TKR I think I'm doing OK!

[pakline]

The bandaging was going quite well...was....my TASP lady thought we might try "bagging" my legs so I could have a shower...didn't work...plastic bags leaked water into bandages (no blame on her) so I'm starting again on Tuesday. On the positive side the oedema had reduced a lot in just 2 days. Mind you, it's creeping back in now. So for the next ? weeks it will be APC washes each day except Tues & Fri which will be change days. Just another hurdle to jump. I'm wondering if anyone who is 11or so weeks post TKR still using a walker? I thought I was doing OK...now I wonder if I was kidding myself.
Ellen...my crash was in 2005 following a potentially serious dose of Candida which took 5 months of Diflucan to cure. I'm not looking for sympathy...not my style...just maybe some reassurance that I will get the confidence to walk alone again. Or I won't.

 

[NetballKnees]

Hi Pakline ... Just a question - what does TASP stand for?

Sorry the shower idea didn't work Although there is nothing quite like a shower, I guess if you have a great outcome with your lymphedema at the end of it, little washes and two proper showers a week on change days will be worth it. That's fantastic that you could already see some benefits after only 2 days. Imagine what it will be like after ? weeks??????

I am not surprised you had a crash with battling something for 5 months but you did climb that hill and reach the top again and that takes so much strength and determination - I know that.

I am 8 weeks this week and still revert back to the walker when I am tired or have moved around a bit more during the day. I don't think there is anything wrong in using your walker at 11 weeks. It is not as if you are recovering only your RTKR - you also have to fight the effects of the lymphedema, so just be a bit easier on yourself please. Anyone who has the strength to climb up that depression hill and still sound pretty positive while fighting another battle will certainly walk on their own again. Maybe not as soon as you had hoped or would want, but I am certain it will happen and when it does we will all have a solo walking party with you on the forum. I do use a cane and occasionally I stagger around the house without anything, but I do the old "bounce off the walls" and moving from table to counter to desk etc.

So yes, I do have faith you will eventually move around under your own steam. As I said, probably not in the immediate future, but definitely in the future. I will be right here when you do and it will be such a happy day!!!!!!

Take Care .. Be Kind to Yourself ...
Ellen

 

[pakline]

Ellen my dear friend...thank you again for your reassuring words. Yes, I too do the stagger around inside the house too but outdoors...another story entirely. I am about to "hit the hay" as they say, so I will try to get some sleep & pray by tomorrow I have taken your reassurance on board during sleep & am back to my usual positive self by morning. Sleep well dear friend...talk tomorrow.

 

[bottomshollow]

And you'll manage as many of them as you came across, pakline. If you need your walker to move about with stability and comfort, then don't worry whether others 11 weeks post op are using theirs or not. You have some special circumstances to overcome along with your TKR that others don't.

I always recommend that you make a physical list of all the milestones you pass on the recovery road. Then when you're feeling discouraged, you can pull it out and remind yourself of how far you've come from where you were before surgery. Try not to dwell on how far you've got to go---if you do, you just lose sight of how much better you've become. I also make myself take stock and count my many blessings when I start to dwell on the negative. Usually makes me feel pretty foolish that I'm feeling sorry for myself.

Recovery is a long bumpy road, and sometimes feels like it will never end. But it does----and after we reach the end, it somehow just doesn't seem to have really been as long as we were feeling in the early days.

Take care, be kind to yourself, keep us posted----we care.

 

[janae]

pakline, I had my TRKR on September 23, 2013. I am still using a cane full time. I try walking without, but limp way too much. I know how badly you want to progress to the next level to walking normal. I was told by my PT it is better to walk with the walker until you can walk with a cane without limping and it is better to walk with a cane without limping until you can walk on your own without limping. She said if you don't then you are not retraining your muscles properly. She told me that I would probably need a cane for about 6 months. And I don't have the lymphedema to deal with. Today, my husband and I went Christmas shopping, while I was waiting on him, I sat down on a recumbent bike to rest. While I was there, a man came in and was trying out a stair stepper. Just watching him made me begin to cry (felt SO stupid). I so badly want to be able to just walk normal. Everyone on Bonesmart assures us that we will eventually. I trust they are right. I'm sorry you are having the additional issues to deal with. Hopefully your new treatment will be a positive step in the healing journey. Take good care of yourself.

