Bilateral TKR Luisa's road to recovery June 10th, 2013

[daughter stalker]

Just catching up on your thread Luisa. Wow what a week you had! Congratulations on making it through your first week back. Sounds like you are doing great! Sorry to hear that your hubby is not doing so well. I hope he gets better soon.

Take care!

 

[Jozilla]

So glad to hear your first week went so well! Stories like yours are inspiring to me.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart®

 

[Peaches]

Congrats on making it through Week One, Lmarshall! And now all that "What will work be like?" anxiety is behind you, too. And isn't it extra great that you LOVE your new job? That's the best! Very happy for you. Take care and keep us updated when you can.

 

[Lmarshall]

This post is especially for post op newbies and the recurrent theme of worries that I see on the threads and that I MYSELF had! I am at 16 weeks post op from BTKR, with a set back at week 7, having a slightly torn quad muscle in my left leg (in part from pushing too hard in my PT). Set back cost me at least 4 weeks of recovery time.

After my first full week at work, I spent all day Saturday just lounging around the house. It did feel great, but I kept looking out at the beautiful day. Didnt inspire me enough to get out though, I just needed the rest! Today I woke up pretty late, called a friend, then went to our local Dunkin Donuts with her and her grandaughter for breakfast and then some light food shopping. No pain in my legs...WOW. I even carried 3 medium to light bags to the car and then into the house without any difficulty at all. Oh and sleep....wonderful sleep!!!! I can sleep for 5 hours at a time, and wake up for a bathroom run, not because my legs hurt (Im getting older...ugh). I can drive for short distances for now; havent really tried long drives, and Im not rushing it either. I only take my stronger pain meds (vicodin) when Im going to work, or out to do more walking. I take a tramadol before going to sleep, and hope to be able to switch to tramadol completely, from vicodin once this prescription runs out. I did not rush to come off the pain pills and I am having no bad reactions or side effects from cutting back. I never worried about becoming addicted, and I am just posting this so others can see its not awful to stay on pain meds if you need them. Important to note that I can function well while on vicodin. It took some time, as I used to feel fuzzy on them, no longer. I work while on pain meds and function fine. I would like to be pain meds free, but whats more important is to be pain free right now! All wonderful things!!

Things I still need to work on....STEPS!!! I still have trouble going up and down. I can do it, but I need to start with my left leg, since my right leg is weaker and still can gets ouchies from weight bearing. I still do steps one at a time and I am not rushing to fix this. I feel like this will come as I get stronger. I am still using my cane, but I find I leave it here and there while at work. I do use the cane when I am walking longer distances at work (ie. going to offices that are further, leaving the building going out to lunch etc.) When I am home, I usually do not use the cane. Today I walked from the car to the little deli without my cane. I didnt realize I didnt bring my cane til I was half way to the deli. I do not walk without a limp. My right leg hurts alittle when I walk, so I do kind of waddle. The waddling had improved though, so I am making progress. I must say that it feels GREAT to NOT RUSH and not be worried about the finer points in my recovery. I mention this because early in my recovery, I felt rushed....no longer. I am happy where I am and know it will improve with time. Its really FREEING to be at this point. I know the legs heal at different rates, and I am not over worrying, but if by my next OS appt it is not feeling better, I will ask to get an xray or something to make sure all is OK.

I feel I need to mention I still ice at night. Sometimes I really NEED to ice, sometimes I just do it because I feel it helps my healing along. I dont use the hydrocuff any longer, just plain old fashioned ice bags.

 

[new knee in June]

Luisa,
You are doing so well I can do stairs the right way, but, don't ( hurts my thigh ) I figure I get up & down
Any way the last 2 days I haven't been taking my afternoon nap, I've been out & about.
My knee on the outside gets a burning, Velcro ripping feeling I have put my ice machine away & really
Don't want to bring it back out
I'm glad you brought your cane to work for long walks, it really helps.
Have a great week in work,
Talk soon,
Diana...."June Sunbeams"

 

[Lmarshall]

Thanks Diana, I have pings and pangs in my right leg all the time. After lying down, when I get up its hard to walk without a prominent limp. Once I get warmed up its better. Makes those middle of the night bathroom runs annoying. I feel like the hunchback of notre dame. the pain moves around...I cant even pinpoint the spot. Then, as I walk, I realize my lower back is whats really making me want to sit. Im pretty sure its from walking funny, so I try to focus on a better gait. I am definitely a work in progress, but just grateful that this will pass eventually.

 

[Lmarshall]

Im coming close to my 4 month knee birthday! ( new knee in June Happy Knee birthday!!!, gazelle7777 yours is tomorrow---Happy Knee birthday!)

