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TKR looking for advice

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maryo52 said:
Linda, once we get past the acute recovery from surgery, maybe at one month, we still have five months to go until things start to resemble normalcy, and a year before things are more or less considered fully or almost fully resolved.
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Very well stated! You have gone over the first mountain of recovery and weathered that storm, so to speak (bad mixed metaphor there!) But you really have quite a way to go yet, and it is important to be patient and acknowledge the idea that you have months to go in recovery.

Your patience will be tested, and there is nothing really you can do---if you try to rush things, you will certainly slow them down. I remember the same things that you are going through, and wondering when I would be "normal" again. It took a tad over five months to lose a pesky limp, and six months or so I was at about 80%-85%. Eight months---90%-95%. Hang in there and be strong---enjoy your family and enjoy your new life that will slowly come to you as you fully recover!
 
One more question.. (until the next time of course). Has PT 3 days ago, rode the bike, they messaaged my hamstring, used ultra sound, and worked some on the top of my new knee. During this hour my hamstring was stretched out and got uncomfortable. When leaving I noticed I was really stiff, but was not concerned. The next morning I couldn't hardly walk, went back to my walker. I have sharp pain below my knee, just like before my surgery. Any ideas?????? I have an appt with my OS in 10 days. Have had one major set back certainly want to avoid another one....Would love to hear from anyone
 
:dancy: An update that really makes me feel I am progressing. I deceided that it was time to try driving. Wooo Hooo, it ws great! Very comfortable, confident, and just the boost I needed for my moral. :happydance::yay: :egypdance:
 
Driving again is very liberating--gives you your independence back and keeps you from feeling out of touch. And any boost to our morale is a good thing. Happy for you hipiheylo!:SUNsmile:
 
I am happy that you are able to drive! Isn't is nice when we don't have to depend on others anymore! I love driving and when I had to depend on others it put a cramp In my style!! :yahoo:

Of course if I had been driving while taking pain meds, every driver around me would be getting off the road! :heehee:
 
hapiheylo said:
One more question.. (until the next time of course). Has PT 3 days ago, rode the bike, they messaaged my hamstring, used ultra sound, and worked some on the top of my new knee. During this hour my hamstring was stretched out and got uncomfortable. When leaving I noticed I was really stiff, but was not concerned. The next morning I couldn't hardly walk, went back to my walker. I have sharp pain below my knee, just like before my surgery. Any ideas?????? I have an appt with my OS in 10 days. Have had one major set back certainly want to avoid another one....Would love to hear from anyone
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It appears that you simply overworked the hammy---many of us have done this when exercising---we overdo it and then pay the price the next day. It is just your hamstring's method of telling you that you went a little bit too far with the stretching, working, etc.
 
We made it to Salt Lake City on Tuesday, about 780 miles. We stopped often to stretch, it was ok, not sure I want to do it for awhile. Been doing more walking so of course more swelling, my brother had his knee done a few years ago, so he has taken over my PT, its great to have the support. Thanks for all your support. I will let you know about our progress, and the trip here.
 
I hope someone reads this. I have been walking more this past week, stiff but glad i am improving the distance. However I have a small area that feels like there could be liquid under the skin. Since I am 700 miles away from my Doc is there anything I can do so my body will take care of this?
 
Are you remembering to continue to elevate and ice as you are doing more walking? Lymph massage may also help, which you could do yourself if you understand the simple method. If you have further concerns about it, if it's red, sore, hotter than surrounding area (given that the healing areas will be warmer anyway), then you can always call your doctors office. Maybe going forth you can find a local doctor to go to with minor concerns to just make sure it isn't something major that needs to be seen by the original surgeon. Maybe your surgeon can recommend someone in your area.
 
Linda,
I had the exact same experience with my first TKR. I was about 1 1/2 weeks post-op, progressing with my therapy, and all of a sudden a leaking pimple forms on the outside of my knee. It was leaking a clear red fluid. My OS baffled. The pimple was in the middle of a 2 inch long crease in my skin, it almost looked like a straight incision, but there was other penetration. He thought it could be from a weakness in the skin tissue, maybe from an old surgery. Anyway, my OS was concerned that it could be an infection. If it was infected, they were ready to re-admit me to the hospital to perform a cleanout. That's all I wanted...just as my incision was starting to heal! Anyway, they tapped my knee, ran the fluid sample off to the lab, and put me on anti-biotics as a precaution until the lab results came in. A day or two later the lab results showed that there was no infection. Whoa! The leakage slowed down, and the pimple evenually healed up. Here I am, 20+ weeks later, and that crease in my skin looks like an old incision.
I hope it winds up being nothing in your case also. Good luck!
Tom
 
I am doing better, I certainly am a turtle, but I like turtles. I have been walking much more, still have pain in kneecap area. The drainage I was having has scabbed over,, but I can see fluid building a bit. I really do want this to go away would love to swim. Well one day at a time.
 
Linda, a turtle is a good thing to be--
[Bonesmart.org] looking for advice
-- it means you have dogged determination, so no matter what the obstacles, you WILL get there. Take care.
 
I recently saw a WWII era newsreel and it had Disney created characters for the military branches etc. One was for a commando tortoise. Tough and determined.
 
Been awhlie ! Well it happened again, drainage, swelling, pain. Went to emergency here in Salt Lake, 24 hours later was in surgery again. Huge infection, now I have a spacer and on antibiotics, hoping for new knee in mid Oct. Thats the short version. I really regret doing this, am so distrought. I don't know if I can take more of this. On the positive side, my Dr's here are amazing, Os, infective desease Dr. Hospital, all let me know that they will take care of me.
didn't have that in California. Now just need insurance company to co-operate.
 
Oh Hap!

I am so sorry to hear that you have an infection! None of us want to hear that of course, but when it happens, it brings your spinning world to a screeching halt for a little while doesn't it? :gaah:

I am glad that you went to the ER as fast as you did though! Being proactive is always a good thing! :happydance:

Please remember there are several of us that have been where you are, and you can ask us anything!

I will be praying for you! :angel:
 
A rotten turn of events that I understand makes TKR look like a walk in the park. I am so sorry but also glad you have been hooked up with doctors who are doing their job well.
 
Hi Linda, great to have you onboard! There's a lot of collective knowledge on this forum and we never hesitate to ask a ? or give support. My mantra through all this is we have to be our own best advocate and "knowledge is power"
Had I read many of the posts before my surgery I wouldv'e stopped a PT (from a rehab ctr.) from her "gotta have the pain to get the gain" mentality - wrong!
I agree with Maryo52 "Easy does it, the turtle wins the race.."
Keep posting and keep reading.
Nancy2
 
Well haven't been here for quite sometime. In July I found I was one of the 2 percent. All the troubles I talked about earlier are the result of a really bad infection. We went to visit family in Utah and needed to make sure our home here was OK, started with the incision draining (again) so I went to a emergency room that I was familiar with. Was in surgery by the next evening. The OS said that my knee basically fell out because the infection had erroded all of the "glue" holding the knee in place. They cleaned everything out and put in a spacer with antibiotics. It's horrible and so painful! I also had a pic line and recieved antibiotics 3 times a day, that lasted for 7 weeks. So now we are having blood tests every week to see if the infection is gone. Dr. appointment on the 5th of Oct, they will check the for fluid behind my knee, run cultures and on the 11th well get a new knee or if things go bad another spacer. So thats been my life, and it has been difficult, this spacer pops and cracks and is very weak, have to use walker always. Wondering if anyone else has gone through this? Would like to compare, or at least have someone to talk with. I hope you all are doing well and moving forward.
 
Sorry to hear you're having these problems. :console2:
 
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