TKR Greda's recovery story<<

[Jockette]

I’m so sorry! I was never comfortable in the chairs in my surgeon’s waiting room. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait long, the parking lot was small, and the doors automatically opened into the building as I approached! Those were the only good things about my check ups!

I hope your knee settles down quickly.

 

[Greda]

I ended up sleeping a lot yesterday. I have had quite a bit of aching last night and today. I think the weather may be the cause of some of it. Our weather has been so odd. Yesterday at 3 pm it was 91 F and by 6pm it was 60 F. This morning it was 36 F and the wind chill was 27 F. I just wish it would decide to be warm or cool. I just can’t get comfortable. I try walking and then laying down and elevating using ice not using ice. I know it will pass but is just frustrating. It is starting to rain.

 

[Jockette]

I never had weather affect me until after I got this replacement. And I’m always so slow to remember, maybe it’s the weather.

My knee is tricky, it doesn’t always react to weather. And sometimes, it’s the day after, like it forgot on the day it was raining.

Susie Shoes commented once that on those reactions the day after, my knee was a weather reporter, not a predictor!

 

[Greda]

Best day for me so far! I finally was able get the pedals all the way around on my stationary bike. I have been doing a 3/4 turn for what seemed like forever and then today I did it. I had to be careful not to keep doing it for too long. It was such a great feeling I kept doing it again to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.
The aching is gone from yesterday. It is still cool and cloudy and damp but not raining. I am icing now and feel a nap coming.

 

[Celle]

A full rotation on the bike. That's great!

 

[Greda]

I am feeling discouraged. I keep telling myself to be patient but it is hard tomorrow will be 7 weeks out. My knee is still swollen even my calf is swollen. I have not got on my bike since I did the full rotation. It feels tight and hot. I know with the swelling I need to ice and elevate but it seems like it will never get better. We have a lot of steps in our house but I don’t go up or down foot over foot. I wonder if the steps are part of the problem. I go up and down the stairs maybe 20 times a day. There is no choice really the main floor is where the kitchen is and there is no bathroom on the main floor. This house is a split level with 3 sets of steps. Plus in taking care of the cats at times I have to carry up my big boy (20 lbs) upstairs when it is time to get the older cat out. He chases her so they can’t be out together. I have had my TKR knee give out which I think means the quad is weak or maybe tired.
My husband wanted to label the breakers to our light switches (he wants to change all the switches). All I did was stand and switch the breakers on and off while he was on the phone telling me which lights went out. After standing there for about 30 minutes I could feel my knee tightening up more.
I just feel like I am not making any progress. My husband thinks I should practice the steps going up with the TKR leg. I don’t see that as being productive with the swelling I have. He thinks I should try a thick book 1/2 the size of the step to go up and down on.
I still nap at least once a day sometimes twice and sleep about 5 hrs at night. Taking less prescription pain meds but am taking Tylenol and ibuprofen.

 

[sistersinhim]

It will get better! But, you are still in the early stages of healing, not even 1/6 of the way of being healed. Patience is the key, along with the icing and elevating. I did those two things at least 4 months to control my swelling and pain. Ice is a wonderful pain killer.

 

[Jockette]

It’s early to be standing for 30 minutes. And for carrying a 20 pound cat. Especially up the stairs.
And doing the stairs that many times a day.

If you really must do all this, then you will have to accept that your recovery could take even longer than you would like. Your knee doesn’t acknowledge why you overdo, just that it thinks you did.

Someone here said, “if you push the knee, the knee will push back, and the knee will always win.”

 

[Greda]

@sistersinhim and @Jockette
Thanks for your support! I know you are right it just helps to hear it. I can tell my husband is anxious for me to improve. He has never had surgery of any kind so he can’t really get it. He has said that he will take over some of the cat stuff again. I probably started doing a lot of stuff to soon. It is just hard to not do stuff that I usually do. Our wedding anniversary is Thursday. I am not sure of what we can do but maybe plan something for the future that we both will enjoy when I am doing better.
Thanks again!

 

[Jockette]

We had cats for years, and I understand some can’t be together, we had that, too. One of our cats was big, his name was Dude. I don’t know what he weighed. He was a sweetheart and such a litteral scaredy cat! But I can’t imagine carrying him up the stairs at 7 weeks.

I know you feel guilty not doing your share, but you really need to take time for this recovery. Like I said before, if you don’t, it might just take longer than it needs to because you’ll either maintain your swelling, or have set backs, which will slow down your recovery.

If your husband is willing you really should let him do more for you. It’s not forever.

 

[sistersinhim]

You are doing your share by healing that knee! The less you do now, the more you'll be able to do later on. If you try doing too much too soon, it just slows down your recovery, making it take that much longer. So, in the long run, less now is more later!

