Guest viewing is limited

It's done :)

Status
Not open for further replies.

Lujo

new member
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
9
Location
United States
Well, had surgery on Monday May 18th. The first day/night was a nightmare the Morphine made me sick. But the next morning the nurse new how sick I had been and put me on Viacodin. Course I think when I threw up on her she knew something was not right :hehe:

I was up that morning sitting in a chair and staring at my breakfast. Fortunately my husband took care of the food for me.

I was surprised that the pain was not as bad as I had expected.

My ortho was most upset with me though that I waited so long. He told my husband that it took 2 1/2 hours to complete. It should have only taken only an hour and half. He said that the damage was extensive and he had to remove more bone than what he had planned on. But in the end he was happy that he was able to make everything fit together.

I am now five days post op and doing fairly well. Pain levels are not bad. I can sleep all night. The only thing that is going to slow me down is the instability in the knee. I have problems with the knee collasping. But staying consistent with the therapy and pushing through the pain will pay dividends in the end. After I get the right knee strong I will then have the left knee done.

I have been active all my life and am looking forward to getting back riding dirt bikes and want to start road/moutain bike racing along with the hunting/fishing, camping, hiking, and everything else that can be done outdoors. I have always been an active person and love the outdoors.

Course I have to lose weight from being sediatary due to the bad knees but have no doubt I will be up and running literally :thmb:

Thanks to these forums and all the postive support I recieved leading up to this life changing surgery.

Luana
 
Congradulations !!!!! I am so happy for you. Not that much pain is amazing. Keep up the good work. Take it easy dont over done it. Keep us posted on your recovery. I know you will be out there soon enough doing all those wonderful things. Post anytime............Kim
 
Oh phew! I remember that first breakfast ... yuk! You're doing so well and can sleep all night! Excellent and keep doing what you are doing.
 
Lujo, it sounds like you are doing really well for this soon after surgery. It will continue to improve and you will find yourself able to do more and more.
 
Lujo!! You are a woman after my own heart. I did my last surf session the day before my surgery. Now I sit here waiting for the day when I can get back on the surfboard. I used to race road bikes. Now I can't turn the pedals over yet. That is frustrating! Still, I know it's coming. My physical therapist is trying to undo 29 years of shortened muscles—the result of my second knee surgery when I was 17. We're working hard to see if we can regain what I lost, in terms of range of motion, then.

Your knee will become more stable as you walk on it. Obviously, the physical therapy will make it even stronger too. I'm almost five weeks out of surgery. I had the instability at first. It didn't last long.

Keep up the good work!
 
Thanks everyone for the positve feedback. I was surprised when I left the hospital on day three of the TKR I had 55% of flexibility. It is now day six and have had my first inhome therapy and have gained another 10%. My therapist was very happy with my progression to this point. But I took my pain meds before she came in and have spent the remainder of the afternoon with ice on my knee. It is very sore. But well worth the pain for the gain that I have been able to make.

I thank god and my husband Larry who had been beside me through all this.

Surfsister you will get back to your old form. You sound determined enough that you will settle for nothing less :wink:

I know that I may make this sound like it was easy. But by no means was it. I was just in so much pain before that this is a hurdle that I can see myself overcoming. I see an end to the pain and another door opening for me to get back to my old self of being active.

I have many hurdles yet but will improvise and overcome; as Clint Eastwood said in one of my favorite movies Heartbreak Ridge :evil:

Luana
 
I do understand what you mean about the pain before surgery was worse. I hope you still take it easy though. Sounds like you have a terific husband, that is very important. Very proud of you and your PT, I have a feeling you are going to keep pushing on, and with your husband helping you, there will be no stopping you.......Thought I would check in, take care of youself.....Kim
 
Well, first post op check up (9 days). Pulled staples, that is always an experience. Doc is happy with the way things are going. I can bend to 90 degrees extent to nearly 0 degress.

But he is worried about my MCL; he said that because I waited so long the ligament is stretched and damaged. He put me in a hinged leg brace while I work on strengthing the muscles. But I am very happy with the way things are going. It is just a matter of strengthing the leg muscles.

Luana
 
High Five !!!! Great job........keep it up. Sorry about the brace. You will get those muscles better in no time.....
 
Great going, Lujo!!! The worst is over! Build those muscles up slowly....you'll soon be doing all those wonderful things you've always wanted to before you know it! :)..
 
Luana you will be very surprised at how fast your weak muscles gain strength. Just work really hard at the exercises. the balance execises are very important also. I did some easy hiking at around the 4 or5 week point and last weekend I did a pretty long, strenuous hike up a small mountain in our area (and down of course, the harder part). I was a little sore for the next couple of days but basically fine. Just don't get discouraged because it does take time. And if you were inactive for a period before the operation you can't expect to be instantly back to your active self. But when you can start doing the stationary bike (excellent for the quads) and walking --you will see the results of all your hard work. Even the first trip to the supermarket is a major event!!! Now that the staples are out it should be easier both to do the bending and the lifting!! Keep posting and if you have issues there's always someone here who has also had similar experiences. You will be so glad you had the surgery when you're "living" again a few months from now.....
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom