Ladyala
member
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TKR luvcats recovery box
- Thread starter luvcats
- Start date
OP
OP
luvcats
post-grad
What sort of sewing do you do? I learned to make costumes as part of a much loved reenactment group. That translated into making many of my own clothes. I haven't done anything but minor repairs in ages. I love to smock, and I have the little machine that puts the pleats in. I have all the stuff to make dresses for the 4 little girls in my life, but I haven't done a thing. I'm really looking forward to a time when constant pain in my knees doesn't suck my life out!
Oh yes! I have reached out to just about everyone on my friends list. If I see them listed as online, I'm always checking to see if they have time to chat.
Excellent advice. I think we should all have handy protein shakes. I even took two to the hospital with me, either in case I got hungry off hours, or in case my stomach wasn't interested in food. When I was desperately sick back over the winter, I went through a lot of protein shakes. It was the only thing I could stomach. Since the TKR, even though I never lost my appetite I've gone through a staggering number of protein shakes, to which I also add extra collagen. I have a whole formula that I wrote out for Beloved so he could fix them just right for me while I was recovering.
Most people don't get enough protein, especially not for a major healing, but I am not one of them! I ate low carb for many years, and while I've adjusted that, my meals are always protein focused. Hard boiled eggs are my go-to snack, along with lovely fresh fruit.
OP
OP
luvcats
post-grad
After all that whinging about being bored, I think I've turned another corner. Or maybe it was just really, really good to be out for a bit on Friday.
Friday I drove for the first time. Quiet back roads down to the grocery store. I did all the shopping myself, and had time for little chats with my store-friends which was some good social interaction. The most excitement I've had in weeks! They are used to me being disabled, so I have one that helps me with doors in the freezer section. I always choose my favorite checker when I can, and I always have carry out assistance, so it felt like normal! It was lovely to visit normal. Then bring all the food home and leave it for Beloved to carry in and put away. Not normal, but not my favorite part so, cool!
Just enough time for a protein shake and a rest with my leg up, then PT. I'm very fortunate in my PT person. I told him I'd over done it by about 15% the last time, so he scaled me back a little and didn't add anything new. I'm working half sized steps. Those are going well, but I can't quite manage a regular step when I experimented with just one at home. But I have 4 more weeks to learn it, and I'm sure that's not going to be a problem.
After PT I made lunch, ate lunch, and then since I knew I'd probably done too much, I went straight up and lay down with my Lounge Doctor and spent the rest of the day resting. I slept great, and woke up in a very good mood on Saturday! Yay! I really hate being a grumpasaurus. I'm still in a positive mood today. We'll see how it goes tomorrow when Beloved is working again and I'm back to entertaining myself.
Today I have a new adventure. My incision is healing beautifully! Which means it now ITCHES! It's making me crazy. No scratching. Gentle rubbing only. Coconut oil helps, but not always. I may lose my mind.
Friday I drove for the first time. Quiet back roads down to the grocery store. I did all the shopping myself, and had time for little chats with my store-friends which was some good social interaction. The most excitement I've had in weeks! They are used to me being disabled, so I have one that helps me with doors in the freezer section. I always choose my favorite checker when I can, and I always have carry out assistance, so it felt like normal! It was lovely to visit normal. Then bring all the food home and leave it for Beloved to carry in and put away. Not normal, but not my favorite part so, cool!
Just enough time for a protein shake and a rest with my leg up, then PT. I'm very fortunate in my PT person. I told him I'd over done it by about 15% the last time, so he scaled me back a little and didn't add anything new. I'm working half sized steps. Those are going well, but I can't quite manage a regular step when I experimented with just one at home. But I have 4 more weeks to learn it, and I'm sure that's not going to be a problem.
After PT I made lunch, ate lunch, and then since I knew I'd probably done too much, I went straight up and lay down with my Lounge Doctor and spent the rest of the day resting. I slept great, and woke up in a very good mood on Saturday! Yay! I really hate being a grumpasaurus. I'm still in a positive mood today. We'll see how it goes tomorrow when Beloved is working again and I'm back to entertaining myself.
Today I have a new adventure. My incision is healing beautifully! Which means it now ITCHES! It's making me crazy. No scratching. Gentle rubbing only. Coconut oil helps, but not always. I may lose my mind.
ElanorG
post-grad
Quilting is the only sewing I do. I do hand piecing, hand embroidery and some applique by hand and then I also use the machine. But the machine is out for awhile as any sitting activity just makes the knee swell. But I tried doing some simple piecing the other day and I either sewed things together the wrong way or kept drifiting off to sleep. I have never done any of the type of sewing that you do.
It sounds like you had a wonderful day shopping! I am so envious! I am so BORED!!!!! And just being able to get out and talk to people is such a treat! A friend came over yesterday and we had a great chat and then she went out and got us Chinese food for lunch so that was a lot of fun, plus I then got leftovers. But I found after she left time was just weighing heavily.
