Bilateral TKR Mickey & Minnie are looking on the bright side!

[Organist]

In the hospital, I was told that I was NOT to get up to go to the bathroom by myself until given permission by the PT person. Having them escort me was a given, and I figured they'd "seen it all" over the years. Before surgery I had already mastered the technique of using my left leg and foot to hook my left foot under my right ankle -- using my left leg to hoist my right leg on and off of the bed. So that helped. Standing up and sitting down, as you all say, was a different matter. In the hospital and in rehab for the first few days used a belt around my waist for required "safety reasons". Since I was transferred to rehab on Friday afternoon, nobody "gave me permission" to go to the bathroom by myself. I just did it. By Saturday afternoon one nurse asked me if I needed assistance to go to the bathroom. I said, "No. I've been doing it by myself all weekend." Sunday afternoon a weekend PT person gave me permission to walk down the hall to visit with Liam and some friends -- as long as they were there to make sure I was OK. We went down to a lounge area, played Mah Jongg, and ate decadent chocolate muffins.

Jacky, you're doing great. Glad that the staff and PT are good to you.

 

[Jacky48]

I am busting out all over with beautiful colors!:biggrin: A great sign of healing! I love!:yes 4: I had my first shower yesterday and man I can't believe how great water can feel!:loveshower: shortly after I got lighted again, must have been the excitement I guess!:wink1: Another step forward and one less drug to take! I was on so much BP meds prior to getting my knees done that I think it would be wonderful to do with just one pill per day instead of six per day, if I have to have any at all!
So far I am move'n on up to the wild side!:th_heehee:

 

[adnil]

I know what you mean about water feeling sooooo good, that first shower is wonderful..

 

[ladyj]

Sorry it has taken me a few days to catch up with your news Jacky, I have had a flu virus, just what I needed, but on the mend now, anyway.
Just wanted to say, well done, and hope the recovery continues smoothly.

 

[RICBAK1]

hi doing good not had shower yet,started being able to lift leg today so soon have shower.ps i do get good wash though wife sees to back like being back in pit showers again,but dont miss the work though good luck

 

[Jacky48]

Ladyj, sorry to hear about your flu virus episode however I am happy that you are recouping! Also, thank you for the well wishes for a continued smooth recovery!

Richard, I'm glad you're doing good and starting to do leg lifts, that's a good sign! Also, it great that you have your wife to help with washing! It's really nice to have someone who is there to help when you need it!:biggrin:

 

[Janet2012]

Aren't wedgies illegal? As oppossed to an actual wedge? So I guess I'm not that far behind the ball on getting a shower. I had one at the hospital on Thursday. I can hope. I managed to play some gin rummy with hubby yesterday and was real impressed with myself. Then he suggested bringing the scrabble game and I just laughed. We'd have to rename it srambled!

Hope you are having a nice Sunday Jacky!

 

[Jacky48]

Janet you gave me quite a laugh there! Wedgies should be illegal that's for sure!:hysterical:
Scrambled is defininately the right word for that game! Everytime I play "Words with Friends" with Norm or the kids I'm lucky they can't see some of the words that I try to use!:th_heehee: Yikes it's a party all by myself!

Enjoy your Sunday too Janet!

 

[Dog Lover]

It's So good it hear how well everyone is doing. The bathroom thing and shower or lack there of is certainly not something I'm looking forward to. I like the quote about who cares I'll never see them again. Oops I work at my hospital. Oh well. As a nurse I know we really dont care.

For those who had bilaterals how do you move your legs early on since you can't use the other one to lift it??...

Hope all those recovering have a great pain free weekend.

Lisa:doggieshmooze:

 

[bottomshollow]

Lisa, Although I had my TKRs 2 days apart, the left done first was no problem to lift--it was my sweetheart knee. The right was the brat--but I did not use my left to lift it--I used my hands--later when wearing capri length jammies, I just grabbed the bottom of the jammies and pulled the leg up. There's just more ways to skin a cat........ Finally about a week after the right was done, it began to cooperate and lift itself.

 

[Jazyb]

Hello to you Jacky and welcome to the other side
You are doing just great by the sounds of it and your updates are such good fun to read. I totally agree with you about having a positive attitude - it will help to get you through so much. I thought your post about being positive was excellent - well said you!!

The first shower is great and don't you feel human again - just lovely!! Keep up the good work and I'm so pleased you are doing so well my friend.