 

[pakline]

Thankyou ladies for once again saving my sanity. I had a terrible (emotionally) few days & ended up giving myself a good talking to - I don't have cancer, I don't have any terminal illness, I CAN think, I CAN work, I DO have a home, a car, children & grandchildren (who all love me & who I adore) I am not in debt, I DO have a sense of humour (off the wall somewhat) I HAVE friends, & most of the time I am happy with myself & my life......there are way more positives than negatives...........really, what do I have to cry about! Got new compression bandages on today, they are quite comfy, & the measurements the PT took today - she was amazed I had lost so much oedema, given that the bandages came off on Sunday due to bagging of the legs for a shower was an unmitigated failure (& I must confess, the TASP lady & I did have a good laugh about that & the sight of 2 rolls of bandages totally sodden . So, the rest of my life begins today - I may never walk totally under my own steam, but if a cane or walker is my companion, and my assistant, so what...............at lease I'm getting about. My next goal is to resume driving, but I'm not going to rush it. Again, dear friends, thankyou for your support - you have helped more than you can ever know!
PS: just worked out how to use the emoticons...........

 

[janae]

What a refreshing post! It is so good to count our blessings. It really does help to put things in perspective.

 

[pakline]

Sorry Ellen...forgot to explain..TASP stands for Transition Assistance Support Program. It is a program offered to rehab patients to assist them upon returning home. Assistance like helping with showering, going to doctor, dental & other appiintments. Assistance with grocery shopping, posting mail, hairdresser, physio at the rehab centre & lots more. The TASP lady will pick me up in the car & take me to anywhere I need to go. Costs $160 per fortnight...well worth it. The program goes for 12 weeks. xx Kerry

 

[NetballKnees]

for reducing your lymphedema after only 2 days in the wrappings. I can only imagine how good it will be after some weeks wrapped up.

That TASP program sounds like a great thing. I don't think we have anything like that up here, but I didn't really look into it.

I love your blessing counting. I have all the blessings you have except for the "not in debt" one (but that is a whole other horrible story, which I won't bore anyone with). I had quite an emotional couple of days over the weekend just gone, but that has passed now and I am feeling much better about things. I think it was more from frustration than anything else 'cos my progress has been so slow.

I actually don't mind getting about with my cane, but I must admit I have had evil thoughts about using it to trip up some of the wonderful "older" people who I know will go racing by me when I am up to going to the shops for more than 5 minutes.

I hope you are comfortable in your wrappings Kerry and that the lymphedema is soon manageable, leaving you to concentrate on your shiny new knee.

Take Care Kerry ... will look forward to your next post.
xo

 

[pakline]

Thankyou for your kind comments Ellen..........somewhere along the line my little toe got caught up in yesterday's new bandaging (changed every 4 days) & ached so much last night that at 2.30am I took the scissors to the bandages to let the toe escape, so then this morning I had to tidy up the mess I'd made & make the bandage look somewhat tidy - I was going to a Christmas party at the retirement apartments our neighbour is at. I am a singer (have been all my life & toured Ireland with a singing group from Melbourne in 2003) and was asked to do a guest spot at the party ...........the picture must have been hilarious - I wore (for the Christmas spirit!) red pedal pusher pants, a green top, a black vest & my old, old sandals ( the only ones that will fit with the extra padding on the feet!) + my Santa earrings - my ex-neighbour was Santa! To add to the picture I sang "The Holy City". Well worth a laugh!
Sounds like you & I have similar days (only 2 weeks apart with our TKR) - I had an emotional couple of days , & woke up this morning feeling better. I have not done one bit of Christmas shopping yet........I think the adults & older grandkids will get gift vouchers. I do have some "little girl" earrings put a side for birthdays, but me thinks they might just have to come out of hiding for Christmas for my 2 younger g/daughters. We have 3 steps at our back entrance - also a temporary ramp which DH built - so discovering the washing basket was still in the trolley on the verandah, I got my walking stick & was very brave - I negotiated the steps, down, then up, without a hassle !
The range of emotions we experience in 1 x 24hr period is amazing( & exhausting). I've had soooooo much to eat today, my tummy hurts - toast for tea!
Hope you had a good day, dear friend. Sleep well tonight. xx Kerry

 

[NetballKnees]

Hi Kerry ... I hope you are more comfortable now that you have released your toe. Congratulations on getting down the stairs, putting the washing out and going back up the stairs. It's all little steps of progress and help to make us feel better I think. I have quite a long story on my thread about some little positives that have happened in the last couple of days, which have made me feel much more positive about things.

