TKR Kate's Knee Knews

[sdgrandma]

@SDkate -- how did your work-related trip go today? Were you able to navigate the airports okay?

 

[SDkate]

Not too badly - thanks for checking on me. Got through the Denver airport okay with using the electric carts. Made the mistake of dozing off on the flight from Denver to Sacramento, meant to walk down the aisle a time or two. The Sacramento airport didn't seem that big but I know overall I did a lot more walking today than I'm used to, the knee is singing pretty good right now.

The training location tomorrow doesn't look too big and has plenty of parking, so getting around there should be okay. My bigger worry right now is that I may have forgotten how to do my job after 7 weeks!

 

[SarahJane]

So sorry to hear of your friend Steve's passing. He sounds like a wonderful man, and I grieve for his family and friends. I'm sure they understand you're not able to attend the service, but I know you're going to be there for them in the weeks and months and years to come. Grief, just like our post-surgery recoveries, doesn't operate on a time-table, and I'm sure you'll be there for them when they need a friend next week, next month, next year.

Meanwhile, I hope your training experience doesn't tire you out too much. Travel, training, wow. Take good care of yourself, OK?

 

[SDkate]

@SarahJane Thank you for your kind words about grief. I think a lot of it is shock - from Steve's diagnosis on Aug. 6th until he passed away on Sept. 4th, it was a very short timeframe and he was just gone so quickly, it's still hard to process.

Since my job involves weekly travel to train at hospitals and clinics, it's a routine I need to get back into. I did more standing and walking around the training room today than I planned on, was able to sit down for a bit here and there, but then I'd get stiff. Tonight my knee is more swollen and painful than it had been the last few weeks at home, so need to ice for awhile. Tomorrow night plan on staying in my hotel room and icing/elevating all night.

I've gotten so used to my toilet seat riser at home that has bars on the side, that when I'm out and about I will wait for a handicapped stall to open up rather than try to use a "regular" lower toilet without bars - am I the only one that does that?

 

[PolarBear60]

No. I use the handicapped stalls, too. Sometimes if a regular stall is narrow enough, I can leverage myself up using the walls, but the taller seat and the bars make a big difference.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005

 

[sdgrandma]

@SDkate -- I can relate to missing the taller toilet. The one in our hotel room has nothing around it to hold onto so getting up is a challenge. I did use the recumbent bike in the exercise room and that really loosened up the knee. And I wore my TED hose in the car yesterday and they limited the swelling so I stayed pretty comfortable.

 

[SDkate]

At the end of my 3rd day back at work and overall not doing too badly. Still not sleeping very well at night, and I'm missing my 2 daily naps, so I'm pretty tired. My knee is swollen, have been icing sporadically in the evenings. I'm hoping to be able to ice and elevate a lot once I get home on Saturday, before I fly out again on Monday morning. Looking forward to when I can work all day without swelling all night.

@sdgrandma Since I've been booking hotel rooms for upcoming travel, have been looking at options for accessible rooms, and am pretty irked to find that hotels feel they should charge more for an accessible room. It feels a bit discriminatory and even though I don't pay for my expenses, I try to be responsible with what I spend, so I have been booking "regular" rooms. None of them have bars in the bathroom, and usually nothing to hang onto or push off except the toilet seat. Aggravating ...

 

[SDkate]

Made it through my first week of work and travel. Think I did too much airport walking today, knee is very swollen, stiff and painful. And I get to do it all over again on Monday morning.

I have a folding cane and use it when walking in airports, as well as availing myself of preboarding. I feel weird and self-conscious having someone push me around in a wheelchair, have only done that once so far. I feel like I should toughen up and walk more and over time the swelling and pain will lessen. Am I off base?

 

[PolarBear60]

Yes. You should continue to avail yourself of the assistance available for at least another month or even more. Give the knee plenty of time to heal and quit swelling before you "toughen up and just walk."


