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TKR My Journey as of 12/16/13 - Over 1 Year and Still Trying

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Definitely a compliment - my friend Heather is beautiful! I think you look fabulous as you are but I do understand that every pound of weight off takes 4lbs of pressure off your knee...I've actually been considering trying to lose a few more pounds prior to surgery.

RE packing - that is exactly what I did when I moved, packed 2 or 3 boxes and left them stacked pretty much where they were and had movers come in and do the lifting. My suggestion would be to save the majority of the helpers for the unpacking... but that might just be me, I have no patience for not knowing where things are so tend to over-do big time. Last move I had the mover in on Saturday afternoon and was completely finished unpacking by Monday. Why yes, I do have issues!

Regarding the swelling - just FYI, in my battle of delaying the replacement one of the things I tried was a Whole30 elimination diet - based on Paleo (feel free to roll your eyes, I did!) at any rate, for 30 days you eliminate all grains, all legumes, all sugar (even AS and honey), all dairy, all seed oils and all soy. Its a royal PITA. However - after all of that I found out that dairy makes my throat constrict and implants a hot procipine in my chest and gluten makes my joints double in size within 2 hours. I seriously had half of a flour tortillia and turned into the staypuff marshmellow man...it was ugly and painful. I've been GF for 2 years now and it really has helped significantly with my inflammation. Not gone by any means but less is more in that instance.

I can see that the last thing you need is something else to fit into your busy world but gluten and dairy are the biggest odds on favorite to contribute to inflammation, perhaps if you just eliminate one of those you might have some improvement? Just at thought. Yikes, sorry I keep writing a book in your thread...
 
It's not as bad as it sounds - believe it or not...it was at first though!

I eat all veggies (except the ones I found I'm sensitive too - cooked tomato, mushrooms, eggplant and white potatoes) Fruit but since I'm trying to keep weight low I stick to 1 serving a day, protein at every meal and healthy fats like avocado and coconut oil - nuts (except peanuts which are actually legumes, who knew!) I cook with either ghee or coconut oil and make salad dressings with olive oil. It's also super easy to make your own mayo and it's MUCH better!

I try to eat locally so as seasonally as possible - lots of beets, squashes and brussels sprouts - cauliflower is probably the most versatile veggie known to man! Looking forward to summer veggies that should be coming soon. Its harder to eat out, for sure, but I really do feel notably better...and when I started researching what nutrition do recovering bones need it was exactly what I was eating so...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
Hi @DogLoverx3 how are you?

My knee was In bits this morning with the pain in my kneecap and around it. I had an appointment with Freddie the Frenchman. I went and it hurt he stopped immediately, no messing. He spent a lot of time putting acupuncture needles in, letting them do their magic and then carried on massaging and pressing. During the one massage I nearly jumped off the couch in pain. He stopped very alarmed because of my reaction. He asked where the pain was. He found the exact location of the worst of it, put an acupuncture needle in the spot and suddenly my whole body relaxed, all the pain went completely even in my hip! During this session he got one of the private docs who has an orthopaedic background to look at my knee. He was concerned about how bent it is still but praised how much I could bend it. He was a bit concerned about the swelling and the heat but said that it was not unheard of in some cases. He was more concerned about it not being straight.

It's crazy but whole Time I was away, I slept. I've come back here and insomnia struck immediately. Mad!

I hope that you are having a good day and not overdoing it. I know you have no choice and that's not your fault, it's the situation. I hope to hear from you today my friend. I miss you xoxoxoxoxox :puppysmooze:
 
Hi everybody. Still can't get onto my thread page so saying hello to everyone on yours. Hope you don't mind. Knee doing ok. Just burning hot at night so again back to ice packs. Just came from surgeons office. New problem bone on bone on my other shoulder. Shoot me now!!!!


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That's nice of you to have completely financed an extra wing at your OS's office @susanne :heehee: I'm so sorry you're having shoulder pain. You're almost out of 'parts', sweetie.

