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TKR Reader's Left TKR Spacer Exchange

So some challenging weeks ahead of you @Reader525. You have to deal with your husbands surgical recovery and your own. I am hoping that your husband will finally gain perspective on the realities of healing from surgery and all it entails. If trying and pushing did it you’d be signing up for your first marathon at this point! You will need to draw on your emotional strength in the weeks ahead and as those are depleted I think it’s a very good idea to find a therapist.
Referrals are good if you can get one but if you search for local therapists you should get a link to a professional directory. It’s a bit of a lottery but you can talk by phone to them to get a feel for their personality to help you choose.
I did wonder with zoom whether you could be ”seen” by @BBCG ’s therapist - no conflict of interest as you are technically strangers.
Wow didn’t you do well getting over to visit hubby in hospital. Such good progress from how you were. It will improve. You don’t know that but for us on our 2nd go around we do - it takes a long time so don’t be bullied into thinking you are not progressing “fast enough” Progress is progress! Good luck with being the carer!
 
BBCG said:
Reader, I’m so happy to hear you plan to slow down, back off the high intensity exercise you’ve been doing and give your body the time it needs to heal. It is tough to do, especially us “do-ers”! But, I learned to be able to enjoy acting as if I’m lazy in the early weeks of this recovery after my awful first go-round, and then after I found Bonesmart. I have followed your journey and often shaken my head because you sound like me! I’d think, “But, that’s not too much!” And then, that night or the next day: pain! I was a much better lazy bones this time! And my recovery has been SO much easier! So, hooray for you; your new baby knee will be happy!
Click to expand...

I’m trying to “ catch up” on posts....the past week or so have been a real challenge. I’m also a “ doer”, & it’s just hard to accept not being able to , without hard consequences. I’m Still recovering from overdones this weekend. None of them were Big things, but, they pile up & hit you Hard! I have also been battling nausea & no appetite hardly Anything appeals, or tastes good. My impact was not so much pain, but Total exhaustion. it was difficult to even sit up for any length of time... Totally Drained. I was reminded ( on Bonesmart) that I was less than a month out of major surgery. The recovery alone, strips your energy; then extra activity further tries to drain on what little ( if any) is left. I don’t think a lot of us realize this.
I hope you will have some help coming in for your husband’s recovery, & that you aren’t trying to do it all. From all I’ve read, ours is a long journey. Do take care of yourself. And I hope your husband’s recovery goes well. You’ll be very much in my thoughts.❤️
 
I’ve only tried the bike once...I could not even complete a rotation, & felt pretty weak when I go down, & my therapist hasn’t had me try it again. I never have been good on a bike, other than a recumbent one at our local. YMCA; I always admire anyone proficient on a bike, but I tend to be a total klutz on one....my therapist stressed to only go so far until I felt pain, then go back the other way.
 
I’m thinking there are some others who have more experience with bikes in recovery, I notice several folks mentioning it. Maybe some of you might have some better insight than mine?
 
@Catalien45 I was completely in despair when I was where you are now in recovery. I hurt with every step, I couldn't really do anything except the bike, every leg raises or theraband exercise made me ache more. I probably was more depressed and blue than I had ever been as well. Honestly, it gets better and there is nothing you can do to make it better faster. It's just is a mess at 4 weeks for most of us. By that point, we want this to be better, to feel we have improved. But for me, I just was stuck in a bad place.
It's the hardest thing but you have to just wait, like watching a plant grow, it takes time. And keeping a daily tally of symptoms and improvement is an exercise in frustration.
But after more time, weeks, the plant sprouts and you can see growth. You just have to wait. For me, and I know there's others who recovered faster, I didn't see obvious improvement until 16 weeks, or 4 months. I'm definitely not done sprouting but I am able to function. My OS said he thinks that the longer we were limping and in pain, the longer it takes to recover. I think in my case that's true. Watch a great show on Netflix, try Lupin, it's good! And rest, life will return to a better normal.
 
@patriciad Such a lovely message, thank you. I spoke to my husband's nurse last night and she said that he refused all pain medicine, not even Tylenol. She said he must be Superman. That's pretty much what I expected him to do. He also had a Foley catheter during surgery and could urinate for almost 12 hours so that was another worry. Thankfully that resolved.
This morning the doctor came in and my husband begged him to be released and so he was at 1 this afternoon. I hurried to my son's office and traded my little sport's car (it's a 2 seater) for his 4 door Honda and drove down to pick him up. Fortunately I parked at a roundabout and a nurse wheeled him to the car and he was eased in and we drove home.
Once home, he asked if I could pick up his prescription for pain pills, which made me realize he might be feeling some pain now. I ran out and picked them up, Oxy and also a med for muscle spasms I have never heard of. When I returned, he was lying on his bed looking a little gray, and said he was going to take a nap. He said he wants to take a shower when he wakes up and according to his doctor, that's okay. It's funny to me because there are no bandages on his incisions and punctures. He had robotic surgery and was glued shut. I was glued and had a bandage. Doctors are so different.
Let's see how our night unfolds.
 
Sending best wishes to you. Try not to overdo it but difficult I know. Hoping for a smooth recovery for husband. Keep us posted.
 
I‘m glad your husband is doing well. Yes, that was a long walk through the hospital areas. I remember that from when my husband was in the hospital, though it wasn’t as early in my recovery as yours. My biggest issue was the stairs in the parking garage if I didn’t feel like waiting for the elevator, and if I only had one flight.
 
