TKR Recovery Progress Stalled

[DEL2022Jan-23]

@Carol Anna - he just wants to be on my lap- so far I am feeling bruised but not broken
Happy Healing!

 

[Sara61]

Crikey ouch!! Funnily only after we hurt ourselves we realise that there are somethings we just shouldn't do. My surgeon told me that under no circumstances I should try and carry anything.
Hope you are not hurting too much and thank goodness your fur baby is fine xx

 

[Jockette]

I’m so sorry you hurt yourself! Early in my recovery I was going down my front steps (only 2) and did it foot over foot without thinking, because I was in a hurry. I almost fell as my new knee was not ready for that yet!

 

[DEL2022Jan-23]

@Jockette It is all too easy to forget in an instant our cautiousness regarding our knees! Luckily in my case I ended up in pain but I didn’t do any damage - gave myself a sharp reminder that I still need to take things easy.

 

[Sara61]

I see we've both barely slept both yesterday's excitement left me with a niggling pain behind my knee that for some reason my pain meds are not responding too and for the life of me I cannot find a comfy position at all.
I find it strangely comforting seeing you online at the same time xx

 

[DEL2022Jan-23]

@Sara61 I do to, it’s a bit like “ah there is my fellow warrior Sara61”
There is a bond between us all and given how hard we fight every day I do think of us as warriors !
I do hope you get a little more sleep
Best wishes,

 

[Sara61]

Luckily I nodded off for a wee bit, only to be awakened by my hubby, whom is off to enjoy his Sunday game of Golf, my own fault as I like him always give me a kiss goodbye lol, Due to my erratic sleeping pattern, he has generously moved into the one of our other bedrooms.
I totally agree with you we are all warriors and heroes too x

 

[DEL2022Jan-23]

@Sara61 glad you got a little bit more sleep- I get awakened by the canine patrol announcing it is time to go outside unless I want puddles
My husband sleeps in the spare bedroom too for the moment, he is a light sleeper so I would awaken him turning in the bed all night and as he uses a CPAP the noise would keep me awake all night - this way we both get the best sleep possible.
Take care

 

[Sara61]

I'm totally in favour of separate rooms even afterwards, Sleep is so important to one's health, my husband snores ( he says I do too not that I've ever heard myself ) so our nights were constantly bring interrupted and tempers were flaring in the mornings, after 34 years of marriage our relationship is strong enough and maybe more so, that we have now agreed that each have our own room. my daschund Mali is totally in favour as she now occupies my husbands side the only downside is if she wants to go outside -I'm the one having to get up and let her out x

 

[DEL2022Jan-23]

@Sara61 We totally agree at 27 years married and two snorers in the house , sleep becomes a very precious commodity.

 

[DEL2022Jan-23]

Well I finally got a pedal exerciser, it wasn’t expensive, it is a simple model with digital read out and folds away quite neatly. It is pedals only no handle bars, It has a tensioner screw on top to adjust the tension depending on your ability. I have tried it out with two different chairs of differing height, I personally prefer the higher chair at the moment. I have pedalled slowly forwards and backwards and I have to say it felt great to see the knee moving this way. So far today I have cycled for 4 minutes in two stages- I want to take it slowly so I don’t injure myself. I am icing afterwards as well.
I feel like this is an advancement in my recovery!

 

[Jaycey]

Well done! Easy does it. Build up very gradually - you are now asking muscle, tendons and soft tissues to work. You don't want them complaining too loudly.

 

[Scaredycat10]

I see we've both barely slept both yesterday's excitement left me with a niggling pain behind my knee that for some reason my pain meds are not responding too and for the life of me I cannot find a comfy position at all.
I find it strangely comforting seeing you online at the same time xx

My behind knee pain is a popliteal problem which may/may not be a new knee product. Might be a good idea to ask.

I have moved out into another bedroom but as the carer for my husband [can't walk 'cos of MS and is recovering from cancer treatment] I think part of my lack of sleep is because I don't have the ability to be able to shut off.
I don't have the luxury of being cared for. Not being able to walk due to MS is bad enough but factor in the aftermath of cancer treatment and my caring duties have been on overload.

I am exhausted but necessity is one of the reasons why my recovery is going along at the cracking pace it is. It has to.

I was told this morning I'm doing remarkably well. I know I am but I have no choice and by golly, have I worked at this both pre and post op. I was asked by our son if there was anything in particular I I wanted for Christmas.
My reply...I just want some sleep.

