TKR luvcats recovery box

[Carole4815]

Luvcats, your post is so inspiring! And now I am really hopeful that the seated elliptical at our gym will work for me, too. My sweetie never seems to want to go to the gym, but he said we could resume going there regularly next week. And what a great accomplishment for you to be stepping up on that curb like that!

I am amazed that you were able to go into an actual store with just the shopping cart. I'm still afraid of doing that without my rollator to give me something to sit on if I need it. But so far in my (very few) adventures inside stores lately I haven't ever needed it, so eventually I will stop being so concerned about that.

Your recovery is progressing so nicely! Congratulations on that. It's quite an accomplishment, especially with Newbie being so new.

 

[marieltha]

What an inspirational post!

Pool walking! How wonderful! Heavenly.

 

[luvcats]

I've had to seek second opinions and be firm with people who probably shouldn't be in the healthcare field.

I like to say many people in the health care field "should probably be in some other line of work."
Fat phobia is a very real problem. It can prevent proper care at even the most basic level. I have had to search very carefully to find doctors who would give proper care and not attribute every single problem to my weight. It took me 8 tries to get a decent primary care doctor. I think I'm more surprised it only took 2 tries to get a decent surgeon.

I am really hopeful that the seated elliptical at our gym will work for me, too.

I do hope so. For whatever reason, the elliptical has always been my favorite. Before my knees went bad, I used the standing one and I have plans to go back to that when I'm able. I was using the seated back before surgery when the surgeon recommended I work on my ROM as much as possible before. The motion has just always been much more comfortable for me than a bike. I can't wait to hear about your successes.

I am amazed that you were able to go into an actual store with just the shopping cart.

Me too!!! I probably should have had a rollator pre surgery but I would have needed a very heavy duty one between my weight and the size of my bum, and that makes them too heavy to get in and out of the car and such. So I never went there.
I've been doing my standing practice mostly in the kitchen. Can I stand while I load the dishes? How about while I make my lunch? That's been going quite well, so I was pretty sure I could manage the store to find one thing. It's not an especially huge store. But it felt like a huge triumph. I'm going to have to fight the urge to go 'pick up' more things. We try to live a low-stuff lifestyle. But I could!! And that's the important part.

For years I have patronized one specific grocery store because they have good convenience carts and the people there are always very happy to help me with things that are behind doors or out of my reach. I only go once per week. It is not particularly close, although it is the best and I will continue to shop there. But just yesterday I was contemplating which closer, more convenient store might have organic bananas that I could pick up mid- week. Because I could just run in and get them and be done.

"Run in" seems like such a magical thing!!

Pool walking! How wonderful! Heavenly.

I have been longing for this for months. I really miss the freedom of being weightless and strong in the water.

 

[luvcats]

I don't think I could have come through this nearly as well without all my Bonesmartie friends. You are all so supportive and encouraging. I wish we had teleporters and could all get together for a walk in the pool! lol

On the app from my surgeon, not only do they track our pain levels and other things through the healing process, there are also 'stories' that talk about where we are in recovery and what to expect. They are daily for about 4 weeks, then they seem to be weekly. By this point for July, I was already reset into the count down for newbie, so I never saw this most recent story. It specifically talks about not using pillows under the leg because your knee really needs to be straight at night. Last night after I got up for the 2 am pee, I took another dose of tylenol and didn't put the pillows under my leg.

Tactical error. Newbie is grumpy this morning and I didn't sleep very well after, even with the tylenol. sigh. So, back to pillows and the coffin position (TM @Rather) for another week or so. My knee has ease, but isn't really bent the way I have the pillows organized. Sleep is still more important than perfect ROM at this point.

It is fascinating to me how...equal my knees are at this point. Even though July is 2 months older, she still has issues. The scar is still sensitive. I still get aches on the lower part where the spike goes into the bone. I still have to be careful of any twisting. Newbie never had the bone aches, maybe because the leg was stronger and in better shape before, or maybe because it needed a lot less repair to straighten it. Or maybe just because.

