Revision TKR Lovetocookandsew’s long road to recovery

[lovetocookandsew]

The more threads I read here, the more I realize how blessed I am, even though I do have to go through this again. I don't have to concern myself with employers and their demands, I don't have to push myself to recover by a certain date due to job and leave requirements. I have great medical coverage and a wonderful surgeon who knows me very well and will be working hard not only with the surgery, but afterwards to help me get through the pain of the recovery. I won't have to fight for adequate pain relief, nor worry about needing to go in for care. My hospital and surgeon are quite close to me, so I don't have to drive for hours nor relocate for care. I'll have help and support as long as I need it afterwards, so don't have to worry about how I'll manage. All of these are things I read about in other threads and my heart goes out to those who not only have to struggle through bad knees, but then have so many other obstacles to get over which makes it so much worse. We all have struggles in life, but going through a TKR is more than enough of a struggle in and of itself; it's sad when all those other things only make the process harder. I am grateful for the blessings I have and hope to remember them as I go through this once again. And if I don't I am sure someone will remind me as I whine and complain about everything.

 

[Jockette]

I am ready to start the process of a second opinion. I dread redoing this surgery. But I am very frustrated that the surgeon I trusted and my lack of knowledge has led me down the path I’ve been on.

Like you, I don’t have a job to have to return to, I know much more this time around if I need a revision (I probably do) I won’t be going to PT like last time, so that pressure of achieving ROM will not be there, I have all the help I might need for as long as I need it. And I’m already part of Bonesmart!

However my next surgeon and hospital will be further away but hopefully only about 90 minutes, but shortly after surgery every minute in a car counts!

I am feeling a bit negative today.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@Jockette We all have our good days and our down days. That's the blessing of this site-we all understand and we've all been there. You, like me have many blessings, even having to deal with a wonky knee again. I too am dreading the surgery, but thankfully I only have a few minutes to travel afterwards to get home to my own cozy nest. I feel for you having to drive 90 minutes-that distance is so much farther when your knee is hurting! It's a good thing that you're addressing the problems now-I've put it off for such a long time due to pain med complications that it has only gotten worse and has kept me from being able to live my life the way I want. It's okay to have negative days-we all get it and will support you as you go through the process.

 

[Mutti3]

@lovetocookandsew
I agree with your last post. Spoken very well! I feel blessed as well for the straight forward recover. I feel bad for every one who’s journey had stumbles, twists , turns, and less than an satisfactory results.

@Jockette try not to feel bad about your decision about getting a partial. Hard to have knowledge before surgery for what is best, until your OS guides you. With my lack of knowledge initially, I begged my OS for partial. Was told an emphatic no, and was explained the reason why he doesn’t do them. Jockette, we will be with you, and support your next decisions.

 

[PegGar16]

Hi @lovetocookandsew! I have just finished catching up on your thread. It has been awhile since I have been on. I hope everything goes well with the revision. I know it made the wait longer but I appreciate your surgeon not wanting you in the hospital during flu season. I worked in a hospital for a few years and it could be brutal during that season and you don't need any added risks.
-Low toilets are the worst!!
-House cleaning - do it!! My husband has been down with a back fusion for the last month so I have had the pleasure of cleaning a houseful of saltillo tile..OMG!! No wonder he needed surgery LOL. He is a retired tile setter so we have quite a bit in our home. We are looking a getting a cleaning service now. I am all for getting them to do the deep cleaning, just not my office or bedroom
-I love the raised planters!! May have to get our boys to make us some. The AZ soil is so bad that most of my garden is built up with good soil mixes to begin with. Just raising them a couple more feet would be great.
-After my final knee surgery the surgeon told me to use the recumbent bike for my range of motion. After the leg being kept straight for so long the gradual process worked. I picked mine up at a second hand sports store so it wasn't very expensive. With the seat all the way back my leg was just about straight. I gradually moved the seat closer until I got the results. He told me the bike and straight leg lifts to strengthen the quads was all I needed...and it worked
-Fluffernutters (the most important) On your trip back east make sure to pick up the Marshmallow Fluff. My mother used to send jars of it to me at Christmas time to make fudge. I could never find it here in AZ. The best fluffs are with toasted bread ..I will be heading to Boston in a couple of weeks and will have to bring some home

I hope everything is well with your surgeon..he definitely is worth the wait.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@PegGar16 I was going to buy some Fluff but really don't have room in my suitcase for it. I only checked one-not because I'd have to pay for a second one but because between my suitcase and my carry-on I just couldn't manage another suitcase. I can always buy it from the Fluff website directly if I really want some. Okay....I REALLY want some but really need to avoid it....lol. Those planters are amazing! I'll attach two pictures my husband just sent me of the beds with turnips and beets. He's not great at taking photos so they're not the best pictures but do show how amazing these raised beds are. My surgeon is doing well now according to his nurse. He fell while skiing and hurt his shoulder, resulting in a shoulder surgery. Thanks for all the info and advice!

