TKR My TKR Was Worth It!

[kiwicurls]

Hi @Jockette
She does have an ulterior motive: we pick up the children from school every Monday and stay until evening when they finish work. It’s an hours drive to their place and I said I couldn’t do it just now. She wants me back soon!
Sorry about your back/hip issues. Must have made the tkr recovery harder.

 

[Jockette]

Take your time going back, right now your knee comes first, and it’s only been a couple of weeks since your surgery.

 

[kiwicurls]

@Jockette , I will. Husband will do it and leave me here for another few weeks.
Anyone else have a three week old scar which is full of dips and hollows? Looks like someone has taken a bite! Physio seemed to think it was ok but it doesn’t look as good as some of the others pictured.

 

[Jockette]

Don’t worry about the scar, it’s only been a couple of weeks. It will smooth out in time, but maybe not perfectly, or like others. Mine is 5 years old and still has some pink to it. I never got that thin, total silver line that some get.

 

[kiwicurls]

Thanks so much for the reassurance, @Jockette .
I think I’ve spent too much time sitting here looking at it, on this wet, dark day. not much to do!

 

[glidefloss]

Husband is getting the exercise bike out for me now. It’s interesting how I found cycling so easy and others don’t as I am not keen on exercise at all.

Hi @kiwicurls , have you started using the exercise bike? What'd you think of it?

The exercise bike at the gym has been my favorite knee bending exercise. I start at a pretty high seat height where both legs are stretched to their maximum length and after warming up a bit, drop the seat a notch lower ... and keep doing so till I hit my weekly "height goal". Total time on the bike would be 30 minutes - very slow, gentle pedaling ... probably no more than 5 mph. I found that to be one of the more effective, pain free bending exercises I used, first with my right knee and now with my left.

Have a fantastic weekend!!

 

[JojoFitness]

Hi @JojoFitness
I know what you mean about looking pretty!
I haven’t ventured out much yet because there’s still so much covid around here. However, I am getting cabin fever and might go out for lunch next week to a café with outdoor seating.
I have worn maxi dresses for years. I have never cared for what’s in fashion; I know what suits me.
The knee length dresses are very comfortable but my scar is rather confronting just now ( not quite 3 weeks out). Full of dips and hollows, as if someone has take big bites out of me! Might wear a maxi and denim jacket if I go out.
I don’t think I’ll be getting into my jeans just yet, sadly. I do have nice winter dresses, though.
Best wishes for a good recovery.

Oh that's right - you're going into winter in Australia. Yes, I too am uncomfortable wearing jeans or slack. Haven't even tried because the thought of them rubbing against the incision is scary. When I'm not wearing a casual dress, I'm wearing one of my many soft leggings, and they work well too.

You're exactly a week behind me. Feels so good to be at this point, doesn't it? I wish my pain were less, but at least my ROM is good and is improving. After the dressing was removed, the doctor put stere-strips on and they've stayed on. Very visible but I can tell the scar beneath them is very purple. I'm not ready to show that either - yikes! Your maxi dress and jean jacket sounds just perfect, and I hope you get out for lunch!

 

[Jockette]

I live in North Carolina where it's pretty warm, and most of my spring/summer wardrobe is simply short, sleeveless dresses (above the knee). They are the most comfortable things for me to wear, as opposed to shorts, which never look good on me.

I bought 4 summer dresses last year but didn’t end up wearing them much. While they are definitely more comfortable than denim shorts and a top, I just felt so dressed up in them, and I have a very casual lifestyle. I’ve lost 10 pounds since last summer so I’m hoping those dresses will look better on me this year, and that I’ll wear them. The fabric is thin and soft and the prints are pretty.

I have worn maxi dresses for years. I have never cared for what’s in fashion; I know what suits me.

I need to be more like both of you!

 

[jaspa]

I have dips and bumps in my scar and was told not to worry about it.

