TKR Grace's (CAdesgirl) recovery
- Thread starter CAdesgirl
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I'm glad to hear the good news about your wound. It is looking better with each photo. Nice when the world gives you good news AND breakfast out!!! Hang in there....
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CAdesgirl
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20 minutes of dog walking.. you're definitely in the lead of our slow mo race
I'm looking forward to taking my beasts to the dog park. I have a Husky and a Lab Shepherd. They are 2 and 6 respectively so very energetic. We have a good sized yard but nothing like the dog park. Because the ground is really uneven, Mike and Caitlin (16 year old step daughter) have been taking them for the past few months. It'll be fun to start doing that again.
I'm looking forward to taking my beasts to the dog park. I have a Husky and a Lab Shepherd. They are 2 and 6 respectively so very energetic. We have a good sized yard but nothing like the dog park. Because the ground is really uneven, Mike and Caitlin (16 year old step daughter) have been taking them for the past few months. It'll be fun to start doing that again.
donnag1108
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@CAdesgirl you will be suprised how much it does for you physically but it helps me just as much mentally to get out with my little guy. He's only 12 pounds and seems to understand he has to take his time with mommy. You will get there!
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CAdesgirl
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So, the last few days have been eventful. The bandage came off on Sunday and there hasn't been any more leakage. I graduated from both home PT and onto a cane (around the house to start with) yesterday.
I wish I could say my energy level is better. I'm still bone-tired most of the time. I know that this will pass but it's frustrating nonetheless.
I wish I could say my energy level is better. I'm still bone-tired most of the time. I know that this will pass but it's frustrating nonetheless.
NavyGunns
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@CAdesgirl, bone tired? You are not even three weeks PO! I remember being bone tired for the first month or two. Every time I thought my energy level was improving, I’d do something that pushed the limits and find myself unable to get enough sleep to recoup my energy for days!
Your body is using a lot of energy resources trying to heal your knee. Expect to feel tired for quite a while more.
Your body is using a lot of energy resources trying to heal your knee. Expect to feel tired for quite a while more.
No more leakage is a GREAT sign. If I remember right, you have kids at home. I don't love being tired but it's less of an issue when there aren't people depending on you to a degree.
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CAdesgirl
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It appears that, once again, I'm not unique. LOL! For some reason, I still feel the need to be up and going during the day. Today I managed to stay awake through my nap time because my sister stopped by for about 5 hours. I don't get to see her often enough because she lives several hours away. It's going to be an early night for me, I think. 
I did figure out that my Lounge Doctor fits on my recliner so I can get toes above nose so we were able to sit in the living room. I've been just toughing through visitors without being able to get the foot high enough.
Mary, I have my step-kids every other day but they are 15 and 16 and extremely good kids. They are actually pretty helpful if I need a set of hands when they are here.
I did figure out that my Lounge Doctor fits on my recliner so I can get toes above nose so we were able to sit in the living room. I've been just toughing through visitors without being able to get the foot high enough.
Mary, I have my step-kids every other day but they are 15 and 16 and extremely good kids. They are actually pretty helpful if I need a set of hands when they are here.
I have kids and step-kids, ranging from 31 to 43, Portland Oregon to England. I did get a nice card from the stepdaughter in England. Great that your step-kids have stepped up. Hope you have a wonderful night's sleep.
alexthecat
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@CAdesgirl I fixed your thread prefix. I'm not sure what happened there, so thanks for speaking up. Your signature says that you had a revision too. I'll go change that now.
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CAdesgirl
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Thanks, Alex! I'm not sure, either. It might have been like that from the beginning and I just never noticed.
@maryo52 - Mike and the kids got here about 10 minutes after I wrote that so I ended up not heading to bed. I did sleep from 10:30 last night until 5:30 this morning without waking up. As soon as Mike went off to work at 6:15, I promptly went back to sleep until 7:30. I felt amazingly clear-headed.