@Ladyala Even in a bigger place you don't see people out and about. I think it is a combination of the heat and the summer as I suspect many people are taking vacations.
It sounds like you had a wonderful day shopping! I am so envious! I am so BORED!!!!! And just being able to get out and talk to people is such a treat! A friend came over yesterday and we had a great chat and then she went out and got us Chinese food for lunch so that was a lot of fun, plus I then got leftovers. But I found after she left time was just weighing heavily.
@Ladyala Even in a bigger place you don't see people out and about. I think it is a combination of the heat and the summer as I suspect many people are taking vacations.
OP
OP
luvcats
post-grad
I've done a little piecing, but then realized I don't currently have time normally to focus on quilting. It's on my list of things to get into after retirement. My MIL and my best friend are both devoted quilters, so I have great examples and resources when I'm ready.
At 4 weeks, I'm just now still comfortable sitting at the computer in my office with my leg down for the amount of time it takes to do my posting. I'm glad. I'll be able to do more here this week.
Oh yes, glamorous grocery shopping!! lol. It's horrible how limited we get staying home responsibly and healing. It seemed like a real adventure.
At 4 weeks, I'm just now still comfortable sitting at the computer in my office with my leg down for the amount of time it takes to do my posting. I'm glad. I'll be able to do more here this week.
Oh yes, glamorous grocery shopping!! lol. It's horrible how limited we get staying home responsibly and healing. It seemed like a real adventure.
ElanorG
post-grad
It took a long time for me to be able to sit at a table comfortably without a lot of swelling. I just retired before I got this knee done, so I no longer have to worry about trying to get back to work. But I was a software developer and so the last time I would periodically have to elevate my leg during the day once I went back to work. Last time it was my driving leg and I needed to be able to drive 45 minutes and it took about 10 weeks before my leg could tolerate that amount of time driving. Now that my friends are gone, I am sitting at the kitchen table for my meals, but those don't take very long.
KarriB
Former BoneSmart staff member
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Anything that adds some normalcy and no pain is a good thing. For me I was chuffed at going out to eat after by biweekly dr appointments. I had to sit in a booth and put my leg up on the seat, but just getting out was good.
Ladyala
member
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I had to giggle...I've had friends complain about shopping & I'm like 'Hey, count your blessings! Going to the grocery is a treat for me!!' Of course before tkr I was right there with them. It's all relative.
I get to go to a church picnic today and I'm so excited!! Have just enough time to ice up before. I'm looking forward to sitting in a lounge chair at the lake & being around people!!
I get to go to a church picnic today and I'm so excited!! Have just enough time to ice up before. I'm looking forward to sitting in a lounge chair at the lake & being around people!!
OP
OP
luvcats
post-grad
@ElanorG Beloved is a website architect now, but was a software developer for many years. I'm looking forward to us both feeling up to meeting somewhere. Maybe mid August, before I get my driving leg done and it takes even longer for me to be out and about.
@Ladyala I hope your picnic was lovely! It was much too hot here to enjoy an outing. Back in the 90s with some ridiculous humidity level again.
@Ladyala I hope your picnic was lovely! It was much too hot here to enjoy an outing. Back in the 90s with some ridiculous humidity level again.
OP
OP
luvcats
post-grad
Today was perfectly lovely. I got my sheets changed and we had a great discussion about future travels. Looks like the British castle cruises I was interested in are all 14 days and that's longer than I like to be away. So we'll pick something else.
We also had a discussion somehow about 80s movies and wound up having a movie marathon, something we haven't done together in quite a while. It was the perfect thing. I've been wanting to rewatch Ladyhawk ever since I saw that Rutger Hauer passed. It was such an excellent movie, back when they weren't all remakes of remakes.
My one complaint about services like Prime and Netflix is that they no longer offer the old movies for free, each one is another opportunity to gouge the customer. I already own all those movies, I just can't watch them streaming in my bed with my leg up. Getting out of bed to change discs would have been entirely too much effort the first 2.5 weeks.
I'm considering dismantling my nest in my bedroom. It uses the little table I use in the kitchen and it is an awkward space hog next to my bed. On the other hand, I have no idea how much more time I'll be spending in there this next month. I have pillows that elevate my leg on my recliner to a comfortable height now, but it isn't a dramatic a prop as the Lounge Doctor pillow. I'm still considering.
I think I can officially say today that, for all I know the healing is nowhere near complete, my old knee is officially more grumpy than my new knee when engaged in a task. If you think that means my old knee is a serious complainer, you're correct.
It was so nice to get out, tomorrow I think I'm going to take myself to have my hair washed and trimmed.
