MUA RTKR Done!

[annie1234]

How did your pet sitting job go? I feel so guilty because I still can't do everything for my furbabies and they are starting to just go to my pet sitter for physical attention and treats.

 

[Spencieca]

Hi Annie...the first night went ok..I ended up sleeping on a couch , which my knee did NOT like. .I am here 2 more nights and brought over my twin air mattress today..good thing is I only live about 20 min.from the sit so I am able to go home for a few hours at a time..you will be with your furbabies very soon, believe it or not,they do understand and will not hold it against you. . Hoping tonight goes smoother than last night!

 

[Maggie94]

Hi @Spencieca I don't have a fur baby at the moment and I miss having a puppie soooo much. I'm going to get another in November when i get home from my USA holiday. I am lucky though cause I help a friend of mine who has a dog walking business. I hope to be back to that in mid April ☺.
In the mean time I am going to have 2 whippets that we walk stay with me over Easter. ...really looking forward to the fur company. Maggie x

Maggie via Tapatalk

 

[Jamie]

Spencieca...I've just caught up with your thread and I must say that I think you are doing just fine. Your friends here on BoneSmart are giving you great advice about not trying to push too hard and not to compare with others' recoveries. I also agree that you are not pushed into an MUA by your surgeon. You have the right to tell him you would like to work on ROM yourself for a while longer. As long as you are making progress....even slow progress....you can wait. It is likely there is swelling in your knee (whether you can see it or not) that is inhibiting you. An MUA does nothing for that except irritate tender tissue and make things hurt all over again. There is no "window of opportunity" and ROM is possible for months and even a year or more after surgery. So only agree to it if you feel it is needed.

 

[Spencieca]

Thank you Jamie for the encouraging words..I do still have a good amount of swelling and also believe that is what is prohibiting my ROM..I'm not sure how I feel about a MUA at the moment..I will give my self another 2 weeks to see how much improvement if any, I have. My husband is on the side of No pain No gain so that is a bit annoying..Time will tell. .

Maggie..dog walking g as a job is absolutely the best job in the world, in my opinion anyway! I am getting a lot of calls for April and the summer so I am training a friend of mine to help me out..the Whippet's will make u happy! Hope you are having a good evening

 

[Spencieca]

Why are these dang post op blues back? I have been trying to ween myself off of the meds and ever since I am a wreck and I don't feel good! Seriously? I thought I was past the roller coaster of emotions. .hubby thinks I tried to quit cold turkey and my body is freaking out..I don't want to be on meds any longer, I have never been a med person for pain, but this pain I cannot seem to push through..I just want to be done with this..stepping off of pity box now...

 

[Maggie94]

@Spencieca I was sooo on your page re getting off meds... had 2 nights with only Tylenol (being stubbon) and then I decided 'this is not good" I spoke with the rehab specialist Dr (7 weeks post op) and I am now back on oxy at night at a reduced dose (see me post in SeptemberZen's thread re this). GRRRRR but the other side of me says if you need drugs to sleep then take them - you need sleep to heal and recover... easier to give into the drugs, get through the pain bit and then get off them all - my thoughts - Cheers Maggie x

 

[vinny]

@Spencieca I hope you are sleeping while I am writing this..you know how I feel about the drug issue but I also know that without them many people would hinder their recovery bigtime...I agree with @Maggie94 that you need your sleep to recover ..That said they are in part responsible for the blues you are experiencing as everything has some side effect be it constipation, nausea ,loss of appetite you name it there is something there for everyone including depression and withdrawal......In your case I think your ROM concerns are weighing on you on top of the meds which may also be fighting each other and in some cases competing with each other.....Have you spoken with your Doctor regarding the various meds not your OS but your main physician.
My biggest improvement came after I stopped PT and went on my own with mainly walking and little things on the recliner like lift the leg to tighten the quads and toe points and I would think that walking the dogs gives you a good workout without killing you plus you actually enjoy that...I'm sure you have kissed some of the dogs but would wager that thought never entered your mind with one of the PT's..

