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PKR Raffs' Recovery Thread<'

@Raffs - But you can walk without a cane, isn't that correct? I know what you mean about looking at other people using their knees and being a little envious.. It will come!! :yes:
 
@Braunzie only in the house. I still use a crutch outside and think I'll need it for a while longer. It's for confidence, stamina and as a warning to others.
 
I carried a cane long after my OS thought I didn't need one. I finally went into my 3 month follow-up without it. I still have one in the truck "just in case." (But, as I told my OS, it's mostly for my right knee, which he knows is awaiting his ministrations).
 
I'm hoping I can go back to work with NO CANE.. (I'm signed out for 9 weeks, but possible can get up to 12...) That is my goal.. :fingersx:
 
@Braunzie Me too. I'm due back at 10.5 weeks - 5 weeks from today. I really want to be limp and cane/crutch free by then if I can.
 
Took it easy yesterday as knee was not feeling great. Too early to say how it is going to be today. We've got family visiting so I hope it behaves and allows me to spend some time with them rather than having to ice and elevate upstairs most of the day.

My hubby has a hunch that the TED stockings are making my knee more swollen. Anybody got any thoughts/experience/knowledge??
 
@Raffs well done with the stairs. You are right not to rush doing them all, just build up and it will come. You mentioned your knee feeling as if it will give way but doesn't . I had that occasionally but it got less and less and then stopped.i don't think it's anything to worry about. Your quads are still regaining strength as they do, it will reduce that feeling.
Keep up the good work!
 
@Raffs re TEDs my surgeon doesn't use them so no experience with this surgery but at this stage with lots of movement, and if they are pinching,I'd think about ditching them or just wear at night time. Lots of surgeons don't use them at all. But only you can decide.
 
Hi @Raffs,
I just had eye surgery yesterday. I had one nurse put on TED stockings, and an hour or so later as I was in the waiting room, I felt a lot of discomfort. The right one was compressing my leg just below the knee, and the knee didn't like it. I asked for an ice pack to get the swelling down. Later the attending nurse and anesthesiologist came in, and I showed that to them, and they made the decision to remove the stockings for the surgery. Turns out they were both bilaterals, and agreed that they were doing more harm than good by acting like a tourniquet. I just don't have TED-friendly-shaped legs. I think if they are providing smooth compression, they make sense, but not if they are creating lumps and bumps and cutting off circulation.

I made the decision to take the hated blood-clotting medicine, but ditch the stockings, with the understanding that I would flex my feet and wriggle my legs each time I worried about blood clots, thereby alleviating the symptom of worrying about blood clots.

I think that as active as you are, you're not a high risk for clots, but I'm not an expert by any means, just a TED-stocking hater rationalizing my ADA decision. When I was packing to come home this morning, I ran across the TED's in the bag from the clinic, and pitched them in the trash.

I wonder if there's an advice link around here on TED's, blood clots, etc. We have so much information on other things, I bet there's something. I'll poke around and see.

Hope you're able to enjoy your visit with family today.

ETA: So I found a link to a flyer written as a clinic hand-out on blood clots. I was surprised by some of the stats (like 1-2 out of ten people get blood clots even with the meds, 4 out of ten w/o meds). That seems very high to me, but again, what do I know?

I had pump stockings at the hospital. I also learned in that brochure that they make knee-high pump stockings. I wonder if insurance would cover a rental on that. Might be worth asking about.
 
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Good morning--
Just to toss in 2 cents . . . Raffs and @Braunzie, being cane-free is a great goal, but carrying a cane or crutch is a strong and useful visual message to others to give you space, not bump you . . . and could help to manage expectations with coworkers, as a reminder that although you are back at work, you are still healing from major surgery. I've noticed a big change in others' behavior when I am and and not carrying a cane/crutch. I don't really need it except as protection from scooters, playful dogs, hurrying commuters, etc. but more often than not take it with me as a visual cue. Nothing wrong with some TLC from others at this important healing time. Have a good day!
 
