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Bilateral TKR Puppylove's New Knees

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@PuppyLove. It sounds like you are well on the road to recovery and are doing everything right. I hadn't thought of putting a recliner in the bedroom....great idea! Best wishes for steady improvement.
 
You're doing great with recovery so far. Sounds like things are falling into place for you.
 
@PuppyLove just what I wanted to hear how your daily routine was. .how's your pain. .what can you accomplish in your day..glad you don't have much swelling hope it stays that way. I'll be stalking your every move lol stay strong
 
@meowmary my pain wavers. I always thought I was a wimp in the pain department, but considering how bad my joints are it seems I have a higher pain tolerance than I thought. I don't really like the Wong-Baker faces pain scale as I don't feel it is descriptive enough.

Right now I have hit the four hour mark for meds. In the last four hours I have rested, walked around the house per PT's request, thrown a load of laundry into the raised washer (by sitting on a chair in the laundry room), and done my PT exercises. I have a significant tightness in front of and behind both knees. It is uncomfortable to raise and lower myself to sitting positions, but it is not excruciating. I also have mild back pain from compensating for my incorrect walk. I'm using different muscles to walk correctly ( same thing happened after THR) and I find that if I stretch my upper body from a sitting position I have less tightness and pain when walking.

I worked really hard this summer (mainly in the pool) to build up my leg muscles and upper body strength. My PT had a program for me for THR recovery and to prepare for BTKR. I believe this has helped a great deal. I would recommend this to anyone preparing for surgery as it will make you so much more independent in personal care activities. You really need upper body strength to lift yourself from the toilet, shower, chairs, and to rearrange yourself in bed.

Time for compression and cold therapy!:ice:
 
@tiredwife that pain scale is much more descriptive. The problem is that most clinicians would not have time In their rounding schedule to go over this every time with patients ( sad, but nurses just seem to have more and more work expected from every shift; the amount of charting alone is ridiculous).

I just have doubts about the effectiveness of pain scales as most American hospitals use Wong Baker faces, and some physician offices will just ask you to rate pain on a 1-10 scale. And it seems some people "up" their number to make sure they get meds.

Sorry- didn't mean to rant. What is it about fuzzy brain from painkillers that makes me ramble? :what: I appreciate your input with the chart @tiredwife ; I will probably just describe my pain on the forum (yes, I am compliant with my clinicians and give them a number!)
 
@PuppyLove I just gave you the chart so you know what number you should give them if they ask. I never did like the 'face' chart. I agree that the nurses are overworked with all their charting, my daughter is an RN working in a hospital.
 
You're doing fine. Doesn't it feel great to be able to shower by yourself? I liked that you had your visit with your friend from your recliner. :thumb:
 
It feels great to shower by myself. Everyday I think I stay in a little longer under the water spray. The only problem with having the recliner in the bedroom is that my friends have to sit on a (padded) dining room chair, so it's not as comfy for them. Maybe that's a good thing? :chinstroke: Shorter visits are probably needed right now.

PT just left- good visit with no pain. She is really working on my gait and says I walk better with a cane than with a walker (I will still use a walker when she is not here). It just takes effort to tuck some things in and push some things out and loosen up my hips. We should have the "hip recovery dance craze" although this is a far cry from dancing.
 
thanks @PuppyLove this helps me to prepare my mindset I to have been working with a pt but id imagine everyone is a little different so I must prepare for that as well ... you are always on my mind praying you are doing well
 
This morning was pity party time for me. I didn't sleep well, even compared to previous nights. When hubby got up at 5:30 to tend to Rex (avatar), I had been squirming in my recliner trying to get comfortable. He asked me what he could do to help, and the floodwaters broke loose. :bawl:I was in one of those "I'm in too deep to know what I need" areas. I tried moving to the bed (bad idea), stretching and walking (not much change). Hubby refreshed my water, made me a protein drink, I took more meds, and he reattached me to the VPulse machine. After about an hour and a half, I finally dozed off.

My OS appt. is Thursday and I was trying to stretch my meds til then (hubby's work is 30 miles from OS office and we're also trying to preserve his personal leave at work). I think I tried to stretch too far. I've added acetaminophen to my generic Norco ( acet. doesn't usually work for me, but I'm willing to try) and so far I think my day is getting better.

I also tried putting heat on the muscles around my knees (not on the incisions) before I do my PT routine. When I went to outpatient PT for my hip they did this, and since I don't have swelling I'm going to try to loosen things up a bit. Afterwards I followed the ice and elevate rule. So far that seems to be helping. I moved much more easily from the chair to the bed to my gait practice. I'm going to do another session of PT after my shower tonight.

Sadly, Rex is no longer afraid of my walker, but he is very obedient and moves when I tell him to. He is my constant buddy and spends most of his time wherever I am. Sadie (cockapoo) wants to be a lap dog but is a little too big (24 lbs.), but does get invited to "mommy's chair" a few times a day.

