TKR Jozilla Part 2 - 9/8/14 LTKR

[tiredwife]

@Jozilla I also like the shows about real crimes, solving cold cases, forensics, etc. Hope you are felling great today!

 

[Jozilla]

@gr82cu2

Funny my favorite is also Homicide Hunter with Lt joe Kendra. Though I can sit for hours watching. The best part for me is a lot of shows are half an hour. I also like Dateline for ID and On the Case with Paula Zahn. On regular tv -either USA or TNT I love Cold Justice. And my regular standbys are Law and Order the regular one and SVU. I think if forensics was a science when I was in school I would have majored in it.
Good news is the new season should be on soon so maybe TV will be getting better! No way I could read even a magazine right now.

My day was much better @tiredwife I have been doing very little except icing and elevating. I do feel a lot more tired today though! How is Steve doing? I am trying to be a little more appreciative of my DH, Vinny. He is also a wonderful caregiver but I don't always let him know I do appreciate it!

Time to change my bandages!

 

[71Beetle]

We don't have the ID network in Ontario. The closest we have is the Mystery Channel but those are mainly Criminal Minds reruns, not that that is an issue - I do like Shemar Moore I will have to look for Joe Kendra on NetFlix.

 

[tiredwife]

@Jozilla Glad you are doing good, being tired is normal. Steve is having pain on the back of his knee. His next OS appointment is Tuesday, if it doesn't go away we will let the OS know.

 

[Ellejay]

Hi Jo Anne, just wanted to say hello and ask after you - how are you doing? Being tired is just your body's way of making you rest - give in and make the most of it.
Thinking of you xxx

 

[dogwheels]

Hi @Jozilla - so glad that you are home, being well looked after and catching up on your viewing!

@Ellejay is right, but we don't need to tell you 'If it feels good, do it' - and that especially applies to resting and sleeping. Goodness I could have won a gold medal for sleeping in the first few weeks post op, I was forever popping upstairs for a sneaky nap here and there.

My goodness, all this talk of bodies and detectives - our murder mystery stuff seems pretty tame in comparison. If I watched that, I don't think I would get any sleep at all! As for books and puzzles, I had the attention span of a goldfish. Never mind, as you well know, this will soon pass.

Hope this new 'bad knee' - will behave itself and start responding well to all the ice, elevating and nice PT and very soon be your new 'good knee'.

Take care Jo Anne - lots of healing wishes, hugs and love winging their way to you.

XXXX

 

[Jozilla]

Day 7 - yeah I am so happy I am one week out! Between the surgery apprehension, the surgery itself and getting into a good routine for meds, icing and resting, the week flew by. So good to hear from you @Ellejay and @Digwheels. I have sleeping so well since I came home. I woke up once last night to take my meds after four hours and fell back to sleep for four more hours. It was heavenly and if I didn't have to go to the bathroom I would have slept longer.

PT and my nurse both come today. The days are speeding by just doing the little recovery things. I have been watching my blood pressure which has been low and I am off my high bp meds right now. I also take my temperature a couple times a day to make sure that is ok.

 

[Jozilla]

Oops I hit reply and wasn't finished!

At this point my biggest worry is not getting an infection. I have staples and can't wait for them to come out next week! My follow up appointment is Wednesday Sept 24.

PT thought I would be ready for outpatient PT on Friday.

I also have new feelings in my tkr leg - the numbness is disappearing and feeling coming back. Almost like when your foot is asleep.

I will try and be back during the day. I still feel I do not have time to do everything and basically am doing nothing.

Everyone have a great day!

Xoxoxo

 

[TexasTee]

Yeah for a full nights sleep!! I truly believe that sleeping is a huge indicator of a speedy recovery.

 

[ConnieJOS]

I'm glad to hear things are going smoothly for you! I've had low blood pressure after each of my surgeries and had to stop BP meds as well. I was surprised and didn't know why that happened but I've since seen a few others mention that such as yourself. Take care and I hope you have a restful day!

Connie

 

[DogLoverx3]

A full night's sleep?!?!? Unheard of! Good for you!! I'm so pleased to hear that things are going well for you! I'm also impressed that your numbness is going away! Most of the lateral side (look at me being all technical) of my TKR knee is still numb and I assume will just stay that way.

