TKR gr82cu2 Hello new knee, it's great to see you!
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Minnie's knees
post-grad
@gr82cu2 Have you talked with your Dr to see if there is something besides the celebrex? I can relate as I have to be off my RA infusions for several weeks and not sure yet about the 2 oral arthritis meds. We don't always realize how much the meds are helping until we are off of them. Hopefully there is something else they can give you.
OP
OP
gr82cu2
post-grad
@Minnie's knees I haven't, yet. I have an appointment with him on Monday afternoon. I just got home from PT and as I suspected I lost ground this week. My flexion fell from 115 last Friday to 111 today :( My hamstring tendon is so sore and it feels like there is a pocket of fluid behind my knee to the outer side. I showed my PT and she agreed it's not normal. She said to be sure and point it out to him. She sent a paper home with me for me to take to him on Monday requesting 8 more PT sessions for now. I'm glad because I really feel like I need them. Not just for this knee but to keep my other leg strong for it's big day in the surgical suite, LOL!! A lot of what I do there I can do at home on my own but I don't have the equipment to build strength.
I hope you are able to stay on your oral meds up to the time of your surgery. I was hurting BIG time from having to come off my Humira and Aleve prior to surgery. I had to stay off the Humira for a month pre op and post op so I've only had one injection since my surgery. My next one will be this coming Monday. But, I will have to stop it again the first of October. Aleve I had to stop 2 weeks prior but I actually stopped it a month prior because I bruise horribly and I thought (maybe mistakenly) that it would be better to be off of it longer to be sure it was completely out of my system.
When will you know your surgery date?
I hope you are able to stay on your oral meds up to the time of your surgery. I was hurting BIG time from having to come off my Humira and Aleve prior to surgery. I had to stay off the Humira for a month pre op and post op so I've only had one injection since my surgery. My next one will be this coming Monday. But, I will have to stop it again the first of October. Aleve I had to stop 2 weeks prior but I actually stopped it a month prior because I bruise horribly and I thought (maybe mistakenly) that it would be better to be off of it longer to be sure it was completely out of my system.
When will you know your surgery date?
Minnie's knees
post-grad
OP
OP
gr82cu2
post-grad
@Minnie's knees Shoot for November 4th. We can be miserable together!!! 
Yorkimom
graduate
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Minnie's knees
post-grad
We'll just have to keep each other laughing.
OP
OP
gr82cu2
post-grad
I just got home from my follow up with my OS. It's the first I've seen him since I was in the hospital. Tomorrow will be 7 weeks since surgery. He said I'm doing really well and everything I'm feeling and experiencing is absolutely normal for this stage. It will get better, he said. I believe him. I told him I'm just feeling really frustrated by now. I want to be able to get up and go! And I want to be able to do it without pain and stiffness. He suggested I go watch a video on youtube of the procedure and I told him I did before I ever had to operation so I TOTALLY get why this is such a long and painful recovery, I'm just frustrated by not being able to do all I want to do without ending up stiffer and in pain.
He agreed to go ahead with my right knee on November 4th which is only 7 weeks from tomorrow! I can't believe I'm going to do this again but I'd rather do it now and be done with it, get both knees healed and rehabbed and go on with life. I feel like I'm living on borrowed time with my right knee for the past year since my meniscus tore or wore through or whatever it was. I still say the pain I felt during those 6 or so weeks with that knee last summer were far more painful than this TKR has ever been and I sure don't want to go back to that place. I won't have to go to the joint class again but I will have to do pre-op tests again. I think it's a little silly so soon but I appreciate that he wants to make sure I'm absolutely healthy enough to undergo another major surgery. He always puts patient safety first so that's hard to disagree with.
I will say that today I didn't have the usual problem of stiffening up while I was cleaning up this morning. So, maybe I'm starting to turn a corner. I sure hope so.
He agreed to go ahead with my right knee on November 4th which is only 7 weeks from tomorrow! I can't believe I'm going to do this again but I'd rather do it now and be done with it, get both knees healed and rehabbed and go on with life. I feel like I'm living on borrowed time with my right knee for the past year since my meniscus tore or wore through or whatever it was. I still say the pain I felt during those 6 or so weeks with that knee last summer were far more painful than this TKR has ever been and I sure don't want to go back to that place. I won't have to go to the joint class again but I will have to do pre-op tests again. I think it's a little silly so soon but I appreciate that he wants to make sure I'm absolutely healthy enough to undergo another major surgery. He always puts patient safety first so that's hard to disagree with.
I will say that today I didn't have the usual problem of stiffening up while I was cleaning up this morning. So, maybe I'm starting to turn a corner. I sure hope so.
Jozilla
supremo
Great update! I think you are smart doing the other knee as soon as possible. I waited 9 months but felt it was too long especially by the end of the summer. I think you can recover properly once the other knee is done.
I did have that moment last Tuesday morning - wondering why I was going thru this again. It passed quickly as I knew I wanted my left knee to feel as good as my first tkr.
