TKR kar's new knee: a love story

[Nomorepain67]

Hi kar1963 I am about 7 weeks out post BTKR and spend about half my time in bed and half on my couch. I even have a Tempurpedic mattress and just can't find the right position and pillow combination to keep both knees happy. I can only sleep 1.5-2 hours in the bed but do better on the couch usually 3-5 hours. I switch back and forth depending on what the next day brings. Hubby and I have been on opposite shifts for more than 20 years and he has been on 1st shift since beginning of August. For me just may be I'm used to having my own bed and he's in the way
Stacie

 

[leejaa]

It seems my days are better than my nights. Hard to get comfortable, too hot, too cold, achey, go between bed and recliner. I know it will pass but it sure is not much fun and of course the emotions.

 

[kar1963]

A kar update. 5 weeks and doing good, no more pity parties or weeps. Pt is going well and I love my therapist, I asked her today how she thinks I am doing and she said well how well do you think you are doing. She knows I am hard on myself so she listened to me and reassured me I am doing good and on track. I have been giving more thought to having my left knee done , the Dr said I have a couple years of wear left but will need it done so I am thinking about asking him about not waiting. I waited way to long to have the right one done. Sleep is still not that great but is getting better.... hubby told me I am back to snoring lol. I'll know Oct 7 when I can go back to work, I am still not ready to drive I think I will be fine but pt told me to wait.. I am in no hurry to return to work and figure it is up to the knee and Dr .. wow this was a rambling post....hope you all are well

 

[kar1963]

I miss sleeping... does it ever go away? I have tried Tylenol pm and nada.. melatonin and nada...I am getting cranky and the weird thing is I am not sleeping during the day at all. I am into my 5th week post op and trying hard not let frustration get to me.. or is going well but the sleep issue is bugging me

 

[Pumpkin]

Sleep is a challenge for most of us. Sleep when you can. It will get better.
The recommended time off is 3 months. Sounds like you are not ready quite yet.

 

[Jamie]

It will get better with some more time. Five weeks out is still very early in the recovery process. Is there some reason you're not allowing yourself to lie down and take a nap or two during the day?

 

[kar1963]

I have been trying to stay awake thinking that I would sleep better at night. Yesterday I gave that theory up and took a two hour nap during the day. I try and be as active as I can during the daytime with my at home pt and other things but the nights are rough, I am so thankfully for my kindle. I don't think I am ready to go back to work yet either and will ask the doc for a couple more weeks ,hopefully we see eye to eye. I have been working from home since the day I left the hospital so my employer is not pressing me yet. This new knee is a lot of work and I am so happy I did it I just wish it would go a little faster getting back to normal but I am not dumb enough to push it. I know this to shall pass but I feel like I am in the slow lane behind a truck..

 

[daughter stalker]

Oh kar1963 I am so sorry to hear you are having sleeping issues. I had sleeping issues which have finally straightened out, I think. I hope your sleeping issues don't take as long as mine to get back into sync. Did the nap helped you?

I hope your OS agrees that going back to work is not in your best interest. If you have enough sick time built up you may want to use that time to continue to recover.

I also went back to work too early. I started working some the day after surgery via e-mail. During the time after I left the hospital I checked in via phone and worked via e-mail. I even attended a telephone conference 10 days after surgery. It is a good thing I was able to mute the phone after beginning the 1 1/2 hour phone conference. I started back 20 hours per week at 6 weeks post-op just to easy my way back into work. I started back full time two weeks ago. It is really hard going back. I felt more normal going back to work but was absolutely wiped out. I did outpatient PT 3 times per week during the part-time and 2 times per week after going back full time.

I hope you learn not to be a member of the ODIC (Over Do It Club). It is not a good club to be a member of especially if you are thinking about taking care of your other knee. I had an ODIC episode this past Tuesday which wiped me out to the point that I had to stay home from work on Wednesday. I am a hard head and can't get it through my thick head to take it slow and easy. Bionic woman2 no crazy comments need to be inserted here... Admitting it is the first step and this is what I am doing. (Bionic Woman2 and I are friends so don't think I am scolding her. It is something we do as comic relief. )

Please ask your OS to extend your sick leave especially since you haven't even started driving. You can learn from my experiences that over doing it isn't worth it.

Take care and continue to update us on your recovery.

 

[Bionic woman2]

I have been trying to stay awake thinking that I would sleep better at night.