Don't go getting any ideas about overdoing it though. You know the mantras, my friend! xoxoxoxo

 

[Jozilla]

Thanks @TexasTee and @DogLoverx3 I think the hardest thing for me right now is to slow myself down. You just want it all to be done with. I am really so thankful for what I have learned here. It has been tremendously helpful in my first recovery as well as this one. I also try not to compare the knees but that is much harder. So far there have been small differences but nothing major. I think it actually has to do with forgetting so much about the first tkr. I will do something and say oh, yeah I remember that now! I too am so happy I can sleep. I put my Donjoy ice machine on and am comfortable all night. I really believe not having much nighttime pain is a big key. Of course the first night and morning I cried thinking am I crazy, why did I go thru this again?

Hope you all have a great day and am glad you dropped in! It means a lot when recovering from this surgery!

 

[busylizzie]

Wow @Jozilla you are doing better than me at sleeping. Glad everything is going well, slowly slowly does it. Take care and I'll keep checking in to catch up how you are recovering.

 

[lavender]

Hi @Jozilla congratulations on making it through your first week and hard to believe that it is already a week since your surgery. So nice to hear that you are managing to sleep and great that you surgeon has prescribed better pain medication then the PA person had decided would be enough. I take celebrex to and before my first surgery wondered if it was really doing anything found out that it was when I tried to wait for my refill and then wow did it ever make me see that it was doing a lot to help with swelling and stuff. I could not imagine having just this medication after my surgerythough even if it is good not enough on its own. The only assistant that works with my surgeon is the guy that takes out the staples, he also does casts for broken bones but my surgeon is the only one that I see on my visits and only he prescribes the medications for me and thankful for that. Nice that you are having pt with the same person that did your pt the last time and good that he is aware that he knows how to do this type of pt. I hope you keep getting the sleep you need to heal and relax stay pain free with medications and that everything just keeps getting better for you on your road of recovery. Holly

 

[Jozilla]

@lavender so glad to hear from you. I have heard good things about celebrex but have never tried it. Anyway I do hope it helps with some of my arthritis pain. I found a $4 coupon on celebrex.com good for the rest of this year. My copayment without is $70 and I would not have gotten it otherwise.

I am doing well at PT. I transitioned to a cane today. But if I feel safer or during the night it is better for me to use the walker my PR said. My ROM is 100 and I am thrilled with that. I did my gentle exercises and walked up and down my driveway several times. Almost 400' total with the cane. I am happy with how far I have come in a week!

 

[Jane B.]

Wow! I'm two days behind you and can't imagine walking that far. And with a cane, no less!

I've also done well sleeping. Husband and I switched sides of the bed and can manage. I think it's important to try.

Interesting, both my surgeon, and the visiting nurse said take your full strength narcotics at night to help you sleep. Even skip them during the day, if you don't need them, but take them at night.

 

[marmora]

Hello JoAnne @Jozilla

Seven days -what a long time since last Monday for you.
Glad to read that you were able to sort out your pain medication with your OS.

You seem to be in good form, from what I have just been reading on your posts.
Didn't get any alerts, so presumed that you weren't posting yet and then I saw you on other posts today and knew that you were back on BoneSmart.

Sorry, I didn't get on touch sooner.

Take care,
Cathie

 

[Jozilla]

Hi @marmora and @Jane B. I feel like I am doing well just waking up from my after PT nap! I was surprised to walk that far too! My PT is very low keyed and just talking to me and encouraging me I find I do more with him. He never rushes, pushes or touches and I respond well to his style! He was my in home PT for my first knee and I had already set up with another group for outpatient PT. After my second visit I canceled and switched to him. The best decision I made concerning my knees!

I do think fatigue will be one of my major issues. I love to sleep when I am sick and this surgery is no exception. My second issue seems to be tightness in my quads and hamstrings and not stabbing pain.

The good thing about my little walk is that my hip pain which had gotten quite bad seems to be gone and some of my back pain as well. That could also be the medications! Lol

 

[gr82cu2]

@Jozilla look at you go!! That's fantastic that you are doing so well one week post op. Congratulations!

 

[Jozilla]

Hi gr82cu2 it is going to be interesting to see if the celebrex helps with my severe spinal arthritis. That is the only difference in my medications this time. How are you feeling?