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Good Morning 50. Thanks for asking about our family. We are doing pretty well with life getting back to normal. Still so many wonderful memories of Brandon being shared. My kids have stepped up and go the help my husband milk the cows, but soon school will start and he will either do it alone or need to find someone to help.

I really can't believe you are back to work already. I took 10 weeks after my first surgery! The school year is looming, so I will be back full time all too soon. I am also so impressed with your commitment to PT each day. I no longer go to a therapist, but have been exercising each morning, not just for my knee, but the rest of my body and mind. I believe it has helped my sleep and attitude. I hope you are finding these benefits as well.

Enjoy the weekend poolside. Next summer, I am going to an amusement park and going on all the rides!
 
Ready said:
I really can't believe you are back to work already. I took 10 weeks after my first surgery! The school year is looming, so I will be back full time all too soon. I am also so impressed with your commitment to PT each day. I no longer go to a therapist, but have been exercising each morning, not just for my knee, but the rest of my body and mind. I believe it has helped my sleep and attitude. I hope you are finding these benefits as well.
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Great to hear from you, Ready! I should qualify my work statement. I own my own business as a financial advisor, and my primary office is in my home, so going back to work is both easy and necessary. The biggest obstacle I face is the cloudy head from pain meds. But, I'm only taking them at night right now, so I can work.

It's truly been a red-letter week! My son was awarded the coach's award for swim team last night. We didn't know it was coming, and had left after the regular awards, which is a shame, but it's still a great thing for him! Proud! Then, I learned yesterday that I have been awarded a merit scholarship for a large portion of my Masters, which I can now start in two weeks. The scholarship is for my certificate in financial planning, which is about 1/3 of the masters curriculum. God is good! We are truly blessed. My wife's life is great as well as she finally gets her much-awaited Ipad from her work today.

PT was killer today. I did everything I've done to date, plus two new weight machines. I was in there 1 hr, 45 min. Swelling is down as I was able to ice and elevate a lot over the last two days while working on CE credits. We are now working on strengthening the quads and loosening the "I-T band" on the outside of the knee, so the button on the inside of my patella tracks correctly in the prosthetic. Right now it is right of the track, and hurts upon going downstairs, and on leg lifts. The tracking issue has been there, but is more pronounced now as the remaining major problem.

Pain is really only at night, and I'll take the pain meds as necessary through the night. I'm down to an average of 3-4/24 hr period, on average over the last 10 days. Naproxen during the day.

I took my first soak since surgery yesterday. It felt great. I'll be able to get in the pool tomorrow as well, but just walk around; no swimming yet, per my PT.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
 
50yrold

Dude, life sounds wonderful for you! Congratulations on all the wonderful things that have been happening for your and your family! :egypdance:

I didn't know that your patella wasn't tracking properly. That stinks! :console2: I hope it works properly and feels better soon. I'm sure you are glad to get back into your soaking bath again. :dancy: And woo hoo for getting into the pool! :cheers: I love being able to get into my pool again.

I hear you on the PT. My PT was 2 hours today. We did less of the exercise machines as I had done some of them last night at the gym. I was scolded for doing the machines because my PT wants me to only do those exercises at PT. :no-fin: She said that I could do cardio on my own. She didn't tell me that I couldn't do them yet. :thud: I guess I can live with that! She did more massage of my hamstrings and quads. Oh boy, the knots she found! :shocked:

Have a great weekend :flwrysmile:
 
Wow, it was a good day yesterday, right down to a good soak in the tub Congrats on the scholarship! All of the joy (I actually like taking classes) can be sucked out of Continuing Ed when all you hear is "cha-ching" and see your $$s floating away, so I am sure that will really help. Congrats to your son, too. My son and daughter are also swimmers. What a great sport, but boy, getting them to the pool for early morning practices isn't always so fun. My son manages the HS girls' team, and my daughter manages the HS boys' team, so it really is a family affair. I will miss the smell of chlorine when they graduate.

I hear so many talk of the IT band. I either must not know what it is, or am fortunate enough not to have an issue with it. Anyway, hope your PT gets that taken care of.

Friday sure came quickly. You have a good weekend, too.
 
Glad this day is over. I'm lucky I don't hurt as I haven't had the opportunity to put the leg up much today. I did prop it poolside on a beautifully sunny day, about 80 degrees out. But I drove 4 hrs this am, and could only get seated at the bar at Red Lobster. Hanging the leg hurt.

The boys had a great time on the coasters at Cedar Point, so I guess it's all worth it. Hopefully, I'll be right in the a.m. and will go down and ride the stationary bike for a bit.

Good night folks!
 
Good luck, you have a great positive attitude, and positive thoughts are the way to go. Its great to go home, but its also hard work, dont overdo it. Look forward to our chats. Regards Leonie. Down Under.
 
Thx, DS. I'll try, but its 4 hrs back today. I'll share the driving with my son and maybe his friends. The ice machine was out, so Im not poolside icing, but I am elevating. Kids are somewhere. Just another hour, then a 4 hr drive, then rest for the weary. Don't really know why I copped an attitude this am, but I am ready to be home. And the knee hurts a bit. And I'm not sure there werent bedbugs....lol
 
50yrold when I am not feeling well (i.e. are getting swollen or feel pain) I have a tendency to have attitude. I hope your family understands.