@Nana moon 27 , I'm okay, thank you. More than a bit burried with work, packing and everything else at the moment, but doing my best. Too bad 'Dick' isn't cooperating. He's being a bit of a butt lately. I've got a truckload (figured the censors would appreciate that word instead of my 1st choice one) of jobs between now and Thursday, so I'm a bit nervous. I'm excited that you're going back to your caravan! I think that place does you good! Maybe you could leave your 'Dick' at home. :whistle:

@dogwheels , how are you, my friend? I can't find your thread and heaven forbid I trudge through the 327 pages over at the coffee shop that I missed. :umm:I hope your knee is progressing well and you're not in too much pain.

@TexasTee , darn, you sound SO on top of things! I think you're going to be the best prepared patient ever! I'm going on a very strict diet starting on Monday (culinary festival is this weekend, so it would be just stupid of me to lie and say I'm going to be 'good' during that) which is mainly Paleo based. Very clean eating. Lots of protein, no dairy or grains, no sugar, very few fruits and lots of yummy veggies! I have managed to gain an inordinate amount of weight in a very short time and not only is that horrible for my knee, but for my self esteem as well. Btw, I love reading your posts. You're very smart and funny and I am quite certain that we would be fast friends in real life! :)

@yiayia3 , did I read a reference that you fell down stairs? :shocked:I do hope you're okay. One of my dogs knocked into me going down stairs yesterday and although I didn't fall, I did jam my knee to steady myself.

As for me, Mexico seems a lifetime ago. Boo. Having 3 days to do absolutely nothing but drink, read, sunbathe and relax did me a world of good. I even saw a bit of the old me come back to life while there. Funny and snarky and entertaining (instead of the whining, pitiful mess I've become). Since I've been back, my knee has not been doing so hot. Yes, I work too much and stand too much. No way around that. I do still have what feels like something is getting caught behind my knee when I walk and a great deal of swelling and pain still. My surgeon seems to have written me off as 'fine' and I can't get past that he wouldn't order an x-ray or MRI for me and told me he'd see me at my 1 year check up. I've set up a 2nd opinion appointment with a good surgeon in town who was actually on my 'short list' for my TKR, but that I never ended up meeting with. I can't get an appointment until May 15th, so I am going to see my GP next week to talk to him and ask him to order an MRI for me. If it shows nothing, then fine, I'll know but I truly think there's something more going on than 'over-doing' and the fact that my surgeon wouldn't do it is kinda ridiculous. At least I'll have all my records and information for the new surgeon to go over next month.

Anywho, I'm sorry to have been MIA. Things are just crazy right now and it seems like all I ever post is that my knee hurts. Still. No one wants to read that stuff ;-) Hope everyone is well! xoxoxo
 
Yeah! You will love Paleo - not only do you lose weight, you really do feel amazing...after the first week, be prepared for that - depending on the level of carbs you are at now and how low you go your body will need to adapt to be a fat burner - clearly a good goal! But it makes you tired and completely grump-tastic for 3-5 days so be aware. It's a real PITA to eat out, as I mentioned...even in Austin where we embrace weird diets, it’s still an issue. You have Chipotle and In and Out in PHX, right? The company I work for has a site in Tempe and one in Chandler so I go there once or twice a year. I'll ping you before I go next time and see what you have found that is Paleo friendly! I have noticed you like to go simple for your own food so that will help. I used to be quite picky about what I ate but after the whole30 I'd eat just about anything that was already prepared!! I started cooking sweet potatoes (little ones) by the bag full and keeping them in the fridge, add some fat and protein and dinner is served! Just sayin - sweet potato with coconut oil and almond butter...it doesn't suck. There are endless things you can toss on a sweet potato and be in a very good, fast, meal. OOOH with bacon bits and an over easy egg? Ridiculous.

Regarding being prepared - I was told in 2009 that my knee was toast but to wait it out as long as possible so I've been researching for a while. Still haven't quite given up hope - anywhere outside of the US they are allowed to culture stem cells...might just be I can get someone to grow me some new cartilage before I end up replacing. Have a lead in the Caymans just now. Can't imagine how much that might cost but where there is a will, there is a way! And in the meantime, replacing is plan B.

