TKR Hopefaith's Ups and Downs of Recovery

[hopefaith]

I have been thinking about "strength". I believe first, all of you are strong people because you have survived what we all have come to know, a very major surgery.
Strength isn't the absence of melt downs or tears. In fact, doesn't it take more strength to admit to very hard times and come clean about a dark tunnel we are in? I think so.
And with strength I think of courage. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It is moving, somehow, just moving despite the presence of fear.
Just some thoughts......
I think next should be patience, but since I have none perhaps no.
@busylizzie wondering how you are. @Pumpkln yea you for the swimming!@Nana moon 27 have a lovely time in Wales. So sorry your knee hurts!

xoxox
~~hopefaith

 

[Pumpkin]

Courage isn't the absence of fear. It is moving, somehow, just moving despite the presence of fear.

Fear is an important emotion, it informs us of danger, and allows us to proceed in a way that mitigates that danger. Something as simple as listening to your fear and crossing the street to avoid a dangerous situation ahead is an effective response to fear.
Thanks for your thoughts on strength, courage, and fear, things for all of us to think about.

 

[71Beetle]

loved your most recent post @hopefaith. We could all learn a lot form your words!

 

[hopefaith]

Hi all! Thinking of you and just wanted to send caring thoughts your way.

@71Beetle it's July! How are you feeling with your next surgery?
@DogLoverx3 I hope things are feeling a little less painful. You are a very wonderful woman. @chestnc I really am hoping your pain is lessened and work is a bit easier for you
@dogwheels I love your pop in notes. Thank you so much for thinking of me. (And i still think about your beautiful chairs.

I cannot believe it is July!
I'm not sure how I feel about that in this moment 6:45 a.m. Where did the past 3 months go? Rhetorical please, just rhetorical.
~~hopefaith

 

[hopefaith]

@dogwheels are,you getting my tags? Sometimes it lets me and sometimes it doesn't.???

 

[busylizzie]

@hopefaith, I haven't been posting as much recently, but still thinking of you daily as always. Take care

 

[kneeper]

@madinana I so appreciate it. I have had a significant melt down today. So much has piled up at once, it is unbelievable. So, thank you so much.
h.f.

Sending a shovel to unpile stuff.

 

[71Beetle]

Hi @hopefaith - It is July and Canada Day to boot! I am feeling good about my surgery. The time sure has flown! I am not relishing the actual surgery and recovery but I sure am excited to have it all behind me.

Hope all is well with you. I am thinking about you. xo

 

[Wellness in Virginia]

I thinking I am having a hard time emotionally decreasing the pain meds. I am again teary frequently. Is this common in decreasing them? I am doing it slowly, still on Tramadol, actually trying to go to just Tramadol and Tylenol. I am crying a lot. I am so discouraged right now. A very dark time again. I wonder if you all get so very tired of my depression with all of this? Moving used to be the best anti-depressant I knew. I can't move yet. (I mean aerobic type moving.)
I know this isn't a forum about difficult life events, so I hold back about my very difficult break up in the midst of this brutal recovery. But I am in so much pain and fear about it. (emotional pain)
I do have some questions. I still have difficulty lifting my leg off of the bed. I can do it about 10-12 times before it hurts. But my leg is not completely straight.
Also, when you all talk about "the bend", do you mean all of the time? I have stiffness a lot, so my bend is not that great because of stiffness and the infamous "tight band" feeling. So, when I hear about these really high bend ROM, do you mean you can do that in spite of that above mentioned feeling. I just wonder if I am way behind in my knee recovering.
Thanks for "listening"
~hopefaith

@hopefaith How many Tramadols and how much Tylenols are you taking? I can share with you that I am taking 3 Tramadols (50 mg each) and about 3000 mg of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) in a 24-hour period. I still feel some pain and tightness in the quads right above the knees but it is not unbearable. I had my BTKR on May 5, 2014. Just thought I'd share with you my experience since your surgery and mine are close enough in date. I hope you will feel better soon. Keep posting. We all care about you deeply. I hope you are having a pleasant day. Hugs!