I do wonder sometimes if July's healing was slowed because the second surgery was so quick. Healing is such an individual process I don't suppose there is any good data on that kind of question, but I do wonder. Not that it matters, I'm just terminally curious.

I've finally gotten myself back on to my proper Weight Watchers program. I'm hoping those first few lbs of water weight @Carole4815 was mentioning will all come off my thighs that are still holding a lot of post-surgery swelling. We share our dromedary traits. I'm curious to know how much weight I actually gained during 3 months of inactivity and how much I just retained water. It doesn't matter, I've stayed in an acceptable range for me, I just always want to know.

 

[luvcats]

@Jockette You were posting in @Carole4815's threat about being a WW member and hating veggies. I'm right there with you. Mostly I have given up on veggies. For a while I was making my own soup from scratch, home made chicken stock, then add the chicken and several veggies and blend the whole thing to an even consistency. Zucchini and butter nut squash were great in this, they just added a nice texture. I often added green chili for flavor, and because it's surprisingly nutritious. Then always some leafy green that I despised for the health benefits because blended into an other wise very nice soup it was tolerable. I quit making soup when my knees got so bad I was just too exhausted from pain. I may take it up again.

Otherwise, I just stopped worrying about the veggies and just make sure I eat the ones I don't hate on a fairly regular basis, and take good nutrition supplements.

It's taken me 2 solid weeks to get to the point where I was willing to get back to counting points for WW. If it weren't for the fact that a dear friend of mine is doing it and just posted a nice weight loss despite her pending divorce, and Beloved has been super compliant all through a horribly stressful summer, I don't think I'd have been able to get my grip back so quickly.

I remain very annoyed that I didn't lose any weight during recovery. I didn't gain, which considering how I was eating is really a miracle and shows how much energy I was expending, but I'd really hoped for a solid loss. Sigh.

I was joking with my buddy the other day how very unreasonable it is that for dieting to work you have to do it Every Day!

 

[Jockette]

I should learn how to make a butternut soup. My daughter makes it and I like it. But she’s in Ohio and I’m in Delaware. I’m not even sure I know what a butternut looks like to find it in the store. My problem with soup is I like the creamy versions, and I think they are a higher point value

I did WW in 2011 with Points Plus and did very well with it. I was focused and my leader was awesome, she made losing weight fun. I never missed a meeting. I even went to a meeting when we were on vacation that summer visiting our friends beach house. I enjoyed that meeting also.

I was never hungry on that plan and I honestly think I ate more then than I do now. I think they key is, I had more daily activities then. We lived in a bigger, 2 story house, with a basement, so by default, there were more steps in my day. My knees had only begun to hurt.

But now, I’m in a smaller, one story house. Instead of my laundry in the basement and 2 flights of stairs up to the bedroom, my laundry is now 7 steps from my bedroom. My knee bothers me and I have a foot problem. Walking more than a short walk is no longer in my best interest. Surprisingly, I can grocery shop for over an hour with no problems, but I can’t walk my neighborhood for that long.

 

[luvcats]

Butternut squash is the long beige one with the bulb on the end.
Fresh is almost always better, but when pain and energy levels are a problem, then alternatives can be very serviceable. Check your frozen vegetable section. When I was in my soup phase, I was using frozen butternut chunks. No additives, but already peeled, chunked, and frozen. Freezing breaks down the fiber and saves a lot of cooking time, not to mention struggling with the chopping and peeling. Those people are tough to work with!

I also prefer the creamy soups, and since those usually have actual cream, that's where the points come in. But after a lot of experimentation, I determined that while I like the cream, what I really wanted was the thick, smooth texture of the creamy soups. And that you can mimic by using squash. Butternut, acorn, zucchini, all those will blend nicely to a rich, smooth texture that sits nicely on the tongue without adding a ton of points. I like to add a tsp of bacon fat to an otherwise zero point soup for the smokey richness it gives, while still controlling the points.