I am guessing you looked fantastic at the Christmas party, but I do agree that the bandages would have added another element to the ensemble. I envy you being able to sing - I wish I could. I love to sing and love music, but unfortunately have a great voice for silent movies. The Holy City is a beautiful Christmas song.

I so love and agree with your comment about the range of emotions. One minute I am thinking "this is not so bad" and the next "when will it end" and "I just want to be me again".

I hope your toast was yummy. I am going to make ravioli and creamy semi-dried tomato sauce for dinner. I have been craving pasta. (When I say make, I mean going to put the ready-made ravioli into a pot of boiling water until cooked and heat up the sauce).

You have a good night too Kerry and I hope tomorrow is a great day for you. You were a bit active today, so maybe a day of rest tomorrow??????

Take Care ...
Ellen :gbhouse:

 

[pakline]

Hello all, thought I would just drop by with a catch-up. Another change of Coban bandaging today......was wonderful to have a shower before the new ones were put on ............on the days in between changes I have a bird bath or APC wash, as some might call it! Had a very busy day yesterday - worked on radio until lunch time, then went to prize giving & concert for 4 of my grandchildren, then gym physio, cooked tea, folded washing - and went to bed smiling - it felt good to have done something worthwhile & not been hurting as a result. And the path from the school to the car park was grassy & a bit steep & I managed quite well (my daughter was walking with me.) Another busy day today - orchard payroll, bandage change, - got to get my Christmas cards done before bed tonight or they are not going to get done ! Maybe if I put the Christmas tree up tomorrow it will get me in the festive mood - been so busy haven't had time to think about it much. Been feeling good for a couple of days, happy that whilst I am not progressing in leaps & bounds, I am moving forward, and I believe that, whilst it may take a few more months, I will walk properly again, even if it is with a cane or wheelie walker - there are worse things in life! Hope you are all having a comfy day/night (9.30pm in NSW). Very best wishes to all, Kerry

 

[NetballKnees]

Hi Kerry ... How good does a shower feel when you haven't had one for a while? There's nothing like it. Well done on your busy day yesterday and another today - with no hurting. I am so glad that the bandaging is helping to make you comfortable.

It might take some more time, but I believe you will walk properly again too. Cane / wheely walker - doesn't matter if you need a bit of help.

I have done some decorating in the house today. Have put lovely sticky decals on the windows of Christmassy themes - mainly for 2 year old grandson. He will be 3 in March and is so aware of Christmas this year, I just want to do things that will make his eyes widen and sparkle. I have also put 'Merry Christmas' banners throughout the formal lounge and family room and banners of dancing Santas and Christmas bells. If you have time, put your tree up. I am sure it won't take you as long as it took me to put the tree together and decorate it - it took an entire day with resting and icing in between.

I am fighting a regression in my ROM today. Yesterday at PT it was only 65 and it had been up to 85. Trying really hard to remain positive.

Hope you do get the tree up tomorrow and start to feel a bit more festive. Oh, and it's only 8.43 here in Brissy, seeing as how we are behind the rest of the country.

Take Care Kerry ... Hugs
Ellen :xmas-tree:

 

[pakline]

Forgot to say it was a rather expensive day too..........our 30 yrs old electric stove conked out...........so, as the whole thing was outdated for parts, we bought a new one.....fan forced oven etc. so that was my Christmas present! DH wired it in today - looks lovely! Ellen, I'm sorry your not feeling great - tomorrow will be better, I promise! I've decided, that for myself, getting upset & worrying is not going to solve anything, so I'll just coast along & then one day surprise myself. I actually shocked myself today: I was talking on our portable phone & when the conversation ended I discovered I had walked to the front door.........& where was my walker? - 3 rooms away! So I took a deep breath, stepped forward, took 4 steps, trembled, got that empty feeling in the tummy where I was sure I was going to fall, but, no! took another deep breath & walked to where my friend, the walker, was! Whilst the style of gait left something to be desired, it wasn't quite as bad as the drunk duck style of a few weeks ago.
Sleep tight dear friend. Hugs, Kerry

 

[NetballKnees]

This will be you soon. Congratulations on taking those steps unassisted. You might find that as the days go on, you will start to leave rooms without the walker or walk off without it more and more. For me, it got to the stage where it was really easier to pick it up and carry it. I do rely on the cane though. I walk without it sometimes in the house, but it is still a horrible gait - I sort of roll from one side to the other.

