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Revision TKR Lovetocookandsew’s long road to recovery

@lovetocookandsew I think we're all different and a lot depends on all the other factors affecting recovery. The OS told me that my knee joint was 'well knackered' (!) but my underlying muscle tone was very good. I think they did the right thing taking my walker away. As the last week has gone on I can't believe how much progress I've made.
I'm not very comfortable right now in the middle of having my staples removed so I'm not exercising much - most likely for psychological reasons! The last ones are coming out today. Hooray.
Good luck in your busy household!
 
My walker was taken away at day 3 in hospital. I had crutches for day 4 and on discharge on day 5 it was 2 walking sticks that I was sent home with. I manage around inside with 1 stick using worktops to hold on to but outside on decking I use 2 as still very shaky and that's me 14 days today.
 
I used my walker for four weeks. Of course, I have bilateral replacements, so being longer on the walker makes sense. It was so liberating to go to the cane! I think it’s true we should just progress to the next stage when our knees are ready for it. Therapists can only offer an opinion; our knees know the truth.

I knew I was ready to get rid of the walker when I forgot and left it behind when going to the bathroom one day. Halfway there I used a wall to brace myself and remembered the walker. I still wanted something for balance, but no longer required the walker to get around. I started using the cane in the house at that point. My PT, though, didn’t clear me to use a cane for another week!

When I started forgetting the cane, I knew I was done with it also. It lives in my car trunk... just in case.
 
@Josephine I have a question for you, please. I have a floor peddler and did use it last time, gradually going from a couple of small back and forth pedals, then backwards as I recall, to eventually full rounds on it. I'm wondering if it's valuable in recovery, and if so, when is a good time to begin using it. Thank-you.
 
@Jockette I'm with you on the crutches. I fall with them too often so have only been using them to get in and out of my house via the steps, as my walker doesn't fit well on them. I also make sure to have someone with me as a spotter when I go in and out. Now that I'm gradually using my cane, I can use it to navigate the steps.
 
I'd rather let my knee decide when the walker can go, instead of being forced to transition to a cane. I tried using two canes at a time yesterday, but that didn't even come close to working for me. Maybe for the same reason I always use my cane in my right hand, even though my right knee is the problem child. Or maybe two canes is just awkward for me, who knows. Either way it didn't work.
@Mollymax IMHO, if you're having difficulty on the canes in certain situations, use the walker at those times. Safety is important, and if you feel shaky on your deck, I'd leave a walker out there for extra support to avoid falling. Just because "they took away" your walker doesn't mean you can't occasionally use one if the situation warrants. It's not a regression to use extra support at times, just common sense. Just as it's our decision to use PT or not, it's our decision to make transitions when we and our knees are ready.
 
In public, I used my walker for about 5 weeks. I've not been able to use crutches. My good leg isn't strong enough. Besides, people are much more considerate when someone with a walker. I had the rolling kind with a seat and brakes. The seat had a pouch under it, so it was very helpful carrying things, including my ice machine!
 
Kim,
Great to hear you had a shower, all that company, you will finally get them trained to your way, and then they go home.
OK to use the pedlar, go slow, listen to your knee, you want to avoid any irritation to those tender soft tissues.

I used my walker as long as I needed in the house, outside the house I used crutches. Having lots of crutch experience since age 23, it is easy for me to use crutches, with out that experience they would be a challenge.
 
@sistersinhim I was going to buy a rolling walker with seat and all, but when my OS said I'd likely only need it a few weeks, I decided it would end up being just another thing to store in the garage and just got out old reliable. I haven't gone out anywhere so far (well, unless you call the ED and the OS an outing:heehee:) I have another app't with my OS on the 25th, and will likely not go anywhere before then. Until I feel up to driving I also won't be feeling like going anywhere other than the doctor. Since I'm not able to take anything for pain, I have to be extra careful not to do anything to cause a lot of pain, therefore even though my head and body are rarin' to go, my knee is still a 2.5 week old baby.
 
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@Pumpkln Thanks for the info! I remember you telling me about your crutch use last time around and wishing I could use them as well as you. But, we all have strengths and weaknesses and crutches are most definitely one of my many weaknesses!
As much as I love my company, it is difficult to handle right now. But, my son only had this time for vacation, so I decided it would be wonderful to see him, if a bit hard. Today I have the house to myself as hubby went to work and company went with daughter to San Francisco. I am really glad as I need a day of silence after yesterday's fun but very noisy and tiring day.
 
Although I'm having a much-needed day of peace and quiet, I have to admit to being BORED OUT OF MY GOURD!!!!!!! I'm not even tired enough to try to take a nice nap-I never sleep during the day unless I'm ill and since I've been getting a good night's sleep every night, I'm wide awake during the day. I really want to go do my laundry, do some sewing, take a walk to my mailbox, check out my garden and change my sheets. But I know I can't do any of those as my laundry is in my garage, my mailbox is too downhill for me to walk there yet (at least by myself), sewing requires standing and also using my right foot to operate my machines, my garden is down two steps and the ground is too uneven to risk it and forget about changing a queen bed for now. :sigh:
 
Can you get into a good book? Or is your brain fog too bad still? Mine was bad for about 5-6 weeks! I hated it. I just could not concentrate enough to read.
 
Sorry to hear you are bored lovetocookandsew. I was very much like that yesterday. It's a bit easier for me having come to my caravan or like you most things at home would be out of the question. Here I have managed to do a washing, cook a meal, sit out in the sun. I do need to change the bed but I think I will get hubby to do that as I don't think I could manage it.
Hope you did enjoy the peace though. Having company is good but it's nice for some time on your own.
 
@sistersinhim I actually haven't had any brain fog at all this time and can read. I am reading some, and usually love to read, but am really sick of TV and reading; perhaps because I've been so limited for so long and have watched a lot of TV and read everything in sight when forced to sit. I just want to get going, but know I can't yet.....:hairpulling:. But thanks for the suggestion.:)
 
@Mollymax I am still enjoying the quiet as no one's home yet. :) Unfortunately it's way too hot here to sit outside. It was 100 yesterday and is about that right now, so that's a no go.
 
Do you have adult coloring books? Many liked those. How about word puzzles, seek and fine? Oh, and how about video games?
 
I play games on my phone or tablet when hubby goes to sleep. Or stream a tv series on prime or Netflix. But sometimes I binge watch too much and run out of things to watch lol.
 
I have zillions of things to watch and likely won't run out between what I recorded on my Genie DVR beforehand, what I've downloaded to my laptop, which I then load onto a flash drive and plug into my TV, and also Amazon Prime stuff. I do play wordscapes and other games on my devices a lot. Our library system is excellent so I checked out a bunch of books before the surgery, and can renew them online for up to 3 months total for most books, and if I need more I can reserve them online and hubby will go get them. My problem isn't in finding things to do, it's being sick of some and unable to do others. I guess because I was so limited for several years and know that time may soon end, and because I feel so good, I'm super anxious to get moving.
 
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