TKR Jo has a new knee

[KathyH]

Good to hear you had a good day yesterday, Jo and you got out to see your Mum. Obviously I have no experience on the recovery side, but to me, you seem to be doing really well and everyone else has said so too.

Good on you :yes 4:

 

[Diney]

Hi Jo
Getting out for a visit does wonders for your state of mind. It's something normal! I hope you are not too tired today and that you enjoy your weekend visitors.

 

[Jazyb]

Thanks Diane, I must confess to being a little tired today. I had plans to go with my husband and Roxy (my lovely dog) for a drive onto the Moors but when it came to it I really didn't have the energy. So hence, I am here on Bonesmart :th_heehee:

Kneeper, that's interesting what you say about younger patients - you would think we would cope better with pain and emotions. Having said that my Aunt is 84 and she had a TKR two years ago and she sailed through it and went home at 2 weeks and she lives on her own. I take my hat off to that generation. She phoned me the other night to give me lots of tips - bless her.

 

[zjrog]

I still can't belive how long it took me to get my energy back. Months not weeks. Never hurts to plan things, but be flexible in those plans.

 

[goodasnew]

Hi Jo, glad to hear you're getting out and about a bit now, it does tire you out though, but each week will see a bit of improvement in stamina. I wish I could pop round to see my mum! I only see her a couple of times a year and that's one of my regrets about living here. I may go home in March during the Easter holiday for a few days so I'm looking forward to that!

I can't believe your surgery was almost a month ago! Time sure flies! I'm saying Happy Birthday to my right knee this week, a year gone by already and I barely notice it now!

Have a good day!:doggieshmooze:

 

[Jazyb]

Hi Goodasnew

It is hard being away from family, especially your Mum. A trip back to the UK sounds like a good plan for March, hopefully the weather will be warmer by then - it is freezing cold here at the moment. Congratulations on your first year anniversary for knee number one

 

[Josephine]

Some 80yr olds are as tough as old boots! That's what got them through the war, y'know! :wink1:

 

[Jazyb]

So true Josephine. When I asked my physio how some of his very elderly patients coped with this surgery, he laughed and said they are very tough and he doesn't mess with them!!! They put me to shame with my moaning :th_heehee:

 

[Mimi]

Oh, I have a story about a tough 82 year old man. He came into PT the same day I did. He had both knees done two weeks AFTER me. He walked in using a cane and I was on a walker. He went through all of his exercises with no problems, and I could barely get a good slide going. When he left that day we walked out unassisted, twirling his cane I hobbled out on my walker. He only had a month of PT and I had 5 months of PT. I asked him about pain and he said yes in the evening he had to take 2 extra strength tylenol!! He was amazing.

 

[referee54]

My father had his first TKR at the age of 81; he had the second one about eight months later at the age of 82. He is doing great!

 

[Jazyb]

They are simply amazing these elderly folks

 

[Deeden]

There were two ladies in the high eighties with me in hospital; both having their second knee done. Ops on the Friday, one went home on the Monday t'other (and me) on the Tuesday. Both of them encouraged everyone with tales of how well their first knee had gone and both fought the medical staff tooth and nail over painkillers - that is, the medics wanted them to take prescription-strength medication and the ladies didn't want to. The compromise was a couple of paracetamol once or twice a day.

I can hear them complaining now: one said there was no way she was going to risk damaging her stomach with painkillers just to avoid a bit of discomfort!

Neither of them used a walker, one went straight onto 2 crutches and the other went straight onto 1 crutch. They made the rest of us feel like right wimps.

That generation are a different breed!

 

[GrandyGirl]

My next door neighbor is in his late 70's and had a bilateral knee replacement last year and was up and about doing his yardwork within 6 month. In fact, he won Yard of the Month.

 

[Campervan]

My father in law had one knee done at 80 and the other at 81. He's now 90. He coped with stairs as soon as he got out of hospital as my mother in law wouldn't let him have a bed downstairs. He went up the stairs backwards on his bum. I never heard him complain of pain or exercise or ice etc. Mind you my mother in law was a nursing siser and probably told him to suck it up and not complain!

