Revision TKR Lovetocookandsew’s long road to recovery

[lovetocookandsew]

Ahhhhhh.........what a perfect afternoon recovery plan today. Ice water circulating on the knee, knee up on Lounge Doctor, head comfy on perfectly set pillows and the Giants on the tube!

 

[Jockette]

I was very nervous when I started driving again. I waited until I had to, about 10 weeks! My husband had an eye appointment with a specialist an hour away and his eyes were dilated, so I had to drive home. It was also a long day away from home and I only elevated my leg on the back seat of the car for about 15 minutes when we first arrived before I had to go in with him.

Those early weeks whenever I was in a store I was so afraid someone would bump into me, which surprised me, and what surprised me even more was that’s how I felt driving, like another car would bump into me. How weird is that!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@beachy I still ice a lot every day, plus all night every night. Remember, my pain relief resides inside the ice machine, so as this knee recovers and hurts less over time, the ice machine usage will go down. But I found out how much swelling and pain I would still have if I didn't use the machine, so it and I are best friends for a while yet. I'll use it as long as I need it and for as long as it takes each day. Over time, I'll get to where I only use it when I've done a lot and my knee begins to feel tight and painful. But I'm not there yet. I'm not in any rush to get to any set point by any set date-I want the very best recovery and result I can get, whatever it takes. I have a ton of patience so can deal with the slow pace of this recovery.

 

[Jockette]

and the Giants on the tube!

This is how non sports I am:

I’ve always noticed the Giants picture in your avatar. I figured you had lived in NY at some time, like I did, since the only giants I knew was the NY football ones.

I just asked my husband about it, since I knew you are in CA and wondered about you watching them now, and he told me about your giants baseball team. Too funny!!!

I do not have any brothers and my father was not a sports fan, so I didn’t grow up with sports. My father warned me when I was a teenager not to marry a sports nut. I didn’t know what he meant and didn’t ask.

I found out when I married my husband!! It was culture shock!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@Jockette Maybe because I've been through this, and other knee surgeries, I wasn't nervous at all. I just wanted to make sure I was ready to get in and out of the car, which is hard after this surgery (especially if you drive an SUV) and walk into the store. Plus, since I used an electric cart today, I wasn't worried about getting bumped into. I also wasn't worried about my knee not bending as the cart has kind of a ledge on each side where you can place your feet to keep your knee from being bent. I'm not ready for a long drive with my knee down, so have no trips planned any time soon. My brain is itching to get out of town as we go away every August, but that'll just have to wait this year as my knee has different plans for the foreseeable future.

 

[beachy]

Got it. Thanks.
Wow...icing all night. Where am I going to put the machine for the leg that’s on the inside part of the bed? Are the hoses that long?

 

[beachy]

@Jockette
At least Kim has a “real” baseball team to watch. I’m watching my Orioles because they are the worst team in baseball and need me to watch. My hubs married a baseball fan. But he is too.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

The hose on my machine is plenty long. I sleep on the left side of the bed, and it's my right knee.The machine is on the left side of the bed, on a short stand, at the bottom third or so of the bed. But it will reach to the floor also, if you decide to put it there.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@beachy....I'll take a picture here for you. The hose reaches from my knee, down to my feet, across the Lounge Doctor, to the machine with plenty of room to spare.

 

[Txmomgmom3]

@Jockette my poor husband married a football fanatic. He becomes a widow in the fall lol.
@lovetocookandsew how awesome is surviving that first trip out to the store!
@beachy I'm 12 weeks post op today and still ice and elevate at least twice a day sometimes more.

 

[Jockette]

My husband is a fan of all the Philadelphia teams, living in that area most of his life.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@beachy Here are the pictures.

 

[beachy]

Thanks! Long hoses for sure!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

My husband loves football, and I love my Giants. A match made in.....hmmmmmmmmm...............well..............nowhere I can think of.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@beachy Which ice machine did you order?

 

[sistersinhim]

Looking at your photos brings back memories of how much I loved icing! Oh no, my addiction might be coming back!

 

[beachy]

Haven’t ordered yet. Soon.
Get depressed thinking of ordering a raised toilet seat. With arms. And a shower seat. With arms.
Some days I just can’t.

 

[Jockette]

Toilet raisers are fabulous, all houses should either have them or the chair height toilets! How ever did those low ones become the norm?

After a major set back at 4 months post op due to the low toilet at the house of our friends we spent the weekend with, I bought a portable one! I whipped up a denim tote for it, and no one asks what’s in my tote.

I do not have one with arms but will probably get one of those for next time.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@beachy I was going to tell you if you get the same machine I have, make sure to get the universal wrap as the knee wrap has a big hole where your patella is and as a result, doesn't cover well enough for my liking. I may even call DonJoy after my new wrap arrives and ask if the large rectangular wrap that they have for the classic model can be used on this clear3 model. If it can I plan to purchase it.

I didn't use a raised toilet seat, nor a shower seat at all. My toilet seat is tall enough, the counter is next to it if I needed a little help and my walker was right there also. I just walked into my shower when I was able to take a shower and never used any seat; until then I used disposable washcloths to bathe. Having a bilateral may make a difference, or it may not, I don't know, but there are people here who've had bilaterals who would know if you'll be able to go without a raised toilet seat (pun intended) if you have the taller toilets as I do, and the rest.

 

[mlwreader]

Get depressed thinking of ordering a raised toilet seat. With arms. And a shower seat. With arms.
Some days I just can’t.

@beachy These were my best friends for the first five months of my recovery until I moved. I ordered them from a local medical supply store rather than Amazon because they delivered and set it all up for me as part of their service. I live alone and knew that would be better than waiting for my son to do it, which he would have gladly done, but he was already doing so much I wanted to save him the time and effort.

Sorry didn't mean to hijack your thread @lovetocookandsew