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

No--too far--I'm going to Baystate in Springfield. It's a big place and used to have a not so great reputation for quality of nursing care but seems to have improved greatly in recent years. The ortho unit is new with all single rooms, very comfortable, state of the art beds, lovely walk in shower, edible food (not great but...)--and the nurses and CNAs, were attentive and kind, which is what really matters.
 
Oh, ok, I am not familiar with that hospital or that area, but if it's the same place you had Knee#1 done and the same OS, it sure sounds like a *win* to me! After all, just look at how well you are recovering; can't beat it!
 
However, New England Baptist DOES have 4 star restaurant quality food, lol! They really do, but even that wasn't enough to send me back there. I'm only roughly 11 miles south of there, but....the traffic made every, single visit a 90 minute drive one-way. Great fun when in pain....not!
 
I had my 4 week check up with the PA yesterday and all is well--not a surprise but good to know. Once again, a 40 minute drive each way for a brief visit. X-rays this time and he did spend some time looking at the images with me and showing me what would be done on the second knee and how the various components work together, etc. He seemed pleased with my progress.

Interestingly, he seemed much less concerned about ROM #s than the PT. He gently handled my leg--no pain involved--straightened it, felt the calf to make sure all was soft and there was no pain indicating a clot, very gently flexed my leg and stopped once it went slightly beyond 90, which it did with ease. There's still some swelling and he said I should expect that to continue for a while (although I can now see the contours of my patella!)

Said the incision looked good and I could start using cream on and around it if I wanted. The skin is very flaky and dry so that's definitely indicated. Any recommendations?

And the car saga??? Turns out the funny loud fan type noise we were hearing in my ancient, high mileage car (I thought it was something wrong with the hybrid battery) was in fact static from the radio, which I or my friend must have inadvertently turned on (the button is really close to the gear knob). So, I have wheels for a week and a half!
 
Haha too funny about the radio, Gertie! Turns for the good pop up at the best times! You must have some good karma in reserve. Try not to get anxious about knee number 2, it sounds like you have made informed decisions - taking all aspects into account. Enjoy some outside time in the days to come !


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That it was static from the radio made me laugh! I too have an old car, and am certain its every sound will be its last wheeze.

I used/use Palmer's Cocoa Butter on my flaky legs and on the incision. My OS recommends that. It's worked really well and smells pretty good. I also used a loofah to scrub away the dead flakes in the shower. This helped a lot. I used a washcloth on the incisions, though, until recently.
 
@SusieShoes Thanks for the cream recommendation. Whole Foods to purchase?
@nensi I have started getting flashes of anxiety in the past couple of days as the next surgery looms--I suspect it's part of why sleep has been elusive. It's all so recent--I have vivid, tactile memories of lying on the table or the backache I felt in recovery (probably from lying flat on a hard table for 2 hours) or those first painful steps to the commode on day 0. I counter the anxiety by reminding myself that all went smoothly, pain was managed, people were kind, I'm healthy, etc. Sometimes it works!
 
Amazing the power our minds have to create physical woes, isn't it? I have pretty forgotten all the uncomfortable first days and movements, kind of like the pain of childbirth. Although I remember reading on a thread that one of us found the tkr pain to be much worse than childbirth. In any case, it will be behind you before you know it.
 
nensi said:
I have pretty forgotten all the uncomfortable first days and movements
Click to expand...
My sister says the same thing. She had a TKR 7 years ago and has this glowing memory of it being relatively pain free! I remind her that she wasn't saying that at the time!
 
I bought the cocoa butter at our local CVS. I suspect it's readily available. Nothing fancy or expensive about it. :smile2:
 
I picked up a jar of shea butter from Amazon, but you have many good options if you want to moisturize that area.
 
Oh Gertie, your car just gave me a really good belly laugh! What a great story!

You had a great post-op visit, but if you weren't experiencing some anxiety about your impending surgery, I'd have to question your sanity.

I've just been using Curel moisturizer on my leg, purchased from Walgreens. It's cheap, fragrance free, and it's working.:SUNsmile: I also use the Loofah sponge, but very, very lightly on the actual incision.
 
Thanks all for the moisturizer suggestions. I feel a CVS trip coming on!

A step towards normalcy today--met 3 friends for lunch in a restaurant--and I drove myself. Yahoo for friends, being out in the world, independence! Home now w leg elevated and ice pack in place, feeling a bit stiff and achy but not too bad.
 
What a good report you got from your PA! Everything sounds good all around, including that noisy car radio! It's so funny how little things can scare of so badly! I drive a hybrid, too, and catch myself listening to every little sound! But, you sure can't beat that 50+ MPGs!

Meeting your friends is a sure sigh that things are getting back to normal for you. And you are already driving! Wow, I was 7 weeks before I felt comfortable enough to try it.
 
@sistersinhim Re: driving: I wouldn't want to be in the car more than 20 to 30 minutes at a time but local driving feels fine--able to move quickly from accelerator to brake and back.
 
I think any good lotion will help the dry skin. I used the Palmer's cocoa butter w/vitamin E for my knees. When I had to have a plate put in for a broken wrist a couple of years later, I just used lotion I had on hand--I think Aveeno or CeraVe. All the incisions/scars healed the same--barely visible.
 
I'm doing that self-judging thing, worrying that I'm not progressing fast enough. Silly I know. This was brought on by going for a walk--further than I've gone so far but still oh such a short distance--and I was only gone for 6 minutes. I should be walking for 15 minutes at least, I say. Not sure where I got that # but there you are. At the start of the baby walk I had neither pain nor stiffness but at the halfway point was starting to feel some soreness--nothing major, just an awareness of tender tissue. So it probably made sense to come home (and it was starting to drizzle) but 6 minutes???

So, to give myself perspective--it's evening here. I started the day driving to the local Whole Foods (10 minute drive each way) to meet a friend for coffee--didn't do any major shopping but did pick up a few items. Have been up and down all day at home. Early afternoon I drove to a local farm shop--about a 20 minute drive each way--and bought a bag of groceries--my knee felt stiff and a bit sore after that outing but recovered by late afternoon.

Have I mentioned how impatient I am?
 
i think you're doing fantastic for 4-1/2 weeks post op. each day if your knee is up to it, you can walk for a few minutes longer. you've done a fair bit of driving today and sitting with your friend, a bit of shopping which entails walking around. all the separate activities add up at the end of the day. take note of how you feel tomorrow to see if you bounce back. it is hard to be patient.
 
You have had a really busy day for under 6 weeks! You are doing great. You shouldn't be worrying. You should be patting yourself on your back!
 
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