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TKR Martha's Journey One Day At A Time, Phase Two

Hi @KarriB I am doing ok. Thanks for checking on me. :thankyou:I have been reading, but just haven't felt like posting on my thread in a while. This recovery is a mixed bag for sure. Good and not so good, ups and downs, and sometimes you don't know whether you are up or down. lol My right 5 month old knee is mostly good. It still has random little twinges and pains from time to time, but not much. It is still sore where the muscle was cut just above the knee and hurts when getting up out of a chair, but it is gradually getting less sore. My eight week old left knee is still pretty sore and hurts to bend too far and when getting up from a chair. Most days I get by on Tylenol Arthritis Strength, and some days I don't even need that. At night I still have to take at least one Oxy, and sometimes two. I am still sleeping in the recliner. I tried the bed again last night and made it till 3:00 which is longer than before, but still had to come back to the recliner. The energy drain is still alive and well ( or not so well), but I am slowly working more activity into my days. I finished PT a little over a week ago. My flexion was at 110 and extension about 2 or 3. That is better than before surgery, so I am happy with that. I know it will still improve with time. I have a check up with my OS tomorrow. I think he will be satisfied with my progress. We will see...
 
Let us know what the OS has to say. TKR can be a rough recovery and you've been doing this for five months. In another month your left knee will be 12 weeks and hopefully turning a corner just as we get into spring. :yes:
 
Martha. Glad to see your update. Hopefully soon this long journey will be a distant memory and our bionic knees will be happy to live with us! I'll try to send a bit of energy your way. Mine is slowly returning, very slowly! Are you seeing any signs of spring up there? My lilac is budding out!!!
 
@Red's Mom I will take any energy you can send me. :heehee: We have had a few warm days, but then got 6-8 inches of snow. Some of that has melted off, but it is snowing right now. The ice in the river has pretty much melted though, so that is a good sign. I love lilacs. I told my husband I want to plant a lilac bush.
 
My OS appointment yesterday went well. The Xrays of both knees looked good. He said the sore muscle in my right leg is just taking a little longer than usual to heal, but he is confident that given a little more time it will be fine. I am released for that knee and don't have to go back unless I have a problem. I go back in two months for a checkup for the left knee. I had a tiny stitch that had worked its way to the top and they took care of that for me. No big deal at all, they just plucked it out with the tweezers. It was dissolving and came right off. I told him my left knee is still really sore and he seemed to feel that was normal, and I got a prescription for tramadol and will transition from the Oxy at night to that. As usual, he didn't measure anything, just had me bend and straighten my legs and said I was doing fine. All in all, it was pretty much what I expected.
 
Good report! Tramadol when taken with 1,000mg of Tylenol can be very effective. Sleep wherever you can at night especially if you are sleeping well. Eventually you will get back to your bed.
 
Sounds like you are doing great. Congrats, on what seems like, a good appointment!!!
 
@Ronsgirl sounds like you had a good appt. I am on hold for my second surgery date and hopeful I will get it

a date set next Wednesday when I have stitches taken out from my seroma. I would like to get the date so I can make plans. You mentioned sleeping in the recliner - I recently got a new one and am breaking it in and finding I sleep very well in it! :)
I have noticed that daffodils have come uP in the back yard flower bed and today I was thinking Spring and called to get the lawN mower on the list for a tune up and blade sharpening. Soon we will have all the things we look for in Spring around us and you will be in a good place to enjoy it. A Robin was chipping today here so some brave or crazy ones have ventured this far north. Sending you good thoughts
 
How are you doing, Martha? Your latest knee is coming up on 3 months post op!
 
Yes, knee twin, come and tell us how you are doing. I'm jealous that your knee was your 2nd one as I have my 2nd one still to do! I do feel that I am a slow recoverer but when I look back I know there are improvements all the time. Hope all is well with you!!
 
Hi ladies, thanks to both of you for checking up on me. I think I am a slow healer, also. My first, right knee, is still sore just above the knee and hurts getting up out of a chair, but overall is doing ok. My left 3 month old knee is still really sore and hurts like crazy when getting up out of a chair. I still have to have help getting up out of a low chair, because it just hurts so much. It is really painful straightening it out if it has been bent for a while, but I do have good ROM in it. I am also having trouble with my lower back. The energy drain is still pretty bad, too. I do get out and to things, go to church, shopping, go out to eat, etc, and I am doing more around the house, but get exhausted pretty quickly, and my knee aches if I am up on it too much. It is so hard to find a balance between doing enough and overdoing it. I am glad to have both of my knees done. I am just so ready to be able to do the things I want to do without pain! At this point I feel like I am at a standstill, and am feeling a bit discouraged. That is why I haven't been updating or writing much. I hate sounding so negative!
 
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Are you taking Tylenol to help with the pain and achiness? Take 1,000mg four times a day so that you keep a steady level. That might help. I also went to bed with ice on my knee. I hope you feel better soon.
 
This has been a 7 month ordeal for you, Martha, so I totally understand your desire to get on with life. Are you still elevating whenever you're sitting? When I went back to work at 3 months I still had to elevate when I was home, in fact most of the afternoon or evening my leg was up.
 
Thanks, Marian. I do take tylenol during the day and both tylenol and tramadol at night, and I also go to bed with ice on my left knee and sometimes on the right also.

Karri, I do still elevate when I am sitting. In fact I am elevating right now. I guess why I am feeling discouraged is because I just don't seem to be making any progress with this left knee. I think also, that since it has been 7 months since I started this journey it just seems like I should be farther along than I am. Oh well, it is what it is and I will persevere. I do have a lot to be thankful for, so I really shouldn't complain, and just take it one day at a time.

I do appreciate all the concern and support and good advice. Thank you so much!
 
You're 3 months on the latest knee and we know every knee is different. So it may take just a bit longer. Hugs for you, Martha! :friends:
 
Yes, having one knee done after the other does prolong your recovery time. I can understand how you're feeling as if you'll never be free of thinking about your knees. :friends:
[Bonesmart.org] Martha's Journey One Day At A Time, Phase Two
Hang in there, because it is going to get better!

Your left knee is only 3 months old, so that's just a quarter of the way through this year-long recovery. It hasn't ground to a halt. It's just taking time to consolidate the progress it's already made. It will continue to make progress. You may not notice a difference from day to day, but week to week you'll see that it is getting better.
 
Sounds like you are getting along and getting things done. I'm sorry it sounds like you're pretty uncomfortable. I'm in the same boat knee twin.

It's very hard to find the balance - my mind thinks I can and should be able to do all these things and my knee says otherwise. - which I guess is why I'm awake for my 2nd time tonight and it's 2 a.m. and I typically sleep through the night (minus rolling over). I still have a lot of pain/discomfort when I'm up and about and I'm still taking Tylenol around the clock and 1/2 Tramadol in the morning and 1/2 before bed. I still need support to get out of low areas and I'm not 100% cane free yet. So, why I'm saying this...you are not alone and we will get through this. As Celle said, with our Jan. knee, we are only a quarter of the way through this.
 
I know you are right @KarriB I just need to be patient. Thanks for the hugs, they always help. :smile2:

@Celle you summed it up so well when you said, "you're feeling as if you'll never be free of thinking about your knees." I think Spring is making it worse. It makes me want to get out and do things, and it is just so frustrating because I can't. I love the picture of the little cat hanging in there. Thanks for the encouragement. :smile2:

@jaschembra :friends:and :prayer:for you. We will make it!
 
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