Yesterday was a pretty good day. Managed to do a little house cleaning before our visitors arrived, made them some drinks, chatted upstairs with my sil whilst icing, ate lunch, went out for a walk with them in the afternoon, took my crutch but managed to walk ok, hubby said my gait was the best he's seen it. Knee is still sore and swollen and tight and stiff but it is improving. Had a lazy evening and then fairly early to bed.

Today I took the plunge and have ditched the awful TED stockkings!! It is only 2 days earlier than I should so I don't feel too naughty. Am loving the freedom already. Did a few light chores around the house, walked to the pharmacy to get my prescription filled, had a coffee, walked back, tidied the gardens including some sweeping and now icing and elevating before lunch. Knee is sore but seems to have held up pretty well to all this activity so far.

I haven't done any PT apart from heel slides yesterday and today as I wanted to see if I had been overdoing it or if the knee felt better without it. The jury is still out. I'm seeing my PT tomorrow so will get an update on ROM etc.

I'm struggling with the thought of going outside without my crutch. It is a confidence thing for sure. The reason is the terrain around here makes me nervous. I have to come down quite a steep hill on my way home and it scares me. I struggled with this hill before the surgery. I wish I had somewhere else to walk as I know this hill is sapping my confidence and that somewhere more level would really help me. But I live where I live so I guess I just need to keep facing it and hoping that it gets better. I'm so scared of falling.

In other news.....the horrid tight band underneath my knee appears to have gone. Regular readers of my thread will appreciate how happy this has made me :dancy:.

@SuperSnapper thanks re the "giving way", that's reassuring. Glad you're living life to the full!

@snowleopard tourniquet describes it exactly. I'm wiggling around a lot today when sitting. Losing the stockings is liberating. Those stats re blood clots seem incredibly high to me too.

@jbrooklyn I totally agree but sadly wanting to be crutch free is pretty much a vanity thing, which I'm ashamed to admit. I like using it as a warning to others and to give me confidence but I so want to be back to the old me again. I think I'm going to buy a foldable cane that I can carry with me in case I feel I need it, just a simple one that will match whatever I'm wearing :heehee:!!
 
For what it's worth, if you have hills to negotiate and are not too confident yet, why rush it? Just carry on using whatever you feel best with. I used canes. At first two, then one, then none in the house but it was a few weeks until I felt safe enough to be without anything. You could use a walking pole or even two - they are brilliant at taking the strain off knees and so many people use them, you wouldn't feel silly. I use them whenever a hill is involved in one of my hikes and they make me feel so confident even on steep ground.
Apart from the above which is just a confidence thing, you seem to be doing really well and getting out and enjoying life - GREAT NEWS!
 
Raffs, what a fun day you had yesterday, a nice lively mix without overdoing it. Great to hear about that.

Hills are hard! Where I live is pretty flat. If I lived near hills, cane/crutch would be my BFF. Incidentally, today I was in the park during "off leash" hour when dogs can play, and 2 big rambunctious dogs almost smashed me . . . I sort of twisted my hip (not seriously, but it did not feel lovely either!) leaning down to protect my knees. All's well that ends well, but it was a wakeup call--if I had had my crutch, it would have been way better! So, word from the foolish to the wise. :-)
 
Great report! I am fortunate to live in the flatlands of Florida, so most of our hills are man-made. Sounds like you are really getting your life back. Glad your tight band has taken up residence elsewhere. Good going!
 
Ah, but what @Slainte didn't mention was the PT's there have pet 'gators that they use to motivate their patients. "Okay, that was good for clockwise circles; now let's run counterclockwise for awhile." Fear of falling has a whole different set of implications.

@Raffs, I'm afraid of falling, too. We get terrible ice storms here. This wasn't always the case. Our winters used to be cold and dry, with powder snow that wouldn't even hold a snowball. Now we get warming periods where it will rain, and then freeze again, sometimes two or three times a winter. Very dangerous, but great for business if you are an ortho or a PT.

