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TKR I'm 2 years out - Hooray

Hi Suzanne,
Welcome to Bonesmart! I am also a Pre-K teacher and have cooperative inclusion model with a Pre-K Handicapped class like yours. I am about 3 weeks ahead of you in my RTKR recovery. Yes, this is a tough road but it's the only way that I could even fathom continuing with my profession. I hope you plan on taking as much time as you can before going back, because as you know, Pre-k students are very active! I look forward to reading about your progress!
 
I also had left TKR on Jan. 14. I was prepared for the pain, but assumed that because I have a full time job which requires me to be on my feet at least half the time, plus swim 8-10 miles a week, I would just sail through this whole thing. HA! Ended up being in the hospital for 4 days, then rehab hospital for 4 days, because until the 5th post-op day I couldn't even stand up without almost passing out due to low blood pressure. Since I got home, things are going much better. Glad I found this site, which showed me the correct way to elevate my leg, and the importance of ice and pain meds, which I was trying to be heroic about until I realized nobody but me cared how little I was getting by with. Took a lot of reinforcement from Bonesmart to convince me that a good night's sleep, even if it takes some pain meds, goes a long way toward helping me feel better. (I still toss and turn a lot, just not as much.)
I'm scheduled to have my right knee replaced March 4, which is 7 weeks after the first. Any one out there had knees replaced at about that interval? I'm interested to know how it went. My PT and OS are both very pleased with my progress so far, but both have warned me that the next surgery may or may not go as well as this one.
 
Congratulations at finding this site. The administrators will be in touch with you and give you some reading material nice short easy to read ones x they are worth reading up on as the advice is fabtastic. I was in hospital for nine days and got better once I was at home. It's been a bit of a roller coaster but I think slowly but surely things are improving in different ways x x x I wish you luck with your recovery journey and hope your next op goes well xxx
 
Thanks I can't imagine what it's going to be like. I am now the coverage teacher so I'm in all the classrooms while giving the teachers a break. After 10 years in a classroom and prior to that working in a group home for mentally challenged adults, my poor bones and cartilage need such a break and needed rest. It's been difficult in this field having to restrain children and adults I figured let the younger kids take up my slack. They have better bones and energy. I also do SEIT a special ed itinerant teacher where I have been working with a little girl one on one who is
on the spectrum since she was 4 she's now 9 yrs old.
So to answer the question do I miss work that would be a no, do I miss my private practice child that's a yes. Especially when she calls me to chat.
 
I have a new question to ask my knee people. Every time I get up after elevating my leg lets say for an hr or 2 and I start to walk around or do some home exercises I am freezing cold, so cold that my teeth are chattering. This is coming from a person, me, who is always hot. Even now in ny the weather outside cold but toasty warm under covers
Does anyone else experience this. I also felt this way in rehab, but just dismissed it because they don't really have blankets.
Thanks for any comments. Heading back under covers.
 
Hi Susanne - I also had this issue! I had my tkr nine weeks ago and for at least a month was cold all the time and wrapped in blankets. At night I was even colder and used up to four blankets. I also have back issues and one day sat with a heating pad on my back. It made a huge difference and i am still using it. Now after over two months my body temperature seems back to normal. I don't know the cause though - maybe just the whole shock of this surgery??
 
Hi Susanne,
I hope that your recovery is going smoothly and that you are having a good day.
My temperature was all over the place, during the day I was cold, I fully understand how old people are in danger during winter, just sitting around left me shivering under blankets, but as soon as I did any PT I had to remove as many clothes as was decent, I totally overheated. At night I thought my hot flushes had returned, I would throw off the covers, and then ten minutes later regret it and shiver again. As Jozilla says, it could be the shock of the operation, I am four weeks today and generally things have settled down.
 