Although I only know how to count the current 'smart point' method. It's been working brilliantly for me.

 

[Jockette]

what I really wanted was the thick, smooth texture of the creamy soups. And that you can mimic by using squash. Butternut, acorn, zucchini, all those will blend nicely to a rich, smooth texture

I like this idea. I’ll have to look for recipes. If you have any you’d like to share, I think there a recipe thread in the Social Room.

 

[Macknit]

Yes, WW is the way I lost most of my weight, then I still had 10-15 that I wanted to lose, so I splurged on Noom. It has you count calories and divides foods into green food groups (eat as much as you want in the calorie range) Yellow (moderate eating, complex carbs) Red (healthy fats, limit this area) but that is only one small part.

The critical component however is major behavior modification! I lost 10 more lbs on this and now I'm getting ready to pick it up again seriously. I've completed the program and then one of their advisors told me she could roll back the lesson plans for me to start when I felt my recovery could handle it! It does incorporate your activity level, so now that I've "upped" my time on my bike and elliptical (to 5 minutes each ) I will be adding that to my tracking! When I re-complete the program I may switch back to WW, because I don't have to pay out of pocket...my insurance pays, if you stick to it!! Fortunately, the programs are very similar in their tracking of food - points/calories and type of food.

I didn't gain, which considering how I was eating is really a miracle and shows how much energy I was expending, but I'd really hoped for a solid loss. Sigh.

I was worried the first few week because even with my healthy eating (of more than I had been) I was loosing one lb each 1-2 days....I have never in my life been worried about weight loss! it does reiterate the energy our bodies expend healing us! I slowly have regained that weight, but l still have 15 lbs I'm looking to lose. So back to the app!!

Best of luck on your program!!!

I meant to tell you about my husband's side of the family, especially my mother-in-law. She really taught me about the Fat Phobia issue, back in the 80's...she was definitely genetically predisposed to a slower metabolism and I saw her lose 100 lbs, and then regain it. She talked often about how rude even the grocery clerks were to her. Sadly, she became less and less inclined to go out in public, even if we were in town visiting, we had to beg to get her to go to the beach or out to dinner. I understand the health issues, but it is tragic how judgmental even healthcare is!! 8 tries for a primary care doctor!! Egregious!

 

[marieltha]

Personally, I think it is quite an achievement to have major surgery and not gain weight.

 

[luvcats]

@Macknit I'm sorry about your MILs experiences. I will say that among the general population I think it is much better. I very rarely have random people be rude. Possibly that is because I don't get out much. I'll have to see how it goes as I increase my interactions with the world. I still think the medical industry is plagued with it though. So destructive and unnecessary. Every single one of my large sized friends has a horror story. Many of us have more than one. What ever happened to "Do no harm?"

Here it is Thursday already. What a busy week!

Monday I went for a massage. It was amazing. It felt so good to have the full body tension from so much pain be helped away. She also did good work on my annoyed hip and September leg, all very gentle and careful.

Monday's major milestone was a dash into a grocery store. It has been a long time since 'dash' was even the vaguest of possibilities. Out of the car up to the store with no cane. Grab a regular rolling cart. Figure out where the heck this store has the bananas, choose bananas, walk right over to pay, and back to the car. 8 minutes. If felt amazing! This standing up thing is really going to work for me!!!

I don't know if it seems small to you, but it felt like a miracle to me.

Tuesday was full of milestones.
I went back to the pool!!! It felt wonderful. I was very careful with the time. 20 minutes of walking and then 10 of stretching and a few squats. I worked on lengthening my stride since falling is a non-issue in the pool. I think I'll be able to make good progress as I get my stamina back.

The other big thing was about my pool shoes. The current ones are too loose and have a tendency to want to float off. I was able to stand at the wall, lift my foot, and bend until I could reach the shoe with my hands to take it off. Both sides, and then back on again to get out. Not quite easily, but I did it! Easily will come, I feel certain.

