TKR My Shiny Happy New Knees

[Morgaine]

PT just left. ROM 0-94! Rest of the staples are now gone. On the way to my bed to do heel slides, I grabbed a small plastic grocery bag. She asked why, told her for my heel slides. I put it under my heel and it makes it easy to slide that foot! She told me she was impressed, had a patient having trouble with heel slides. It seemed a good idea, and she was going to try it with them. I read it here on someones thread (sorry, can't remember who to give proper credit, forgive me), and thought, why not.
Just before my therapist left after removing the staples, she said, don't forget to rest, ice and elevate.
Hummm am I corrupting her?

 

[fiberlady]

Yes, I do remember the six million dollar man, who could not like Lee Majors, in the early 60's he attended the same college my brother did in Kentucky.

Wow what a few days, I am finally feeling better, still don't know what is the problem but it has knocked my socks off.

Wasn't it nice to get outside? I loved my home pt for that reason, we went outside whenever he came, so I am not afraid to do the steps to get out. Went to out patient therapy today, came home and spent the rest of the day resting and icing and sleeping.

 

[Brownie51]

Morgaine that is super with the grocery bag! My PT puts a board under your foot but a baggie would sure be easier. You are really coming along! Good for you teaching your PT the bonesmart way. It is the ONLY way in my book!
Cindy what happened that you don't feel well?

 

[fiberlady]

Brownie51 don't really know, last Wed, started feeling nauseous and had no appetite, then at night my temp would go up to 99, the next day it was a little worse and in the evening my temp went to 99.2, went to my GP on Friday who took me off the lortabs and did a whole lot of blood work and blood cultures, I am waiting for the results.

Morgaine, hope you have a good day today, we had storms here last night and the weather has gotten cooler, I would rather have the warmer weather, I was never meant to live in a cold climate, I am still wearing a sweater when it is 80 out.

 

[Morgaine]

Cindy, fiberlady praying for you and so glad you are feeling better. Storms here too, I wear a sweater and stay under a blanket, even when it is 90. I think this healing process pulls all the body heat away or something.
We live in the country in the woods. Yesterday my hubby had to go down our driveway to bring my therapist to the house. Hummm, can't imagine why she couldn't make it up an 1100 foot mud driveway to the top of the hill in the rain.
When hubby and I drove an 18-wheeler we had some driver friends from Michigan. They used to tell us there are four seasons there. Winter, more winter, even more winter, and construction. I think Michigan is beautiful in the late spring, summer, and early fall.

Morgaine

 

[referee54]

referee54 starting at 11 am Judge Joe Brown, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Big Valley, Dragnet, Adam-12, Emergancy, Rifleman, MASH, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeanie.
And streaming Netflix!

All of the good ones! The shows that I used to watch way back when!

 

[Morgaine]

Finally the storms have stopped for a few days. My legs (both of them) have stopped hurting and swelling. My therapist wanted to walk out to the car to be sure I could get in and out. Temp outside in the middle 90's, ended up sweating. When we got back inside, just did a few exercises, ROM at 97. Surprised the heck out of me. Only exercises I do when she isn't here are ankle pumps, heel slides, and walking. Still can't get out of my recliner by myself. Sigh. One day!

 

[lavender]

Hi Morgaine Nice to read that things are going good for you. It sure is a true rollercoaster ride somedays you feel wonderful and things go pretty good have positive feelings and then other days just a word can change me to a crying mess. I need to talk to my doctor at my appointment next week he removed me from the pain killers he had me on oxycodone and replaced them with morphone. I am not supposed to use these unless I abosolutely have to and have tried not to. 10 pills in 17 days and only for pt I go to. The pt is quite intense and I want to ask him if he has any suggestions other then tylenol which I am taking at the present. It must feel kind of nice to have both legs done now and be close to having it over. I am stil ldeciding on the left leg and will have to see how this one ends up. You have a good outlook and will be just fine. Holly

 

[Morgaine]

Woke up today feeling like an old lady. Both knees annoyed at me for some reason. Even coffee didn't help. My therapist came again today (she had rescheduled Wed appt). Did a few exercises, she added a couple more stretching ones. Both her and hubby "fussed" at me for walking with the duck walk. Slowed down to concentrate. Felt even more like an old lady. Rom on my left knee now at 98. I asked her to check my right leg. Without effort was at 108 (last time I measured was at 102). After my therapist left, hubby insisted I put on my ice machine. He said I needed it. Gotta love that man!
My therapist is off next week, so I will be having someone different. Hope she is as non-aggressive. I have the ability to say NO! and am not afraid to use it (learned the hard way).
Bonanza is on, must be naptime!
Morgaine

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Hubby has even apologized.

There are 2 rules to being a successful husband.