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005

 

[SDkate]

Second week at work and today was rough. Two flights to get to Phoenix by 11:00 a.m., be at a hospital and training at 1:00 - 6:00 p.m. I usually have trouble sleeping the night before flying out, as well as still having some insomnia after the surgery, so I didn't sleep at all last night, got about an hour on the plane, so am wiped out. Am also in pain, got way behind on my pain meds, so time for 1000 mg of Tylenol, a Tramadol, and a light sleeping pill. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

 

[SarahJane]

Wow, I sure hope you're able to sleep well tonight. I hope that the Tylenol, Tramadol and light sleeping pill do the trick. I used to have to travel on business, and had the same trouble sleeping the night before. I'd be so keyed up, thinking of what I'd have to do the next day. To be in pain and dealing with a swollen knee on top of that, yikes!

Are you going to do something to remind yourself to take your pain pills on time tomorrow? I hope so. Here's to a better tomorrow.

 

[sdgrandma]

@SDkate -- I was in Phoenix when you were in California, and now I am in CA and you are in Phoenix! I hope you were able to sleep and that elevation helped the pain and swelling. I needed a down day in Phoenix on Friday and another one yesterday to get the knee swelling under control after the days in the car. I always swell more when I fly, and you went right from the flight to training. Hoping you can get some time where you can ice and elevate during the day.

 

[SDkate]

@sdgrandma I was wondering how your trip has been going, didn't realize you were going to Phoenix as well. Looks like we once again are passing ships!

Got about 7 hours of sleep last night and today was a better day as far as pain. I think I've become used to having swelling, since my knee was always swollen before surgery. I'm not sure what it might look like without swelling!

The customer site I was to work at next week has postponed, so unless something changes drastically, I could be working from home next week, which would be awesome. I'm so looking forward to it.

 

[sdgrandma]

@SDkate -- Fingers crossed that you don't have to travel next week!

 

[SDkate]

I didn't have to go out of town for work this past week and like I usually do when not on the road, I ended up staying at home a lot, sitting at my desk or the living room recliner. My knee has been stiff and sore all week, especially when getting up. Is it possible, or likely, that being less active has caused me more stiffness and pain?

 

[Celle]

Is it possible, or likely, that being less active has caused me more stiffness and pain?

Not really likely. However, your knee could be reacting to sitting at the desk, plus a little hangover from the very active time you had last week. It could also be that, this week, you have more time to listen to the knee.

 

[SDkate]

I felt like I was making good progress in the past 2-3 weeks, and traveling/working was easier the second week back. This week at home I feel like I took a step backward as far as pain and stiffness. Was just sitting in a chair at breakfast this morning and all of a sudden, with no movement of my knee, the knee joint itself started kind of a sharp ache, didn't last long. The pain and stiffness has usually been more in the tissue surrounding the joint itself.

I know this recovery process can be 2 steps forward, 1 step back, but I guess I thought there would be more steps forward and less back by now

 

[Thesoutherncook]

I see we had same surgery date! Twins?? Lol!

I have had similar experiences... I went into my art studio today and painted, totally forgetting "Buddy" ( my new knee's name). After about 1 1/2 hr sitting with leg on a pillow at hip level, "Buddy" started swelling like a football! He acts like a 2 yr old who demands attention all the time! So, back to my recliner with ice and elevation. BORING!!!

 

[SarahJane]

I'm sure your knee is better off overall for the week of rest at home. @SDkate. I agree with you and @Thesoutherncook, I 'm really ready to have more good days stepping forward and fewer days limping backward. It helps me to remember how much in pain I was a mere six week ago. It puts things in perspective when I get bummed about the length of the recovery period. We've made great progress since our surgery.

 

[Jamie]

It's not uncommon for the soreness from overdoing things (like that trip you just made) to come days after the event. So, I agree that your discomfort is probably a bit of that plus stiffness from not getting up and walking around for about 5 minutes each hour. You need that.

In addition, be sure you are treating this stiffness or pain. Take something for it and ice/elevate. I'm pretty sure you have swelling in the knee compartment, even if you can't see it from the outside. That compartment is so compact, it doesn't take much to give you some grief.

Don't worry. You'll make forward steps again. Remember that at approximately 2 months out, you're really still in the early stages of recovery.