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TKR Lovetoread's Recovery Thread---She is home already!

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Hopefully this is just a rough patch you will quickly move through. It sounds like you are doing everything you can. I had another BM this morning, nothing to brag about , but at least things are moving! Glad you feel like reading a bit now. I read the new novel from Amazon .com in two days. It was very good. Some friends brought us dinner tonight . It was good to get "real" food!
 
Well, turns out I didn't read today. I'm on our union negotiating team and we're in the middle of contract negotiations...that aren't going well at all. Had lots of emails to send out today and phone calls. What book did you read?? Ahh, real food! I'm thinking I might want to try going to out eat one of these days!
 
I am still eating in the recliner. I read Karin Slaughter's "Unseen". This is the twelfth book in a series with some of the same characters. They are set in the Atlanta area. Be sure to start with the first one, "Blindsighted".
I am finding I am very tired at night. I am still getting up every four hours to take meds.
 
Jean, those labor negotiations are a bear, aren't they? My best friend is shop steward for the Newspaper Guild at her suburban paper, and management has been increasingly outrageous. (It fired all its professional staff photographers and is making the reporters not only take their own photos--with iPhones, no less!--but shoot and post video clips along with their articles).

My sympathies about your back issues. (This time, as with my RTKR, I start my day off with a heating pad from my waist down the rump--seems to help a bit). Elevated rest is great for the new knee, not so hot for a bad back, much as we'd love to crawl into bed and stay there all day when it happens. Usually the only thing that keeps me mobile after a full-blown back spasm is a diazepam with an Aleve chaser...but I can no longer take NSAIDs. Thank God for Norco. Happens to me about once every year or two, but that's once too often. Hope you find some relief!
 
Ah, Sandy....you are talking about the Sun-Times! How ridiculous with the situation with the photos! As a former journalist (Medill School of Journalism...Northwestern U....Go CATS!) what has happened to newspapers over the years is disgusting! I subscribe to the Trib and Sun-Times and still have plenty of friends in the business. and so many more that have gotten, or rather have been forced out, after 30 years or more.

My back is a bit better today. Of course, I'm taking it easy. I'm taking muscle relaxers 3X/day, they've upped my Votaren to three times a day for now. I'm also back on the Norco every four hours. Guess that means I probably shouldn't be driving much. The P/T yesterday said my hips were out of whack, which isn't surprising. It's just tough knowing I'm having another surgery in 3 weeks and it will probably start all over again!
 
Yup, my friend is a veteran reporter for the north & northwest suburban Pioneer Press subsidiary of the Sun-Times. She literally has a wall full of Lisagor Awards and never thought she'd be expected after 30+ years to become a photographer and videographer as well.

Glad to hear your back is better. As to your trepidation about your next surgery triggering it again, it's more likely that your legs and hips will be better aligned and your back will be less stressed!
 
I'm hoping that's the case with the next knee, especially since I'll be back in school shortly after the surgery. Fortunately, I work with a great bunch of teachers who will let me rest and I plan on bringing ice packs and resting on the nurse's couch a couple of times a day. My principal's mother had TKR last year, so he definitely gets it!
 
Lovestoread

Rush is quite the pioneer in minimally invasive TKR. I also had it here in fairhope, al. I stayed 2 days but I could have gone home in one. My surgeon has been doing minimals for 12-13 years. This has been no picnic but it would have been worse if the quad had been cut. I haven't seen many in this forum who had MITKR. I think you have to meet certain criteria to qualify for it. I did use a walker mostly out of fear or 3-4 days and then not even a cane. I didn't have staples. Just glue. Good luck with your next one.
 
Thanks Tennis Nut! I'm hoping for the best. My knee actually feels great....it's my lower back that's giving me fits! I've had issues for years, but for the past two weeks, my back is much worse than my knee! I think the worst part of the surgery for me is having to wear the TED hose for three weeks (only one more day!) and even that has been better than I thought it would be. If it weren't so danged hot and humid outside, it wouldn't be so bad!
 