To add to my stress, we discovered a hot water slab leak in our foundation. Friday we had to have our hot water pipes rerouted through the attic. Thankfully, we had a great plumber and the wall damage is minimal, but still another project for when I'm better. I do all the drywall repairs in our home. We've been DIYing since we moved in six years ago and some of the walls I thought I was finally finished with!

I appreciate anyone who can handle reading this. This is my form of a "knee memory journal." If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know.
 
@PuppyLove

It's okay, just let it all out because you have every right to have a pity party. It really hurts, you can't sleep, you have limited mobility, you can't do the tried and true basics to get rid of stiffness such as soak in a hot tub or even basic stretching, and the list goes on.......Now if that doesn't give you the right to cry then what does?

Oh yes, the dogs....I have as well 78 lb yellow lab and and a 20 lb Jack russell/beagle and I love them dearly but they are driving me crazy during my recovery as they need to be right beside me 24-7......sounds like your two hairy kids are the same.

Remember all those post op posts you wrote to all of us when we first got home? Well just try to remember all those words of encouragement.....ice, rest, drugs....I think a combination of not sleeping and fiddling with your drugs would aid to a waterworks parade. Also my friend...this is the 2nd major Surgery you have had in under 6 months and that for a total of 3 new joints.

All these factors would cause most people to lose it but in those times I go for my medicinal chocolate. Does it solve the situation..No but who cares! It reminds my brain of happy times! Try it! It works!

I truly hope you can see the forest through these nasty trees as it is there,it will just some time to get there!

Sending you a big Canadian hug and praying the Drug Fairy drops by soon!

Cheryl xoxo
 
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@PuppyLove Sorry you were feeling so down this morning. Maybe it is because it hit you unexpectedly. You are doing so well but really only a few days post surgery. Hopefully things have improved by this afternoon. Wishing you a restful weekend.
 
@PuppyLove Hi Chris! It sounds as though you are doing great. You are so brave having them both done at the same time. I often think of you when I'm pulling myself from going to the bathroom. Oops that didn't sound right. But you know what I mean. I'm glad to hear that your PT session went so well. I wish mine was more gentle with me. I'm still thinking of changing. I don't know if it would be the right decision or not. I'm always up for a challenge, but it turns out that I can hardly walk the day after PT and it shouldn't be like that. Remember the Bonesmart mantra...rest, ice and elevate. Anne
 
@CanukTriMom @Minnie's knees @Yorkimom thank you so much for your kind words! ( I had to type that three times to get words instead of works but it really is the same thing!)

I took my meds on my new schedule, put on my compression calve machine (beats TED hose anyday), elevated, iced, and wrapped myself in a blanket while I finished a sappy Hallmark movie. Fell asleep and took a nice, short nap.

Hubby brought me a diet coke earlier (I've been drinking mainly water and he probably thought I was having withdrawal!), but Cheryl how did I forget chocolate??? And where is the chocolate Emoticon? Hubby bouht me some moose tracks ice cream...:loveshwr:

Anne, the bathroom is a huge part of all of our lives, so now matter what way you said it I'd get it. May be TMI, bit I keep adult washcloths (disposable but not flushable, from Costco by the case) in the bathroom b/c you never know what you'll need them for, plus a long handled grabber b/c you may need to clean the floor and don't want to share that info with anyone in your house ( yes, I did go there- weird what a fuzzy mind will make you talk about). And yes, my Homehealth PT is gentle- but she also knows I fired my Homehealth nurse from my THR, and I told her I would not be in pain in therapy.

Since I am in much better spirits, may I ring in the praises (pun intended) for cell phones. My fur babies were napping in the room with me. They woke up thinking it was dinner time. Once they get it in their mind, they will talk to you until you feed them. Enter the cell phone- texted my son, which he thought was too early for said feeding, I texted back that is was a command and problem solved- everyone happy (except said son who had his video game interrupted but plays too much anyway).

I hope we all have enjoyable evenings!
 
@PuppyLove , gosh Chris I could kick myself..with the good leg of course. Here I was telling you that you were doing great....which you are....but I completely missed the post where you were saying you were having a bad day. I'll blame it on the meds! Anyway, sometimes a good cry is what we need to feel better. I hope you are feeling better now. Anne
 
@Yorkimom now I really don't feel alone- I sometimes have to re-read through threads many times to figure out what's going on! Sorry about your PT- I just responded to your thread.
 
PuppyLove said:
feels great to shower by myself.
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I m jealous---after my BTKR, it took me about four weeks before my OS would let me shower. Those first few showers certainly did feel great!
PuppyLove said:
And yes, my Homehealth PT is gentle- but she also knows I fired my Homehealth nurse from my THR, and I told her I would not be in pain in therapy.
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And that is a very wise move! A great attitude to have!@
 
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