TKR New Knee for Me

[Toothfairy]

Good morning Jenny, I have just caught up with your posts.
You are doing brilliantly.
I remember that feeling when you get your operated leg over the side of the bed and it is so stiff and swollen and sore.
It is all normal and will all get better quickly.
Getting in and out of bed will be hard for a few days but it is amazing how quickly things improve.
You sound very positive and cheery and that helps.
That first shower is just bliss. I had my first shower on day three post op, managed to wash my hair too and felt so much better for it.
Hope the Easter bunny brings you a yummy chocolate egg,
Keep smiling, you are a star,
Toothfairy x

 

[kimejen]

Thank you Toothfairy and tashia, that makes me feel happier. My leg feels like a concrete block when I try to assist it - horrible feeling.

 

[landoz]

Glad your doing so well Jenny Won't be long and you will be home. Have they mentioned taking home a cryocuff I saw a site today for a Dr in Queensland he sends his patients home with one. I have seen quite a few posts on here how good they are for icing knee. I'm only short 5ft 2 so will remember to get the leg to the ground as soon as possible when getting out of bed! Keep up the good well.

 

[Toothfairy]

Hi Jenny,
It is a horrible feeling but it will soon improve. I had forgotten what that felt like till you reminded me.
The first week is challenging but it soon gets easier. They key is keeping on top of the pain meds, taking them by the clock and allowing yourself to rest, ice and elevate.
The op is over and you are now travelling on that well worn road to recovery. Keep smiling and try to find some humour along the way.
Every day there will be small improvements to cheer you up.
You are really doing well. Hopefully you will soon be in the comfort of your own home and that makes a difference too.
Have a great day,
Toothfairy x

 

[jetthugger]

Hi Jenny! Sorry I haven't visited you earlier. Seems like ages ago that I was where you are, you will get that concrete feeling for a while longer, but it does go gradually & it is normal!! Don't worry! Any twang, sensation or suchlike will be normal as all your muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones & stuff all start to try & find where they were before they were all shunted around so brutally!!
Every step forward, however small to non-bonesmarties, is a major achievement!
So, try & find humour in it all, it really helps!! Follow the mantra, rest ice & elevate & take pain meds on time!
When are you due to go home? You should find things really start improving at home as you become more active & mobile without really noticing or thinking about it!
Keep posting!! It helps enormously to get stuff off your chest & know you have a solid support network!
Hope you have a grand Easter weekend!!

 

[Spingirl]

Big, big day today. OS was in at 7am. Took the dressing off. Looks good. Got a sort of spongey net dressing over the incision which isn't very long. All internal stitches. Getting the leg in and out of bed is the hardest thing at present. Did some walking in the walker. Had a shower (oh bliss). Exhausted by the time I got back into bed. Knee very swollen, and hubby said it was very bruised at the back. I got ice, which has been wonderful. Pain is under control, so no worries there. Don't realize how much it takes out of you. HAPPY EASTER weekend everybody, and I hope the easter bunny drops by. So sorry Miss J about your mishap. Good luck Baystater for tomorrow. You'll do great. Take care and big hugs to you all. Jenny

Jenny, you were lucky to be able to shower so quickly after surgery. I didn't get to shower until I got home. So glad to hear you are doing well!

 

[kimejen]

Yay I'm home. Clean dressing on, wound looking good (have posted badge of honour). Very happy with it. Bruising looking beautiful colour!!! Very swollen. Did a few exercises with physio (older lady today) she was also lovely. Tried to do slight leg raises. The mind was willing but that leg wasn'g going anywhere. She assisted me and we managed a few, but the holding for 3 was a killer. Managed to get a 90 degree bend without any trouble, considering it is so swollen I was surprised. Dog gave me a sniff from top to toe, and is extremely happy mum is home. Gingey cat got his scarey face when he saw the walker, cracked me up. Lovely to be home. My daughter has been here helping out; she is such a precious thing. Will update tomorrow. Take care all. Big hugs. Jenny

 

[Toothfairy]

Good morning Jenny,
Great news that you are home. I hope you had a good night.
I saw your badge of honour, it looks very impressive to me, very neat. Should heal up beautifully.
Great bend this early on. Don't worry about the leg raises, they will come.
Have a great Easter weekend and enjoy being at home with your loved ones, hope Gingey cat is getting used to the walker.
Hugs, Toothfairy x

 

[jetthugger]

That's great Jenny! You should feel soo much better being home!! Had a giggle at the thought of ginger cat scaredy face!! now all you need to do is be looked after, relax & let yourself heal nice & gently. Well done & sending big hugs your way!!

 

[Spingirl]

Hi Jenny. So glad that you are home! Sounds like you are doing well. I smiled when I read about your kitty...I began calling mine "therapy cat" or "TC" because he would curl up next to me while I did my PT exercises. He was not spooked by the walker, but definitely steered clear of my continuous passive motion machine. Anyway, even to this day (five and a half months after surgery), every morning and evening when I get down on the floor to do my stretches and assorted knee/leg exercises, he sidles up next to me, as though he is encouraging me through them! I hope you have a great day!

 

[landoz]

Glad your home Jenny! Your doing really well and your badge of honour looks great for 4 days. Enjoy your Easter Sunday at home!