It is funny though how much I had actually forgot about the pain and surgery. So when your memory is shot it is hard to compare with the other knee! The best reminder was reading thru my Bonesmart thread and I suggest everyone keep some kind of written record!
Again congrats with getting a date for your second knee!
I did have that moment last Tuesday morning - wondering why I was going thru this again. It passed quickly as I knew I wanted my left knee to feel as good as my first tkr.
It is funny though how much I had actually forgot about the pain and surgery. So when your memory is shot it is hard to compare with the other knee! The best reminder was reading thru my Bonesmart thread and I suggest everyone keep some kind of written record!
Again congrats with getting a date for your second knee!
ConnieJOS
senior
I had eight weeks between surgeries 1, 2, and 3 and they did exactly the same thing. No joint class after the first one, but preop tests were the same. I'll have 12 weeks between these two since the next is oct 21. Only five weeks from tomorrow! I won't be completely healed with my left knee yet, but that doesn't matter to me. I'll work on them both after this surgery. I'm ready to be DONE with it! 
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ljrfrm
graduate
Glad your appointment went so well. I feel like I'm exactly where you are right now - and when I read of your aches, pains and stiffness, I could have written it myself. I plan to talk to my OS tomorrow also, but I know this is all par for the course. That doesn't make it any easier though!! Just know that I really do know how you feel - and how frustrating it can be. Hang in there!!! You're doing great.
Lovestoread
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Hopefully your doctor eased your fears a bit when he told you that what you are going through is normal. Frustrating, to be sure, but normal. Good to hear you're taking care of that other knee sooner rather than later. Get it done and get on with your life! I had mine six weeks apart and I still had to go back for pre-op testing, but no class the second time around. I had my 3 week post-op exam and pre-op for knee #2 at the same time!
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Minnie's knees
post-grad
OP
OP
gr82cu2
post-grad
@Minnie's knees I asked if I could go back on Aleve and he said yes and that I could take up to 4 a day. Problem is I'll have to go off it 10 days before the next surgery and stay off it till after I'm off blood thinners. I'm kinda worried about that because of the swelling and inflammation. The Celebrex was a big help with that I think.
OP
OP
gr82cu2
post-grad
@ConnieJOS After all you've been through this year I can only imagine how ready you are to be done.
Yorkimom
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@gr82cu2 Hi Janet! I'm so glad your appointment went so well. Hopefully with hearing from the doctor that you are doing so well, you won't be so hard on yourself. I think sometimes we are own worse critic. Seven weeks for your next surgery is close, but six months from now you will be so happy.
I'm sitting here in bed trying to catch up on the threads. I wasn't sure if the hotel would have wifi but luckily they do. We couldn't have had better weather today, sunny and in the 70's, perfect golf weather! Anne
I'm sitting here in bed trying to catch up on the threads. I wasn't sure if the hotel would have wifi but luckily they do. We couldn't have had better weather today, sunny and in the 70's, perfect golf weather! Anne
marmora
post-grad
Good Morning Janet @gr82cu2
Just catching up on your thread and hope that you are still getting a good sleep at night.
I can so relate to your feelings about stiff knees and lack of easy bending.
I'm about 7 days before you and this is also my long running saga,
Flexion at a push is 95-98 degrees and it's the stiffness that is so bothersome.
Here's to us having bendy knees in the not too distant future !
Take care,
Cathie
Just catching up on your thread and hope that you are still getting a good sleep at night.
I can so relate to your feelings about stiff knees and lack of easy bending.
I'm about 7 days before you and this is also my long running saga,
Flexion at a push is 95-98 degrees and it's the stiffness that is so bothersome.
Here's to us having bendy knees in the not too distant future !
Take care,
Cathie
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OP
OP
gr82cu2
post-grad
@Yorkimom It's great you had perfect golf weather yesterday. It started out real pretty here in the morning and then by early afternoon rain and storms moved in and it was really ugly, nasty and cold out. I definitely am my own worst critic and running low on patience. I really shouldn't complain so much. I'm far better off than many here are. Three more days for you my friend. You're in my thoughts and prayers for your surgery.
@marmora Yeah, I told my doc yesterday I can deal with the pain I have at this point. The stiffness is driving me crazy though. And how the stiffness increases more and more when I'm up on it. Oh well, one day at a time and we'll get there eventually. There isn't anything wrong so no reason we won't be completely healed with bendy knees eventually. Have a great day Cathie!
@marmora Yeah, I told my doc yesterday I can deal with the pain I have at this point. The stiffness is driving me crazy though. And how the stiffness increases more and more when I'm up on it. Oh well, one day at a time and we'll get there eventually. There isn't anything wrong so no reason we won't be completely healed with bendy knees eventually. Have a great day Cathie!
OP
OP
gr82cu2
post-grad
I now have a time for surgery. 8 am. I have to be there at 6 am. Blah! I am so not a morning person but I guess this way I can be first and get it over with and will be able to eat something sooner in the day. Last time I was starved to death by the time they let me eat something. They better still have that awesome chocolate cake on the menu