As soon as I got up to make a cup of coffee, the knee reminded me that it needs pain meds because the last Norco was at 8:00 last night. I thought about just taking Tylenol but I think it was a little too much. I managed to go from 4 pills down to 3 pills yesterday. I'm tired of being physically dependent on them but, rationally, I know that I'll stop when I forget to take them. Since outside PT starts tomorrow, I probably don't want to do anything rash. LOL
@maryo52 - Mike and the kids got here about 10 minutes after I wrote that so I ended up not heading to bed. I did sleep from 10:30 last night until 5:30 this morning without waking up. As soon as Mike went off to work at 6:15, I promptly went back to sleep until 7:30. I felt amazingly clear-headed.
As soon as I got up to make a cup of coffee, the knee reminded me that it needs pain meds because the last Norco was at 8:00 last night. I thought about just taking Tylenol but I think it was a little too much. I managed to go from 4 pills down to 3 pills yesterday. I'm tired of being physically dependent on them but, rationally, I know that I'll stop when I forget to take them. Since outside PT starts tomorrow, I probably don't want to do anything rash. LOL
Don't let them do anything rash either! Remember, hands off and don't do anything that hurts!
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CAdesgirl
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Absolutely! There will be a conversation about boundaries before we do anything. Boundaries include NO pushing or pulling to "help" ROM and no weights.
I've read enough stories on here to know that my knee will heal just fine without all that.
If that isn't acceptable, I can join a gym (the city had a decent one for $50/ year) or buy an exercise bike which I understand is really helpful.
This group and past experience has given me a spine of steel. After my ACI surgery, I allowed the therapist to push for ROM once. I'd been in an immobilizer for 10 weeks and it was maybe the visits in. I will never forget the pain. No way I'm putting my baby knee through that.
Mike is coming with me to this appointment as my backup.
I've read enough stories on here to know that my knee will heal just fine without all that.
If that isn't acceptable, I can join a gym (the city had a decent one for $50/ year) or buy an exercise bike which I understand is really helpful.
This group and past experience has given me a spine of steel. After my ACI surgery, I allowed the therapist to push for ROM once. I'd been in an immobilizer for 10 weeks and it was maybe the visits in. I will never forget the pain. No way I'm putting my baby knee through that.
Mike is coming with me to this appointment as my backup.
Nice!
Today my PT said she thinks of the knee as a mom who's sick/injured, and the muscles all around as family members supporting the mom. We strengthen supporting muscles and work gently on ROM. But it starts with a nice knee massage to loosen things up. Loving it!
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I had outpatient PT yesterday. I'm still having issues with swelling and pain when the leg isn't elevated for any period of time so it was already angry when I was called back (dressing, driving there, filling out paperwork, etc. took an hour). Right away he says he wants to check my ROM and hands me bands. I said "I'm not forcing ROM and neither is anyone else". He said "Okay". I did some heel slides to warm up and he measured me at 87.5/-7 laying down. He said that's good but not great. I told him I was pretty happy with it because I know it's better than a lot of people who haven't been through as much as I have.
We went over the list of exercises that I was assigned by home PT. He removed some that I hadn't been doing anyway (Glute squeezes, straight leg lifts and another one that I can't remember but I know it's one that Josephine has said isn't necessary). Then we went over some new ones including toe raises and one where you sit in a chair with the foot flat and then slowly move your bottom forward on the chair. I actually like that one because I could feel it stretching the quad which feels really tight. All in all, the exercises took about 1/2 hour. He offered ice but I was ready to head the 15 minutes home to my machine.
I'm really sore today but the pain level is okay if that makes sense. I feel like this recovery, albeit slow, is going really normally. I've been grouchy about how long it's taking and how little progress I'm making. I'm having to remind myself not to do too much because then I get the blues. Today I was able to fix myself a light lunch and do a small load of laundry. I couldn't do that last week.
Oh, and I've had the dogs in with my all day. I'm finally feeling like I'm getting around well enough that they can hang out with me. They are both big dogs and still young. Maya, the husky, did jump up on me once but got the message when I yelped from surprise.
We went over the list of exercises that I was assigned by home PT. He removed some that I hadn't been doing anyway (Glute squeezes, straight leg lifts and another one that I can't remember but I know it's one that Josephine has said isn't necessary). Then we went over some new ones including toe raises and one where you sit in a chair with the foot flat and then slowly move your bottom forward on the chair. I actually like that one because I could feel it stretching the quad which feels really tight. All in all, the exercises took about 1/2 hour. He offered ice but I was ready to head the 15 minutes home to my machine.
