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TKR JackiFL's Recovery Thread

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I actually went to try a different PT yesterday. She treated my knees as two separate recoveries, which was nice, and listened to me when I said that I'd had enough.

I'm going to go again next week (just once per week, not three as dr has ordered) mainly so that I will have a record of my progress.

Diligently doing my exercises here and looking forward to getting into the pool soon. Maybe by Friday! I've still got one scab left on my left knee that need to come off.

Yesterday's ROM was 105 and 110. I'm happy with that. I can step up and down. I'm walking up and back along the street outside.

Elevating and icing these knees like it's my job lol :-)

I'm ignoring the queries and comments about my progress since surgery five weeks ago. Even Lee has been talking - apparently all those times that I discussed what a full recovery means and how long it takes just flitted thru his brain and right back out again!

I'm still taking a Percocet at night and a couple of Hydrocodone during the day. Two Aleve every 12 hours.

Here's a pic of my chubby logs today!

Hanging in there,
Jacki

[Bonesmart.org] JackiFL's Recovery Thread
 
Things I think were odd about my hospitalization:

NO inspirometer, even thought the pre op joint class specified that we'd have one.

NO TED stockings, again brought up in class. I did have the foot compression thingy but it was taken off post op day 1 when they put me into the CPM and it wasn't put back on.

Single rooms - no sharing.

Catheter removed before I'd been able to get out of bed (made for an interesting day, to say the least!).

In-hospital PT classes were a mix of hip and knee replacement patients, basically in a circle on recliners doing our exercises & stretches. One patient was really bothered by everyone knowing her ROM (or lack thereof). Those hip patients seemed to have less issues, out of the gate.

Just musing since I can't sleep....

Jacki
 
Phew - so glad your camera didn't capture anything else - might have been too much information. :loll:Good on you for ignoring those comments. I am starting to get a lot of "I thought you went through all that to fix your knee. Doesn't look fixed to me". Your ROM is great - well done for you. You are working very hard obviously - but not too hard. Good on the PT for not pushing and listening, and what a good idea to treat each knee as a separate entity.

You're not even 6 weeks yet ... be careful when you hit that 6 week mark. Most people seem to think it is a magic number and voila, you will be all better - even we ourselves some times. So remember that when you hit that mark, keep being kind to yourself.

Two of the ladies here were scheduled for TKRs, but told me that they want to cancel them because they don't want to end up looking like me (I think they mean the way I walk). I have tried and tried to get it through their heads that each knee is individual and there are plenty of very quick and successful recoveries.

Take Care Jacki ... keep on the way you are and you will be racing around the streets in no time.

Hugs ... Ellen
 
Five weeks out and here is my pain meds current program:

Percocet and two Aleve at 7am

Hydrocodone around 11am and 5pm

Percocet and two Aleve about 10pm

Of course, my OS says that he won't refill the Percocet so I'm hoping that I won't be needing it much longer. Nights and mornings are my roughest times for pain, probably due to stiffening up while (trying to) sleep.

ICE plan:
I'm elevating and icing three times a day for minimum two hours each time, more if I can. Usually 8am, 1pm and 7pm.
 
You're cracking me up, Ellen! That was the pic I took to send to my sister, showing her that I got into the tub on my own - and yes, dangerously close to rated R!!! I had a nice, clothed pic to post here, I promise hahaha

I AM feeling antsy and you're right, I need to manage my own expectations with the six week mark looming ahead.

I'll actually be alone for a week here since Lee will be going skiing. My daughters live near (25 min and 40 min away) and both my mother AND my mother-in-law live one mile up the road. The trick will be convincing them that they don't need to crawl up my butt while he's gone!
My best friend is going to spend a couple of nights here and I'm looking forward to having some alone time, too.
Precious little of that available to surgical recovery patients, eh? :D

Jacki
 
Oh, and I've got NO clue why my ROM is good. It's been good since I was in the hospital. I've done nothing special and it's kind of surprising to me.
I've walked with a cane for three years prior to my surgery and my ROM (unofficially) was less than 100 then.
 
Hi, Jacki. You're doing so well!! I was just telling hubby tonight I hoped I'd be able to get in and out of tub without his assistance after my MUA's on Monday! Wow, good for you :egypdance:I love that you went to a different PT, and they're treating each knee as a separate recovery because they definitely ARE. It sounds like a much more rewarding experience than your first PT.

Hubby has been traveling for business two days a week for the last three or four weeks. It's AMAZING how vulnerable I feel when he's gone!! I just lay there at night and think of all the things that "could" happen since I'm so incapacitated right now. I'm my own worst enemy with that kind of stuff. He's going to have to be gone the Tuesday and Wednesday after my MUA's, so I've made arrangements with my sis to come help if needed. I definitely love the alone time, I'm at the point of not knowing what the heck to do with myself though, but can't quite concentrate to actually do much of anything other than watch TV, nap, or be online for a bit. I have a new granddaughter and a pseudo grandson (my best friend is calling me his granny :)) in a month or so, and love to knit and crochet. I've got to work up the gumption to make something here pretty quick - maybe next week when I'm relegated to the CPM for hours at a time again, eh?
 
