Revision TKR Hmm. Not thrilled with the revision yet

I have done what I seem to always do - over think, over compare, over analyze and analysis paralysis happens! I make no decision, ugh.
I do the same thing.
 
Hey everyone. I keep thinking I should be farther along, I'm at 9 total weeks, but really 7 since I had a brace for two weeks with no bend. I did have home PT and he was great. But I'm now scheduled for out patient PT in two weeks. (Just because I have an appointment doesn't mean I plan on going!)

My issue is swelling, then more swelling followed very closely by, you guessed it, swelling. With swelling comes pain. All of my other knee surgeries haven't been this difficult combined. Wonder why that is? Anyway I'm just doing ADL's some stretching and walking around the house. If I stay elevate / ice in the morning then all afternoon I know I mentally & physically feel better. The swelling is still there, but it does dissipate some. Then I feel guilty for not doing more!!! Yes I'm my own worst enemy.

Guess I'm just venting. The surgeon and PT guy said 3 total knees is a rough slow recovery - I guess I didn't think it would apply to me!!! Off to elevate and ice. Hope everyone is healing well. And I'm so thankful for this forum, knowing I'm not alone helps.
 
Your surgeon and PT are right. Your poor knee has been through so much. It will need extra time and gentle treatment.
I wish I had a big box of patience I could send you, because you're going to need a lot.

Try not to feel guilty when you're resting, icing and elevating. You're doing what your knee needs most.
Resting isn't "lying around, doing nothing." Instead, think of it as working hard, to give your knee the best possible chance of healing well.
In other words, when you are icing and elevating and watching TV, you are not 'lazing around' - you are "engaging in a carefully considered, proactively designed, heuristically programmed, dynamically structured recovery programme".
 
I agree that most people don't feel that way, Jan, but you and your knee are the most important thing and what other people think doesn't really matter.
 
Oh how I love the:
"engaging in a carefully considered, proactively designed, heuristically programmed, dynamically structured recovery programme". Celle this is perfect, exactly what I needed to hear and giggle about.

Did I say how perfect this quote was? I've already arranged for the class that I teach to have the substitute finish out the year for me. For me that was huge. I've also looked at the calendar and removed things that aren't vital to my recovery.

Luckily our friends are wonderful - always willing and wanting to help. With the grocery stores now having delivery or pickup that makes grocery shopping easy. All the rest will fall into place. A funny side note: we have a mom & pop owned Italian restaurant that we frequent, and have for years. Thankfully they deliver. The other night we decided to have them deliver dinner - when I placed the order they said "but that's not what you usually get!" Cracked me up. Gotta find the humor in things.

Happy healing everyone.
 
Those were some fabulous decisions you made!
have a mom & pop owned Italian restaurant that we frequent, and have for years
My friend and I used to go to the same restaurant every Monday morning for breakfast and we often were put in the same general area so got the same waiter. One day the hostess took us to the table and said “I’ll tell him you’re here” When he came and we placed our order, which was our usual, he told us “it’s already in.” What fun! My husband used to tell people we even had our own parking space. (not quite true) Its fun to be a regular at a restaurant.
 
Oh how I love the:
"engaging in a carefully considered, proactively designed, heuristically programmed, dynamically structured recovery programme". Celle this is perfect, exactly what I needed to hear and giggle about.
It's not my original.
Roy Gardiner, one of our Forum Advisors, posted it for us to use. I think he said it was a quote from one of the Star Wars movies.
 
That was a surprise. I laid down to ice/elevate and next thing I knew its 3 hrs later!! It amazes me how exhausting healing really is. I wish the surgeons would better express that. I didn't even think I was that tired! And the bonus? Calling out for dinner. Win win - long nap and dinner delivered!!
 
That is a win-win!! I don’t think that anyone understands how much this recovery wears you out unless they’ve been through it. My husband really is understanding but he’s starting to tell me that I just need to push through it.
 
Yike jboles. Your understanding husband needs more understanding!!! I'm blessed with a very understanding and patient husband. Now that doesn't mean he "totally" understands this, but he's at least trying to roll with it. As long as we have a plan for the day - which usually is nothing but walking around, icing / elevating, he is fine.

We have a cold front moving through and I'm pretty miserable. I'm certainly hoping when things have healed up more I won't be so sensitive to fronts coming through. This 4th replacement certain has a mind of its own!!!
 
@eaglemom I don’t mean that he’s not understanding and extremely helpful but he’s also one of those people that’s always doing something. He just can’t be still. I’m sure he was probably one of those hyper children that drove his mom crazy :happydance: and he just can’t believe that I’m okay with just elevating and icing. I sure hope he never has to have knee surgery. He would go insane. We’re having some crazy spring weather here too and this knee lets me know about it.
 
I seem to post when things aren't going so good. Dare I say it? This is day two of my knee not being too bad. I've totally stopped all "exercises" except heel slides. I've very consciously made myself elevate & ice each morning and afternoon. I've made certain to walk around the house more.

Of course its still swollen and sore - but I feel a little better, and I'll take that. Hope everyone has a pain free weekend.
 
Thanks for posting about having your second “not too bad” day in a row. I’m only a few days out with my new revision, and it really helps to read about the successes! I hope your good days continue to stack up like this!
 
We have a cold front moving through and I'm pretty miserable. I'm certainly hoping when things have healed up more I won't be so sensitive to fronts coming through.
We experienced that cold front moving through last night with bad storms. My new knee still wasn't happy. The quad was paining. Today I am sore, but much better. Before my tkr storms cause extreme pain, so it is much better since having it. Yours will continue to get better during storms, too. It might not go completely away, but it'll be so much better!
 
Odd question for everyone. My incision has healed completely. I'm so wanting to sit in the hot tub, but VERY scared my knee will puff up like a bigger balloon than it already is. Several surgeries ago I did sit in the hot tub for a bit then immediately iced the knee. That somehow made me feel 'off.' All relaxed from the hot tub and then zap a cold leg. Anyone else have this happen? Or should I just forget the hot tub for a while longer? ( I'm a little worried about getting out of the hot tub and being ever so careful.)
 
Personally I’d wait. You’re doing so well with this recovery why chance anything.

And I agree, it does seem anticlimactic to have to ice right after being in the hot tub.
 
I think you'd be wise to wait a bit longer before going in the hot tub.
Certainly, I wouldn't go in it and then ice my knee immediately afterwards.
 
I know you all are correct - I'm staying out of the hot tub. I knew I shouldn't, but I guess I was just wanting reassurance that not getting in was the correct decision.

I'm trying to be patient and allow this knee to heal on its own time frame. As I've said numerous times elevation & ice are what help me the most. So I'm doing that at least 2x's a day, sometimes at bedtime also. As has been discussed here, unless you've gone through this you have NO IDEA what a recovery is like. I've had several people hint that I should be back to 100% by now. I don't know how to respond to them other than "well I'm not." They don't say it being mean necessarily, but that I need to get busy, move on and get going on a project. I just say nope, baby knee is in charge and its tired!!

Let's hope for less pain and swelling for all of us next week.
 

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