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TKR Jozilla Part 2 - 9/8/14 LTKR

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@Jozilla, You have a lot going on. With the knee surgery and the and the lumbar disc issues you are ding well. That is good that you can go back part time. At my job, it is full or nothing which I went back last Monday. And yes the first two days I was really tired, but I had no choice really, I needed to go back. When is it that you have to go back to work? Hope husbands test results turn out well. Keep hanging in there and keep healing. Good luck to you.
 
Hi @chestnc. I plan on going back part time the first or second week in February but I have not seen my OS yet to see what he thinks. I am thinking four hours a day for several weeks. I am an office manager and my job involves a lot of sitting and i can elevate and ice.

My workplace gave me a very hard time when I first told them I was having this surgery. After a couple meetings they finally believed me and became more realistic about what was involved with the recovery. We hired a new employee and I trained her to do my job so there would be no issues. I also have been available to her for any questions she has had.

I will be having my other knee done but not until late summer or fall. Then I will see how I feel about working full time.

I love my neurologist who is one of the kindest doctors I have met. He said my night spasms are a result of pain. While I take gabapentin for nerve pain and muscle relaxers only at night I also take a low dose of Vicodin as needed during the day. I have been doing for several years but I am able to function and keep my job.

It is something that I have adjusted to in order to continue my life. I am very thankful to him for helping me.

My rom is now at 120 - whoops almost typed 220 lol - and I am looking forward to my OS visit tomorrow!!
 
@Jozilla, I think you are doing really well Jozilla. ROM of 120 is excellent at this stage of the game. I am surprised at an organization not being pro-active when it comes to an employees health. But the employer tends to think about their company and the organization. Good they finally worked with you and brought in some help to cover. My supervisor did not want to hear that I was going out for knee surgery but she knew there was not a thing she could do but sign my required papers and allow me to go. There is actually another person at work who has seen how well I have done and will be having her knee done as well. Wait until the supervisor gets a load of that. I also made certain to let the supervisor know that the other knee on myself would need to be done as well at some point. The left knee is not bothering me at this point so I will not bother it.

I actually feel okay working full time. I am in a clinic and have to get up and down which is actually good so the leg does not get stiff and I have my ice brick with me that I carry every day. I do need to ice periodically during the day.

Wow you are doing your knee back to back. Due to insurance constraints I cannot do it that way. I am not really ready to do the other knee yet. It is a lot of work and a lot of rehab. Hope you are had a good day today. Take good care of yourself.
 
Thank you @chestnc. It does really bother me that companies here do not really care about their employee's health. My company thought I would be out two weeks. I have been there 28 years and I heard "what about Gti?" My response then was "what about JoAnne". They were quite miffed but I decided I was having the surgery even if I lost my job. I do not understand that thinking but it does come down to money.

I think it is funny that another coworker of yours needs their knee replaced and will have to take time off. My company would probably have fits! I need to have my other knee replaced but will wait until summer or fall. I definitely will do it as my insurance is really good this year and I don't know what next year's coverage will be like.

You sound like you are doing well at work. What kind if ice pack do you use while there?

I see my OS late today so I will see what he says. He has been excellent with me maybe because although he is young he has had several knee surgeries as well as knee replacement surgery.

Hope your day goes well!
 
Hi JoAnne ... Thought I would pay you a visit at home. Hope everything is okay with hubby. I think it is only fair that you came home and slept a couple of hours, because when I had my colonoscopy a few years ago, it was the best sleep I have ever had.:) See what OS says, but also be guided by yourself - if you feel you need half days to start with, then do that. I actually had 2 days off again last week - Thurs/Fri - as my leg was so swollen and tight I could not drive the car.

Coping with your new knee and having degenerative cervical and lumbar disc disease - you are a champion. You make feel ashamed for my whingey post the other day. I have so little to cope with really.

Take Care JoAnne ... and keep enjoying your bike rides.

Hugs ... Ellen
 
Hi Ellen - thank you for stopping by. As far as I am concerned pain is pain no matter where it is located. The hard part is when people do not see an obvious injury they do not understand it. I just try and cope and usually can with medication. I used to complain believe me but I was mostly ignored except by my family. They at least understand me. When I do say I am in pain people look at me like I am nuts and that it is something new. Unless it happens to them they truly will not understand. Maybe that is human nature and maybe it is a lack of compassion. At least on this site people do understand!!

I saw my OS who was more than pleased with my recovery. He said he also had patients that just did not get the recovery involved and some were not doing well at all. He also wanted me to understand that I may not be so lucky when I have the other knee done and that I was unusual because I coped with the pain so well. I also didn't hesitate to ask for meds every three hours in the hospital and took the maximum for five weeks. Only this past week have i been able to stop the Percocet.

I can also start driving - I have an automatic - but it is supposed to snow today. I definitely don't do snow. As a matter of fact I hate it. The doctor also felt I could stop PT which surprised me. He said my ROM was great at 120 and would improve on its own. That only makes four weeks of PT twice a week that I did. I am happy with that as I have to pay $30 every visit per my insurance. He did think I should just continue with riding my stationary bike at home which he feels is one of the best exercises.

