TKR On the other side of surgery

[thecoll]

Good point @uva55 , patience is the key word. Thank you.

 

[zzevi]

@thecoll sounds like your having a down day, probably brought on by your disappointment in your p/t appt. Sounds like you have swelling that probably is effecting you bend and ROM, when it was measured before it might have been a day with less swelling. ( I've been where your at, and had many days of disappointment mostly caused from my p/t appt on their thoughts verses mine. I've felt many times I am doing ok, I am doing fine, go to P/t and feel like a failure. If anything they do a excellent job at bursting peoples bubbles) Chin up, your not that many weeks out of surgery and tomorrow is a brand new start.

 

[TML]

It's ok to get discouraged - we all do! It's good to share with us here whenever you want. We all understand.

The key when this happens is to get back on track with the basics: rest, ice, elevate, take your meds and distract yourself with something, like a good movie. (I'm doing that all day today as my knee is really bothering me.)

Sending you happy thoughts!

 

[Majella]

Hi Colleen,
So sorry you are having a down day! It seems I had a lot of those in my early recovery.
I remember too when PT kept saying: your ROM is so poor and we need to help you bend it...really? my knee was so swollen and painful, I could only reach 65 degrees at 3 weeks. Fast forward to 5 months I'm at 120!
amazing what time, patience, elevation, and ice can do.
Please hang in there, it does get better

 

[thecoll]

Encouraging to hear @Majella that your ROM continued to improve as time went on. Today I plan on resting more and just taking it easy with letting the leg hang with bending on its own. So glad I can share my experience with others who already have gone thru this or still going thru it so I can learn.

 

[uva55]

This is broken link removed: https://www.amazon.com/Turmeric-Cur...=UTF8&qid=1473080988&sr=1-3&keywords=turmeric?tag=ate362da-20, I did a little research and this one seemed to be a good one, I take 1 in the morning and 1 at night, the anti inflammatory I take is also twice a day and I had cut it down to ½ a pill twice a day, my back and knee were great, no pain but my shoulder started to hurt and the last two days I went back to normal dosage. I guess if you have some you can put it in a veggie cap and take it, but I don't know how to measure the dosage.

 

[thecoll]

@uva55 Thank you for the turmeric info. I am going to try it. It might help with inflammation in the right knee until it gets replaced.

 

[uva55]

Colleen, it's not going to hurt you, it actually has many health benefits, my husband started taking it about a week after me and it has helped his knees and his hands, he has arthritis in his hands an when he wakes up his fingers are stiff and sore, he said they feels much better. My goal is to stop taking my prescription anti inflamatory meds, I have been on them for a long time and that's not good.

 

[karena71]

I'm having the same stiffness issue. I feel your pain! I'm struggling as well with a terrible day mentally so I really have nothing to say but didn't want to leave you feeling alone in this.

But I did want to say Happy Belated Birthday! Not only are we August surgery buddies but my birthday was the day after yours. I celebrated by going to grocery store and riding the electric scooter! Woo hoo!!! LOL


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[thecoll]

@uva55 I ordered it from Amazon. I read there is an interaction with it and blood thinners but my last Lovenox injection was a week ago and now I just take a baby aspirin. I dont blame you for wanting to get off the prescribed meds. There was so many positive reviews on turmeric. cant hurt to try it.

@karena71 Happy belated birthday to you! although I hate to hear you are having stiffness too I am glad I am not alone. It is frustrating and depressing. I have to remind myself this recovery is long and everyday will bring a new joy. My surgery was a little over 3 weeks ago and I have only the left the house 3 times for a Dr appt and 2 PT appts. I have no desire to go into any stores perhaps because I still use my walker?
Hope everyone has a super Labor Day!

 

[dianehelen]

I hope the turmeric helps you. Before I broke down and admitted I needed to do this tkr, I tried so many things to help the pain I was having, while tring to cut back on the massive amounts of ibuprofen I was taking. I did try the tumeric, and I really didnt find any relief from it. I hope I was the anomaly, and it helps you. Have you tried walking with a cane yet? I have been, and probably pretty close to putting the walker away. It's so bulky and hard to maneuver out my back door to let the dogs out. Walking with the cane is pretty easy as I was using it almost all the time before surgery because the pain in my knee was so bad.

Have a "healing" day,

 

[Floridagal]

Yes, you are in floating time with your knee. Do everything you can to let it rest and heal. I know how hard it can be to be patient and want to hurry things especially when everyone around you says "no pain, no gain."

