TKR Here she comes just a walkin' down the street
- Thread starter greatlakes
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mamazipp
graduate
Wonderful progress Audrey. Happy for you.
OP
OP
greatlakes
graduate
My report from 18 days out. I am walking all short distances now with a cane, only get out the walker if I want to go for a longer walk. Outpatient Pt really helped me get confident with the cane in my first pt visit. I'm still doing arms only on the nustep and found the nustep also is a good perch from which to do two of my four stretching exercises from pt. I am down to three norcos a day, two before bed and one when I wake up in the night. Then I take two Tylenol extra strength around 10 am and two more at 4 pm. Other than the occasional zingers, which seem to happen mostly at night, this keeps me quite comfortable, maybe a resting level 2. I'm still elevating in bed most of the day and night, and have just stopped using the ice machine in favor of large gel packs which wrap all around the knee, and which I replace several times a day.
Today I did my first laundry, but am being careful re activity. I shower every other day, and walk about 30 steps on a concrete sidewalk to the freezer in the garage several times a day to change out my frozen gel packs. Plus of course bathroom up-and-down, a very short walk. I get a ride to go visit my parents for a half hour in the late afternoon in a car that's very easy to get in and out of. I do my four pt stretches a few at a time throughout the day, and nustep (arms only) for 10 minutes a day. And that's about it! I've hired a lady to come in to clean, and my recovery buddy takes care of all my meals, bless him. So I have it pretty easy. Next big step will be getting cleared to drive again.
I'm starting to feel surges of optomism. I wouldn't say walking is comfortable yet, in fact the opposite, but I certainly am experiencing what others have described, which is this is not the old hopeless pain, it's a healing pain. I'm starting to look forward to life after Tkr. No more planning my days around the fewest possible steps. No more driving to events an hour early, in order to park right in front, and then sitting in my car and reading for that hour. No more choosing only restaurants with a drive-through, so I don't have to get out of the car and walk. No more dropping family off at museums or parks, then joining them again two hours later, since I just couldn't do the walking involved. New vistas.
Today I did my first laundry, but am being careful re activity. I shower every other day, and walk about 30 steps on a concrete sidewalk to the freezer in the garage several times a day to change out my frozen gel packs. Plus of course bathroom up-and-down, a very short walk. I get a ride to go visit my parents for a half hour in the late afternoon in a car that's very easy to get in and out of. I do my four pt stretches a few at a time throughout the day, and nustep (arms only) for 10 minutes a day. And that's about it! I've hired a lady to come in to clean, and my recovery buddy takes care of all my meals, bless him. So I have it pretty easy. Next big step will be getting cleared to drive again.
I'm starting to feel surges of optomism. I wouldn't say walking is comfortable yet, in fact the opposite, but I certainly am experiencing what others have described, which is this is not the old hopeless pain, it's a healing pain. I'm starting to look forward to life after Tkr. No more planning my days around the fewest possible steps. No more driving to events an hour early, in order to park right in front, and then sitting in my car and reading for that hour. No more choosing only restaurants with a drive-through, so I don't have to get out of the car and walk. No more dropping family off at museums or parks, then joining them again two hours later, since I just couldn't do the walking involved. New vistas.
Floridagal
graduate
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I love your new vistas! At first I had trouble walking and was discouraged. It gradually got better and now I can walk a mile comfortably. It doesn't even hurt doing the hills. You will get there to and it will be wonderful. It seems that patience is hard once we are on the way to recovery. We all want it right away. Just keep the vistas in mind.
OP
OP
greatlakes
graduate
Whoa Nelly, a zinger just hit. It's like the three of us are happily snuggled up in bed together, me, my knee, and my iPad. And all of a sudden, zing. My iPad and I are looking reproachfully at my knee, saying "what did you do that for?"
uva55
post-grad
I'm so glad you are doing so well and I love your optimism, that's best way to get through this, we all knew there was going to pain and many challenges but it's all worth it in order to get our lives back, you are well on your way.
I hope your dad is doing well.
Have a dream Sunday!!
I hope your dad is doing well.
Have a dream Sunday!!
Oh yes, they let you know they're there! I'm glad it's a hit and run and not a stay!
OP
OP
greatlakes
graduate
I was talking to my brother today, and told him that after never experiencing the energy drain, starting yesterday afternoon and continuing today, it's finally hit. I described to him what I've been doing lately, and said I didn't think it was really all that much. Couldn't understand why it would hit this late in the game. But he picked out one fact that I had overlooked. At my first PT, last Thursday, the PT showed me how to use a cane properly. Ever since then, I've used the cane instead of the walker. My brother pointed out that the increased effort for a cane might very well account for the exhaustion I felt in the last two days. That makes sense to me. I'm not going back to the walker, but I will pace myself even more than I have been.
The dread constipation still is causing issues. Yesterday I started up the over the counter meds again, and drank tons of water in an attempt to gain the attention of the poop fairy. For a while, only gained the attention of the tinkle fairy. Finally this afternoon all heck broke loose, leaving me relieved, but with a sore and aching belly. I had thought that going down to just three Norcos a day would eliminate the problem, but no such luck, so if anyone else is finding themselves susceptible to this issue, I would advise keeping the over-the-counter meds constant for quite a while. I am certainly going to from now on.
All else well today. Best to all of you.
