TKR Ready To Move On

[Spingirl]

[quote Vicodin is oxycodone and acetaminophen, right? I take them separately, so that combination might be what is causing the night sweats. I always wake up as they start, so I just sit up and strip off my shirt until it passes and I cool down. Thankfully I fall asleep again easily, but it makes for long nights. [/quote]

Vicodin is hydrocodone and acetaminophen.... close enough, I'm guessing! Enjoy that nap.

 

[Ready]

Good morning all. I have reached the 6 week mark. I feel as though I have had a pretty steady recovery with no giant setbacks or surges forward, just minor ups and downs. I am hoping to have that improvement that many have said comes around this time.

Therapy is going well. I reached 115 yesterday, so I am making slow but steady progress toward that magic number. If I concentrate, I can walk without a limp. I am feeling pretty strong as my therapist has me doing lots of exercises to strengthen my hips and calves as well as my quads and hams. Because I have lost weight since the surgery, most of which I am guessing is muscle, I am glad to be working on that. Don't get me wrong--I am forever trying to lose those extra pounds. I just don't want it to be muscle.

I am still concerned about a few things. My vision is so poor since surgery. I think I am going to have my eyes checked and get some inexpensive glasses. If it is the drugs, I still have some weeks to go with them and then I am planning on the other knee this summer, so it will be money well spent.

Another big other issue is the interrupted sleep. I am grateful to always fall asleep again, but I wake up every 2 hours. It's the night sweats that wake me, not pain. Hopefully this too will pass. Since I am not working and can rest during the day, I won't "sweat it" but uninterrupted sleep is much healthier. Once I go back to work, I am going to need that sleep.

Enough from me. I so enjoy reading everyone's posts and your progress, daily adventures, and funny stories. Thanks for filling a few hours of each day.

 

[Spingirl]

Ready, you are doing great!!! I had the same sleep issues that you are dealing with, i.e. waking up every few hours. There were so many things affecting my sleep: medication, the sweats, discomfort, and the fact that I was just not as active as I was used to being prior to surgery. It will pass, for sure. Once I went back to work and also got back into my exercise regime, my sleep returned to normal because my days were busy and filled with activity. Meanwhile, I got through it with my iPad, listening to podcasts, reading, or playing word games.

Good idea to have your eyes checked. I take it that you don't already wear glasses?

I'm six months post op as of yesterday. I took a three-and-a-half mile walk in some beautiful spring weather and didn't have even one twinge of discomfort! You have a lot to look forward to!

 

[Ready]

Thanks for visiting Spingirl. What is a "walk" again? It's been YEARS since I enjoyed a good long sweat producing walk. I CAN'T WAIT. It is so great that you have no discomfort, and at only 6 months. Thanks for the reassurance. Oh, and what is "spring?" We have had snow since November, had 8 inches last Thursday, and are for another 4-6 inches tonight and tomorrow. One of the teachers at school told me a student said "maybe it won't be spring until Mrs. E.... comes back." How adorable is that?

 

[Spingirl]

Ready, your weather is even worse than ours has been in New England. It seems like we have finally turned the winter weather corner. But we will be in school until June 27th, because of snow days, and also, two school days lost to Hurricane Sandy in late October (I was just home from surgery when Sandy hit us). I love it that your student made that comment about spring and your return.

Yes, being able to enjoy a sweat producing walk is awesome! It has been at least seven years since I could do that. Your turn is coming! It was also so great when, at twelve weeks, I returned to my spin class and had no difficulty at all.

Hope you get some decent sleep tonight.

 

[scaredinCA]

Anyone know the difference between Viocodin and Norco? Sounds like they are the same thing.

 

[Ready]

I am NOT an expert, but I think they are both a mixture of hydrocodone and acetaminophen, just different proportions which you can probably find on the bottle. The first number is the amount of hydrocodone. Someone else, or the internet, may be able to answer your question better.

 

[scaredinCA]

Ready can you brief me on your knee story? I haven't been able to follow so many posts & may not be able to catch up with everyone. You said its been years since you could take a sweat producing walk. So I take it to mean that you have allowed your knees to get worse over the years? Why did you not get the surgery sooner or didn't you need it yet?

 

[Toothfairy]

Good morning all. I have reached the 6 week mark. I feel as though I have had a pretty steady recovery with no giant setbacks or surges forward, just minor ups and downs. I am hoping to have that improvement that many have said comes around this time.

Therapy is going well. I reached 115 yesterday, so I am making slow but steady progress toward that magic number. If I concentrate, I can walk without a limp. .