 

[Josephine]

 

[Hilary George]

Hi Jo. I didnt realise that you have just had a new knee too about the same time well a week or 2 before me, so our recovery is about the same timescale. The tightening I also have and yes it does feel awful, Aretha lent me a slider, and its brilliant. You put your heel into this little plastic plate type thing, and slide it back and forth while you are watching tv, or reading or whatever you are doing sitting down, and it is not hard quite relaxing actually, and each time you do it you are unwittingly going just a fraction of the way back further etc. I will let you have the name of it if you would like, its downstairs at the moment, but you may have one as this is your second time around. I am rubbing nivia into my knee around the scar, hoping to keep the skin supple, not sure if this is ok, but seems a good idea to me, what do you think. Take care Jo and I wish us both a good recovery. We go on hoiday to Devon, our close friends live there and we have a caravan in one of their fields, I just love the place and oneday maybe can move there, who knows. Where abouts are you. Take care, at it is 2.17am, I am feeling a bit sorry for myself, in pain as all pain relief taken for today, and heading for the ice pack and shot gun, (not really of course, but sometimes it does get you like this doesn't it) Lots of love Hills xxxxx

 

[Campervan]

My father in law had one knee done at 80 and the other at 81. ........ Mind you my mother in law was a nursing siser and probably told him to suck it up and not complain!

Just realised, my comment about my mother in law is insensitive to the lovely nurses that are part of the forum. My apologies. It was a dig at my mother in law, who had absolutely no patience when her family was sick. I should learn to engage my brain before my fingers type.

 

[Jazyb]

Morning Hills

I am into my 5th week of recovery - oh the joy!! I have only had one knee done (I really hope the other one never needs doing ). With the heel slides I do try to work the muscles in the quads to get them used to thinking that it is a normal knee. I think your device sounds good for the early couple of weeks but maybe not for week five but thank you. It might be worth mentioning for others that are pre-op and still have time to buy one.

I would be careful with rubbing cream near your scar at your early stage. My physio advised me to do it last week and only at the side of the scar and not into the scar - he said it is too soon to rub anything into it. Also, my scar was covered until the staples came out and even then the nurse said to keep it dry for a week and definately no cream into it. If Josephine reads this I am sure she will comment - and more likely tell you to not do it. I remember reading posts in the summer on this very subject.

I am sorry you have pain, especially at night and you have taken all your meds for the 24 hours period. Could you not try and phase them out differently during the day? The ice is excellent for calming the area down. I have been one of the lucky ones and manage to sleep very well and my pain is minimal. My biggest issue is trying to get my muscles strong and having confidence in the knee to go down to one crutch. I am still using two crutches and try to practice with one using my bannister but still not quite there yet. I was reading on another site yesterday that the general advice for using crutches for a TKR is 3 to 6 weeks, so that did cheer me up and I realised I am not that behind.

I live near Ashburton and Holne - the foothills of Dartmoor. Our little hamlet is lovely and quite hard to find, so we don't get the tourists as it's off the beaten track and I think the single track roads put them off :th_heehee:

Take care and try to keep pain free

 

[Celle]

My father in law had one knee done at 80 and the other at 81. He's now 90. He coped with stairs as soon as he got out of hospital as my mother in law wouldn't let him have a bed downstairs. He went up the stairs backwards on his bum. I never heard him complain of pain or exercise or ice etc. Mind you my mother in law was a nursing siser and probably told him to suck it up and not complain!

My mother had knee replacements at age 80 and 84. She stayed with us for a week after coming out of hospital and then insisted on going to her own home.
I only had to help her with showering for the first few days and after that she did everything for herself.

I never once heard her complain of pain or discomfort and she refused to use crutches or a stick by 3 weeks post-op.

Yes, that generation is tough! She was my example when I had my surgeries.

I know what you mean about your mother-in-law and, as an ex-nurse myself, I am not offended. I, too, had a "shape up or ship out" mother-in-law!

Best wishes,

Celle

 

[Celle]

Hi Jo. I didnt realise that you have just had a new knee too about the same time well a week or 2 before me, so our recovery is about the same timescale. The tightening I also have and yes it does feel awful, Aretha lent me a slider, and its brilliant. You put your heel into this little plastic plate type thing, and slide it back and forth while you are watching tv, or reading or whatever you are doing sitting down, and it is not hard quite relaxing actually, and each time you do it you are unwittingly going just a fraction of the way back further etc.

My physio told me to put a disposable plastic or paper plate under my foot and use it as a slider in the same way. That works, too. I did that a lot the first few weeks after the operation.