Sorry I know this logic all too well, then night comes... followed by one of these mornings I know what it's like to fight for sleep even BEFORE knee surgery. I think I actually sleep better now. I hope you're able to put of going to work until you're healed enough and mentally ready. Driving what killed me in the beginning and it still gave me a run for my money 12 weeks out. It's the right knee thing. When we drive, that IS our physical therapy.

I was fortunate, and not so fortunate enough to need both knees done, so I could stay out longer. I purposely did the right one first over summer break, so I could get around once my friends went back to work and my kids to school. However, my healing timeline was completely off. I just knew I'd be ready to have my left knee done at 7 week and be back at work by the end of September. (If I could do this I would!) I remember my Dr looking at me like MmmHmm, when I told him my plan. I even thought of throwing my bum toe into the mix, and having it operated on towards the end of my LKR recovery. Yeah, daughter stalker, I was working on being CEO! I say all this to say, you are not alone. We feel your pain.

It seems my days are better than my nights.

Lee, this reminds me of a movie. "My night's are more beautiful than my days." If only that were true. huh? Not sure that I've seen the movie. I use to use this the expression to describe myself while online dating. Since all you have to go on are pictures, and men tend to be visual creatures. I would reference the quote to say, "I'm more beautiful on the inside, than I am on the outside." Okayyyyy, ADHD... That's enough for me. Somebody please tell me how we got here??? WRONG CHANNEL

I also went back to work too early. I started working some the day after surgery via e-mail. During the time after I left the hospital I checked in via phone and worked via e-mail. I even attended a telephone conference 10 days after surgery.

MmmmHmm, NO COMMENT ODIC Prez I don't know if I ever told you this, but the first time I read your thread, I was like MmmHmm, OK! Wonder Woman But you know my Motto: Don't Hate... Wait! I think It was when you were first starting back to work and it hadn't sunk it yet. You get to see me whip out my cape in December. Thank God we now know what to expect and how to act. I am so glad you reached out to me "humor buddy."

Kar1963, We laugh through our pain and sleepless nights. We're planning a reunion/getaway and a big worldwide Flash Mob dance number in 2015. We are currently working on a Bonesmart Banner theme, which has become somewhat of a competition with our friends in the UK right? @patient99 Carol! new knee in June Diana has Warriors, which she dispatches to ease our pain. We like "information." and our theme song is: ICE ICE BABY!

I have no idea where the crazy font/size changes are coming from.. gonna go with med-head mis-keystroke, "Blame it on the Oxycodone" LOL

I hope I've taken your mind off your sleepless night and you're having a Kneeeasy day

 

[kar1963]

I am sitting in the recliner aka as bed and cracking up, the cat is giving me funny looks. I want in on the flash mob.I talked to my pt today and there was another lady on the next table being bent like Gumby and she is 8weeks post and she is having the same problem. My pt said it is the number one complaint, well after it hurts. I have a question and I know we all do things on our own time but how long did it take before you drove ? I am going to practice moving from brake to gas car not running but was just wondering. I was excited today in pt I did some new exercises, I still can't balance on one leg to well and am still being heckled by my three year old niece who likes to do pt with me and count for me. Saturday we were doing the balancing ones and she said" yaya your not very good at this mabey you just need to color instead" I can't argue ... then she tells everyone and anyone including a waitress that I can't stand on one leg like a bird but she can lol... night all sleep well

 

[daughter stalker]

kar1963 You should read some of Bionic Woman2's and my exchanges. She is a card! I wouldn't trade her for the world. She picked me up when I was really down one day and we jelled. It also didn't hurt that we were born 12 days apart.
You don't want to know when I started driving. (two weeks after surgery) I am a dare devil. What can I say? HUSH @bionic woman2 I stopped taking my pain meds 12 days after surgery so the doctor told me that if I felt like driving I could. So I did!

I am glad to see you are in good spirits! I am also glad we are good for a laugh. Well, BW2 is good for a laugh. I just sit back and laugh at her! BW2 has to get me going and then, watch out world!!!

Have a peaceful evening!

 

[Bionic woman2]

(two weeks after surgery)

Hmmmmm Can you say ODIC PRESIDENT!

Kar, whatever you do DON'T LISTEN TO OUR FEARLESS PREZ!