This week is getting easier at work. I am walking alot at work and feeling good most of the time. By the end of the day, my knee starts chiming in..."hey you...yeah you....get off your feet!!", but it is in no way excruciating pain, and I am taking my meds less and less. I still avoid steps if possible, but hesitate less when I must do them. I do feel my quad getting stronger and my right achilles is no longer quite as tight (it used to scream at night after walking alittle too much..now it only talks loudly LOL). I can finally say I am driving without even thinking about my knee. I have yet to take a long ride though, but I would attempt it at this point if necessary. I do still ice lunchtime for about 20 minutes on a very nice reclining lounger. I also still ice at night most times, for about 2 hours, almost exclusively on my right knee. I find it oddly amusing that my L knee was my problem child right after surgery, and is the one I had the quad tear in, but now it has been consistently my R knee that bothers me the most.

Hubby went for a shot today in his jaw for the TMJ. The steroid should take full effect by day 3, so the jury isnt out yet, whether or not it has worked. He also has an appointment with the dentist for a mouth guard since he grinds his teeth. Baby steps I guess. He went for his stress test on Tuesday, and awaiting results, hoping its all good. In the meantime, he is out of work. SIGH...seems we cant be well at the same time :( I see him getting depressed m ore and more each day, and I can totally relate, so I have been staying on top of all his dr appts. Men are so different from us. If I have a problem, I deal with it straight on....he tends to just shut down, which doesnt help. He took such good care of me when I was at my worst, this is the very least I can do for him. I understand feeling totally down in the dumps when I had pain.

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

Congrats on your upcoming 4-month anniversary! (I'm a couple of days behind you).

I really hear you when you talk about husbands and illness. Bob tends to be an absolute rock when he's sick (even when he shouldn't be). When he had his hernia fixed, he spurned his surgeon's offer of a night in a private VIP room and insisted instead that by 4 pm he'd be sitting in his favorite Cajun restaurant, puffing a Cohiba (back in the bad old days when you could smoke in IL restaurants), knocking back a Dixie longneck and waiting for his jambalaya. During the surgery he actually briefly stopped breathing when the Versed and local kicked in at the same time; he recalls thinking "it's okay, they know to bag me and I'll start breathing again." When he came to in his room, he ran the IV and ordered a breakfast tray with coffee. And at 4 pm. there we were in a booth in the restaurant! He'd been told to take a week off, but he was walking around the block the next day and three days later he was back on his feet all day in the cath lab. If it was up to him it'd have been sooner, but he hadn't scheduled any angiograms over the weekend.

When he gets a cold, he refuses to take ANYTHING. Period. No acetaminophen (that'd mean no alcohol), no NSAIDs (unless his fever is >101 and he has joint or muscle aches), no antibiotics even when--as he is now--his nose is running like a faucet with the same gross thick yellow stuff he's coughing up, coughing so hard it sounds like puking. He won't take a cough suppressant or prescribe himself an inhaler--he insists he can breathe just fine. He won't even snort saline to help flush out his sinuses--just insists on waiting it out till the bacteria leave his system. (That's also his system for weathering a stomach bug). I can understand his not taking antibiotics during the viral phase (which is usually only as far as it gets). But to refuse to do anything natural or take anything OTC or by Rx to ease the symptoms is just nuts, IMHO. (He will let me serve him chicken soup, though). Of course, he's contagious as all get-out; but feels as long as he wears a mask and gloves and washes his hands his patients will be just fine. If I saw my doctor walk into the exam room masked, I'd reschedule my appointment. Knock wood, I haven't caught it yet--but our son did (and managed to get over it by immediately taking his inhaler and Z-pack as our FP instructed, as we both have asthma).

Yet as stoic as men can be about treating their illnesses, they have no problem complaining about their symptoms!

 

[puffin]

Wow Luisa you are doing really well with managing at work - hopefully things like steps will get easier as time goes by

 

[gazelle7777]

Hi Luisa. Sorry to hear your poor Hubby is not feeling well. Men are different creatures that is for sure. My Hubby will NOT tell me if he is sick... I find out AFTER he goes to the doctor if something is wrong.... he says he does not want to worry me... I tell him I WANT TO KNOW!!!! Sounds like your new job is challenging but you are up for the challenge! I will keep both you and your Hubby in my prayers. Take care my friend! Joan

 

[new knee in June]

Dear luisa,
Well, you made it another week I have only admiration for full-timers who have to go back to
Work. I work part-time & it's really hard sometimes. I hope your husbands steroid shot works for him
I hope every week gets easier for you...I know it will
Enjoy your weekend,
Diana...."June Sunbeams"

 

[Lmarshall]

