kneeworn made it to the other side

[PhoenixS]

.

Thanks for letting me whimper and ramble. I'm not good at being the patient. I would much better be the caregiver.

I think I speak for all of us in the medical field, that it is even harder when the CAREGIVER becomes the PATIENT. That truly stinks.

Keep up the good fight.
Sandy

 

[kneeworn]

Yes we do make the worst patients. I am a fighter and will not give up. But first a shower and a nap please before the next battle. Hehe!

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010

 

[Josephine]

I do worry about getting back to work on time. There are rules at work that they enforce if someone is out too much within a rolling calendar year. I just don't want to loose my job. I wish I would not worry so much but I do.

I know how that is. We had the same thing at the last hospital I worked at. I used to get a lot of migraines and back aches (probably connected and definitely stress related) and they were forever dragging me into 'counselling' interviews which were basically to tell me to pull up my socks or get fired! They really didn't seem to realise (or care) that the pressure they were applying was significantly contributing to the incidence of the migraines!

But I still have 7 weeks so I just need to concentrate on healing.

No, don't concentrate on it. Just let it happen! Mother Nature needs no help from us!

 

[kneeworn]

Thanks Josephine. Why is it that the medical field can be the least caring and understanding with it's own? We give and give and come to work even when we need to stay home and get better.

I've really been trying to concentrate on resting the last few days when my body asks. I am trying to move more in activities of daily living. I try to get in the 2 sessions a day of therapy homework but if my body needs it I rest instead on doing the second. That's what I did today.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010

 

[Josephine]

Oh that's good! I misunderstood - sorry!

As for the employer/employee thing - you are so right. This same hospital, one of my colleagues developed breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy. She was off some months and came back in January. March is our cut-off for annual leave in that any we haven't taken can't be rolled over into the next financial year.

She was told by the manager she had to take the 3 leave which was still outstanding but when she went to the charge nurse responsible for booking all leave, he said flat out that there weren't any free spots left and wouldn't book them!

So she went back to the manager, hoping, indeed expecting that she would step in and say this was an exception. But no - all she got was a 'could care less' comment "Well, you had all that time off sick, didn't you?" like it was her own fault! :th_DOH:

Unsurprisingly, she gave in her notice and they lost a valuable, extremely experienced member of the recovery staff. Did they care? Not one bit. They didn't even organise a farewell do for her!

 

[kneeworn]

We have lost nurses too that have meet their limit and it was due to catastrophic illness who were warned about illness absences. You are allowed a set amount and they enforce it. I think there are uncontrollable exceptions with health that should be considered with those rules. But worrying about this now is stressful and in reality there is nothing I can do. So I will work on getting better and try to not worry.

My knee may be slow to come around but it is progressing. If cat love helps mine are giving me lots of cuddle time. Today I hope to get in both sessions and I slept last night with the help of my meds. Swelling is down some from yesterday. They have asked I add ankle weight to my wall slides. Not too sure that is a good idea. We did it yesterday in PT and it was painful.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010

 

[Jamie]

Donna, I would caution you against doing anything in therapy that is really painful. It will just result in more swelling. Quite frankly not every therapist (and maybe not even MOST of them) truly understand how to help a person recovering from joint replacement. I'm not sure why this is the case, but I know it is.

You must be your own advocate. I know it's difficult to be assertive with someone who you look to as having professional knowledge beyond yours. But.....BUT.....you have the knowledge of your own body and that trumps everything when you're talking about how you feel during recovery.

You're recognizing that you benefit from our mantra of rest, ice, elevation and pain meds on a schedule. You just have to give yourself permission to heal at your own pace. It's your most important job right now!

 

[kneeworn]

Thanks Jamie. I did do 2 sessions of home PT today and spent about 2.5 hours in my sewing room. I tried not to sit or stand too long alternating each. Tomorrow I need not to stay that long without an ice and elevation break. My knees warm and more pink this evening. I think I have done too much.

I'm starting to think one PT done properly is enough. My knee needs more rest to recover I'm deciding especially when I still have swelling. The therapist asks how I do after the previous visit and I always tell her when it had a bad evening after one.

