

Still having alot of problems getting the right knee to bend but the surgery was really extensive with alot of muscle and ligament moving and the tibia break caused alot of extra bleeding which caused the calf to really swell.

I am just exhausted and I am wondering if it is because I have not been eating much. The hospital did not do vegetarian all that great (lots of egg salad, cottage cheese and some veggie burgers). I did bring protein power and nuts to help out. It also seemed all the veggies I eat is making it difficult to get the warfarin in a therapeutic range. They were checking my blood daily and going between 7.5 mg and 10 mg.

Since they had trouble scheduling pain meds and PT they switched things to extended release morphine, 15 mg at 8 am and 15 mg at 8 pm. An hour before PT I take 4 mg hydromorphine. Now that I am home, I am using tylenol for breakthrough on the days the PT does not come. I will start outpatient PT on June 30th.

In the mean time I do my exercises every few hours and walk around a bit and then take a nap.

It is interesting reading that most of you keep your legs up to control swelling. they want me to sit with my knees bent as much as possible as I spent so many years straight leg.

At least the right calf is stretching and I can get my foot flat on the floor most of the day.

Well I guess it is time to join the other side.

Simon
 
Hey simon, glad you're back. Why such difficlty getting PT started? Keep up your exercises and rest.
 
So glad to hear you're home, Simon. You've certainly been through the wringer!

Regarding eating--while I'm not a full vegetarian, I usually eat a semi-veggie diet just because that's what I like. However, after my TKR I found myself CRAVING meat and other proteins like eggs (and I usually don't like eggs that much). Its been funny, I used to occasionally crave chocolate or sweets, but this craving for red meat protein has been ten times stronger than any sweet craving I've ever had.

I've even made my hubby get some big, fat, steaks and cook them--about twice a week! Yikes! And hamburger...red meat. Most of my normal meat consumption is usually chicken or fish.

So maybe our bodies tell us what they need to heal? I consider myself fortunate because I can eat meat and don't mind it--and right now it even tastes good--so I've been going with the cravings. At 7.5 weeks now, the strength of the meat-mania seems to be abating somewhat and I'm starting to really want salads and other things again, much more my normal.

dunno if this will help you or not, but thought I'd share my experience, which I think is a bit bizarre!

Weezy
 
Simon So Glad You Are Finally Home. Know It Must Have Seemed Like You Were Gone Forever And Must Be Just Heaven To Be Back With Your Own Things.

I Think The First Few Days At Home Were Definitely The Worst And Then You Will Find Yourself Starting To Improve Quickly. That Is How It Worked For Me.

You Surgery Was Similar To Mine But I Didn't Have The Problems You Had Afterward Although I Did Have To Stay In The Hospital A Couple Of Extra Days To Get Blood Transfusions And Because I Had An Allergic Reaction To The First Unit Of Blood They Gave Me. My Surgery Was Right At Five Hours And I Had A Hair Line Fracture Of The Left Tibia. Os Told My Husband And Sons And Then Me Later Than My Knees Were The Worst He Had Ever Operated On And TheN Yesterday AT Five Weeks Post-op He Told Me That I Had One Of The Best Recoveries He Had Ever Seen. So I Feel Fortunate.

I Know It Must Be Very Hard Right Now Just Keep In Mind That You Are Going To Be Better Soon And The MoRE Active You Are The Quicker You Will Recover, You Just Have To Be Careful To Not Overdo And Get Plenty Of Rest.

Not A Vegetarian But Have Not Really Been A Red Meat Eater In Years. Don't Even Care For Chicken And Fish Either. Eggs Are A Good Source Of Protien Though, Can You Eat Them? I Seem To Crave Big Leafy Salads With Lots Of Tomato ( Yes, I Know About The Salmonella Just Wash Them Really Good) And A Can Of White Tuna Dumped On Top. I Think, Like Weezy, Our Bodies Sort Of Tell Us What We Need And I Tend To Listen To My Cravings.

Really Look Forward To Seeing Your Posts On The Other Side And To Hearing How Quickly You Recover. I Know We All Want The Same Thing, To Get Our Lives Back. Just Keep The Faith And You Will Be Fine. Remember This Forum Is One Of The Best Sources Of Info And Support You Could Have. If It Weren't For The Forum I Would Have Driven My Os Office Crazy With Questions. Most Of What I Needed To Find Out I Got From Right Here.

Rowdy
 
I think we need protien to build muscles, so it makes sense to me. Rowdy, be careful, it's not a washing fix with the tomatoes. It's in the water they get when growing. can't wash it off. i thought the same thing at first. I guess it is only certian ones though. Grape, cherry and on the vine are supposedly safe.
 
Weezy,
I have been a vegetarian with ocasional fish for all of my adult life. Whe I got home last week the first day I was craving a burger!! Didn't tell anyone till the next day. Since then I have been eating steak, chicken (got my cheeseburger too). That severe craving lasted a week.
Now I want candy and ice cream !!!possibly sugar for energy!!!
I can't even remember the last time I had a hamburger.

I do believe our bodies tell us what we need. I'm just not sure about the twizzler need!!!

My first dinner in the hospital on day 2 was salmon. I puked it out the next morning. That may do my ocassional fish in!!!

Judy
 
I tried going vegan for oh, a couple of hours.
 
Doug - a veggie!
[Bonesmart.org] Got home late Tuesday
Oh my!!



But glad you're back home safely, Simon. You're an inspiration to us all!
 
Weezy,
I have been a vegetarian with ocasional fish for all of my adult life. Whe I got home last week the first day I was craving a burger!! Didn't tell anyone till the next day. Since then I have been eating steak, chicken (got my cheeseburger too). That severe craving lasted a week.
Now I want candy and ice cream !!!possibly sugar for energy!!!
I can't even remember the last time I had a hamburger.

I do believe our bodies tell us what we need. I'm just not sure about the twizzler need!!!

My first dinner in the hospital on day 2 was salmon. I puked it out the next morning. That may do my ocassional fish in!!!

Judy

Wow...sounds pretty much like me! Except I'm still wanting some red meat, and the twizzler need hasn't struck yet.

However, mashed taters have been coming up in the rating lately, along with peanut butter!

Geez, these cravings are WEIRD!

Weezy
 
Weezy,
Peanut butter was the first thing I ate when I got home. Yesterday I started craving it again. Must have downgraded my protein need.
I still can't get anyone in my house to get me twizzlers.
Judy
 
Weezy,
That would be pretty funny. I tried to get my daughter to stop at the store with me yesterday on the way home from the doc apt. When I told her what exit to take, she replied, you walk really slow I'll go later.
did she, no!!!

I just told my husband he has to take me to target later,otherwise I would take you up on your offer!!!
Maybe for the next craving!!!!
 
Judy, hope you got your Twizzlers

I have not had any cravings, not even really hungry. Just eat because I should. A couple of times I thought I would take a little nap before doing my exercise and did not wake up till 11 pm. I just had a protein drink, did a few things to keep the knee moving and went back to bed. I seem to sleep in 3 hour blocks.

Hope all of you are getting what you are craving.

Simon
 
I just came home yesterday from 6-day hospsital stay and have to admit that I have not had much of an appetite. Of course, I couse stand to lose a few lbs but this is NOT the time to diet. I just tried to eat a little of everything for nutritional purposes. Anyway, my first full day home (today) I had my daughter fix me a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. That's all I wanted. Period. It was the best durned sandwich I ever had! Maybe I was just craving the protein. Hang in there and try to get as much protein in as possible.
 
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