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TKR I Feel Like the Tin Man these Days

@Spex10 - No, you aren't being annoying or smug but you are blessed and very lucky. (And I'm green with envy!) Having something like a tkr is a good reminder not to take all the little things in life for granted, doesn't it? I will be so grateful to be able to do things like get into bed normally, walk on the beach in soft sand without wanting to scream, fix dinner and clean up without an ice bag wrapped around my leg, being able to wear pants that aren't tight around my swollen knee and thigh, etc.
 
I just cut the bottoms off my trousers. I can't bear the fabric rubbing on my scar. I look appalling--but comfortable!
You're right. It's the little things.
 
I found some gauze pants which are wide leg and the side seam is open almost to the knee. They have a button at the top of the seam (about knee level) so the pants can be buttoned up to almost knee length. Hard to explain - and very "Florida old lady" look but they are very comfortable, and look especially cool with my TED stockings. :oyvey: One of the other things I'm grateful for is that wide leg pants seem to be making a comeback; have already bought a pair of jeans for the fall which will be nice when leg is still swollen.
 
@Dzina....yes, can't wait until October.

Here's another relatively depressing difference from the last tkr; no issue with extension at all with that one. When I got home after this most recent surgery, my extension was probably close to zero but it's getting worse now. Obviously, this is affecting my walk..it must look like my right leg is 3 inches shorter than the left leg. I keep picturing Peter Sellers dressed up in the pirate's costume in one of the Pink Panther movies. Too bad "Talk Like a Pirate Day" is still about 5 weeks away. *sigh* Back to more gentle stretching...not looking forward to having the conversation about it tomorrow at surgeon's office.

Which was the biggest problem for you - flexion or extension?

Oh - and this sort of ties into some comments in other threads about people not understanding what is involved in a tkr. I have an acquaintance who will not take "no" for an answer so she knocked on the door this morning and wanted to see me....or more specifically, my knee. She was obviously taken aback by the scar and the length of it (duh) and the swelling which wasn't too bad since i'd been on the ice machine all night and hadn't been moving around too much. When she left, my husband said, "well, now maybe she'll believe you and stop thinking you're exaggerating about the challenges of a tkr."
 
Invite her back to watch a video of the surgery.
 
@Jockette; I've actually made that suggestion before but that falls flat. She's like a lot of people my age now....when confronted with a few facts, she just shrugs and says "I don't know anything about that". Drives me crazy. The one good thing about the internet is instant access to all sorts of interesting information.
 
As I’ve said before, the biggest shock of this recovery has been other people’s unjustified expectations!
 
Okay, maybe it's just me thinking this, but why did you, or your husband, let her in? And why did you then give in and show her your scar? I'm of the mind that acquaintances, friends and family need to call before coming over, especially after this surgery. If someone drops by uninvited, it's up to you to decide then and there if you're up to a visit; if not, a polite, but firm, "I'm not up to visitors today so maybe you could call before stopping by again" will suffice. (or your husband could say that) Then softly shut the door. If people get a door shut on them without being invited in enough times, they just may take the hint. If they don't, it's their own problem. And you also don't have to answer the door at all just because someone knocks. I have a security screen door that is always locked so I can answer my door at will to speak to a caller, but not allow anyone in unless I unlock the door. Or, I can look out a window to see who it is and decide if I even want to answer. We will be getting one of those camera systems where you can see and talk with anyone on your property, after we move to our new home in the (hopefully) near future.

I don't like my scar being seen, so always wear longer things that keep it covered when not at home. If someone asks to see the scar, I generally won't show it, unless it's someone I want to have see it. I have had perfect strangers ask to see it after asking me why I need a cane and, with a scrunched up puzzled face, decline the show and tell routine.

My extension was really great for a while, but lately has gotten worse. I just figure this knee will eventually settle down and my extension will get better again, along with my bend which is gradually getting better.
 
Laurenkate said:
Yeah, I have to walk on tippy toes for about an hour after getting up.
Click to expand...
I didn't have it that bad, but yeah, my leg muscles would get stiff overnight. And I'd have to slowly lower my heel to the ground before getting up and walking in the morning. Ask your PT if there is a gentle stretching exercise she can give you to do.
 
@lovetocookandsew; we've done that several times. Either have told her (twice) on the phone I wasn't up to it and at least once, maybe twice, when she's knocked on the door. Honestly, we were so surprised because she knocked about the same time as the expected UPS delivery.

