Revision TKR Loosening, RA ?Second Revision

[StillShortie]

Ok so I was feeling sorry for myself - but I think I have finished that for now!

I haven't posted for a few days but have been reading lots of everyone else's posts which have helped me stopping feeling sorry for myself.

I have been a little bit apprehensive and worried that I might damage my new knee if I do the wrong thing so have been very tentative as to what I do (except very carefully having a bath everyday). And yes I know 3 weeks out I shouldnt worry about ROM but am a bit peeved that I can only just get 90 at max so I am trying not to be peeved!

On an up note I was concerned that I couldnt get my leg straight but I finally realised that I was comparing it to my good leg which is hypermobile -Doh!

Despite feeling peeved I have been taking meds, elevating, icing, resting, using crutches and doing a bit of physio as I should.

I am now trying to be positive - it is now just 3 weeks since surgery and *confession time* before surgery I thought yes loads of "old" people have this op I am relatively young (42) so I will recover really quickly and be up and better in a couple of weeks - however this wonderful forum has put me right on lots of thing so now I am hopefully having a more realistic expectation of recovery - the OS did tell me but well I am a rubbish patient!

So onward and upward - I hope everyone is having a happy Tuesday

 

[leejaa]

We all deserve some time feeling sorry for ourselves- it comes with the recovering territory. You are doing great and taking care of yourself that is what is most important. This surgery knocks the stuffing out of you no matter the age. Just continue being kind to yourself. Tuesday has been good so far, had OP PT which is working on strengthening and the sun came out on my way home and that always makes everything better- also saw some crocuses in someone's yard and it was quite cheery to see color.

 

[StillShortie]

Good day today

Friend has been round, 12 yo daughter cooked bread rolls and cupcakes for lunch, OH prepared rest of lunch while we sat on lounges in the garden watching kids on trampoline, then chauffeured to 9yo sons gymnastics sat and drank tea watching the gymnastics for two hours, then home - now sat with legs elevated and OH is just lighting the fire. And the best thing is knee feels OK despite "active" day - will put ice on when fire has warmed the room a bit

I also wanted to say thank you to all the Bonesmarties I don't post much but do read lots and Josephine I think you must be a knee goddess you give such a massive amount of fantastic advice and support to everyone - thank you.

 

[referee54]

I am not stressing about ROM today.

You should always try to avoid stressing about ROM. Let the PT people do that---after all, they are a very quantitative lot and love numbers. Let them obsess about ROM. You concentrate on being patient and gentle and taking it slowly and easily---rest, ice, elevate, and understand---this is important---that ROM will come , but not on your terms, but on your knee's.

The more you worry about it, the more opportunities that yo will have to try to overcome the slowness of recovery---and then you will go even slower. It will force you to find patience that you did not know that you have!

ROM is all about numbers to certain people---to me, ROM is simply the ability to do what I want---and the numbers do not matter!

 

[StillShortie]

referee54 you are of course right and one thing I discovered today while doing my physio exercises is that I need to RELAX! I think I was worried about it and so was tense before starting thus stopping myself before I began if you see what I mean!

So today I went to the vets, been to 2 hours of gymnastics ( you know rings, pommel, tumbling, trampolining, parellel bars, high bar) and then fitted in half an hour of Tap dancing exam practice!!!

Well OK I went with OH in the car to take dog for annual booster jab, parked outside vets so didn't walk far, then sat and drank tea and watched my son was at his his gym training, then sat and watched daughter dance! However I am now sitting with my leg elevated with an ice pack.

Lol good to get out though - just hope I sleep tonight - hope everyone has had a good day

 

[StillShortie]

Just had a bizzare thought - when I do go swimming will my leg now sink due to the weight of the new bits? Lol

 

[referee54]

Nope---you won't notice a thing in the pool---and swimming is a great therapy for post TKR's!

