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TKR Poetry Chef's Epic Recovery

Since removing my surgical bandages I have noticed my surgical incisions are super sensitive. Even a 4x4 gauze pad makes them ache. I have not been out of the house in 10 days and I am extending the time between my instant release meds because my primary physicians office is taking their own sweet time.

I am so looking forward to returning to my own home. ☹
 
My incision was super sensitive. I put a long bandage on it for a week or so. That helped. My PA suggested drifting a dish towel across it every so often to help make it less sensitive. Some found that wrapping stretch wrap around the knee helped to keep fabrics off of it, too. I hope you can find something that works. I found it to be very annoying!
 
Thank you @sistersinhim. Right now I have the ointment on it that my surgeon requires and I am covering it with 2x2 gauze pads and tape.

I hope to go home next week. I am extremely thankful to my mother who has been so helpful to me. I will return to South Carolina in a couple of weeks for my 4 week checkup.

Today, Kim, my physical therapist helped me maneuver my front steps allowing me outside for the first time in ten days. Tomorrow I plan to spend a bit of time sitting at a table on the back deck. The leaves are turning and I am missing them.

One day and step at a time.
 
Sounds like you are doing pretty well! How nice to be able to go outside even if for just a little bit. I have not ventured out since I came home and I am ok with that lol it has been cool and cold here.


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This might just be my most relaxing Thanksgiving ever. This morning I watched the Grinch, took a shower completely unassisted. Yaaay me! Took a nap in a completely silent house, called a few friends expressing thankfulness for our friendship. Mom made ham, baked beans and potato salad. Carlos came over completely exhausted from cooking for others. I am typing, he is snoring, life is good.

Today marks two weeks and a day for the right knee. Tomorrow will be two weeks for the left. Slowly, the knees are boss. I am resting. They are healing.
 
A few things about these new knees:
I have taken a few steps without a walker or crutches. I feel like Frankenstein learning to walk.

The knees often get my attention with throbbing, shooting pains that stop conversation in a second, these "zingers" are annoying.

My left leg which was two days behind in surgery is my problem child. The right leg seems to do what first born do, obedient and the peace keeper. My left leg seems to be the early riser. Both legs let me know when it is nearing time for my meds.

I am beginning to lengthen the time between doses of my short acting narcotic from 1 every 4 hours to 1 every 5. Yesterday, I received a follow-up prescription of 50 tablets. My surgeon expects me to wean off these at that time and to follow up with Meloxicam and ES Tylenol.

I will go to a friend's house on Saturday for Thanksgiving in my pajamas with ice packs in tow. They are causaul. No problem.
 
Tomorrow begins my post surgery week 4. My incisions are nearly completely healed. I returned home yesterday for the first time since surgery. You may remember my plans were to return to my parents. I stayed there for three weeks and was ready to get home to Carlos and my pets.

I made it through in home PT. What a frustrating experience that was with four different therapists. I went to my first out patient session yesterday and was told that I am doing well in that area. My therapist told me to work on my bend and to continue to ice and elevate.

I have begun to get a little stir crazy and have cheated and done a few very small household chores. Never more than a few moments and then straight back to the lift recliner.

I was to return to my 4 week post op. check in Columbia on Thursday but have cancelled the appointment. I unfortunately had car problems on the way home from physical therapy yesterday and I also don't think I can possibly travel 7 hours in one day. Just waiting in the Rite Aid drive through for a prescription refill is painful.

I am doing so much better but am ready to move on from this. At this point I feel incredibly handled and my body has not been my own for four weeks. I am so thankful to be past the pre-surgical bone on bone pain. I don't know how we can survive all this. I will be so happy when this knee pain is a memory. We will all make it through.
 
Wow week 4 already!!! Time seem to be flying by, but for us, I don't think it always feels that way! Sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving, laid back and low key, which is perfect for us knee recovery peeps. :) Yay on being back home, sometimes home is the best medicine! I was lucky in the pt department, I had 2 different people not counting the one who came to access me and the one discharging me, but I had the one I liked for 3 of 4 visits, so that was pretty good. How often are you going to pt since the change over to out patient?

Sorry to hear about the car trouble, I hope it's nothing expensive! Did you reschedule your appt for a later date? Make sure you get that done :) I am glad to hear overall you seem to be doing well.
 
Stir crazy? Four different therapists? Oh my. I'm sure you're best off without those therapists who didn't work for you. You can probably do just fine exercising on your and doing your daily activities. It's more challenging, I suspect, to remain positive during this phase of recovery. Your pain's not gone yet and you still have energy drain. I hope you can enjoy the little victories more now that you are home.

Sorry about the car. :sorry: You're right, though, that a seven hour trip would be too much right now.
 
I cancelled my appointment. With the Jeep out of commission my alternative is a Mazda 3. No way I was going in that. I nearly need to sit on the ground to get in and out. No thanks. I can have xrays taken. That and the PT reports will get me through to my 12 week checkup.

Time for a nap. I will return shortly.
 
Today was a good day. I managed to go upstairs to shower which allowed me to conquer the fear of 13 stairs. I went by my store and purchased essential oils-orange, cinnamon bark and cloves for a nice holiday blend for my diffuser. I managed to get in and out in 15 minutes. A co-worker said I am walking better than when I left. Yea!for me.:loveshwr:I then went to physical therapy and was told I am walking really well and when leaving was told to ice, ice, ice.

At what point can I stop using the cane? I am four weeks today. Also, what do I need to do with my scar(s)? My PT said to massage tgem with vitamin a, e and something else from GNC. I think it needs a few more days before messing with it too much.
 
Great news on the stairs. It was a bit of a fear situation for me too but once you do it successfully, doesn't it feel great!
The snarky answer is you can stop using the cane when you're ready to. :heehee: There's no set timeline. I used my cane for 2 months with my first knee. It wasn't that I couldn't walk, but it helped take the strain off the knee and helped keep me focused on my gait. I think it was 6 weeks for my 2nd knee--at least for around the house.
 
Thanks @kneeper. I am 4 weeks today. My PT said I could stop with the cane but I don't think quite yet.

Yes, the steps are right up there with driving again. I imagine I will sneak off to the neighborhood coffee shop in a couple of weeks. They say once I am off the meds and feel the right knee will make the car stop and go effectively without incident would be a good time to give it a try.
 
I read your thread. I'm 4 days behind your 2nd operation. 1 has been exciting enough for me. I'm on a little UTI excursion with Cipro, side effect dizziness. So I reverted to my walker by the bed at night for those every 2 hour trips. During the day I will forget the cane. You'll find that you just get up and walk away from it. My PT had me try using walking sticks today. They gave security and allowed a "normal" gait.

I'm lucky that the tylenol handles any slight discomfort. My wife suggested that I ask about starting driving. I'll have to go go into the garage and practice getting in and out of the pickup.
 
@Arttie, so sorry to hear about the UTI. I, too, was a bit concerned with the possibility of getting a UTI after having the catheter in for a prolonged time because of the two back-to-back TKRs. I wish you a quick recovery. I saw you are already taking the steps foot over foot. I am not even attempting that yet. The legs are just now beginning to loosen up a bit. That tight band in the quads is no joke. Just today my PT was telling me that I had two major surgeries and that we need to give them time to heal. I am happy to have these next 5 days to myself to doing just that.

I am beginning to see glimpses of what life post healing will be. I will not soon forget the mornings I would not want to arise from bed. I knew the rest of the day would be one very painful step after the next.

This healing time will take what it takes. We may get a bit of snow this weekend. If that is the case, I'll find a window seat view in a comfortable chair and a cup of cocoa. Thankful for these new knees.
 
We're in a mid 20s for the next 10 days. Lots of outdoor stuff is not in my future. I'm looking forward to healed incision and some slow gentle deep water walking.
 
Week 6 Post-Surgery Update:

This week moves me into my sixth week of healing. I continue to decrease the amount of pain meds that are required to see me through these days. I take one each of the long acting and instant release narcotic at bed time. I have yet to return to my own bed finding my rented recliner better for sleep. Perhaps I just want to make sure I am getting my money's worth. ;) Over the weekend I took a short drive in my Jeep which gave me a bit more confidence with these new knees. I continue outpatient PT twice a week and have been told that I am doing very well especially considering bilateral surgeries.

I will return to work in six weeks and know I will be so much further along by then. I will be happy to see my range of motion increase but know that it will in its own time. I do what I can to be as friendly to my knees as possible. These knees, my best friend and I managed to find our way to a matinee showing of Murder on the Orient Express knowing I am better for outings in the morning. The theater has lovely reclining seats in which I managed to fall asleep no less than six times. I'll call that energy drain for sure.
 
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