I have an 11 year old granddaughter, Kaitlyn, and nine month old grandson, Mason. There is no better medicine than being with them. There is much laughter and joy when I am with them.

I am going to start working next Monday. We will see how that goes. I do miss some coworkers but have been happy being home! It just doesn't bore me. However I need to work financially for a little bit more. My husband's company closed a couple years ago about two years before we would have been comfortably retired.

Hope you have a great weekend and was happy to hear you were able to swim with Sebastian!

JoAnne
 
[Bonesmart.org] Jozilla Part 2 - 9/8/14 LTKR
@Jozilla, Would you please put your surgery date in your signature, as well as what surgery you had (i.e., LTKR, RTHR) like the rest of us do? You can find the instructions here: How to create a signature.
This information is very helpful when answering your questions and concerns. But please also remember that our membership is international and for clarity use the International Date system being Jan. 10, 2014 or 10 Jan. 2014 rather than 1/10/14 or 10/1/14. Thanks so much for your cooperation.
 
Sorry @bottomshollow. I had added a signature awhile ago and just updated the date format using the bonesmart app on my iPhone. Please let me know if it is working correctly. I always use the phone but can do on a regular computer tomorrow if it is not appearing!
 
@Jozilla, guess you'll need to get on a regular computer----still no signature. Thanks for your response.
 
Hi JoAnne ... have you managed to have a drive yet? I see on our news that the horrible cold has returned over there, so I am guessing maybe not driving if you have had more snow? :SUNsmile: (Here's some hot sun to thaw it if you have too much). It is so weird sitting in our homes over here in 30+ degree temperatures (that's Celsius) and horrible humidity and seeing so much snow over in the northern hemisphere. I don't mind raw heat, but I detest the humidity. so yucky.

I know what you mean about grandchildren. People told me how great it was but it wasn't until Sebastian came along that I realised how right they were. The little fellow was so happy the other day in the pool and when I got in, he was saying "Nanna's in the pool ... nanna's in the pool". It was worth struggling into the damn swimmers for that. :loll:Do you see your grandchildren often?

Was it this week you started work or next? If it was this week, I hope it all went well for you with not too much effect on the knee.

Take Care JoAnne ... :SUNsmile::flwrysmile:(Some more sun for you and a flower 'cos yours are probably hidden under the snow)
 
Hi Ellen - yes I drove! Weird and fun all at the same time. It does feel a little different. Feeling the pressure on the brake and gas a little strange. It seems it was easier to drive over the speed limit. Lol. Drove about a half hour and that was it as we had more snow that day. I absolutely hate the snow, cold and darker days we get in the winter. I seem to ache a lot more too! Our summers are hot and humid but I will take that any day.

I see Kaitlyn usually about once a week. She only lives a half hour from me but is so busy these days. She is in middle school and quite the little softball player. She is on a travel team that plays all over and my son is the team's manager. They practice all year and when the weather is nice I try and get to as many of her games as I can.

My daughter, her fiancé and grandson moved in with me. We have a large house which has a separated upstairs and downstairs and theirs was severely damaged by hurricane Sandy. Although it was finally repaired they put it up for sale. I see Mason all the time. It was hard with my surgery because I have had to modify what I do with him. Still have to limit myself but we do have a lot of fun together. Right now this arrangement works well. My daughter is compulsively clean so I never have any housework. She also brought her miniature pinscher Stella and her fiancé bought his big cat Pun. I am and do escape to my haven which is downstairs and completely private whenever I need to.

Here are some pictures if it works! I am on my iPhone.

[Bonesmart.org] Jozilla Part 2 - 9/8/14 LTKR


[Bonesmart.org] Jozilla Part 2 - 9/8/14 LTKR


I don't start work until next week. The money is nice and i have missed some of my coworkers but I have loved being home. We will see how that goes. I am worried about stamina even part time.
Otherwise my recovery has gone very well. I do need to have my left knee done but would like to wait at least six months.

I am glad you and Sebastian had a lovely swim. The best thing about grandchildren is it does not take a lot to make them happy. And they love you no matter what. A true blessing.

How is work going? Keep me updated I care!

JoAnne
 
What beautiful photos and what gorgeous grandchildren you have. The little fellow has incredible eyes. I've never seen a miniature pinscher before - how cute. And a ginger cat. The very first cat I had when I was first married was a ginger tom called Dewey (which we changed to Dewey NoBalls after he was neutered) and he was such a beautiful cat. A real character.
It must be lovely to have Mason around all the time, and yes, I agree you need somewhere you can escape away to at times though.

Work is going okay. It is good to be back around people again and everyone looks after me so well. Someone is always getting my water bottle filled and getting me cups of tea.