 

[Toothfairy]

Hi Shortie, I have just been catching up on your posts.
I am glad you are feeling better. We all have ups and downs along the recovery path. It is frustrating when you suddenly feel 'off'. For no apparent reason but it passes.
Sounds like you are doing marvellously well.
Your gymnastic prowess is enviable even by proxy. Tap dancing is great fun. I used to tap dance as an adult and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately it probably was not the most beneficial thing for my dodgy knees but I was blissfully unaware that they had a problem at that point. I have no regrets, it was such brilliant, fun.
Take care, Toothfairy x

 

[StillShortie]

Feeling good today despite not finding much of the ever elusive sleep - apart from that that hits me whiles in the sofa usually early afternoon!

Well I am nearly at 4 weeks post op and now I have got over my "I'll be up and about lots by 2 or 3 weeks because I'm young(ish) and invincible"

I can really see now that I AM progressing - yes still on lots of meds, yes still spending lots of time elevating and icing, yes (if I dare mention ROM) I am still at about 0 and 90 and yes there are a few niggles BUT by reading everyone's posts on BS I am happy that all that I am experiencing is NORMAL.

I have to confess I am still slightly impatient in that I want to be able to be out and about more, want to go swimming, want to walk outside without crutches, want to be able to do more stuff around the house BUT I now know it will happen if I behave now!

My OH is still being absolutely fantastic and I couldn't have asked him for any more during my recovery.

I hope everyone has a good day.

 

[speccybecky]

Isn't it amazing we all think we know better and will skoosh recovery much quicker 'it won't take me THAT long to recover'!
And eventually we all come round to appreciating that there's not a darn thing we can do about it and just have to rest and let knee do its own thing! I think that once we take that on board and relax we seem to get on much better.
Good luck with your new knee, it will get better and better with patience

 

[Toothfairy]

Good post Shortie,
Hopefully sleep will return to you soon.
I am glad you have such a supportive husband, it makes such a difference. Mine has been brilliant too.
It has been really different for him to be looking after me, I am usually so independent. I think he has enjoyed having the opportunity to be in a nurturing role. A unexpected bonus of this TKR recovery.
Have a great day,
Toothfairy x

 

[StillShortie]

Thank you Toothfairy I have had a good day - I may have made it into the got it just about right today club There is a first time for everything!

I did my usual get up, take meds, have breakfast, have bath, do physio, ice and elevate while catching up on BS. Put on a load of washing, then had a trip out with family - just to collect something from a shop and then a little light shopping in our local small town, back home for lunch, iced and elevated leg, then crashed out on sofa for an hour or so, did some more gentle physio, pootled around house for rest of day now just watching a film with legs up on sofa. If I can sleep tonight it will be a fab day

I do keep having bizzare thoughts (like the one a few posts ago "would my leg now sink when swimming") my bizzare thought of the day today is when it is really cold - like windy bitter cold will the metal of my new knee get cold too?" although I think that all the "padding" I have will keep it insulated lol

Sorry for the random ramblings but I am also using my thread as a sort of diary for myself and also somewhere to put my thoughts on my TKR.

Oh and was thinking about ROM I can't remember by pre op measurements or intra op measurements but as I have ehem coughs - short and well fat legs I was looking at the bend on my good leg (straight is too straight as hypermobile) and have decided that on Monday when my physio assistant comes to measure my ROM on my good leg and although I am not going to compare it will be nice not to have too much expectation , I realised this when I saw how much my 9yo son has he is very slim and gangly and he can well basically fold his leg back on itself so there is no point having unrealistic expectations of what my body would normally be able to achieve never mind post op!

 

[referee54]

like windy bitter cold will the metal of my new knee get cold too?" although I think that all the "padding" I have will keep it insulated lol

Nope---it won't feel cold at all. While some report that they can tell when the weather is going to change, I cannot. My knee says nothing to me about much of anything---but it does.

To be perfectly honest, your TKR will, after a while, do things that will enable you to forget that you actually have a new knee.