 

[KarriB]

Totally off topic, but I love Marshmallow Fluff for a fruit dip.

https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/marshmallow-cream-cheese-fruit-dip-186517

 

[SusieShoes]

I'm having serious planting bed envy.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@SusieShoes Remember, I live in California, near Sacramento. We have a loooong growing season and a great climate for growing fruits and vegetables. It makes gardening much easier, other than the kneeling problem. We do need to move the first bed next year as the cherry tree went crazy this year and put out new and unexpected branches, which are now shading that bed; whereas the traditional raised bed that was there for years was never shaded. As soon as I get home tomorrow, we'll pick those cherries and then cut those branches off. The golden beets in that bed aren't getting quite enough sun so the branches need to go. Back on topic, the tall beds are wonderful and I am able to garden again. Hubby will be making more so most of our beds will be old lady friendly.....lol. You can get plans for them online if you're interested in making some.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@SusieShoes I just noticed I called them "old lady beds" and in the next sentence told you you could get plans online.......lol. I wasn't calling you an old lady....I call myself one when talking about the tall beds.

 

[SusieShoes]

A younger me would have called them "old lady" beds. The current me, however, calls them "just what I need" beds!

I'm unembarrassed about being a youthful elder. Just call me Matriarch! My sons and most other people give me way more respect now in my silver-haired years than they ever gave me as a young mom on the go. There's a plus side to all this.

 

[sistersinhim]

And we can't forget the Senior discounts! I love those!

 

[NightQuilter]

Love, love, love the raised planters! What a brilliant solution. We just got a place outside San Luis Obispo south of you on a high ridge. I need to get the raised planters not only because of the knees, hips, and back issues, but because of the nasty varmints that live under the ground! Did the hubs design them or are there plans for them?

The revision is a shame, but there will be such relief when you are finally on the mend again. You are indeed fortunate to be close to a trusted OS. Sending good thoughts!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@NightQuilter Thanks for the good thoughts. I showed my husband a picture of what I wanted and he made them. He may have looked at plans, I'm not sure, but there are you tube videos and plans you can get all over the internet. Just Google 'handicap planting beds'. I like this style because if they were just normal raised beds that were taller than usual, I couldn't get close up as the bottom would keep my feet from a comfortable position underneath the bed to stand and work comfortably. Plus, I wanted them to be 4x4 beds to be able to easily reach the middle, and because we do square foot gardening. He designed them for my height so I could easily work without bending and straining to reach them. He made the bottoms from slats of the wood, instead of a single solid piece, to allow for drainage, but put some kind of planting cloth on the bottom to keep the dirt inside. I'm in Maine right now and he's not, so I can't get details at the moment, but if you want more info I can ask him in a day or so once I recover from the looooooong flight. I should be sleeping right now but have an early flight and just couldn't sleep well, so gave up and got on the computer...lol.

 

[SusieShoes]

Wishing you a safe and comfortable (and timely) flight!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Thanks, @SusieShoes It was a very long and tiring day that started at 4:30 am Eastern time and ended just a little bit ago, but I have made it home! My knee is extremely unhappy with all the sitting; plus dropping my carry on from the overhead bin directly onto my knee didn't help. I was trying to get it into the overhead bin on the giant plane with very high bins and it slipped out of my hands, bounced off my knee and hit the floor. Now I'm on my bed resting and elevating. It was so swollen when I was at LAX that it and my leg were as hard as a rock.

 

[Jockette]

I have made it home! My knee is extremely unhappy with all the sitting; plus dropping my carry on from the overhead bin directly onto my knee didn't help.

Oh no! I hope it settles down quickly for you.

 

[SusieShoes]

Ouch! I’m sure that carryon didn’t help matters. You’re home now, though, so you can treat yourself and your knees to lots of rest and TLC.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Thanks, @SusieShoes I took it easy the rest of last night, and kept it elevated. After a good night's sleep besides, things are settling down. Even my husband was surprised yesterday at how much more swollen it was after the trip, but this morning it seems to almost be back to it's usual amount of swelling. I just walked to the bathroom and am not limping as much as I was yesterday. That's a good thing, especially since I need to go get my pre-op blood work today, plus I have to go get some new glasses as for some reason yesterday they broke while at the airport. Lol-it never rains but it pours......The thing that's frustrating is that any mishap always seems to hit the bad knee....never the good knee. If I bump into something, it's with my right knee. When getting into the driver's seat of my car, I hit my right knee on something about half the time, yet have never once hit my left knee when getting into the passenger seat (I know-there's more to hit myself with on the driver's side than the passenger side, but still....lol). While trying to put a suitcase into the overhead bin it fell onto my right knee, not my left. And so on....This knee lives under a

 

[Celle]

I hope you poor knee settles down soon, Kim.