TKR Joni's TKR 9/15/14
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Djbrund
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Had my 8 week follow up this morning with OS. I can straighten to about 2-5, and bend to 120. He was impressed with my 120. I told him I've been stuck there for 2 weeks. I was impress with 120 degrees at 6 weeks, but not so much at 8 weeks. I asked for and received 4 more weeks of PT. I'm not yet satisfied. I've been going to the gym and riding the bike and doing my knee exercises and core exercises. But I've not been walking enough. So...my girlfriends step father, whom she caretakes for, needs to get out and walk. He only lives 2 blocks away, so I've been walking around the block with him. I think this Saturday while my husband takes our grandsons to mountain bike, I will walk a bit on a flat trail.
Took my daughter shopping today to get my grand daughter a new Thanksgiving outfit to wear to the other grandma's house. I walked in a mall! The weird thing was that my foot on the other knee got very sore! Geez! Will the weirdness never end?!
Sunday night was a bad night. Finally got up at 1:30 am to get a pain pill and some ice. Why must it always be at night?
Monday I met with my boss, the Chief of Emergency Medicine at the big hospital here in Salinas. We went over the agendas for the meetings on Thursday. He said I did not have to feed them all if I wasn't up to running around picking up food and drink for the Doctors and our guests. He had already talked about how utilitarian last months meetings were without me. I said I'd feed them. I don't actually make the food after all. I'll just get everything in one place...except the coffee. Their meetings better not drag on for more than a few hours. I can barely sit still for 5 hours of medical protocols before the surgery. -- Joni
Took my daughter shopping today to get my grand daughter a new Thanksgiving outfit to wear to the other grandma's house. I walked in a mall! The weird thing was that my foot on the other knee got very sore! Geez! Will the weirdness never end?!
Sunday night was a bad night. Finally got up at 1:30 am to get a pain pill and some ice. Why must it always be at night?
Monday I met with my boss, the Chief of Emergency Medicine at the big hospital here in Salinas. We went over the agendas for the meetings on Thursday. He said I did not have to feed them all if I wasn't up to running around picking up food and drink for the Doctors and our guests. He had already talked about how utilitarian last months meetings were without me. I said I'd feed them. I don't actually make the food after all. I'll just get everything in one place...except the coffee. Their meetings better not drag on for more than a few hours. I can barely sit still for 5 hours of medical protocols before the surgery. -- Joni
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Djbrund
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Jane B.
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I can't imagine why...(just because of everything you wrote, cough, cough...) but I worry about you becoming the permanent President of the ODIC!
Try to take it easy, rest and ice, between gigs. I'm my own worst enemy, as I said I cleared brush ala W and I'm paying for it. If I hadn't the water meter reader dude would have been swallowed up by the jungle.
Try to take it easy, rest and ice, between gigs. I'm my own worst enemy, as I said I cleared brush ala W and I'm paying for it. If I hadn't the water meter reader dude would have been swallowed up by the jungle.
Clipless
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@Jane B., You made me laugh! I was surprised that after my shopping trip, I still wanted to make dinner. Pork ribs, cooked in the oven for hours. They were so tender that when I went to slice them, all the meet just fell off the bones. I also roasted broccoli and a couple baby Yukon potatoes. And let's not forget the garlic bread. My 20 year old son announced: She's baaaack!
@Clipless, yes I'm doing good. Still so me pain but mostly good.
Joni
@Clipless, yes I'm doing good. Still so me pain but mostly good.
Joni
Clipless
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Yum!
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Djbrund
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I had to work in Thursday, so I tried to prepare on Wed.
I started Wed with PT. I was trying really hard and I guess I overdid it. Again. Went home and printed and collated all the materials for tomorrow's meetings, then iced, then met a girlfriend for lunch. I ate a huge lunch so that I wouldn't get hungry during my 5:30-8:30 Spanish class. And because I'm a little piggy. After lunch I went to the grocery store to pick up the items I would need for work on Thursday. Came home, took a nap, iced, then a shower, and off to Spanish class! I made it only until 7:30. Quite painful. I was very worried about work Thursday.
Thursday/workday started out a little painful and ended quite painful. I brought ice with me and used it throughout. I made it through 4.5 hours of medical protocols, protective gear training, employee 401k and profit sharing issues and MD 's business complaints. I packed up the food/drink and materials, loaded it all in a wheel chair and drove home. I took a pain pill and iced and was just glad it was all over.
PT was canceled this morning (Friday) and I fled like screaming with joy. I laid around all morning. This afternoon I typed up the minutes of the meetings and sent them off. Whew! So glad that is done.
Joni
I started Wed with PT. I was trying really hard and I guess I overdid it. Again. Went home and printed and collated all the materials for tomorrow's meetings, then iced, then met a girlfriend for lunch. I ate a huge lunch so that I wouldn't get hungry during my 5:30-8:30 Spanish class. And because I'm a little piggy. After lunch I went to the grocery store to pick up the items I would need for work on Thursday. Came home, took a nap, iced, then a shower, and off to Spanish class! I made it only until 7:30. Quite painful. I was very worried about work Thursday.
