PKR Mai5ie is finally on the other side!!!!

[referee54]

Taxi home again... quite a good couple of hours out!

Little outings can be good!

Yes!! Those little jaunts and journeys bring about a type of normalcy that we crave so much during our recovery.

There will be more and more, and soon, your recovery will be complete and everything will be normal!

 

[pippi]

The third time is a charm Hi @Mai5ie,
@Jozilla, @ lori107 and @alija. Glad you are back Mai5ie and are off of your crutches just in time as your son will "kneed" you now with his surgery. Glad things went well. Lorie thanks for sharing your experience with your crutches. Did anyone find when you were trying to cut off using your crutches or cane that you had some aching; especially trying to sleep at night? It is great to be able to have some warmer weather with flowers blooming and safe walking without ice. A word of advice, don't ask your PT about getting up off the floor. Mine answered my question by going to the other room, and returned to throw a mat down. He promptly had me get down on the floor and get up. I did but it but it was not pretty, rather spastic actually. So much for beach yoga right now as I am not real slick on getting up and down from the ground. Let's just say if I ever land back on the ground, I am calling the jaws of life for assistance in getting vertical again!!


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[lori107]

@pippi, hi, am so glad you are home now. Wow! Definitely won't be mentioning about getting up from the floor to my physio when I see her this afternoon. Will keep that one quiet. I'm getting on OK, hi again @Mai5ie, I hope your son is doing okay after his knee op. I'm so impressed that you're off the crutches altogether. I'm still finding that really difficult as I limp so badly without one.I might try a stick soon though. Tried going upstairs one foot in front of the other and it was excruciating so I won't be doing that again for a while. Morning @Jozilla, and @alija,, how are you both today? The sun is shining here today so I may sit in the garden after physio. I'm now 7 weeks post op.managed to have a shower standing up for the first time. I think I'm getting there slower than anyone else but I'm trying not to let it worry me. Have a lovely day dear friends

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[Mai5ie]

Hi all. Just back from physio, ROM is now 114 degrees. Physio said she wouldn't measure it again until the end of the 6 week course. I can feel I've been exercising today, my calves ache; think I'll take it easy for the rest of the day. I was the only one at the session without a crutch or a cane! @lori107 I've been able to get around the house for a while without my crutch, but was using one outdoors until a few days ago, when I realised I was in fact carrying it, not using it! I'm concentrating hard on walking properly and I don't think I'm limping, although that changes when I'm tired.
@lori107 and @pippi Thanks for your inquiries about my son. He seems to be in a lot of pain and he actually passed out in the bathroom this morning! It's a good job my other son was here to help me get him up! I wonder if being discharged the same day after a procedure like the one he had is a good idea. He seems ok now thankfully.
I can't imagine ever being able to get up from the floor, at least not elegantly. I haven't been able to do that for years!

 

[Jozilla]

Morning all. I am doing well and am glad you all seem to be too! Maisie - I hope your sons surgery went well and his recovery is smooth! We are having rain today and tomorrow. Hopefully will be good after that for the weekend! Everyone have a great day! Off to work - will try and catch up later!!

 

[Mai5ie]

@Jozilla Hi, good to hear from you again. It was a beautiful day here earlier, but it seems to have clouded over now unfortunately. Don't work too hard!

 

[71Beetle]

Hi @Mai5ie, I have been inspired by your posts. You seem to be bouncing back from things quite well. I had a TKR on my right on May 5th and I fell I am getting nowhere! I did have troubles getting the right levels of meds a couple of days a go so I am confident that things will progress well from here.

I have another TKR for my left on July 3rd so I want to be sure that I have the strength to get through that one quickly.

I am so pleased to have found this forum. It is amazing how everyone is so different with varying challenges and solutions. I was so ignorant on what to expect before and had only one other acquaintance that had gone through it before that I could get non-clinical information from. I feel like I am part of an elite group of people whenever I visit the forum.

I hope you have a great day and I look forward to seeing your updates.

