PKR Raffs' Recovery Thread<'
- Thread starter Raffs
- Start date
simryg
member
I am chiming in now, as I was about 5 pages behind on your thread. Your knee looks amazing compared to mine!!! The swelling on my foot is much more pronounced, my scar much more prominent as well. You must of had glue.....
You are also doing a lot of activity for week six going on seven. I get dizzy just reading how much you were doing. Don't be so hard on yourself, be proud of your accomplishments!!!!
You are also doing a lot of activity for week six going on seven. I get dizzy just reading how much you were doing. Don't be so hard on yourself, be proud of your accomplishments!!!!
simryg
member
Glad to hear your appointment went so well. That should put you in a great frame of mind!
Good for you about ditching the crutch and entering car Wo thought.
My dr does not let me walk outside without walker for another cpl months. Whoever followed my thread knows my situation way dif.....
Still reading about ur progress gives me hope that sometime soon, I too will have victories to report!
Good for you about ditching the crutch and entering car Wo thought.
My dr does not let me walk outside without walker for another cpl months. Whoever followed my thread knows my situation way dif.....
Still reading about ur progress gives me hope that sometime soon, I too will have victories to report!
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
@simryg Great to hear from you! I had staples. I think I got really lucky with my scar. I have been moisturising it and putting Bio Oil on it. Remember that I had only a partial so the incision is probably smaller and you had other complications too. Yours will be fine once it's healed, a few months and it'll just be a white line. Your recovery has been so complex and challenging, you're doing great considering everything you've been through. I will continue to follow your thread and will celebrate your victories with you. Will go and catch up with your thread shortly.
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
Am back from a long day out. Drove into central London to collect the exercise bike then drove through the city to my brother's place. Was in the car for about 2 hours, stopped for a quick walk and bathroom break. Iced most of the way.
Had a lovely time at nephew's 4th birthday party. Had a glass of champagne except it was served in a kid's plastic pirate cup!! Still tasted great though. Iced and elevated a bit, walked around a bit. Knee was ok, bit sore once but better after icing.
Journey home was quite long, 1 hour 45 mins, thanks to a lovely road known as the M25.... Iced my knee, it was pretty stiff when I got home. It is quite swollen now in the one usual place, rest of knee seems ok. Did 2 mins on my new bike on zero resistance, no problem doing full rotations. Now icing, elevating and resting. Will see how it feels tomorrow.
Hubby is picking up a folding cane for me tomorrow. I'm going to start walking outside without my crutch this week but will take the cane with me in case I feel I need it for a bit of security.
Going to speak to my boss tomorrow to arrange to start working from home from Thursday. Boo!
iPad battery is just about to die so I'll catch up with your threads tomorrow if not later tonight. Got a piece of birthday cake to enjoy now with a coffee.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend.
Had a lovely time at nephew's 4th birthday party. Had a glass of champagne except it was served in a kid's plastic pirate cup!! Still tasted great though. Iced and elevated a bit, walked around a bit. Knee was ok, bit sore once but better after icing.
Journey home was quite long, 1 hour 45 mins, thanks to a lovely road known as the M25.... Iced my knee, it was pretty stiff when I got home. It is quite swollen now in the one usual place, rest of knee seems ok. Did 2 mins on my new bike on zero resistance, no problem doing full rotations. Now icing, elevating and resting. Will see how it feels tomorrow.
Hubby is picking up a folding cane for me tomorrow. I'm going to start walking outside without my crutch this week but will take the cane with me in case I feel I need it for a bit of security.
Going to speak to my boss tomorrow to arrange to start working from home from Thursday. Boo!
iPad battery is just about to die so I'll catch up with your threads tomorrow if not later tonight. Got a piece of birthday cake to enjoy now with a coffee.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend.
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
Not too bad thanks. Knee definitely a bit more swollen around the bottom today after yesterday. I've done 5 mins on the bike, my PT exercises and a walk outside including about 10 mins without my crutch. The swelling is making walking difficult today so I'm a bit miffed but I guess I expected it after yesterday. Got a quiet rest of day so will ice and elevate a lot.
Cake was good - had two pieces!!
Cake was good - had two pieces!!
jbrooklyn
senior
@Raffs, just got caught up on the past week or so. Glad your OS is thumbs up on your recovery, and especially happy to hear that the mysterious swelling is basically explained now and not serious. Just want to join you at the Wailing Wall now and then--mostly I feel wonderful but there is a limit to what I am able to do in a day, and a pretty high price to pay in terms of swelling and pain if I go beyond it. But, if we think about the first week after surgery, we are basically Olympiads compared to that, and I do like those promises that 12 weeks is more yummy than 6 weeks. I cannot believe you work up 8 flights of stairs. I don't think there is anything like that in the US! I've seen 6, but never seen an 8-story walkup. Wow. I bet everyone in your office would be happy if the office were to move. Great to see your upbeat good humor intact. We surely have good and bad days along the way, but the trajectory is toward the good. 
