TKR I think I'm doing OK!

[NetballKnees]

Hi Kerry ... sorry to hear you had an episode of "upset". I think they are normal and pop up sometimes when we least expect it. I was very glad, however, to read your next post saying you had lifted yourself out of the pit of despair (as I call it). That takes strength and courage and I know you have loads of both those things.

The reduction in your lymphedema was terrific - I hope you felt the benefits of the lessening in size. Your quad muscles will improve, I sure. It won't happen overnight - but I am sure it will happen (with apologies to Pantene).

What is your hobby Kerry? I hope you get to indulge yourself in it over the break. It will probably be a real lift for you. I would indulge in my hobby too, but as it is going to the gym, I don't like my chances. I might have to go and look for some crochet patterns and make something - anything. I am so tired of sitting down with my leg up, icing.

Hope you have a good weekend ahead of you. I will be thinking of you ...
Ellen ..
:xmas-tree:

 

[pakline]

Thank you dear Ellen for your support...it means more than you know. My hobby is genealogy-family history...I love it. It can get addictive! I have the habit of finding a connection & following that all the way back....even though the earlier stuff is no connection! Sometimes I feel like a detective! And one can find all kinds of stuff....good & bad. I found that my gx5grandmother along with 3 others beat an Aboriginal lady to death in a drunken brawl at The Rocks in Sydney because she had shoes....and they didn't, so then they stole not just her shoes, but all her clothes! We have life very easy in comparison to our forebears. Feeling good so far today....as I hope you are too. Have a lovely weekend....going to be 41deg here today!

 

[pakline]

Just back from PT...............did 353 revs. in 5 mins on the arm grind - my PB. When I started the best I could do was 132 in 5 mins. Very pleased! Walked with cane 3 rounds of the gym! Got to be pleased with that!

 

[leejaa]

Yes, you should be proud and YES IT IS TIME FOR YOU. Indulge in the hobby. I am not retired but it is getting closer if everything works out according to my plans and I keep thinking of the things I will be able to do that now I am too tired for due to work and age catching up. My job is a little too consuming too often.

Enjoy the holiday break from PT, take some nice walks instead even if it is around the house. Take care of yourself and enjoy. Lee:santa clap::presnt::merry xmas:

 

[pakline]

I'm doing quite well these last few days.......I feel happy & content. My knee is not perfect yet, but given time I hope it will be. Hope to get back driving soon. Last few Christmas things & food to get today whilst the weather is a little cooler. 41 deg yesterday...predicted max today 31 deg. I wish my Bonesmart friends a comfy, happy, healthy, & holy Christmas & say a huge THANKYOU to Ellen & Lee & others for your caring support & reassurance when I needed it most! You are all wonderful people.Love to all. Kerry

 

[leejaa]

Have a wonderful Christmas. :mer xm::sleigh::reindeer:

 

[pakline]

Finished Christmas shopping & groceries today with the assistance of my DD & my trusty wheelie walker. Legs are weary but knee held up really well. Having Christmas lunch with DD, hubby & g/kids. Our DS, DIL +4 g/kids will also be there so Christmas 2013 will be great!

 

[bottomshollow]

Hope you and yours have had a wonderful Christmas holiday with lots of family fellowship and sharing of gifts and lots of good food to eat.


I’ll be looking for you at the BoneSmart annual New Year’s Party. It’s been a very eventful year for most of us---and will be a very eventful year coming up for others of us looking forward to surgery in the new year.


Remember to bring food and drink to share---and pictures are always appreciated and loads of fun to share.


SEE YOU AT THE PARTY!!!!!

bottomshollow

 

[NetballKnees]

Hi Kerry ... Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful, happy, healthy and safe 2014.

Love and Hugs ... Ellen

 

[pakline]

Good morning dear Ellen, THANKYOU for your kind wishes....I hope you have a wonderful New Year with your loved ones & that healing comes to us all. I "bit the bullet" as the saying goes & started using my stick indoors instead of my walker all the time. I am managing well, but every now & then I get a tummy flutter that I'm falling....which , of course I'm not. I think it will take a long time for that feeling to go away but I'm working on it! I wish you all the very best for 2014! Will talk soon. Love & hugs. Kerry

 

[pakline]

I hope everyone has enjoyed the beginning of a new year. Hopefully this signifies a new beginning for some of us who are dealing with pain, frustration & the slow healing process. I am 14 weeks out from surgery & there have been many times I have doubted that I would ever walk properly, drive a car, etc. again. So, after another round of tears & the miseries, on 31/12/13 I decided to park the wheelie walker for a few days & see how I went on the walking cane/stick. My tummy fluttered as I "took off" thinking I might fall. A few wobbly steps, a big deep breath, and I walked right through the house, from front door to back, slowly & deliberately, and didn't fall once!! As well as running my accountancy business from home, I assist in running a community radio station (finance manager) and do 1 morning a week on air - I did take my walker with me for that, but as soon as I got home I parked the walker again & I'm back on the stick. I feel a lot more "normal" than I did 3 days ago.I know I still have a long way to go, but I do feel now that I can make it. We start re-bandaging for the lymphedema next Monday, but I'm really not worried about that, it's just one more thing to deal with. In the end I hope I will have compression stockings that are comfy, and can start about getting to the "very normal" state of life. Lee, & especially Ellen, have been most supportive and I thank you both from the bottom of my heart. I know there will still be bad days , but they will pass, as they have done up to this point. Happy New Year, my friends!