Seriously, listen to your knee. I think I tried it at 4 weeks, Hold on... I just checked the date on the pic I took, and I drove on the 17th, that was just short of a month out. It was too much for me. It was like physical therapy every time WITHOUT BEING ON PAIN MEDS. I could do it, but it would took everything out of me. I remember breaking being painful, but just think how painful it would be if I didn't. I would do it once a week and a few weeks out it got easier. Just short distances though. Around 10 or 12 weeks I was ready for the highway, provided I hadn't did something STUPID swiping my ODIC card and messing up my knee. Kar, going ODIC is cute the first time. Silly me, but it gets old and old fast. RIGHT? daughter stalker. With my first knee I had a learning curve, can't play around with the second one, because I'M GOING BACK TO WORK DECEMBER 2nd READY OR NOT! lol

So if I can stress one thing to you, it would be take it easy. You won't know until you try, so TRY! There's an African proverb that goes; "The first fool is not the fool... the SECOND fool, is the fool." So you'll learn from your mistakes, just be a quick learner and learn from ours. WE HAVE MANY.

Besides, we need you to be ready to Break Dance in our upcoming Flash Mob!

Hope you're having a kneeeasy day.

 

[daughter stalker]

Talk about being dangerous Bionic woman2! You took a picture of yourself while driving?

kar1963 Being in the ODIC is not fun and gets really old fast! You need to have an internal knee gauge to guide you into not over doing things with your knee. My internal knee gauge malfunctions all the time.

I hope you are doing well. Take care!

 

[Bionic woman2]

For your INFORMATION daughter stalker! The Paparazzi took my pic.

 

[kar1963]

Ooooooooo was I mad today. We went out to eat after pt and I was wearing shorts, some Neanderthal sitting at the bar decided to yell and yes he yelled oh my God look at her leg...then told me I should wear pants. My husband nicely told stupid man that I had surgery ... he told my husband that I should not go out in public with my scar showing, well I thought for sure my husband was going to wallop him good but I told him to just ignore the dork. We sat down and a few people around us said how sorry they were that the guy was a jerk. He made a couple.more remarks and we got up to leave and the manager and by told us to sit down and then asked the jerk to leave. When he got up to leave I swear about 30people clapped and one older lady pointed at him and yelled oh my God look at this jerk walking out he should not go out in public until he learns some manners. The people around us made me feel so good....nice to know that jerks sometimes end up with a pie in the face.

 

[Butterfly]

@Biionic woman2 Add me to the flash mob dance, too. I may not be too graceful yet by then, but I'll sure be HAPPY!!

Hey, did your surgery make you forget how to type? I've been doing it for about 50 years (truly), and suddenly I can't do it worth a flip!

Glad you are doing so well. I am doing well, too. Having to learn to do a few things a little differently, but that's OK. The not turning your leg the wrong way is giving me a bit of trouble, but I'm getting there. I have wonderful help from lovely DIL and grandsons. Pain meds make me itch a bit, so I am a truly beautiful picture going down the hall with my walker and scratching my butt.

Peace and love to you.

Milli

 

[Bionic woman2]

he told my husband that I should not go out in public with my scar showing,

A@$#&le! Wo

 

[kar1963]

Silly question. How do you change the thread title and why does the little box say pkr not tkr I am so not good at this stuff.... update I can balance pretty good one the right knee now.

 

[kar1963]

howdy .... hope everyone is well .. I am just looking for some opinions and maybe just a sane voice .. my flex is at 0 so I am happy with that it feels great to have your leg flat but I am worried I am not better in the bend I am at 85 close to 90 my pt is going to do more me on my stomach bends I feel a great bend when we do those but should I be worried or working harder from home ? I do squats and knee bends at least three to four times a day I walk sans walker short distances and elevate and ice at least for 20min and I would say every two hours or so. I am going to try and get in our hot tub and just sit pt said no bends or anything the first time. I am worried that the tight feeling that is just at the knee cap won't go away and the tight feeling when I bend but I keep on trying. Also my scar is very sensitive lately even cotton pj pants seem to bug me.. it is not the weight but a itchy burn feeling like a minor sunburn..... any advise is appreciated and I really do love all the help so far.pt and Dr appt on Monday where I will be asking for him to approve the rest of the month of Oct off work ..can't work when you can't drive or wear pants lol
Well passed on the hot tub weather was not great this weekend

 

[kar1963]

Hi there.. well here I am at almost two months post op and well I think I have stalled. My bend is still not that great I got to a 85 in pt on Thursday and it seems not to want to go any further . I asked about mua and my therapist does not think I need it and when she comes back after her week vacation we will try some other things . I am getting in our hot tub tonight come heck or high water and I ordered a stationary recumbent bike for me . I've been a bit lax on the at home pt the last couple days but did go for a.short walk outside , we are having some beautiful fall weather and this knee needs to be much better before the snow flys .

Josephine can you change my thread name please.. I like kar and my new knee a love story . And I wan to thank you for all the reading links you provide . I've read them a number of times and they are a great source of reassurance.