 

[greatlakes]

Hi Colleen, I sympathize with the feeling of not wanting to go outside with the walker. The last two days, for my long walk down the hotel hall, I made myself add a trip to the lobby and a quick circle outside, just to get out and see sunshine. Sometimes it feels like those four hotel room walks are my safe, albeit dark little world, and I don't want to give in to that feeling. @karena71 , happy birthday, and I'll bet you're the first person ever to celebrate by going to a grocery store and riding the scooter! Amazing what a little knee replacement action does for the perspective.

 

[thecoll]

Diane, last week my husband and brother in law removed the last few items from my parents house as the house just sold. My dad is in a long term living facility while my Mom lives in Maylasia with my brother. So my husband dropped off a truckload of items to the Salvation Army. It happen to be the same day as my birthday and he came home he said honey I got you a gift and he handed me a cane. Really.... it was one of my Dad's canes. Great gift for my 46th birthday. I have tried to use it but find I do not bend the knee when walking like I do using the walker. Plus I bought a basket for the walker so i transport things around in it. Its my pacifier and I am sure I will given it up soon. Perhaps I will take a walker walk down my drive way today to get fresh air. My husband asked if I wanted to go for a ride to get out as I seem to be having a pity party this morning.

 

[FlaGranny]

Yes, go out on a short ride. It will lift your spirits. Spending so much time indoors starts feeling oppressive, almost like a prison. It is so confining and can make you feel depressed. My goal for next weekend is a trip to the mall for an ice cream cone. It's just a short walk from the handicapped parking to the ice cream shop.

 

[dianehelen]

You are given full and unapologetic permission to have a pity party. This is a hard road for anyone. But I think to be dealing with this at your young age adds a whole other dimension of, crud, why me, why so young. I have 20 years on you and find it hard to accept. So you go right ahead and have your pity party. But then, get up, take a short walker stroll around the house, then sit, ice, and know each day brings you ever so closer, even if in teeny tiny increments to a life with less pain & more mobility.

As for walking with a cane, first make sure its set for the right height for you. That means the top of the handle should be at wrist length when standing next to you standing straight up. Next, always use the cane in the opposite side. Your tkr was on the left, like mine, so the cane should be on your right. Your gait should be, as you step with your left foot, the cane should follow the same path and add support on the right. I educated myself with this about 8 months ago when my bone on bone left knee was so bad I needed a cane to walk at all. Also I discovered the Hurry Cane, which has a very supportive 3 prong rubber tip, thaf swivels ever so little but makes you feel very stable while walking.

Hope your day picks up.

 

[uva55]

You are allowed to have a brief pity party, I think as we start to feel a little better but we still are not able to do much, we feel down, but you have to stop and think how much better you feel this week and all the things you are able to do today that were not possible last week and in a few short weeks it will get much easier.

You should go for a short ride.

Feel better!!!

 

[Annie11]

@thecoll. Happy Birthday!

I too am having a lot of trouble bending - knee is really tight - mostly my quad is holding me back it seems.

Are you doing a lot of ice & elevation? My joint is really swollen & I tighten up quickly after exercise. I try to elevate & rest as much as possible but get discouraged as well...

We are almost at 4 weeks this Thursday...


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[thecoll]

I got over my pity party and took a shower, did a small load of laundry and practiced bending the knee while massaging all around the incision like they do in PT. No trip in the truck as its been raining all afternoon.

Diane, thank you for the cane tips as I had no idea best way to use it. My cane as 4 prongs and works well. I will make the few adjustments that you mention. I have seen the Hurry Cane on tv and my college son teases me about it all the time. Crazy me thought being younger might make this recovery easier but my OS said older patients have less nerve feeling in the nerve endings and most times they have less pain. We all are different so I try not to compare but its hard.

Clara, you are right I can do more today than last week. I have to remember each day is getting better. Before I know it this knee will be healed and I will be able to do more.

Annie, thank you for the birthday wishes.Sorry to hear you too have tightness and trouble bending. Starting to think it was just me. Yes I ice and elevate ALOT. Sounds like are knee is behaving the same. It does feel like my quad is doing the same therefore having hard time relaxing the hip.

 

[newlybionic]

If you are having tightness and pain in your quads you could ask for a muscle relaxer. After my revision my OS prescribed methocarbamol for me and it helped me have less pain.