 

[NetballKnees]

Kerry - you are more than welcome. You have also provided me great support and encouragement and hope. Everyone on this site is friendly, supportive and encouraging, but some more than others, seem to resonate with differing ones for some reason, and so it is for me with you and a few others. I cannot tell you how happy I am that you have walked with a cane. It makes perfect sense to go back to the walker for walking where you are not quite sure of the terrain, but eventually, and quite soon, you will be using the cane everywhere. I hope the next round of bandaging goes exceptionally well for you. I am really quite that there is a corner that seems to have been turned in your recovery. And you sound so much more at peace within yourself.
I would like to share a celebration event with you, if I may. Yesterday I drove!!!!!! I tried a couple of weeks ago and could barely get in the car and pushing the clutch in was out of the question. I have been on my own since Boxing Day and my son had dropped in and taken me to the shops for various staples. I decided I would have nachos for dinner and bought the ingredients. When we got home and Matthew had left, I realised I had forgotten the corn chips. And you can't have nachos without corn chips, so I got in the car and tried again. Just down to the local shops, but I did it and with not much trouble at all. At the moment I wouldn't like to drive much further than locally, and certainly not in heavy traffic, but at least now I know that if I really need something, I can drive around the area. AND it is a sign of progress. Snuck up on me that one did. I'm not walking any better and the swelling doesn't appear to have gone down and the tightness is still there, but something is improving somewhere.

And so it will be for you Kerry .. sneaking up on you when you least expect it.

Have a great day tomorrow Kerry ... and keep on walking.

Hugs .. Ellen

 

[leejaa]

Kerry, how wonderful. Sometimes it is a matter of overcoming our very real fears and trying despite them. I know for me the big thing was not to cause any damage so careful got to be so important. You are reclaiming your life and how you want and need to live. Celebrating with you. Lee

 

[janae]

pakline, So happy for you to be walking well with the cane! One BIG step toward gaining your independence. Each victory helps encourage us that we will return to a state of 'normal'. We are one day apart on our surgery dates. I have been discouraged the last few weeks. Really having pain just above knee when trying to stand from a sitting position. I know I have overdone it with the holidays and have paid for it with pain in both knees. I don't have the edema to deal with that you do. Sorry it has been so hard for you. I pray and trust you will continue to improve daily. Today is my first day back to work (for a training). It snowed overnight, so I am nervous about walking on it. I may get the walker and take it for extra stability. I would far rather do that than take a fall. Happy New Year!

 

[kneeper]

What a great feeling to make that transition at least some of the time from the walker to cane! You will find that you gradually will need the walker less and less. I think you're taking the right approach. Way to go!

 

[pakline]

Thankyou to all dear friends on this forum for your support. I have been doing quite well (I think) the last week or so. From each of you I have gained knowledge, confidence & friendship/support.
Yes, Lee, it is a matter of overcoming my fears -little bit by little bit. I am getting a bit braver each day.
kneeper - I actually find myself walking off & leaving the cane in another room. I'm keeping the walker handy "just in case"!
janae - I would hate to be dealing with snow.....we don't get snow here but we do get the wind of the Snowy Mountains in winter & that can be bleak.
Ellen - you are a clever girl! Driving!!! You are one amazing girl!! Well done! I hope to have a go this week - DH will be away for a few days so it's a good chance to just do what I want to do (I usually do that most of the time anyway!) and just sit in the car (without him telling me "now just go slowly, watch the road, there's a car coming"! No-one would believe I was a courier for 12 years & a taxi driver for 2 years! & have driven thousands of miles without his back-seat instructions) & get the feel again & then if I feel really brave I will drive around the block. Again, thankyou everyone.......you have no idea how much your friendship & support mean to me. Have a wonderful day/night. Love & God Bless, Kerry

 

[pakline]

Have had a couple of good days. Knee doesn't like laying sideways in bed at night though, so it was a bit tetchy on rising this morning. A few gentle "marking time" knee lifts helped by the walker settled it down. Been doing genealogy research all day........great fun, & some of the stuff one can find is soooooo exciting. In one entry I established a connection back to 1600s! Have a great night/day everyone. Feeling happy. Blessings to all, Kerry

 

[pakline]

Hello all, just had the bandaging done & so far, so good! My PT said the swelling was not as bad as when we first bandaged so, all things equal, should not take too long to reduce this time. Once it has stabilised we can go ahead & send measurements to the firm who make the stockings and should only be a couple of weeks then & I'll be in my stockings. I know they won't be 100% comfortable but at least I can then "live"! A little bit cooler here today so that helps also. Have done almost 1 full week family history research & loved it, but must now get back to the real world & do some paid work. Hope everyone else is having a good day/night. Blessings, Kerry

 

[leejaa]

So happy for you that the swelling is not as bad. You are a wonder. Great start to the New Year.

 

[pakline]

Thankyou Leejaa.....I'm really no-one special......just like the rest of us, trying to deal with things - like TKR, lymphedema, my own "not gonna to give in" attitude, my off the wall sense of humour &, now the pain has gone, just trying to get back to some sort of sane, normal, existence! Legs are comfy, knee is comfy, work awaits me!
DH away for a few days, married daughter started new job yesterday, married son busy in his job as a "sparky", & what happens? My computer decided to throw a tantrum! My IT man said "it's overloaded" - I said "yep, I know how it feels"! So he took it back to his workshop overnight; it came home around midday today & he only charged $100.00! Thinking it would be away 2 days, probably, I decided to use the down time wisely so, I have 2pr new sheets in the linen cupboard that need to be washed before I use them so I wash them early this morning - great idea I reckon. Well, now, computer is home, ready for action, & I have an audit sitting in the middle of the office floor & 4 queen size sheets to fold & pack away. Sometimes I wonder! (about myself!). Have a lovely evening/day friends. Blessings, Kerry