TKR Phrog's Great Expectations - Downgraded a Little<

[sistersinhim]

Remember that walking is very good for us! Taking those breaks is good for your knees and your head!

 

[phrog]

I am six months post op and it seems to me I have more pain than I did before the surgery.

I just got back from another trip - this one 11 days and 2,500 miles in the car. We stopped often so I could walk and stretch and there were many stairs involved at some of our stops. On days where stair climbing was involved, I definitely had swelling in the evening and extreme stiffness the next morning. I used my cane for the stairs (and hadn't used it for two months before the trip).

I was to see my surgeon next week, but have put it off until mid October so I can tell him I am going to the gym (this is his big issue with me) and doing some exercise. The classes I have include a chair exercise class - but we do get up half way through and use the chair for balance as we use our legs. I can't do all the exercises that my 80 year old classmates do and I stop when it hurts too much.

I also have a water arthritis class. I went to the pool day before yesterday for the first time since my trip, and yesterday I was miserable. My OS thinks because my flex and extension are good, that all is good in my knee.

The x-rays looked good at 3½ months, so I am thinking it remains a soft tissue issue with me too. I also have noted that some have "drifted" from this site before I am ready to - but there are several of us in your position. It's good we have each other for support. Hugs -- Janet

 

[phrog]

Car trip report:
I am back from 11 days of vacation. Here's what I learned:
1.When the scenery is beautiful, and good friends are on the agenda, it's worth the discomfort of 2500 car miles in 11 days. And there was discomfort. Stiffness, soreness, achiness and downright pain after long days.
2. Stop and walk and stretch at least every two hours. Really.
3. Pillows help - both under the tush and supporting the leg.
4. You may have to go back to go forward (I hadn't used my cane in a couple of months, but was definitely glad to have it as at Crater Lake and Hood River, Oregon, there are many stairs). There was also stair climbing involved in Las Vegas and at the Oceanside, CA pier. Using the cane took some pressure off my leg and let me see more than if I'd refused to go back to using it.
5. Ice and Tylenol were my friends on this trip.
6. Getting home to regular activity can be hard. I've been stiff and sore for two days after attending one water arthritis class the day after we got home. I've postponed my appointment with my OS for a month, so I can get back some quad strength I seem to have lost being away from my exercise class. I think hanging in there is what is needed. And I want to keep a record of the activity I do and how I feel afterwards so I can talk to him about why I still have pain six months out.

 

[Pheebs52]

@phrog, what a spectacular journey to so many interesting places! I've only seen photos of Crater Lake and Mt. Hood, but I'd love to make the trip someday....just not by car, lol! I really can't imagine racking up all that car time, ever, but YOU DID IT! I'd say you win the "Determined Traveller" badge! Notify @Thesoutherncook, Helen, and she'll make one for you.

I'm so sorry to hear you are still feeling the ramifications of the trip on your knee, but not really surprised. I'm sure it will settle down soon, once it realizes it's home. Perhaps the resistance of water was just a bit too much after such a lengthy trip? Good job on dragging the cane along! I would have done the same.

When do you next see your OS? You need some reassurance that you are progressing normally, even if it isn't as fast as you'd like. Actually, we all need that from time to time, eh?

 

[Pumpkin]

Putting your feet or foot on a dashboard is very dangerous, should the airbag go off for any reason, the airbag will deploy at a 100+ mph shoving your foot and leg into your face. It is not pretty.

 

[phrog]

I used tinypic to copy this so the file wouldn't be too large, but it's so small, I don't think anyone will be able to see it. It's me leaning on my cane after going down to and back up from the Crater Lake viewing platform. @Pheebs52 , I made my OS appointment for Oct.13. It's a Friday, but I'm hoping it will be lucky. Thanks for the good thoughts.

[Josephine: I tried to edit this for you. I made it bigger but it didn't take the increased resolution too well. If you'd like to email me the original, I'll try and improve it for you!]

 

[phrog]

@Pumpkln , thanks. I did think about that. Other's had said they sat sideways on the back seat, which means no seatbelt, and that is very scary to me, too. I didn't do it for long periods of time and not in heavy traffic, but you're right: it's dangerous because of air bag technology.

 

[Pumpkin]

I was able to sit in the back seat with my seatbelt, I sat at a bit of an angle with my TKR leg on the seat, other leg on the floor. I also put the child proof setting on the door so I would not accidentally open it.

Great photo of you at Crater Lake.

 

[Pheebs52]

@phrog, I was able to enlarge it a bit, but that makes it fuzzier. Still, what a great photo of the lake and yourself! I can see your grin, probably prompted by the ability to climb so MANY stairs; hah!

