TKR Hoping for a new me after this new knee...at 37!

[Tomsgirl]

Hi Stacey, I am 1 day behind you in this recovery and I am feeling the exact same way you are wondering if I should not have had this knee done. I knew going in it was going to be rough but I had no idea how rough! Hang in there , things will get better. Hope everything is fine with your blood test.

 

[Jebsw]

Another teacher chiming in! If you can swing it at all, try not to go back to work yet. Teaching is so demanding in so many ways that people who don't do it don't get (sound familiar), I fear you'll find it too difficult.

I'm at the other extreme as far as going back. I've missed a semester for each knee (a slow healer, sympathetic OS, great plan), and am finally about to return. Been missing the students but not the adults! And definitely not marking assignments, essays, and exams!

 

[Fernie]

Hi Stacey, its great to hear you're starting to get out and about, i bet it feels sooo good! Be careful not to overdo it though. take care for now.

 

[BigGene]

Riding the bike and spinning forward is a BIG deal. You need good ROM, about 115 or better to do that. You are doing well. Every day will get better and soon you will really know what a great decision you made.

 

[bmxmama2]

Hi everyone! My day has been crazy and amazing all at the same time. I did return to work today, but it was not by choice. I didn't have a choice due to finances. However, my coworkers and students were amazing. The kids were so helpful, and my coworkers kept coming to check on me. Students and teachers were waiting outside at my parking spot when I got to school to help. Others brought me lunch or just kept checking on me all day.

Then I had PT. I was tired, and they adjusted our course for today. As I was getting ice and STEMS at the end, the receptionist came and told me that someone came in Saturday and paid my bill. They paid for my last 8 visits and left their card info for all future charges. This person told the receptionist to say is was the 'Good Samaritan.'

This is crazy! I am so thankful, yet I have no idea who it could be. My first thought was family or close friends, but they are all struggling financially. Besides that, very few people know which place I'm going to. I plan on writing a letter and leaving it for this person in case they come in again. I also don't know if they would be insulted if I asked not to charge their card again, but I feel so bad just taking freebies.

Well, as I sit here racking my brain to try and solve the mystery, it's all about ice and elevation! I hope you all have had an amazing day as well!

 

[referee54]

I am in my 36th year as a teacher, and I was really excited to go back to the classroom; I have about 280 sick days accrued, but that didn't matter; my OS said that I could go back at eight weeks, and so I did---it was too early, but, "Live and learn", as they say.

It is great to read of how your fellow teachers and students showed such compassion!

Are you capable of icing and elevating during the day? I have a fridge in the room and I was able to ice/elevate during my planning period and during my lunch period, too.

It is amazing that, at times, when we feel so tired, that somebody unbeknown to us steps up and helps us out! Isn't a great feeling!

 

[bmxmama2]

Hi, Tim! They were awesome today, but I do wish I had more time. I don't feel ready to go back. However, everyone has been very accommodating. My principal even came in and set up a spot for me at the front of the room with a fancy chair to sit in, a step stool with 2 pillows to prop up on, and kids were assigned to get me ice throughout the day from the cafeteria. People can be amazing sometimes!

 

[referee54]

I have been described as "very active" in the classroom by many of my former students---I teach British literature, Contemporary Cinema, and Speech Communication, as well as the Senior Research Capstone Project. Regardless of how easy we try to take it in the classroom, we have much action and moving around to do. See if you can have somebody run off copies for you---I was able to simply email mine to a person as an attachment and then somebody would bring the copies down to me.

One thing that I did do, though, was to shut down completely on Sundays. I would go to church and then do nothing the rest of the day that involved my legs. I would res, ice, and elevate while I graded essays or "veged out."

I was psychologically ready to return, but I quickly learned that my knees were not. I was stiff and sore for many, many weeks, and it took me about five months to lose a pesky little limp. One of my good friends and colleagues called me ""Festus" from the TV show, Gunsmoke.

Take it easy and as gently as you can, and remember that recovery at this stage is one ginormous roller coaster ride.

 

[bmxmama2]

I've been described the same! I think I am incapable of sitting still. That's why this long recovery has been making me nuts. I've never been able to just sit and lecture. I've got Language Arts for middle school. I MUST make it fun and active or I will lose my kids...

I was happy to get out of the house and see people, but I am NOT ready for a full day. If we didn't have all of the medical issues with my husband and son right now, I'd still be home. So I just need to make the best of it. I already told my family that I will be on the couch the entire weekend. :0)

 

[pdx]

We share surgery date, and although my PT and friends think I'm doing great, the idea of working, then going to PT, makes me exhausted. What a wonderful gesture, though, by your secret admirer/supporter. I sure admire your spirit. Your family and students are lucky indeed.

