Bilateral TKR It's finally time!!

[referee54]

When I went back to teaching, I tried my hardest to take it easy on my new knees---I parked very close to my room, I did not wander down to the office to print papers---somebody else did that for me---and I was able to ice and elevate during planning periods and lunch. I also tried to change the way that I taught---not standing, but seated in front of the class.

Now, that being stated, I did not realize that I had to get up about 1 1/2 hours prior to teaching, fix breakfast, prepare my lunch, get dressed, all of those logistics that I did not realize that went into going to school/work.

Needless to say, too, at the end of the school day, when I should have beat feet home, I did not---I stayed a little longer to talk to people and to potsy around the classroom---and then I finally would come home and ice/elevate more---unless I had to go to one of the two PT sessions each week.

I guess I learned that it indeed adds up, and going back to work---either part time or full time---is a huge step for a new knee r knees.

 

[ljrfrm]

The nice thing is I can alter my four hours for what I want to do (I just let them know ahead of time) so today I've been icing BEFORE I go in to see if that helps. I still need to shower, make my lunch and drive to work - but at least I'll be iced down before I start. My throbbing, stabbing pain is gone and I feel good, other than stiff (and visibly swollen a bit). The good news is it's almost weekend!

@referee54 I am also working hard to not "wander". It's amazing how much we move around the school!

 

[referee54]

I would feel really good when I got out of bed---the knees were pretty loose---but as the day wore on, the knees would get a little angry. At around 11:000, even though I had another 1/2 day, the knees were beginning to loudly protest.

 

[Josephine]

I read that the cement they used was an antibiotic cement (Zimmer). Evidently studies show that using this type of cement with antibiotic leads to fewer revisions due to infection. Do you know if that's a typical protocol now by many doctors?

You should have heard me chuckle when I read this! Palacos bone cement impregnated with Garramycin has been in regular use for all joint replacements since 1980!

I even remember prior to that, we would open ampoules of antibiotic powder and add them to the powder of the cement before adding the monomer fluid to mix it. I remember telling the staff to be sure and mix it thoroughly so that the antibiotic, when it leached out of the cement, wouldn't leave big holes in it!

In 1982, I also did a small research paper on the incidence of occupational asthma and contact dermatitis in staff who were exposed to the cement and was amazed to discover in 2002 that it had become a standard reading for many manufacturers of bone cement when educating their staff about the risks! I'm famous!

 

[ljrfrm]

@Josephine Famous is a good thing.......well, most of the time LOL. I honestly had no idea this was the typical protocol and had never even thought about the type of cement until I read it. It makes a lot of sense to me! I bet you were happy when you didn't have to add the antiobiotic powder yourself anymore!!! Thanks for filling me in!

 

[Josephine]

Oh I'm FULL of anecdotes, me!

 

[ConnieJOS]

@Josephine You ARE famous. I saw you on You Tube, and that's proof enough for me!
I feel privileged to know you here on Bonesmart.

And all kidding aside, . You are a wealth of knowledge and a great help to all of us.

Connie

 

[PuppyLove]

I hope your pains have gotten better. I was doing Okay today and suddenly after dinner I had a stabbing pain in my right knee when I walked. I decided it was time to not walk anymore. Shower, ice, pain pill, and a warm blanket for me!

 

[ljrfrm]

@PuppyLove Isn't it crazy how we can get these bad pains all of a sudden. The stabbing pain I had yesterday disappeared overnight and never came back. I'm achey and sore tonight after work and PT, but nothing stabbing me today at least!! I needed to have iced more but was so cold form being outside, I just couldn't deal with it. A warm blanket sounds perfect Hope your pain goes away soon!!!

 

[PuppyLove]

Great news- maybe my pain will be gone tomorrow. I washed the linens on my recliner and when I took the blanket out of the dryer I cocooned myself. We used to heat our son's blankets in the dryer and wrap him in them to get him to sleep. He has Asperger's and he still likes warm blankets when he has trouble sleeping. Cozy!