 

[Pheebs52]

@pumpkin, good tip on backseat riding, thanks! Prior to TKR, I did develop the dangerous foot on dashboard habit, but have not done so since. Now I really won't!

 

[Celle]

It's not just the airbag technology that makes travelling with your feet on the dashboard dangerous. Because of the angle your body is at, you would be likely to slip forward in a sudden stop,, tunnelling under your seat belt.

Only prop your leg up like that when the car is stationary.

 

[Jockette]

I never thought about the air bag going off and pushing your leg up, good point. Not that I would ever be able to put my leg up like that anyway, my back would definitely not like that and we have a small car so definitely not enough room!

Glad you had a great trip, pictures are beautiful!

I was like you in the beginning expecting to be all better after a couple of months, per what my OS office told me, pretty much what yours told you. Reality was quite a shock!

 

[Canada35]

Sounds like a wonderful trip despite some discomfort. I absolutely love car trips and we are hoping to do more of them as well. We have driven across the USA on Hwy 80 and back on Route 66, we have done the drive to Texas many times and up, down and across Texas and same for California. We almost always drive back and forth to Florida and take different routes each time with loads of side trips including New England But we haven't done the Pacific Northwest and that's where I want to drive next! I am a little green with envy!
It sounds like you did all the right things to stay as comfortable as possible ( just to clarify, I do wear my seatbelt when I ride sideways in the back seat)
Take some time now to rest, ice, elevate and get back into routine and I'm sure your OS appointment will go great!

PS: we have driven Canada coast to coast as well!

 

[Josephine]

Putting your feet or foot on a dashboard is very dangerous, should the airbag go off for any reason, the airbag will deploy at a 100+ mph shoving your foot and leg into your face. It is not pretty.

It's not just the airbag technology that makes travelling with your feet on the dashboard dangerous. Because of the angle your body is at, you would be likely to slip forward in a sudden stop,, tunnelling under your seat belt.

Both these cautions are very correct. However, I will add one more which is much more serious - if there was a sudden stop or rear-end collision and the front compartment collapsed as it is designed so to do, the legs could suffer one or both these traumas

1. the legs could be driven through the windscreen causing significant and life threatening lacerations and may be serious bony injuries
2. if the window did not give way, the leg would suffer a foot to hip compression which would very likely result in serious bony injuries that could include multiple fractures to the tibia, femur and pelvis.

I can say this with absolute certainty because during my career in the operating theatre, I've dealt with several cases where such injuries had occurred. The cases invariably took 2-3 teams of surgeons and many hours during which the patient's life hung by a thread. They spent many weeks in ICU afterwards. These incidents happened to passengers or co-drivers in trucks who were catching a bit of shut-eye whilst adopting this position.

The results of the surgery included loss of one or more limbs, internal abdominal injuries including fracture pelvis and ruptured major blood vessels.

I do hope I have put you off adopting this outrageously dangerous position for ever!

 

[Josephine]

The x-rays looked good at 3½ months, so I am thinking it remains a soft tissue issue with me too

You betcha it's a 'soft tissue issue'! Even at 6 months we're still prey to them.

 

[phrog]

Thanks, everyone, for the good advice on how to ride in a car safely with a recovering leg. I think I figured out how to copy the picture of me and my cane from Crater Lake. I look pretty exhausted but I was also fairly proud that I managed the stairs and paths. When I look at this, I feel progress.

 

[Jamie]

Now that's a great picture! What beautiful scenery and a happy (tired) smile from you to boot! Glad you enjoyed your trip.....now for a bit of rest!

 

[Canada35]

Great picture! Thanks for sharing!

 

[phrog]

Have been down with a cold since I returned from vacation. I'm riding my bike about ten minutes a day - half of what I usually do, but I just can't breathe and I am a coughing machine. I should buy stock in Kleenex. Have not been to the senior center to exercise all week. I'm definitely Mrs. Couch Potato Head except for a tiny bit of housework and laundry. My left (surgery) knee is very angry and stiff and BOTH knees yell at me when I get out of a chair. I can't believe at 7 months I am having so much pain on the sides of my knees - and my IT band is acting up though less than before. I guess it is time to get the rolling pin out again. And the ice. And maybe some moist heat on the thigh. On the good news front, I had to get down on the floor to pull an under the bed box out - and- drumroll, not only did I get there, I got back up too.

 

[OJ2]

Congratulations on getting down and then back up! I get tired just reading of your adventures.