TKR luvcats recovery box

[Poctdb]

Hundreds of smiling emojis.....all with mouse ears.
Congrats.....

 

[Steelergal]

What a wonderful milestone! I'm so thrilled you're feeling more confident and mobile. Can't wait to hear all about the success of Disney!

 

[sistersinhim]

brick paving so it's very uneven and not at all flat where tree roots and subsidence has made it buckle or fall.

Good job navigating that dangerous area. That was the cause of one of my first falls after my surgery. I had a cane, but my foot still got caught on a root and down I went. I have learned to twist and fall on my butt. That saves my knees.

 

[Rockgirl4]

I am sooooo happy things are going so well for you. I can't wait to read about your Disney trip and all of the wonderful ways you get to participate and enjoy yourself.

 

[luvcats]

Good job navigating that dangerous area. That was the cause of one of my first falls after my surgery.

I was super careful, but in truth, it wasn't quite as bad as I may have made it sound. There were no tree roots and the bricks were still well fitted. It is a prime tourist area so they keep it safe for normal walkers. I'm sure Beloved wouldn't have noticed the unevenness at all. For me, it was scary.

Thank you for all the wonderful encouragement! It feels good to share something really positive.
Of course, all that led me to over do things, lol, so still a bit sore today, but that is definitely how this recovery goes. Safe, safe, safe, adventure!, ice. lol

Our Thanksgiving will be very quiet. Just the 2 of us and I'm not cooking. Our local grocery does a very nice roasted turkey and we got a few portions. Next year I might be able to make the trip up to share the holiday with extended family. That would be pretty wonderful!

This year is frankly all about prepping for Disney. Inspired by @marieltha's thread about fun canes I have ordered some cat-themed decals to add to mine. Customization can only be a good thing and mine is boring black. Now I am looking at sun hats that actually pack. We are finally close enough to start seeing actual weather predictions and not just those based on seasonal data.

I'd just reduced my tramadol down to the last step, which I take right at bed time. I think I'll leave it there until we get back from traveling, as I will likely genuinely need it after long busy days anyway. My tolerance means that just tylenol doesn't do the job.

I'm packing some extra ziplock bags in case I need icing at night. Doubled bags and a towel ought to do the job well enough. No need to buy something else.

Now I'm off to have the purple redone in my hair. I'm having the salon do it for me this time to get better coverage. I need practice but that can come later.

 

[Macknit]

I can't believe we are at the 3 month (12 week) point this week...I thought it would never come!

You are preparing for Disney and decorating your cane! Packing sunhats.... Costco had a great packable one up here last summer....I don't know if they're available for your area still?

I'm looking forward to hearing all about the trip and maybe seeing a few pictures too!

I'm off to work in about 5-6" of snow, and the worst of the storm isn't due to arrive until mid-afternoon! I'm still hoping the office will have to close tomorrow. It would be a lovely break!!

 

[marieltha]

I like the free Accu weather app for weather away from home. They give daily for 7 days and you can click at the end/bottom and get up to 14 days. Their location for Lake Buena Vista has been accurate for us for Mickey’s House.
I can’t believe you are so far along in your recovery either! Definitely calls for that Dancing Cat !

 

[luvcats]

I can't believe we are at the 3 month (12 week) point this week...I thought it would never come!

One the one hand I can't believe it's 3 months, but on the other hand, I can't believe it's only three months! lol September is still so fussy. I keep reminding myself that July was fussy all through the first two months of regular icing for September, so there's no reason S shouldn't still be fussy, but I'm sooooo tired of it. I still know that doing them serially was the right decision, but I'm glad I didn't know quite how long recovery would take with both.

Yesterday was the first time I've ever had a 'process' done at a salon. Or anything really. I had my hair cut in one once, in France, when I was a tween and living there with my dad. My hair is waist length and always has been, with some natural curl. I'd much rather have a girlfriend or Beloved trim it for me as necessary. With the curl, if it isn't perfectly straight, no one would be able to tell anyway. But this is the place closest to me where I started having my hair washed shortly after my hernia surgery when I had drains hanging out my belly and had to be careful with my showers. When I discovered how fast and cheap it was to have just a wash, I kept going.

So yesterday I brought my own Overtone hair dye and my favorite lady applied it for me. The trick with this stuff is heat. I didn't use enough heat before. The color is much darker and I'm absolutely delighted with my result. It was more expensive than I expected, but for an occasional thing, it was worth it. My favorite part is how well the grey takes the color, so in my long dark hair I now have strands of what look like purple tinsel threaded in. It's fabulous!

Today I should get the decals for my cane.

Costco had a great packable one up here last summer....I don't know if they're available for your area still?

