TKR Not a new patient but I need help, lots of it

[Texaslady]

@Polkadot That is so funny about the zinger I don’t even know what you look like but th visual was great.
Ejecting your poor cat that is something that could happen to me I have a small black chihuahua. Thanks for then that zingers are funny just th way told.

 

[kmak81230]

Now don't start throwing tomatoes but I did not really experience zingers. I bet I'm due for some whoppers on knee #2

 

[Celle]

I had no zingers in my revision to TKR, but I sure did after my last TKR. Luck of the draw, I guess!

 

[Texaslady]

Good Morning All,
Well here it is 2:49 in the morning again, I was made to take modern jazz dancing by my step mother when
I was freshman in high school and as you know dancing has a certain beats to dancing like 123,123 so for and so what does
this have to do with tkr to me a lot, the other day Tuesday I was really feeling better now and the past couple of days
the pain gets me out of bed early in morning, just like the beat to dancing 1 step forward and two back, two steps forward one step back I have no idea why I thought of that this a.m. but I did that dancing was 53 years
ago. But here I am once again leg elevated and ice.whats a girl to do laugh and keep going, just like I tell
My poor husband that wakes up with me I tell him to go back to sleep because his knees hurts him also and needs surgery also I just tell him every mornng this will be over soon. I guess what they say is true the longer your married to a person the more you get like them.

 

[Texaslady]

The only emoji I could find to kinda decribe my zinger.​

 

[Texaslady]

One more thing it looks more and more each day that my husband is going to have knee surgery on the left
we have already been told us he needed one, that he possible could get by with partial but then she tells us because
he has RA he can’t have partial only total. My life is one big bouquet.. We know he well need to
wait until I get better and past Christmas so we are looking at after the fiirst of the year, this will be his 4th surgery
Since August 2012 he has had 3 major back surgeries, they finally fused his spine from between the lower shoulder blades to his tail bone which at that they put two huge screw looking things in what I call clavical bones both hips. So life is one big surprise after another.Thats all for now which is a little more than you really wanted to
Hear just getting off my chest.

 

[Celle]

@Texaslady - Do you have anywhere else you could sleep, so you don't disturb your husband when you wake?
I had sleepless nights for months, so we decided I would leave him to sleep in our bedroom and I alternated between the spare bedroom and my recliner.

I'm sorry your husband needs a knee replacement too. However, don't be disappointed he can't have a partial (PKR). They almost always take just as long to recover from as a total (TKR), and many of them only last a few years.

My first knee replacement was a PKR and it lasted for 11 years - longer than any other I have read of on here. Then it had to be revised to a TKR. When my other knee needed replacing, I chose to go straight to a TKR.
My recoveries were pretty similar. Certainly, the recovery from the PKR was no easier than my subsequent recoveries.

 

[Polkadot]

If you can laugh, you can get through this!

 

[funkymuse]

Hey, @Texaslady,
I realized I was getting better when a zinger hit me one night as we were watching TV. My leg flew straight up in the air and started shaking like crazy, ejecting the cat from my lap and startling my DH to no end. However, once the initial "ouch" had passed, I realized that it was just a little Zing with a cattle prod instead of a prolonged bout of pain, and I could see the humorous side of it. I hope for that kind of progress for you!

Oh my gosh @Polkadot - you had me laughing out loud!!!!

 

[Texaslady]

I was up at 2 a.m again but I got of bed this time I did not wake husband grabbed my chihuahua and came to the
Den. Got my baby settled in her little nest in the recliner got a pain pill and something to drink,then I lay in my recliner and went back to sleep, it is the craziest thing I take a sleep aid but as regular as clock work I wake every 2 hour in or out of bed just nuts. I really hope this is over with soon, I have jut passed the 10 week mark I can tell I am improving but I just run out of gas so quickly. One minute I going to do this and that and before you know it back to the recliner. I do have a question my knee is not swelling just really has a deep ache oh let’s not forget the wonderful zingers and pain occasionally, my question how long do I need to ice my knee and elevate .
One more thing it seems I still have trouble going to Social events we went some place last night I spent an hour and half getting dressed but could only last for about one half hour I got sick to my stomach and my leg was killing me. No I was not wearing heels just some short booties. I will say good day for now. Have a happy day

 

[Jockette]

You are doing too much and your knee is telling you that! In that hour and a half it took to get ready, how much of that time were you on your feet? Did you go out or have company? If you went out, your leg was down in the car.
Add all that to the half hour when your leg hurt bad and you have 2 hours of activity. Your knee is not ready for that much.

It took more than 10 weeks for my leg to be totally comfortable in the car. I still have a small pillow for under my foot in the car, just to give my knee a little height from the floor.

You need to ice and elevate regularly until your knee feels much better. I did for almost 6 months. Then just in the evening for another month or so. Now at 8 months I only ice occasionally but my feet are up on an ottoman almost every moment I am sitting.

 

[Texaslady]

Thanks no fortunately I was sitting most of the time when getting ready except to put on clothes. We went out to meet some friends for coffee,but yea riding in the car is a challenge.
I am still elevating and icing several times a day just did not know how long, so I will continue with my routine.
Thank you if I have any question I know you all will have the answer.