 

[lori107]

@71Beetle, welcome this is a fantastic forum, I have found the advice on here invaluable and I thought I was prepared for this surgery. I am 7 weeks post op now and I too felt like you to begin with, that I was getting absolutely nowhere. It does improve, really, but I am still having good days and bad days. Some days I feel like I have come such a long way but other days I barely want to move. Sleeping was and still is a problem. I was unable to sleep on my side for 5 weeks and although I can now I still find it hard to get comfortable.. The bedclothes can be very irritating and I have to not cover the scar with anything until it settles down which can take hours. Just take one day at a time 71Beetle, that's all you can do. I did almost nothing for 4 weeks, just a few exercises and walking to and from the bathroom just wore me out. Be patient with your knee, it is most definitely in control, not you. Take care Lori x

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[pippi]

Hi all. Just back from physio, ROM is now 114 degrees. Physio said she wouldn't measure it again until the end of the 6 week course. I can feel I've been exercising today, my calves ache; think I'll take it easy for the rest of the day. I was the only one at the session without a crutch or a cane! @lori107 I've been able to get around the house for a while without my crutch, but was using one outdoors until a few days ago, when I realised I was in fact carrying it, not using it! I'm concentrating hard on walking properly and I don't think I'm limping, although that changes when I'm tired.
@lori107 and @pippi Thanks for your inquiries about my son. He seems to be in a lot of pain and he actually passed out in the bathroom this morning! It's a good job my other son was here to help me get him up! I wonder if being discharged the same day after a procedure like the one he had is a good idea. He seems ok now thankfully.
I can't imagine ever being able to get up from the floor, at least not elegantly. I haven't been able to do that for years!

Oh my, that must have been frightening when your son passed out but so fortunate your other son was there to help with getting him up. I hope each day finds him getting stronger and recovering from his surgery. As for you, way to go with working your PT and transferring off of your cane for good. What a difference each week and each month makes. We are lucky to have Bone Smart to have a glimpse of what lies ahead for some encouragement. It also helps to see that we all reach different levels at different times and that is okay. Glad to hear your PT is going well and hope your mum was good on your trip as well.


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[pippi]

@71Beetle, Lori explained the first weeks well. Although we all progress at different rates the thing that we all have in common is the up and downs of recovery and sleepless nights. You will have a positive to look forward to after your second knee in July and your recovery. You can have your life back with new knees that will let you do whatever your little heart desires.


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[lori107]

@Mai5ie, oh goodness, your poor son, I'm glad someone else was there to help you. I think it can be really difficult coming from surgery on the same day. I did that when I had my arthroscopies and I was not in a good we way when I came home that evening. Oh and your ROM is superb, I've just come back from physio and mine is 107 and you had yours done after I did so that's awesome. I've been told to use a stick/cane indoors now and one crutch when I go outside so I feel like I'm making progress gradually. It just seems painfully slow.

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[pippi]

Lori107 Are you finding that you have some aching as you transition off of your crutches/cane? It seemed to me moving from the walker to the cane for the first few days causes renewed pain and then transitioning from the cane to walking without assistance causes some pain for awhile, My PT said it was due to increased weight bearing with both stages which makes sense. Sometimes I think it is going well with the walking until I get a look at myself walking in a reflection and think I am just kidding myself as I look a bit gimpy. For those who are ahead of this stage, is this something you went through and it straightened itself out?


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[71Beetle]

@Lori @pippi it is remarkable to me how strong we are as humans to go through this and come out smiling. I think the power within this forum helps everyone stay positive and that, of course is a big part of the healing process.

I still spend most of my day on the couch 9 days after surgery. My husband and two of our three boys are leaving for a fishing trip next Thursday - Sunday. My oldest will be here but he is only useful after noon . We have a large dog that needs to be exercised but I will not be able to assist there so the oldest will have to take that on. These fishing trips have always been part of the landscape in our household so I thought nothing of it but I realize now that I am scared. He is helping me out so much. But it may give me a kick to become less reliant as well. My friends and my parents will take me to my physio appointments so that is not an issue.

I see my doctor on the 23rd. Should I assume that I am getting my staples out then? Can anyone give any insight on what to expect?