I wish you safe travels. I know you are on the road right now. Please be careful and when you get home REST, ICE AND ELEVATE. I hope you aren't planning on working tomorrow. You will probably need to rest again tomorrow.

Later...:flwrysmile:
 
Your own bed will feel so good tonight! It's a good thing you did taking the kids on a fun weekend. I'm sure they are thankful even if they don't always articulate it. Travel is tough on a person even without having had major surgery, so take it easy when you get home.
 
My bed did feel good both Sunday and last night, but I was a bit sleepless between 1 and 2 yesterday. I have a lot going on at home and in my business lives that once I woke up, my mind started racing. And my stomach wasn't in the best shape.

Saw the doc yesterday for my 5 week check (5 weeks today!) and he was impressed with progress, and said my swelling will go down to see the normal shape of a knee over the next month. He gave me the option of continuing PT, so I opted 2 more weeks, as I want a bit more strength and to get that knee cap tracking properly, which he said was solely due to the swelling. I went back down to PT, and scheduled for the next 2 weeks, and asked them to transition me to gym and home gym over that time, which they agreed to do.

He asked me if I want pain meds, and I declined. I still have about 20 percocet and the same of Vicodin. He said if I run out and need them to call and he prescribe me more Vicodin. I'm really hoping to not have to do that. I did ask for more Naproxen 500 mg, and he wrote me a script for those.

Next stop is another doc visit in 6 weeks, at which time he'll obtain x-rays. I'm anxiously awaiting the further reduction of swelling and kneecap tracking! Anyone have any ideas on exercises to reduce the swelling? Or is it just ice and elevate?
 
50yrold

Yea! Sounds like you are doing great, getting out and getting back to life as we knew it before the operation. I am happy to read of your progress and adventures. Can't imagine driving/riding in a car for 4 hours yet. :yikes:
Becca
 
Good report! Hope you get your sleep back tonight.
 
Had a weird one last night. I toss and turn in my sleep, and the numbness on my turns kept waking me up. I slept, but with a lot of interruption. I was also a little stressed as my wife was out of town, so I was trying to stay up to make sure the teens were all home safe. I fell asleep before my band camper got home at 11:30, so had to get up to check on him when i awoke around 1.

I soaked again yesterday, and I think it helps. The swelling is down more this am than ever. I am thinking the aspirin my doc has me on is helping with that. He kept me on one adult aspirin in the am and one in the evening. This is in addition to the naproxen at the same time, and the perc/tylenol as needed for breakthrough pain. The latter, I am trying to stop asap, and have succeeded doing so during the day.

Each day, it gets a little better, a little stronger, and hurts a little less. My prayer is that this is the case for each of us!
 
Good morning 50yrold I remember well waiting till the chicks were all back in the nest. It doesn't get better as they get older either. Mine are now 25 and 26 with good jobs and are living on their own. When they come home I still can't sleep until they are in.
We are both at the stage where things are getting much better! My left knee seems to be over Friday's incident and I'm going to try to get my activity back to where it was last week. Most days I still take a couple of tramacet a few times through out the day but I've only needed percocet once or twice this past week. I still have no visible swelling, just a bit of tightness mostly in my left knee! This has amazed me from day one but I'm thankful for any small mercy.
We are getting stronger but it will be a while before we're ready for Everest!
Wanda
 
Okay...sleepless night #2. Here's the deal; I think my swelling has gone down so much that when I lay down, my knee laxity causes me to feel the clicks that occur from the lack of swelling/inflammation taking up the space in my knee cavity. As a result, I have a subconscious fear that I'm going to turn over, and leave my lower leg and foot in the same position. I don't have the greatest strength in that regard; moving my foot strongly left to right, and trusting that my knee socket won't be ultimately turned out of place. Or that my kneecap, which I can't feel, wont shift to one side of my knee or the other. Between that and night pains, and my wife's snoring, I slept little last night. I guess it'll just take a bit of getting used to, huh?
 
Well, in one short hour, the day took a turn for the better. I made my wife and I an omelet, and she suggested i walk the dog with her. Its my off PT day, so why not? Her walk is 1.6 miles, and was part of my final realization that I needed tkr, as I would get a burning pain in my thigh about halfway through, and eventually the leg would go numb. Painful and uncomfortable. I started out with her, and after 100 yards, announced i would go to the end of the street and turn back. She then wanted to go get her ipod for the rest of her solo walk. While I waited, I realized I hadnt stretched at all. i did a few qucik ones while I waited. When she got back, i walked and was able to keep going, and made the entire walk. The thigh, at the IT band threatened to burn once or twice, but it didnt erupt. I probably just needed more stretching, or the muscles were just re awakening. I now figure that, prior to tkr, my bone spurs may have been irritating the it band causing the burning pain and numbness. Maybe there is still some areas that are unhealed and can get irritated.

Anyway, I am chalking it up as a success. I am now icing and elevating, and looking forward to a clear-headed day. Onward and upward!
 
50yrold

Glad your day turned into a good one!:) I love your positive outlook.

I also have some IT band issues. The discomfort goes away after my PT massages it but it can be a real booger at times. :yikes:

Have a nice evening!
Becca
 
50yrold

That sounds great! I'm glad to hear that you were able to walk all that way today. I can't wait until I can do something like that.:) Keep up the good work!
 
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