TKR I Feel Like the Tin Man these Days

[Celle]

I've been following the progression chart more faithfully this time and wonder - am I doing too little? Sitting for more than 5 minutes on a chair is miserable because of the pain in the back of my thigh (tourniquet too tight?) so I'm either propped up in bed with ice from knee to ankle, elevating, and/or walking around the house for 5-10 minutes at a time and/or obviously going to the bathroom. When I think about it, I do a "few" exercises - but am not thinking much about ROM - if at all. Yesterday, I threw some clothes at the washing machine, folded up a few things, set the table the felt like I'd been taking care of the grandchildren for 72 hours - exhausting. I'm not exactly antsy but would like to walk to the backyard this afternoon after the p.t. and nurse get done with me. Going for a short ride this weekend sounds nice too.

Your leg just isn't ready yet for sitting in a chair with your leg down. By pushing on the back of your thigh, the chair is also putting pressure on your knee. I think it was about 3 months before I could sit comfortably on a dining chair with my foot down.
If you can, elevate your leg while you're sitting in the chair - like this:

Even having your leg horizontal is better than having your foot down on the ground.

It's still very early days in your recovery. Try not to worry how your husband does things. Just be thankful that he's doing them. At least he's getting his daily exercise by going up and down stairs frequently.

 

[Laurenkate]

Thanks Celle, I just did that and it helps. And yes, I'm very grateful my husband can do what he does and I don't care how he does it as long as he doesn't lose one of my good kitchen pans like he occasionally manages to do. It's easy to forget our care givers are stressed too and everyone handles that differently. He just needs to get outside and work in the yard for a while if it ever stops raining; that'll help him a lot.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Okay, I give, how on earth does he manage to lose a kitchen pan? A fork or spoon I can see losing, but an entire pan?

 

[momweb]

Wow Laurenkate, it was interesting reading your post through. I'll be having my second knee done on August 13th. My surgeon feels that since the left is such a mess I'll probably have an easier time with it than I did with my first. Funny, even though you've been through it before, it was so different second time around. Of course, that's because they are 2 different knees with their own unique minds, so to speak. As much as I'm looking forward to my surgery, I'm also nervous to see the changes 3 years (since my first knee) can make.

 

[Jockette]

Okay, I give, how on earth does he manage to lose a kitchen pan? A fork or spoon I can see losing, but an entire pan?

Years ago I lost a queen size blanket. Even after 2 moves that obviously emptied each house it has never shown up.

 

[Mutti3]

When my husband puts things away, I do believe there is a Bermuda Triangle in my home!

 

[SusieShoes]

Mr. Shoes puts dishes away according to arcane algorithms or something. It's not difficult to put dishes with the other dishes that look just like them, is it? I'm grateful for the help, though. During recovery I was pretty useless. After I was up and about again I just hunted down all the missing pans and utensils and restored the universe to its proper order.

The Bermuda triangle is our mail. If I don't get to it first, Mr. Shoes somehow causes bills, invitations, and the like disappear! Like... they never show up again. We're still not sure where they go.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@SusieShoes I had the same problem with our mail. But, out of desperation, I solved the problem. First, I changed everything I could to paperless so now those are delivered to my email address. We bought a nice locking mailbox, and when the mail comes I am the one who gets it. Right now though, since I haven't yet tried walking down my driveway, hubby has been getting the mail. He is under strict guidelines to go to the mailbox, get the mail and bring it directly to me to go through, without looking through it himself. If he goes through it, he will toss things that he thinks are junk, which may or may not be. It's just safer if he touches the mail as little as possible. Also, under threat of bodily harm, he finally learned to put the key back on the key hook where he found it 60 seconds previously! And that the key does not belong in his pants pocket to be let loose in the washing machine, or tossed on his desk with his wallet, etc. I also hid a spare key for the mailbox to protect my sanity when he manages to misplace the first one. He's a great guy, but is also an absent minded professor when it comes to details.

 

[Laurenkate]

We have gremlins who live behind the walls in our house....sometimes they even scurry out and take something out of our hands and hide it for a day or two.

One of my problems is I get very anal retentive when not feeling well. Things have to be straight and orderly or it just drives me insane…..and my husband, fortunately, is more laid back and doesn't notice certain things. For instance; we live in a very small house and when you walk into the front door, you walk into the living room. He came home from work for 3 days and never mentioned the fact that all the upholstered furniture was gone (to be re-covered). When I asked if he'd noticed anything different, he hadn't.

Anyway, back to the subject of knees. Something else everyone needs before this surgery is a back scratcher. The itching on my feet is also driving me bonkers. It feels like it did when I was a kid and would get into poison ivy. Very stiff and sore after the very gentle, basically just walking with a cane, p.t. session.

Overall, things (so far/knock on wood) seem to be going better than the first recovery but I'd sort of forgotten the ups and downs of each day. And I was reminded of how people REALLY don't understand this unless they've been through it.

A friend called and wanted to bring her month old grand baby for a visit yesterday between the PT session and the nurse's visit. I was pretty wiped out and told her it just wasn't a good time; she was obviously hurt and surprised I said no. In retrospect, probably should have invited her over so she could see the bruising, staples and swelling herself because she's always thought I exaggerate about all of it. Had to call later to apologize for being somewhat rude (because she didn't want to take "no" for an answer).

