MUA LTKR, 8 weeks out; MUA at week 5; worried about ROM

[kmak81230]

at your simulation examples. Nice that your DH can appreciate what you've had to endure for months. And yes, if I ever get back to west Michigan we will definitely have to get together for lunch, scar comparison, etc. My folks are coming out here next week from Grand Haven. They have not been in years so am looking forward to having them. I will have to re-educate them on TKR recovery as they both had em both done many years ago and went through the "no pain, no gain" model.

 

[Polkadot]

@liam2015, I don't know if both people have to pedal. I think there are pedals on both sides like a paddle boat, but I'm hoping that if the "bend" is too ouchy, there will be places to stick my feet off the pedals. I think one person can provide power physically because I remember our son pedaling away while one or the other of our girls sat with feet on pedals just floating around.

 

[Pheebs52]

Your weekend sounds absolutely divine @Polkadot and your progress report is not exactly shabby; hah! I haven't tried the elliptical yet and I have one in my family room. For now, I'm just staying clear of that thing, lol. I love the fact that you've lost track of the weeks. The retired accountant that resides in me just rears her ugly head now and then and well.....I count. It's actually going to be 17 weeks, and my oh my, the time did fly. Time is such an odd commodity, isn't it?

I always find it interesting to see how so many of us at around the same time frame post-op, seem to hit milestones, or are able to engage in different sorts of activities at varying points in time. We all seem to have some swelling, we all seem to be able manage stairs, but not always gracefully or comfortably, yet the bike, the strength moves, and especially the extra-curricular activities all seem to have great differences for each of us. We're like snowflakes, totally unique in our outcomes at any point in time. Those of you who are ahead of me in terms of milestones serve to inspire. Those who are on the same page are my *twins* and give me strength, and those who are behind me very often can accomplish something I can't do as yet, and typically have better flexion, lol.

I can't hike 3, 5 or 7 miles. I certainly can't do stairs two at a time, up or down. I'm not even contemplating riding a road bike yet, in fact the thought gives me the horrors even though I used to enjoy it. I do a lousy *perp* walk, but a mean *crab-walk.* I can't walk a large dog or even a small feisty one yet, (Pheebs you devil) but I can walk lazy Nemo. I don't want to play pickleball, even if it is easy, and especially if it's the *New Shuffleboard*, lol. No. Not that, please. But, I can ride my exercycle for 15 minutes prior to my mishap, (hit 8 minutes today) I can easily do the leg press with just my tkr leg, and...I can kneel...for a few moments. Note, I did not say minutes; hah! So, we all have different skills and accomplishments, and hey, isn't that special? Just say yes. It is.

 

[Polkadot]

@Pheebs52, you've described a paradox of sorts. It's sort of like falling in love. We seek out all the commonalities in each other's stories. Then gradually we discover the differences. I do find everyone's journey fascinating, as well as entertaining (in an odd BS sort of way) and often inspiring. And it's sort of spooky how much we learn about each other just through the forum. I feel as though I know you all, with all your different trials, tribulations, accomplishments and victories, quite well. Astonishing.

Our weekend went well and was very tiring. I spent some time in the ODIC on Saturday, tried to be prudent on Sunday and excuse myself from part of the activities, but it was too late! I couldn't get comfortable, couldn't nap, couldn't do much of anything all on my lonesome except wander around and be a bit miserable. If that isn't a symptom of overdoing it, I don't know what is! Today (Monday) I'm feeling a bit under the weather and even canceled my PT appointment. I've done nothing but lounge around, except for a few minutes of errands.

The surrey ride was a huge hit with our grand daughter, as was learning to play euchre and the yummy snacks we brought. Saturday was such a success with these things that she wanted just to repeat everything on Sunday! My stepdaughter and husband were pooped from surrey-pedaling the first day and nixed that idea, so went swimming instead. Imagine! Swimming in mid-September in a Great Lake! The weather was in the 80s the whole time. And it's supposed to be a similar weekend coming up!

Surrey Pedaling: We got a 4-person surrey instead of two bikes and a smaller surrey. Grand daughter Angie did most of the steering. She was thrilled with her driving experience. I was a bit sad to find out that while I could rotate the pedals on the surrey, my hip had to lift too much to accomplish the rotation. So I had to prop my feet on the "Do not put feet here" signs on the crossbars, or I wouldn't have been able to go. This gave me a bit of worry, as I don't like breaking the rules, but DH said that the owners knew I might not be able to pedal, and they were okay with that. I didn't get a chance to try a proper bike, as no one got one of those.

Someone, maybe in @Canada35's thread?, said that there comes a point in this journey when there are activities worth putting ourselves in the ODIC temporarily. This was one of those times! However, I am shocked at how punk I've felt today!

 

[Pheebs52]

@Polkadot, what an excellent summary of my feelings exactly as it relates to all of our BS friendships and journeys! The commonalities and differences are a never ending source of fascination to me and I feel as if we've all known each other since at least Junior High, lol.

How much of a drive was it to your destination? Did you get out and stretch every hour or so? I just wonder if that had any impact on your landing in the ODIC on Saturday night? Probably not, I'm sure it was pedal related, but I know I find the effect of many different activities to be cumulative. Does the place you stayed have comfortable beds and furniture? I know that would make a huge difference to my recuperative abilities; Princess/pea here.

