Overdoing It

[BigRed]

I have finished my second week of work (teaching) and it seemed a little less tiring than the first. I thought I was doing okay but my pt has said I am overdoing it. She has not seen regression yet but I am not moving forward and the swelling is severe in both my knees and my fused ankle. I knew that the swelling was bad when a colleague asked how much longer I needed to wear banadages. I am not wearing any bandages!

I really am doing my best not to overdo it. I sit whenever I can and I have my students hand out papers and get equipment. I have not been staying at school more than 2 hours after dismissal to work on lesson plans and have not brought work home. I have been going up to bed by about 8:30 almost every night. I don't know how much more I can cut back and still do my job.

I have just been put back on Celebrex for other orthopedic issues and I am hoping the knees will benefit as well. Other than that, I am at a loss.

 

[brs0660]

:thmb: It is going to be okay Red. Sorry about the swelling...it is uncomfortable aDs well as unsightly. It should get better. You might try Really elevating them at home....over your head. Prop them on the wall when you are lying in bed. Get them WAY above your heart.

I personally take Dyazide which is a diuretic for blood pressure. It has really helped with my lower leg swelling. If the swelling continue you might want to check with your primary care doc and see if you need some help with the swelling. You also might try wearing those hellish compression hose. (TED)..that might help as well.

You are still recovering. Sounds like you ARE trying to take care of yourself. I am really proud of you.​

 

[JudyS]

Big REd any chance for elevation and or icing during the school day? I remember a teacher that went back too early last year and did spend a fair amount of time trying to ice and elevate at school.
Good Luck with it.
judy

 

[Jamie]

Both Judy and Barb had some great advice, Big Red. I can't think of anything to add except just to keep your eyes open for any opportunities to take it easier. Be creative!! The Celebrex should help with your leg swelling, but it make take a week or so in your system to get going. If it works, try to stay on it for a while until this period passes. It will.

Oh, and drink lots of fluids. Sometimes that helps flush things out of your system faster....strange as it sounds when you are already swelling up!

 

[skigirl]

Ugh, swelling is hard--but, there are ways around it. For one thing, since today is Saturday, Ithink you need to bite the bullet and stay in bed both today and tomorrow. That means, skip the grocery store and the laundry this week--skip the yard, skip the movies and dinner with friends.

Put yourself in bed with your feet up on three or four pillows. You will be surprised how much this helps. Then, on Monday, wear a compression hose to work. Get some at medical supply stores that look like stockings---have a friend buy them---you need to measure your knee, that is how the sizes work.

Even though you are trying to get your feet up at work---be more creative. Lie on the floor of the teacher's lounge with your feet on a chair--bring a blanket!! If you have to do two hours of work at the end of the day, try to bring it home and do it in bed with your feet up.

Seriously, swelling begets swelling. Once it starts, it is hard to stop it. And the suggestion to try a diuretic is a good one too. I have had to do all of the above--but today at 13 weeks, my swelling is under control. My OS told me that you can wear a neophrene knee brace on your leg instead of a compression stocking--but the jury is still out on that one with me. I think the compression stocking is better especially at your stage.

But really, take action today and tomorrow--there is nothing that needs to be done more importantly than to take care of that swelling in your knee. My yard is a mess and really, I could care less---my house needs to be cleaned, my dog needs a bath--but I will put the needs of my knee first today!! Good luck. KElly

 

[JudyS]

I do agree that the weekend in bed will do wonders for the swelling. I am a hippy and had major swelling in both legs. My home pt told me to do what Kelly suggested for a weekend. It sure worked.
judy

 

[cindy88fan]

Here's my suggestion...not sure if it can work or not. You say you stay over no more than 2 hours and don't have to take work home. Why not leave at dismissal time, take your work home so that as soon as you get home you can ice and elevate and work on your lesson plans with ice on and elevated at the same time. Just an idea.

 

[BigRed]

Thankyou so much for all of your suggestions. I have been staying at school rather than taking the work home because I have trouble carrying the heavy tote back with all of my work in it. I thought I was better off staying at school - but it sound like all of you have a better idea. I will try it.

As for compression stockings, I havebeen wearing them for about 7 months for my fused ankle but they stop just below the knee. Are you talking about stockings that go over the knee? How does that feel when you put them on? How does that feel against the sensitive scar?

 

[brs0660]

Thought...not chic....what about a small suitcase on rollers. It is easier than handling a shoulder bag. Kids now have them as bookbags.

 

[Judles]

Red.... Hope you are taking advantage of the holiday weekend by icing and elevating! All this swelling is part of he healing process which of course all takes time.....and MORE time! I hope you will be feeling better and better as the days go on! Just keep reminding yourself that the very WORST is OVER!!! :thmb::thmb::thmb::thmb:

 

[loggon]

Big my son is a teacher and he had some surgery on his knee several years ago.

Try walking more around the classroom. It helps better than just standing. When sitting at your desk, If you can scoot your chair
back and have a stool or something under the desk you can put your foot on. Any elevation is better than none. Do you have a little refrigerator in your class room you can keep a small ice pack in?

When you are sitting at your desk with the knee up put the pack on it. Even if for 5 mins. It will help.

Be sure and let your students know they will try and do what they can to help.

 

[Jamie]

Thankyou so much for all of your suggestions. I have been staying at school rather than taking the work home because I have trouble carrying the heavy tote back with all of my work in it. I thought I was better off staying at school - but it sound like all of you have a better idea. I will try it.

How about using a wheeled luggage tote or the actually luggage with wheels itself to carry your work? I used a small wheeled bag for my work when I traveled because I got tired of lugging around papers and a computer....it worked great. There are also those little metal fold-up wheeled racks that are sort of like a dolly...very lightweight to carry by themselves, but you can stack even a couple of boxes on them and wheel them to the car.

 

[skigirl]

Red, The compression hose are thigh high. Some of them look like tights, some look like stockings. I don't notice them on the scar--but then, I did not have staples--I had MIS, my scar was glued closed. Kelly

 

[BigRed]

Kelly - Are the compression stockings the same as the T.E.D. stockings? My doctor prescribed the knee high version for me to wear becuase of my ankle problem. I went on-line and saw I could get them in the thigh high version.

 

[loggon]

BigRed

yes they are the same, but since you had a knee done you are going to want the thigh high. You want to go over the knee.

That is what my OS said

 

[skigirl]

Red,

Do you have red hair? I do too!!!

You can look on footcare.com for some of the compression stockings made by Jobst---they look a little nicer than TED and are not so expensive. I think I use 14 and 16 compression. One pair looks like black tights and the other pair looks like stockings.

They really do make a difference, but you need the thigh High ones so that they go over the knee. Good luck, the swelling will get under control. Kelly

 

[BigRed]

Yes, I am a redhead.

Thank you for the information.