Tennis Nut said:
Lovestoread

Rush is quite the pioneer in minimally invasive TKR. I also had it here in fairhope, al. I stayed 2 days but I could have gone home in one. My surgeon has been doing minimals for 12-13 years. This has been no picnic but it would have been worse if the quad had been cut. I haven't seen many in this forum who had MITKR. I think you have to meet certain criteria to qualify for it. I did use a walker mostly out of fear or 3-4 days and then not even a cane. I didn't have staples. Just glue. Good luck with your next one.
Click to expand...

I'm actually surprised that not more people are having it done this way!
 
Lovestoread said:
I'm actually surprised that not more people are having it done this way!
Click to expand...
I have the same question. I live in Los Angeles area. I have been searching a surgeon who specializes in quad sparing tKR ( MI) but I have not found one yet. I have a friend who went to SF area and had BTKR with MI? She was very pleased and had a short recovery time. But I prefer to get one in LA if possible. I would appreciate if someone knows one and let me know. Thank you in advance.
 
I would suggest Googling "minimally invasive quad-sparing knee replacement in california" or something. My doctor here in Chicago has patients come from all over the U.S. for surgery. At the pre-op class I attended, there was a gentleman from Atlanta having surgery the day before me. He said he had been referred by a friend he had met in Georgia. I know there are doctors out there somewhere!
 
When I tell people my TKR was minimally invasive, they are quick to jump to the conclusion that its a partial. I've explained and explained to a few who end up still thinking a TKR can ony e done the old way. And for many, MITKR isn't an option. When you wait too long and there's too much damage, I don't think it's a possibility. But in the end, the outcomes for both are the same. There's no long term advantage, just the short term rapid recovery.

Surely there's a doctor in LA who does it. Just make sure he has done no less than 100+ of them. It's not an easy technique.
 
Lovestoread

I had some back aches too. I think it's from compensating for your sore knee. It does get better. It also ached as I started back on the elliptical. Had to build up time on that gradually. And in general, I had a lot of Muscle aches and pains in my TKR glute, hamstring and quad. That goes away too. And then you get to turn around and do your other one. Fun fun. The TEDS are really nice! I got rid of mine in two weeks thank goodness but They really do help prevent swelling.
 
I did a lot of reading prior to deciding to move ahead with the TKR and I am of the persuasion that most are now minimally invasive. I do think I m doing so well now because mine was done that way.
 
I'd wanted the minimally invasive surgery, but for some insane reason even though Rush is in-network, its orthopedists are not. And my left ACL's been "history" since 1994.
 
Yes, Sandy, it seems that Rush Ortho does it's own thing. Sounds like you're happy with your choice in the end, so really, that's what matters. Although "minimally invasive" does seem to be the way it's done these days with regards to length of incision, I guess I need to clarify and say that mine was not only "minimally invasive," it was "quad-sparing," and I think that is where much confusion lies when talking about TKR's. As Tennis Nut says, people I talk to about it seem to assume it was a partial TKR, when in fact, it wasn't. I was even told that it was probably a full TKR, but the implant was smaller?? Not sure how that would work when my knee is the same size as anyone else's. I guess until it becomes more mainstream, quad-sparing, minimally invasive TKR will just remain misunderstood.
 
Therapist was pleased today...and so was I!! My flexion went from 112 last Friday to 115 today. Not a whole lot, but my doctor wanted 100 at three weeks, and I'm three weeks today. My pesky extension went from -12 last Friday, to -9 (active) and -4 (passive). A little better. Doctor wanted that at 0 by three weeks. We'll see what he says when I see him on Thursday. Now, the bad news, the pain I've been feeling is the IT band. I've read a little about this on this site, but never paid too much attention to anything. Guess I'll be doing some "reading up" on it tonight. The therapist did give me a few exercises/stretches to try. Curious as to how long this lasts??? I suppose it depends on how much I work at it, right??
 
I have had ITBand issues on and off for years. When I ski, I am mostly in a crouched position, so the IT band shortens, I have to stretch and stretch during ski season. I can usually get the pain under control in a month---lots of stretches and some massage at pt. KElly
 
So glad to hear you are doing as well as you are; I am a litle worried about our Homewood friend as she has not posted; hope all is well. By the way what is an IT band??
 
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