Thursday/workday started out a little painful and ended quite painful. I brought ice with me and used it throughout. I made it through 4.5 hours of medical protocols, protective gear training, employee 401k and profit sharing issues and MD 's business complaints. I packed up the food/drink and materials, loaded it all in a wheel chair and drove home. I took a pain pill and iced and was just glad it was all over.
PT was canceled this morning (Friday) and I fled like screaming with joy. I laid around all morning. This afternoon I typed up the minutes of the meetings and sent them off. Whew! So glad that is done.
Joni
Joni, you really did too much!
You've gone back to work very early. Go easy on yourself.
You've gone back to work very early. Go easy on yourself.
Jane B.
graduate
Madame ODIC President,
I'm five days ahead of you, and a slow healer. So I take it easy, most of the time. (The garden is looking at me and I'm turning away.)
If I were facing your work day, I would have done nothing the day before including going out to lunch, PT and Spanish class. Seriously I would have only shopped for the food and the next day gone to work. Done and done.
You have a choice, do nothing ahead of time, or do nothing in pain after doing too much. Which do you prefer?
Our knees can't do a lot right now. They will do plenty, but not yet. I've read too many threads from those who did too much, and suffer long time pain, and swelling issues. No thank you.
Even though I'm saying this, I drove three hours each way across the lovely state of Florida to see my sister and her new house. (Her house couldn't come to me.) I only stayed over one night and slept on an air mattress on the floor. My knee did not like that air mattress, at all.
Yours in ice and elevation,
Jane B.
edit: Didn't mean to sound snarky. I worry about you in particular.
I'm five days ahead of you, and a slow healer. So I take it easy, most of the time. (The garden is looking at me and I'm turning away.)
If I were facing your work day, I would have done nothing the day before including going out to lunch, PT and Spanish class. Seriously I would have only shopped for the food and the next day gone to work. Done and done.
You have a choice, do nothing ahead of time, or do nothing in pain after doing too much. Which do you prefer?
Our knees can't do a lot right now. They will do plenty, but not yet. I've read too many threads from those who did too much, and suffer long time pain, and swelling issues. No thank you.
Even though I'm saying this, I drove three hours each way across the lovely state of Florida to see my sister and her new house. (Her house couldn't come to me.) I only stayed over one night and slept on an air mattress on the floor. My knee did not like that air mattress, at all.
Yours in ice and elevation,
Jane B.
edit: Didn't mean to sound snarky. I worry about you in particular.
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Djbrund
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Thanks @Celle and @Jane B.
Luckily I only work a couple days a month. I'm done until the second week in Dec. thank god! Friday, I mostly laid around and didn't even cook dinner.
Saturday morning my husband took our grandsons mountain biking, so I went with Lulu (my dog) and 2 friends for a little walk on a flat trail. I wore my hiking shies so I'd feel like a real hiker. We were just walking along and talking until one of my friends said we should turn around. Got back to the car about 10 min before the boys. I had ice waiting for me in the car. We had walked 2 miles in an almost an hour! Took the kids to lunch, then came home to ice and elevate. No pain. Even went to the movies with my husband Sat night.
Sunday morning a friend asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I didn't, better not! My quads are a little sore and this morning my knee is sore too. I'll take it easy today.
Joni
Luckily I only work a couple days a month. I'm done until the second week in Dec. thank god! Friday, I mostly laid around and didn't even cook dinner.
Saturday morning my husband took our grandsons mountain biking, so I went with Lulu (my dog) and 2 friends for a little walk on a flat trail. I wore my hiking shies so I'd feel like a real hiker. We were just walking along and talking until one of my friends said we should turn around. Got back to the car about 10 min before the boys. I had ice waiting for me in the car. We had walked 2 miles in an almost an hour! Took the kids to lunch, then came home to ice and elevate. No pain. Even went to the movies with my husband Sat night.
Sunday morning a friend asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I didn't, better not! My quads are a little sore and this morning my knee is sore too. I'll take it easy today.
Joni
SuperSnapper
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Jane B.
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I did talk my husband into some help with jungle clearing this morning. I clipped and he dragged the branches away, it's bad when they are all stuck together, and you have to yank. That kind of torque really hurts my knee. But just clipping was work, but it was fine.
Our little dog has been hunting back in there at night. I couldn't get to her, especially since the citrus and bougainvillea have giant thorns. She wouldn't come out, of course. So I ended up tossing treats at her.
Our little dog has been hunting back in there at night. I couldn't get to her, especially since the citrus and bougainvillea have giant thorns. She wouldn't come out, of course. So I ended up tossing treats at her.
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@Jane B.