I'm really sore today but the pain level is okay if that makes sense. I feel like this recovery, albeit slow, is going really normally. I've been grouchy about how long it's taking and how little progress I'm making. I'm having to remind myself not to do too much because then I get the blues. Today I was able to fix myself a light lunch and do a small load of laundry. I couldn't do that last week.
Oh, and I've had the dogs in with my all day. I'm finally feeling like I'm getting around well enough that they can hang out with me. They are both big dogs and still young. Maya, the husky, did jump up on me once but got the message when I yelped from surprise.
To me, soreness sounds like a normal thing from a workout. Pain is what you don't want! Good job on keeping that PT straight and not letting him hurt you! You are coming along great!
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CAdesgirl
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Thanks for the reassurance. Now that the incision is healed, it's easy to forget the trauma that the body went through. Well, at least until I get up and move around. Then, I'm reminded fairly quickly what my limits are. I'm getting better about doing little things and having that be enough. This morning, I watered all the plants in the house and now I'm taking a break to celebrate. A week ago, I would have had a tough time doing that because I was still in a walker and my pain level was higher.
With the other major surgeries, I had knee immobilizers, wound vacs, etc. It was easier, mentally, to rationalize sitting around because I had specific orders from the doctor NOT to put weight on the leg or to only do XXXX. The instructions this time have been much more nebulous. "Take it slow" combined with "Do what you feel comfortable doing that doesn't cause pain" inevitably leaves over-achievers feeling like they aren't doing enough even if they are pushing up against pain.
I *want* to be able to do more but I have to be patient. Patience is a virtue that I've never really had. I keep telling myself that I'm learning and growing from this experience.
With the other major surgeries, I had knee immobilizers, wound vacs, etc. It was easier, mentally, to rationalize sitting around because I had specific orders from the doctor NOT to put weight on the leg or to only do XXXX. The instructions this time have been much more nebulous. "Take it slow" combined with "Do what you feel comfortable doing that doesn't cause pain" inevitably leaves over-achievers feeling like they aren't doing enough even if they are pushing up against pain.
I *want* to be able to do more but I have to be patient. Patience is a virtue that I've never really had. I keep telling myself that I'm learning and growing from this experience.
That's probably one of the more frustrating things about tkr recovery. So much is an individual experience. PTs and doctors can give you suggestions but only you know your body. You can't sit around like a lump but it is also easy to over do. Finding that balance is a continual challenge.
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CAdesgirl
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I had my second follow-up with the OS today. He was happy with the incision which is completely healed now. He gave me another refill of Norco and told me to start tapering down. I'm down to 3-4 a day which I think is pretty good so I just nodded at him. 
He checked my ROM and was happy with it. He asked if I'd started outside PT and I told him that I had my first visit last Friday. They weren't able to give me an appointment again until the 11th. The doctor said if I wasn't doing so well, he'd call them to give them heck (or some word like that) about not getting me in this week. I told him that I thought I could do just as good at home so he shouldn't worry about it. He said "Okay". So, now I know he's probably not going to freak out if I decide that it's too much trouble to go.
After the appointment, I talked Mike into stopping into my office so I could say hi. It was only a 15-20 visit but I was on my feet the entire time. I had a great time seeing everyone but next time I'm going to sit in my office and have people come to me. I had gone in 10 days ago and everyone was shocked that I was on a cane getting around pretty good this time. I am making progress!
He checked my ROM and was happy with it. He asked if I'd started outside PT and I told him that I had my first visit last Friday. They weren't able to give me an appointment again until the 11th. The doctor said if I wasn't doing so well, he'd call them to give them heck (or some word like that) about not getting me in this week. I told him that I thought I could do just as good at home so he shouldn't worry about it. He said "Okay". So, now I know he's probably not going to freak out if I decide that it's too much trouble to go.
After the appointment, I talked Mike into stopping into my office so I could say hi. It was only a 15-20 visit but I was on my feet the entire time. I had a great time seeing everyone but next time I'm going to sit in my office and have people come to me. I had gone in 10 days ago and everyone was shocked that I was on a cane getting around pretty good this time. I am making progress!