I an icing and elevating now. Tomorrow may need to be more rest less movement. Is it normal for it to still be pink and warm at 5 weeks? I gave it a lymphatic message like one therapist showed me early on and plan to keep it up till bedtime.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010

 

[Jamie]

It's "normal" if you are overdoing things. You have angry tissues in there....that's what we're trying to prevent. Hence the need for less activity and more icing/elevating/pain meds. Donna, you are just barely one month out from a HUGE surgical procedure...one of the worst to recover from. Give yourself permission to let your body heal in it's own time. You won't regret it!! (((HUGS)))

 

[kneeworn]

Thanks Jamie. I did do too much today and am paying for it tonight.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010

 

[leenie60]

Hang in there Donna you are doing great. I actually stopped in at work the other day to show them I was alive and well and had no cane with me either! They all assured me that they don't expect me back before 8 - 12 weeks so I'm really focusing on trying to do the right thing for me in the long run while not getting bogged down on the reduced paycheck. You are 4 days ahead of me.

I haven't been doing much but I am up and around regularly. While I'm taking my meds regularly I've started to feel different pains at night so sleeping is getting a little more difficult. I know it's just healing pains but nevertheless it's uncomfortable.

 

[kneeworn]

Thanks Leenie. I am still trying to find the correct balance for my knee. I spent a sleepless night with the ice pack off and on and taking my meds as soon as I could. I was so hoping all I did yesterday was going to do ok but my knee swelled to close to twice to what it was that morning and turned reddish pink. The truth is no matter how much I want to do all they ask of me my knee rebels and swells thus making it even harder to bend and everything. So I will need to be more careful and take it slower giving it time to heal at its own pace.

You sound like your doing awesome and I'm so glad for you! Hope you can find a way to sleep better. I'm a side sleeper and I've had to adjust. I find if I put my good foot in the operative legs foots arch and let's the knee of the operative leg extend beyond the good leg on the bottom it works for me. You might try that.

Donna
LTkR 12/06/2010
Left knee arthroscopy 1982 and 2003

 

[skigirl]

Donna, I just read through a bunch of posts---some of these long threads loose me sometimes. I really think you are doing too much and need to rest more! I NEVER did any pt "homework". I went to pt three times a week for 2 hours and never did any other "exercises".

I think that going to an inside venue like a mall and getting a short walk will do more good for your knee that all the wall slides in the world. I used to go out to lunch at least once a week with my girlfriends.

You are doing so much worrying and extra pt stuff--are you having any fun???

Go to walmart or costco and ride around in those carts with batteries. Go to the library and look at all the cool books and videos.

I am also a quilter and spent a lot of time on my laptop exploring quilting. So, do some quilt related stuff while propping up your knee.

2.5 hours in your studio is too much down time for your knee. Take an hour in the studio, then elevate for an hour while you surf the quilting sites.

I did both knitting and applique by hand while I was resting. When we are bored, we are more apt to be anxious and worry about stuff we have no control over.

I think you will be fine at 12 weeks, so relax now and enjoy your down time. Try to get out of the house more, that does perk you up. Forget the pt homework--who needs more silly stuff to do at home. Our kids gave us a Wii for christmas and I love the skiing games.

Explore some of the stuff you cannot do while working--a class at the quilt shop? Read some quilt books that have been sitting around for a while. Plan out some quilts to do later. Sew for an hour, rest for an hour, sew for an hour, rest for an hour.

I got sweaty when i did pt from the narcotics. they definitely make you sweaty. I think you are in a loop here. You do too much, your knee swells, you take narcotics, you feel sweaty and worry---the way to break the cycle is to get that knee up and stop some of the swelling. I think that is more important now than anything else.

Can you get to a pool? I did a lot of swimming and working out in the pool at your stage and it was fun. I would go to water aerobics or put on a buoancy belt and then go into the deep end of a warm pool and stretch my knee, do deep knee bends by pulling my knees up in the water and then "run" in the deep end. It felt great, more gentle than the gym and it got me out of the house.