I don't care about anyone seeing the scar (since it isn't yucky looking and full of staples anymore) but decided it might be good for her to see the minor swelling. At least we've gotten it over with and she might shut up about what I'm not doing correctly. And yes, this is someone I avoid as much as possible but sometimes she'll call 20-30 times a day and it drives my husband batty.

One of those security cameras would be nice but it's just another avenue for someone to hack into a home's internet, etc. Since I think computers are "big brother", don't need anything else to add to the paranoia. :) :-) (:

@kneeper - thanks; will keep up with the gentle stretches the visiting physical therapist showed me. Really nervous about the final evaluation tomorrow before doctor's visit....
 
@Jockette - yep, the more I get into this, the more I realize it's a lot like having a baby in many ways. Everyone always has an opinion about that too!
 
You’re right, I forgot about that!
 
20-30 times a day!!!!!!!??????? I'd block her calls in a nano-second! I use an app and block calls from spam callers all the time, and she is way worse than any spam caller I've ever seen. Not trying to tell you your business, just amazed at the gall of her! I'd have had to end her intrusiveness into my life yesterday. I think it'd be easier to block cyber spies than this acquaintance....:holysheep:
 
This is no exaggeration; we average 20-40 robocalls a day (plus hers) from ppl trying to sell us supplemental Medicare insurance. Our block only allows 30 calls a day so we spend a lot of time blocking calls and then having to erase them to re-block the next day. (Don't even get me started on this and apparently, it's a real problem for a lot of people. Our senator told us it's like being under siege and that's a good description). Anyway, if I have room, i'll block her number but she doesn't understand what it is...she just thinks there is something "wrong" with the phone. If she can't get in touch with me at least a couple of times a week, she'll come over here and sometimes come into the back yard to peer into the back door to see if I'm home.

It's not like this all this time but she obviously has some problems; I usually know and can anticipate what triggers this type of behavior. Just haven't felt up to dealing with it right now.
 
Jockette said:
As I’ve said before, the biggest shock of this recovery has been other people’s unjustified expectations!
Click to expand...
I can add to that: what other people think they know about TKR, but have never had one themselves!!! I experienced this with a close friend of mine. We've been friends for 30 years, but she is one of those people who think they know everything, and are right about everything! I can't tell you how many arguments we had on the phone over my surgery, both before and after the TKR, just because she thought she knew everything about a TKR. We argued about p/t, using adaptive equipment, pain levels and meds, etc, drove me crazy!! Her argument was "my brother-in-law had his knees done and he didn't need p/t, or to use a walker"!! Or, she would question why I had pain, "you have a new knee, it's metal and plastic, so how can you be having pain"? I just couldn't bring myself to tell her off, I'm just not that kind of person. It just irks me though, that she can feel this way, when she's never had a TKR. It would be like me acting like I know everything about diabetes (she is diabetic) and then questioning something relating to her diabetes, when I, myself, am not diabetic!! I think people mean well, but until someone has walked a mile in your shoes (or in our cases, on our new knees, lol), they should refrain from making these kinds of "know-it-all" comments!! Ok, I'm off the soap box now!! Thank you for letting me vent!!
 
@Laurenkate There's an app I use which has no limits to how many calls you can block (I've not ever gotten that many in a day so can't guarantee it has no limit, but I've not seen a limit mentioned anywhere) It's called truecaller. They also have an app that covers texts. Check it out. You need your peace now, and that many calls can't be good for your recovery.
 
Is this your cell phone or your land line? My son figured out how to silence the ringer on the land line we have but don’t use. Well, we use it for outgoing calls sometimes, but we don’t give the number out. I don’t even have it memorized. The only reason we have it is because it came with the “package.” Calls that came in were annoying because we knew it wasn’t anyone we knew!
 
@Jockette Package? You mean like get our internet service and phone line as a deal? We got rid of our landline years ago. Our internet provider offered us a deal that included their TV service a couple of years ago, which was cheaper than internet alone for a while. We just put their cable box in the garage rafters and never hooked it up as we love our satellite service. But it became more expensive over time than internet alone, so we just went back to straight internet and their box still sits in the rafters...lol. They keep offering us plans that include cable and TV, but we just say no. I briefly wondered if @Laurenkate was talking about a landline but didn't think so as no one I know has a landline anymore.:heehee:
 
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