TKR Kelpie's First New Knee

[Kelpie]

Thanks @copsham and @suemegane.

I know I'm lucky that my Mum is still in pretty good health apart from being quite deaf now. We all love her to bits. Her grown up grandchildren refer to her as G-max because that's how she signs their birthday cards
(G'ma X). She knows a bit about knee problems having ruptured a crutiate ligament playing cricket with my boys when she was in her 60's.

Well work wasn't too bad although it all felt a bit alien. I started at 8.30 and after an hour of trying to sort out my laptop that had clearly thought it had permanently retired, I realise that sitting at my desk for much longer wasn't going to be an option. I took the laptop to bed for another hour but ended up balancing it in the recliner in the end. Conference call went well. We all basically agreed that I observe and get back into the swing of things very gently. My cover is still watching my emails for the time being. There are very few in any case as there's been no announcement of my return, thank goodness. By 11.30 I'd enough and had shut down and tuned into rubbish TV by 12.

My goal is to return to full time work at the beginning of February. Fingers crossed!

 

[Kelpie]

Yesterday felt like a normal day for me.

@copsham , oh how we long for those "normal" days! And how we shall never take them for granted ever again! I bashed up my left hand in 2009 (crashed my motorbike at high speed on the track). I broke one of the long bones (metacarpals?) and dislocated the ends of the rest of them from the wrist so the bones were pushed down over the front of my wrist. Apparently it's a very rare injury, like your foot. I can sympathise, it was truly excruciating, required wiring and took a long time to heal. I was told I'd never have the use of that hand again but it's fine now! I worked like a mad woman to get it moving again once the plaster came off. I can remember then, wondering if I'd ever have a "normal day" again, but they do come, in time. Roll on!

 

[kneeper]

If you're working from home, can you work for a little while, then rest, then work for a little while?

 

[Kelpie]

Yes @kneeper, very much so. I can choose when I work and for how long. There's very little to do at the moment which is another reason I decided to come back now to ease myself back into it.

 

[Kelpie]

I'm feeling very pleased with myself today. After I did a few hours of very basic work on the computer, I decided to take my mum to our local garden centre just a couple of miles away. I drove my car!!!!

 

[suemegane]

Well done you....I said to Mike maybe I should try driving over the holiday. I have also said that I would have the other knee done if & when needed what a turn around we are both having. Keep the good work up & have a really deserving good Xmas. Xx maybe catch up in the New Year? Xx

 

[Kelpie]

You too Sue. Have a wonderful time. Xx

I too am feeling positive about knee #2. My initial referral was for both knee so I don't have to go through the referral rigmarole again. Let's face it, we're experts now, aren't we? I'm hoping my next knee will be done in early September next year. I don't want to be uncomfortable when the weather is warm but two of our kids are getting married at the end of the year and I'd like to be fit for those.

 

[Kelpie]

Well here I am at my 8 week point. Nothing major to report except that I am getting better, ever so slowly. It's a bit like watching a lawn grow. You don't really notice it unless you've been away for a few days. I hope that when it's time for knee #2, these notes will help me (and others) although I realise I've held back a bit with the negatives. I hate moaning so usually keep quiet about it!

Christmas was nice with my mum here but I'm glad it's over. I went back to the ODIC big time on Christmas Eve after spending too long on my feet, icing the cake. It lasted until mid morning on Christmas Day but I knew it was coming so just upped my meds a bit and took it on the chin. At least my emotions are nearly back to normal and I can chuckle about it now. I managed to do half an hour of food prep on Christmas Day and thanks to my lovely husband, dinner was fabulous.

I managed 4 hours of proper, concentrated work this morning. My brain is definitely re-engaging. I feel fat and bloated after the celebrations so I've also started a proper walking routine today with 15 minutes around the block with no stick, walking correctly with no limp but carefully and slowly. If I'm ok later, I'll do the same tomorrow. I'll build up the time gradually over the coming weeks. I know from past experience how badly any weight gain impacts on my knees.

I'm still not doing any formal exercises, I don't believe it's necessary. My ROM continues to improve minutely (100/0 as a guess) and I'm happy with that. There's no way it's going to bend more with the residual swelling that's still there. I have enough going on with the bathroom being upstairs! I rarely sit with my leg down but can manage to sit up to the table at meal times so long as I don't stay for long afterwards. I still ice 3 - 4 times a day and leave it in until it's not cold anymore; usually around an hour. Yesterday I spent 2 hours in the car (passenger) when we took mum home and then half an hour walking round a huge garden centre. I was fine later and no ODIC although sleep was a bit evasive last night.

Still taking 1 or 2 X codeine around 4 pm on most days and 2 X tramadol at 9 pm every night. I take paracetamol occasionally during the day if the leg is aching or even just stiff.