 

[bottomshollow]

Shortie, I got a real smile from "would my leg now sink when swimming". I certainly hope not---or all those naval vessels out there protecting us would be 5 fathoms deep instead of floating. And you're right---your knee won't get any colder than usual 'cause of the soft tissue insulation we all have. It is funny the things that will go through our minds when we're lying around recovering.

And as long as you get enough bend to do all the things you want to be able to do, the numbers don't really matter. And you've got lots of time to increase ROM.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[referee54]

And as long as you get enough bend to do all the things you want to be able to do, the numbers don't really matter. And you've got lots of time to increase ROM.

This is very, very true. I know what my ROM numbers are, and they are better than I thought that they would be, but the important thing is what she pointed out---that you will be able to what you want, when you want to do it, and be pain-free.

 

[Toothfairy]

Good morning Shortie,
Nothing wrong with short fat legs!
I am only 5'5" so my legs are not overly long and I cannot claim to have a willowy physique. (I wish)
I think your point about having realistic expectations based on both what you could do preop and what your physique dictates is a very sound one.
A colleague at work told me she finds her TKR gets cold in winter and gets hot in summer but at the risk of sounding like a very horrible person this colleague is a bit of a diva so who knows. I was out and about in the very cold weather and certainly didn't notice anything but I have enough inbuilt insulation.
Congratulations on your day getting it right,
I hope you were rewarded with a sound sleep. Have a great Sunday whatever you do, who knows, you may manage getting it right for two consecutive days, that would be impressive,
Hugs, Toothfairy x

 

[jetthugger]

Hi Shortie, well, you made it into the elusive GIJAR club eh? Got It Just About Right! Well done!
Haven't been there yet, just about avoiding the ODIC at the moment!!!
Like you, I'm quite young to have this done and the expectation of an early bounce back to full capacity has since been well & truly knocked out of me!! We need to acknowledge that the only thing that will get us there is patience. A quality I've never had in abundance! I also think a good sense of humour can pull us through some of the darker days....
Like yourself & Toothfairy my hubby has astounded me with his patience, care & support. Hats off to the men in our lives, hopefully never again under appreciated! I do let hubby know what a knight in shiny armour he is, it's nice o watch him glow with the compliment
(plus I get chocolate when he nips out)
Hope you have had a restful night, I too am battling the nocturnal sleep demon & finding myself out cold on the sofa - usually around 3pm!! Have a good day and a lovely Sunday roast! May see you & Toothfairy for a G&T in the GIJAR club later?

 

[speccybecky]

Shortie, I note you are in the UK. My local hospitals occupational health dept was able to lend me a trolley with wheels and 2 trays which meant I could easily transport cups of tea and food. Could you ask for an assessment from them. It really made me more independant

 

[StillShortie]

Well I missed the GIJARC yesterday although how I managed to feel part of the ODIC without actually doing anything I'm not sure!

First thing was slightly hectic as daughter and her friend had dance exams yesterday so I had two hairdo's to do before 10am which doesn't sound much but my usual morning routine takes a while, and I had to stand to do their hair with no support - fancy plaiting while on two crutches is a recipie for disaster (hair and balance) then we got a lift to the dance exam hall, first exam was at 11.25 and second was at 2.30 - 3.30 so although I made myself at home best I could being in "foreign" chairs wasn't the best. We then went straight on to MIL house for Sunday tea (a very nice weekly event) again "foreign" chairs but the time I got home at 7.30 pm although I hadn't really "done" anything all day I was exhausted and felt like a fully paid up member of the ODIC!

So easy day for me today - kids last day of Easter holidays and they have decided on a pajama day

The only thing I have today is the physio assistant calling in at 2 pm to see how I am getting on so will make sure I have both crutches ready to be used at all times so I don't get told off again and see how she thinks I am doing for 4 weeks post op.

Hope everyone has a great day x

 

[forevergimpy]

Pajama day sounds perfect! You are right, just being in foreign chairs and up and about can be exhausting at this stage. Just think, it's because your body would rather spend all of it's energy healing that wonderful new knee. Glad to hear you have your crutches and a slow day today to get back on track.