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TKR Joyfull61's Recovery Thread

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Oh, @Josephine...you're going to make me cry!!! I know I'm only trying to fool myself.

Surgery is Monday and I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row this week. I was getting very anxious, but have calmed down a lot the past couple of days. Now I can't wait to get it underway. Yesterday, I recieved the magic letter from my insurance company stating that I'm approved for the TKR and three days in the hospital. That letter made it more real. This time next week, I'll be on the other side and ready to come home if all goes as planned.

I cleaned off my desk yesterday at the office and told everyone I'd see them in a few weeks. That seems so odd to me. It almost felt like I was leaving permanently. I'm working from home today through Friday and since I've wrapped my all my billable project work, I'm not working too hard and doing lots of nesting. I'm currently in bed experimenting with elevation techniques after looking at the links on this site. I must say, I'm pretty comfy right now with my combo pillow/blanket pile.

Tomorrow, a friend is dropping off a raised toilet seat and shower seat that she used. I haven't been able to find a waker to borrow yet, so that may have to come from the hospital. I'm also waiting to find out if my doctor perscribes the colder water machines. If not, I've already purchased several gel packs that can be swapped out as needed. I don't have to worry about meals...people in our running club are bringing us meals during the first three weeks - my husband and daughter can manage the other nights. This is nothing new. My knees have become so painful that I'm pretty much useless these days. I'm worried that my "good" knee is almost as bad as the knee being replaced. It's always something.
 
Here's a box of hankies, petal!

[Bonesmart.org] Joyfull61's Recovery Thread




So you still didn't tell me a) the date of your surgery and b) what your job is
 
@Joyfull61 dont cry....we are all different My os said that he had a phys Ed teacher go back at 2 weeks , and he said that it would not affect the ultimate end recovery for the knee. Only that it would swell. So I went back at 3 weeks. I'm a pediatrician and go up and down to examine the kids. It swells and then in the am goes down. So the advice is see how it goes for u.
Will u ever run again?
 
@Josephine
Thanks for the tissues. I'm sure I'm going to need them.:bow:

a) My left knee will be sawed and pawed on August 31 at approximately 8:30 AM.

b) I work for a large hospital managemet company as a trainer for IT&S financial applications. (I teach the bean counters how to use the software that helps them count and sort their beans.) I typically go into the office on Monday and Tuesday of each week and work from home the rest of the week. After TKR, I have permission to work from home five days a week. I'm shooting to work a few hours a day starting week four.
 
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@Dearjr, I'm not plannint to run on my new knee. I think I'll stick to walking - as long as I can walk 1/2 marathons, I'll be happy. I've never been a fast runner anyway. If I do any running it'll be short spurts just to break up the routine and use different muscles on long walks. I also enjoy hiking in the mountains...hard, physical hiking. I can't wait to do that again.

I'd be all about taking six weeks or so away from work, but I won't be getting my full salary. That fact will send me back a little early. My job isn't incredibly stressful and the hospital is literallly across the street from my corporate offices. I think your job is probably a little physical a lot of the time. I can sit, stand, prop my feet up, etc. Most all of my teching is done virtually, so none of the students can see me.
 
@Joyfull61 yes my job is more physical. I wish I could have taken off more but I coukdnt. Maybe for my left knee I wiill.

I ran 1/2 marathons. Good idea to consider walking it. Maybe I'll try it!
Thanks
 
Hi, I'm recalling the days leading up to my surgery. They were stressful. I was busy trying to get things tied up or set up and running out of time. I was scared about the surgery and I even remember "bargaining" a bit with my spouse (well, if I don't have the surgery, I might be able to live within the limits of this deteriorated knee for a few more years). If you're feeling any of that, just take a look at some of the TKRs that are months or years past surgery. Also know that the folks in this forum have been where you are and are very generous with their info and support. I come here often for reassurance (wow, I am not crazy, it's normal for X to happen) and advice (sometimes quite different from my healthcare team).

Good luck. You can only prepare so much because every knee is different (repeating what I have read so many times). Practice going to your happy place as you wait for the date.
 