 

[maddoxsmama]

So good to hear that you are progressing through recovery so well. I do hope things continue to improve for you. Keep us posted. Those of us who are still waiting, love to hear about your recoveries. Guess you can tell everyone that you got a shiny new knee in your Easter basket!!

 

[kimejen]

Thank you all for your wonderful messages of support. Not too bad a night. Didn't sleep great and getting up and manouvering to the loo with the walker was a little bit of a challenge. Gingey cat was keeping me company, walking through the walker now if you don't mind, and being patient while I walk slowly. Beautiful animals, they are just there with you and even though you can see they're confused, they work with you. Easter bunny dropped by with some treats. Hubby is doing so well attending to me. Vacuumed, made bed while I had a shower. Just lovely. Daughter and hubby came to visit, after I told her she should have a relax day. Leg not too bad, not much pain, just discomfort. Keeping the mantra. Quite a bit of calf stiffness. Did my exercises to the best of my ability. Tried the lifts again, but just cannot do it. I got myself into a bother, then thought "you're at the place where you're meant to be, just be happy with that". It'll come. Steady rain has set in, so the perfect place is bed. Take care everyone. Big hugs to you all. Jenny

 

[Kimter]

Hi Jenny,
Hope you got a better night's sleep last night, I think everyone has trouble sleeping in those early days. You will get used to maneuvering to the loo with the walker, it just takes a little practice! I'm glad you had a nice Easter Day. It sounds like you are doing great and don't worry about those leg lifts, they'll come along. Take care and stick to the bonesmartie mantra. Hugs to you. Kim

 

[landoz]

Big hugs Jenny you are doing so well and it's still only early days. If you don't mind me asking what are you using for icing your knee and what main meds are you taking now that are working for you! Also are you using a chair in the shower just wondering if I need to buy one or not.

 

[Baystater]

Hi Jenny, now that I'm home I finally have the time to catch up on posts. So gladbyou are also doing well. Home is heavenly isn't it? Woke up this morning in my own bed, in my own clean night gown. Took another shower!

So funny, the food in the hospital was quite good. But I just didn't have much appetite. Yesterday once I was home and showered I laid on the bed and hubby went down to fix my lunch. Campbell's chicken soup from a can, crackers and peanut butter. It tasted like a five star meal to me! Best darn canned soup I ever had!

Hope you feel better every day! No place like home girlfriend!

Heidi

 

[kimejen]

Hi Heidi, You sound so happy and chirpy. So good to see everything is falling into place for you. I learnt a very big lesson on Tuesday. I had a few visitors who stayed a while then they went and some others came. It was lovely and I got so caught up in the moment that my mantra went out the window. My medication got out of whack, and did I pay for it that night. I was in a state. My knee was sore and swollen, I was in tears. Hubby is great, but he can't handle it when I cry because it's so rare. He's saying "what can I do for you" and I'm saying "I don't know what to do for me". I was frustrated with not being able to lift my leg back onto the bed, and was trying, to get into bed by lifting it with the good leg and my TKR leg slipped off the good leg and wrenched it. OMG I was just sooo tired, nothing I was doing was helping. Hubby got me into bed, got the leg elevated, ice on, I took my meds and tried to calm down. So yesterday I had learnt my lesson BIG TIME, and spent most of the day doing what I should be doing, and felt a lot better. Why do we do this to ourselves?? Hugs to you all. Jenny

 

[landoz]

It seems everyone has one of those days Jenny and you learn from your mistakes and try not to repeat them but it would be so good to have some visitors. I hope you have it all settled down now and back to icing and resting.

 

[Baystater]

Jenny, that sounds awful, you poor thing! I would have cried for hours (like you I don't cry much but once it starts it doesn't shut off! ) you were probably in pain but also afraid you had done something to the new knee, and I thought about it last nightbwhen I got in bed. Our bednis high and the first night I propped myself on the edge and scooped and lifted. Don't ask me how I did that....last night I was too tired and havingnread yourbpost Inhad my husband lift my keg up and over.
I think I am still in that euphoric "everything is wonderful because I am HOME" phase but reality is setting in a bit. I am a little worried about being alone next week when hubby goes back to work and I shouldn't worry yet because I know between now and Monday things might be quite a bit improved. He works in Boston which makes for a hectic commute so he leaves the house around 6:00 am. I am going to have to get up early, get dressed and get my derriere downstairs before he leaves.

Our 3 kids are all a day's drive away so I haven't had company yet - but maybe that's a good thing? My oldest son's wife is an ICU nurse and they live in Pennsylvania (about 5 hours south of us.) She said they could come up for the weekend and she could help me out. But, they have an active little two year old and much as I adore my granddaughter, I think the noise and the activity level would be too much. I would worry she would end up seeing Gramma laying on the couch sobbing - I might traumatize her for life!

Hope today is going well for you. I am certain a month from now we'll look back and say well that wasn't so bad

 

[Baystater]

"Leg", he lifted my leg not my keg! (Although it feels as heavy as a keg!) I am having the hardest time with editing my posts I'm using my iPad but I'm going in through the website. Does anyone know if there is an app? In rereading some of my entries I sound kind of dopey and I really am a rather smart woman!