TKR luvcats recovery box

[Steelergal]

I love reading all of these amazing milestones and updates! I'm glad you're feeling stronger and able to "run in" to the store now. The freedom is great!

 

[luvcats]

I am especially impressed to read that you don't have to sit in your chair as much while cooking, as you did.

One of today's milestones was that while browning meat at the stove, it was easier to stand up and stir it than to sit in my chair. It has been at least 5 years since that was true. It felt fantastic!!

Your PT always sounds good to me. Very personalized.

Every day around here there is another horror story that makes me even more grateful for the PT I got. He's wonderful and supportive and always, always listens. When I finish, I plan to write a letter to the company he works for, and probably an online review.

Did you get new water shoes?

I did. They are a bit too small, but workable. They aren't expensive, so I ordered the next size up and will keep these for emergencies.

@Macknit Beloved finally was diagnosed with sleep apnea after he had cardiac bypass surgery. I think he really needed one about 20 years ago. With it, he's practically a different person. He used to have trouble falling asleep and would take forever to wake up. Now he puts on his mask, gets into the breathing rhythm, and drops off instantly, and then he just lays there, sleeping all night like some psychopath. lol. And he wakes up easily in the morning after 7 hours of sleep instead of the 9 he's needed as long as I've known him. I wonder sometimes if he's a pod person now. Not that it matters, he did such a great job caring for me that I'll keep the pod. lol

 

[luvcats]

I am finally getting to the point where standing and waiting on things seems easier than sitting down all the time. It almost feels weird. Like the Universe has shifted or something.

Monday not only did I do my 20 mins on the elliptical, I also went to Michaels. I was looking for one specific knitting thing. I couldn't find it, but I did find a half dozen other things I should have in my knitting kit. But then while I was looking for the one thing, I also accidentally looked at the yarns. I manged to escape after being accosted by only 2 skeins, so I'm not too unhappy.

I stood in a store for 30 minutes!!!!!!
Of course, my legs ached that night for certain. It is working out cooperatively that I'm still stepping down meds and I take my doses mostly at night, otherwise I wouldn't be getting nearly as much sleep as I am.

Today was 25 minutes in the pool. That always feels so good. I make sure I face the clock so I don't overstay my time.

Beloved had an overnight work trip, so I have an evening to myself for posting.

 

[marieltha]

When you write your letter, mention that others, such as me, even benefited from the half steps he showed you!

I laughed about your description of your wide awake pod person. I just left a post in @Macknit ‘s thread describing my husband and cat getting used to me morphing into this energetic woman up early, sitting in my chair at breakfast.

 

[Macknit]

It sounds like you had fun at Micheal's! I've always loved that store... and 30 minutes of standing only gave you sore muscles? No swelling??

I have definitely been sore adjusting to FT work! I had PT today which was really nice and loosened up all the tight corners around my knee. Does your PT use the Graston technique? It sounds like it would be tortuous when you look at it on YouTube, but when my PT uses this little tool, it is just the right amount of pressure and really releases the stiffness. Of course, she doesn't touch my scar or even get near to it!! I'm lucky like you and have loved my PT! I even have had an alternate (who is one of the owners) and she too is fabulous. They have helped me so much!

CPAP, seems to be helping too! Maybe not as much as @marieltha ...I'm still groggy when I wake up, but I have had 2 straight nights of 7 hours of sleep and I am ecstatic!

 

[luvcats]

When you write your letter, mention that others, such as me, even benefited from the half steps he showed you!

I will. I need to pass your thanks along to him when I see him today.

No swelling??

Well, my legs are enormously fat. It's very hard to tell a little additional swelling. They were extra warm, so probably also swollen.

Does your PT use the Graston technique?

I had to look this up on youtube. He has not. I haven't really needed anything like that.

I'm still groggy when I wake up, but I have had 2 straight nights of 7 hours of sleep and I am ecstatic!

7 hours straight sounds amazing. And don't give up, it can take a while to get the pressures adjusted perfectly and for your body to catch up with all the backlog of sleep you weren't getting. You probably will get a new perkiness to your life!

 

[luvcats]

Having the energy to get things done is awesome, but also weird.

I got up early, as always, to get some things done. I have done them, but now it's time to go to the rec center. And then I need my quick mid week trip to the store, which I haven't done in years. And then it will be time for PT. And then it will be time for food and ice and having my legs elevated and my day will be practically over.