 

[Scaredycat10]

Well I finally got a pedal exerciser, it wasn’t expensive, it is a simple model with digital read out and folds away quite neatly. It is pedals only no handle bars, It has a tensioner screw on top to adjust the tension depending on your ability. I have tried it out with two different chairs of differing height, I personally prefer the higher chair at the moment. I have pedalled slowly forwards and backwards and I have to say it felt great to see the knee moving this way. So far today I have cycled for 4 minutes in two stages- I want to take it slowly so I don’t injure myself. I am icing afterwards as well.
I feel like this is an advancement in my recovery!

I found the higher the seat, on a static bike the easier it is to rotate. I also tried differing heights of chairs for my 'under desk' pedal machine and the dining chair was my first go to. You don't want any ouch moments because they really do hurt.
I put my machine on a rubber mat out of the car as it seemed to bounce away from me after a few minutes of pedalling. The rubber mat stopped that.

 

[DEL2022Jan-23]

@Jaycey Believe me I am not going to overdue things, I learned from my setback previously not to rush things, do it slow and steady

 

[Sks1997]

@Sara61 ive been married almost 46 yrs and we’ve been in separate bedrooms for at least 5 yrs. When we have to sleep together at my son’s, neither of us sleep well. We also sleep together when we camp in the summer.
@Scaredycat10. I admire you for going thru this challenging recovery and having to be a caregiver to your husband! You are right in that we do what we are faced with. It is hard work being a caregiver!

 

[Scaredycat10]

@Scaredycat10. I admire you for going thru this challenging recovery and having to be a caregiver to your husband! You are right in that we do what we are faced with. It is hard work being a caregiver!

Thank you.
Yes it is hard at times and I even though I'm a glass half full person rather than half empty, I have wept buckets over the last few years, but through sickness and in health is what 'we' signed up for and once this wretched knee is 75% [I'm not greedy, I'll take nearly OK] OK, I'll be happy.

I know some of my comments re my excellent progress might have been read as unbelievable but when it's that or curl up and let the world pass you by, then needs must and all that.
Thank you again for your comment. It means a lot.

 

[DEL2022Jan-23]

@Scaredycat10 Any chance family can give you a helping hand? I do understand that things are difficult with the current Covid 19 situation and I don’t know about your health service but is there anything that can be done with them given both you and your husbands current health situation? I know what it’s like to have to power through when your spouse is ill- I spent last year continually on alert due to my husband having 5 hospital admissions with heart problems, I couldn’t drive due to my knee so ambulances were called. Living in the countryside about 30 minutes from hospital meant that at one stage I was being instructed over the phone how to keep his heart going until they got here. I don’t dwell on this because I need to focus on the current issues. Our hearts get broken again and again over time but we always come back. I think as women we always put others needs before our own.
You have my admiration for what you have achieved in your circumstance. Take care with your recovery.

 

[DEL2022Jan-23]

@Sara61 Sleep is priceless

 

[Scaredycat10]

@Scaredycat10
I think as women we always put others needs before our own.

You have my admiration for what you have achieved in your circumstance. Take care with your recovery.

I think we always put others before ourselves. In my book, it's part of being a wife and a mother.

My goodness, my little problems pale into insignificance when reading your post!

We have soldiered on over the years, on our own, buying all our own kit, installing a through floor lift etc etc and since the summer we've come to the attention of our local social services and that's because our oncologist and his team were appalled I had done 'everything' on my own with no intervention from the district. I'm a coper. We don't like to trouble others.

We mooted having live in care [I did for the first four days at home] but we don't need it. Unless you have permanent live in care [no thanks] help is not necessarily around when you need it most so we haven't bothered. I can cope [just ignore any dust build up!], I can cope because I have put my heart and soul into this. That doesn't take away the daily stress but I can, physically cope but only due to my remarkable recovery rate.

I have a long background to this op which I might put on my thread but basically, my forum name wasn't picked lightly. I was terrified. Terrified of the pain and agony and rehab time I'd read about on this site. Terrified the op would go wrong and we'd both be wheelchair bound. Scared rigid.

I had no choice in the end but thanks to the pre and rehab physio I'm getting, I have been able to look after the pair of us. Slowly at the start, very,, but definitely, surely.

I may have the odd weep every now and then as I am exhausted but things will get better. We have both come through '21 and are looking forward to a healthier 'ish '22.