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@zzevi I have spent a couple of hours reading your story. IT SCARED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME!!! And just so you know - I took care of a double transplant recipient until he died (my husband) - so I don't scare easily!!! You poor thing. The fact that you are still sane and holding down a full time job is nothing short of amazing. I will be following your journey and praying for you. But honestly - give yourself a break. There is still 2 weeks till thanksgiving - make it a pot luck. Your friends and family will understand. And if they don't - that is on them. But you deserve a break. Take it ZZevi - because no one is going to give it to you.

One thing is for sure - you are one tough cookie!!!
 
Zzevi, I'm so happy to read your feeling and seeing progress! I used Facebook a lot during my recovery also, especially when the infection appeared because I wanted as many people praying for me as I could get! If you're still doing a full out Thanksgiving try to start ahead of time or (I think I suggested before) assigning relative a dish to bring, the forgo Black Friday for elevating/icing!

I developed Plantar Fasciitis after my TKR. Geez, the heel pain was awful! Just when my knee didn't hurt anymore I couldn't walk due to my heel! They think it was from all the time I spent with my leg up and very little walking, it shortened the fascia. I went to PT for 6 weeks and it really helped. I began wearing the Vionic 8 months before I went to PT. Wearing their flip flops was the only time I wasn't in pain. Now I do the stretches they gave me twice a day and can tell when I haven't done them. The PTs did this cool thing where they wrapped a heated pad around my calf, then a rubber oval pad under my foot and stretched a huge rubber band from under the foot/rubber pad to around my waist to stretch out the fascia. Did I mention I was laying down? I thought is was genius and felt great!
 
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@tiptonits for the most part I am feeling pretty good, not a 100% energy level back yet. Working and the wound vac and going 3x a wk for dressing changes was the most challenging. Otherwise things are beginning to fall into place. I must say it all ended just in time as I could feel depression beginning to settle in. I was beginning on breaking down, like many people felt I was being pushed to the brink, what ever the good lord thought I could handle. I am thankful for the improvements at this point and moving ahead. Working for a school I have the day prior to Thanksgiving off so I think I'll be fine. And from here on out I def will consider the holidays to be a potluck. Christmas this yr, probably will be, but I haven't shared with my husbands family the idea of a Thanksgiving potluck.
 
Hi Zzevi, your level of progress sounds similar to mine and I went back to work sooner than my knee would have liked! I also am finding some other issues that may be like your feet: namely my ankle and hip on the same side as my TKR, the left. The peroneal muscles that run down the outside of my lower leg seem really tight, so I'm wondering if it's how I'm walking, perhaps still like I used to pre-surgery days? Those and my hip seem stiff, too. So, maybe I'll go see the body detective (as I call her!) at the PT office to see if one of the exercises I'm already doing is being done wrong or if there is a better way to do something to help quell this discomfort... I've been much stiffer the past few days... But, it could also be (duh!?) that I've been going up and down the stairs at my daughter's new place the past few days helping them unpack!
But, my knee also, in general, is improving: my ROM is better, the pain is still there if I don't take Tylenol but I tend to miss or am late on doses quite often, realizing it when I wonder why I feel so achy!
Glad to hear you're improving! And yes, here in the Willamette Valley we mostly had a sunny day so my 5 year-old granddaughter could show off her monkey bar skills to my sister!
 
@zzevi You honestly sound better than you have. Either things are starting to let up or you have found space for them and are not letting them bother you. I think the answer to my question is yes, but are you completely finished with the wound vac now? A gentleman that works in the building where I work had a hernia operation that got infected with staph and he had to wear one of those for like 3 months or longer. It scared him pretty good as it did the rest of us. I hope you get better and better Zzevi. Take care of yourself.
 
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@tiptonits I had the wound vac removed maybe about a month ago, I had it on for 3-4 wks and then my leg broke out in a rash from the draping applied around the wound. When I saw the wound care dr, she said the wound was closed enough not to put the vac back on and to use another way to finish the closing up of the wound. That took about 2 wks of using a different method. Will be 3 wks this Friday, since I've had a dressing on my knee. Enjoying having my knee incision totally closed.

The wound vac is a wonderful invention for wound care.
Think in my case it was a combination of things that helped me heal quickly
Wound Vac, Antibotics once it was realized there was some infection in the wound, and I think
the big thing stopping p/t and exercising and stretching the knee, I think every time I went to P/T I just re-stressed the incision and kept it from mending.
Hope the gentleman you know is able to heal quickly, it's a pain to go for dressing changes and to carry the darn thing around.
 
@zzevi Thank you for your kindness!!! I had read your entire thread and thought that was the case - but thank you for confirming that for me. It has been almost 3 months since your surgery and your incision is just now completely healed. But at least you healed completely - not everyone does. I will tell you this Zzevi, you and your story is one of the reasons that I don't push myself harder in PT. I stretch and I am trying to increase my ROM, but I am not about to open up this incision doing it. The gentleman that I know did heal - but he was off of work like 3 months with that vac. It was in a really weird place as he had a hernia operation in his abdomen area. But we got to see it when he came in to do a few things that no one else knew how to do. It was huge and we immediately saw why he was not able to work with how that was located. That vac actually saved his life and he still says that. He retired recently and I think he was like 72 or so. I hope your life continues to get better and better @zzevi!!!
 
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It's so good to hear you're finally healing!~what a long, tough road you've had! Been keeping you in my prayers! Glad things are turning around for you! :yes:
 
Well ready for company that should be arriving in the next few hrs. Getting ready this yr to proved to be another uphill battle. Mostly because I get tuckered out. Woke up to a really good backache this morning, but so far ok today after I got up. Think the energy drain is still present, getting better, but still not that 100%. Worked Mon and Tues and Tuesday evening all I accomplished was a nap when I got home. Knee for the most part is behaving it's self, was swollen pretty good on Tues all day, yesterday it was ok and today so far ok, but I am sure it will let me know somewhere along the line, I've over did it. Happy Thanksgiving you all :)
 
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. No Black Friday shopping though, unless it's on line!
 
No Black Friday shopping for me either, unless it's online. I did it one time about 10 years ago and that standing in lines does not do the knees any good at all! It's much easier sitting in my recliner with the legs up!!
 
Hope everyone enjoyed a Happy Thanksgiving, I got thru Thanksgiving overall pretty well. Happy with myself, it was a lot of work, think it always is but really noticed it this yr. The knee was swollen by the end of the day I was tired, daughter and her husband wanted to go Black Friday Shopping so I went down to their home to stay with their sleeping children. Worked out ok, liked the peace and quiet watched some t.v. and iced the knee. Today is going to be a quiet day,Knee still is swollen and I am off to a slow start, with the daughters shopping done I won't have to venture out today
 
Rest is the best thing you can do the next few days! It seems like when we do extra, it takes extra rest time.
 
totally agree about the rest, energy level is zapped today, but I had it when I needed it, and think today is a well deserved day of rest. I will do as much shopping as possible on line this year, although I did last yr already and enjoyed it more than going out to fight the crowds, right now at a loss as what to get anyone this yr. Tylenol, ice, elevation and rest will all be my buddy today.
 
I began on line shopping when my knees got bad, now I'm happy to go once or twice to see the store decorations, but the majority of my shopping is on line. No going from store to store to find what I'm looking for, it's all there on line. So here I sit ordering while enjoying a hot cup of tea! :yes:
 
Dumb off the topic question: If your country does not celebrate the USA Thanksgiving, do you still have Black Friday sales to start the Christmas shopping season in November? I am doing all on-line or sending my daughter out to shop this year, also, because of the BKRS. It's actually kind of nice!

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