Why not try a different approach with walking the dogs,gentle massage and think of getting your foot flat on the floor while sitting upright in a chair as a goal as that is 90 degrees and work from there....take what you need to get a good nights sleep,use the ice wrap and ice machine and walk whippets you are going to be fine without the stress...always here anytime you need a rant or a shoulder....

Vinny

 

[Maggie94]

@Spencieca , @vinny is right - at this stage of our recoveries it is "what ever it takes". Please try the massage, I do it in bed in the mornings and a couple of times thru the day - give yourself a little test...in bed reclined bend you knee up... think about how it feels and how far it bends - then spend a couple of minutes massaging creme into it and repeat... let me know if you feel / notice any difference - cheers Maggie x

 

[Spencieca]

Thank you Vinne...I was sleeping when you were writing that and thank you for the kind words..My ROM is on the top of my mind and the fact that I am not where I think I should be...These blues came out of no where this week...but Im also thinking that me feeling like I might have bitten off more than I could chew with taking on petsists again, a little sooner than my "Groot" would prefer, is adding to the depression..good thing I already take Prozac..I do not have a problem taking any type of medication if I NEED them to live..I take 6 different meds for my AIDS 2x a day, but I know I need them in order to stay alive...but I also remember I thought I didn't "need" those either and took myself off of them and ended up pretty sick, I mean deathly sick..so they found a new regimen for me that didn't make me sick and I have been on that since 2011, longest time ever..and my counts are good..so I am going to try to look at these pain meds like that..I need them in order to get my knee and my life back to where it is supposed to be, and once I achieve that then I shall tackle the pain meds situation..Im usually a very happy person and have a pretty hight pain threshold, but this knee surgery has been proving otherwise...I need to just not rush everything and quit pretending to be Super woman...allow myself time to heal..no records needing to be set for quickest recovery...I have my 25th wedding anniversary next week and want to be mentally and somewhat physically better...Thank all of you for your kind words and wisdom, they really do make a huge difference...

Maggie, I have been massaging "Groot" and my hubby is going to give him a good massage this afternoon before I do my set of exercises..I will get thru this and thank you for the help and encouragement...Life is Good..

 

[annie1234]

Sorry to hear that those blues keep hanging on and I'm sure your ROM is at the back of your mind with every move you make. Listen to all the good advice that has been posted and know that in a few more months your mind will be on anything but your knee.

 

[vinny]

Good for you @Spencieca I was referring to your Pain meds interfering with your AIDS meds which are most important ....I take a lot of different meds too and there have been times when I was put on something only to find it was competing and diminishing the effect of something else...I used to take Prozac and when my GP switched my blood pressure meds the Prozac stopped working and I went wonky...perhaps something in the pain meds is competing and giving you the blues..you will get there......

Vinny

 

[referee54]

My ROM is on the top of my mind and the fact that I am not where I think I should be...

You cannot set up the schedule for your recovery---your surgical knee or knees do that---it is not up to you as to where you should be---this will lead to very frustrating times.

..I need to just not rush everything and quit pretending to be Super woman...allow myself time to heal..no records needing to be set for quickest recovery...

And that is the correct attitude to have---please be patient and let the recovery come to you.

 

[Spencieca]

Thanks Ref..now if I can only convince my mind that my knee is in charge I would be a very happy camper! Did some rocking back and forth on the bike today and am feeling better mentally wise...

 

[Spencieca]

Well today was much better than Yesterday..made it the whole day (So far) With OUT crying...I was able to go home and get a good nap in and some rwst..the hubby took a shift for me with the pup I am watching..then he put the trainer on my bike so it is in the living room now..did 10 min of easy back and forths..felt good...now I am back at my sit and took the pup out back to do his business and I used the steps on their deck to practice stairs on Groot..I did 10 reps of up and downs..scary at first but I did it! It did hurt but nothing really bad..now I'm icing with the leg up on the couch with the pup and giving him some rubs..he is 13 and blind and partially deaf..walks slow like me Hubby also offered to sleep here tonight so I could get a good night's rest in my own bed..busy day tomorrow with therapy and errands..He is on vacation this week for our 25th wedding anniversary. ..I am so thankful to have him in my life..Life is Good..thank you Everyone for your kind words!

