TKR My Journey

Oh @FourCats, I'm sorry you are struggling right now. I've also been struggling with feeling more helpless than I've ever felt. I'm usually a very independent person - I take care of most everything by myself. But - my house really could use a deep clean, my garden is a mess, etc. I know you don't want to hear that it is temporary, but I really do think that it's important to keep that in mind. When I look around at everything that I should be doing but can't do yet (e.g., move the sofa and vacuum up the mounds of dog and cat hair) I have to just keep telling myself that this is actually temporary. I'm also thinking of hiring a cleaner to come in every other week or so.

So - please hang in there. You might feel helpless right now, but this is temporary. If you didn't do the knee surgery, you might have ended up helpless for years and years. That's what I try to keep in mind when I'm feeling downtrodden by how much things have slipped this summer after I had surgery.
 
@FourCats it is very hard to give up our independence. Happy Birthday, celebrate that you have come this far! Rest, can you get family or friends to help, I know I don't want to let family do it and feel I will be disappointed with friends as they say they will help but when the time comes will they.
Hugs and pets to the fur babies.
 
@FourCats So sorry to hear about your struggles. I don’t know what your setup is, but I have some suggestions—call your insurance and ask what additional support your are entitled to through home nursing. Home nursing can provide a multitude of services, including house keeping and helping with personal care. If your insurance isn’t helpful, I suggest directly contacting a home nursing agency. Also check with your local senior services agency, which is sponsored by the federal government. You don’t have to be 65. They have case managers who can help you stay in your home and get the care that you need. Another possibility is to hire teenagers to help you through the rough patches. A local church’s youth group probably has teens who are want to earn extra money. I hope that you get relief soon.
 
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I hope that somebody has managed to cheer you up and that you are having a happy birthday.
I recognise that feeling of being overwhelmed by the house and garden getting out of hand. I am at present staring at a thick layer of dust on our black tv base and dark coloured coffee table. I shall divert my gaze to all the light coloured things that don’t show it. That’s about all you can do.

At 4 months,I stopped any activity centred on my knees, apart from icing etc., and started spending my good knee time doing tasks which give me a sense of achievement, even if it’s only cleaning up a small area of of one room. I had to even give up walking due to the temperatures of 90+ in this country. Now at 5 months, I am starting to feel very much stronger anyway.

You’ll be off that plateau in no time and planning the next op. You’re four years younger than I, wish mine were over and done with four years ago.
 
I am trying to take care of my home alone and am failing. I am trying to take care of myself and am failing.
I feel exactly the same!!!!
Plus you sound like me re: yard work and what not. It's not a bad idea to think about "down sizing" to ease your "Golden years."
 
Surgery is tough. I just got off the phone with a good friend that had foot surgery two years We were both talking about no more elective surgery ever. We both were fine but want to do more than walk around painlessly. He says his foot is not as good as before.

Now I think being able to walk for several miles pre-surgery painlessly was not such a bad thing. I am going on week 7 and still don't have a moment of life not centered around my knee. Instead of walking 1. 5 miles to the end of our street and back with my dog each day, now I am happy to walk to the end of my driveway.

I notice week to week it is getting better and I bet in 6 months I'll be almost as good as pre-surgery but for someone that does not have constant knee pain, I would not recommend going through this surgery. When I get my 8 week follow-up, my OS will definitely will get a piece of my mind for playing down the recovery. I don't want to hear from him the "everyone heals differently line". Those that are good to go in 2 to 4 weeks are the outliers, not the norm.

If one is suffering pre-surgery with bone on bone, it definitely is worth a shot because as bad as my knee feels with all the stiffness and general soreness, I am sure it already feels better than many here have felt pre surgery.

I hope you turn the corner soon. No going back now.
 
Doing better but the weather has been so oppressive here that getting outdoors has been impossible. And the last three days of rain, rain, and more rain has been depressing. I’m ready for autumn!!!
 
Good to hear that you feel a bit better. It’s so easy to let things get you down when you are trying your hardest and don’t seem to get anywhere.
Oh dear, rain means more weeds and mowing. All the best with tackling that.
 
I’m starting my series of orthovisc injections in the left knee next week. Hopefully they will give me some relief and allow me to have more time before TKR on that one.
 
Had my first ortho injection yesterday afternoon, two to go. I’m hoping it will help a bit with the grinding and pain.

Right knee continues to improve although there is still a great deal of stiffness and it does tire quickly. I honestly believe the high humidity is having an effect and am so ready for more comfortable weather.
 
I'm 4 weeks out of surgery and had 2 cats. But unfortunately 2 weeks out of surgery one of my girls had an issue we couldn't get fixed even though we tried really hard to. I had to put her down because she was 13 years old and suffering terrible. It's still really painful being without her. Especially right after tkr surgery. I do cherish the 13 years I had with her though and love and miss her so much.
 
I feel that way everyday as well. I wish everyday I wouldn't of done this surgery even though everyone says it will be worth it. I wish I would of just lived with the arthritis knee.
 
Finished the orthovisc injections and have not felt any improvement. I’m trying to accept the pain as no elective surgeries are being done due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

My new knee is 5 months old and trying to adjust to being the good knee which makes it feel very achy and stiff.
 
@FourCats I did synvisone shots and they worked great with almost 6 to 8 months between shots but then bone on bone and knee feeling like it was give out and not being able to stand or walk much has made me schedule surgery. I'm getting real nervous though and afraid they will stop scheduling elective surgery here in PA too. Hope the shot works it does take time to set in.
 
@FourCats
I can only imagine your struggle trying to baby your new right knee as your left deteriorates. I had 3 plus years of working knees before my left started to fail.
Rounds of steroid shots kept me going for 18 months before the inevitable surgery. On a good note I was a candidate for a Partial this time around and although the recovery was just as difficult and painful early on, overall it has been easier I would say. Perhaps that option is worth looking at for your left knee. The heat, humidity and daily storms here in Florida plus COVID have made for a depressing recovery for me too. I have been housebound apart from the occasional early morning trips to the local mall to have a good walk when it’s quiet. My garden is very overgrown (we took out the lawns years ago to save water so at least didn’t have to worry about that) I had a couple of guys from the neighbors landscaping crew come over to trim all the bushes and palms. I go out and do 10 minutes weeding every day and totally get how it all seems overwhelming at times.
Hope you are feeling better today. What would we do without this Forum?
 
I had a gel 1 injection around 6 weeks ago. It didn't do a thing! I was so hoping it would help until my scheduled surgery in November! I, too, am hoping Covid does not close the surgery center I am scheduled at!
This has been quite the journey since my first tkr in February, I keep myself from getting too depressed just thinking how much better my quality of life will be once both are done
I am very thankful for this forum, it has helped so much!
 

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