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TKR Midwest Girl - Round 2 Recovery

Spent a quiet evening at home by myself icing my knee and watching Food Network. Pretty boring. Wishing everyone a happy new year!
 
Had 8 week follow-up today for my left knee and to remove the splint on my left wrist. He said both look great. He said my flexion is good. The pain im having behind my knee, lower leg & one spot on the joint line are all normal. I saw a PA today and couldn't believe how much time he took with me. He's very nice. Gave me some suggestions to help me sleep at night. One suggestion was going back to sleeping with my leg elevated. Especially may be necessary since I go back to work next week. I am really blessed with the medical personnel that take care of me. Between surgeons, doctors, nurses, physical therapists, wound center personnel I don't have a bad one in the bunch!!

As far as my incision it's still not completely closed but it is so close. Today when I was there for bandage change it was advanced enough to where I didn't need the medicated ointment, just a new bandage. The APRN whom I see once a week will look at it Thursday. The nurses think that I may not even need any more debridement.

The splint & stitches were removed from my wrist today. Now I'm in a thumb splica brace for 4 weeks. I can take it off occasionally for ROM exercises but have to wear it at all other times. 2 weeks from now I can take it off at bedtime. Have some work restrictions. Can't lift more than 5 lbs. How am I going to lift my laundry basket?! I guess drag it! Ha! So healing is progressing despite the bumps in the road.
 
I'm glad all is going well and both your wrist and knee are getting better. It is tough living alone at times but at least you can watch the food network all night. When I went back to work I had to start elevating and icing my knee too. I still only can sleep in my recliner. As long as I can sleep somewhere!
 
It's just weird that you'll (me) go through those moments or even days and think it's too much - why can't it go smoothly. But as the PA at the ortho office reminded me today - it's only 2 months, you had complications, you're doing really well. I said but this was suppose to be the easy knee! Ha! My right knee had complications too. But in the long run - I'll have 2 pain free knees! And a pain free wrist!

And I have no right to complain at all when I see some of the other patients at physical therapy. A lot of wheelchair bound people needing therapy just to learn to walk again. I'm grateful for my legs that work even if it's not to the degree that I want it to yet.
 
Happy day! The wound on my incision has scabbed over and I'm down to just using a bandaid! They gave me ointment and bandages so I can change it at home now. Return in a week and check the progress. It's the little things like this that make me happy.
She (the wound clinic APRN asked if j was ready to go to work next week saying if I'm not ready she would write a note. But I think I need to go back. With the brace on my left hand im going to be limited to what I can do.

She noted the swelling in my knee and quad. That it seemed like a lot. We talked about the overall achiness of my leg and she like the PA at my surgeons office suggested was to start taking Mobic, elevate the leg at bedtime and to take Vicodin at bedtime to help with pain and sleep. I did do the Vicodin the last two nights and I got a good 6 hrs of sleep - just about the time it wore off. She also reminded me not to compare legs. I don't think I had this much pain and achiness in my RT leg as I do with my LT. And maybe the season has something to do with it too. RT knee was in the summer, LT in the winter. The first 7 weeks have been good bits this 8th week that I'm now in constant ache and pain. I've started going back to a more regular schedule of pain meds. This too shall pass.
 
I'm very happy the incision has stabbed over!:yes!: Are you going back to work part time to start? Between now and then try to take it easy. The pain and achiness just seems to come and go based upon how much I do.
 
@newlybionic next week I'll be working just 8-12. But I have a 30 min drive to & from work. This achiness/pain is unreal this go around. It's my entire leg. And the base of my spine - sciatica. The chiropractor the other day said all my muscles are so tight. The only thing he could "crack" were the fingers in my right hand. Like I said the first 7 weeks were pretty good but this past week - miserable. Lots of tears the last two days.
 
I always seemed to get stiffer and achy especially driving. I had a wrap that went around my knee and frozen gel packs were held inside. I used them every time I had to drive and they stayed cold for hours even when I had my surgery in July. There were also days at about the same time post surgery as you where I had to sleep in my recliner with my knee elevated and my entire leg wrapped in ice. I picked up some wraps at the local drug store and I also have used frozen peas. It will get better. :ice:
 
That's what I did with my right tka. I purchased for $5 these gel ice packs from my PT. I would wrap it around my knee while driving to and from work. And then ice throughout the day at work. Can't elevate at work. But the icing helped.
 
