Become an Insider

TKR MSuki’s Fabulous Recovery Journey

My kids don't consider gaming to be rest so you're allowed to do the same - haha! I have a Nintendo switch and like to play some things on that. My kids grew up playing video games and I played with them a lot of the time.

Sounds like you have made amazing progress in three months!
 
I play on PC mostly, because I’ve never spent enough time with a controller. But to me the hardest is doing jumping from thing to thing on the iPad - I have a lot of trouble - mostly I only do it when my grandkids want me to play some game on Roblox. When the oldest was about 5 or 6 he was having me play games with him. He was bad about pulling the iPad out of my hand to do something. On one occasion he wanted to play a new game and we selected it. Then as the screen was coming up with the explanation of controls he grabbed my iPad and skipped through it. When I was taking a few minutes to figure out what was going on he said “I think this game is too hard for you“ and switched to something else. I went along with him but I was thinking “You ought to try the game I’m playing now if you think this is hard!”

Now if I could only get my house back in shape…..

PS another something good post knee surgery. When I got up in the morning before surgery I was so stiff and my knee was so bad that often I needed to stand for a minute holding on the dresser, and would use it for support my first few steps. Now I might be a little stiff in the morning with tight hamstrings and calves but I get up and there is no doubt that both legs are supporting me just fine, i can head off to wherever with no delay. This morning I am sore because I tried the glutes video recommended by @EalingGran . I liked the instructor and did a little more than half before I gave out, then waited for the other leg and did the same amount on it. I think it would be good to do this while I’m traveling especially since I won’t have my bike. I’ll try to do more next time.
 
I played lots of Pokemon games with my kids, Sonic the Hedgehog, Lego Star Wars, stuff like that. I got used to the controller but they are way better than me. My reflexes are nothing like theirs.

I totally had the same thing when I get up from bed or after sitting awhile - I couldn't move and just had to stand there. I still do a lot of times just trying to get my left leg to go with me but the right one is not the issue anymore. It's a weird feeling!
 
@selketine it’s good to have both legs working. I can recommend it highly :). On the controller the hard part for me is the little stick you’re supposed to move slightly one way or the other. Seems so much easier to control a mouse and use wasd keys to walk around. But I guess the way to learn it is to do it for a lot of hours…

I think I’m over my glute soreness today but it was worse last night. Maybe in a day or two I’ll get my nerve up and try it again. Clearly my glutes are an issue.

My husband thinks I haven’t been walking enough to be ready for my trip. He’s probably right but it’s going to be “Ready or not, here I come!”. I think I’ll get plenty of walking in on the trip.
 
Treadmill update: I had not gotten back on the treadmill since last time I posted. I went 3/10 of a mile that time. It’s been over a week and I haven’t been out much either. So today I reluctantly got back on after my husband’s comment, and this time I went 0.37 before I felt like it was enough. Something to be said for healing!
 
MSuki said:
But I guess the way to learn it is to do it for a lot of hours…
Click to expand...
Actually, it sometimes causes my hands to cramp up and you can definitely aggravate a tendon or something with controllers. I find my Nintendo switch pro controller to be the most comfortable for my hands.

You'll probably get plenty of walking in on your trip - sounds like you needed a break from it.
 
You are right! Sitting at the gate right now, the plane boards in about 30 minutes. I have my plastic bags and a few pain pills just in case, I may need one when I get there after 6 hours of flying plus a plane change. Short layover in DC, less than an hour.

Wish me luck!
 
MSuki said:
So I had my surgery Wednesday and this is Saturday. The surgery pain itself has not been an issue because the hydrocodone is controlling it well. But it feels like they broke my ankle! I have severe pain in my hip, calf, upper thigh, and ankle. Feels like a rolling cramp but very slow moving and lasts for a really long time. Not sure if it’s nerve pain or muscle pain. I have this muscle relaxant I’ve never heard of before called tizanidine. Also I have some Gabapentin - I had been taking one at night pre-surgery, Wish I knew for sure what I was dealing with. Probably just the aftereffects of the tourniquet and maybe my foot was clamped? When I came out of surgery they gave me Dilaudid 3 times before it had a hint of an effect, and it was all the ankle and thigh! OK, done complaining for the moment.

I went to physical therapy yesterday. They have set up my appointments for the next month with 2 therapists that I know well and trust and I’m excited about that. we didn’t do much, checked to see if my toes moved, my leg is already straight, and she didn’t need me to bend my leg as far as possible. She said I was at or past 65 degrees and that’s all she wanted to know. I had red splotchy marks like a rash on my leg - not just next to incision but a ways over. They went and grabbed a doctor who took pictures and texted to my surgeon. It looks like an allergic reaction to tape or something else they put on my leg, so I’m staying optimistic. I don’t have a fever and going back on Monday.

My husband will be off work until the end of next week, he’s out getting us breakfast.
Click to expand...
I had/have ankle pain also...felt like a medium sprain. I just keep thinking they went in there and really mushed things around, and it will heal too. I do specific ankle exercises to strengthen it back up...just like that big ole muscle on top of your knee...mine kinda clicks now with the weight bearing and squats that I do. I had a bruise over my entire calf section and OMG the tenderness in the calf....it still has a bit of a feeling (dec1, 2023) but no tenderness now. I can run the massager over it pretty strong now.
 
