Just Do It!

bottomshollow and sheryl7, thanks again for your encouraging words. I'm recovering from the flu, now nursing my husband (who refused to get a flu shot). Let's see, before the flu there was the UTI, antibiotics, then a nasty, nasty yeast infection. Those have cleared up too. So, I'll reschedule Monday and cross my fingers nothing else interferes. Ironically, my knees have been giving me less trouble than in a long, long time...but I haven't been using them that much either.

We stayed at my sister-in-law's in B'ham...boy, did I come to appreciate the riser seat on my 16-1/2" toilet!!! Her toilet seemed ilke sometime from a dollhouse and I had to use it so many times, I thought my knees would die until I learned how to lean over and push up from the floor, catch the edge of the tub on one side, the vanity on the other. Hard to believe a toilet seat can make such an enormous difference!!

 

Sheryl, I noticed there was one refill on the Diflucan (Fluconazole). I think I might go ahead and refill it in case that nasty stuff does reappear. Never had one before in my life. Attribute it to super dose of Cipro for the UTI, but am sure I'd recognize the symptoms again!!

 

sheryl7, I hope I never get immune to Cipro because I am allergic to sulfa and penicillin drugs! Makes for limited options. I take acidiphilous every day too and cranberry supplements. Aren't our bodies odd the way they react to different drugs?

 

Question: has anyone gone into TKR surgery feeling completely debilitated? Can PT work if you can't do much with it? I don't know exactly when I realized it, but I have no stamina, none whatsoever. Gave up exercise last summer because of dizzyiness and faintheadedness. Since then I've been a slug. I make the trip upstairs and down as infrequently as possible. It has to be a really special occasion to make the effort to go out. I passed the cardiologist's stress test, BP is in more normal range. But I have no strength. Standing is almost out of the question unless there's something to brace against. Since November, I've had flu, UTI, a lung infection, and a toe amputated. And my knees are still screaming, "Fix me!" I'm one of those people who HATE calling their physician.

 

Thanks Cheryl, Judy, & Josephine. I recently had all levels checked and they came within normal limits. I also have lupus and am sometimes plagued by mysterious complaints. Today? I feel more like my old self. Not great, but much better.

Now for another question that may seem idiotic. See my avatar? That's the 21-step staircase I am going to master (if I want to ever sleep in my bedroom and have a bathroom, that is).

Here's my question: is it at all possible to climb stairs putting the surgical knee first? The first knee planned for TKR is my right knee. It is also my dominant knee. I have spent months trying to train my left knee to go up first. For whatever reason, it's not working. (This is probably why the right knee is worse than the left anyway, lol). The stair rail is on my left as I go up the stairs. No chance of a lift chair being installed here both for $ and aesthetic reasons. One saving grace: the rise is only 5-1/2" per stair which makes it considerably easier than if they were steeper. But, is it physically possible to put the operated knee first?

Many thanks for your help!

 

Thank you! Funny how formulating the question and then asking it makes you see the answer! You verified my own thought "Well what DO BTKR folks do?? They obviously don't have a good leg!" Then, your answer comes along and I feel BETTER! That little detail really had me worried.

 

SHERYL, I'm pretty sure I'll be quite a crybaby when I start those stairs, but as Josephine says, "one at a time." What really scares me is that there's no "turn-around" space and once you get to about step #10, you realize you can't stop. After my toe amputation in December, I had to use the stairs four days after the surgery; it was terrifying and after that I stayed upstairs for a full week and a half! Sure was happy to be climbing again by Christmas I know from experience that I can sit on my bottom and ease my way down if kneed be (ha, pardon my pun).

SHERYL, go for the BTKR if you can get it. I have had no luck finding a physician who will do a BTKR on my knees. Perhaps this is because I am overweight, have several medical conditions, whatever...they just won't do it, although if things go well on knee number 1, I will use all my powers of persuasion to get knee 2 done sooner than the 3-4 months I have been told. There is only a marginal difference in the pain and malformation of either knee.

Josephine, I can't WAIT for the day when I'm not totally dependent on my husband to carry everything. I have a bag system to make sure I take down what I need, just light stuff, but saves extra trips back up.
referee54, I know you are right about not knowing what you can do til you have to do it! When we bought this beautiful older home three years ago, I knew the stairs were problematic, but I've coped. For the price, the beautiful river view, the elegant house, it was worth it. Would be nice if there were a bath and bedroom downstairs, but there's not so that's that. We have mini-split AC/Heat units in different rooms of the house -- downstairs, in the kitchen and the laundry, so that's my first stage recuperation location.

When I think of all the assets I have going into this, my husband is #1! However I would drive him crazy if I didn't have this site to console, encourage, and inform me. He's wonderful with practical matters, but uncertainty and even thinking about surgery unhinges him. I tip my hat to people who live alone because they have many issues to handle by themselves or with whatever help they can muster.

Yesterday I ordered a Polar Ice machine. My insurance would not have covered it (I checked) and from all I read, this one sounded like a good investment.

I have my eye on a recliner but can't yet justify spending the money. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005U6OJ1A/ref=gno_cart_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1E30TJRW9IQIG

Does the height of the bed make a huge difference in getting up and down? The daybed I'm thinking of taking to the laundry/sick room is quite low to the floor and I'm very long legged. I think I might be more comfortable sleeping in the recliner than on the daybed.

Have a surgery date now: February 20th. Have booked a hotel room for my husband, one that also accepts dogs as Apple goes almost everywhere with us. Looking for a cat sitter for our 21 year old cat (she does NOT travel well).

Please excuse my rambling. Things are falling into place. Just hoping for no more surprises!