The dread constipation still is causing issues. Yesterday I started up the over the counter meds again, and drank tons of water in an attempt to gain the attention of the poop fairy. For a while, only gained the attention of the tinkle fairy. Finally this afternoon all heck broke loose, leaving me relieved, but with a sore and aching belly. I had thought that going down to just three Norcos a day would eliminate the problem, but no such luck, so if anyone else is finding themselves susceptible to this issue, I would advise keeping the over-the-counter meds constant for quite a while. I am certainly going to from now on.
All else well today. Best to all of you.
I had to keep taking medication to prevent constipation for the entire time that I was taking pain relievers. My GP/PCP prescribed something for me.
OP
OP
greatlakes
graduate
Three weeks today! And I celebrated by reclaiming my car. Since I only take narcotic pain medicine before going to bed now, my surgeon's office said it would be OK to drive during the day as long as I felt OK. And I feel fine. But I do have to be careful about, is that getting in the car and driving is one thing, but the walking and carrying things that being in the car makes you want to do, is a completely different thing. I'm going to have to remind myself to go slow and ask for help a lot over the next few weeks. But it sure is good to have the car up and running again.
I had my second bout of outpatient pt today. He was very pleased to see that mostly I'm walking with a cane now, and added a few nice stretching exercises to my routine. He reiterated that his philosophy was never to touch the patient to push on them. I reiterated how pleased I was to hear this. He cleared me to do ten minutes or so on the nustep at a light resistance. It felt good.
In order to drive safely, I have cut out the third norco I had still been taking. I was taking two around 10 pm before bed, and then one when I would wake up to go to the bathroom usually between 3 and 4 AM. I've cut out the early-morning one. Last night I did wake up, and it took me a couple hours to get back to sleep, but it really wasn't painful. The rest of the day I just take extra strength Tylenol. I figure in a week or two I'll try getting down to one at night, and then go from there.
I had my second bout of outpatient pt today. He was very pleased to see that mostly I'm walking with a cane now, and added a few nice stretching exercises to my routine. He reiterated that his philosophy was never to touch the patient to push on them. I reiterated how pleased I was to hear this. He cleared me to do ten minutes or so on the nustep at a light resistance. It felt good.
In order to drive safely, I have cut out the third norco I had still been taking. I was taking two around 10 pm before bed, and then one when I would wake up to go to the bathroom usually between 3 and 4 AM. I've cut out the early-morning one. Last night I did wake up, and it took me a couple hours to get back to sleep, but it really wasn't painful. The rest of the day I just take extra strength Tylenol. I figure in a week or two I'll try getting down to one at night, and then go from there.
KarriB
Former BoneSmart staff member
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Good for you, Audrey! That little bit of independence is awesome, isn't it!
mamazipp
graduate
Driving was like having a reprieve from house arrest! Enjoy.
It is a wonderful freedom to be able to drive again. Good for you. Just don't overdo it. Before you know it, it'll be too much for your knee!
OP
OP
greatlakes
graduate
Today one small good thing, one small bad thing. Yesterday at PT, he had me do leglifts with a small 2 pound weight attached my ankle. I felt as I was doing the last couple, that I was straining something around the hip or groin. Today it's not really bad, but I can tell I strained something that's not knee related. He's a good enough guy, and I'll just ask him to cut that exercise out. I need all of my other muscles and joints in good working order while recovering from the knee operation.
Now for the small good thing. Yesterday, it felt comfortable enough climbing a small flight of three stairs, that I went ahead and climbed the full flight of stairs to the upper level of our house today. 13 steps. I probably could've done it before, but I've just been putting it off. And it went quite easily! Now mind you, this was hanging onto the banisters, and only one step at a time. I'll wait a while to try at the grown-up way.
So today my plan is, climb stairs, rest and elevate and ice for a couple hours. (Done) Shortly, I'm meeting a friend who had a knee replacement last year, and we're going to go to lunch and have a conversation that would bore anyone else silly. All knees, all hour. Then rest, elevate and ice two hours. Then a friend is going to go out with me while I do the rounds of my errands for a half hour, I will drive and she will be my legs. And the rest of the day for something different, rest elevate and ice, with maybe a few gentle stretches and bends thrown in.
Now for the small good thing. Yesterday, it felt comfortable enough climbing a small flight of three stairs, that I went ahead and climbed the full flight of stairs to the upper level of our house today. 13 steps. I probably could've done it before, but I've just been putting it off. And it went quite easily! Now mind you, this was hanging onto the banisters, and only one step at a time. I'll wait a while to try at the grown-up way.
So today my plan is, climb stairs, rest and elevate and ice for a couple hours. (Done) Shortly, I'm meeting a friend who had a knee replacement last year, and we're going to go to lunch and have a conversation that would bore anyone else silly. All knees, all hour. Then rest, elevate and ice two hours. Then a friend is going to go out with me while I do the rounds of my errands for a half hour, I will drive and she will be my legs. And the rest of the day for something different, rest elevate and ice, with maybe a few gentle stretches and bends thrown in.
It has been said on here that we are not to do weights until later on in our recovery. Your new knee is an infant.
dianehelen
supremo
ya at pt yesterday , she asked if I wanted to do some leg lifts with small weights... I said, No thanks.. ;) and she left it at that! My leg by itself is enough weight to be lifting at this point
