Revision TKR Lovetocookandsew’s long road to recovery

[Mollymax]

Sounds like you had a great meeting with your surgeon. Well done on getting out for a meal too. I can imagine how much you enjoyed it. That's great you didn't need to use your stick. I had thought I could do without mine but when in the supermarket today my leg kind of gave way. It gave a little wobble and felt weak so I guess I need to keep using both sticks for a little while.
You seem to be doing really well.
Spex10 your scar looks good. I don't know how you coped with all those staples though.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@Mollymax I still need to use my cane when I go places, just not at home. I have so many walls, counters, pieces of furniture, door frames, etc, to balance on at home if needed that I don't need the cane. I haven't yet gone to the grocery store, and when I do I'll use their electric carts for a while, instead of trying to walk the whole time. Our grocery stores here are generally large to humongous, and walking through them isn't my idea of fun just yet. The front door of the restaurant we went to is about 5 steps away from my car, plus about 5 more to the table, so it's basically less than walking to my kitchen. Actually, if my knee was wobbling, weak and/or giving way, I'd go directly back to my walker until it was stronger! I think one of the major reasons I'm doing so well is that I'm not doing much.

 

[Mollymax]

Sorry I read it that you didn't need your sticks now. Our supermarkets are probably fairly small compared to yours I would think. Today is first time I have walked round it as I have used their electric carts.
I didn't like the feeling when it gave way today so I am glad I had my sticks with me.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............my ice machine decided it was time to meet its maker today so now I'm stuck with only ice packs until tomorrow. They're overnighting me a new one, but until then, I'm without my new bestie.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Okay, here's my official review of ice packs vs the ice machine. ICE PACKS SUCK! Tomorrow can't come too soon!

 

[Cementless]

@lovetocookandsew, what ice machine to you use? I have only tried the ice packs.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I use the DonJoy iceman clear.

 

[Cementless]

Is that what you just reordered?

 

[Spex10]

Ooh I just Googled that. Can't say I fancy it much. My knee really isn't very happy with icing. I do it and make sure I have layers of fabric between skin and gel pack but it makes the wound ache. A bit like brain freeze after an ice cream.

 

[nuttybrunette]

I used the donjoy iceman clear too!! It’s awesome. I felt it didn’t get that freezer burn cold but cold enough to leave it on for at least an hour. Felt so good in those days when ice helps pain. I’ve put it away now, I’m 12 weeks and not really swelling or having knee pain per say, but I pull out the gel ice packs about twice a day and use them after I’ve been up on my feet a lot.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@Cementless I didn't actually re-order it so much as just call the company and they're sending me a new one out since this one is a brand new unit.

@Spex10 The ice machine is totally different than ice packs. Ice packs are heavier and hurt my knee just from the weight. They are also too darn icy cold and if I wrap them in a cloth that's thick enough to keep them from giving me frostbite, they don't penetrate enough for my liking, plus they only last about 30-60 minutes before they need changing. And don't get me started on the difficulty of keeping them in place or waking all night to change them! I do occasionally use one behind my knee, but only when I really need to. An ice machine continuously circulates cold water for approx. 6 hours and I only need a single thin tea towel between my knee and the wrap for perfect bliss. I do however wish someone would invent a knee wrap for this that goes completely around the knee to hit front and back.

 

[Spex10]

My knee isn't particularly swollen or painful so I don't think I'm missing out on much.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

You'd be surprised how much swelling is still going in inside your knee if you could see it. Mine isn't very painful either, but the ice machine makes a difference in my pain level just from yesterday to today. And that's the only way I have to alleviate the pain.

 

[Spex10]

I'm only on paracetamol myself and don't always need the next dose. It's walking up and down that I find most helpful.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@Spex10 That's great. I'm on nothing med-wise, and walking is good for me too. But the thing that really helps my knee is icing and elevating. I didn't realize how much it was helping until I've had to be without it for 24 hours so far. But, we are all different and not everything will work for everyone.

 

[sistersinhim]

I was an ice machine addict, too! I tried the ice pacts the first night I was home and they warmed up in about an hour. This meant I was up changing ice pacts every hour. With the ice machine I could run it for 4 or 5 hours straight before refilling! Not every one can use ice, but I sure did!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@Josephine I'm attaching two pictures of a rash just below my knee. The first was a couple of days ago. The second I just took. It is a little redder in the second picture than the photo shows, also hurts if I touch it. I don't know if it has anything to do with my knee or my recent surgery, or if I should even be concerned about it. I was just wondering if you could please look at the pics and see if you have any input for me. Thanks.

 

[Jajakio]

I think my feet and knees feel better the more I go barefoot. In addition to a recovering knee and another knee which will need to be done eventually, I have plantars fascitis. Years ago they used to recommend very supportive shoes with arch inserts. I never thought it helped much, although the recommended exercises did help some. A few years ago a study came out saying the opposite, light weight shoes with flexible soles and barefoot time. I find that for me, that helps more than anything. It has been a couple of years since I've had a bad time with the plantars. I never wear heels either. I think maybe (?) I could now but don't really want to and now have an excuse. I had a friend who used to call them "hobbles of oppresion" and contended they were just another way men controlled us. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but I went too long struggling to walk to go back to anything that makes it more difficult.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I had that awful plantar fasciitis some years ago. I don't remember what we did for it, just that it hurt like , especially when I would take the first steps after sitting. It's not a fun thing, and I don't wish it upon anyone. I don't know what causes it-I never wear heels, so it wasn't that. But if bare feet keep it away, I'll never wear shoes again in life.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

It's now been two days without my ice machine since it died Thursday am. The difference without it and having to use ice packs is huge. My knee is more obviously swollen and just plain hurts. I've had to go back to my cane as the pain walking without it is more than I want to deal with. I got very little sleep last night as every time I moved the pains that hit woke me. This is the first night I haven't slept straight through since I came home a month ago. The ice packs are doing nothing for me. Last night as I was preparing for bed, I was actually in enough pain that it brought those pain tears to my eyes. It's hard to believe the ice machine keeps all this at bay, but it obviously does. The company was supposedly overnighting me the replacement, so they missed that time frame. I just checked the tracking; it was shipped out yesterday and it's not due to arrive until Monday am!!!!! It says one day air on the UPS tracking page, yet won't arrive until Monday?!

My OS has been watching the rash on my knee as it's not going away and has gotten redder and a little larger than when he saw me a couple of days ago. He had me send him a picture last night and then had me circle both areas to easily see if they get any larger.

I told him about my ice machine dying, and that I now know the difference between the effectiveness of the machine vs ice packs and that ice packs do very little. He told me that's what their studies show and why they use ice machines now and give them to us. He also offered to give me his own ice machine if I need it, bless his heart. He said to let him know if I need it and he'll bring it to his office for me. I told him I did call the company and they're supposed to be sending me a new one, but if it doesn't get here I may take him up on his generous offer as Amazon no longer sells them. Have I mentioned I have a wonderful OS?