After the pool, I still had enough energy to dye my hair. I just use a semi-permanent dye that goes on as a conditioner. That means I needed to stand in the shower long enough to get a good rinse. Plus the 2 extra trips up and down the stairs because I couldn't find my latex gloves. lol It's purple, as if there was any question. lol It takes very well on the grey, so I have long, dark hair with purple tinsel streaks in it! It amuses me mightily.


Yesterday's milestone was on the elliptical. This is not-me on a seated elliptical. I wanted you to know what those pedals look like, hence the picture. I did my 20 minutes, with the resistance set to 2. I can pedal easily, even when I just get on. But after, I slid my feet down so they were halfway off the bottom end of the pedal and rocked, getting in more bending stretch. For me this is a lot easier than heel slides. I haven't had my ROM checked in a while, but I feel certain it's pretty good.

I'm also doing well stepping down from tramadol. Last night I took my 3rd step. I slept great, but I think tomorrow will be the test. I am very optimistic.

I'm still one-footing stairs. Mostly because my left leg, July, still needs a lot more strength training. I'm not really worried about that. As I see myself moving more easily, I know that increased strength will come easily with more activity.

I am a morning person. Always have been. I find now that my energy is good, but my stamina is terrible. I can get things done in the mornings, usually more than I thought, but when I'm done, I'm completely done. No stamina at all. I know it will come back but it feels weird to feel great in the morning and then around lunch time, or early afternoon, I'm back to fuzzy headed and exhausted.

On the upside, I've also managed to mostly stay out of the ODIC! Go me.

One of the most important things I'm learning is how many other issues I had were pain related. I used to wake up several times a night. My sleep doctor hypothesized that it was caused by pain keeping me from sleeping deeply, and I think now that is true. My lease favorite chore has been putting away clean dishes. But now that I move pretty easily, it's not really a big deal. I'm much more willing to just stand up and go do a thing as I think of it, instead of holding everything until the next time I have to get up.

Life is good! 38 days until Disney!!!

 

[marieltha]

Pool walking and purple hair!!!!!

 

[Macknit]

What an absolutely amazing update!! it sounds like you are really progressing!! I hope this continues as you head to Disney!

I had a weird night, well strangedreams and knee shooting pains, which are newish. The pains take me back to week 2 of this recovery! I'm still blaming it all on the driving and sitting differently at work! I hope this will pass quickly!

I have my massage today! I am looking forward to it! I still feel like I'm in the ODIC club!

 

[Celle]

By this point for July, I was already reset into the count down for newbie, so I never saw this most recent story. It specifically talks about not using pillows under the leg because your knee really needs to be straight at night. Last night after I got up for the 2 am pee, I took another dose of tylenol and didn't put the pillows under my leg.

Tactical error. Newbie is grumpy this morning and I didn't sleep very well after, even with the tylenol. sigh. So, back to pillows and the coffin position (TM @Rather) for another week or so. My knee has ease, but isn't really bent the way I have the pillows organized. Sleep is still more important than perfect ROM at this point.

This is another thing that's just a matter of opinion. While your surgeon and his/her team may suggest that your leg should be straight at all times, actually it makes no difference at all. It's more important to elevate comfortably than it is to keep your leg straight while you sleep. If you sleep with your knee bent a bit, it won't compromise the development of your extension.

 

[Carole4815]

Monday's major milestone was a dash into a grocery store. It has been a long time since 'dash' was even the vaguest of possibilities. Out of the car up to the store with no cane. Grab a regular rolling cart. Figure out where the heck this store has the bananas, choose bananas, walk right over to pay, and back to the car. 8 minutes. If felt amazing! This standing up thing is really going to work for me!!!

I don't know if it seems small to you, but it felt like a miracle to me.

That is not small!!! That's absolutely miraculous, especially with Newbie being so young. A regular cart and no cane? That's definitely worth celebrating!