Good morning Ready. Congratulations on your good progress.
I am hoping to have my second knee done this summer too, I saw the consultant yesterday for my 6 week check on knee one and signed the consent forms for knee two. He is saying it is likely to be around July. How do you feel about having a second knee op so soon? Is your other knee troubling you? Like you I had my L knee done and as I am getting more active my right is bothering me more and more so I will be pleased to have it done. Both the physio and the surgeon have pointed out that no two recoveries are the same but I was already aware of that from this wonderful forum.
Have a great day,
Hugs, Toothfairy x

 

[Ready]

Thanks, TF! At therapy, I usually have to limit or quit exercises because my RIGHT knee hurts. I hate to grind that one down even further. I feel pretty confident that my left is strong enough now to get me through surgery, so by June is certainly should be ready. It will be so wonderful to have a good set of wheels again, won't it. Bad news--my exercise bike is clunking and making very awful noises. This happened once before when a bearing went bad. It was about 3 weeks to get it fixed. I don't know if I can do without it for that long .

scaredinCA The short answer to your question about why I waited so long: I was always told to try and hang on until I was 50. A brief rundown on how this all happened: I injured my right knee when I was just 13. At that time, they just took out the entire meniscus, so there has been nothing between my bones (better than nothing between my ears!) since then. I proceeded to be in all kinds of sports in high school and college, plus I really enjoyed running. Maybe not so smart, but when you are a teen, you don't think about the future. I got by, but eventually, the space between the bones narrowed and the cartilage covering the leg bones wore away--thus the grinding we all know so well.

In the mean time, I injured my left knee playing volleyball, had that one cleaned out with orthoscopic surgery a few times. I was having so much pain and not sleeping, so I had both my knees scoped in 2011. It was a chance for the OS to get a good look inside. Seems my ACL ligament in my left was stretched beyond being useful in addition to the bones grinding. He then said anytime I was ready for replacement, so was he. In just a year and a half since then, the left had become so crooked and unstable that we decided to do that one first even though the right one has been bone on bone forever. (I remember when I first injured my left. When the doc saw my Xray, he said, "are you sure it's your left knee that hurts. I would do a replacement on your right knee right now." That was in 1988). I guess that wasn't very brief, was it.

Have a good day to all. I have some therapy later, so I am resting. I will take my bike apart and hope it's just the squirrel inside getting off track.

 

[Toothfairy]

Hi Ready, hope you got the squirrel back on track.
It certainly will be wonderful to have a matching set of non creaky knees.
We are on the countdown,
Hugs. Toothfairy. X

 

[scaredinCA]

Boy Ready you've had your share of knee problems! I hope you are happy with your new knee and hopefully the 2nd one will be sucessful soon.

 

[Ready]

Thanks Scared. We've all had our share. I think that's what makes this a great place to meet. We understand each other!

 

[Ready]

Toothfairy Good news. The squirrel is back on track inside my bike...I can ride again! Have you tried riding outside yet? There probably won't be many days between the time knee one is ready and surgery for knee two.
Have a good weekend.

 

[Toothfairy]

Hooray for the squirrel, Woo hoo, well done little squirrel.
I haven't tried riding outside yet. I am itching to do that. Have you ridden outside yet?
One thing that's stopping me is that wherever I go from here other than round the block will involve hills. Not very steep, I will just need to make good use of my gears or get off and push.
It is such a beautiful day that I am very tempted.
Hope you have a good weekend too.
Toothfairy x

 

[Ready]

No, I haven't been out yet. We are still dealing with lots of snow. The kids even had the day off of school yesterday as the total from this last storm was about 12 inches of heavy we snow. It should melt fast, though. I live in an area that is very hilly as well. Maybe I will try some of the hill profiles that my exercise bike offers to see what that amount of resistance does for the knee. All in good time.

 

[Grammy59]

Ready, I'm really glad you are doing so well! I'm so encouraged by your journey and progress. Keep up the good work!! You'll be ready to get outside when the weather ever stabilizes. Ours is up and down here, too, no show, but really nice and warm one day, COLD the next. Take care!

 

[Ready]

Thanks, Deb. This is such a good place for all of us to find encouragement in each other. I am so glad to be a part of that. If we didn't have the weather to complain about, we would all have to find another topic to moan about. The slow spring saves us so much trouble! One of my favorite parts of spring is the longer days. At least we still have that. Have a restful Sunday.

 

[brs0660]

Ready,
Seems like you have been doing well in your recovery. You have a great attitude one of the most important parts of this recovery. Congrats.

 

[Ready]

Good morning. 7 weeks now--my how time has flown. I am riding that steady train--just gentle slopes and hills. Better that than the full blown roller coaster I used to be on! My bad days are now no worse than the bad days before surgery, so I think that's very promising. I am seeing the strength in my leg muscles return and my ROM improving. Of course there is still some pain, but manageable and usually earned--like overdoing a shopping trip or forgetting a pain pill. I still ice and elevate religiously. There is a pain in the back of my knee and occasionally my back still acts up, but not as often as before. Returning to work by now WAS a goal, but I know that would have been a huge mistake and I would have taken steps backwards. I am now content to wait a few more weeks and just go back for the close of the school year. I hope to do knee #2 in June.

I have read so many threads from people who are scared or discouraged, and I just want to send a shout out that you can do it, too. If your OS is willing to do the surgery, then obviously you need it done. Life won't get better without surgery, will it? Recovery is slow. You just have to accept that aspect. Pain is inevitable, but there are a multitude of meds to help manage that. You will most likely cry for a wide array of reasons, and often reasons you cannot even pinpoint. It is all normal and temporary--Just like pregnancy and delivery. You get through it and when it's all over, you have something close to a miracle.

Best wishes to all of you still waiting for surgery and those who are struggling. And congrats to all who have ridden this ride.