TKR Recovery #2

[EalingGran]

But I stand out with her.....fox and coyote watch. No small animals are safe around here.

That's amazing! We have urban foxes here but can't imagine seeing coyote in my garden......

 

[EalingGran]

Sounds like you are doing really well. Glad swelling is going down. Like the sausage analogy!

 

[beachy]

The ham is now a sausage!

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks post op.
If my legs didn't need a deforestation I would post a pic of the sausage.
And....drum roll....it no longer needs a leg lifter!
I still feels like a log. From a giant redwood tree.
Even tho the outer swelling is down it must be very swollen inside. And feels hard to the touch.
Guess that means everything is normal!

Pain meds: down to every 8 hrs. And I need 2
5 mg hydrocodone. One plus tylenol/ibuprofen doesn't help. Lots of ice and elevation.

ADLs....I can do so much! Cooking small meals. Laundry 1 load at a time. Tidying house, not cleaning. And the knee is happy to cooperate. Also happy to do a chore then I &E.

 

[EalingGran]

Sounds amazing. Just don't overdo it on the housework front. I have dropped my standards and doing stuff much more slowly.

 

[beachy]

@EalingGran
Its just tidying. I'm blessed to have a cleaning service biweekly. Lately they've been doing a weekly touch up. But, I NEED things where I can find them. LOL. Can't break some OCD habits!

 

[beachy]

The sausage:
Pre deforestation. Doesn't show up
In the middle of incision is the last little bit of peel off dressing. It will be history today.

 

[EalingGran]

Looks really good!

 

[sistersinhim]

That really looks good!

 

[trinket]

The sausage:
Pre deforestation. Doesn't show up
In the middle of incision is the last little bit of peel off dressing. It will be history today.

Your incision is beautiful. At your stage mine looked like something from a horror movie. They must have put the surgical glue on with a spackle knife. After 8 weeks there's still some left to peel off. I've been picking at it with tweezers.

 

[JusticeRider]

Nice looking sausage, beachy! You’re doing great! I’m impressed with your level of activity at 3 weeks. Also very, very jealous of your cleaning service!!

Just don't overdo it on the housework front. I have dropped my standards and doing stuff much more slowly.

Yep. I dropped mine so far I don’t think I can pick them back up again
On the other hand, there’s no way I could be scrubbing a floor right now.

At your stage mine looked like something from a horror movie

That is the perfect description @trinket! I was horrified when I uncovered mine.
Beachy, yours is downright pretty!

 

[beachy]

Ham to sausage was not without effort. Constant ice and elevation. I didn't have any bruising. And I bruise easily. Go figure. Surgeon said he didn't use tourniquet. Guess he's as highly skilled as everyone said he was.

@trinket any pics of your knee with putty knife glue? Would LOVE to see that!
@JusticeRider don't be impressed. We had different surgeries and you may have had a worse knee than mine. No two recoveries are the same. And I only do quick chores then lots of I&E. No ODIC for me this time!

 

[beachy]

Today is 3 weeks.
Hubs comes home from hospital today (his surgery was Mon), cleaning crew today, dog walker today. Maybe instacart delivery. And Amazon. Doordash maybe for dinner if I don't feel like cooking. This is how to recover from tkr when your caretaker suddenly needs surgery.
I'm just hanging out icing my sausage while its quiet, waiting for the circus to begin.

At 3 weeks the pain is minimal. It's a different pain than the first week. The vice grip. Usually after standing/walking for awhile. I immediately elevate and ice. First tkr I'd keep going. Straight to the ODIC.
Definitely have a 90degree bend. Suppose to start PT on Thurs. Actually looking forward to it.
I rarely use the walker, but keep it nearby just in case.
How are the Bonesmarties today????

 

[trinket]

Ham to sausage was not without effort. Constant ice and elevation. I didn't have any bruising. And I bruise easily. Go figure. Surgeon said he didn't use tourniquet. Guess he's as highly skilled as everyone said he was.

@trinket any pics of your knee with putty knife glue? Would LOVE to see that!
@JusticeRider don't be impressed. We had different surgeries and you may have had a worse knee than mine. No two recoveries are the same. And I only do quick chores then lots of I&E. No ODIC for me this time!

Hi beach ... yes, I posted pictures in the scar picture thread a couple weeks ago. My scar looks even better now. What a relief.

 

[EalingGran]

Sounds like you are doing brilliantly. My husband had a hernia operation 2 weeks after my PKR and it was pretty tough for a few weeks. Sounds as though you are really well organised.

 

[JusticeRider]

Suppose to start PT on Thurs. Actually looking forward to it.

I know those pt’s are gonna be so impressed with you beachy!

 

[beachy]

PT first day
Was a big fat nothing burger LOL
My therapist is the same from my shoulder rehab. Love her. We had "the talk" about tkr PT in my pre hab appt. I worked hard in shoulder PT, it was really important to get good use and ROM from the shoulder. But, that wouldn't be the case with tkr. And I would wait a few weeks to start.

She asked me to do a few exercises. No problem. She checked muscle strength in hamstring, calf, thigh compared to other leg. Measured both knees for swelling
comparison.
95 flex is it 8 or -8 for extension...not flat yet? No worries there it will come.
No bike yet. She watched me walk. Told me ditch the walker, no cane. She told me I might be on to something about bonesmart way of pt.
Ya think? I'm scheduled 1x next week then 2x following week. I will go so there's something to report to my doc at follow up on 2/21.
That's it. No drama. No pain. No homework.

 

[beachy]

@EalingGran
Hope your hubs is recovered now.
Hubs got very ill when I was 8 weeks post op first tkr. What are the chances it would happen again?????
I learned how to cope after the first tkr. This time I knew how to get organized really fast. And my son is able to help out more. So, its all good.
Heading over the knee pics area now to see yours!

 

[sistersinhim]

is it 8 or -8 for extension...not flat yet?

It is 8. When you use negative numbers on the extension it means hyperextension.
This image shows the range of motion degrees for a knee joint. Notice that a -10 indicates hyper-extension which you may have had prior to a knee replacement, but it's usually not present after the surgery.

 

[beachy]

Thanks @sistersinhim.
I had pain pre tkr extending leg straight out. Definitely couldn't get into the -10 area.
I remember from the first tkr that extension to knee being flat underneath took a few more months than flex, but it did happen. Usually, does, right?

 

[EalingGran]

Hope your hubs is recovered now.

Yes thanks- he is fine but his scar ( it was a re- operation hernia) is not as pretty as mine! Only thing he can't do yet is lift our 19 month grandson.
My scar is really nice now- better than when I posted previously. Must post again. Hope your hubs is doing well?