My biggest adventure yet! Today I road with friends to go shopping in a town 45 minutes away. I and my knee did great!! I still took a pain pill half way through the day. I would take a break and sit now and then, but I think I did well. My knee didn't even swell up. Im sitting here now in my recliner and have both knees bent to the same degree - my feet are on the leg rest on the end closest to the seat. That's the first time I've been able to do that comfortable. I don't like keeping it there for long but I can do it! The only downside to today has been that my wrist & thumb have bothered me some. Even with the brace on.

And yesterday I think was the first day where my knee felt great for the rest of the day after PT. no pain and no swelling. And she noted that my muscles didn't feel as tight. Maybe it has been a good thing to take a Vicodin and 1/2 a flexeril at bedtime. I think it's relaxed my muscles and given me the much needed deep sleep rest that I've needed for months.

Go back to work on Monday. I'm really not looking forward to it. Too much stress and pressure on me at work. And probably even moreso now that I'm behind in my work. Having been off work for two months I know that I definitely won't have any problems with retirement!

Tonight it's dinner with friends and we are going to watch the movie War Room. Hope everyone has a pleasant evening.
 
I'm glad you had such a wonderful day today. It's amazing when you start to realize that you can live a normal life again. I hope you enjoy the movie. As far as going to work the best thoughts I can offer to you is to go home afterwards and do as little as possible. Use frozen foods to mocrowave, sandwiches, soups or take out. You will probably be tired so put of what you can until the weekends so you can be able to rest as much as possible. I found going through a TKR really shows how tough we can be and you'll find work is a piece of cake in comparison.
 
I didn't get to bed last night until 1:00am. And by that time I didn't want to take a Vicodin because I didn't want to feel groggy for church. Should have taken one regardless. I was awake until 4:00 and slept restlessly until 9:00. Plus my knee rebelled from yesterday's activities. But not that bad. Just some achiness. The swelling behind my knee is still there. And my wrist was a little achy and irritated last night.

Tomorrow I return to work and I'm just not mentally ready to go back. I'm not ready to deal with having stress day after day. Maybe that's why I was up so late. Just thinking about that and shedding a few tears.

@newlybionic as far as coming home and resting after I get off work at noon won't be possible. I have an appointment every afternoon this week wether it be PT or the Wound Clinic or the chiropractor. No rest for me. Next Monday is a federal holiday so that will give me a long weekend to recuperate and a short work week to ease back into 8 hour work days.
 
I am so sorry you did not rest well.:console2: I hope you can at least get a nap today. I will be thinking about you tomorrow. I hope your day will go smoothly and not too busy.
 
Work shouldn't be that busy tomorrow. It will take me a few hours to go through 8 weeks worth of emails. I did take a nap today and probably wasn't the smartest decision. I'll probably be hard to get to sleep tonight. Thanks for the kind wishes tho.
 
Made it through my first week back at work. It was tough and that was only working from 8-12! I'm tired. My left leg - the entire leg - is swollen. Usually when I have swelling or fluid retention it dissipates while I sleep. Not this week. The swelling doesn't change at all through the night. Should be interesting when I go to 8 hr work days next week. I'm going to go back to wearing the TED hose for awhile to help with the swelling. Wed I got to 129 flexion. Today it was 120-122. I feel an early bedtime tonight is in order. Tomorrow I have house cleaning & laundry to do, babysitting (more like supervision) tomorrow night. Sunday is church and grocery shopping. Tonight will be my night of rest.
 
Well, congratulations on surviving the week! Sorry for the swelling. Are you wearing thigh high TED hose? I read someone suggesting wearing heavy support pantyhose to help with swelling. You are doing a LOT in addition to work. I wish I could help, although you sound in better shape than I am! I am still using the Saan Wrap when my knee gets so achy and swollen at night. I hope you can get some rest. You know what? Your house will be just fine if you don't get it cleaned. I learned that lesson! :heehee: Hubby and I have VERY different ideas about what clean is.
 
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