 

[kiwicurls]

Hi @glidefloss. I couldn’t get onto the bike so am sticking to the pedal machine on the floor. It’s easy. Physio told me not to do more than 30 rotations.
Hi @Jockette Congratulations on losing so much weight. Wish I could but I love my food too much. Wear the dresses! A dress isn’t really any more dressed up than other items of clothing. My dresses are thin, soft and pretty too and I wear them because they make me feel good. People will say , why are you so dressed up? You reply, I feel good in this! I am too old to care about what others think.
@JojoFitness , yes we’re in autumn now. I will try soft leggings next week. I’m sure our scars will be fine eventually. Yes, it feels good to be at this stage of recovery.

 

[kiwicurls]

I know everyone is different but do you think planning a week holidaying on the coast some time in June is too optimistic? Surgery was April 12. It’s a 3.5 hr drive and we’ll stay in a single storey rental.
I suppose walking on sand will not be possible? Or advisable.
Would we be better just having a night away, close to home?

 

[FourCats]

The trip sounds like a good break. Be sure to pack all your equipment in order to be able to tend to your knee. Make a few stops on the drive to get out and walk a bit to stretch the legs. As far as walking in the sand, hopefully someone will post their experience as I don’t do beaches.

 

[Jockette]

We are all different, but I think it’s a bit soon for a 3.5 hour trip. The ride will not be pleasant unless you can sit in the back seat with your leg up, even with stops along the way. Even then, it’s not the same as sitting in your usual spot at home. I would opt for one night closer to home.

Walking on sand could really bother you, as it’s a shifting, uneven surface.

 

[glidefloss]

I know everyone is different but do you think planning a week holidaying on the coast some time in June is too optimistic? Surgery was April 12. It’s a 3.5 hr drive and we’ll stay in a single storey rental.

Hi @kiwicurls , come June, my kids will both be in NYC (they're both based in Berlin), so we'll be flying from Colorado to NY to join them. The flight will be around 4 hours but door-to-bed will be around 8+ hours. If I were to base this on my RTKR's experience (we flew to Portugal at the 2 month mark ... and that was close to 24 hours door-to-bed time), I'd not be worried. However, my LTKR is proving to be so much more challenging than the RTKR (mainly pain-wise) that I'm not nearly as confident of how I'll feel when I get there. Once there, it's almost a guarantee that we'll be walking a lot and staying out long hours each day. If it weren't for the opportunity to meet up with the kids, I'd have skipped the trip altogether.

In re walking on sand, day 93 post-RTKR, we went to Hawaii and walked quite a bit on sand ... which didn't seem to affect my new right knee. It was being in the water having my legs buffeted by the waves (especially laterally) that made my leg feel somewhat sore at the end of each day. I did think it was a well worth change of place/pace being on a little holiday.

All the best!

 

[kiwicurls]

@Jockette , We hadn’t thought about the furniture in the rental and if I could sit comfortably. Last time I had to pile up pillows on the sofa and that was before the surgery.
It’s no holiday if I am in pain and cranky!
Sadly we will wait a little longer before booking anything. Maybe by the end of July.
@glidefloss , I think you are able to tolerate much more than I am. Wouldn’t even contemplate a plane trip, even in business class.
I am also in pain, more so since the step exercises. I won’t do them again any time soon.
I think it’s just that we haven’t been anywhere since covid and are used to travelling. Miss it so much. Ah, patience.

 

[kiwicurls]

Do you think it’s ok to have the flu vaccination a month after tkr surgery?

 

[sistersinhim]

It would be best if you asked your doctor about the flu shot.

 

[kiwicurls]

Apparently as long as no pain meds are taken for 24 hrs after the vaccination it’s ok. Hahaha as if I can go 24 hrs without pain relief. No flu shot for me just now. Pain meds can apparently diminish the effects of flu vaccination.

 

[sistersinhim]

It's a good thing you found out.

 

[kiwicurls]

It’s a lovely autumn day in Sydney and I have been out( very exciting).
Walked ten minutes from car to optometrist then back again to a cafe.
Enjoyed iced coffee and garlic chicken wraps in the sunshine and although my knee was screaming at me, it felt good to be out and about again.
Limped back to the car and am back home icing and elevating again.
Felt like a very old person on my walker but it came in handy as it has a seat. I wouldn’t have been able to get up from the low cafe benches!
I start using a quad stick on Thursday but might continue to take the walker when I go out, for a bit longer.