 

[Coachie]

I hear you on "needing" to go back to work because of finances, but at 4 weeks post-op, working and going to PT might be a little too much. You might find that you'll have to cut back on PT because you are just too tired and sore.
I am assuming you have used up your sick days and that is why you are going back so soon? I did not have enough sick days for my revision, but what they did was divided up how many days I would be gone, subtracted that from my yearly salary and then split up what I still had over the weeks. That way I still got paid some each paycheck and it didn't feel like I was losing that much. I lost about $5000, but split over my paychecks, it was $200 a paycheck and I just cut back on a lot of things in order to survive that (dropped cable tv, got a monthly cell phone instead of a "nice" one, etc.) Is there a way you can do that?
I just don't want you to be going back to work because you are "guilted" into it. My principal tried to do that to me, but I informed him that I was not going to jeopardize my health and well being by going back before I was ready. I did go back after 5 weeks with my revision and 7 weeks from my tkrs, but when I went back, I dropped PT.
Sorry this post is kind of rambling- it's early
Hang in there!

 

[sheryl7]

hi bmxmama2 just wanted to welcome you to Bonesmart, and admire what you do as a teacher, try to take it slow and easy. I agree w/Coachie, may need to slow down on pt, to accommodate for the more working time.

 

[Fernie]

I've been described the same! I think I am incapable of sitting still. That's why this long recovery has been making me nuts. I've never been able to just sit and lecture. I've got Language Arts for middle school. I MUST make it fun and active or I will lose my kids...

I was happy to get out of the house and see people, but I am NOT ready for a full day. If we didn't have all of the medical issues with my husband and son right now, I'd still be home. So I just need to make the best of it. I already told my family that I will be on the couch the entire weekend. :0)

Hi Stacey, please take it easy and don't overdo it, make sure you rest up as much as you can. Take care

 

[bmxmama2]

Hi, everyone! Thanks to all for your concern.

I had not planned on going back to work at this time. I wasn't planning on going back for another month. However, I did run out of sick days. My husband hurt himself unexpectedly and has not been able to work. Unfortunately, he's not salary. It still would have been ok, but my son did a real doozy on his arm. He had one surgery, and he still needs two more. His first surgery was January 2nd, so a whole new deductible had to be paid before they would operate. That really caused some problems....

So, I'm trying hard not to overdo it. I've been icing and propped lots at work, although it's really weird for me to sit. It's uncomfortable. They have been doing a lot to accommodate me. Either way, I'm refusing to move after school and weekends. My PT has cut back because he said I'm technically getting therapy all day. I'm propped up with ice and my iPad right now, and I shall remain this way all night.

 

[Cavewoman]

Oh boy do I hear you! I am a massage therapist and went back to work at 10 weeks and boy was that a struggle!! I thought I was going to die! Then I was afraid I wasn't. (Just kidding) But really it was tough! I stand all day when I am working so I quickly deduced that there was no way I could go back full time so I did half time and it was still tough. I, like you, am a workaholic and busy body. I had to make a deal with myself that after every massage I had to go lay down for 15-20 minutes and ice and elevate. It worked. It helped immeasurably. So my advice to you, BE PATIENT with your healing and yourself. Continue to ice and be cared for by your fans and family. (sounds like you have some amazing angels in your life!!) Take time to rest; as soon as you get home, go to bed with the ice pack. Do not feel guilty for this, just do it. It will make your life so so so much better. If you feel you need to take a day off and rest, do it. I started taking my days off to rest all day long at the beginning and it really really helped! Remember your most important job right now is healing. Take care my friend!

 

[bmxmama2]

Thanks again for all of the great advice, and I'm so happy I'm meeting all of you.

I do have a question about meds...

I have been given Percocet 5-325. Am I ok to take two? Am I allowed to use Percocet with Tylenol or Advil occasionally?

I don't want to overdo the meds, but I still want to be comfy.

 

[lucie's mom]

Hi BMX, that's the dosage I have too, my perscription says 2 every 4 to 6 hours. I also use tylenol in between if I need it. just dont go over 3000 mg of tylenol in 24 hours, so add the amount you take to the 325 in the percoset. Some drs. say you can take up to 4000 mg in a 24 hr. period. The percoset makes me really sleepy, so I didn't take more than 1 at a time...but everyone is different...staying ahead of the pain is the name of the game! good luck!

 

[kneeper]

Either way, I'm refusing to move after school and weekends. My PT has cut back because he said I'm technically getting therapy all day. I'm propped up with ice and my iPad right now, and I shall remain this way all night.

Good plan.

 

[pdx]

I think Luciesmom is correct re meds, but just to be safe, why not call your pharmacy? Pharmacists know this stuff -- and it's free! You actually could call any pharmacy, even.

 

[bmxmama2]

Very true! I don't know why that didn't cross my mind!

Pdx, how are you feeling? We were four weeks yesterday!