Ellejay said:
My temperature was all over the place, during the day I was cold, I fully understand how old people are in danger during winter, just sitting around left me shivering under blankets, but as soon as I did any PT I had to remove as many clothes as was decent, I totally overheated. At night I thought my hot flushes had returned, I would throw off the covers, and then ten minutes later regret it and shiver again. As Jozilla says, it could be the shock of the operation, I am four weeks today and generally things have settled down.
Click to expand...
I had/have this problem also (not just from this operation, but I also have premature menopause). During surgery recovery, body temperature fluctuations can come from a few things: "shock of the operation", your body will consider the cutting, sawing, hammering, etc, etc, as trauma, your body is still in shock - withdrawal from those heavy-duty drugs used at the hospital - and even though icing does help the swelling of your knee, it can mess with your body's temperature. Pile on the blankets - drink hot beverages - time to get out the sweatshirts, layer clothing.
 
Thanks everyone for your responses. Thought I was losing it. Now when I think back when I was in rehab once I started exercising I was sweating. Ugh
 
So Tuesday it will be 4 weeks since surgery. Today not a good day. Had spent a few hours with my mom yesterday sitting, icing and walking around the hallways on and off for 4 hrs. Maybe I had bed withdrawls?? When I got home restacked my pillows to elevate properly for bed , problem is I think I over elevated because my log leg was so stiff couldn't move it to well. I just can't get the elevation down right or my toes up high enough. Any ideas what to do. I really thought last nights pillow props were good except I'm paying for it now
Help so appreciated :(
 
Be sure your knee is slightly bent when elevating, full extension is uncomfortable for our knees.
 
susanne said:
my question is this how high do I elevate. I studied the pictures and opted for the 3 pillow step like method. I'm not sure if it's high enough but when I check it with picture it looks almost the same. I also use small bed pillows like from the airlines. If I put an extra pillow under my calf feel like it's too high
Click to expand...
I got these comments from somebody else's thread!

Answer to this is, if it looks "about the same" as in the picture then it's high enough. It's not an exact science so as long as your foot is about 1-1½ feet above the bed, that will be fine.

But never ever put a pillow or pad under your calf or you could cause a clot. Try reading the text in this article as well as looking at the pictures! :) Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
 
Sorry about being all over thread wise. Think I finally got hang of using site. Maybe too many meds??
 
@ Josephine. Don't know why I'm so hung up on the right way to elevate. I don't understand when u say don't put pad under calf. I start the pillow under thigh like in pic and add pillows. How do I not put under calf????
 
If you've got your system of pillows at an incline and under the whole leg, you're ok.
Just under the calf=bad. Just under the knee=bad.
 
So for the past 2 nights I couldn't do anything but cry. After speeding time with my mom I continued to rest and ice when I got home. There I go again my ADD-getting in way of my thoughts. Thus was Friday. By Friday evening my knee throbbed so that all I could do was cry elevate and medicate. My new mantra. Saturday I stayed in rested and continued to ice. It seems my only comfortable position is laying down with legs elevated. Last nite couldn't get it together. No position comfortable. I'd lay down rearrange pillows, and repeat this process over and over. I think I slept and woke up every 3 hrs. Finally at 8 am took my meds a full ice pack and tried again for a few hrs of sleep. This lasted 4 hrs. Now I need to get ready for a family birthday party mom 98 brother 65 niece and her husband . In am dreading this and also taking my plastic Baggie for ice.
I keep feeling 1 step forward 3 steps back. Tues will be 4 weeks since surgery. Do I really think I'm bionic woman do I need to slow down
Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated.
On a good note, with a little I mean a lot of help was able to get my leg over tub to take a much needed shower.
 
Take a look at this article from the forum library---
TKR Recovery: what to do and what not to do

Within the article is another link to an excellent article about elevating---you can find that link right here, too:
Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain

The article on elevating should help you understand that it is important to get the "toes above the nose"---that will help you get some of the swelling down.
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/tkr-recovery-what-to-do-and-what-not-to-do.13038/
 
@Josephine. Really trying hard to get this forum writing correct. Because I'm using an iPad it's hard ( for me) going back and forth. So let me ask you again when I want to post something I go under 2weeks now that thread? Do I keep adding and asking on that page only? I think I made mistake when I think I'm asking or talking to another member is that thread hogging? How do I discuss things with other members? Another part that's confusing to me is do I go in my log in page to start or go to notifications?? As you can probably tell by now my computer skills are rather poor, since I only use iPad for work with my kids at school.
I'm so sorry again for bombarding you with such trivial questions. Just wish I had someone here to guide me
Again will try my hardest
Susanne
 
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