@kneeper @Celle I've worn orthotic shoe inserts for many years for pronation resulting in Achilles tendinitis (probably tendinopathy on the right side). I spent ages today before my walk deciding if I should wear them, decided I should and then ending up removing the one on my operated side within 5 minutes as I felt unpleasant pressure on the inside of my new knee. I guess it'll just be trial and error? I'm getting a really nasty sharp pain from my inside ankle bone going up the inside of my calf. The ankle must be complaining about being in a slightly different alignment. If it's not one thing, it's another!

Walking today I could really feel how weak I am. I'm so glad I pushed it out before the op and kept walking fit. I intend to do the same next time if at all possible! Softly softly catchy monkey!

 

[suemegane]

So glad you are feeling & getting better, even though it's a slow process, hopefully will be good before that grass needs cutting? Haha. I find that some days I can walk without the stick but other days the limp does re-appear so I go back to using the stick, the insoles are not good for me either. I bought new Clarks shoes before the op because I knew my gait would be different but at the moment they seem to make my ankle swell, so I am wearing velcro trainers which are a god send. Carry on the good work Kate

 

[Kelpie]

Cheers Sue. I bought a pair of Hotter shoes before the op but they're summer shoes really. I walk in a pair of Clarks brogues that I've had for a while but haven't worn much. I've been wearing "sensible" shoes for a long time! I was used to walking most of the time in my Berhaus walking boots. They're pretty lightweight for boots but still too heavy for a new knee at this stage!

 

[sleepilu]

Thanks for your update Kelpie!
Congrats on getting thru xmas in an admirable way and for your refreshing approach to recovery. I love the lawn analogy and making me realise that my next 4 weeks won't necessarily see me hiring an industrial mower!!



Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Kelpie]

I think at this stage, a pair of good scissors will do just fine @sleepilu !

 

[kneeper]

Once you're more healed up you can always see if your orthotics should be adjusted as your knee is newly aligned.

 

[Celle]

I agree with kneeper. It's not uncommon to need the orthotics adjusted after a TKR.

 

[Kelpie]

A bit of a backward step today...

After a really great night's sleep, only waking a couple of times, my knee was really good this morning so I decided on another 15 minute walk round the block. Within a few minutes I knew I'd have to turn back. My knee felt clunky as if something was trapped and quite painful. Maybe yesterday was too much after all or perhaps it's just a glitch. It's fine again now but I'm disappointed I couldn't continue my planned walk.

 

[sleepilu]

As everyone keeps saying, this recovery really is one day at a time isn't it? My knee is strangely stiff today and clunky too, but no particular pain.
Your knee said "go home" today. But hey at least you got a good night's sleep! Maybe walk tomorrow.

 

[Kelpie]

That's the way of it @sleepilu ! These knees are like petulant toddlers! Mine threw a hissy fit in the middle of the road and demanded to be taken home. Maybe it's the lousy weather! (Not that we've had any good weather lately.)

I hope you've not been effected by the flooding? My Mum is originally from York and it so sad to see the city under water.

 

[sleepilu]

My arthritis is always worse for cold damp weather. New knee coming out in sympathy obviously.
I thankfully live on a hill but down in the valley just 2 minutes away, the river has burst its banks and the flooding is not on the scale of York but bad enough to evacuate many streets. And more rain today. Staying indoors doing paperwork today, icing (bizarrely) and warming calf and doing knee slides.

 

[suemegane]

How are you getting on Kate, hope things are now beginning to get easier? It doesn't seem like 9 weeks since we had this op time has flown by. Well I think it will be d day for me this week when I go to physio & my OS will make a decision about mua. I didn't really want to go down this route but if it releases this tight band on my knee it will be worth it. Exercises are not helping to stretch this as I had wanted it to. I do hope you are not having this sort of problem. Look forward seeing how you are progressing. Take care

 

[Kelpie]

Hiya Sue, good to hear from you. I'm fine, just bored half to death! I'm feeling pretty good thanks. I downloaded an app gadget to measure ROM yesterday and getting 120. I still have that tight band feeling if I stand for more than 10 minutes as it swells so quickly. When it swells, it goes back to 90! It's at its best first thing in the morning. I'm still not doing any stretching exercises other than stretching my calves as they've always been tight and I have trouble with my Achilles otherwise. Whenever I've tried exercises, the knee has swelled and pain increased so I just stopped. Having said that, I do the stairs many times a day and ok both up and down with minimal support.

We did a bit of gentle shopping yesterday and I was ok after that. I'm still doing 15 mins walking a day but I've slowed down and gone back to taking my stick with me. I got sore last time, without it. I've been able to ditch the pillows under my leg at night and even rolled over onto my front and dozed off although I didn't stay ther long before I woke up feeling uncomfortable! Nights are still pretty disturbed and it can take ages to drop off to sleep. I don't think the meds help but if I cut them out at night, the knee aches a lot which is worse.

I'm still spending an awful lot of time sitting around and the boredom is hard to cope with. I'll be glad to be working tomorrow!