I am very fussy about hats. For one, I have a relatively large head for a woman and most ladies hats don't fit properly, but I don't like the way men's hats look. But also, I don't have what my friends and I refer to as a 'hat head'. I have a good friend who can wear absolutely any style of hat and it immediately looks like the hat was designed specifically for her head. Enormous sun hats, little pillboxes, cloche style, fascinators, it doesn't matter. She puts it on and it is perfect. When I put on 90% of hats, it looks somewhere between "you've stolen that hat, give it back' and utterly ridiculous. So I have to look carefully to find one that fits well and looks the correct style of ridiculous. I have one in the car that suits me, which I have embellished with trim and a tie, but it won't pack well. lol

Their location for Lake Buena Vista has been accurate for us for Mickey’s House.

I use accuweather all the time and I'm glad to see this tip for a better location. I'm excited that the forcasted weather so far will be perfect for us. Mid to upper 70s during the day, so I can wear my summer clothes, and not to chill at night so just a jacket or sweater will be warm enough.

My only other knee related task is to call the airlines and order my wheelchair for the airport. Dulles Airport is enormous and I don't want to waste my limited walking ability before the trip really gets good. We arrive around noon and that evening will be attending Mickey's Christmas Party in the Magic Kingdom, so it will be a very long, very busy day. Airport assistance is definitely the way to go.

 

[marieltha]

LOL I thought you’d like that forecast. I’d be wearing wool at night! Or using it as an excuse to buy new Mouse sweatshirts or fleece!
Your hair sounds gorgeous!
The airport wheelchairs sound great for your new knees.
Are you trying to find a hat to keep the sun off your face or keep your head warm at night?

 

[sistersinhim]

Ladies, you should take your chit chat to the Social Room. This forum is about your recovery. Please tell us more about your knees' recovery.

 

[Steelergal]

Yay for Disney! I’m so excited for you!

I'm packing some extra ziplock bags in case I need icing at night. Doubled bags and a towel ought to do the job well enough. No need to buy something else.

You probably already know this but just in case...pack more ziplock bags than you think you’ll need. I only took 4 on my cruise (2 big and 2 small) and after just a few days they’d all sprung leaks. Luckily i was able to find an equivalent in Greece!

 

[Macknit]

Hello @luvcats, I've missed seeing your posts....I'm sure you're in the complete ramp up for trip mode!? I hope your knees are behaving and that they do especially well during your Disney time!

My knee has been off this week, I'm not sure what this is about, though I did have PT on Tuesday and it could just be a reaction to that or to a busy Thanksgiving weekend!?

Happy trails!

 

[luvcats]

You probably already know this but just in case...pack more ziplock bags than you think you’ll need.

This is sort of a life rule for me. lol.

I overdid yesterday. No surprise. Packing, but also some room tidying that I just haven't had the energy or motivation for since, oh, 3 years? Maybe more. lol But the packing is pretty much done. I'm just working through possible things I forgot and putting out the key box for the cat sitters and such things.

Even though they are a little burny-achey right now, the new knees continue to be miraculous. A few weeks ago one of the prongs on my engagement ring caught a thread. Which it has never done in 20 years. So I hunted down a jeweler with a good reputation and took it in. They require 2 weeks, which is exactly what I had, and I was worried I'd lose a stone. It was ready today, which turned out to be a complete circus. It is down in old town where parking is usually a disaster, but today there is a parade. Or possibly there are going to be 2 parades. People everywhere, and the cross streets we needed were both closed to traffic. I wound up having to walk about 4 blocks, even with Beloved driving and dropping me and picking me up. The knees did great, and I can move a lot faster than I used to be able to. That is just amazing.

And I'd just like to say my cleaned and touched up wedding ring looks pretty amazing. It sparkles like I'm a bride again. Which will be fun in the FL sun while I'm wearing an Anniversary button. I am debating purple sequin or brides mouse ears. So many choices.

I'll be back with exciting stories of all the things my new knees let me do in Disney next week.
Stay safe everyone!

 

[luvcats]

Disney is fantastic. Knee is holding.up well.

 

[Poctdb]

“Story Time after Disney” I can hardly wait!!!!!!

 

[luvcats]

I didn't really expect to take 2 weeks to come back and post, but Beloved insisted in bringing home the traditional souvenir cold. I fought it epicly for about a week before I succumbed. Or maybe I picked up something different at the grocery store. Oh well. We stayed healthy through our trip, and that's what matters.

Wheel chair assistance through both airports in and out was definitely the way to go. There were literally miles of walking and standing just in the airport. Once we arrived, Disney has everything down to a clear system, but everything requires standing in line after line after line. I was not ready for that, so I'm glad I didn't have to.

We had more of an adventure than I planned when we arrived at our hotel. We walked to the verrrrrry tippy end of the insanely long corridor just to find that our room was unacceptable for the view we had reserved and paid for. This started a comedy of errors where we had to wait for a room, promised transport was provided in a way to really make me unhappy, and our food plan collapsed under the delay. I felt very challenged by the Universe and really had to fight to keep my excited holiday demeanor.