1. If you are wrong, apologise at once and profusely.

2. If she is wrong, wake up you dumb person and apply rule 1 immediately.

She started talking about a lady that she knew that had told my sister she had both her knees replaced and was back to "normal" in less than 3 weeks.

Has anyone ever actually met such a person? No, it's always a friend of a friend or someone's second cousin twice removed neighbour's barber's dog.

Such people don't exist.

I had an (almost) textbook recovery (apart from a setback one New Year's Eve that I don't need to mention...) and it was six months before the 'normal' word could be used.

 

[Morgaine]

Holly, lavender thank you. I hope by this time your Dr has gotten your pain under control. You say your PT is quite intense. I hope that doesn't mean very painful. I learned the hard way, never let anyone push you to pain. Discomfort is to be expected, but very painful...NO!
I have the crying jags still, not as bad as with the first one, but silly things can set me off.
Yesterday I went to church, by the time it was over, my leg was swollen like a balloon. Think from not being elevated. Got home, and before I got in the front door, hubby had the ice machine ready to go. Guess he has finally learned to read my mind.

Monday, Alternate physical therapist just left. We nicely had a disagreement, I won. She said at 4 weeks out, I should be using a 5 pound weight when doing some of my exercises. I started laughing and told her that I didn't even use a 5 pound weight on my leg that was 5 months out. She said, it is the way I do things. I told her that was wonderful, but it wasn't hapoening with me. Then proceeded to go through my exercises as I did with my regular therapist. Only difference is on one exercises, I did use a 1 1/2 pound weight, but it was something that I had already discussed with my regular therapist. She was nice about my refusal though, maybe because I was pretty firm about it.
When the session was done, she said I was doing very very well. ROM 0-102. Lol and without a 5 pound weight.
OS appointment tomorrow. Fingers crossed that he says I can finally take a real shower. For some odd reason he said no showers, only wipedown baths, until the steri-strips come off, which took 2 months with my right knee.

 

[lavender]

Hi Morgaine Wow you are at 102 good going. I am at 82 up from the 40 degree range 6 apointments ago but hoping it will get better still swollen and thank goodness no one has suggested using weights my leg is a weight all by itself told the pt today I felt like I was carrying a log around and not a leg. I met a woman at the hospital clinic that had little bandages up her scar and she was worried that the last 2 might not comeoff wondered what they were for she had the same doctor as I had but he didn't use them on me not sure why. I am sure you will really enjoy a shower when your doctor approves I waited a week and just had washes as well but really miss the baths . I think you were really smart to tell the pt what she was going to do was not acceptable to you sometimes they have a way of doing their pt plan and forget that the pain is different on the other end of the leg. I don't think anyone can fully understand pain unless they are the one that is having it as hard as they may try. I am seeing my surgeon tomorrow at the hospital and wonder what the suggestion he had last appointment will be. The new pt training checked my knee and said that their was lots of movement from the kneecap so hope all goes well. Thanks and it was nice hearing from you Holly

 

[Morgaine]

Holly, you still have lots of time, and as long as your leg is swelling, ROM won't happen. On my RTKR, at 2 weeks, I was at 28 and crying all the time. At 5 months, I am at 108. Funny thing is the more ROM my out-patient therapist tried to get, the less he was able to get. Now just taking it easy, using ice, elevating, both knees have pretty decent ROM.
Have you read the article on it never being too late to get ROM?
Now if I can just get to where I can get my big bottom out of my recliner without help....sigh!

 

[lavender]

Hi Morgaine I never even thought when I was having this operation that bend was even a problem. Just thought it would bend and have time to cover slowly In the hospital when the pt measured my leg sitting in the chair in my room didn't even ask myself why she was doing this she was really nice said it looked great measured 85 doctor happy. it wasn't till the pt came to our home that I was told that it would not work if I didn't get it right away as in the two days it had changed to 70 something two visits dropped by 5 more points very swollen and pt explained that manipulation was painful she had seen it done and that would be what they would do if it went down more. Thankgoodness I was told about bonesmart and then my road to recovery became so much better. Nice to have so much support really good advice from people who care and had been where I was then.Iworry about the car sitting wanted to drive and talked to my husband today he said don't rush I can manage don't worry it is ok take time to make sure healed will be ok. I think that the rom is toomuch emphasized couldn't believe the aggressive way that patients who had been through this surgery were pushed. In the hospital the nurses kept telling me remember you have just been through major surgery and it takes time maybe they knew what was in store for me after getting home and pt started. Gentle treatment in thehospital concern for my comfort and safety. I am managing fine with the 82 rom and know our bonesmartfriends are right it will get better when it isready Thanks for your kindness Morgaine Holly

 

[Morgaine]

Appointment with my OS today. Saw his Nurse Practioner. She was thrilled with my progress. Then before I could ask, she asked if I needed more pain meds and wrote a prescription, no arguement about it. We discussed physical therapy. In home until 7/11, then out-patient three times a week for four weeks. She said not to let them overdo the therapy, and that if I wasn't happy with them, just quit, and go to a gym, or do the exercises on my own.
Since the Dr office is quite a distance, hubby and I were concerned that I would have problems with my legs swelling. So we got a plastic tablecloth and I slid into the back seat. Sat up, but both legs on the seat. Worked great, minimal swelling.
Wish I had known or thought of this with my first TKR.

