Bilateral TKR Hilary's Log Ride! - (telling it like it is..!)

[HilaryP]

Day 12 Sun 10th Feb
Ahhhh home! Lovely! Knees objected to journey home so I had to take Oxynorm to help me sleep. It was wonderful to be at home, although I did feel guilty having to ask Tim to do so much, but it’s strange for us both, we’ll soon get into the swing of things.

Managed to get upstairs to our bedroom to use our lovely big walk in shower which was great, coming down again was VERY scary - no tears though!! Tim went to collect our little dog from friends and whilst he was out I managed to twist my left leg & my muscles went in spasm. Now THAT was pain , I’’d not experienced anything like that before & NEVER want to again. It finally cleared mid afternoon & left me exhausted so an early night was on the cards! I’m sleeping in my study off the kitchen, Tim needs rest too so he’s in our bedroom up the back stairs off the other side of the kitchen.

 

[HilaryP]

Day 13/14/15/16/17/18/19 Mon 11th - Sun17th Feb
District Nurse dropped in just to check on me - pleased with everything! Had my staples out on Tuesday, painless!
Tim and I have worked out a sort of routine, slightly upset by some unexpected B&B guests, but he managed everything fine! He cooks breakfast & does the cleaning anyway, I’m just the laundry queen so I’ve got the ironing to do sometime but I can do that sitting at my huge ironing board no probs!

We get going slowly in the morning, I take my regular meds, have breakfast then do my exercises. Upstairs for a shower, back down into my lovely chair in the sitting room. Walk around the outside of the house, lunch, tablets, exercies, nap in chair! Walk around outside of house, rest. Supper then the hard bit, trying to stay awake until at least 9.30 pm for bed!
Works for us!

Healing is tiring so I’m listening to my body and if I want to sleep I sleep, if I want to do it, I do, if I don’t, I don’t! I’m not putting any pressure on myself to achieve anything, I’ll get there! I’ve not put myself through this for no reason nor have I done it to hurt myself, I’ve done it to get my life back which I will, but not tomorrow! For goodness it’s only 19 days since I had my legs cut in half!
Every day I’m stronger, every day I move better, every day is WONDERFUL!

 

[RICBAK1]

Hi i like your good and positive attitude well done.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

...It was also suggest that a mini skateboard is a really good thing for helping the knee bend, you just sit rolling your leg back & forwards, I’m hoping to borrow one this week.

It's true

 

[kingy500]

Hi Hilary
Great to read you are doing well.
The bit with the skateboard is a goood idea, will try that when I have my hinged TNR in the near future, the sooner the better.
Keep up the physio cos it really do's help.
Pete

 

[SadKnee]

Wow Hillary it seems like you are making great process ... Especially since you had both your knees done. It sounds like you are doing amazingly well!!

I would have wept too

Enjoying your posts!

 

[Pamx2]

Hello Hilary! I've been avoiding Bonesmart a bit...just so anxious about surgery. I know everyone says I will do fine and it will be so great to have my knees fixed....but you know how it goes. I laugh and cry at the same time reading about your journey. I'm glad to know that someone cries as much as me! I'm also so amazed at your recovery and how far you've come...even though I'm so sorry about your PE....no fun. My surgery is a week from tomorrow...and I've gone off the Motrin (Ibuprofin) from now until the surgery like they've told me to do. My knees are not happy campers this afternoon with no pain meds....stuff like Tylenol has never worked for bone on bone pain for me. Anyways, just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your posts and I pray that you keep getting better day by day. Hugs....Pam

 

[Pamx2]

When I got up to the ward I couldn’t step into the reception, a nurse took one look at me removed my bag & told Tim to take me to sit down,..."

Oh my gosh Hilary...as hard as I'm going to try and just walk into the reception area...what happened to you is going to happen to me!!! I know it!!! At least you make me feel better because I'm not the only one who has ever looked like a deer in the headlights!! What's super embarrassing is that my hubby is a doctor and works at the hospital where I'll be having my surgery. I have a feeling for years to come they'll be saying..."Remember when Dr. So & So's wife came in and how she was blubbering like a baby?? On the other hand, I know I'm going to get really good care...and in the end....I'll be walking with no pain and laughing at how I was such a big baby!! By the way, of all the crazy things, I have always like to sleep with a small baby blanket over my head. I adjust it so I can still breathe fresh air, but I like that blankey over my head. So...I'll also be the doctor's wife who sleeps with a blankey (I bought a new one just for the occasion of my surgery )...but at least if someone leaves the lights turned on it won't bother me.

 

[HilaryP]

Love that post! Really made me chuckle!

Every time a nurse came in to change a dressing, take blood I'd be sitting there with a towel over my head, ipod plugged in ( well it was to me - I'm deaf on the right side so if the earpiece falls out I don't notice & they have to listen to my crappy music too) so blankey sounds just brill!
The nurses etc may well 'think' all that but they sure as eggs won't say it to your face or your OH's!
Yes, you will be laughing but you've got to get there first and that is going to be hard, no point pretending otherwise, especially as you're off extra meds. Strange way things are done your side of the pond! Anyway I expect you've tried to lot to ease discomfort, is heat any good?? Hot water bottle, one of these herbal bags you heat in microwave?

