TKR Righty Tighty
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impossibledone
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I'mm Baack!
3 weeks, 3 days. I've been both lazy and busy since my last post. I stayed on the oxycodone for most of the first 2 weeks then started to reduce dosage and increase time. As of yesterday I am only taking it before bed to help me sleep better. I still wake up every time i turn over, but I've been doing that for several years. the knee feels good when moving and I am walking without the canes, I keep them near because they help if I'm on it too long. I've even been doing a little very light work. Yes there is still pain but it is mostly bearable.
The swelling was down as of the 2 1/2 week mark, I did ice in the beginning but stopped completely before 2 weeks. the joint itself still looks knobby but the leg above and below are down to normal.
The incision, which was stitched underneath and glued at the surface is well healed, no remaining scab and sealed. I think I will play it safe and wait until after the 4 week mark to go back to the pool.
I was driving the truck two footed under two weeks, it is more roomy and easier to get in. at about 2 1/2 wks I could get into the car and had the strength and reaction time to drive with only the right foot, I still keep the left ready and use it more if driving more than 20 minutes. I've had some limited experience using two feet to do stunts when I was young, I don't recommend it for everyone because it is hard to overcome the ingrained response of using the right foot (if you go for the right & miss, it's too late for the left, you're screwed). So far I've had one person run a 4 way stop right in front of me and a person enter a roundabout far too close my front bumper.
I am not doing PT. It's my leg, I don't need someone to move it for me. I'm at 6 degrees (deg) extension and 94 deg flex. I'm not pushing it, but feel like I should be doing more. I have the DePuy attune knee (rotating), they recently re-designed it from the ground up. The doc said at the follow up they are seeing more people with similar results at the first follow up.
As a side note my doc said I was pre-diabetic a week before the surgery so I stopped my gallon a day iced tea habit, I've lost 20 lbs without exercise! Two cups of refined sugar a day can really MESS YOU UP!
Wishing you all well!
3 weeks, 3 days. I've been both lazy and busy since my last post. I stayed on the oxycodone for most of the first 2 weeks then started to reduce dosage and increase time. As of yesterday I am only taking it before bed to help me sleep better. I still wake up every time i turn over, but I've been doing that for several years. the knee feels good when moving and I am walking without the canes, I keep them near because they help if I'm on it too long. I've even been doing a little very light work. Yes there is still pain but it is mostly bearable.
The swelling was down as of the 2 1/2 week mark, I did ice in the beginning but stopped completely before 2 weeks. the joint itself still looks knobby but the leg above and below are down to normal.
The incision, which was stitched underneath and glued at the surface is well healed, no remaining scab and sealed. I think I will play it safe and wait until after the 4 week mark to go back to the pool.
I was driving the truck two footed under two weeks, it is more roomy and easier to get in. at about 2 1/2 wks I could get into the car and had the strength and reaction time to drive with only the right foot, I still keep the left ready and use it more if driving more than 20 minutes. I've had some limited experience using two feet to do stunts when I was young, I don't recommend it for everyone because it is hard to overcome the ingrained response of using the right foot (if you go for the right & miss, it's too late for the left, you're screwed). So far I've had one person run a 4 way stop right in front of me and a person enter a roundabout far too close my front bumper.
I am not doing PT. It's my leg, I don't need someone to move it for me. I'm at 6 degrees (deg) extension and 94 deg flex. I'm not pushing it, but feel like I should be doing more. I have the DePuy attune knee (rotating), they recently re-designed it from the ground up. The doc said at the follow up they are seeing more people with similar results at the first follow up.
As a side note my doc said I was pre-diabetic a week before the surgery so I stopped my gallon a day iced tea habit, I've lost 20 lbs without exercise! Two cups of refined sugar a day can really MESS YOU UP!
Wishing you all well!
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BananasKnees
member
Sounds like you're doing wonderfully well. Congratulations!
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You're right. It is your knee and you seem to be doing just fine with it.
Here are a few suggestions, if you do feel like doing more - just keep it steady and don't overdo things.
Home physio (PT) and activity progress: suggestions
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impossibledone
junior member
1 month 2 Days: I've been busy, more light work ie. rebuild the truck steering column, build/upgrade a few computers, showing the apartment & various other things, all very tiring because of all the back & forth from one garage to another, house to workshop etc... Back & forth & Forth & back... The power was out & I had to fill & haul four 6 gallon gas cans for the generator, that was a tough one! Yesterday and today I'm doing nothing. Wednesday & Thursday I had a lot of pain by the end of the day and had a lot of trouble sleeping so I took some OXY
in addition to the tylenol. The last 2 nights have been fine.