You cracked me up! Lulu, our dog is a Schnoodle, part Schnauzer, part Poodle. She rules the roost around here. She wouldn't come when we called her so we started giving her treats when she came. Now she will run outside and bark so we will call her to come in and give her a treat. But she also hikes with me. She will hike 100 miles a month in the mountains, so long as it isn't too hot. -- Joni
You cracked me up! Lulu, our dog is a Schnoodle, part Schnauzer, part Poodle. She rules the roost around here. She wouldn't come when we called her so we started giving her treats when she came. Now she will run outside and bark so we will call her to come in and give her a treat. But she also hikes with me. She will hike 100 miles a month in the mountains, so long as it isn't too hot. -- Joni
Jane B.
graduate
Our dogs are half brother, and sister, same father. Both are long haired dachshunds and the younger one is "difficult". Why didn't we get a poodle mix instead of hounds? I looked.
I've given up trying to figure out what is going on in her microscopic brain. Chili's sweet, though. Our son said, "She's the best/worst dog you've had." Husband said, "Enough dogs!" The herd will be culled through attrition. If she lives another eight years, he'll be 80, so he has a point!
After gardening yesterday, I'm doing what I said might happen to you: icing and reading in my pajamas all darn day long. As my lovely Irish friend says, one step forward, twelve back, and some dancing in the middle. Or something like that.
Peace out and remember to ice and elevate.
I've given up trying to figure out what is going on in her microscopic brain. Chili's sweet, though. Our son said, "She's the best/worst dog you've had." Husband said, "Enough dogs!" The herd will be culled through attrition. If she lives another eight years, he'll be 80, so he has a point!
After gardening yesterday, I'm doing what I said might happen to you: icing and reading in my pajamas all darn day long. As my lovely Irish friend says, one step forward, twelve back, and some dancing in the middle. Or something like that.
Peace out and remember to ice and elevate.
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Djbrund
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@Jane B. , I hear dachshunds are hard to train. But they are so cute, especially the long haired ones.
I do know that I'm overdoing it, but I want my life back. I'm sick of being patient! After the walk on Sat, I took it easy on Sunday, only getting off my tush to make a big Sunday supper, which my daughter and her huge family came for. My husband did the dishes. Monday I had PT and then I made flash cards of Spanish verbs and conjugations. If I don't learn these verbs, I'll never get into the intermediate class before I go to Spain. Then I walked for 45 minutes/1.5 miles. Went out to dinner with a bunch of girlfriends, then to an AA meeting. I had my ice in my insulated lunchbox and left it home on the counter! I almost skipped the meeting. My knee hurt! Went home, iced and elevated for a couple hours. Went to bed and tossed and turned....pain. Finally took a pain killer and slept. Today, I'm going to rest most of the day. I'll go to the gym to ride the bike and do some core work and my knee exercises. I complained to my PT guy that my ROM has been stuck at 120 for almost 3 weeks. We are going to work on that Wed. Yikes!! -- Joni
I do know that I'm overdoing it, but I want my life back. I'm sick of being patient! After the walk on Sat, I took it easy on Sunday, only getting off my tush to make a big Sunday supper, which my daughter and her huge family came for. My husband did the dishes. Monday I had PT and then I made flash cards of Spanish verbs and conjugations. If I don't learn these verbs, I'll never get into the intermediate class before I go to Spain. Then I walked for 45 minutes/1.5 miles. Went out to dinner with a bunch of girlfriends, then to an AA meeting. I had my ice in my insulated lunchbox and left it home on the counter! I almost skipped the meeting. My knee hurt! Went home, iced and elevated for a couple hours. Went to bed and tossed and turned....pain. Finally took a pain killer and slept. Today, I'm going to rest most of the day. I'll go to the gym to ride the bike and do some core work and my knee exercises. I complained to my PT guy that my ROM has been stuck at 120 for almost 3 weeks. We are going to work on that Wed. Yikes!! -- Joni
Getting to 120 is great, though.
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Djbrund
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I worked for 3.5 hours in my grandson, Rocky's classroom this morning. My PT warned me that it would be tough on me. OMG! The last hour or so, I walked around with gel packs strapped to my knee. By the time I got home, my hips, shin, quad and knee were killing me. Would have liked to ice the whole lower half of my body! I'm not due back 2 weeks, so hopefully I'll be more recovered by then. I knew it wasn't going to be easy after doing my 3 hour Spanish class last night. Ice, elevation, pain meds and a nap. Still feeling the pain. Think I'll take the other half of that pill. -- Joni
Oh, Joni, wow, do I ever understand that feeling of wanting your life back!
However, it's only 10 weeks since your surgery. You must be patient and not overdo it so often. If you try to rush this recovery, you stand a definite chance of getting inflamed tendons and they take ages to settle down again.
This truly is a time when "less is more" as far as encouraging your knee to heal.
It takes a full year to be completely healed. Remember, this recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.
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