 

[hopefaith]

That was a few weeks ago. I am not able to take Tramadol. So, my pain meds are a narcotic and Tylenol.
Thanks for caring!

 

[hopefaith]

My knee has had increased tightness and swelling the past few days. The bottom right in front has a squishy feeling to it. My bend has decreased in the last couple of weeks I think. I see my OS next Monday for a routine check. I am scared because I feel I have gone way backwards. Any ideas?

 

[msmechanic58]

As I work to rebuild muscle it is getting tighter by the day. I have to force myself to keep stretching.

 

[dogwheels]

Hi @hopefaith - how are you doing my friend?

The tagging is a bit hit and miss - some I get, some I don't, sometimes I get an alert and other times I don't. But having said that, it doesn't stop me thinking about you!

I am sorry that you think you have not made sufficient progress - however, I expect that you would surprise yourself if you looked at the broad picture of your recovery. We are very quick to 'forget' what things were like, and sometimes we stop celebrating our achievements and only dwell on the things that we still cannot do, but think we should now be able to.

I think we all worry about the OS check-ups - I know I did. Sailing into those without a care in the world is something that only a TKR Poster Child can do. For the next few days before the appointment, just lots of bending, little and often, and keep it moving. But don't overdo the day before the appointment!

Thanks for asking about my crafting. I have been busy with my chairs, and have made good progress on a lovely box with coloured 1940s fashion pics on. When I am a bit further along I will post it on here so you can see.

Look after yourself @hopefaith and take care.

Lots of love and hugs

XXX

 

[hopefaith]

@dogwheels thank you for your encouraging words. It truly helps.
This box.........wanna see wanna see! I have done a couple of things to remind myself I am still the artsy/creative type. Nothing on a large scale however.

 

[msmechanic58]

I would love to see what you have worked on @hopefaith.

 

[hopefaith]

I am going to be heavy duty on the mantras tomorrow and probably the next day. My knee is hurting a lot more. I don't know why. It is frustrating! I have an Orthopod appt. Monday and of course all the awful stuff goes through my mind. So I will be looking for things to read and do that involve hanging out right here in my nest on my . (Well .....other end).
Thinking of @71Beetle having her other TKR tomorrow! @clowny14 hope things are feeling better for you! @cafecortado Thinking of you! @Quasi I miss you. How is your knee? @Phil75070 haven't heard from you lately gracing us with your pictures and humor. (Actually you were over on @DogLoverx3's thread).
@Jozilla hope you are well. @Pumpkln Do you need to ice and elevate and rest after swimming?
Hope you all have a restful night/evening.
~~hopefaith

 

[hopefaith]

@msmechanic58 I don't have anything to show. Just painting to make my home look different and fresh. (I do a little and then drop in exhaustion actually .....)
I wish I could find someone to paint a room for not much money. I usually love to paint a room but not now. Maybe sometime.

 

[Jozilla]

I am doing well. I went to my OS today, had a cortisone injection in my non tkr knee. Also getting ready for left tkr in September. It takes awhile to get everything done. The energy lag was the worst part of my last surgery. It took a good four or five months for that to be normal. I might be able to paint one wall now and that would be it! I did just help paint my back deck but there were three of us. Are there any dependable college students or teens around? You may even call your local school for some student recommendations. Just give yourself a few months. You will start getting your strength back. I hope you are doing okay. Rest is the best medicine for a tkr! Xoxo

 

[msmechanic58]

College students or older teens was my thought as well. A teenager from our church has stayed with me the last two days and helped clean and cook.

 

[hopefaith]

@Jozilla and @msmechanic58 two really good ideas! I will think of both of those. @Jozilla I feel more normal when you say it took you 4-5 months for energy to return. I think people think if you"push" yourself you'll get better faster. I think the opposite is true and I plan to kind of shut down the next couple of days. So, you all will be sick of me by Friday!!