Hi, 525... thank you so much! You picked the Perfect example! I truly love gardening! and you described it perfectly...... sometimes it seems the plants will Never get big enough to produce!! We had some really weird weather this growing season... as someone here said, “ it seems June was like July, then July like June!” I even bought an extra tomato plant, I was worried about one of my favorites.... they All came through, & we still have tomatoes that need to go into the freezer, somehow. All delicious ( no one I know really needs any). We have 2 raised gardens, & I put herbs & some greens on our patio, & broccoli in a side garden. Everything grows at a different rate ( last of the broccoli close to ready)- I guess this is like we TKRs.... we’re at different places in our journey, & not all journeys are the same. I think I often subconsciously try to go at a pace far ahead of me. And, I get in trouble! Hopefully, this last one has got through, it was awful - and I’d been doing so well! My husband & I agreed- for now, One “ activity”a day. Tomorrow, I wash my hair. Friday is PT. My PT is not aggressive, but the 30 minute session has me pretty well worn out. Not sure what Saturday’s will be, but, I have One!☺

I am close to being off the Tramadol. Yay!my nausea is much better. I don’t have a lot of pain, hopefully the Tylenol will be enough. Mostly now, any bad discomfort is at night, & that’s much better. I haven’t used the ice machine for the past 2 nights, & have slept pretty well. I bruised a. lot,& those are still uncomfortable, but not unbearable. I just have to make myself Rest so the rest of my body can heal. And maybe your Dr has a good point... I fought through the pain for a Long time. Towards the end, I couldn’t Wait!

It sounds like your husband’s surgery went well. I am so glad to hear that. You didn’t mention if you’d have some help. From what I read on this forum, you are still recovering. Please do find a way to take care of yourself. I think that can be hard for we “ doers”. He sounds like a tough guy. My friend who had that surgery several months ago is doing well. She has actually done some traveling, & I believe she said a 5k ( she did use her walker, & went slow, with a friend). And she was in good spirits today on Zoom, from what I could tell.
Please do take care of yourself, I’ll be keeping both you and your husband in many good thoughts..

Just a thought... do you suppose there is a similar forum for your husband? It might even give him some insight for what you’re going through...
 

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@Catalien45 No help, just little me, but he's not a needy guy, he won't take advantage of this. I have tried to find a forum like this for spine surgery and the only one I found is called Spine Nation and it's not we'll run or really organized. There is nothing like BoneSmart which to me is absolutely perfect. What an amazing find and I wish there were awards given because this site is the bomb.com.
 
Prayers for him. I hope he has a great recovery and better than before.

Booger
 
Well, my husband has made it to Day 3 after spinal fusion surgery. He seems to be a soldier and has refused to take any pain medication except one Tylenol perhaps 3 times a day. I stifle the urge to scream as I know he is trying to be Mr. Tough Guy and to prove he is Superman. Unfortunately, the nurses in the hospital fed into this fantasy by calling him that.
It's his recovery, and if he wants to do it this way, there's nothing I can do. He has made it clear he will do what he thinks is right for him even if the doctor says he shouldn't. If he thinks he can drive, he'll drive, even if the doctor says not yet.
Welcome to my world of IT'S HIS WAY OR THE HIGHWAY, starring my husband.
Oh well, I'm grateful that he is independent and not putting pressure on me since I'm in recovery too!
Today my knee was in a bad mood and I had to give it a couple of Tylenol to shut it up and I felt a lot better.
Even after 4 months there are still ups and downs.
 
Hi, and I hope you are sleeping peacefully right now. You changed your picture, I couldn’t remember your ID...525! Of course! Well, I’m glad your husband is doing well, & that you are still able to continue your recovery. I couldn’t believe your steps! I plan to work on more walking tomorrow, this has not been my best week. But will see our grandson tomorrow, that makes it a good day. Do take care of yourself. I keep both you and your husband much in my thoughts .
I just heard a big THUMP upstairs.... our kitty Felicity making her rounds to check on me. Amazing how much Noise One 11-12 pound cat can make....
 
Thinking about you and your hubby's recovery..... I hope all is going well.

Your steps!! :wow: I've only made it to around 7,000 something max so far. Make sure you are taking time to rest and ice yourself.
 
Catalien45 how's your gardening? Can you squat much? That's what I'm working on is being able to squat more at 5 months out from TKR. Went on my first post surgery run today, a short 1.25miles with several walks. It went ok, with the exception of my non surgery knee giving me a pain response (the one where the leg collapses), guess the right is jealous of the left having the surgery!
 
@Baldylocks13 Thats amazing that you ran. I was a marathon runner for 40 years and was heartbroken when I had to stop. I asked my OS about running and he said it was contraindicated in a TKR. Something about the screws and the wera and tear on that aspect. In any case, how did it feel?! Do you have any soreness with walking anymore?
 
@Reader525 - love your new profile photo. We lost our beloved little boy this morning. He had a pancreatic tumor so we helped him on his way. Feeling unbelievably grief stricken so distracting myself by browsing and wondered how you and super hero hubby was doing. As you say it’s his recovery and he won’t take advice in any case. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite him in the future. Different surgery but my husbands recovery from his fusion has not been easy or straightforward and he has had to be very cautious and careful about activities particularly driving. But as we knee people know everyone is different and there’s no one way to recover. Meanwhile you are doing so well with walking now and I think you have reached a point where there’s more gain / less pain. Keep looking forward. Good luck nurse!
 
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