 

[Maggie94]

Hi @Spencieca So great that you can do the steps...that is a big WIN☺ Having the bike set up will also make it easier for you to practice.... Way to go. Puppy love n cuddles are the best for healing.....stay strong. Cheers Maggie x

 

[Awriterafoot]

Hugs on the post-op blues. They just show up and hang around and then go away again. It's a combination of things, including the drugs, but also the weird sleep patterns, the unusual routines, the nagging pain and slight fear even if it's small. It's a lot. It's a big trauma for the body and it takes some real time to get through to the other side. I give myself permission to have a big cry if it feels like I need it. I've also been art journaling--something I've never done--and it feels good to scribble and glue pictures into a book. I dunno why it helps.

Like you, I can't take NSAIDS, only Tylenol, and I dropped off the oxys to Vicodin about a month in, which my body tolerates a lot better. FYI and all that. I'm at 8 weeks now, so cutting back now on those, too, but I find that toughing it out usually isn't the best idea.

Hang in there.

 

[Spencieca]

Found out in PT today that I was doing steps wrong..guess I was using my hip to swing my leg up the stair, very little bending was being done...the PT worked HARD on my bending today, nothing jolting or new, just slow bends and it hurt soo bad that I actually had tears...my knee was already sore when I woke up this morning from my home PT I did on my own yesterday..I could hardly walk out of the building, the knee was soo stiff and in pain..then my hubby and I had to go and pick up my new pain meds, Tramadol, at the pharmacy and we had to wait 1/2 hour or so..when they called my name I stood up to walk over to the window and almost fell on my face, my knee would not move...and needless to say the pain was a 9! I had a few more things to do before I could get back home and get some ice on Groot and elevate him...now I am in the chair with the ice machine hooked up and resting..will take a bit extra pain meds tonite..I haven't felt this much pain since the original surgery..but Im not sure it was all of the PT's fault..I must have worked it too much yesterday also and didn't ice and elevate enough..On Thursday I have the Gentle PT person, I am looking forward to her! My ROM was only at 80 today..I also did a very small step exercise and that is when I found out that I was doing stairs wrong..I was using my hip to swing my knee up, not bending my knee very much at all..I have been doing it this way for years, due to lack of ROM in my knee before surgery...its like I am learning how to walk all over again...I am resting tonight and taking meds and ice/elevate..tomorrow is my 25th wedding anniversary and my hubby has planned a dinner for us..I need to be feeling somewhat human!

 

[Maggie94]

@Spencieca I get it with the hip leverage - I did/do the same thing - led to hip pain ouch When you do the stairs you really need to focus. I am Ok going up but don't like down. Just have to persevere.

Sorry to hear about your pain levelthat is definitely no good - hope the rest and icing did the trick. Rest up and progress slowly - cheers, Maggie x

 

[Spencieca]

Well today is our 25th wedding anniversary! The day did not start out very well to say the least...I woke up at 6am with a splitting headache, I have never had one this bad...I was in soo much pain I was sweating and vomiting...My knee was still extremely painful , from all of the commotion that happened yesterday and I was on a lot of the pain meds...The head hurt so much that I honestly thought I was going to have to go to the ER...Thank goodness the hubby is on vacation this week so he was here to help me through it..I took lots of tylenol and another pain pill and ate a few bites of toast...I finally feel back asleep and when I woke up 2 hours later the headache was gone...We are having pictures taken tonight before our dinner so I am at home now resting, icing and elevating...Oh and I broke down and got a cane today...it did help a bit while we were out running a few errands this afternoon...I really hope this is as bad as it is going to get, I honestly don't know if I can take much more of the pain and headaches....