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TKR Put the right knee in...and then the left.

@gertie, what a great progress report! Woot! I'm so glad you don't need to make that long drive again for a 5 minute visit anytime soon! Clearly, PT is happy as well and you with her, which is much more important. :SUNsmile:

I haven't gotten into a pool yet, but can just imagine how odd a frog-kick might feel. It used to be my favorite swim style, but I think I'll be looking for another once I find a pool. I can tell you that I found kneeling very peculiar. It doesn't hurt, but it is a bit uncomfortable. Regardless, I'm glad I can do it, even if I won't do it often.

How is your energy level this week?
 
Pheebs52 said:
How is your energy level this week?
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Energy is mixed but I think improving. I was out and about for 4 hours on Thursday after a restless night's sleep and then 4 hours again yesterday. Tired at night, dozing off in the middle of TV shows, but otherwise OK. This is good because I'm due to go back to work part time in October. I'll work mostly at home for the first week or two but still will need to concentrate.

The OS's overall assessment was that I looked "fabulous" (or maybe it was "fantastic")--in any case a superlative--not sure how he got to that assessment since he didn't poke and prod or watch me walk or...I assume he'd read my file and perhaps saw a PT report? Or maybe it was my hot pink top, turquoise shirt, and turquoise earrings that impressed him :) Or maybe the contrast between a nicely dressed, alert person and the doped up, groggy person he'd last seen in a hospital bed? Ah well, I'll take "fabulous" wherever I can get it.
 
Pheebs52 said:
I'm so glad you don't need to make that long drive again
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I haven't cancelled the appt yet thinking I might want to go talk with him about my right hip, which will need attention at some point in the next year or two--hopefully not any time soon but you never know.
 
@gertie, sounds like it WAS the outfit, lol! My guess is we are borderline unrecognizable when compared to that person in the hospital johnnie; hah!

It sounds as though you're doing very well in the energy department! Four hours is a long time to be out and about, especially after a less than stellar night's sleep.

Oh nooo, not the other hip! Is it bothering you? I sure hope the bone fairies are with you on that score; enough!
 
Pheebs52 said:
Is it bothering you?
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Twinges at this stage but x-rays indicate deterioration. Obviously I'd like to put it off as long as possible and OS agrees but he did say that if it goes downhill quickly, as they can do, to tell his scheduler to fit me in asap rather than waiting the usual 4 + months. I'd certainly have this OS do the right hip--lefty is doing really well at almost a year out and was overall a really easy recovery, certainly compared to the knees--almost no pain, no narcotics post hospital, just the energy drain to deal with.
 
Hmmm, yes, those twinges can rapidly become much more, eh? I'm glad to hear your OS will squeeze you in if needed, but I really hope it can be postponed for at least another year. Mine *offered* to X-Ray my other hip "just in case," and I declined, lol. I just don't want to know right now....too much "bad news on the doorstep," is overwhelming to me. As such, since it's not bothering me at all right now, I'm going to be an ostrich for a while longer though I know the possibility is lurking there. It's all such a "cat and mouse," game, isn't it? Speaking of which, how is your kitty after last week's scare?
 
@Pheebs52 Kitty seems fine right now. I had a reassuring chat with her regular vet Thursday--much less alarmist than the emergency folks and agrees with me that extensive diagnostics (MRIs, etc) aren't indicated. So I still go all alert whenever she twitches for any reason but she seems to be OK. Thanks for asking!
 
Well that's great news on the kitty front @gertie! I certainly know what you mean about going into high-alert for twitches, moans and groans in elderly pets. I have no intention of dragging either of my dogs through extensive diagnostics, now or in the future. I will provide the best possible care and comfort for them as they navigate the geriatric waters, but draw the line at anything invasive. Pheebs (pictured) has kidney disease, so we keep her on an Rx diet with a supplement.
 
Pheebs52 said:
I haven't gotten into a pool yet, but can just imagine how odd a frog-kick might feel. It used to be my favorite swim style, but I think I'll be looking for another once I find a pool.
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Frog kicks are hard on even a normal knee. They're not good for a TKR knee until it's 120% healed, so it's best to avoid them.

I'm sorry your cat had the fit, @gertie - I'm glad she's OK now and I hope she doesn't have any more.
 
@Celle OS said it would be OK eventually--I'm talking about frog kick, not whip kick, which really does tweak the knees, but I did frog kick for years w no problems. But no plans to try this for quite some time!
 
Ha! I never could do the backstroke. In any case, it feels too soon to venture into a pool--June might be ready but there's too high a risk of overdoing it for Augie.
 
Hot and humid here today--feels more like late July than late September--and my newer knee is just a tad unhappy--nothing major but a bit more stiff and twingy than usual. I don't want to rush autumn because it is of course followed by winter ice and snow but a bit of clear, crisp weather would be welcome right about now!
 
@gertie, it definitely feels more like July than September to me, and way up north, where my brother is in VT, it's even hotter! I wonder if your newest knee is objecting to the humidity? It looks like the weather will break on Thursday and actually become crispy and autumnal!
 
@Pheebs52 Yes, I think it is the humidity since other parts of me feel a bit ouchy and stiff as well--but it's perfect weather for ice packs on knees! I might have also tiptoed into the ODIC over the past few days...but, as I say, a minor blip.
 
Update time--Week # 14 for June knee and week # 8 for August knee.
--I think I'm now officially in that 2nd phase of recovery where things are feeling much better than they did initially but overall progress slows down. Patience is still required!
--I've started wearing my Fitbit again (I can hear Josephine groaning as I type that :)). Fairly pathetic step counts at this point but...I know things will improve.
--Went on a slightly longer and slightly hillier walk yesterday--.6 miles. Hadn't planned on it when I set out but I'm really sick of my usual route around the neighborhood so I turned right instead of left and started walking uphill and down to the end of the block and...eventually home. June knee was fine and could have gone further; Augie was ready to go home and spend some time under an ice pack but then was fine for the rest of the evening.
--Back to work part time next week--20 hours a week and mostly from home. I'm an editor/writer/project manager so I need to do a lot of concentrated thinking work but it's sedentary and computer based. I can sit in a comfy chair with my legs up and work on my laptop if I'm home--at the office I need to prop my feet up on the CPU, which is less than optimal.
--I have plans to go to a concert Friday evening. General admission, which can mean standing in line to get a good seat, but I called the venue and explained about my knees (and someone else in our group is in a wheelchair) and they'll reserve handicapped accessible seats for us. So we'll see. I told my friends I wanted to drive up separately so that I can leave at intermission if the knees are hurting from sitting. And I'll make sure I have a restful day Friday with lots of pre-emptive icing.
--I sent the rental recliner back. It served its purpose in the early days of recovery but wasn't really sized right for my long legs. In the reclined position the bottom of the footrest hit me mid-calf and my feet dangled off the end. So, yesterday I bought a chair that reclines and has a separate ottoman rather than a footrest that comes up.
--Made flight reservations yesterday for a trip to the UK at Christmas to see my sister. Hoping my knees are up to navigating her house, where you can't go from one room to another without going up or down a step or two or three. I spent extra $$$ for a flexible ticket in case I need to postpone the trip to a later date. At that point I'll be 6 mos out on June knee and 4 1/2 mos on August knee so should be OK. :fingersx:
 
@gertie, wow, what an impressive update! You are on fire, making concert dates and foreign travel plans already! Woot!
 
Ha! Reclined on the daybed on the porch, enjoying the last "summer" night we'll have, probably until next June, listening to crickets, not setting much of anything on fire right now!

But yes, starting to get glimpses of life after staged TKRs. June knee is ready and willing to take on the world, Augie says slow down please, which leads to some frustration and impatience.
 
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