Wow, Jackie and bluetechseeker, you guys are tough! Bilateral TKR's. I can't even imagine! Certainly an inspiration to me. I will keep telling myself I only had half the surgery you guys did! Related to the Foley catheter, hospitals will get penalized financially of a foley is left in more than 24-48 hours without significant documentation. Yes, that is actually part of Obamacare. Not a bad thing. Reduces incidence of urinary tract infection.
Ok, off to PT for me. Not really looking forward to it today as much ad usable but I will be stoked when I get there
 
@braindoc I went into this with the attitude of "no guts, no glory!". Both needed to be done, I had no "good" knee to help me so figured I'd take the leap. The largest surprise to me has been just how much I've come to rely on my upper body for hauling myself around - I'm developing quite the set of biceps and getting a six pack, geesh!! You sound like you're doing GREAT, keep up the good work!
 
I DROVE this morning! Lee was heading out this morning for a week long ski trip. He drove to the airport and I drove home. I even stopped at the grocery and picked up some of my favorite things (used scooter in store)!

I'm home now, icing and elevating since I don't want these knees to swell. Finally saw my kneecaps yesterday and want to keep seeing them :-)

Woohoo! Just shy of six weeks since surgery. I was able to sleep nearly seven hours last night - I don't think that's happened in months, honestly!

More later,
Jacki
 
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Hey Jacki , time sure is flying by , you are at 6 weeks. And driving. Way to go, like a baby bird taking off from the nest. So what is your therapy consisting of nowadays? you doing inhome or out patient therapy. Do you have the same therapist ? Well keep up the great work. We will root for you till the end . Our prayers go out to your sidekick Blue for a successful procedure on Monday, peace !!
 
I have been following your recovery. You have done so well. I am having a BTKR in a little over a week. I have a question. Before you left the hospital to go home, did you have to show the PT that you could walk up and down a few stairs? I was told I have 3 goals to go straight home: get in and out of bed, walk a certain distance, and walk up and down a few stairs. I look forward to reading more about your recovery. It has given me alot of great information on how to manage things.
 
@icep707 I wouldn't have believed it but I'm nearly at six weeks! My therapy is sort of a patchwork quilt of things. The first 3 weeks was in home, twice a week. Week 4 was two outpatient appts after which I decided to take charge. Week 5, I had one outpatient appt.
I've been doing mostly just gentle hamstring and quad stretches and walking around the house and sidewalks.
My goal in having this BTKR was to be able to walk - around the house, with my grandkids, to the park, etc. And so, I walk! I sit in my rocking chair 2-3 times a day and just (again, gently) rock back and forth for ten minutes or so.

@Bluetechseeker I felt like an escaped Queen tooling around Publix on the store's scooter!
Your Monday ordeal is always on my mind - sending you strength!
Lee left this morning and I'm loving the quiet time. Just to be able to groan audibly without someone asking what's wrong - heaven! :D
So, what project did you decide to work on while CPM'ing next week?

@Snowysmom The only things I had to do before I was discharged was to show the PT that I could walk up a step (and down) and walk from my PT class back to my room (about 300 feet) using my walker. He had watched me get out of and into bed each day when he came to my room to get me for the class. The nurses also made sure that I could get onto and off the toilet/commode.
Surgical day was a wash. Post op day 1 was not good, at all. Post op day 2 was better although I wasn't able to get out of bed into the bathroom. Post op day 3 was my "shining moment" day! I got up and walked and amazed everyone - since the day before, it was discussed that I might have to head to a rehab place before going home. I went to two PT group classes and did my best!
I was discharged to home first thing post op day 4, after an early morning PT group class!

@braindoc thanks for info about the Foley. How is your PT going today?

Off to get ready for bed. Slept from 9:30pm til 4:30am last night.... I'd at least like to do another 7 hour stretch tonight. First time in AGES!!!

Hugs,
Jacki
 
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Hi Jacki ... You drove ... :dancy::yay::tada:well done. I bet it felt so good. Now while your husband is away and while you enjoy the quiet, you won't have to be concerned because if you want to go out and get something you can.

AND you found your kneecaps ... double :dancy::yay::tada:. Please, please describe them to me, so that when mine finally appears I won't be frightened of the scary strange looking lumps. :loll:

You have been doing so well - it is fantastic.

Enjoy your quiet time Jacki ... enjoy the time with your friend ... apart from missing Lee, you will have an awesome week, I am sure.

Hugs ... Ellen
 
Oh Ellen (@NetballKnees), my kneecaps *are* scary strange looking lumps hahahaha!

And...... I'm apparently back to sleeping in increments of 3-4 hours! Well, the seven hours stretch last night was great but not repeating itself tonight. Maybe tomorrow?

On the plus side, since Lee isn't home, I turned on the TV and am watching "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and chuckling while I'm perusing Bonesmart :-)

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk.
 
Hi @JackiFL I have just read your posts and oh boy are you ever doing so well! Bktr you are amazing. I am still struggling with just rtkr. I am now seven weeks not driving but my car is not an automatic and I know for a fact I couldn't do an emergency stop with the brake yet. I've been practicing in my pedal bin ha ha! I just wanted to say hi, I know you've been following my posts too and to honestly congratulate you on a wonderful recovery x x x x x x
 
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