Bilateral TKR Journey Continuing June 4th, 2012

[Janet2012]

Lol! Not far off! Good ole Joe does ho ho ho a lot!

 

[Janet2012]

Grands are the
best, and at 2 and 3 they are just precious!

 

[karmigirl]

Janet,
How wonderful to be able to get on the floor and play with the babies. Your story reminded me of the old Art linkletter Show,Kids say the darndest things, Now I am really showing my age with that one. Really I could have been one of the kids LOL.

 

[Janet2012]

You and me both, Karmigirl!

 

[Brownie51]

You all need to be writing these things down in a little notebook for each of them. It's so funny reading it when they get older. All three of my kids still enjoy their baby books on their birthdays!

 

[reetpteet]

Perhaps I won't mention my .................... 5 grandaughters (not forgetting number 6 due in Jan!) Be a shame not to though ..... so here they are - Laura & Alice, Evie, Bess & Imogen

 

[Debbie_joints]

Oh wow Rita, 5 granddaughters, you really get to have fun buying clothes for them. Nice to be able hand down things too.

 

[Janet2012]

Lovely times five! (Almost six.). Not that I'd trade any of my darling boys. But the pressure is on the newlyweds!

 

[Brownie51]

Oh My goodness those are the most darling photos! They look so giggly and pretty! I bet the girls love taking care of the baby.

 

[Janet2012]

Better late than never. The last time I removed the raised toilet seat, I put it back after 1/2 a day. I figured I used it too often to need to deal with the awkwardness and discomfort of getting up and down. But it's officially off for good now, no turning back! I'd still like to replace the toilet with a more modern, comfort height model. My toilet is in it's own "closet" if you will (is that where Water Closet comes from?) so there is nothing to grab onto or push up on. I've recently noted that I can get up from public toilets, which are a little higher, without touching anything, but now I can do it at home as well! Look, no hands!! (Okay, not a good visual, don't look, please.)

 

[pudgyknees]

Janet2012, I really enjoyed reading your thread--I'm about 6 wks out of LTKR and you're one of my (many!) inspirations on this site. Also--getting down on the floor to play with grandkids? I am SO looking forward to this! I have 3 grandsons 5,8 and 9, and a game night always has to be at the table because of I can't sit on the floor (or, more accurately, get UP from sitting on the floor).
And I yelled "Woohoo!" when I could get up from the toilet without using my hands. My husband occasionally thinks I'm cracked.

 

[Janet2012]

Lol! I can just imagine Whoops and Hollers coming from the bathroom! That's how I felt sitting on the floor with the 3 year old!

 

[Janet2012]

Here's something SO encouraging to me! Cookie in particular has never liked stairs, and i've always had this little niggling pain in that soft spot on the lower lateral side of the knee cap. Steps, seats, always there. I was thinking the other day that maybe it would just always be there. Yesterday I noticed for the first time that it did not hurt in that spot when lifting myself with that knee! Just feel tightness over the knee on both! Progress continues to excite me! It may come back, but at least I know it doesn't have to be there! I've also been able to dispense with the extra pillow I was always dragging around the bed for between my knees as I tossed and turned. I'm sleeping a much more normal night without my knees being much of a thought.

We took the kids and parents to the circus today. The seating was tight, and Elmo complained after being cooped up for awhile, but it was fun. Daniel dressed up in a clown costume for the event. But we went to the movie theater yesterday, for the first time in more than a year, and that seating was much more comfortable, so I'll do that again soon. We saw the new Bond movie. My hubby is a huge Bond fan. My attention span decreases with every explosion, not my kind of movie, but I have to say it was pretty good. I would just like to know 1) what was the body count, and 2) what was the total cost of property damage? The characters always seem unconcerned about such things.

The elephants got on their back knees and rolled onto their sides, not an incredibly graceful maneuver. I told my husband that that was just how I feel getting down on the floor!

 

[Janet2012]

That spot of pain continues to be gone today. Does three days a trend make? Wouldn't that be grand! Knock on wood...

 

[Mimi]

Do you mean knock on titanium??

 

[Brownie51]

Janet, I loved it when I realized my quad pain had died down. Mimi...oh no are we in for the titanium or knock knock jokes?

 

[reetpteet]

Sounds like progress Janet - yippee! By the way, when you go to the pool what exercises do you do? (or have you progressed to swimming now - hair permitting of course!?)

 

[Janet2012]

No, I'm not swimming, hair thing and all. I walk with an exagerated step, full bend, knees high, heel toe roll, and then I do steps with my legs straight, muscles engaged, including abs and gluts. I do that walking forward, backward, side stepping and zigzagging. And then I do stretches, including pulling my foot up towards my butt. And then I go down the hall to the fitness center and spend some time there.

 

[reetpteet]

When you say 'straight' do you mean NOT bending the knee? I know I might be a bit thick here but can't quite picture it!

 

[Janet2012]

NOT bending the knees is correct. Tightening up those muscles around the knee. Hate to use the comparison, but picture the goose step.