Hats off to you. Are you going to work from home any this week? No rush! xxooo
Hats off to you. Are you going to work from home any this week? No rush! xxooo
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
@jbrooklyn oh I'm sure I'll still be visiting the Wailing Wall from time to time! The building I am supposed to work in is an historic listed building that is exempt from the Disability Discrimination Act so does not have to install an elevator. It is one of those tall, thin London buildings that are everywhere in the centre of the city. To be honest, there isn't room to install one otherwise they'd have put one in years ago. In my opinion, the building isn't really fit for purpose as an office as it isn't accessible to all. I'm waiting to hear from my boss but assuming she's happy I'm going to start working from home on Thursday, just 3-4 hours a day at first, spread out throughout the day. The rush is down to me really for a variety of reasons including guilt and office politics, you know how it goes. The worst thing is that I'll have less time to keep up to date with everyone on here but I'm going to try my best to find an hour or two a day for Bonesmarting.
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CATSMUM
post-grad
I wondered why your building didn't have a lift, that explains it, although I'm surprised that they haven't addressed the issue of people's disabilities previously, are there no other disabled staff in your building?
Glad your rtw is phased, sounds like mine. You really shouldn't feel guilty about taking time off to recover from this op, can understand the office politics, thankfully, as I'd had my left knee done previously I just explained to my boss that l was going to follow the same regime.
That is the problem with going back to work, keeping up on here!! Just make sure you post even if it's a one liner only!
Glad your rtw is phased, sounds like mine. You really shouldn't feel guilty about taking time off to recover from this op, can understand the office politics, thankfully, as I'd had my left knee done previously I just explained to my boss that l was going to follow the same regime.
That is the problem with going back to work, keeping up on here!! Just make sure you post even if it's a one liner only!
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
@CATSMUM The building is in Covent Garden, just off the piazza. Only 6 people work there full-time, the 2 bosses use it as their London base when they're down from HQ in Birmingham plus staff from HQ can use it if they have time to kill before or after meetings in London. We've often wondered what would happen if a disabled person turned up unexpectedly. It would be mortifying.... The guilt comes from knowing the pressure that the lovely woman who is covering for me is under. She's not making me feel guilty, it is all me. If it wasn't for my wish to go to the event in Brighton on September 12th I would definitely take a bit longer off!
I really want to keep posting on here!
I really want to keep posting on here!
CATSMUM
post-grad
Been to Covent Garden quite a few times, especially in November to see the Christmas trees!! Know what you mean about guilt, l had a new member of staff start a month before l went on leave (and had the op) and he'd never worked in finance before so huge learning curve, he's doing very well from reports l get.
Brighton sounds lovely just take it easy.
Brighton sounds lovely just take it easy.
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
7 weeks today. Wow. Am I happy? Pretty much. Are there things I'd like to be better by now? Sure. But overall, I'm ok.
Still troubled by the swollen "fat patch". It is sore and restricts my walking. It goes down overnight but starts hurting once I've been on my feet for 10-15 mins. I keep icing it, it helps temporarily but then the soreness and swelling returns.
Been to see my GP today. Going to start taking some ibuprofen to see if that helps. Got some Lansaprazole to help protect my stomach. She was more concerned about the swelling than the OS was. Said to keep an eye on it and if it is the same in a week or two then go back to see her. Have also got to watch that it doesn't go red.
She's given me a fit note that says I'm ok to work from home as from Thursday. Now just waiting to hear from my boss to confirm everything.
Got a friend coming soon. We're going to walk up the road for lunch, going to try my new collapsible cane for the first time.
Still troubled by the swollen "fat patch". It is sore and restricts my walking. It goes down overnight but starts hurting once I've been on my feet for 10-15 mins. I keep icing it, it helps temporarily but then the soreness and swelling returns.
Been to see my GP today. Going to start taking some ibuprofen to see if that helps. Got some Lansaprazole to help protect my stomach. She was more concerned about the swelling than the OS was. Said to keep an eye on it and if it is the same in a week or two then go back to see her. Have also got to watch that it doesn't go red.
She's given me a fit note that says I'm ok to work from home as from Thursday. Now just waiting to hear from my boss to confirm everything.
Got a friend coming soon. We're going to walk up the road for lunch, going to try my new collapsible cane for the first time.
CATSMUM
post-grad
Good report. You need something to protect your tummy when taking anti-inflammatory pills for a time. Funny how GPs appear more concerned than the OS.
Good news that you've got your rtw fitnote and pleased to see that you're feeling good at the moment.
Enjoy your lunch and hope all goes well with your new cane!
Good news that you've got your rtw fitnote and pleased to see that you're feeling good at the moment.
Enjoy your lunch and hope all goes well with your new cane!
KarriB
Former BoneSmart staff member
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You have a fat patch? I had a patch of fat on the inside of my right calf before surgery. I had been a victim of a drugged driver and developed a swollen patch on my right calf after the car accident. When I had my infection surgery the OS said that patch was full of "dead fat" and removed it. For the month I wasn't allowed to bend I had a very thin leg, as soon as I started bending, the patch grew and grew. It's bigger now than what it was but no one is concerned about it. It bothers me because it is jiggly and obviously bigger than my left. But both my ID and OS said not to worry. So I have this Frankenstein scar and the jiggly fat patch on my right leg. A friend's 6 year old daughter asked about it last week and wanted to touch it! I love and teach 6-7 year olds, so I love their questions and of course let her. She looked at me and said, "well the other leg is normal." I've totally thrown my vanity out the window.
