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Revision TKR Lovetocookandsew’s long road to recovery

Just dropping by to see how you are doing @lovetocookandsew. Sounds like you are doing much better than you were when I last checked in on you. :loveshwr: I know you are tired. Take it easy. All will come in time. Try to get some rest and I'll check on you again soon! Take care :flwrysmile:
 
Oh, I am icing all day and all night. I made gallon sized blue ice b4 surgery to go with the smaller ones I already had. I don't know why I haven't mentioned it-but I do know my brain and memory seem to come and go-those darn gremlins! I have towels here on my private island to wrap around the ice bags. My PT says she thinks I can probably put more weight on my leg than I am and I'm likely afraid to-I think she's correct.
 
Good! And, your progress - even those small baby steps - are exciting to us as well. So don't stop reporting them. We'll be celebraing right along with you.
 
Hi @daughter stalker-I am doing a little better. Thanks.
@pumpkin, thanks to you too. I really, really hate the way pain meds make me feel (not the pain relief part-the sleepiness and loss of brain function part...lol) so am making sure I have enough on board to take care of the pain while not having more than I need.
 
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Oh, @Jamie and all, what's really funny is when PT was here the other day, she told me never to ice for more than 20 minutes at a time, and I just smiled and nodded, but continue to ice at my own pace.......I am not sure why she thinks no more than 20 mins-maybe she's afraid of frostbite....lol. I have the bags well wrapped at their coldest and less wrapped as they melt, until they go back to the freezer and trade for another. I'm on the CPM right now.............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:chillpill:
 
I don't know why therapists are taught that. It may be that is the answer for someone who is injured, but it definitely is not the best approach for a person who has had joint replacement surgery. You're a smart cookie, you are!!! Smile at the therapist and then do what works! :yahoo:
 
Glad to hear you are hanging in there! The early days are so tough. It is funny about the icing. My OS and hospital made sure we iced all night and even refilled our ice machines during the night. That for me was heaven. In the daytime I iced with large ice packs. Yes I think ice is the best thing ever! Hope you have a good day at PT. Keep posting!


RTKR - 9th December, 2013
 
Thanks, Jozilla. PT comes here since I can't even get out my doors with the steps.......................
 
Even better! I loved in home PT!! I also smile and do what I want like Jaimie said. This site offers so much good advice. I love it!


RTKR - 9th December, 2013
 
Let's hope I get lucky and get one who believes the BoneSmart way. And if that's not possible, than I want a hottie so as to have some eye candy to look at while doing my PT :rotfl:
 
Yes!! LOL


RTKR - 9th December, 2013
 
I was also told the 20-minute icing rule by multiple medical and PT folks. Personally, I have felt that is long enough each time when I use the really cold ice packs that wrap all the way around (not the little blue-ice things that don't get really cold). For one thing, they make me so cold I have to wrap up in multiple blankets and can't get warm for a long time. But with all this knee stuff, we all have to find our own way.
 
So true, you have to find what works for you. I think especially if you have cold packs that are either semi-frozen or are gel packs and you protect your leg, since they get slowly warmer, if you ice for an hour (or until the pack warms up)you should be fine.

I think I read somewhere on the 20 minute rule that they think too much cold slows down healing. ? I don't know. You'd think all the Bonesmarties would be having terrible recoveries if that were true...
 
I use the gel packs until they warm up. When I use the ice bags from the hospital that tie together(and use ice cubes), I keep those on for 20 minutes as they do a much better job of icing, so get too cold. I am getting my staples out Wednesday (all 46 of those suckers!!!!!!!!!) I know people here say they don't hurt, but I had ankle surgery a while back, they used quite a lot of staples, and every last one of those little suckers hurt on the way out. I know, I'm no good at handling pain.:groan: I got my new Physical Therapist today and I really like her a lot. The first one kept pushing even when I told her it hurt and to stop, etc. I didn't bother to have a chat with her as I knew she was only there one time, so decided to wait and see how the new one was. The new lady today only let me get uncomfortable, no actual pain. I did some heel slides in a chair, a few leg raises in my bed, walked around the house for 5 minutes and the CPM machine. I also have to work on keeping my knee straight out in front of me as it tends to flop to the right by itself after all these years of the kneecap floating off to the side and the rest of the knee probs. It's kind of funny to see how many pillows I have; 3 under my calf (as per this site's demo), under my back and head, 1-2 on my right to help prop my knee straight and 1 under my left leg so I don't fall over-falling sideways on my bed is no fun believe me. She said I'm walking pretty well, I forget exactly how she phrased it, but I'm walking in a smoother stride and putting more weight on it as I walk. I'll have in-home PT this week and next and then she'll decide if I'll continue in-home or go to the PT dept. at the hospital.
 
20 min. Rule is a liability concern. Thermal burns are one of the top reasons PT's are sued. Forget to tell people the 20 min rule and you are on the hook if a burn (frostbite) occurs.
 
I had my staples out on Friday, it stung, some more than others. I am just glad they are out.
I am glad you will have yours out tomorrow.
 
I'm actually getting them out on Wednesday, Pumpkin...lol. Don't worry I can't keep days or dates straight yet either. How are you doing? How's your pain and how are the meds helping? Let me know how everything is, please.
 
Doing well, afternoons are tougher, seems my knee swells up, so off to bed I go. Pain is getting better, the alarm is waking me at night to remind me it is time for a pain pill, last week I would wake up an hour ahead of time.
Still have problems with my bowels, but it is better than it was over the weekend. I go to the OS on Wednesday and he will give my hydrocodone, it does not stop me up like oxycodone. Went up stairs yesterday to shower (up stairs shower has a built in bench) with out any problem. ROM is coming along slowly but surely. Just need to wait for the swelling to go down.
That is about it, just need patience.
 
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...a shower...I can't wait until my staples are out for a shower. I have yet to go up or down stairs with my walker-the ones here are too narrow and all outside. But I have to soon or I won't be able to get out anywhere. I'm glad you are sleeping until your pain alarm wakes you. I think you are likely moving around a lot more than me. Maybe it swells in the afternoon because you do a lot in the am? Are you still using a walker or crutches? I'm stuck with this walker, at least for now. My orders state walker only, but my PT is going to send the OS a message asking for crutches when she thinks I'm ready. If memory serves me correctly, (haha-lately it has been way off) I did better last time when I got to go to crutches from a walker. Oh, thanks for reminding me-I have to message my primary care doc about my bowels-they are working ok, but I'm having a familiar diverticulitis pain. It may not be related, but we have to be careful now that I have diverticulosis and recently had a bout of diverticulitis.
 
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