 

[Jacky48]

Lisa, Mickey & Minnie were both good from the get go in the OR. When they woke me up in the OR and told me that both were done I was so happy I started doing ankle pumps and leg lifts and they couldn't believe it, as I! Then the next day Mickey said, wait a minute I can't let her think it's going to be this easy, so he decided not to lift himself for a couple of days! Bad Boy!:th_heehee: When they got me up to walk the next morning at 9am he walked okay, but won't allow himself to pick himself up onto bed! I guess he just want the nurses to help! There's the man for ya! Minnie was a toughy right away! I did buy myself a leg lifter just in case such a thing like this happened.
Oh and the weekend is pain free alright! Wonderful! It's great being able to fall asleep on a whim!

Right on Judy, there is more ways than one to skin a cat!

Thanks Jo, every day brings new encounters! Friday the base of my thumb and the base of my big toe decided to get full blown arthritic inflammation which caused terrible pain and I had to be careful when putting on my shoes. Yesterday, I pulled a muscle in my groin area when lifting my leg of the wedge that my legs were on. This morning my PT started laughing and I said, what's up and he said, you're too funny you just had two full knee replacements and not once did you complain about knee pain, but your arthritis is another problem! Oh well, as my mom would say "That's the way the ball bounces"!:th_heehee: Wise woman, she was!

 

[highland pony]

Lovely to hear you are doing so well and the kids are behaving

 

[Organist]

It's So good it hear how well everyone is doing. The bathroom thing and shower or lack there of is certainly not something I'm looking forward to. I like the quote about who cares I'll never see them again. Oops I work at my hospital. Oh well. As a nurse I know we really dont care.

For those who had bilaterals how do you move your legs early on since you can't use the other one to lift it??...

Hope all those recovering have a great pain free weekend.

Lisa:doggieshmooze:

Lisa, when I worked as a hospital chaplain (part-time) and had gall bladder surgery in that hospital, my concern and concentration was to try to remember to be aware of anything I said while in the recovery room. I had always heard that patients are more likely to say embarrassing things while coming out from drugs., and I knew that they would never let me forget any embarrassing words or thoughts. So when I woke up, the first thing that I noticed was that I couldn't open my eyes. They had not warned me that they put "gunk" on your eyes to keep them from drying out (I think). So when the nurse walked up I said in my "la-la-land on drugs" voice. "I can't see." Her reply was, "What? You have to pee?" I tried to enunciate better and said, "Nooooo, I can't seeeeee. I don't have anything to pee." She cleaned my eyelids and reminded me that with IV fluids I did indeed have something that I could pee. I still had the catheter in, so that wasn't a problem at that point anyway.

As you say, they've seen it all. They may joke with us about our "stay", but they're a special bunch of people. I enjoyed working with them.

 

[Organist]

Jacky, glad that you and the new babies are doing well -- even though they complain loudly sometimes. They just want attention. Magrat reminds me of that at least once a day -- sometimes more, depending on the day.

I enjoy reading your posts too. A sense of humor helps tremendously. Maybe you can sing the "M-I-C---K-E-Y" song. Of course, you might want to make up a verse for Minnie so she won't feel left out. Pleasant dreams. :sleepz:

 

[Jacky48]

Good idea Becky!:happy dance:

 

[Mimi]

Jacky, you continue to sail through your recovery. Great work and keep it up! You go girl!!

About the arthritis. I have arthritic joints all over my body. When my knees were really inflamed pre surgery, the rest of my arthritic joints were very painful and inflamed. When my knee recovery was over, at about 8 months, the rest of my arthritic joints also calmed down and the pain was mild if any.

 

[Jacky48]

Oh wow Mimi that certainly would be a blessing! To have minimal arthritic pain when all is said and done would be the ultimate of a wonderful life! The body will have so many new adjustments to put it all back in place after many years of doing things so wrong for so long due to bad knees that I look forward to full recovery! I already feel myself walking with my back straighter than it has for a very long time.
So my dear Mimi you have given me another very positive focal point to focus on! Sweet!:biggrin:

 

[Jacky48]

Hi Becky, I think I found a way to change the Mickey song verse to please Minnie here it goes!

M -I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E, Mickey mouse, "Minnie mouse" instead of Donald duck.

That should work, this way they'll both be happy and really no one needs Donald duck in this couples business anyway!:th_heehee:

 

[Mimi]

Jacky it was so strange the first day I was totally without any arthritic pain, that I could not figure out what was wrong.:DOH: Late that afternoon I realized that I was finally out of the pain I had been in for 8 years!:yes 4:

Even now when I go shopping for hours and have no pain, I just am so thankful that I had my TKR And getting down on the floor with the grandkids is priceless!:loveshower: