TKR Indieknee trying to recover

[Mutti3]

Don’t be so hard on yourself. I am so blessed that I have my mind and senses! I am in the process of getting over a terrible stomach virus this weekend, and a stress fracture of my right foot diagnosed this past week. Not everyone is a athlete, but I do what I can to be active and try not comparing myself to others. But it is very difficult not too!

 

[Jockette]

Going up foot over foot at 3+ months is great! Down takes longer for most people.

I couldn’t walk 5 miles at one time in any point in my life and I’m very ok with that! Not many people can do that at your stage, even if they could before surgery.

I think you are expecting way too much of your 3.5 month old knee. Some surgeons eventually get honest with their patients and tell them that some of us can take up to 2 years to really fully heal. That doesn’t mean that how you feel today will last for 2 years, or that you will take that long. I’m just trying to give you a perspective for where you are this early in recovery, and 3.5 months is still early.

I’m 19 months. Not where I want to be, but so much better than I was at 3.5 months!

I was very frustrated at 3.5 months because my recovery from a partial was supposed to take 2-3 months. Well that didn’t work out, because it’s not true, but I didn’t know that at the time.

 

[indieknee]

@Mutti3 - I hope your tummy and foot are improving. Do take it easy and I hope you feel better soon.

@Jockette - Thanks so much for your encouragement.
Actually I was really happy with my stairs progress, what I should have said was ‘walking upstairs foot over foot for the first time in about 3 years was possibly like a fit person walking 5 miles for the first time’.

 

[Mutti3]

@indieknee
Thank you for your kind words! With sleep and time I am much better. My foot will be a much slower healing process!

 

[indieknee]

Today I decided to do some work on my laptop but with it on the kitchen table not sitting in my recliner with my little tray. I put a cushion on the chair and found it not too uncomfortable. I managed to answer a few emails and did some small website updates.

I had a sandwich for lunch then relaxed in my recliner - my cat was so pleased, she loves to help my knee recover, coincidentally she also finds it quite warm and comfy.

It was such a nice lazy day, my husband did some shopping, cooking and cleaning. I’m very lucky but sometimes I think he does too much but when I tell him, he takes no notice.

It’s my right knee’s birthday on this Wednesday 24th - it will be 16 weeks old

happy birthday to Knee.

 

[indieknee]

Had a difficult painful night for some reason, but I did manage to read some of a JK Rowling book about a detective called Cormoran Strike, I liked it.

Because of the late late night I also got up quite late but managed to do some work seated at my proper desk in the office. It was a bit technical so I was grateful that my brain was still working despite the ‘medi-fuzz’ in there. Perhaps I was a bit slower than normal.

There was no going upstairs foot over foot today, obviously the Knee didn’t like too much of that. I did do a few heel slides for exercise because I’m not going out for a walk today. My husband has gone for a pint so will come back with all the gossip to amuse me.

 

[indieknee]

Back to my book tonight, I think.
My knee has decided to be very painful, so I’m elevating and icing. I have a very niggling pain at the back inner knee, which I’ve had before and a sharp pain at the front, which I haven’t had before. It also twinges at the back outer knee and right side now. The grabbing pulling pain on top of my knee is still there when I bend my knee or walk but that’s ‘putupable’ with.
That’s the end of the whinging, if I find just the right position I can be relatively comfortable, I couldn’t say that early on in my recovery.
Time for my kindle and a good read.

 

[Jockette]

but that’s ‘putupable’ with.

I love this phrase!!

Settle in and enjoy your kindle.

I have the kindle app on my phone, so I read all my books on my phone now. I was one of the last on earth to get a smart phone and I love it!!!

 

[indieknee]

Mark my words, ‘putupable (with)’ and of course, ‘unputupable’, will be in the English dictionary afore the year is out.

 

[indieknee]

Such a sunny day, we went out meeting people and generally walking around. My knee complained most of the time, even though it is its 16 week birthday today. Even though I got up late again I was really exhausted when we got back.
I’m going to have to be very British and talk about the weather - it is so lovely yet it’s nearing the end of October, I’ve never known it like this. But it could be snowing tomorrow - you never can tell. Anyway it’s very good for knees, if only my knee would take note.
I’m now looking forward to a nice fish supper cooked by (not caught by) my dearly beloved.

 

[indieknee]

I’ve been thinking and remembering about my eyes and their problems. I’ve had about 6 operations over the last 8 years, 4 concerning my retinas and 2 for new lenses, oh, not forgetting painful injections in my eyes .

After the retina ops there was no pain but great discomfort. For example, I had to lie in funny positions to prevent detachment and couldn’t see until gas, which had been injected into my eyes, was absorbed, one eye would see differently from the other eye, and so on.

Those years were pretty difficult and I thought I’d never see properly again. But after the last op for cataracts, with my bionic lenses I could appreciate what the surgeon had done for me. I now see better than I’ve ever done in my entire life!

This isn’t about knees I hear you say. It is - I’m glad I thought about that experience, especially the end result, because I’m sure it will help me on my Knee journey.

 

[Jockette]

My husband had a detached retina and had to keep certain positions, also, because they used the gas bubble. It made my back and neck hurt just looking at him!

He’s fine now, I’m glad you are too! And yes, it’s a good analogy to your knee recovery.

 

[indieknee]

I’m not allowed to run, jog, jump or do anything that could cause a retina detachment. This doesn’t bother me at all. My knee will have to make do with walking.

 

[Jockette]

I don’t do those things either! I don’t remember my husband being told that. Not that he can do any of that with the painful back he has, anyway.

 

[indieknee]

@Jockette - the reason I have the running, jumping rules is that I have extremely thin retinas which my surgeon says could easily detach. But one has only ever detached once during an eye operation for something else (the removal of a membrane covering the back of my eye). Although I have quite good eyesight now, compared with what it used to be anyway, I still have have quite a few things wrong with my eyes - not to do with age, but getting older doesn’t help!

Sorry all that is not to do with knees - except when I trip over! Which I did do not long after leaving hospital, I fell down 4 stairs and landed on my knee. My os assured me that I had only added a bit more soft tissue damage, but it makes me wonder sometimes, especially when my recovery seems to be a bit slow.

 

[Jockette]

Interesting.

I was doing ok until I went to my friend’s house for the weekend, and hurt myself there, 4 months post op. It took a long time to improve again. It always makes me wonder how things would have been if I hadn’t gone that weekend.

 

[indieknee]

Big coincidence - We’ve just had a meeting with a couple who want a website about their historic old boat. He is a retired orthopedic surgeon! He instantly knew I neended a higher chair but I didnt bore him about my knee.

 

[SusieShoes]

My brother-in-law has a detached retina and is walking around right now with a bubble in his eye. I can see doing anything necessary to avoid that complication! And walking is perfectly good exercise for any knee and body.

Interesting about the OS knowing you needed a higher chair. Experience is a wonderful thing. That’s why he came to you about the website!

 

[indieknee]

interesting about the OS knowing you needed a higher chair

We met at their house and when he showed us into his sitting room, I must have looked a strangely sad about the choice of very comfy looking sofas. That and the fact I had my crutch.
I’ve just figured out how to do a quote when using an iPad

 

[Jockette]

I’ve just figured out how to do a quote when using an iPad

I was excited when I learned to do that on my phone.

And when I discovered the emojis!