If people really stopped and thought about what was involved in this surgery, I wonder if they would be so dismissive about it. Maybe it's because they think "you're not really sick"?

Hope everyone has a good day today....just think of it as a day closer to full recovery.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I'm so glad you mentioned the back scratcher. I bought one after one of my previous surgeries because you can't easily get to the itches on your legs and feet. I found a really cool one, not in looks, but in function. Here's the link.
Amazon product ASIN B000NADSHO
I also have a small house, so disorganization at any time is frustrating, but during the recovery the need for organization is worse for some reason. Maybe because we feel helpless, or just that our brains are already cluttered enough from the surgery so that clutter around us is hard to take.

I asked my daughter to leave the two year old home when she came to visit me in the hospital, but to bring the 8 year old. Not because I like the older one better, but because the toddler is loud and busy like a normal little boy and I wasn't up to that yet. I wasn't worried about her feelings at that time, more my health, which has to be more important at this time. She wasn't offended, since she knows I love the kid, but she realized it wasn't the time to bring him around. Later, I told her it was okay to bring him as I was feeling better, but she had a long talk with him beforehand about what he could and could not do while there. He was an angel, and asked a ton of questions about why I was in the bed, why my knee was hurt, why I was in the hospital...... He asked the nurse what she was doing and wanted details, he asked everyone that came in what they were doing, etc. (He may be only 2 but he speaks and understands things like any normal person-no exaggeration, which surprises everyone who sees him. He does still have his little boy voice which makes it even more surprising for people.)

If you state your needs and someone is offended, it's their problem and they'll have to deal with it. Your health and well-being needs to take the front row right now, and as long as you're not utterly mean or nasty about it, others will have to just deal with their own feelings. Don't allow someone to do something you're not ready for to spare their "feelings"; rather tell them you're not up to something right now and leave it there. No apology, no backing down, just polite refusal. If they don't listen and do something anyway, then your caretaker will need to step in to protect you. If you're your own caretaker, then you'll have to either not allow them in when they ring, or show them the door. Take care of yourself now so you can enjoy them when you're well again.

 

[Jockette]

I’m sorry your friend seemed hurt by your polite refusal for a visit. She has no idea what you’re going through.

I agree with lovetocookandsew, no need for an apology from you.

 

[jboles]

My surgery's were 6 months apart, same hospital, same surgeon, same nurses, everything. First time I spent 2 nights in hospital, had a drain in my leg to drain fluid/blood off, pain meds, (probably more than I needed), actually had a block that they removed after 24 hrs and made sure I had plenty of pain meds in my system, or they tried to anyway. Second time, I was in the hospital less than 23 hours total, no drain, no block, and skimpy on pain meds. The first 2 days at home were pure torture, believe me, I told them about it when I went for my 6 weeks check up. I think it's an insurance thing and it's a nationwide opioid crisis regarding pain medicine.

 

[Josephine]

Things have to be straight and orderly or it just drives me insane

Oh, you don't ever want to visit my house then! My kitchen, which is not an inconsiderable size, is sometimes like the The Wreck of the Hesperus and takes me around an hour to clear it up. But that's the curse of living on your own. There's no-one else to chide you when it gets in that state!

As for the back scratcher, I so agree. I've never been without my 18" bamboo scratcher for years and years! I have one by my seat here downstairs and another hanging on a hook by my bed!

 

[Laurenkate]

Josephine, my kitchen usually looks like a hurricane went through it even after I fix a simple meal; it's ridiculous. I grew up in a chaotic environment and think I have to have things "just so" when I feel like that's the only thing I can control.

Shooting pains through the top of my thigh this afternoon have been bad. It'll be nice when the pain on the underside of my thigh subsides....both types of pain I didn't have on the first go around.

Staples come out on Monday. The nurse said to keep ice on it for a couple of hours before our appointment and except for a pinch, removal won't hurt. Hope she (and all of you) are right.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@Josephine If I ever visit the UK, I would love to visit your house.....provided you're in it. I don't care about someone's tidiness in their own home, or the lack thereof, I care about them. But since I live in my house, I need a tidy space in order to function properly. Most people, at least the ones I know, aren't overly tidy these days with all their many commitments, but I go to their homes to see them, not how they keep house. Unless there are critters roaming or bad smells pervading, I don't worry about any messes.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Oh, and here's my "back" scratcher. It's the best one I've ever had. It's not a joke-it really is a back scratcher.

 

[Josephine]

@Josephine If I ever visit the UK, I would love to visit your house.....provided you're in it. But since I live in my house, I need a tidy space in order to function properly.

The odd thing is that my lounge and my bedroom are pristine!

You'd be most welcome to come and visit. I have a spare room though that's not pristine! At the moment it's occupied by my two cats though one of them prefers to sleep on my bed from time to time!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@Josephine Thanks! I'm sure your cats love "their" room just the way it is.

 

[Jockette]

You'd be most welcome to come and visit. I have a spare room though that's not pristine! At the moment it's occupied by my two cats though one of them prefers to sleep on my bed from time to time!

Dogs have masters, cats have staff.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Oh, @Josephine I just realized that when I said "critters roaming" you thought I meant cats and the like, when I actually meant the kind of critters we need exterminators to deal with.