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TKR Mom2Lucy's Recovery Thread

I’m 3 weeks and 2 days today and had another go on the exercise bike today and yay managed to do some revolutions. Didn’t overdo it... well I’ll know tonight if I have. So have a go Mom2Lucy. Tried it a few days ago for the first time.
Today though was one of those up and down days. I woke up with a sore red painful heel on my nonoperated leg . I thought I had a pressure sore from all the lying about! Down to the docs who said no not a pressure sore but a swollen bursa probably caused by my right leg over compensating for the left. What do you know!
 
I live in a 55+ community and we have an exercise room with 3 recumbent bikes, but I couldn’t set any of them to zero. Just “low” and just testing it and moving it with my hand, it felt way too much tension.

Oh well, I’d rather walk anyway.
 
I rocked the bike pedals back and forth for about a week. Then, I was only able to do a backwards revolution for a few days. My first forward rotation I had to lift the hip of my surgery knee to get it around for a few times, then slowly lower it to the seat. That was a day of celebration!
 
Today I decided to give the stationary bike a try, what was I thinking, lol. Turns out my building has three different bikes, but I felt like Goldilocks. One was so fancy, I couldn’t figure how to use it, one was so old styled I couldn’t even get my good leg over the centre of the bike. The third bike had a chair behind it, seems like people sit on the chair and then work the pedals from that position. I tried doing that, but could barely move the pedals. I agree with @Jockette , I’d rather walk:rotfl: The whole bike experience felt hazardous, and a good way to hurt myself.
 
Well you can say you tried! I think the bikes they put in our type of buildings are for fit people, not for those of us recovering from surgery. Not that we’re not fit, we’re just recovering.
 
Probably doesn’t help that I haven’t ridden a bike in decades, lol.
 
Even if you had, it would still be a bit early for most of us!
 
I've got the recumbent inside bike. It has the seat with a back. That one you tried probably has adjustable tension like mine does. I found it easier than the upright one my friend has. You might see if you can lower the tension on those bikes. That would help you ride. Of course, walking is a great exercise!
 
I may give it another try in a week or two, today was enough for awhile, lol:heehee:

On another note, I have a question about the steri strips. The nurse put a dozen of them on my incision after she took out the staples. That was Oct 19. She said just let them come off on their own, and that would happen in 5-7 days. Well they must have great adhesive, because they’ve barely moved. None have come off. Should I do anything to hasten their lift-off?
 
Those steristrips aren't necessary. You can pull them off if you like.

Your skin was healed enough when the clips/stitches were removed, and all the layers beneath the skin are securely stitched anyway. Nothing will spring open if you remove the steristrips.
 
Thank you @Celle , it’s such a little thing, but I think I’d feel like one more step has been accomplished when the steri strips are gone.
 
My bandage came off several days before my stitches came out.

I was so excited to get my stitches out, and then so disappointed to have steri strips. I had been allowed to shower with my bandage, and with just the stitches, but was not allowed to for 3 days after getting the steri strips. They were worse than the stitches were.

The edges curled and looked tacky and were just annoying.
 
I was on the recumbent bike at PT today. Just rocking the pedals for a good stretch. It actually felt good. I did 10 min. There was no way those pedals were going all the way around, though!
 
:hairpulling:Well tonight I’m here to vent because I know this forum will understand me, and more so the struggle we have with pain management, etc. Tonight I actually had a friend/Coworker tell me flat out that “there should not be that much pain though and it very well could be that muscles are not getting worked properly and you don’t want all this to be for nothing.”

When I explained I was having a rough day today due to a change in meds, and also from overdoing things yesterday, she told me”it’s going to get worse if you don’t start walking more, won’t heal, and you will have crappy scar tissue”

This floored me because she really has no idea of how much I’m walking, nor has she ever had a tkr herself.

I guess I shouldn’t feel so hurt and angry, but I am feeling that way as a result of these pearls of wisdom she imparted .

I’m not yet a month out from the tkr which was Oct 04.:sigh:
 
Ignore that person. She thinks she knows something but she is unbelievably ignorant and arrogant. Is she that way in other matters? You are the boss of your own body.

A lot of people want to give advice without taking the time to educate themselves about the issue or to attempt to put themselves in the other person's shoes.

I don't know whether I will still have a job after I finally recover but if I do and anybody in the workplace tries to lecture me, I will absolutely whip them with words. :headbang:
 
@Motherbone , no she typically is not this way, so it came out of the blue. It was such a slap in the face that I’m still feeling it this morning. :bawl:It’s a real eye opener to realize people are not as supportive as I thought.

I’m not sure why some people seem to think a tkr somehow “cures”osteoarthritis, which was the reason for my surgery. :shrug:

Thanks for letting me vent. Sorry to be such a downer,
 
Mom2Lucy it is amazing how uninformed and inconsiderate our support groups can be at times. What people “know” is that the arthritic joint isn’t there any longer. In a sense they are correct because that constant arthritic pain is gone. However what they fail to take into consideration is the trauma our knee and legs are put through in the process. It takes a significant amount of time for the swelling and soft tissue to heal and calm down. This is where you come to find people who understand and support you through this journey. I am a week behind you with Righty and can say unequivocably that the pain is very real. You are not alone hang in there.
 
Some people have a mindset that they know everything about everything. I have a very dear friend who has become THE authority on everything. She wasn’t always like this and it’s sad to me because I avoid her now. She used to be fun. I’d do anything for her, but geez.....enough already.
Im sorry she hurt you. I’m sure it touched a nerve. Or 5. I don’t know why people get that way when it’s out of character for them.
Congrats on not doing bodily harm to her :rotfl:
 
Thank you @Larryhg3 , I hope you’re healing well:fingersx:

@beachy , she’s safe from bodily harm lol, as I can’t reach her:rofsign:. Thanks for the laugh:loll:
 
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