 

[luvcats]

This is another thing that's just a matter of opinion.

I realized this when I thought about what my other leg is doing while I sleep. I tend to sleep with both legs bent regardless of pillows, I'm not going to worry about that at all! Extension hasn't been an issue for me at all anyway.

A regular cart and no cane?

Well, it was just bananas. In and out, no other groceries. But still, it bodes very well for the future.

 

[luvcats]

I have been wondering to myself if, now that I'm back to the pool and able to do more exercises on my own, if I still need to go to PT. Friday I decided the answer is definitely yes. Not that I need it, but I'm still getting a definite benefit. He can just look at me post pool and see that my gait is already improved. I did some balance work on a gel pad. That helps coordinate and strengthen everything, especially the little muscles. It's good to do it there, in safety. I did some side stepping with a resistance band, and that was quite a workout. I did some stair work, where you step up, then step down to the side, as slowly as possible, then back up. They have all that equipment. So I will definitely keep my last few appointments.

I did hit the pool again on Thursday. I overdid just a bit. A pool-friend was there and was chatty, so I did a little extra walking. She is 84 and walks much, much slower than I usually do, so it mostly felt like bobbing along beside her while we chatted and I didn't think it would be an issue. I can tell it definitely could have been, so I'll be careful.

This week I'd like to add 10 minutes to the pool 2 days and to increase my resistance on the elliptical to 3 the other 2 days.

I'm doing really well with standing in the kitchen. I still have my chair by the stove, but I use it less and less, and I find when I do need to sit, it really is just for a minute or 2 and then I'm fine again, unlike before when it was always a spiral down into barely being able to get up at all.

Today is the morning after the time change. Unlike most people, this is the one that is hardest on me. I have something called "Advance sleep phase disorder" which means that I am always up around 5 am, no matter what. Except usually in July when I'm up about 4:30 because sunrise is so early. My circadian rhythm doesn't have any other setting. If I stay up too late, then I'm just tired the next day. Sleeping in is not an option.

And that's before we even discuss cats. Neeka is a very schedule oriented cat person. And cuddles happen first thing in the morning, followed by breakfast. No slacking allowed.

Today is officially 60 days from my September surgery.

 

[Carole4815]

You are doing wonderfully! Simply amazing at less than 9 weeks since your second TKR. I am especially impressed to read that you don't have to sit in your chair as much while cooking, as you did. I am trying to take occasional breaks from it, to straighten up the kitchen. I guess I leave my cooking barstool for maybe 2-3 minutes every 20 minutes or so while cooking. You are inspiring me to do more in the kitchen while cooking. Anyway, my recovery began weeks before yours and I think your recovery has been simply amazing.

Your PT actually sounds helpful (mine wasn't like that). As for the clocks, I haven't changed any of them yet so as far as I'm concerned, the time change hasn't happened yet. First things first; I'm icing my knee first.

 

[marieltha]

Your PT always sounds good to me. Very personalized.

It is easy to overdo in a pool. It feels so good to be moving. Loved your image of bobbing alongside your friend.

Did you get new water shoes?

 

[Macknit]

Your PT sounds very similar to mine, and I've always been happy with it. Last week was just the massage, so I'm actually looking forward to my exercise-lite program.

I've always been a morning person too, and this time change always throws me off! I've just been told I have insomnia, nothing special in the way of a sleep disorder....except my snoring is just enough that I've been ordered a CPAP. (My husband is thrilled, because he has been on one for 20 years, but my snoring has gotten worse.) After the sleep study the Dr. decided I have a fat tongue and a thin throat... seriously she told me that!!! So CPAP it is!

I start full-time work tomorrow, which will probably tax me because of the time change. The part-time work was a perfect transition and I didn't forget anything during my 6 weeks off! I just live with my gel packs as needed! I just hope my work in the garden today, doesn't throw me into the ODIC again!!