You literally see a noticiable increase in people wearing casts after each ice storm. And we make eye contact with each other that encompasses a whole conversation. I remember a boy about 10-12 years old wearing an arm cast jumping to open a door for me when I had a leg cast on. And his eyes said, "Yep. Slipped on the damned ice. When I get old enough, I'm getting out of here so I never slip on the ice and break a bone again." And my eyes said, "Me too, kiddo. Me too."

Just be smart for a little while longer about the cane. Or get a collapsible walking stick. If you use a cane, you're right, it can have a certain air of resignation, but a walking stick says, "I am daring and bold. This? Oh, I picked it up in the Alps, and still use that when I'm trekking the Pennines. Didn't realize I had it with me, just carry it from force of habit after having used it to fend off ruffians and wild-dog packs. There may even be a rapier inside. You'll never know. Cheerio!"

Then there are these: https://www.incrediblecanes.com/ Make a statement: "Out of my way. I have a first
-class berth with a private esplanade reserved on the Titanic, which departs shortly." Or, "Of course it's bamboo. I live to recycle." Or whatever. There are enough here to choose from to use a different one every day until you can safely throw them all away. And that hill will get leveler over time until one day you just lift your foot and step over it with a pish-and-tosh and a fling of your auburn locks.
 
Oh man, look how great you are doing! Your ROM is so good! I don't think I can do that. Walking up hill is definitely better than down..... I found a new ice wrap thing I am about to try...... I hated the Teds as you know and ditched at 3 weeks so I know it feels so good without them! Keep it up, you are doing awesome.
 
@Raffs It is a confidence thing with the crutch, as suggested above get a collapsible cane, one that you just take out with you when necessary. I'm planning on getting one soon. How are you today after your weekend?
 
First day without the stockings was lovely. So freeeeeee!!

Tried sleeping on my side last night for the first time since surgery but it was uncomfortable even with a pillow underneath or between my knees. Oh well, I sleep fine on my back so I'll continue for now and keep trying a side sleep from time to time.

Had PT this morning. My PT was sick so saw another guy who was really nice. ROM is 121/0 so very pleased indeed :yahoo:. He said that it probably won't increase much over the next few weeks but I can expect to see it increase slowly over the next 6 months to a year - pretty much the same as I've read here on BS. He put me through my paces in the gym - few mins on the bike (could do a full rotation straight away), step ups, lunges, small knee bends (couldn't do these), sit/stands putting most of my weight through the operated leg and a couple of bench presses using about 30lbs of weight - these were not fun! We also worked on my gait, which is better but still has room for improvement. I'm cleared to start going up stairs sequentially but not down stairs yet. Knee is quite sore now so I'm going to rest it for most of today. My non-op knee was moaning and crunching a lot during the session - oh no....

My lovely niece and sil are coming today to stay until Weds. We're going out for a couple of meals. They're going to the theatre but I'm not ready to go on the underground (subway) and sit in a cramped theatre yet. Hope that today's PT won't upset my knee too much and spoil things.

@SuperSnapper I have walking poles, that's a really good suggestion, thanks. I used to go hiking a few times a year until knee pain stopped it. This time next year though....

@jbrooklyn thanks for the wise words :eyebrows:. Duly noted.

@Slainte I think @snowleopard has just given your a great idea for a business - Gator PT! It could catch on!!

@snowleopard oh wow, some of those canes!! I want to buy one topped with a brass owl or snake and pretend I've just walked off the set of "Harry Potter and the Auburn Haired Limping Woman".

@tigwy11 thanks. You're doing pretty well yourself!
 
@CATSMUM. Hi. I was writing a long update as you posted! See above. I will get a collapsible cane, I think, Amazon have a good selection.
 
Wow you sound as if you're doing really well with Physio. My rom is nowhere near as good, well done you. Be careful with the weights as they can be too much at times.

Enjoy your family visit and let them do all the hard work!

Must look at those canes!!!!
 
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