TKR Pheebs52 Recovery Discovery Journey May 22

[jaschembra]

Yeah! Glad your visit went well. You were vindicated and you have a plan moving forward. You have much longer than 12 weeks too so don't let a time line bug you. Also, yippee on those staples being gone.

Here's to some good zzzzz's tonight!

 

[Pheebs52]

Thanks @jaschembra! I suspect the zzz's will come easily tonight.

 

[Pheebs52]

@liam2015, I agree, he does seem to be sensible and caring, certainly a hard combo to find in a good surgeon. He was genuinely distressed by my PT horror story, yet at the same time, managed to make me feel hopeful and calm. What more could I ask for, eh?

I know what you mean about steri-strips, but boy, do they feel fabulous right now compared to those wretched staples!

 

[Pheebs52]

@keefsmom, regarding the *jinx*....you don't think it's some sort of conspiracy, do you? If so, I'll have to dig out my tinfoil hat.

 

[KarriB]

Sounds like your OS is right on target! Just be careful at PT. No squats, lunges and you're aware of the weights and/or resistance bands.

 

[sistersinhim]

Wow, an OS that's a good surgeon and has a good bedside manor, too! What a blessing!

 

[KarriB]

I'd like to know what the nurse poured on the staples. Mine were awful coming out!

 

[sistersinhim]

@KarriB, me, too!

 

[Pheebs52]

@KarriB, he was horrified at the modified squats, marches and stair lunges she had me doing. He was adamant about no strength training for at least 3 months. Yep, I know about the bands and weights and that's definitely not going to happen.

@sistersinhim, yes, he really is a unique physician and his PA is as well. He's so popular, that 80% of the local population have their knees and hips done by him in spite of being so close to major Boston hospitals and plenty of other Orthopods to choose from.

I also want to know what the *secret staple sauce* was because I sure could have used some today!

 

[KarriB]

My revision doc used 52 staples in the infection surgery! It is a long scar. I had to have half out one week and half the other, it hurt that much. He'll do my left knee so I need to find a solution to his staple addiction.

 

[Pheebs52]

Whoa, that's a LOT of staples KarriB!

 

[KarriB]

He used the TKR incision but made it longer. His nurse who was pulling them told he loves staples and had double staples in some places. TKR surgery was only 32 staples, but that was a different surgeon.

 

[liam2015]

i'm not sure what the nurse poured over the staples, actually rubbed it in a little which hurt for a second, but i didn't feel anything when she removed the staples. i complimented her on it.

 

[Pheebs52]

I think it must've been some sort of magic pixie potion, lol! It certainly wasn't on offer for me today and clearly not to others here as well. Perhaps it's a Canadian speciality!:smile2:

 

[IowaNana]

Yay!!! Sounds like a great visit and I am so glad they recognized what a mess your PT was!!

I hope you get a good night's sleep tonight! So far I don't seem to be to successful in falling asleep tonight. I have snoring all around me... two dogs in my room and my hubby in the next room.


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[Pheebs52]

It was a good visit @IowaNana! I felt very reassured upon leaving his office and that alone is worth a million bucks.

I just popped 10mg of Oxy per his instructions and I am beyond exhausted, so if I don't sleep well tonight, there's just no hope for me.

What do you typically do to get in sleepy mode? If you are just tossing and turning, I always find it much better to just get up and do....something. Anything. Tossing just leads to more tossing. And snoring dogs? Oh yeah, I know what that's like, lol. Most of the time it's a soothing sound to me, but not when I'm feeling restless. Can they go in a different room tonight, or how about you?

 

[KarriB]

Before the PA gives me a Visco shot in my knee he sprays the area with a numbing agent. Maybe it's something like that, but it would have to be antibacterial due to the incision.

 

[Pheebs52]

@KarriB, exactly!

 

[IowaNana]

@Pheebs52 - Before my surgeries, I had no problem falling asleep. My problem was always staying asleep. But - I am a creature of sleep habits. I like to fall asleep on my side, and then usually move to my back while I am sleeping. I also need to be covered, if even with a sheet. Last night my incision was really sensitive, so the sheet really bothered it. I think that, along with not being on my side was the cause. Usually I try deep breathing to get me to relax and fall asleep, but that took awhile to work last night.


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[Pheebs52]

Day Fifteen: Last night, I slept for 6, blissful hours! Naturally, I was wearing the ratty yoga clothing and in the man-chair recliner. Oh, and I took the 10 mg of Oxy versus 5mg, hah! I'm going out on a limb here and assuming that @keefsmom also slept well since we seem to be on the same erratic zzzz's wavelength.

In all the personal hub-bub and exhaustion of yesterday, I forgot to mention what I felt was a huge victory. I walked out of the house on crutches; whoohoo! I chose that mode because of my Hitchcockian "13 Steps," and I felt it would be less cumbersome to navigate the doc's waiting room. The handicapped ramp outside his office was slightly challenging, but not too bad of a grade. Then there was the l-o-n-g walk down a hallway to his office. Did I say it was a very lengthy hallway? Had to be at least a mile or five. Tiring though it was (to the entire body, not just the leg) my back was so pleased to be in a much better posture than the Quasimodo style hunch I can't seem to shake on the walker. Straight=good!

What I failed to consider (me, forgetful?) was my arrival at home. My driveway is a double-width, but because we live on a hill, it has considerable slope and also has these sharply defined, curb-like gullies between the tar and the grass. For some reason, gully walking on crutches seemed like an accident waiting to happen, and there isn't much room at all between the two cars once parked, so I chose to be deposited at the bottom of the drive and hike up. I've done a bit of hiking in my time, even on skis uphill, but this was the slowest, most exhausting hike EVER. I'm certain I could have comfortably become one with the tar and taken the longest outdoor nap on record. However, I poo-pooed that enchanting vision because the skies decided to open-up as an extra added perk. I'm beginning to think I might actually reside in Seattle? Who knows, but I wish I'd been informed of the address change.

Most happily, the crutch hike wasn't painful at all, but if ever I needed upper body strength it was yesterday. I'm so glad I worked on all those muscles for two months prior to TKR!

Here's to new modes of transport and new horizons! Oh, and getting outdoors for a *real* life workout!