 

[Celle]

Jockette is right - you are trying to do too much, too soon. Re-read this article, to see what your level of activity should be. Activity progression for TKRs
Remember that this is a year-long recovery, so you're not even a fifth of the way there yet.

At 10 weeks, most of us still have pain and swelling if we stand for long, or if we sit with our legs down.
Elevating and icing is still necessary, for as long as you experience those symptoms.

You will find that you still tire easily for quite a while yet. It's still the Energy drain for TKRs and most of your energy is still being directed towards healing your knee.

If you go on social outings, make them short and sweet - just half an hour or so is enough.

 

[Texaslady]

I am going to get on here one day and tell you guys how wonderful everything is, but not this morning. I
over did it yesterday I did not mean too but it just happened. Yesterday was Veterans Day and my husband
is a disabled vet.so we went to a special event for vets. My poor husband has been so good though all of this so I
thought this was the least I could do we could not have been there longer than thirty minutes, I was wearing my special flats with memory foam and rested often. But it just seems no matter what I do it has a negative out
come. My poor husband is disabled and has several things that he has problems with but bless his heart he still
thinks he should take care of me. Last night after the little event for vets. I was in awful shape muscles was
drawing in my back hips thighs down to my ankle. My knee hurt like someone was squeezing it, bless my husband
he sat on the side of the bed and rubbed lotion to relax the muscles which worked, but he was in a great deal of
Pain himself. I finally went to sleep and slept until 4 a.m I woke up as uasal in pain, my leg was stiff no swelling and I was in a cold sweat. I know I am rambling but I feel so hopeless . My little chihuahua even had a bad dream.I know you guys have give me so much encouragement and have stood my side me I am so grateful you listen to me and my ****.I am not a young women and I have fought to survive so many illness and now I am tired.
I pray every day that this will be the day it will finally feel like it is healing and I will be able to get back to my life. I have whined enough tho you once again thank you for listening. He way I feel

 

[Jockette]

I sure hope things improve for you soon.

 

[funkymuse]

Sending lots love, prayer and comfort @Texaslady.

 

[Karebear]

Praying for healing and blessings for you @Texaslady. Things will get better. I know these speed bumps can be so disheartening on the recovery journey.

 

[Polkadot]

Even though you are experiencing a lot of distressing discomfort and pain, I think you have had some milestones, too. A few nights ago, you got up and slept in your recliner! That was proactive! That "serial sleeping" phenomenon is unfortunately common. Best to accept it as crappy but the "norm" for right now, and do things like moving to the recliner, having your iPad handy, etc, to cope. Good for you! It may have felt like a baby step that was erased with the pain you went through the next day, but it WAS a victory!

A few days ago, you got dressed up and lasted a half hour at a gathering! That was also a step forward! You also learned a little bit more about your current limitations, which are also crappy but the "norm" for right now. Next time, maybe spend a lot more time resting before the event, maybe with legs up, and a lot less time getting ready? Then plan to stay only the short time, and you will be pleasantly surprised, I think, when your stamina starts improving.

Also, during the event, because you mentioned the shoes with memory foam, I'm guessing that maybe you stood for part of the half hour? Here's another suggestion: Next time, even though you plan to stay a short time, take your walking aid--a wheeled walker with seat would be ideal, or at least your cane--and use it. For several months, we would put my walker in the car whenever we went anywhere. That way, I took some of the pressure off my knee and could "last" a bit longer, plus I always had a seat at the ready! The important thing is that you are there, right?

I had knee swelling and discomfort for a long time whenever I went to a social gathering or out to eat at a restaurant. With restaurants, I learned to steer our family and friends toward places that prepared food quickly, and that had furniture that was comfortable for me. (30 minutes was about my limit, too, for quite a while.)

The ODIC (Overdoing It Club) is a hangout for many of us. We overdo and then pay for it, sometimes for much longer than the event or activity of the overdoing. It doesn't seem fair, but the reality is that many of us have found ourselves cursing the universe and lying around icing legs and nursing our woes after some "fun" activity we simply couldn't miss. Your stamina will improve, but if you are anything like our ODIC membership, you will experience more than a few episodes of Over-Doing It along the way. We learn to celebrate the milestones--"yay, I made it through the wedding!"--and have the ice and the Lounge Doctor at hand afterward--"boo! I'm limping like Frankenstein, and all I did was sit in a pew for an hour at the wedding!"

 

[Texaslady]

You guys are the very best, I don’t know what I would have done or do with you.​

 

[SusieShoes]

It’s so easy to overdo it. We want to think our knees are “there” and we hope so hard, but... the knee reminds us that it is still struggling. If it’s any consolation, my knees have been doing wonderfully, but on my recent trip to visit family I... yes, overdid it. That night in the hotel, my right knee (my good knee!) swelled and was painful for the first time in months. Yes, months. It just wasn’t happy with being used that hard. (Strangely enough, my left knee didn’t seem to care.) The point being no matter how far along in recovery we’ve done, no matter how well our knees have been doing, they can act up if we push them.

So don’t beat yourself up. We all do it. And just keep the lesson in mind: your knee can and maybe will act up if you stress it. Look for opportunities, when attending events, to put your leg up and elevate a bit. Maybe slap on an ice pack. My neighbor made a “dressy” cozy for her ice pack out of lace and beads and... it was really pretty. I almost wished I had one, or at least enough events to go to so as to merit having one!