110 deg flex still 6 deg extension. I just started to lift with the right, standing up from chair using both legs equally, and taking a 3 stairs normally vice leading & lifting with the good one, it's not pretty but it's a start. I have done no exercises , only the normal use. I see little gains almost daily.
in addition to the tylenol. The last 2 nights have been fine.110 deg flex still 6 deg extension. I just started to lift with the right, standing up from chair using both legs equally, and taking a 3 stairs normally vice leading & lifting with the good one, it's not pretty but it's a start. I have done no exercises , only the normal use. I see little gains almost daily.
skigirl
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I don't think you could add PT to a day like that one. My doc told me at one month that I should rest one hour for every two hours up---just to let you know exactly how hard you are pushing yourself.
Until you extension is zero your quads do not fire properly, so it is important to work on getting the extension down. Your quads are weaker from the surgery and need the extension so that they can fire properly.
Extension: exercises for improvement
Until you extension is zero your quads do not fire properly, so it is important to work on getting the extension down. Your quads are weaker from the surgery and need the extension so that they can fire properly.
Extension: exercises for improvement
referee54
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I agree---listen to your knee, your body, and your gut feelings.
It is certainly not only appropriate but also necessary to rest after your knee has gone thorugh such a workout. Your decision was an excellent one.
It is certainly not only appropriate but also necessary to rest after your knee has gone thorugh such a workout. Your decision was an excellent one.
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impossibledone
junior member
I no longer wear the big S on my chest, that activity was over 4-5 days. Sometimes I push it like that, but I pay for it. I'm on full VA disability for a reason I can still do most anything I put my mind to but things happen very slowly in my world.
Exactly 6 weeks today 120 flex, 4 extension. Staying busy moved nr. 2 son (23) into an adult family home saturday, had to do some lifting and a lot of flexing, we are hoping it will be good for him socially to have others to interact with, at the same time I wish we could keep him home, it is a very difficult thing. It's so quiet here you can hear a pin drop. Working on things around the house. I have to work at my apartment building in a few days, I can't put it off any longer, I will be on the roof pressure washing/cleaning gutters but I will have help. I'll do 1 or 2 hours a day.
Sometimes I'm still getting acute pains (10's) that feel as if they are shooting up/down through the the femur/tibia, They are becoming less frequent.
7 weeks since I quit the iced tea habit, down 23lbs to 187, 6 more lbs and I'll have a six pack again, 20 more & I'll be at my fightin' weight (about 4% body fat) I don't really expect to lose that much.
Exactly 6 weeks today 120 flex, 4 extension. Staying busy moved nr. 2 son (23) into an adult family home saturday, had to do some lifting and a lot of flexing, we are hoping it will be good for him socially to have others to interact with, at the same time I wish we could keep him home, it is a very difficult thing. It's so quiet here you can hear a pin drop. Working on things around the house. I have to work at my apartment building in a few days, I can't put it off any longer, I will be on the roof pressure washing/cleaning gutters but I will have help. I'll do 1 or 2 hours a day.
Sometimes I'm still getting acute pains (10's) that feel as if they are shooting up/down through the the femur/tibia, They are becoming less frequent.
7 weeks since I quit the iced tea habit, down 23lbs to 187, 6 more lbs and I'll have a six pack again, 20 more & I'll be at my fightin' weight (about 4% body fat) I don't really expect to lose that much.
Please be careful not to overdo while you are working on the apartment building. Remember to take plenty of rest breaks.
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impossibledone
junior member
It's only a Triplex, and yes I will take breaks.
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impossibledone
junior member
7 weeks the knee is doing very well, but I've been having trouble sleeping. I went to see Phil my doc yesterday at 9:30 & he gave me something to help me sleep. I suspect the insomnia has something to do with the weight loss & diet change.
I was having abdominal pain & thought I just needed something to eat, I did not mention it to Phil. By 12:30 the pain was getting worse, I had a PB&J & it did not help. At 2:30pm I was going to drive myself to the ER & decided I could not drive so my wonderful wife Joan took me, we arrived at 3:30pm.
Three hours an x-ray, blood tests, and a cat scan later the surgical team was on the way to remove my appendix. This was the first time that morphine did nothing for the pain, it was so bad I was bawling, and I have a pretty high pain tolerance. Thankfully, dilaudid worked well with the morphine.
The surgeon is a brilliant man, he has done some other work on me, I like him, but... he is not someone you want to be around when you are having severe, acute abdominal pain. He reminds a wee bit of gilbert godfrey and every time he sees me he wants to swap Navy stories. The problem is once he starts there is no off switch. I was as much in distress from him as from the pain.