 

[Mai5ie]

@71Beetle Welcome! So glad you've joined us, this is a great forum. You're still in the very early stages of recovery, be patient, things do improve. I vividly remember being unable to move my right leg at all and spending most of the day lying on my back. Give yourself time for some of the swelling to subside before trying to do much in the way of exercise. I had my staples removed after 14 days, so it's possible that yours will be removed on 23rd. It was quite a straightforward procedure; I'd expected it to be painful, but on the whole it was ok.

Physio warned me this morning that I'd ache a bit after today's session and boy, was she right! I actually fell asleep this afternoon. @lori107 I'm pleased with my ROM so far, I can feel improvement every day. Don't forget, I had a partial, not a total. I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

Tom, (my son) has been ok after today's mishap. He's spent the day on his bed, only getting up to visit the bathroom. I've been doing my best to minister to his every need, returning the favour really, because he was wonderful in the early days after my operation. There are now 2 of us who can't drive in the family and 2 cars sitting useless on the drive. I don't see the surgeon till 30th of this month, so I can't really venture out before then. My other son works away from home most of the time. It's not easy, but it won't be forever. Onwards and upwards. On the whole, life is good.

 

[71Beetle]

@Mai5ie I am really glad I joined the forum as well. Everyone is so giving with their knowledge. How is your scar healing? Between my scars from knee surgeries and my bruises and veins, I will soon have people asking my legs for directions I am happy to hear that the staple removal won't be as horrendous as I am imagining.

So pleased that your son is doing okay after his fall and surgery. What is the difference in a partial and total replacement. I mean more so in the choice of a partial vs a total and how you and our surgeon came up with that as a solution. Will you have to have a total in future?

 

[pippi]

71beetle
The first few weeks it is surprising how helpful it is to have support so it is easy to understand your being concerned when your husband is in the hunting trip. Hopefully if you can have enough meals in and ice made (maybe a cooler close at hand) that will save you some steps and worries. Actually as I think of it, throw in some DVD's, chocolates and magazines for good measure during the time they are gone. Good that you have your parents for rides to PT as well. This whole process sure makes us stronger, doesn't it? You should like you are moving along and working your recovery well and I wish you the best.


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[pippi]

71Beetle
With regard to your staples being removed the timing of your appointment is when most of us seem to have had them taken out. It feels good when they are out and healed..more comfortable feeling in general and the thought that this one more milestone that you have reached. You are on your way, each day is one step closer to getting to test out and enjoy a new knee.


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[lori107]

@71Beetle, they have special clip removers for taking out the clips. I had mine removed 14 days after surgery and it doesn't hurt but they can tug a bit sometimes. A couple of mine had got a bit imbedded but she managed to get them all out eventually. I agree with @pippi have as much support as you can get to begin with and then gradually you will be able to do more. Just watch loads of TV/films etc, mags for short reading ( my concentration was terrible in the early days and some treats. I also found my ice cooler and cryo cuff a lifesaver, in fact I still am using it as much as possible as it helps with the swelling and pain. Ready made meals are also a godsend although I couldn't get into our utility room for weeks as it is down an awkward step which is where the microwave is but I would have used it if I could have done. Wishing you lots of healing thoughts.

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[71Beetle]

Thanks @pippi I appreciate your input. I am seeing a lot of people in their 40's on these forums. There was recently an article in our local newspaper saying that some surgeons were turning people away because they felt they were too young to have knee replacement. I am fortunate that my surgeon has been working with me for 5 years and has seen the deterioration. I was the one that was trying to to put it off and it was he that said that I was missing out on precious years with my family and that I needed the surgery or was risking further problems with all of the other joints and muscles that the limping was affecting. I know right now I am in a lot of pain and will be until after I heal from the next TKR in July but I look forward to next summer when I am fully healed and mobile like never before!

Thanks for the tips for when my hubby and the kids are away! Good advice!

 

[71Beetle]

Thanks @lori107 my stitches are looking pretty good so I am hoping the removal will go well. I find that I am cautious with the bending exercises so as not to pop any of the staples. I know it is crazy but...