Tonight I went to the gym for my first personal training session since the op - only seated upper body stuff. It was so lovely to be doing something physical like weights again. I went on the recumbent bike for 5 minutes and the upright bike for 5 minutes. I could only go backwards and forwards, which was disappointing. A couple of times I automatically went to pedal all the way around - that hurt. :yikes:

I am so impressed you are thinking of when to have the other knee done already. My right one badly needs doing otherwise I will always struggle with movement, but am not even thinking of when.

Enjoy the rest of your week JoAnne - stay warm.

Ellen
 
Hi Ellen - glad to hear you went to the gym. I think the recumbent bike has helped me the most out of everything I have done. I only rocked the pedals too at the beginning. Then one day I could pedal though I was terrified. I have always loved leisurely biking so I think that is why it is my favorite.

Yes my grandson has gorgeous eyes! Long eye lashes too. He is so entertaining and knows when he is being cute and funny already. He is like having a little King Kong around right now. Very mechanical and always figuring things out and creating havoc.

The miniature pinscher or min pin is a great small breed. They are a great apartment dog and looks like a Doberman. Stella at least has been a super friendly, very loving dog. She is around ten pounds and now almost ten years old. She was my daughters child for a long time. We were quite nervous as to how she would react to the baby being so spoiled. Funny she became super obsessed with Mason from day one. We joke that she thinks she gave birth to him and is totally protective even sleeping next to his crib when he is in it. The cat on the other hand could care less and is much wiser than Stella when it comes to self preservation. What a great name for your cat Dewey No Balls. Very funny.

I am going to visit your thread soon. Do you have a doctor's appointment today? I will check there to see. Take care and thanks for the visit!

JoAnne
 
Well just a quick update. This week has been a major turning point for me. I have had energy and finally felt like doing things again. I have cooked almost every night and have finally got every thing cleaned. The weekend I have spent relaxing with HGTV which has become my favorite channel. Later on will enjoy watching the Super Bowl football game.

I just reread the beginning of my thread and as I will need my other knee done this year am glad I did. There were things I just did not remember happening. So for me not only has bonesmart been full of good information and advice but most of all has been a great place to meet others going thru joint replacement and read their journeys. I am so glad I have documented here. I realize every knee is different but I am glad to have a reference point just to remind me of this journey.

I am off to work tomorrow. I can't say I am looking forward to it. I actually am getting used to being home. I will write about that as soon as I can.
 
Awesome update!!! So glad you're getting back to your old self and routine! Sorry about work tomorrow, but I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll keep good thoughts! :-)
 
Well back to work yesterday! It was way better than I thought it would be. So many coworkers happy to see me and me them. It was actually good to be productive! I ended up working for six hours but I am able to sit or stand and ice and elevate as much as I want to. Also I was exhausted last night and fell asleep at 7:30 and slept till 5:00 this morning. At least in my case I would not be able to work yet if my job required a lot of standing. If that was the case I would have waited at least another four to eight weeks.

The person I trained to do my work did a super job. It was such a relief to come back and have most of my work up to date! I am just so thrilled my energy level is back and very thankful my surgery was a success.

My only issue now is to set a date for the other knee to be replaced. I am thinking sometime before or during the summer. I see my OS again in five weeks so I would like to have decided by then.

Everyone have a great day!

JoAnne
 
Hi JoAnne ... thought I would come and visit. I am so glad the return to work went well. I found it was great to have the company of others around. I see you have to decide when to have the other knee done - as do I. Despite me wishing I had never had my left knee done, I know I need to have the other one done so at least I will have two strong knees, even if they can't bend. It must be so good to be feeling energetic and more like your old self JoAnne - I am very happy for you.

Hope work is still going well and that your decision on when to have the second knee done is getting closer.

Have a great week ahead ...

Hugs ... Ellen
 
@NetballKnees

Ellen - things are still going better than I thought they would at work. I did miss many coworkers and have enjoyed being back. We have had several snow storms the past two weeks with well over two feet of snow. So both weeks were shortened as I am taking no chances being out in icy snowy weather. This week we have a holiday tomorrow so also a short week. It turned out a good time to go back.

My energy level and anemia is better though I really need to visit my GP for blood work. I have a hard time taking iron supplements but a did find a supplement called Blood Builder that is from beets and very high in iron that I found on Amazon. It also does not affect your stomach the way iron pills do! I think I will continue taking it until after my next knee. The loss in my energy level scares me more than the tkr does. I am trying to build up and stabilize my blood before the next surgery. I have an appt. with my OS in a few weeks so I hope I can make up my mind about when to have it. I know I do not want to spend the summer recovering but if I am in pain and unable to do things then this summer will not be as enjoyable anyway! It took over three months to get all testing done, knee system made and on surgery schedule for the first one.

I have a feeling many of us will be having our second knees done around the same time as many have complained that the good knees are grumbling. I am going to drop by your post and see what you have been up to. I have not heard from you in awhile and knew you had some decisions to make.

All the best to you!
JoAnne
 
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