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TKR Midwest Girl - Round 2 Recovery

Please be careful! I hope you get to go to your friend's house. It would not be the end of the world if you missed PT would it? Better safe than have an accident. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
 
No I could miss PT but my friend has already agreed to drive me. My appt isn't until noon, by then the sun will be out and melting things. I'm praying it's not a bad storm. You know how it is predicting weather.
 
If the weather's dodgy, skip the PT. At this early stage, that won't matter at all.
 
Tomorrow I go back to the OS and hopefully get the rest of my staples removed. And tomorrow I'll be starting the 4th week of no showers. Ugh! Looking forward to that first shower and not having to wash my hair in the kitchen sink!

Another storm front moving in today bringing ice and snow. And my joints can feel it. But nothing is going to stop me from getting to my OS tomorrow, unless it's a blizzard. I've arranged for a friend to take me that way I can be dropped off at the door. At some point I'm going to have to walk on snow and ice. The snow I think I can handle. It's the ice that's tricky. Go slow and shuffle your feet. I hate winter. This is one of the reasons I questioned doing a TKA in the winter months. But all the other reasons out weighed this one. I'm off - time for pain meds!!
 
Please be careful. I bet the sidewalks will be cleared by the time you are out and about??? here in NC, if ONE snowflake falls, all heck breaks loose, the roads get brined, the sidewalks salted, and ALLLL the bread, eggs, and milk are wiped clean from the gorcery stores! :snow dig: We usually get more ice than snow - much more treacherous.
 
Ice is no fun unless it's on my knee! Please be very careful. I totally understand why you want to go no matter what. That first shower is really great!
 
A day to celebrate!! All the staples are out and he said I can stop on the antibiotics. To give my stomach a break. Still have to keep an eye on one part of my incision that is still oozing. And return next week to have him check it again. I think we are doing X-rays next week also. But he is very happy with my progress!!
 
Be careful. My OS office always had a lot of salt and was well shoveled, but I used a cane or Walker to be extra careful.
 
I feel like a human being today! Finally was able to take my first shower today! Although it was exhausting, it definitely puts you in a different frame of mind. Before I felt "sick" still like a hospital patient. Once I was in the shower I was able to finally scrub off all the markings, tape residue and betadine. And I decided to ditch the TED hose. Technically I'm suppose to wear them for one more week but I've had enough. Today was also my last blood draw to check my INR. Today my blood was too thick. Last week too thin. Dec 10th will be my last day of taking warfarin and then I'll switch to taking a baby aspirin daily. All little accomplishments. Got good flexion today at 116 but lost a little in extension. Personally I think it's (loss of extension) due to switching from using a walker to using a cane. And in the house I use neither. I'm limping more. I've been in more pain the last couple of days, more than normal. But nothing I'm worried about. Ice, elevating and pain meds will take care of it. Time for some ice!!
 
Washing the hospital off is the best medicine! I think the extension and flexion wax and wane with the swelling. I hope you rest well this evening.
 
:yes!:That first shower is the best! I'm very happy for you. You're numbers sound great. The most flexion I ever was measured at was 120 and that was after 3 months. The amount of swelling I had always led to different measurements so there's no need to worry.
 
Yeahhhhh for showers and a bit of freedom and normalcy! Don't be too hasty to ditch the walker and/ or cane. Better to get the gait stabilized than limp around. My OS said to use the cane until I no longer limped!
 
My therapist and I were reflecting today about how this knee is going as compared to my rehab for my right tka. With my right tka I had a torn MCL that he repaired at the same time as the tka. Because of that I had to use a walker for 6 weeks and I was 50% weight bearing for 4 weeks. It was a really long rehab.

I'll be using my cane for awhile. And I haven't put the walker away yet. The limp I have now isn't prominent. My therapist thought I was walking pretty good. At 3 weeks post op I'm happy with how it's going. Once my OS approves it, I'll be doing pool therapy which I really enjoyed last time. The pool is at the PT facility and it's a very low chlorine, 90 degree water. It's the best!!
 
Love pool therapy! I believe being in the water really helped me. Enjoy when the OS says to go for it!
 
Had a new PTA who worked with me at physical therapy today. Being new (as in fresh out of school) she hadn't had that much experience with using the tool used for measuring flexion. It took her a bit of time to get it aligned correctly and read the number - all the while m holding my flexion as far as I could bend it. She measured me four times. Two times while I was laying down and two times while sitting up. By the time I got home I had a pretty painful leg, from ankle to hip. Came home and put on the ice, elevate and a stronger pain med. And I soothed myself with some ice cream! Several hours later all is good. I know the newbies have to have the experience, so I'm going to take it as my regular therapist thought I'd be a good patient for her to work with today. It I'll still think I'm going to tell my therapist that the session today left me in pain. At least it was short lived.
 
I agree. There's no reason why you should be made uncomfortable by being a guinea pig for the new PT. In any case, all that measuring of ROM is completely unnecessary. Measuring once a month is plenty. You can tell just by looking (and by what you can do) if ROM is improving.
 
I am glad you are doing well and you are up and about. Enjoy your weekend I hope the weather is better for you.
 
Good morning. I am sorry you had that experience at PT. My PT has students in. The PTA (physical therapist assistant) examined me manually first, then I worked with the student - that went ok. The next time, the student came to get me and I asked for the PTA to examine me first. I told the PTA I don't mind working with the students as long as I am examined and under their guidance. Yes, they have to learn and my student was actually very careful with me since I have all the bruising, and she finishes next week - so not a "newbie". Good luck!
 
1:30 am and laying in bed awake. Lots of bone pain in my shin tonight. Can't get comfortable. Just that deep ache that the pain meds aren't doing anything for. Hopefully sleepiness will take over pretty soon. Have another appointment with my OS in the morning. He wants to look at my incision again. I still have one small spot that is still oozing a little bit. Enough to where it's crusting over the steri strip. That will never fall off on its own with all that dried gunk on it. I'll let him deal with it tomorrow. Or I guess I should say today!
 
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