Wow so great to hear! I figured no pain no gain however, pushing the exercises doesn't give you faster relief. Good job everyone..as they say ..this too shall pass... just takes time. My TKR was done November 22, 2023
 
MSuki said:
Short layover in DC, less than an hour.
Click to expand...
I waved at your plane when it flew over my house - surely you saw me standing outside in the 36 degree morning with the wind chill 40 below - haha! I hope you had smooth flights and arrived safely. It was a good day to fly weather wise.
 
I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing such discomfort after your surgery, but it's great that the hydrocodone is helping manage the pain from the surgery itself. The pain and sensations you're describing in your hip, calf, upper thigh, and ankle could indeed be a result of various factors, including the aftereffects of the tourniquet or the positioning during surgery.

It's positive that you've been to physical therapy, and it's encouraging that your leg is already straight.
 
I’ve had a lot going on here…milestone for today is that I went to the grocery store with my brother and his wife. I had to stop by the ladies room. My brother is worried about my knee and was going to follow me over there and wait outside, but I told him I would find them. When I came out I walked to one end of the store and back til I found them, and realized it did not bother me at all, in fact it felt good to walk back and forth!

@SheilaE on the ankle they might have done some straightening of your leg which can pull muscles/tendons tighter than they want to be. If so it will improve over time.

@Bionic gigi welcome, we are in the same month, give us an update about what’s going on with you, I’d love to read it!

@kittiescitties I’m much better now and off the meds unless I really overdo things. Have a small stash of leftovers for an emergency if needed.

@selketine my pal I THOUGHT that was you…..made it fine, enjoyed the day with my brother. I’m headed to the hotel tomorrow near my Mom and will be spending the rest of the time mostly with her. Although I’ll be having dinner with my brother, SIL, and nephew tomorrow and also my brother is coming over on Tuesday before I go home.

I’m so sleepy!!!!
 
Great milestone!!!!! So pleased to read it!
 
MSuki said:
walked to one end of the store and back til I found them, and realized it did not bother me at all, in fact it felt good to walk back and forth!
Click to expand...
Great report!
 
Sounds like you had a smooth travel day and a great start to your trip! That's great you can cruise the store without a problem - this opens up such a world of shopping opportunities! haha! I hope you continue to have a good visit with your family. We're supposed to get a bit of snow here overnight tonight so I hope that doesn't hit you. There's zero amount of snow I'd be willing to walk on at this point lol!
 
I made it back home! My trip went well although it seemed like my knee stayed more sore than at home. I did get some ice on the plane as suggested which felt great.

I took a gel pack and put it in my Mom’s freezer. It was OK but was not nearly as good as my ice machine, where the pad settles around my whole knee and stays cold. I have a pretty nice gel pack with segments to bend, but the bend wasn’t just where I needed it so I kept having to fiddle with it. Also it didn’t always stay cold as long as I needed it and I kept having to turn it over and around to get cold to the right place.

I spent 2 nights at my brother’s and used their exercise bike while there, then went to Burlington where my Mom is in memory care. I never made it to the workout room at the hotel. After 7-8 hours of dementia world, and often an errand of picking something up for my mom, I felt so drained every night I just didn’t want to do anything when I got back to my room but eat, read my book, and go to bed. I did get in more walking than at home. It was 15-20 degrees out most days and until the last day I was brushing off inches of snow off the windshield every morning.

Fast forward to the trip home….all was great until the last hour of the second flight. The seats were nice but hard and hit me at a certain place on my thighs. Not sure what this is but I have a love seat at home I can’t sit on for long that hits me the same way. It almost like restless leg and butt. I get these weird nerve twinges in my glutes and legs and feel like I need to get up. So that was pretty annoying.

When I arrived at IAH there was a big problem at my gate with them being short handed. I sat waiting for my ride for about 25 minutes and there were 6 people waiting, and no one was getting picked up. This guy next to me told me it was about a quarter mile to baggage and sounded like he knew. I decided to chance it. It was a lot further, plus I was walking with a backpack with a laptop, iPad, a few magazines, and misc stuff in it, along with my cpap machine and purse (negligible compared to the backpack.) Then, when I got to baggage, several of us from my flight did not have their luggage. They sent us to a different “overflow” carousel, the luggage office, and then another desk where they track luggage. All of which were on different sides of a very large baggage area. Over an hour after the plane landed my suitcase finally showed up.

Based on steps I think I walked more like a mile and a quarter carrying that backpack. By the time I got home I had pain in my shin at about 7.5. My calf felt like it was almost cramping it was so tight. My husband cranked up the ice machine and for a while it would stop hurting while using the ice but then start again within about 10 minutes of stopping. After several rounds of ice while watching a movie and then another tv show I took a hydrocodone from my emergency stash, took a quick shower, and went to bed.

The shin is still a little sore this morning but not too bad. Some of my muscles are still quite angry about the whole thing and I have a twinge in my ankle.

I am VERY glad to be home!
 
Yikes! Sounds like a tough trip home -- thank goodness, it was at the end of your travels and not the beginning.
You know what to do to get off the ODIC bench! :flwrysmile:
 
Sounds like you coped really well despite the difficulties. Well done@
 
I'm glad you got to see your family and made it home safely - but wow that trip home was too much! I also have chairs that hit the back of my leg in just the spot that makes my whole leg hurt. I would have been howling on the plane so I'm glad you made it. I've also had it in the Orlando airport where they run short of WC pushers and I've sat there. I ended up traveling with a rollator so I can pile my stuff on it and roll it and just slow and steady to baggage claim. This was pre-surgery so I'd probably struggle to do that now.

Hopefully you get some rest today and not hurt too badly!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Corganics CBD
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel

Staff online

Members online

Total: 558 (members: 2, guests: 556)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom