TKR PolarBear60's Stryker Triathalon Journey (Right)

[Dawni]

@KarriB you saying about anyone dropping your knee, the first 2 weeks I could not lift my leg at all till the muscles were strong, so I would use a leg lift every time I got up, I would sit in my chair and my leg on a foot stool and this one time I forgot to use my leg lift and just got up my poor leg just dropped to the floor, I just fotgot my leg, it sounds funny now but at the time it was not. @sistersinhim as you say only us who have had this know what it's like. even clothing on my knee seem to make my scar sensitive and I am now 8 weeks.

LTKR 11 May 2016

 

[KarriB]

My leg lifter was always close by, it even helped me get in/out of the car. Then while I was in an imbolizer I just used it to lift my leg.


@Dawni have you tried the Saran Wrap trick at night for sensitivity? I was ok, but some have found the Saran Wrap helped them sleep through the sensitive scar period.

 

[Dawni]

@KarriB no I have not tried that what is it

LTKR 11 May 2016

 

[Dawni]

@KarriB love your photo with your collie we have 4 of them

LTKR 11 May 2016

 

[KarriB]

Here is a YouTube video of the Saran Wrap trick.



You have FOUR border collies? That's a lot of energy! Her name is Piper Scout, she's a red and white border.

 

[Dawni]

@KarriB 2 of mine are red and white my old girl who is red and white is 14.5 years old now we also have a German Shepherd and a Belgian shepherd we do competitive obedience with them

LTKR 11 May 2016

 

[PolarBear60]

Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery. Why does it feel like two months? LOL. The knee is doing so well. It frequently feels stiff, but even though I'm doing a lot of napping, I'm still doing too much with it. Despite that, it easily rests at 90 degrees from a chair (but I get antsy if I try to sit for more than five minutes or so in that position).

Last year, after some debate, I bought the pump for my cryocuff. I wasn't sure it would be worth the $120 (or something like that) I had to spend for it, but I'm happy to say I believe it's been well worth it. I use three reusable .5L bottles of frozen water in place of ice, and with the pump, it keeps a constant cold temperature in the knee cuff, which is so much better than having to gravity drain and fill the cuff every 20 minutes or so. The pump is a little noisy, but even with it on the end table right next to my recliner, I'm able to sleep with the pump running. After a couple of hours, the ice melts and the water temperature rises, so I can turn the pump off and remove the sleeve, but I'm using the cryocuff a lot more in this configuration than the manual configuration from last year.

My therapist says I'm walking well, but I continue to use the walker to go the fifteen feet from the chair to the bathroom at night -- it keeps me steady, and steady is good. I do have to think about my gait when I walk (I'm not using my crutch most of the time in the house). When I'm outside, I use both crutches to get down or up the steps. I also practice fully straightening the knee when I stand. Generally, that's a good feeling to achieve.

I plan to start taking short walks around the yard this week.

 

[newlybionic]

I'm happy that everything is going so well for you. I love my ice machine too. I didn't have one for my original TKR but I got one for my revision and I love it and still use it after a long day of work. Keep up with the napping! That plus icing and elevating are your main jobs now!

 

[KarriB]

The ice machine was great, especially the first month. Time does move slowly, doesn't it?

 

[Celle]

You're doing well, Jean.

 

[PolarBear60]

To celebrate two weeks since surgery, I took myself for about a twelve minute walk this morning. Back inside and resting.


Jean

RTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 June 2016 LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006 Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005

 

[Floridagal]

Congratulations on your progress and on your long walk. Yes, twelve minutes is a long walk at two weeks!

 

[KarriB]

Wow! That's great progress!

 

[sistersinhim]

12 minutes! Wow! that's great! I was afraid to venture outside until I hit three weeks. You are doing so well!

I am a firm believer in the ice machines. Nothing feels better on a hot, tired knee! It's funny how just a few years ago everything we were told was to use heat! I'm so glad they found out that icing is much better. I know if feels much better! The first time I had any experience with ice therapy was after my rotator cup surgery. My surgeon ordered one for after my surgery. I was amazed at how much it helped relieve the pain! Since then I have kept ice wraps in the freezer all the time. They work on tons of aches and pains!

 

[Suz]

That's wonderful Jean~!!

 

[Dawni]

On wakening up from my operation I found that the sergean had put a frozen ice pack in between the dressing this was shaped to my knee and felt so good.

LTKR 11 May 2016

 

[kneeper]

My therapist says I'm walking well, but I continue to use the walker to go the fifteen feet from the chair to the bathroom at night -- it keeps me steady, and steady is good.

Good plan. I know I used my walker overnight and first thing in the morning at first after I had transitioned to the cane during the day. Especially with the RA I'd be pretty stiff in the legs generally, not just in the operated knee.

 

[sistersinhim]

I'm still using the walker when I'm feeling extra stiff or tired, even in the house. I always use it out in public. One day I'll ditch it, but not yet. I don't have the confidence to use just a cane.

 

[PolarBear60]

Day Two of my morning walking regimen. I took two turns around the "small block" using my crutches. The small block consists of two houses whose yards run the full width of a block. It's a normal residential size block. My block, on the other hand, is the equivalent of four of five residential blocks in length -- I'll be working up to walking around it in a month or so. About three-quarters of the way around on the second lap, I became increasingly tired. I was expecting that. I slowed down a little and still finished in 11:04 minutes.

After yesterday's walk, I spent a lot of time resting for the remainder of the day. Today, I rested, too. I'm experiencing the bone tiredness I remember from last year, but I have been more mentally productive this year than last. So far, no blues, but I'm early in the process, and I know they can hit at any time.

Last year, I didn't have the mental attention span to read. This year, I'm making good progress on my reading goals. I did website updates today. Washed, dried, and put away a load of clothes. Filled the dishwasher. I petted my outside cat and evaluated game camera photos.

My physical therapist came, and she gave me a pretty good workout, consistent with our conversation about how I felt at the time. She worked with me on stairs today and provided candid evaluation about ways I'm compensating for weaknesses in my legs. She provided a few tips that may help. My front stairs have a landing after about seven stairs, and that's a convenient practice area.

I suspect this was prompted by a comment I made the other day about noticing I was more restless at night in the recliner, so it might be time to move back upstairs. If I'm going to be taking the stairs, I'm sure she wanted me doing it the right way. And stairs are something I haven't done the right way for quite some time because the right knee was too far gone last year to allow the shiny new left knee to do the right thing.

I'll add she was pleased with what she saw with my flexion so she pulled out the old goniometer and made a reading. She came up with 112.

 

[Celle]

It's great to hear how well you are doing, Jean. As always, try not to do too much.

When I started my walks, I would not try for a certain distance. Instead, I gradually increased the length of time. I took a small kitchen timer with me and set it for half the time (i.e. 6 minutes for a proposed 12-minute walk). When the timer went off, I turned around and started heading for home again.

That'a a pretty good ROM!