 

[Morgaine]

Hubby just told me that as I was headed out the door, that the NP told him, if I wanted to skip PT and head to the gym instead, she was ok with it. She also told him that since it is too hot to walk outside, even just going to the gym and using the treadmill a couple times a week would be good for me. Might just do that, boring doing laps around the living room.

 

[lavender]

Hi Morgaine I think the more that we can do the things that we enjoyed before surgery the better things will go. My back was sore sleeping last night will get better now that it is not being squished and pulled and when my husband woke up he looked over at me and asked how was your leg last night. Funny but other then being tight and stiff didn't even think about it other things nice things are coming our way now leg will get easier and better not thinking about it as much. Wonder if I had just walked slowly and no pt how my leg would be doing now. Have a great day it is going to be hot here heat warnings and going up to 32 or so celcius. Holly

 

[Morgaine]

Did a few things yesterday. First checked out the out-patient PT clinic. Asked very specific questions. Then went at some of the answers. "Oh in 4 more weeks, we can get the flex on your right leg at 125 or better and on the left leg at least 120." My response, no thank you. So hubby and I went to the gym. I was very impressed. The trainer there has had a TKR on one knee, a partial on the other knee, and back surgery. His first suggestion was for me to only use the bike and the treadmill, but for only a very short time period. He said, let those knees heal first! Work on some more upper body strength and weight loss. I liked this guy. He has been there, done that, got the T-shirt and understood! Of course, his idea of what hubby should do for exercises was a bit different.
Went to the shoe store, got one pair of new shoes (threw the old ones out as soon as I got home). I want to get another pair, didn't see any that I liked.
After that a trip to Wal-Mart for groceries. I admit that I did use my electric scooter, but knew that it was going to be too hard on my poor knee to do the shopping. Still was fun.
Although by the time I was done, I tired. Iced and napped.
Woke up this morning feeling great. Even got out some paper and a pencil to start designing my new chicken pen! By next year, I should be able to start keeping chickens again! And gardening. Fresh eggs, fresh garden produce!
I only can ask myself, why did I wait so long to get this done?

 

[lavender]

Hi Morgaine it sounds like you have had a really nice day and how nice you have found someone who really has a handle on the way to treat a new knee. It will be nice to get back to your chickens and planning your new pen for your chickens probably makes you feel like thing will get better andbetter. I took yesterday off sore back so today I had an appointment for a massage at the medical clinic and was very pleased at how it went. The massage guy understood the trauma inflicted on a knee which has been replaced is huge and after talking about how he would be going about the massage telling me that I should not leave with more pain then I had when I came the pain should be less and to tell him when it got too much he said the scar tissue was preventing the skin on my leg from moving and that today was a little more gentle and it might get more intense but not to let it become painful. I asked him if I should take tylenol before coming and he said that it would prevent him from doing it the right way said if I needed pain medication then he wasn't doing it right. He is on holidays next week his wife and him are expecting their second child the week after said he would come in next week for my 1\2 hour to make sure that the massage time was not missed thought that was nice.He said that it was too bad that instead of pt I wasn't refered four weeks before would have been easier but said he will help the best he can and only recommended once a week till things start to improve and then maybe every other week. It is so much nicer he hadme lay on my stomach and gently lifted my leg up and measured about 70 this was without 45minutes of pain and achieved close to the same bend that was achieved forcing my leg under the table I think this is a positive step and hope it helps.Looking forward and trying to keep positive. Hope the best for you holly

 

[Morgaine]

Holly, here is hoping the massage works well for you.
Today I feel like I am just so tired, didn't want to get out of bed, don't want to do anything. My left knee isn't bothering me, but for some odd reason, my right knee just aches. Sigh. Still glad I had this done, been awake an hour now and am wondering if it is naptime yet.
For me this has been a busy week, I felt so good getting out and about. Am even now managing to get out of my recliner by myself, although when I am very tired, it takes me a couple of tries to get my big bottom up and my feet to balance. Yesterday hubby left me alone for a couple hours to run some errands. PT came, added several more exercises (already knew she would), had me only using my cane. She said inside the house to start using it, but outside still use the walker. I have already been trying to use the cane inside anyway. She was disapointed that I could only get my flex to 100.
Think I have done too much this week. Today is going to be a rest day.