I do get a bit confused though with deciding which is my "good" leg and which is my "bad" leg. With the medial collateral ligament strain in the right knee, it does get more painful than the left replacement knee.

I admire your resolve not to get upset and worry so much. I think like that too, but find it harder to put into practise.

Congrats on the new stove - you won't know yourself and will probably have to adjust your cooking times with a fan forced as opposed to the old one.

Have a great weekend Kerry and take care ...
Ellen :xmasdance:

 

[pakline]

Hello Ellen & friends, did ALL, well, nearly all, my Christmas shopping yesterday....escorted by my darling daughter. After about 4 hrs I was exhausted & the bottoms of my feet hurt (not my Knee!!) Firstly, we had lunch down town, then shopped. Then after I'd had a rest at home, DH & I went to a Christmas party. All very nice, & I felt somewhat human again. Knee ached a little during the night but I think I was too sleepy & weary to take much notice, just moved the leg & off to sleep again. Still have my trademark bandages on & no one took the least bit of notice! Christmas cards ready to go (can't rush these things!), only some small add-ons for grandkids gifts & food to get, & I'm ready for the festive season. I must be a real clutz................whilst using the wheelie walker yesterday I stubbed my big toe on a tyre & split my toenail!! (some mothers do have 'em - as they say!) All in all, a nice weekend so far (4.30 Sunday arvo), so best get the washing in, packed away & plan next week! Have a great week everyone, & for those enduring pain - I send you peaceful thoughts & hugs, & caring wishes to everyone else. Kerry

 

[NetballKnees]

Hi Kerry ... Congratulations on completing nearly all of your Christmas shopping. Wow - that was a full shopping day. With having sore feet bottoms, I take it that means you walked all through your shopping day. That's amazing. I went shopping to a major centre yesterday with my son and his fiancée, but I was in a wheelchair. There is no way I could have walked the whole thing. I thought it was great of Matthew and Davina to take me and push me all over the shopping centre. I hope the Christmas Part was a really good one for you.

I had to get out and walk through a couple of shops though - some of them are NOT wheelchair friendly.

I am going to a wedding some hours from home next Sunday and am very nervous about it. I would not dream of not going as the groom and my two youngest sons have known one another since primary school and he really is just like my son from another mother.

I am so happy you had a good weekend. I am going to fly over to my thread and vent. I have just about run out of patience.

Hope your week ahead is a great one Kerry, with lots of little milestones along the way.

Take Care ... Hugs... Ellen :reindeer:

 

[pakline]

So many emotional ups & downs in this recovery. Bandages change day & shower day - was lovely to let the water run & wash my hair as well! Results of bandaging this round was good - 3cm & 4cm reduction. Then I go with DD down town to get the last of the Chrissy presies & I can't get a decent lift on my right leg to lift it out of the car - my DD has to do it for me! Embarrassed - yes! I seem to be going backwards not forwards...@Josephine............so what do I do? Have a cry............will I ever get better? Somehow it all just hit me again! I so want to be walking & driving again! Will I ever be me again? It's been 12 weeks! I'm very upset & can't stop crying.............I built myself up to be positive...........now I've let myself down again!

 

[leejaa]

You have not let yourself down, you are just a human who is trying to deal with a lot and doing it the best she can. Our knees have minds of their own and we are just trying to deal with it and our own emotions which are not very controllable after this surgery and with the pain meds and everything we are doing. Sometimes we have expectations of ourselves that are unrealistic since our knees have other ideas.

You are doing great and are allowed to have down moments or days - it is OK and normal.

Do you think the fresh bandaging made it hard for you to bend your knee to get it out of the car? I am sure your DD did not mind helping you. My husband still mentions that he felt good that he could help me when I needed it and I am sure your family members also feel good and happy that they can do something for you.

You will get there, it just takes time and patience on our parts. We are here for you and understand. Lee:xmas-win:

 

[pakline]

Dear friend Lee....thank you for your comforting words. There won't be any PT over Christmas & no-one to do bandage changes, so for now, that is on hold. We will resume 6 Jan. I have lifted myself out of the despair I was feeling...it will take however long it takes & nothing I do or don't do will hurry things up. I have been walking unaided indoors quite a bit these last few days & the gait is not as woeful as it has been. My physio reckons my quad muscle will improve over time & I will be able to lift my leg out of the car under my own steam. So.....onward & upward!looking forward to a few days off over Christmas & might indulge my hobby - I just love genealogy!. I've been so work orientated this last few years so it's time for ME! Have a lovely weekend dear Lee!