I'm so upset and took me 2 days to post since I was busy feeling sorry for myself. I was at work on Friday aftenoon at a meeting, viewing a projection screen. Earlier in the day I noticed a small "floater" in my right eye. I call it a floater now, but didnt know what it was then. As I stared at the screen I watched it grow and grow. It was starting to seriously impeded my vision. I got so so scared!!! I thought I might be having a stroke! I left the meeting. Went to my room, but was all alone and unable to reach hubby on the phone. I went back into the meeting and called out one of my coworkers (great...totally drawing attention to myself). I was freaked out and having an anxiety attack. She called the school medics, who came to see me, I refused to get into wheeelchair i was so so embarrassed. Luckily, they hadnt called ambulance yet, and I finally reached hubby and my Dr. She advised me to go to NY Eye and Ear infirmary. Long stroy short I have a Posterior Vitreous Detachment. They checked my retina and its fine for now, but need to go back to another Opthamologist within 2 weeks to recheck. Apparently first 6 weeks are the critical portion where the retinal tear can happen. Nothing I do or not do will prevent it from happening. I AM SO BUMMED....

 

[new knee in June]

Dear luisa,
I am so sorry to hear about your eye. You must of been really scared.
Please don't feel embarrassed ( easier said than done ) just be glad there were medics to take
Care of you.
When I started B.P meds I would get strange eye floaters & they always lead to an anxiety attack.
My eyes were fine, but my mind would race.
I will that you are all right...
Please keep posting we care
Diana

 

[gidem]

Luisa,
I know exactly what you are feeling. In 1994, I was in a car accident and suffered a severe concussion. My head took a major hit. A few weeks later, I had some light arcs and went to the eye doctor. He stated that with the head trauma, my vitreous in both eyes had separated from the back wall and was hanging on the retina. It has been the same ever since. The side effect is that I see through various floaters in both eyes. I liken it to looking through dirty dish water. I got use to it- but still don't enjoy not having totally clear vision. I get checked every year to make sure that the retina is still okay and attached.
I know it is frightening, but you should be okay.
Hope this helps.

 

[MissJ]

Luisa
I havent' been on here in a long time - so I won't even try to respond to ALL the things that have happened in your life! Congrats on the new job, especially, and on the knees celebraring 4 months.

I had a vitreous detachment years ago when I was married to an optometrist - so at least I knew who to call! Over time it "reattached" or whatever they do. When it happened I had a black "donut" in front of my eye; that went away. I do have other floaters, but then I'm in my late 50's - none of them impede my vision seriously.

I'm so glad to hear about all the things you're doing -- steps, walking, driving... I went on a 6-hour car trip to see my sister a few weeks ago without even thinking twice about it (though I did "let" my husband do all of the driving). I hadn't seen her in over a year because of various knee/back complaints; it felt great to be able to simply plan & go.

take care!
j

 

[new knee in June]

Dear Luisa,
Happy 4 month knee Birthday Sorry .I'm a day late, I have been thinking about you. I hope you &
Your husband are doing well.
Have a nice long weekend...hopefully you have Monday off
Take Care,
Diana

 

[gazelle7777]

Luisa I missed your Birthday for your Knees! I am so sorry! Congradulations on coming so far on your journey and having such a great attitude even when things were not so great! I am dealing with some a Venous Insuffinciency issue with my right problem child leg.... I wrote about it in my thead if you want to see what is going on. SO depressing... I just want to feel good and be pain free for a while like we all do - huh? So we move forward and face whatever issues come along... like a trooper... like YOU my friend! Have a great holiday weekend and may good things come your way always. Joan

 

[Lmarshall]

Thanks everyone. My vision is still thecsame, but I guess you could say im getting used to it. I have an appt with a retina specialist at the end of the month. Im hoping that I have some improvement over time, but I decided either way, I would judt keep on moving forward. My right knee is still being stubborn, stiff and achy by the end of the day, but I get through my days at work just fine...im 3 weeks in! Job is going great and I finally got my first paycheck since my surgery in june! Wish I could splurge on myself...but too many bills for now. gazelle7777 im checking in on your thread now.

 

[new knee in June]

Dear luisa,
Thank you for posting & letting us know how you are doing I will say a for you & your
Husband. I hope your eye problem will correct itself. If you have Monday off, enjoy your long
Weekend.
Thinking of you
Diana

 

[gazelle7777]

Thanks everyone. My vision is still thecsame, but I guess you could say im getting used to it. I have an appt with a retina specialist at the end of the month. Im hoping that I have some improvement over time, but I decided either way, I would judt keep on moving forward. My right knee is still being stubborn, stiff and achy by the end of the day, but I get through my days at work just fine...im 3 weeks in! Job is going great and I finally got my first paycheck since my surgery in june! Wish I could splurge on myself...but too many bills for now. gazelle7777 im checking in on your thread now.

Luisa, so sorry to hear of your eye issues... I hope it clears up and or the retina specialist can help you! I am so happy your new job is doing great! I know about the stiff and achy by the end of the day.... especially when standing on them long periods of time. When moving I am fine.. it is the standing that they get so stiff. Can you sit and rest them during the day or are you always on your feet? Have a wonderful weekend my friend! Joan