I just feel rushed all the time now. Which is weird, and also inaccurate since my afternoons are all pretty much devoted to elevation and knitting. I guess I'm just out of the habit of having things I actually need to do on any kind of timeline. I'm sure I'll get used to it again.

Today is the first day I'll do the elliptical along with PT. I'm hoping I won't regret it, but last week I was sorry I hadn't done it, because it makes my knee much looser than the stepper thing they have at PT, which I don't really like. So, fingers crossed.

 

[marieltha]

What does the stepper thing at PT look like?

(I haven’t gotten the hang of quoting. Since the update on my phone’s software, I quote the whole message and the link to how to’s tells me I don’t have permission to be there).

 

[Macknit]

(I haven’t gotten the hang of quoting. Since the update on my phone’s software, I quote the whole message and the link to how to’s tells me I don’t have permission to be there).

I just highlight the section I want to quote and the tap the "Quote this message" box that pops up when you highlight. I can do it on both my phone and laptop. It sounds like it changed with your phone's update? Not this forum's update, right?

 

[Macknit]

just feel rushed all the time now. Which is weird, and also inaccurate since my afternoons are all pretty much devoted to elevation and knitting.

I know that rushed feeling, and it is the one thing I wasn't looking forward to returning! I actually have to do some deep breathing, if something starts to bug me, because I used to get wound pretty tight! As I've gotten older I have really focused on relaxing and not letting things get to me....however that is a moving target. I just keep trying, practicing a slow and gentle movement, and have had more success by persevering!!
Enjoy the afternoons, my idea of luxury is elevation and knitting!

 

[marieltha]

just highlight the section I want to quote and the tap the "Quote this message" box that pops up when you highlight. I can do it on both my phone and laptop. It sounds like it changed with your phone's update? Not this forum's update, right?

Correct. The iOS update. I think it just worked here. It might be just the ipad, which also just changed. Thanks!

 

[Macknit]

Glad it worked! Every time I update there is a lag time!

 

[luvcats]

No swelling??

Possibly I spoke too soon? Yeah, apparently when it gets bad, I can still tell. lol

When I got to the rec center, all the handicapped spaces were taken and it's a significant hill up from the regular parking lot, so I didn't want to do that yet. I went to the store and thought I'd just get my elliptical time on the way home. I wasn't going to buy anything that couldn't sit in the car for 20 minutes in November. lol

But sitting in the convenience cart at the store made me notice my knees were a bit whiny. I was debating with myself the need to stretch vs the need to not overdo when I drove right past the street to the rec center, so that was that. Definitely the right choice.

I worked hard at PT. I control the speed, strength and duration, and I pay close attention to how I feel during the session, but by the end, I was very definitely done in, and I'd probably done about 20% more than I really should have. So I iced the rest of the afternoon, and I decided I better skip the pool today.

On Saturday I want to be able to stand long enough to choose and discuss holiday lights with Beloved. I love holiday lights, so I really need to be part of the process, and I don't believe that store has a cart.

And really, it just feels so good to be able to walk and shop at a normal pace and height!!

And since some of you are knitters, I must brag. I made my first mitten! And then I took it to knitting group to ask for critique to see where I could improve. Except for discussing why you should use a smaller needle on the cuff, I was applauded for a most excellent mitten! No improvements necessary. Yay me!

 

[Macknit]

Well, of course, the first thing I have to comment on is the Mitten!!! congratulations...That is quite a challenge!

I made some lovely Alpaca socks with little cables and twists a few years ago (now this is after 25 years of knitting) I must have been working on them after one of my surgeries and painkillers, because one of the socks ended up with an extra row of cables, that made it about 1/2" larger than the other one! I had planned for these to be a Christmas present, but needless to say they ended up being my snow boot socks!

I notice after PT there is some swelling in the knees, a little bit, but I really feel it in the glutes and quads. I think that is a good thing!?? Most likely it was smart that your car just drove by the rec center!

I mentioned in my thread that I think I'm turning a corner....only to wake up to knee jolts and calf cramps. I'm guessing it's because all my Tylenol/anti-inflammatory meds are out of my system around 3-4 AM. So, on Monday I got a new NSAID that lasts 24 hours. I'm hoping since this is my first day and I took it in the morning, that it will last me through the night???

Enjoy the Christmas light shopping! This is a big deal for us too...We really light up the forest!

 

[luvcats]

As I've gotten older I have really focused on relaxing and not letting things get to me....however that is a moving target.

Isn't it just? I can look back and see how much I've improved over the years, but I still feel angst-ridden a lot of the time. And the drain from surgery just made it worse. I still can't handle stressful things very well. Last night I was completely overwhelmed with a new knitting pattern! lol I'm still a beginner and this is a more ambitious pattern that I'm having trouble deciphering. I'm going to need to write out a translation and take them to my knitting group and ask someone to check it.

I didn't finish my mitten yesterday. I've been working on a 4x4 checkerboard scarf, and I've decided the pattern bores me, so I'm trying to power through finishing it. Then I'm going to make some hats to learn new techniques.

congratulations

Thanks! I am very pleased it wasn't as difficult to do as I was afraid it would be. I found a pattern and video tutorial for flip top mittens. I'm going to make some of those I think. They are all for donation, and it seems that would keep people from setting them down and losing one.

an extra row of cables

Ooops. How annoying.

I really feel it in the glutes and quads.

I think I should be feeling things in the glutes more, but my quads are always sore now! They aren't used to working for a living! lol.

It's a bit annoying that the minute we think we're finally over the next hump, we aren't. sigh. I hope your new NSAID does the job. Since I have trouble sleeping anyway, I make sure I take any pain meds at bedtime so they are at their strongest when I need them most.

 

[luvcats]

Today is officially 30 days to our big Disney trip!!!

I'm very excited that I shouldn't have any trouble managing getting in and out of vehicles, around my hotel, and in and out of restrooms without any trouble.
I do still plan to have a wheelchair at the Dulles airport, which is beyond huge, and also has annoying shuttles and such. I might be able to manage by then, but the last thing I want to do is push my endurance and be sore at the start of my vacation. I want to use all my ODIC points to have fun.

I did not sleep well. I think it had more to do with a sudden dramatic weather shift, which I've always been sensitive to. They are even predicting snow flurries, which is not at all the normal thing for DC in November.

Being tired has amplified my perfectly normal, yet still very distressing frustration and depression about STILL being in a healing place. Even July is not really all back. And intellectually I have always known healing would come slower because part of healing is learning to use the legs properly again, and unlike many people, I'm not coming from a place of normal activity and function. I'm coming from a place of contemplating how much longer it was going to be before I needed a wheel chair to function outside the house, and was there anywhere we could install an elevator. I was already only doing the stairs once a day. Knowing all this intellectually does not really help emotionally.

Knitting has been a lifesaver for me. It is new enough to hold my attention, there are enough complexities to keep my brain busy, and it is something to do with the endless hours of elevation while my body gets on with the healing.

 

[VSlowLife]

Glad to hear knitting has been a great distraction for you!

 

[sondrals]

I think it had more to do with a sudden dramatic weather shift

I've been hearing a lot about this, especially after a TKR. I live in Alaska and never considered the cold/weather affecting it, I'm not wondering if I should be more aware of it. I've always said I could tell when it was going to rain, but now I'm worried the cold will bother me.

And intellectually I have always known healing would come slower because part of healing is learning to use the legs properly again, and unlike many people, I'm not coming from a place of normal activity and function

I'm in the same boat, but I am SO impressed with your progress. I feel like we started out in a very similar place. I'm super frustrated with my progress but I also know I have never had normal legs that functioned properly, so I am having to re-learn just about everything.

Knowing all this intellectually does not really help emotionally.

Amen to that. It's super easy to get down on ourselves.

 

[pamsknees]

I’m impressed! Standing 30 minutes in a store sounds wonderful. Last time I went shopping, I ended up going back out to my truck where I ordered online from the parking lot.
I may need to consider Knitting..... after my prolapse surgery I took up photography..... browsing in a camera shop ends up a whole lot of $$$$

 

[marieltha]

Being tired has amplified my perfectly normal, yet still very distressing frustration and depression about STILL being in a healing place. Even July is not really all back.

Oh, I had to reread this and remind myself how much older I am than you are. (I’m the 68 year old “femme de certaine age” who thinks she’s 47-ish) My March 2019 is not really all back, and LOL, my April 2018 is not really all back. The latter of course is mostly due to my twisting it which led to the ligament sprain which....
Just focus on the imminent Mousekisses. All will be well.
PS I recently read a man’s thread here and can’t find it now. He described his very pleasant week at Disney pretty soon after his surgery. He did what you have described. Stayed at a Disney resort. Walked some. Used a motorized cart/scooter a lot. Paced himself. Came home right on track and very happy he went.