 

[ljrfrm]

@PuppyLove Cocooning in a warm blanket sounds heavenly

 

[gr82cu2]

Now you all have me wishing I had a warm blankie.

 

[ljrfrm]

@gr82cu2 Especially with all the ice you've been using this week

 

[ljrfrm]

So, I'm in the midst of my second week back to work. I have to say that this week is a bit easier - but I am definitely still dragging through my days. I am finding that I do better pain wise by taking Tylenol in the morning when I wake up, but that taking 2 Aleve's before I go to work (I'm tending to work 10-2 although that fluctuates a bit depending on what I have to do) will get me through the day without too much pain. I do still need to take a Tramadol in the late afternoon most days, as I do feel quite achey - both in the knees but also my quads and calves/shins. But, I think I'm doing a bit better with energy levels and getting my brain back to functioning with life again.

Yesterday was a good day, in that I worked my four hours, and then went to the gym to workout with the trainer, and throughtout it all, felt pretty good. I was still stiff and achey throughout the day, but didn't feel too bad. I am swelling each day, and I try to ice when I get home, and have also started icing in the morning before I leave. I find it hard to ice at work - as I'm only there for four hours and see to be here there and everywhere trying to get things done. I have had a lot of meetings, and I think the sitting at the conference table for periods of time is the hardest. I do stand up and stretch when needed, even if it is in the middle of a meeting.

Yesterday was my first day back with the trainer and it went well. She was very careful with what she had me do, and kept the weights light. We also did some upper body work, and I'm finding I am pretty sore. She also checked my weight (I gained 5 pounds since the surgery - not as bad as I feared) but my fat % went up 2%. I guess all that comfort food and hanging out on my recliner didn't burn any fat - go figure?

So, for now I'm just going to keep on, keeping on. The nightly muscle spasms at night are a bit better, and I think I'm slowly getting stronger. I walked 1.5 miles on the treadmill the other day, and also did 15 min on the eliptical for the first time. I went slow, and just was so amazed the whole time with how smooth my knees felt. NO snaps, crackles or pops. Pretty amazing.

 

[referee54]

So, I'm in the midst of my second week back to work. I have to say that this week is a bit easier - but I am definitely still dragging through my days.

I was still stiff and achey throughout the day, but didn't feel too bad.

This is a slow process, and like the early days of recovery, there may be a few peaks and valleys along the way.

The important thing is that you are now using life as your PT, and you are not only back at work, but you are working at re-establishing the normalcy that is so vitally important in our lives.

As the days turn into week, and the weeks turn into months, the stiffness, achiness, and soreness will slowly, but surely, dissipate.

 

[ljrfrm]

@referee54 There will be one big party at my house on my first stiff-free day What's exciting though is I am no having "moments" where I realize, "wow, I feel really good". It may just be moments - but makes me know that this will all work out well.......someday!

 

[referee54]

I know exactly how you are feeling! There will be a day when you suddenly notice that it all has come together---I actually, ironically never marked mine down---when I suddenly realized that there were absolutely no issues with my knees that day. I realized that they were now, anticlimactically, normal! It was now "no big deal"!

 

[Dord6712]

No snaps, crackles, or pops...l cannot wait for those days! Sorry, I just completely relate to that statement and I've felt all that for so long now in my knees but eventually I'll bite the bullet and get them fixed. I let terror help me decide to wait until I just cannot stand it anymore but that seems to be getting closer and closer for me.

 

[referee54]

I let terror help me decide to wait until I just cannot stand it anymore but that seems to be getting closer and closer for me.

@Dord6712 ---I would tell you, honestly, to not wait. I have read of too, too many forum members who, after their surgery and then fully recovered---have written, "Why did I wait so long?"

 

[ljrfrm]

@Dord6712 I am still in the midst of recovery - and am already saying that I wish I hadn't waited so long. I literally will sit in my recliner bending my leg back and forth and will just marvel and how smooth it feels. It is the most amazing feeling!!!