I'm glad you don’t find me a nuisance…yet ;) But I agree, I think we’d get on fabulously in real life, based on your posts – so don’t censor now! pre-ops like me need to see the good the bad and the ugly, and beyond that…your friends here want to be there for you, just like you want to be there for them. I think we have a very similar profile of always being the one that is there to prop up all of those in real life – it goes against the very fiber of my being to contemplate being the one that needs help. Gak. I do not…hmmm, have not, ever needed….have not ever been able to accept, help. Hmmm. I have a shiny, new husband that is treading as carefully as he can but I can see I have some issues I’m going to need to address before Feburary!
 
Oh yeah! About that husband - I tried Match but it was horiffic - ended up with 2 serious contenders on OK Cupid and both were completely normal, professional adults...just too busy working to know any single people. Once you're moved and sorted, you might give it a shot!

ETA - full disclosure there there were a lot of odd balls and so many CHILDREN (um, children in this scenario are under 25) but there are good ones, as well.
 
Hi @DogLoverx3 it's so good to have you back. You are sounding pretty upbeat. I would love to go up the caravan on my own but I'm still not allowed to drive due to the pain meds. My husband shocked me at 9.30 tonight. He said get your trainers on and' we'll go for a walk around the block. Oh wow I didn't have to be asked twice lol xxxx however, my knee is aching, no surprise. Feel better though for the walk.

I plan to have grilled bacon, egg and mushrooms in the morning to kick start this diet! Let's hope it works. It's been a while. I lost two stone with slimming world before and kept it off until my knee totally went. I kept some off but not all to be honest x x x

I've been In a strange place mentally. I feel so old and fat and worse still frumpy. Yet I look at my latest Avatar pic on here and it doesn't look like what I see everyday. I need a distraction so the caravan is the best place for me! I cannot believe I am 54 in June and my eldest daughter will be 37 in September and her son, my eldest grandson will be 19! Its scary. I still feel 44 on a really good day (not today) Lol xxxx

I know you are very busy right now, so I'm going to leave you in peace. I'm always happy once I know you're okay my friend. You've been there for me right from the beginning of my journey. I can't thank you enough xoxox Big hugs :puppysmooze:

Love Nana moon 27 xxxx
 
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Hello @DogLoverx3 - sorry that 'Dick' is still acting up and that your Mexico break is but a distant memory. I really hope that you can get an MRI or some answers soon, to put your mind at rest or find out if there are specific therapies or exercises that will make things more comfortable for you. In the meantime you have the excitement of your new house ..... try not to work so hard that you are too tired to take pleasure in it.
Thanks for asking about my progress .... I am plodding on, trying to make the knee bendier and single-handedly keeping the clinic in business with the number of physio and hydro sessions I am having. I think @susanne and I should petition to have our respective treatment centres renamed in our honour. Having baffled everyone with what my knee has done to itself, I have been told that we are evidently going to take it very slowly and gently, treating the damn thing like a piece of delicate china. Let's just say that's not what I am calling it. Things are improving but only really at the same rate as first time round - with the added pleasure that I am not allowed to do anything, bar walking, that puts weight through the joint. Boring ............ A whole new crop of discolouration has appeared magically over the last few days and we don't know if it is old blood or new blood ...... all I do know is that it's a bloody nuisance. Anyway enough about knees.
After an amusing and cosy chat this evening with my daughter about her love life - always entertaining - I have just had a good laugh over @TexasTee's comments about dating sites. Lets just say my daughter has never been short of male attention since her first BF at the tender age of 12 - but she signed up to a few sites a while ago to widen the net and meet more people. The results were totally hilarious and quite incredible, so I am glad it is not just the UK that has its fair share of 'eccentrics'.
Yawn - time for bed. Hope you sleep well and are not too busy over the weekend.
X
 
You talking about dating sites reminded me of my friend. Newly divorced, very fed up, signs up with Match! She is a gorgeous 40 something, funny, very young looking for her age etc. She calls me over into the quiet area of our staff room. She showed me the pics if the guys in offer so to speak. Well, I cried until I couldn't breathe for laughing. An Old man in a string vest need I say more. Oh dear.... None of us mind older men but for goodness sake this was on a dating site! No effort made. I have always said that if I'm ever alone for whatever reason, I would rather be an old mans fancy than a young mans slave! Although I've been told younger men are more fun. So maybe that previous statement is a but unfair...who knows? Well I'm not about to find out anytime soon! Goodnight all love Nana moon 27 xoxox
 