The scene was something like you would expect to see in some dark comedy: The star is standing in the ER room trying to use the bedpan urinal, 'Gilbert' is jabbering on about how he chewed his commanding officer's behind over something..., the star is rolling his eyes at the ancient nurse who shrugs helplessly, The beautiful wife, seeing her husbands distress, is trying to everything to get 'Glibert' out of the room, the star is dropping every hint short of saying 'get the bleep out of here'. The beautiful wife eventually succeeded in extracting 'gilbert', the flood gates opened and the look on the stars face must have been nothing short of ecstasy.
The surgery went well, 'gilbert/house' did an exceptional job as always, and today I am home and can sleep without someone waking me every hour to get my vitals. I give the hospital and staff five stars, except for the incident in the ER, it was the most pleasant hospital stay I've ever had. It is a new addition to the facility, they even had a rooftop garden just steps from my room, if it was just a little warmer i would have spent some time there.
The beautiful wife was nervous and locked her keys in the car so it took an extra half hour for Anne the locksmith to come and unlock the door. Anne by the way reminded me very much of Pat from SNL it was a little difficult to discern her gender. Not as bad as PAT and she did have a feminine name.
I will definitely look back on the experience and laugh sometime in the future!
I was having abdominal pain & thought I just needed something to eat, I did not mention it to Phil. By 12:30 the pain was getting worse, I had a PB&J & it did not help. At 2:30pm I was going to drive myself to the ER & decided I could not drive so my wonderful wife Joan took me, we arrived at 3:30pm.
Three hours an x-ray, blood tests, and a cat scan later the surgical team was on the way to remove my appendix. This was the first time that morphine did nothing for the pain, it was so bad I was bawling, and I have a pretty high pain tolerance. Thankfully, dilaudid worked well with the morphine.
The surgeon is a brilliant man, he has done some other work on me, I like him, but... he is not someone you want to be around when you are having severe, acute abdominal pain. He reminds a wee bit of gilbert godfrey and every time he sees me he wants to swap Navy stories. The problem is once he starts there is no off switch. I was as much in distress from him as from the pain.
The scene was something like you would expect to see in some dark comedy: The star is standing in the ER room trying to use the bedpan urinal, 'Gilbert' is jabbering on about how he chewed his commanding officer's behind over something..., the star is rolling his eyes at the ancient nurse who shrugs helplessly, The beautiful wife, seeing her husbands distress, is trying to everything to get 'Glibert' out of the room, the star is dropping every hint short of saying 'get the bleep out of here'. The beautiful wife eventually succeeded in extracting 'gilbert', the flood gates opened and the look on the stars face must have been nothing short of ecstasy.
The surgery went well, 'gilbert/house' did an exceptional job as always, and today I am home and can sleep without someone waking me every hour to get my vitals. I give the hospital and staff five stars, except for the incident in the ER, it was the most pleasant hospital stay I've ever had. It is a new addition to the facility, they even had a rooftop garden just steps from my room, if it was just a little warmer i would have spent some time there.
The beautiful wife was nervous and locked her keys in the car so it took an extra half hour for Anne the locksmith to come and unlock the door. Anne by the way reminded me very much of Pat from SNL it was a little difficult to discern her gender. Not as bad as PAT and she did have a feminine name.
I will definitely look back on the experience and laugh sometime in the future!
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PolarBear60
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Wow.
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You've had a ad time, but now you can rest and recover.
Take care!
Take care!
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impossibledone
junior member
8 weeks tomorrow function continues to improve but pain has been greater. Doing as little as I can after last Wednesday's experience.
There is now a lot of popping and clunking, I suspect it is scar tissue. The second follow up is 3 months from the first (June 9th). I am wondering if I should call or if this is normal and something they can take care of down the road if it persists.
There is now a lot of popping and clunking, I suspect it is scar tissue. The second follow up is 3 months from the first (June 9th). I am wondering if I should call or if this is normal and something they can take care of down the road if it persists.
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impossibledone
junior member
The OS said the noise and is scar tissue on the tendons above the knee and it will break down over time with use. The answer is to keep moving and it does seem to getting less pronounced. I still have pains that feel as if they are in the bones, not the soft tissue mostly when still.
I'm still having trouble sleeping but do not want to keep using ambien as it is for short term. I tried melatonin 10mg and it seemed to work the first day. last night it was not working so i took another 10mg, I got to sleep by 3am but at 6am we had to get an ambulance for my mother in law (86) who lives with us. Time will tell if the melatonin will keep working. I wish I knew the cause of the insomnia.
I'm still having trouble sleeping but do not want to keep using ambien as it is for short term. I tried melatonin 10mg and it seemed to work the first day. last night it was not working so i took another 10mg, I got to sleep by 3am but at 6am we had to get an ambulance for my mother in law (86) who lives with us. Time will tell if the melatonin will keep working. I wish I knew the cause of the insomnia.
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