OP
OP
Dhare63
post-grad
United StatesGood morning,
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Please accept my sincere wish for a wonderful and happy new year.
I have read many posts in this forum and others. THey range from amazing recoveries to complete nightmares, as it relates to their personal experience with TKR. In my case, I was looking for ideas, suggestions and just to gain the knowledge that I was not alone in my struggle. I found that here, thank God.
For many people, recovery can be an isolating experience. It will take you out of your normal routine, making it difficult to be the person that your "world" has been conditioned to expect from you. For me, not being able to perform at work, at a very high level was a new experience. I didn't understand where my focus and drive went. I was frustrated and felt like a failure, that somehow lack of progress was my "fault" for not doing something right. That also affected my relationships with co-workers and my boss, who also didn't understand the process that is my personal recovery. I now know through reading your posts, that I didn't do anything wrong, this is just what happened in my journey. I can thank Jo for being very firm in this truth.
I have good days and I have bad days. I am sure that most of us can say the same. Its on those bad days that I turn to the forum for understanding and guidance. I hope that my posts and others don't scare those that are about to embark on this journey. And let's be real for a moment; this is not all rainbows and unicorns. The recovery process is long and demanding. It taxes your body and mind like nothing else I have ever experienced. It will make you question why you ever went down the road to have the surgery in the first place. But, fast forward many months or even a year, and those desperate thoughts have passed and life without knee pain is ours. Unfortunately, the challenge in the moment is one that needs understanding and acceptance. I turn here because you have all been in my shoes quite literally, and can relate to my feelings. I come here on good days to help others, as I have been helped.
I'm so glad that there are a variety of posts here; the great experiences that many have had in their recovery, and those that are more prolonged and challenging. It's effective in giving feedback that is often missing from our healthcare team and at home support system. I have seen many great examples where we have all pitched in with sage advice to help someone along their recovery path. Its rewarding and a privilege to be a part of.
To those that are contemplating TKR, bear one extremely important thing in mind; your experience is personal and unique. Your body will dictate how quickly your recovery will progress. Yes, you need to commit to doing what is needed to return to good health. Some days will be great and others will be terrible. Recovery is like a jagged line with ups and downs, but usually moving forward with peaks and valleys. I hope this forum helps to manage your expectations that how you recover can't be compared with others, which is a trap I fell into. I fully believe that as time passes, we will feel better and look back at the very few months of difficulty as a small price to pay for the pain free knee.
To those who have offered me support and advice, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I truly appreciate each and every word. I'm still fighting for extension and have a lot more work ahead of me.
The journey continues,
Dawn
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Please accept my sincere wish for a wonderful and happy new year.
I have read many posts in this forum and others. THey range from amazing recoveries to complete nightmares, as it relates to their personal experience with TKR. In my case, I was looking for ideas, suggestions and just to gain the knowledge that I was not alone in my struggle. I found that here, thank God.
For many people, recovery can be an isolating experience. It will take you out of your normal routine, making it difficult to be the person that your "world" has been conditioned to expect from you. For me, not being able to perform at work, at a very high level was a new experience. I didn't understand where my focus and drive went. I was frustrated and felt like a failure, that somehow lack of progress was my "fault" for not doing something right. That also affected my relationships with co-workers and my boss, who also didn't understand the process that is my personal recovery. I now know through reading your posts, that I didn't do anything wrong, this is just what happened in my journey. I can thank Jo for being very firm in this truth.
I have good days and I have bad days. I am sure that most of us can say the same. Its on those bad days that I turn to the forum for understanding and guidance. I hope that my posts and others don't scare those that are about to embark on this journey. And let's be real for a moment; this is not all rainbows and unicorns. The recovery process is long and demanding. It taxes your body and mind like nothing else I have ever experienced. It will make you question why you ever went down the road to have the surgery in the first place. But, fast forward many months or even a year, and those desperate thoughts have passed and life without knee pain is ours. Unfortunately, the challenge in the moment is one that needs understanding and acceptance. I turn here because you have all been in my shoes quite literally, and can relate to my feelings. I come here on good days to help others, as I have been helped.
I'm so glad that there are a variety of posts here; the great experiences that many have had in their recovery, and those that are more prolonged and challenging. It's effective in giving feedback that is often missing from our healthcare team and at home support system. I have seen many great examples where we have all pitched in with sage advice to help someone along their recovery path. Its rewarding and a privilege to be a part of.
To those that are contemplating TKR, bear one extremely important thing in mind; your experience is personal and unique. Your body will dictate how quickly your recovery will progress. Yes, you need to commit to doing what is needed to return to good health. Some days will be great and others will be terrible. Recovery is like a jagged line with ups and downs, but usually moving forward with peaks and valleys. I hope this forum helps to manage your expectations that how you recover can't be compared with others, which is a trap I fell into. I fully believe that as time passes, we will feel better and look back at the very few months of difficulty as a small price to pay for the pain free knee.
To those who have offered me support and advice, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I truly appreciate each and every word. I'm still fighting for extension and have a lot more work ahead of me.
The journey continues,
Dawn
