TKR Rita's recovery

[Janet2012]

Rita, congrats on 20 weeks of progress! I had to go look at the calendar and count, I'm 21 weeks. I knew it had to be about the same!

Debbie, I also have the Leslie Sansone tapes. I progressed from VCR tapes during the 90's to DVD disks for the new millennium. My knees got too bad even for that, though. My husband uses them also. He'll come up and I'll ask how Leslie was. He always complains about the stale jokes. I don't know when I'll be ready to try them again. I'm so used to taking the slow and cautious road. I'd like to have less swelling to start with, we'll see what 6 months looks like. Have you tried walking with Leslie since surgery?

 

[RICBAK1]

hi i think your doing well ,i am down with grandkids wife hurt her back so could not drive, last time i did this 4 1/2 hour drive had swelling with knee now 2 weeks later no bother.Had long walk on seafront with them then round park me trying to keep up with them on scooters,i think i am at top of curve now and going down on recovery.Oh and have new nickname now of kids RUST BUCKET because i have metal knee that sometimes struggles to bend .

 

[robynhood]

Sounds good to me Richard a walk on the seafront and park. Been indoors apart from 3 small car rides for almst 3 weeks. I have never watched so much daytime tv. Good luck with your progress.

 

[RICBAK1]

yes been there done that but it does get better but i get a bit fed up with people saying takes time if it was a new car it would have gone back, good luck and with weather we get indoors sometimes a lot better.

 

[reetpteet]

OK - have posted my knee pics (not sure about Badges of Honour!) for all to peruse. What a sad life we have looking at each others surgical scars ....... it can only get better!

 

[KathyH]

Patricia, after watching daytime tv for several weeks, I can say it sucks! So much rubbish and so many repeats, especially the films on Film4.

Rita, just took a look at your photos. Congratulations, they are great and you are doing great

I believe I have said on here before that I find myself fascinated with other people's knees now, not so much men's but women's and feel very jealous of the nice shapely ones. Never thought I would be wel jel of anyone's knees in a million years

 

[robynhood]

Hi Rita I am ones who were actually comparing scars. Life in the fast lane or what Can you tell me what you are rubbing into the scar. Mine is very dry and could do with something but im very wary what to use. Also when is it adviseable to have your first bath do you know. A lovely soak in the bath sounds so nice

 

[reetpteet]

I used Sweet Almond Oil on my scar - no perfume & very pleasant to use. I never had a soak in the tub - I have a walk in shower & no bath. Most doctors advise no baths until every bit of scabbing is gone, theer is more of a risk of infection from a bath than a shower. You can google 'knee massage after TKR' & there is a good video clip. Massaging helps to minimise the chance of adhesions forming too. Good luck x

 

[robynhood]

Thanks so much for your quick reply Rita. will leave the bath for now but certainly try the almond oil. Keep well x

 

[reetpteet]

Haven't mentioned this for a while but does anyone still have a lot of numbness after about 20 weeks? My shin is still very numb & one 'quadrant' of my knee. Just been looking at Josephines very accurate recording of her numbness & mine is quite different. It stretches from just below my knee to just above my foot & is about 2-3" wide. It's not painful & I still keep getting 'zingers' (Jacky's excellent word!) which encourage me that nerve regeneration is still happening - but it is WEIRD & a bit sort of UNCOMFORTABLE! Moan over!

 

[KathyH]

At eleven weeks, I still have numbness around one and a half inches in diameter to the left side of my knee. This probably doesn't help you at all, Rita. All I have been told is that the feeling may or may not come back. But obviously yours is a bigger patch and can understand it being uncomfortable.

 

[reetpteet]

At eleven weeks, I still have numbness around one and a half inches in diameter to the left side of my knee. This probably doesn't help you at all, Rita. All I have been told is that the feeling may or may not come back. But obviously yours is a bigger patch and can understand it being uncomfortable.

Yes I have that too Kathy, was told by my physio that nearly everyone has a patch like that. It's the shin stuff I'm fed up of. How are yoou doing? x

 

[robynhood]

Mine is exactly the same as Kathys. Just to the left of the incision very numb but not at all numb below the knee.

 

[Debbie_joints]

I don't have any numbness with my knee, but I sure do with my hip. It runs from my hip to my knee and is several inches wide. It has been numb for almost one year. Use to drive me nuts when I shave my legs.

 

[Brownie51]

I have the numbness on the lower right side of incision. Erin (new PT) said that's normal having the numb spot. I couldn't feel the electricity at all in that area today.

 

[reetpteet]

Debbie that patch sounds similar to mine - it's a really weird (non) feeling! Glad to have someone to share with x

 

[RICBAK1]

Debbie that patch sounds similar to mine - it's a really weird (non) feeling! Glad to have someone to share with x

hi, i still have numbness on left of knee cap feels wierd when i mentioned this to surgeon his reply was i had signed a consent form so enough said,i thought that was a great answer so never asked again

 

[RICBAK1]

oh and if interested just had phone call from daughter she is flying to vancover tommorow then down to florida for couple of days then home,and then asked hows my knee and enjoy the cold

 

[Titianlady]

At eleven weeks, I still have numbness around one and a half inches in diameter to the left side of my knee. This probably doesn't help you at all, Rita. All I have been told is that the feeling may or may not come back. But obviously yours is a bigger patch and can understand it being uncomfortable.

Kathy, I too had a completely numb area on the right side of my incision, but the feeling has almost completely come back. I know it was weird when I shaved my legs when I got to that area. Because I couldn't feel the razor, I was scared I would cut myself up!!
At least now I can shave my knee area without being scared of slicing myself up and not feeling it!

 

[Brig]

ALL the best tomorrow, we are thinking about you! A little about the blood transfusion and low red cell blood count. I had two transfusions during my hospital stay, one three days after surgery and one three days after that. They released me on the morning of my eight day! I had NO energy, would nod off in the middle of a sentence. My husband thought it was from the meds, but I've never had reaction like that from meds before...totally bizzare. I was to go home on the seventh day, but on the evening of the sixth day I had heart palpitations of 177 beats per min for three hours, not to good apparently, so another litre of blood was given. I do have a slight heart murmur, so I'd thought it was due to that. So they kept me for another day for observation. My first week was a right off, no physio except a couple of quick classes on how to handle stairs. My red cell blood count went from 140 on the operating table and it was at 67 three days after surgery. Upon going home, I was at 96...a safe zone. Sometimes when we loose to much blood during surgery our bodies can't replace it fast enough. Boy, I tell ya, it helped me get my appetite back. I could hardly eat that first week. I gave a litre of blood before, if they needed it. The second batch was not mine but Thank God someone donated. I have blood type A negetive apparently only 5% of the population has this blood type. So once I am able, off the meds, I will donate back.....