So, open some doors--you need more fun, NOT more pt. Kelly

 

[leenie60]

I don't disagree with you Kelly but when your OS tells you what his expectations are it's hard to just dismiss what he's asking. Mine says 3 hours over and above external PT! I hired him to do a job which he did and he has expectations of me. I'm not stressing over it, but I do have to consider it everyday.

 

[kneeworn]

Thanks so much Kelly for your suggestions which I will certainly take to heart. I remember how well you did with both your knees. I was so thrilled to hear from you. I go see my OS on the 17th so I will ask if I can get in the pool then. There are several health clubs near me that I have been eyeing for the day he turns me loose. My old health club changed owners and I lost my costly lifetime membership when they did. They would not honor the lifetime memberships. So its time to find a new gym.

For today I dropped back to the gentle excersizes my inpatient rehab PT gave me and will only do them once. I will be aggressive with my RICE today. If I go to my sewing room I'm going to set my timer. I told Ray to come get me out of there if I try to stay to long. It's an addiction for me. Hehe.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010
Left knee scope 1982 and 2003

 

[leenie60]

Donna - Pay attention to your diet as well. There may be something you are eating that is causing you to retain more than usual and is settling in your leg. Both of my feet swelled the other day and it's not something I normally have trouble with. Just a thought. Our bodies went through so much you just never know what might be triggering what malady that may rear its ugly head. As much as I love coffee, for instance, some days I can't seem to get through one good cup so I have a little juice, plenty of water and a high quality protein drink my BF laughs but the protein helps with healing and muscle building and it's not just off the shelf - it's medical quality called UNJURY and you can get it from unjury.com. I drink almost no soda and an occasional beer and seltzer water.

 

[PhoenixS]

Thanks Josephine. Why is it that the medical field can be the least caring and understanding with it's own?
Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010

Oh don't even get me started!!!!! I'll rant forever on that one.

As for trying to meet expectations, forget about it. By trying to please our Docs and PT's we do a dis-service to ourselves.

Been there, done that. It set me back. By 3 months. Don't do it

Your knee will tell you what you can do and not do, not the reverse.

Not what we want but thats the way it is.

As for work take as many breaks as you can. As in most hospitals there should be an abundance of ice to wrap around your knee. I also used a cane towards the end of the day. Then I'd plop on the couch like the princess I am and ice/elevate.
Best
Sandy

 

[kneeworn]

Thanks Sandy. You are so right about the knee letting you know who is boss. Uncle already.

Today Ray took the ornaments off the tree and put them next to me on the stool next to the couch. I with my legs elevated wrapped them in tissue paper and tucked them away in a bin also at my side. Teamwork. Tree down and leg elevated all in one.

I have a good ice trick at work. I put on a scrub jacket that is too big and tuck a bag of ice in it. When I get to sit it rests nice on my knee. Otherwise it stays close to the knee and still helps. One of the educators has asked if I could help her with her filing and paperwork when I get back. Hopefully they will be able to let me do some things like that at first. Hopefully I won't be thrown right in to the lifting, pulling and running first off. We have a satellite center that is not that spread out with less running. The manager there wants me to come down there as the schedule permits. I've worked down there some and it is less physical.

I do drink protein drinks and high protein Greek yogurt. I never drink sodas. I eat a preservative free fresh organic diet due to migraines. So I eat a very healthy diet. Also due to the migraines I don't drink alcoholic drinks since they trigger my migraines.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010
Left knee scope 1982 and 2003

 

[leenie60]

If you can stay away from filing do so - that is typically done while standing and would be the worst, in my opinion! Sounds like you do have a good diet was just putting it out there as something to consider.

 

[Josephine]

I don't disagree with you Kelly but when your OS tells you what his expectations are it's hard to just dismiss what he's asking. Mine says 3 hours over and above external PT! I hired him to do a job which he did and he has expectations of me. I'm not stressing over it, but I do have to consider it everyday.

Why? Is he God? I don't think so!

Look at it this way - he can advise you but he can't order you to do anything. You employed him, he doesn't own you or your knee. It's your choice and your choice alone.