 

[Greda]

I haven’t been able to post for a while. A week ago my husband came home with a cold. Two days later he was better but I was sick. My cold turned into one of the worst sinus infections I have ever had (first time I had been so nauseous and had vomiting with a sinus infection). My knee handled me taking care of stuff for my husband pretty well. As usual he does not handle illness well. The only good thing from being so miserable and weak I did not notice my knee much. I went to doctor on Monday and started antibiotics. Finally feeling like a human again. I noticed the swelling in the lower part of my leg is just about gone but the top part of the knee and thigh are really swollen. It really looks odd. I guess it is the look my knee wants right now but will keep icing and elevating.
The other good thing being so sick my husband took over the cats so I had fewer stairs to go up and down. That maybe why my knee handled the other stuff well.

 

[sistersinhim]

You two have good team work going. You sound like you had an awful sinus infection. I've never had one bad enough to throw up, so yours must have been a whopper of one! I'm glad you're starting to feel better. Your body is still concentrating on healing that knee. That leaves the rest of the body more vulnerable to sicknesses.

 

[Greda]

I am still struggling with the sinus infection. I just am so sick of being sick. My doctor says I need to give the antibiotics more time. I have been icing and elevating but have not been able to do much else. I worry my knee will regress. I have noticed when I am up and around my knee has buckled. There are things I have to do no matter how I feel and it is so hard. My husband had to work from 8 am until 9:30 pm Thurs and Fri he was gone most of the day as well. I am just so tired and coughing all night and have gone through so many Kleenex. The nausea is gone thankfully the Dr called in zofran to help with that. I know when I went to the Dr on Mon my white count was high so I guess I just have to wait for antibiotics work. I just hope it doesn’t cause issues with my knee in the long run.

 

[Jockette]

I’m so sorry you’re so sick. It is so unfair to get a sinus infection during this recovery.

 

[Motherbone]

Greda, I will keep you in my thoughts. One day at a time. It will eventually be okay.

 

[Greda]

I am finally over my sinus infection. It must be the combination of it and surgery has made things really hard to recover. I had to stop my antibiotics 2 days early due to a rash (on the inside of my arms). Weird to be able to take them for 12 days then get a rash. My husband has noticed I am walking smoother. Tomorrow will be 10 weeks since my surgery and the main thing I have noticed is trying to step over something is hard. One of my cats lays down and assumed everyone will step over him. I have a hard time bending my leg high enough to step over him. I was surprised I could not do it because it seemed like something I should be able to do. It seems easier to pick him up and move him rather than step over him. I am really exhausted. Last week I was up until 2-3 am coughing. Now all I want to do is sleep.

 

[flsungirl]

Hi! @Greda , I just read your thread and was reading about th 90 year old who just popped back with minimal time! My sister works in an assisted living facility and she told my dad that patients there get knee replacements all the time and never have any problems! My response was...are you kidding me! I admit to being a little, no a lot, angry! Then after I got injured during a PT session i overheard my son say I was milking it! Why would anyone do that? I pulled out the TKR video and let him watch it. It’s a rough recover road for me. I had a few very bad weeks, insomnia, pain, cryin, freezing feet and generally freezing,couldn’t get comfortable ...everything that you’ve been through . I’m so glad you found the support of BoneSmart.

I also have 2 kats, one older light cream and orange, named Ollie and one tuxedo we adopted from the shelter 2 years ago named Loki. Ollie is gentle and sweet, then there’s crazy kitten Loki! He doesn’t like to move when you try and step over him, then he attacks the feet! He truly thinks it’s a game. I’ve had to be very aware since surgery because I can’t imagine falling!

I didn’t sleep longer than half hour for almost a month. It was absolutely brutal. I just cried so much! I couldn’t get comfortable, my nerves in my foot couldn’t stand anything touching it, and more. Then my hip pain kicked in and I still have that. Then at PT last week my knee was forced backwards and I’ve been limited in my movements every since. It’s been a difficult recovery , but I had to have this surgery. My knees had taken my life away. I couldn’t even sit in a movie theatre because of the pain. I’ve had no quality of life. Looking forward to that changing.

BoneSmart has changed everything. The support here has made this easier. the advice that we get from other members who have been through this eases the stress. Hope you’re having a good day!

I wish you good healing vibes

 

[Greda]

@flsungirl this surgery is so much harder than I thought it would be. My avatar are 2 of my 4 kitties. Cooper is laying on top of his littermate Russ. The boys are 3 years old now. Cooper is the one who lays down and will not move. Luckily he doesn’t attack my feet. He likes to lean on my legs, before my surgery I thought it was cute (his way of giving me a hug)...after the surgery it is not as cute. I have to be really careful because I never know when he is coming to lean against me.
I have been trying to get the clutter and cat toys picked up so my husband can vacuum tonight. I know I will be happier with one room cleaner.

 

[flsungirl]

@Greda beautiful cats! Loki does rub on my legs going in and out! He’s still in kitten phase at times and I’m looking forward to him not being so crazy. But he really does make me laugh sometimes. He growls like a dog when he’s running around the house in one of his crazy episodes! I’ve never known a cat like him! He doesn’t shed very much but Oliver does. Never thought I’d have cats I’ve always been a big dog person. Glad I’ve got the cats now. Much easier to take care of