It sounds as though the Surrey pedals were just probably at an odd angle? Remember how you told @Liam2015recently you didn't feel her inability to pedal was due to her, but most likely due to the particular bike? I think the same principle was at work here.

Regardless of how punk you felt today, it was all worth it, if for no other reason than to enjoy Angie's joy in experiencing new things! Angie will always fondly remember this trip!

 

[kmak81230]

You mean we haven't known each other since junior high? I was so looking forward to catching up with you all at the next reunion. I can't believe I've only known most of you for 3 mos.

Glad you had a good weekend even if you did end up in the ODIC. I felt the same way when i went to San Francisco - I was whipped every night but it was worth it in the long run.

 

[Polkadot]

It's about a 2-hour drive, and you're right--I should have had us stop midway for a stretch. That probably did set me up right at the beginning. We drove there Friday night late after I had spent quite a bit of time grocery shopping, packing things up, etc. So the ODI started Friday and continued on Saturday.

You know, I had the thought when wandering about our condo like a lost puppy on Sunday that if I could just find some comfortable furniture, I would be okay! We just got this place and have been furnishing it, so while the beds and seats are comfortable, they are not yet homey. I think I needed my blankie and familiar recliner right about then!

Angie was soooo happy, and that's quite an achievement for a teenager hanging out for the whole weekend without TV, internet, or friend along! I'll post a photo or two so you can see her happy face when I can get to my desktop computer. My iPad is not cooperating when I ask it to resize a photo.

 

[Polkadot]

@kmak81230, I think you had the locker just across the hall from me. Don't you remember when I got called to the principal's office for having the fringes of my scarf sticking out of the bottom of mine? I'm sure you stared along with the rest of the 7th graders while the principal marched me back down the hall and ordered me to open it. Every book fell out, and papers fluttered everywhere. Soooo mortifying! But then, that was what Jr. High was for, wasn't it?

I momentarily forgot about your San Francisco jaunt. You were a very early ODIC=er, weren't you?

 

[Pheebs52]

Kathleen, seriously, right? LOL. Maybe Elementary School?

Polkadot, if I sit in ANY chair for 2 solid hours, I'm stiff. The same rule would definitely apply to a car for me, even the Gerimobile; pffft! I try to get up every 30 minutes or so to ward it off, rather like wearing a garlic necklace for a vampire. It seems to work, and I even do it when we watch movies. I kneed an *Intermission.* Since you'd already had a full day, adding that non-stop, 2 hour drive at the end was the kicker you didn't need. But, live and learn, right?

I vote for a new recliner at the condo with it's own *special blankie*, lol!

 

[kmak81230]

OMG polka dot - I had forgotten that. I'm sure you were mortified but we were more angry at the principal - I mean really, what's a little fringe? I was more mortified having to sit in sex Ed with the boys. If I had known how my knees would end up I never would have kept doing all of those round off back handsprings in PE class.

Happy grandkids without electronics is priceless. I hope you recover quickly.

 

[Pheebs52]

Junior High was...er..*character building*....wasn't it? I *think* so, but most definitely did not feel that way on the day I was made to kneel in the hallway for a skirt length check. And yes, it was too short; hah!

 

[liam2015]

Polkadot...glad you enjoyed the weekend even though your knee protested. the surrey bikes sound wonderful ~ something i could do in the future, even if i don't have to pedal. yes, i can understand how a 2 hour drive can drain some of that precious energy on top of shopping and packing in preparation. it must have been gratifying to see your granddaughter enjoying herself without technology. yes, please post pics. we would love to see them.

 

[kmak81230]

Class rebel you are @Pheebs52 . Good thing we survived junior high - we've needed that character building experience to survive TKR recovery.

 

[Polkadot]

 

[Polkadot]

Yep, I remember those skirt checks. And I never owned a pair of jeans until college because we weren't allowed to wear pants to school until halfway through senior year.

 

[Jockette]

Great pictures!!!

And I forgot that we didn't used to be able to wear pants to school!

 

[Thesoutherncook]

You girls are a HOOT! I was right along with you @Polkadot and wore jeans to summer school in college as a
" protest" since Home Ec majors were only allowed to wear A-line dresses and a single strand of pearls with low heeled dress shoes to classes! So, guess what I bought on my shopping trip yesterday....black flats!

You girls make me smile! Ok, sometimes laugh out loud!

 

[kmak81230]

Great pics @Polkadot -- what a beautiful setting you have on the lake!! You all look very happy with your weekend of pedaling and sunset watching. I got sent home in Jr. High for wearing jeans to school one day. A bunch of us tried to rebel one spring - we could wear pants but no jeans. Oh Helen (@Thesoutherncook) one of my most embarrassing moments in jr high was when we had to wear the jumpers that we made in Home Ec to school in order to get a grade. Mine was a bit of a disaster after I had to redo the darts . . . more character building.

 

[Polkadot]

Gosh, @kmak81230, we had to do that in high school (wear our shifts that we had made)! They didn't even have darts--they were the kind where you folded a yard of fabric in half, sewed one side, and hemmed the neck and the hemline. And we had to wear the triangle bandanna hats we'd made to go with the shift. Very attractive--my set had a pattern of fruits and veggies on it, as I had envisioned wearing it as a beach cover-up...

 

[Thesoutherncook]

But......worse than that was the one piece gym suit with elastic bloomer legs and grippers down the front!
Probably scarred me for life against exercise!