I went to my church's medical equipment lending closet today and borrowed every possible supply I could find. I think this wedge may be to large. Can someone take a look and see if I' at an odd angle? I think it may be an upper body wedge instead of a lower body wedge. My knee is comfy and definitely elevated!!!



[Bonesmart.org] Joyfull61's Recovery Thread



TKR - August 31, 2015
 
Everyone is so different and I can tell you when I had my first TKA, I was off 8 weeks and I needed it. This time I went back after 4 weeks, but my work situation is different, I work from home and don't have take public transportation to work and walk 10 miles at work.

I do wish I took more time this time only to focus on my recover, I have been back 3 weeks yesterday and I am fighting between work and dedicating at home/gym therapy. I went down to 2 PT sessions a week, so it is key to do the home/gym therapy. I am not working like I was before surgery but I see where I am making choices and I don't like I am putting work first.

At this point in recovery, you have to come first, otherwise you will prolong the process or not even recover.
 
I can work from my bed if I want to! As long as I have billable project hours, no one cares where the work is done.


TKR - August 31, 2015
 
Your wedge looks fine. Just a nice little bend in your leg with it - enough to be comfortable but not enough to make your surgeon go pale and sweaty!
 
I worked from home after 1 week. I wish I had taken more time. Too often during weeks 2 through 5, when my energy was low or I needed a nap or i couldn't think straight because of pain or I just wanted to be prone instead of sitting up, I let my workload and need to bill dictate instead of my knee.

If I have to do the right knee, very possible reality, I will take a proper short term leave and return to work (from home) much later.

By the way, I used my TV pillow, you know the one with arms that people use to sit up in bed, instead of the wedge. The wedge angle was too drastic for my tastes. Bonus was I could turn the TV pillow around to hang my legs over when I got tired sticking them up. I was careful not to do that for long because of the caution about bending.
 
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Sounds like all systems are go!
 
Hi. Just found your thread. I am a writer/editor and I started working week 2 from bed with ice on and leg elevated but I only worked 4 hours that week. Week 3 I worked 15 hours and by week 4 I was up to 25 or so. It gave me something to do and took my mind off my knee. I don't think the pain meds lessened the quality of my work. At least none of my clients mentioned anything to me. The key is to keep expectations low, your boss's, your client's, your co-workers'. I would remind them every so often that I was still not working at full speed and still struggling.

Good luck tomorrow. Let us all know how it goes!
 
Thanks, everyone. This time tomorrow I should be in the process of being sawed and hammered. The nurse anesthetist called yesterday for some final instructions regarding my asthma medications and sleep apnea. I tend to breath very shallowly after any kind of anesthesia so she wanted to assure me that they'll have someone watching me in recovery to remind me to breathe deeply.

Except for a little laundry, I think I have everything ready to go. An nurse friend with some ortho experience insists on staying with me the first night in the hospital...she'll make sure I'm being taken care of. I also need to hook up my ice water machine today and figure out how it works. My husband is going to move around some things in the bedroom so that we scan switch sides of the bed.

My biggest fear is that my good knee will slow me down because it's not in great shape. I don't feel the same bone-on-on pain but it's swollen and tight and hurts as much as my bad knee when getting up and down. I hope the rest will be good for it. I'm gong to baby it like crazy.

Time to finish my laundry and then go get a few groceries for my husband and daughter. I have a feeling the day will fly by.


TKR - August 31, 2015
 
I went back to work including driving 108 miles each way, three weeks to the day after BTKR and had no problems :)
 
Good luck tomorrow!! My 'good' knee was also quite painful so my OS gave it a cortisone injection during the surgery to calm it down so that it can handle the recovery of my operative knee. So far so good, couple of little protests but the injection is still working I'm happy to say. I don't know how I would have handled recovery if my good knee was painful too. It may be something you can ask your OS tomorrow before surgery, might help.
 
I got the corticosteroid in my "good" knee a few weeks before surgery. It seems it was a good decision and it may be time for another.
 
I'm out of surgery. Ended up with a partial instead of total. The hospital staff is great. The minute I said I could feel my ankle, they started the pain meds. They have me hooked up to a ice machine thingy.

I'm pretty drowsy, so I'll catch up later.

Yay for being on the other side!!


TKR - August 31, 2015
 
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