Just Do It!

[sheryl7]

I am so sorry to hear that Lucia. I am sure is very frustrating. Thoughts and prayers go out to you, hope you are feeling better, and that the 28th, will come come soon for you. Take care....Sheryl

 

[Lucia]

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!!

 

[sheryl7]

Lucia,this is the 1st year in like 10 years that i got the flu shot, for now we are w/Kaiser, and the the shot was free.
So far so good.
Hoping your husband mends soon. Can relate to the uti's and yeast infections, have a stash of diflucan on had, as that is all that will work for me. i am so glad that's behind you now. Just keep looking forward, and eventually you will get there, we are always here for you..take care...Sheryl

 

[Lucia]

have a stash of diflucan on had, as that is all that will work for me. iSheryl

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]

Lucia, yes fill it just in case. Cipro rarely causes me a yeast infection, it usually amoxiciilian , or keflex.
I am basically immune to Cipro, has no effect on me what so ever, its like a placebo, or sugar pill.
So been switching it up with bactrim, and another one i cant remember.
I be keeping my my fingers crossed, that the nasty stuff does not re-appear.
My daughter and i take acidophlis every day, to try and prevent infections, so far so good.
You have a good night....Sheryl

 

[Lucia]

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?

 

[1ELISEA]

Lucia, you named 3 of many drugs I am allergic to and with horrid reactions. Natural remedies are definitely a great way to go when possible.

 

[sheryl7]

Yes, its so true we are all so different in what we can take, or tolerate.
Really the only drug i am truly intolerable to is gentomyicin, specifically eye drops form of it.
Morphine make me ill, but not allergic.
So I am fortunate, as the Dr's can mix it up for me, so i don't get too immune to one specific antibiotic.
Hope you all have a great day, and we all hang in there...take care....sheryl

 

[Lucia]

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.

 

[bottomshollow]

I would not want to have major surgery with my stamina level as low as you say yours is. Have you been checked for anemia? You need to be feeling as well as possible before having TKRs. You may hate to call your physician, but I think it would be good to call for an appointment to have a complete physical. Just my humble opinion.

Take care of yourself and keep us posted. We care.

 

[sheryl7]

Hi Lucia, a little late in response to this post, just received a new post about you today via email, but this one grabbed my attention. You sound like you have been to hell and back, oops hope i can say the H word . Quickly just wanted to say there are so many meds out there, that I feel sure that they can find something sufficient enough to curb your pain.

I would not totally rule the Percocet out, as you said it knocked you out, you may want to feel knocked out the first week or two, and your body would most likely adjust and eventually you would not be knocked out by the Percocet.( Josephine please chime in your thoughts about that?) just from experience,( not tkr), but other situations, i had same prob w/ Percocet and once body was used to it, i stopped being knocked out. but there are others, Dilaudid comes to mind, I really liked that when they gave to me in hospital.

So they just got to play w/it and see what works for you. OK now i will respond to your more recent post, just wanted to chime in there. take care..Sheryl

 

[Josephine]

What you are experiencing in terms of pain will wear you out, as will the pain meds. But you could also ask for your thyroid and blood sugars to be checked. Both hyperthyroidism and diabetes cause extreme fatigue.

 

[sheryl7]

Luica i def agree w/ both Judy(bottomshllow) and Josephine.
Again, no tkrs yet for me, but been through similar situations, and you don't want to go into surgery w/very low stamina levels, but as Josephine said, the stamina levels can in most part be due to the amt of pain you are in right now.
But I think it wise to do as mentioned, check thyroid, blood sugar, anemia, just to rule out, before entering a surgery w/o proper meds to address any underlying probs you may have as mentioned.
For me when felt like that, before a major surgery(not tkr, but major), i had constant low grade fever, weak, like you say, no stamina, and i went to a host of docs, rheumy, infectious disease,pcp, everything checked out fine thank God, and was cleared for surgery, so for me was most likely the pain levels i was having causing the dizziness etc.
Too me as i mentioned in previous post, it jut sounds like your poor body has endured so much, let alone the knee pain itself.
Also if Josephine would again chime in, i don't think worrying about whether you can perform pt right away is crucial,( at least not the first few weeks) as in the UK, they have no formal pt. Read Josephine's recovery, she had no pt, and was just fine. And there is Roy Gardiner, he had no pt either, and both outcomes have turned out well.
Again not speaking from tkr experience, because i haven't been there yet ( had scope though, nothing compared to tkr though, but no pt needed). But just from reading on this forum for over 1.5 years and others experiences that those first few weeks, just heel slides and a walk to commode, or kitchen to fetch a a pre made meal, is enough to start.
But seeing as how you live in the states, you will prob get some flack from OS about that.
But 1st things first, do get all your vitals checked like blood sugar, full CBC count to check for anemia etc, thyroid levels etc. If all checks out w/in normal limits, i am very inclined to join in w/Josephine and chalk it up to shear exhaustion from what your poor body has already endured up until this point.
Once again, good luck, prayers are with you, please keep us posted to your status and what the docs have to say. take care and hang in there..Sheryl

 

[Lucia]

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!

 

[bottomshollow]

I see no

reason you won't be able to. I had both knees done 2 days apart. So I had no "good" leg. I could start up or down with either one.

 

[Lucia]

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.

 

[referee54]

I agree--I had a BTKR and had no "good" knee---both were done at the same time. It will be slow, but you should be able to do it. When my father had his TKR, though, they taught him "up with the good, down with the bad", so he would go up with his nonsurgical knee, though. You will get up and down the stairs; you will be surprised at what you can do---just wait until the time comes.

 

[sheryl7]

I am glad you got some good replies, I was a little scared when I saw your staircase, made me feel like a crybaby compared to my stairs, mine are nothing compared to yours.
Can't give you any post op experience, but have trained my self to start with both at different times to work them equally. Got to have little tricks, to change things up.
When my time comes, I will most like go for a btkr as I don't think I could go through 2 recoveries, one will be enough for me.
Good luck, I am sure all will work just fine...take care..Sheryl

 

[Josephine]

Double or single, there's only one way to do stairs - one at a time and very slowly! But ultimately of course you will be able to forget you have a replacement and negotiate them quite normally. Today I took a very large bag of laundry upstairs to put away and not only did I manage to carry the bag okay, I walk upstairs quite normally with no hesitation whatsoever.

 

[Lucia]

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!