Ha! Nightmare is definitely one way to describe it! One good thing is that the herniated cervical disk issue that I had for the 7 weeks going into surgery has finally and pretty much completely resolved itself while I've been laying around letting my fracture heal! Now I'll just have to wait and see if it stays that way or is going to be one of those that continues to flare up frequently. Been there, done that, had that surgery, and would really like to avoid it again!
Heidi, I think you were so, so wise to do both of your knees at the same time. If I ever need my other knee done, I think I would pretty much have to be in a wheelchair full time to even consider it! Maybe I'll change my mind about that as time goes on--but those little aches and pains I feel in that knee had better behave themselves.
You know I called about having the CPM picked up last Thursday when the doc told me I could get rid of it. Well, it is still sitting here waiting on them to come get it. So today I decided to get back on it because I really can feel that my knee is so much more stiff without using it. So I did a total of four hours on it today. Took me a while to get back to 102 on there! I'm starting to get a little bit concerned about my ROM. I'm sure I won't measure 102 when I go to my first outpatient PT on Wednesday. Probably more like 90 or 95 if I'm lucky. I'm 8 weeks out tomorrow, so I'm thinking they're going to expect me to be further along than that. And I still can't straighten completely. I'm guessing I'm still at 2 for extension, which is where I was from the start after surgery. Not much progress there at all.
Yesterday our weather was kind of mild so I had my husband turn the heat on in our built-in, outdoor spa. It really is like a mini swimming pool--10 feet in diameter and about waist deep for me in the middle. Anyway, after about 2 hours of heating the water was up to 100 degrees. I looked up all of the water exercises in the Total Knee Replacement/Rehab book and got in. Didn't think it was going to do much, but after about 10 minutes it felt pretty good stretching out in that warm water. I even got to walk unaided for the first time in 8 weeks. I definitely have a significant limp I'm going to have to work on once I start walking on dry land! I tried this because of what I've read on here about how much everyone who has done water therapy really likes it. I have to agree. It felt great. After I was done exercising/walking/stretching, we turned on the jets and I sat back with a nice glass of chardonnay. Ahhhhh......But, unfortunately, it is much colder today. Just can't see me getting in that water when it's so cold outside--even if the water is 100 degrees. But the gym that we belong to has a hot tub and pool, so I may tag along when my husband goes and get in the water there. Still pretty intimidating having to do it all on crutches though.
I'm still taking only Tylenol during the day for pain and two hydrocodone when I go to bed. Tomorrow night, at 8 weeks, I'm going to try just one hydrocodone along with some Tylenol at bedtime to see if that is enough to keep me comfortable during the night. I feel pretty good about almost being off of the narcotics. I'm not sure how it will go with PT though. We'll see.....:rolleyespink:
Niki
Niki
Looking more closely at the xrays today, the fracture is much longer than I remember it being. I thought it was about an inch and a half crack, but it is more like three inches. I just get the feeling that this was more serious than I was led to believe in the beginning. Anyway, the only piece of good news that I got was that I can get rid of that dang CPM!! I called to have it picked up as soon as I got home. So that is 6 hours every day that I won't have to spend lying in bed. I am going to be doing about a month of outpatient PT starting next Wednesday. So at least I know I will be getting out of the house a little bit!
Niki
United States
to your husband