I'm with you every day Pam, it's hard, horrid & scary but I don't get the impression you're a quitter so go stick your head under blankey have a blooming good person then get on the the next bit of your day. Use your tears they are given to us as a brilliant release valve!

HUGE hugs.

H xxx

ps I'm on skype if you ever want to do a real chat.

 

[HilaryP]

Third Week after Surgery. Mon 18th - Fr 22nd

This seems to becoming rather humdrum, just trundling away doing a little more each day,sleeping pretty well and rather enjoying this totally lazy life! I did notice that I was talking rather too much about what had happened to me to our plumber - a good friend as well - I realised he was backing out of the door looking a tad green.... poor fellow,must try not to bore everybody with my 'stories'!

We're into a pretty good routine, but I just don't seem to manage to do my exercies 4 times a day so I've stopped worrying about it and go for 3 really good sessions with extra leg bends on the skate board whilst sitting at the table eating meals.
There is a bitterly cold wind blowing at the moment so my strolls around the house are on hold, reverted to marching around the dining room table 5 or 6 times and going up & down the big stairs twice daily - reckon that helps the bend too!

First really 'boo boo' almost left the crutches on the floor when going to the loo in the middle of the night, just totally forgot them - took 3 steps then remembered

Tried with lower strength meds at lunch time yesterday - not a good idea there was marked increase in discomfort all afternoon! Won't try that again for a while!

Had one off day when I just didn't do anything & felt a bit sorry for myself - no idea what brought it on - just let it run it's course & had an even lazier day. Did have a glass of wine that night & really enjoyed it!

I am so lucky to be doing so well.

Have a good day everybody.

Hx

 

[bottomshollow]

Hilary, what a great update. You are truly doing very, very well. Some of us are very lucky that way. Just continue to

at your current rate and recovery should continue to be the best. It may seem humdrum---but it gets you where you're going at an even steady rate without a lot of ups and downs. So humdrum is GOOD!

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[HilaryP]

 

[HilaryP]

Hello everybody, hope somebody will read this and be able to answer, not sure how to get my question to one of the nursey type experts....?

My right scar has a small area - about 1/2 nch long - right in the middle of the knee which is just not healing. When I had my staples out (10 days ago) and the Nurse used sterristrips (?) to hold it together but it's still not sealed and is ever so slightly crusty. Horrid description sorry, just not sure how to describe it. The scar is not warm, red or uncomfortable and I think the crustiness appears overnight whilst I'm not moving it. All the rest of scar is healed beautifully, just this one small area.

Should I ask a nurse to drop in - not due to see one until Thursday - or am I just worried for no reason?

Thanks,
Hilary

 

[bottomshollow]

HilaryP, I really don't think you have anything to worry about, but I will tag Josephine for you.

FYI:
To tag a forum member, all you have to do is to type @ directly in front of their user name with no space between the @ and the user name. Be sure that you correctly typed the user name or it will not work. To be sure that the member is tagged, look at your post after you have clicked "Post Reply"; if the tagged worked the @ will be gone and the user name will now be blue and underlined.

 

[HilaryP]

 

[Josephine]

Sounds like it's healing nicely to me, Hilary. That 'crustiness' is probably just scab and is best left alone until it falls off on its own. However, perhaps you could post a photo of it so I can check.

 

[speccybecky]

All sounds like good progress Hilary.
Who was your surgeon at Jubilee?
One of the night nurses, well I think she was an auxiliary , dropped my tkr leg while 'helping ' me to get out of bed for toilet visit n the middle of 2nd night and wondered why I cried ....

 

[HilaryP]

Hi Nancy! my surgeon was Joe Baines, a really nice man, very honest & straightforward which really helped me decide go for both.
The weekend night shifts were the only time I had any complaints about the staff, there just wasn't the same care being shown, otherwise I think the treatment I received was excellent and all hospitals should be at that level or better in my opinion. How was your experience there?
H

 

[speccybecky]

I wasn't there over a weekend so can't comment. All the nurses were excellent, (apart from the dropped knee incident) , esp the one who sang all the time, so cheery and there was one named Margaret just dropped everything to massage my really solid thigh. it was great!
All the food, cups of tea, etc was delivered with a cheery smile and a blether. All the other patients were friendly too as we passed each other in the corrider! and visited each others rooms. My physios were Victoria and Angela...so young! Anaesthetist was very chatty and explained everything that would happen very well. My surgeon was Kamal Deep, he was quiet but nice with it! Almost like a hotel! Cryocuff was brilliant!

 

[HilaryP]

Yes it really was a great place & I totally agree about the cheery smiles & blether, it was so nice! Being able to have my OH with me all the time was also brill for such a scaredy cat as me! Agree about Cryocuff still in use now, will pass on to daughter for her netball team when I'm done with them!
H