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TKR Recovery the Clipless Way

Hi Diana,
I have the zip line closures too. The OS said they had just started using them in June and was having great results. He said I would have a very thin scar. I actually don't care if it shows or not, I figure I earned that scar, and it will make for a nice conversation starter. Your progress is wonderful and is very encouraging to read when I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.
Cheers,
Julie
 
The ZipLine gets removed on Wednesday. I'll let you guys know how it turns out, maybe share a photo or two. I've changed the dressing a couple times already and shingled Tegaderms across the top so I can shower. Everything looks good down there, but I can't tell if my OS used skin glue also, or not. My other knee had internal sutures plus skin glue. I had no real problems with it, but the end result is a slightly wide scar near the top where the swelling was the worst. I'll assume the ZipLine system holds everything together better than glue alone.
 
Hi Julie @swmrgirl , I am glad to see you getting along so well, too! I've had my bad days ~trust me~ especially regarding some muscle spasms and tenderness under my extreme bruising, which is finally fading away. My knee is getting a little stiffer to bend, but not as stiff as the first one was at this stage. I've been working more on extension- by "working" I mean just leaving it out straight with a towel roll under my ankle and trying to relax the knee downward while going, "ow, ow, owww". I hadn't been at zero for more than a month pre-op, so this will take time. My OS didn't explain anything about the ZipLine- instead allowed me to discover it on my own. I was like, "Okay, is there anything ELSE you'd like to share with me??". Gosh!
 
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Exactly two weeks post op- I got to leave my house today and go to the movies, yaay! We saw The Martian, loved it!!! This particular theater, a Muvico, has cushy reclining seats and a low wall in front where I was able to extend and elevate my legs. I was comfy. And I've successfully transitioned from walker to cane. It's been a good day. :ok:
 
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Very cool to make it to the cane. I am not there yet, but looking forward to it. Plus you made it through a movie! Those are some milestones.
 
@Slainte , there's really no rush to leave the walker. I was off & on with mine yesterday. At some point today I realized it was in the bathroom with a towel hanging on it. I suspect I will need it for a while longer to help me exit the shower- there's a tricky 8-10" lip to step over.
 
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Sounds like your plan of attack this time around is working really well. I went to my first movie at three weeks, and I sat in the back row so that I could stand and stretch from time to time. I remember how happy I was to be able to get out to a movie, one of my first big "accomplishments." I was also totally off the walker at that point. I found the cane so much easier to use. My husband, however, encouraged me to follow my PT's instructions, which was to use the walker at first for outside walks, but that didn't last long—maybe three days during week 2 or 3—as the walker kept getting stuck in the sidewalk cracks. You really are doing well, and I'm really glad. It won't be long until I'm reading about one of your bike rides on the cycling club thread. Time is flying. Hope the pain is improving too.
 
@Clipless. You are doing amazing. I am one month post op and long to go to the movies. How long did that bruise last? Looks awful. Hope you are feeling good and pain is manageable. The first two weeks are the hardest pain wise, in my experience. take care and don't overdo.


TKR # 2 09/18/15. right knee, TKR#11/17/14 left knee, THR March 5, 2015, right hip
 
@lilyfair , my bruises are fading to a weird lacy pattern. I saw my OS today and he confirmed that the severe bruising was caused by the blood thinner that I was taking (Eliquis). I was on the lowest dose, but it was still too strong. Thankfully I am done with it. Beware Eliquis.

Yes, I went to the movies yesterday and felt fine, but apparently I over-did, for today I am paying the price with increased pain & stiffness. Then an hour drive to the doctor today and more walking there. My OS wants me to walk more, but it sure hurts when I do. :boohoo:
 
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P.s. My OS said the ZipLine device doesn't have FDA approval yet and he's not supposed to be using it, so don't expect to see it often.
 
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@Slainte , as soon as I got home from this a.m.'s OS visit I was back to the walker, and gladly. I intended to ask my son to take me to the bank, but there is NO way I am standing in a bank line today. Too much, too soon. :(
 
@Clipless You are doing well and know when you need to rest or do things. At two weeks a visit to the movies must have been really good for you. It's great to get out and feel a bit more normal.
 
My 1st trip to the movies I took my walker and pillow and sat in the handicapped row so I could prop my leg up on the walker. Now I sit in the front row where there is a railing in front to elevate my leg. I've tried sitting with it down the whole time which is still uncomfortable.
 
@Wanttobebiking my husband and I go regularly thanks to the nearby theater that has $5 for seniors every day!

@Clipless I used the walker when in public because I felt safer. It was like having a protective barrier! Also doubles as a foot rest. ;-) However after negotiating a handicap ramp made with pavers, It was quite treacherous and next time I used the stairs! I also forgot to put the tennis balls on which makes rolling/pushing easier.
 
@Denmother , I just remembered (thanks to you!) to install my walker tennis balls from last year. Since my home is 99% hardwood floors, this minor modification helps. Also, I'll continue to trek outdoors with my walker a while longer, as I am faster and more stable with walker vs. cane. Yesterday I had only the cane and my son's arm for support and I needed to cross the busy road between my hospital and the ortho's office twice. Despite the motley crew of walker-pushing geriatrics and other pedestrians, I was DEAD LAST. Okay, lesson learned- keep the walker.
 
I love the pill reminder phone app "Medisafe", but I've slept through the 2am alarm three nights in a row, and the alarm is a Barak Obama impersonator with an "urgent message", which I find hilarious. So yesterday I adjusted my med schedule to tid (3×/day)- 8am, 4pm, and midnight, and I slept well! My next planned step-down will be a reduced dosage of the same med. I'll stay at my current dosage (5/325 Percocet) a while longer, then step down to 2.5/325 when I feel ready. My gut is already thanking me!
 
Sleep has been broken at night. I know insomnia is all-too-common post TKR, but my reason may not be--- I get cold. Yes, I'm a Californian and I may not deal well with cool temperatures (don't judge me), but lately I wake up fah-reezing after I fall asleep icing my knee. I've been compensating for the cold leg with a heating pad across my folded arms, but it isn't enough anymore. So today my son took me out shopping and I bought a fluffy heated throw. Ooh la la! Go ahead, California- drop to 72° tonight- see if I care!

P.s. Shopping at Target and standing in line at the bank about killed me. I plan to spend the rest of the day horizontal.
 
You'll love the electric throw! I used it every day while icing my knee. You can take it from your chair to bed. Stay warm! It actually snowed here last weekend.
 
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