We also had a discussion somehow about 80s movies and wound up having a movie marathon, something we haven't done together in quite a while. It was the perfect thing. I've been wanting to rewatch Ladyhawk ever since I saw that Rutger Hauer passed. It was such an excellent movie, back when they weren't all remakes of remakes.
My one complaint about services like Prime and Netflix is that they no longer offer the old movies for free, each one is another opportunity to gouge the customer. I already own all those movies, I just can't watch them streaming in my bed with my leg up. Getting out of bed to change discs would have been entirely too much effort the first 2.5 weeks.
I'm considering dismantling my nest in my bedroom. It uses the little table I use in the kitchen and it is an awkward space hog next to my bed. On the other hand, I have no idea how much more time I'll be spending in there this next month. I have pillows that elevate my leg on my recliner to a comfortable height now, but it isn't a dramatic a prop as the Lounge Doctor pillow. I'm still considering.
I think I can officially say today that, for all I know the healing is nowhere near complete, my old knee is officially more grumpy than my new knee when engaged in a task. If you think that means my old knee is a serious complainer, you're correct.
It was so nice to get out, tomorrow I think I'm going to take myself to have my hair washed and trimmed.
OP
OP
luvcats
post-grad
Regrettably, the first week, almost 2, there are no comfortable positions. I did best laying on my bed with my leg propped on 2 soft, fluffy pillows, with my ice pack on it.
Hmm. That sounds like my daily life, no need for surgery or drugs. lol. I hate shopping as a general rule, and I dislike driving in my densely populate area, so if I can get what I need from Amazon, I just do that.
We are not really 'stuff' oriented people any more. One year we moved 3 times, and I do mean major moves with everything we owned. That cured me of wanting to own things just because. With the exception of ebooks, retail therapy doesn't really do anything for me.
OP
OP
luvcats
post-grad
Turns out even though I spent most of the day with my leg elevated, sitting with my leg down too long is still an issue. I had a lot of aching after I spent a long time posting last evening.
My quick salon trip is still a go because my hair urgently needs attention, but then I'll be back in my room with the Lounge Doctor (now to be called LD) and some ice.
Yes, I always have to push the limits.
My quick salon trip is still a go because my hair urgently needs attention, but then I'll be back in my room with the Lounge Doctor (now to be called LD) and some ice.
Yes, I always have to push the limits.
After cleaning out a family member’s house after her death and helping a friend do the same I came to the conclusion if I couldn’t eat it or wear it, I shouldn’t buy it. Of course there are exceptions, but it’s still a good theory for me.
Poctdb
senior
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As a single person, I cull stuff every year in December. Whomever is tasked to clean out my house upon my passing will have it easy.
On my list during TKR recovery, go through boxes of old pictures, look at old financial files and file personal papers to see what should be tossed/shredded/saved, look at all insurance to see if coverages are appropriate, protest house taxes, go through linen closet to cull old sheets (hmmmm....possibly some retail “therapy?”)
organize garage. (Ambitious but still is on the list)
There will be less to do in December this year.
On my list during TKR recovery, go through boxes of old pictures, look at old financial files and file personal papers to see what should be tossed/shredded/saved, look at all insurance to see if coverages are appropriate, protest house taxes, go through linen closet to cull old sheets (hmmmm....possibly some retail “therapy?”)
organize garage. (Ambitious but still is on the list)
There will be less to do in December this year.
marieltha
graduate
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- Apr 9, 2019
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We are giving Netflix a hiatus. Kept AmazonPrimeVideo and replaced Acorn with BritBox, as an add on to Prime. Same price, but streams better through Prime. Our AppleTV device is 3rd generation. No cable tv.
The only things I miss from Netflix are River and the movie, A Night Train to Lisbon (Jeremy Irons). (Different from the book—both very good). Makes you then read Pessoa, who is a bit like a Portuguese Borges.
When I was loopy from the pain meds (now off), I also missed some of the old Disney movies, but got by. LOL.
Still not grocery shopping or driving, but due to the shoulder, not the knee. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Have been to the tile store again, and walked throughout the aisles this time. Yippee!
I wouldn’t bother redoing the setup this close to your next knee. To me, the second is easier because you know what to expect when. And of course, most of us have done the worst knee first, so the second probably isn’t as draconian a recovery.
Hope springs eternal.
The only things I miss from Netflix are River and the movie, A Night Train to Lisbon (Jeremy Irons). (Different from the book—both very good). Makes you then read Pessoa, who is a bit like a Portuguese Borges.
When I was loopy from the pain meds (now off), I also missed some of the old Disney movies, but got by. LOL.
Still not grocery shopping or driving, but due to the shoulder, not the knee. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Have been to the tile store again, and walked throughout the aisles this time. Yippee!
I wouldn’t bother redoing the setup this close to your next knee. To me, the second is easier because you know what to expect when. And of course, most of us have done the worst knee first, so the second probably isn’t as draconian a recovery.
Hope springs eternal.
