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TKR Hawkie's 2nd Knee

So far so good. No pain management needed today. Also, I realized I haven't needed my ice machine this week, so am drying it out for the first time since September. Woooohooo!

Sara61 said:
It's funny how once we've had a replacement surgery, everyday things suddenly become a pleasure once we can do them again.
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Those every day activities became real chores on bad knees then became difficult or ill-advised during recovery. So adding them back to my routine as pain free activities is exhilarating for sure! I'm certain it will pass soon. I'm actually looking forward to my first pain-free 5 mile hike, maybe this summer/fall.

I actually ended up having my coffee with a bit of frothy eggnog (instead of chocolate), it was indeed delish.
 
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I'm not sure but I would guess it's because of the helpful and positive comments they leave. :thumb:
 
So yesterday I think I lowered my semi-recumbent bike seat a tad too much hoping to test my flexion. It was tough getting started with those 1st few rotations but it eased when I kept going. I stopped after 10 minutes, figuring that I shouldn't try to get to my usual time goal at that seat height and wanted to leave room to assess today. Well howdy doody and hello! Both knees and my left hip complained last night - all night long. I feel okay now other extra fatigue but will rest the rest of today and raise the seat a tad before I do more "biking" tomorrow. Is there a teeny tiny ODIC bench where I can rest? If not, we should create one :) :-) (:
 
I always had to play a game of "back and forth" with my recumbent seat. I would always end the previous session with a setting that there was NO WAY I could start with the next day. So I'd have to back it up until I was in a setting that was comfortable and then every couple of minutes, as my knee warmed up and stretched, I could scoot it forward. I finally reached a spot that is now so close that my right knee hits the handle bar when flexing. That reminds me, I haven't done my bike in awhile and I need to because I'm sure The Knee has tightened back up. I've been too busy putting Christmas decorations away. Why do I have so much stuff????? :oyvey:

Edited to say: I think I need my own ODIC stool right now..... sheeesh :umm:
 
@Susie-Q, I use the bike to stretch periodically throughout the day. It's in a really convenient (for me, inconvenient for others but hey we understand that this is my year) place in the middle of the dining room. So I find myself popping on for a few minutes several times a day, especially when I'm cooking if the leg stiffens because I've been standing a while. It's also in a place where I can watch tv while riding so I get my longer training sessions in, too. I didn't have a single decoration to take down, the flood solved for that.
 
Smart.... My bike is upstairs in the bonus room that I rarely go to. Pool table is up there, games, etc, also a tv to watch while pedaling. But it's out of sight, out of mind so I don't think about it as often as I would if it were right there.

I was thinking about you this morning, are you still using your pillow between your knees while sleeping? I am. The only time I don't use it is when I'm on my stomach, facing left. I can't sleep on my stomach facing right yet, too much pressure on the left leg. I'm still a bit tender on my left side, all the way up to my hip. I'm sure this will resolve in time.....

Decorations are almost put away. Boxes are stacked in the entryway and I just have some clearing away in the dining room and I can finally vacuum and it will be clean! Less than a week to put it all away, working a bit each day. That's not too bad and about what it would be in a normal year.
 
Susie-Q said:
are you still using your pillow between your knees while sleeping?
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Not usually. I'm a side sleeper, gave up stomach sleeping 41 years ago while pregnant - lol. I find that sleeping on the left side is almost back to normal with little need to adjust. Sleeping on the right side still gives me a bit of trouble but as long as my left leg is not stacked on my right, I'm usually good. If I've overdone it, I may ease the discomfort by using the pillow, so I keep it close by just in case. I am also getting more comfortable on my back as my extension improves and the pain of having the leg and foot straight subsides. I'm also finding that I need less of my natural sleep aid to solve for my maintenance insomnia which preceded the surgery.
 
Another milestone --> bath time. I have a tall claw foot tub that reaches about mid-thigh from outside the tub and have used a long handled step stool to get in and out for showers. For a while I needed the shower chair with one arm removed in the tub so that I could step up on the stool and sit to swing my legs into the tub. I gave up the shower chair months ago but continued to use the step stool. Earlier this week, I just felt like a good soak in the tub and felt that I could manage it since I've been moving well and have been off pain meds entirely for a couple weeks now (YAY!). Of course, I was very nervous about being able to manage getting into the tub filled with water and then sitting and eventually standing when I was done. I did it! I did it all! I did it all without the step stool and did not have pain afterwards or the next day. On top of that I got recognition and a bonus for a project that I delivered at work. What a wonderful week it's been.
:yahoo: :yes!:

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I'm back in the regular rotation for housekeeping and what not. happy, not happy. :rotfl:
 
Yay on getting in and out of the tub!! That's great!! :happydance:

Yeah, that housekeeping duty.....wish I could still get out of that..... :oyvey:
 
So happy to hear this @hawk2go !!
I recall with my first knee being terrified of stepping into the tub/shower combination. I fixed that before #2 by having a step-in installed! It is a dream!
I really am trying to talk hubby into getting a hot tub! I think that would be wonderful!
Keep moving forward, girl!!
 
While I'm not really sure how, I have definitely been on the ODIC bench for the past 2 days. After mentioning that I hadn't experienced swelling for a while, I had some swelling the last couple days and a bunch of pain in the usual spot. Pulled out the ole ice machine and resumed my pain remedy to relieve that. I would love to know what landed me here, maybe I just got too close to "normal". I'm lucky that I'm still sleeping well because I have abandoned my Bat, er I mean, my Knee Cave and returned to our bedroom. I'm feeling better on this, my second rest day. Onward and upward!
 
Sorry to hear this hawk2go! Do you ever just use an ice bag or those gel pack things you stick in the freezer? Sometimes I feel a bit restricted with the ice machine & the cord etc. Lately I’ve been using an ice bag. I wonder what put you on the Odic bench?
 
I've had a few small sessions on the ODIC barstool recently too. Going about my day as if it were normal times and then adding stuff like leaning over and picking up about a thousand branches to then cut into pieces for the yard waste bin then wondering why I'm sore. Thankfully, a couple of added icing times and taking it easy and things go back to normal..... I'd like to think I'm about 75-80% back to normal, I just need to remember that 20-25% and act accordingly.... :spin:
 
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