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Hi again. Very funny about the surgeons office redo. I think I already paid for the new office furnishings. The 14 th is my 3 month anniversary will be back at surgeons office for the 3 month ck up. And into manhattan to see shoulder surgeon for 3 year ck up. I guess I'll slip him my X-rays and see what he says. It's too unbelievable that if I have to have another body part replaced I can only just laugh it off. The shoulder was a breeze. Plus each body part weighs about 3 lbs so I can deduct 9 lbs plus if it comes to it another shoulder. Still have no appetite, and sleeping is a disaster. My knee feels like it's on fire and my shoulder is killing me. Hopefully the cortisone shot will help. I did curtail my late night shopping sprees. Packages kept coming and have no clue as to what I bought.
So glad to hear about everyone's life. We are all still going strong. Yea for us!!!
My excitement is my daughter coming home Monday. Can't wait to see her it's been too long
Good night all sweet dreams everyone!!!



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Hi @DogLoverx3 how are you? I hope you are ok after yesterday's culinary event. How' did your knee behave?

I had a fantastic morning then it's been downhill since. Flipping knee, calf and leg swollen. Fed up. Never mind. I've packed ready to go in the morning. Nearly never went because of his attitude. I think were so spending too much time together. At least his fishing buddies are up there, so I'll get a break in that respect. My friend In the next caravan is coming up on Wednesday so that'll be nice.

Catch you in a bit

Love Nana moon 27 xoxoxo:puppysmooze:
 
Nana moon 27 said:
You talking about dating sites
Click to expand...
The other day at the gym, the senior ladies one locker bank over were talking about online dating. They are looking for someone who is a handyman, or an accountant. Or better yet both :rotfl:.
I think they hope the men go fishing from time to time for some quiet time at home.
 
Hi @fiftydollarbill ! Nice to hear from you. I hope you're doing well! I have a 2nd opinion visit scheduled with Dr David Cammaratta (no clue how to spell his name) next month and until then, I'm going to see my GP on Tuesday.

Hi @Nana moon 27 , the culinary festival was great. Volunteered yesterday (the big dummies put me in the vodka tent) hee hee .... and then went back today with 2 girlfriends just to enjoy. We sat and listened to great music, had lots of delicious food tastings and more beer/hard cider tastings than that. Ran into a few other friends while there and it was a nice day all in all. I'm pooped and my knee is sore, but it was well worth it! I'm sorry your day has turned to doodie. I would imagine that spending round the clock time with someone for an extended period of time when that's not the norm is a big adjustment. I'm glad you're going back to your caravan tomorrow. I hope you have a wonderful time. Glad that your friend will be there on Wednesday as well. Enjoy yourself and relax!

Strict diet starts tomorrow. Boo. Was nice to be able to send off my freedom to eat with a culinary festival! I've got to get back to work and have a pretty jam packed week ahead, but will check in when I can. Hope everyone is doing well! xoxoxo

@Pumpkln - too funny about the ladies at the gym and their talk of online dating *gag*. I always used to joke that the perfect man for me would have terrific insurance benefits and travel extensively for work. ;-)
 
Oh @DogLoverx3 this pain is my own fault. I felt so good I cut the grass. Our lawnmower is a heavy petrol one.....own fault self inflicted but oh my, am so paying for it. I just got up to go loo and yoiked with every step. Never mind sitting down on the loo. Oh why oh why do I do this? Every time I feel better I overdo things.

Anyway I am so glad you've had a couple of great days (WTG vodka tent!). It's a shame the knee is such a poop. I know y have a heavy week this week, work wise so I'll not expect to hear from you as much x I will try and okay when I can but the signal where I am is rubbish. Please take care this week.

Love Nana moon 27 xoxoxoxo:puppysmooze:
 
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