But through all that, my knees behaved like the space age upgrades I hoped for.
I was able to get in and out of the scooter without trouble. I was able to use the standard toilet stalls when necessary instead of standing endlessly to wait for the stall with railings.
I was able to get on and off some of the rides that don't stop, like the People Mover and the Haunted Mansion. It was awkward and a little stressful, but I managed and still had a great time.
One or two rides needed me to bend September more than she preferred, but she put up with it and managed everything I asked. And steps up or into rides were no problem.

I was really unprepared for how much walking I had to do, even with the scooter in the parks. Between the insanely long hallways in the resort, walking down from the resort entry down to the provided transport buses, and then walking from the buses to the park entries, we estimate, using Beloved's fitbit, that I was walking between 2.5 and 3 miles each day. That would have been utterly impossible before surgery. After, it was a stretch, but I managed 5 days of it.

I watched a lot of people coming and going from the resort with scooters. I'm really relieved I didn't have to do that. We had planned the trip even before I knew I could have my knees done and that was the original plan, because we still had lots of great stuff to celebrate. But I am overcome with gratitude that it wasn't necessary. It was doable, but quite a nuisance.

Let's see. Not a single ride I couldn't ride was because of my knee. There were a few that I had to skip because of my size, but not as many as I feared. The only ride that was a knee issue was the new Millenium Falcon ride at Galaxy's Edge. It's a motion simulator and September was a bit strained from stabilizing myself. But it was Worth It.

My cane worked well. I like the stickers I added to it. I'm super glad it's one that folds up. I just needed to wrap a rubber band around it to keep it folded and it sat nicely in my scooter basked until needed. I didn't use it for most bathroom stops, but I absolutely did need it for getting to and from buses and any time standing was required.

One of the best parts of the trip, not that being there wasn't enough, is that Disney has made a point to become food allergy friendly. That is a huge deal for me. It meant that literally everywhere we went I could find food that was safe for me, and in many places I had a lot of excellent choices. It made the trip a true vacation for me in a way I don't usually get.

Yes, I gained some weight, even after the travel bloat was peed away. Worth It!! I could feel the extra weight at it's maximum and my knees didn't really like it, but that's just extra impetus to get back to the strictest version of my eating plan in January and I have extensive plans to be super strict until our next vacation in March, the way I was for the 2 months leading up to my first surgery last summer. I can't be that strict all the time, but I can do it in spurts with a strong goal to work towards.

I will admit that some of the reason my knees did so well may have had to do with 'better living through chemistry'. I have a lot of leftover meds and I hadn't gotten all the way off my long term tramadol, so when I needed it, I just took what I needed. I'm glad I planned it that way, because it turned out I really needed meds by mid week. Not so much for the knees, but because after 5 years of near total disability, and 6 months of literally sitting on my behind healing, I had no callouses on my feet. I did powder and wear good socks, but I didn't expect to walk as much as it turned out I needed to.

By Wednesday night, I had blisters the size of my thumb on the bottoms of my feet. And that was horrific. Fortunately, Solarcaine is available in almost any resort gift shop. In case of emergency. Those blisters could have completely ruined the last 2 days of my trip, but I didn't let it. We managed, and I still had a lot of fun.

Overall, the trip was a complete success, and worthy of all the energy I put into looking forward to it.

This is me, taking a selfie at Disney Hollywood studios. My companions are Groot, from Guardians of the Galaxy, and a Porg I picked up at Galaxy's Edge.If you are a Star Wars fan, Galaxy's Edge is 100% worth all the hype. They are magnetic to stay on your shoulder.

 

[Poctdb]

Wow... I was beginning to wonder if I had missed story time from Disney...

I am sorry you were sick, but really happy that the knees allowed you to have a great time.

A friend told me that all the“errors” in a vacation story make the retelling better as the years go by.....

 

[marieltha]

What a great post-surgery vacation followup! You really did your advanced planning and your results were both magical and extra-galactical!

I think others planning new joint adventures can glean a lot from your descriptions, especially of the amount of unanticipated walking.

Thanks so much for sharing!

PS Love the photo. You have no wrinkles and a beautiful complexion.
I have to ask this (probably a duh): Do the shoulder pets come with a magnet that goes under your clothes?

 

[Macknit]

I was waiting to hear an update! Unfortunately, those colds do seem to haunt many travels! Well, as for blisters, any time you start walking 2.5-3 miles a day those blisters seem to pop out of nowhere!!

Overall what amazing transitions and progress you have made!! I'm was very curious to hear how your knees have been doing. Specifically, to hear that your September knee still had moments doesn't surprise me knowing my own recent TKR experiences that I've been posting on my thread!

My knee still has some recovering but I've been walking again, after a 2 week PT-recommended break and that has been a successful change in the swelling and pain levels. Still have IT band issues, but I do understand how long my soft tissues will take to adjust.

I love your photo also, cute little guys you have hitching a ride on your shoulders! And I ditto marieltha's complement! Lovely photo and your skin is perfect!

 

[Sara61]

What a fabulous update on your holiday and so happy that you managed so well especially with bilateral knee surgery - you really are an inspiration to us all xx
Great photo and I second/third you look fabulous I'm very envious of your wrinkle free complexion