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TKR Sarah Jane's Summer Journey and Fall Frolic

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@SarahJane - I hope you're having a really good week and able to take some time just to relax! Last week you had one activity after another, culminating in attending the wonderful concert.

A few weeks ago I saw a segment on "what's trending" - adult summer camps. There are camps for hiking, for learning cooking, for revisiting childhood camp in cabins. Each camp experience has one main area of interest for participants. I've been thinking it would be awesome if such a camp existed in somewhere like North Carolina, where all camp members were survivors of TKRs and had reached the point in which the recovery marathon was over or nearly over. If there was something available like that I'd sign up in a heartbeat :)
 
Thanks everyone for checking in. I guess I've been in somewhat of a funk recently. My sleep cycle's really messed up, and I haven't been exercising on a regular basis.

One of my appointments last week was with my psychiatrist -- first visit since surgery -- and I told him about the occasional depressed and crying spells. He upped my Zoloft and told me to switch the time I took them from mornings to evenings. I'm hoping that a good part of this funk is my adjusting to the time change in the meds.

There's another reason for the change in my sleep habits: the start of the new Late Show With Stephen Colbert (a late night TV show on US TV). I've taken to watching the show that follows it, too, the Late Late Show With James Corden (yes, that James Corden of Gavin and Stacy fame for you Brits). I'm actually enjoying the Late Late Show better than the Late Show. I'm hoping Colbert will get better; I really enjoyed his earlier Comedy Central show, and hope he's still finding his footing and grove on network TV.

Have PT appointment tomorrow. Will let you know how it goes.
 
Yeah. Although I do feel disloyal for liking Corden so soon after Craig Ferguson left the show. I'm still disappointed that Ferguson never got a chance to interview Capaldi, his old mate, while he was hosting. Ferguson, who's quite a Whovian, did have Matt Smith on, though, so at least that's something.
 
Chortles at Whovian, sounds like someone who likes to Hoover (vacuum) to pals over the boating lake. It also can mean to eat v v quickly

Legin THR Sep 14
 
[Bonesmart.org] Sarah Jane's Summer Journey and Fall Frolic
Here's what happens at my house when I start feeling better.... Went to the orchard Tues, baked German Apple Cake today! Now, time to rest, elevate and ice!! Hope you've had a great day!
 
@SarahJane - I'm sorry to learn that you've encountered a misty valley in your recuperation journey. How was your PT appointment today? My primary prescribed a sleeping pill earlier this week, and it kind-of works for me, but still leaves me out-of-sorts. One improvement that I've noticed is that the antibiotics must be working, because the appearance of my knee is slightly better (today is just day 4 of the antibiotics). Since the OS won't deal with it, I'll see my primary next week to check it out. I'm feeling kind of down, even though I know the recuperation process does have lows as well as the highs. Today it's 16 weeks, and I definitely was in better shape at 12 weeks. Oh well, just going ahead day-by-day.

In a similar vein to the trending adult summer camps are the multi-generational playgrounds. One was built over a year ago locally, and since I couldn't walk I didn't venture near it. Maybe when we get our annual couple of days of winter temps I'll go and use the gentle hamstring and other equipment. https://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-...-playgrounds-why-should-kids-have-all-the-fun
 
Yum. Did you bring enough to share @Thesoutherncook ?
It's normal to get in a funk at around 6 weeks. For me, I expected the first few weeks to be bad, but by around 6 weeks I was getting a bit crabby.
 
Funk funk what the musical type?????? Hope you are getting on OK SJ. Each time I turn on the BBC at the moment there is an advertisement for the new Dr Who.

Legin THR Sep 14
 
@SarahJane Getting excited for "The Magician's Apprentice"? Due to the time difference I guess I'll get to see it before you but you know what, Sweetie........spoilers!!!!
 
Sarah Jane, sorry to hear the blues have set in. I had them for almost a month and was miserable! I'm sure your new med schedule will help, but getting outside a bit and changing your activities may help also. Do something special for yourself. @Thesoutherncook I'm making a pumpkin crumble cake this weekend. Wish I could send some to @SarahJane .
 
Sorry I didn't write yesterday. I have a happy excuse, though: a friend of mine came over and we went outside (southern California weather, sorry folks with rain and snow) and ate lunch, played Scrabble and then spent some time in the pool. And yes, @KarriB, it did lift my mood considerably.

As for the rest of the day, and night, well, BBCAmerica's been running a marathon of Tenth and Eleventh Doctor episodes, with mini teasers and minute-long interview snippets with Capaldi, Coleman, and Moffat to whet our appetite for Season 9 of Doctor Who. The also ran a second prologue, "The Doctor's Meditation." I'm not sure if other parts of the globe have seen it -- have you?

I'm more than a little annoyed at BBCAmerica for not showing the Ninth Doctor's single season. I'm assuming it's because there aren't that many fangirls and fanboys for Eccleston's Doctor, and the network is chasing ratings with its programming of Tennant and Smith. But I actually liked Eccleston's take on the role, and think it's important to honor and remember the first series of the Davis era. Plus --Captain Jack! (And farting aliens for the kids ... sometimes I think Moffat's forgotten this is a family show for kids of all ages, not just Sherlockian sleuths.)

So, I am anxiously awaiting tonight's episode. Wonder if I'm going to have to avoid checking your posts, @Raffs, @Legin, and @AndyH99 ... you've mostly likely seen it already, lucky devils.
 
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The physical therapy appointment on Thursday went well.

I hadn't done any PT since my IT band incident. I have been doing some stretching and some self-massage, but nothing that might trigger or aggravate it. Now I'm second-guessing my decision to take it easy. I asked the PT to measure my ROM, and I hadn't made any progress since the last time. Sad and worried face. On the other hand, I haven't gotten worse. Relieved face. The ROM was 110/5. I'm more worried about the extension than the flexion. I haven't heard of anyone here who's extension stayed at 5. I'm hoping that it improves, but worry what the consequences will be if it doesn't. I know that I still have room for improvement with the ROM, but can't help having a little bit of a worry.

There's good news on the IT band front: The PT thinks that it's irritated because the residual swelling in my knee is exerting pressure on it. He says I didn't notice that before because I'd been less active. He suggested taking my hands and placing them on either side of the patella and moving them gently up my thighs, to encourage the fluid out of the knee joint.

I asked how far/long I could walk. He said 10 minutes. He told me to do the exercise bike for 5 minutes. I asked him whether I had enough quad strength to walk up and down stairs like a grown-up. He suggested that I do some wall slides. I told him I'd do them in the pool - I'm overweight and don't want to put the stress on my knees by doing them on land. He also said I should ice after each exercise session.

Next appointment is a week from Monday.
 
@SarahJane -

You're doing fine - don't worry about the flexion/extension! I'm a fine one to be doling out this advice, because from the day I was discharged from the hospital until now, it seems to me like the focus of the therapists and OS office is ROM, ROM, ROM, ROM................. Please remember that you've had some ITB issues and that you carefully massaged and treated your ITB pain/stiffness and have moved through it. You've had outings and lunch dates and swimming sessions and even a magnificent concert at the Hollywood Bowl that you attended while working through the ITB issues. It's not as though you've been doing a big nothing for months :)

Day 1 out of hospital I was 96/0, and progressed to around 140/0. My in-home PT therapy was stopped after three weeks because I had exceeded the ROM the OS wanted. The issues that started about 12-1/2 weeks out have slowed me down, and I freaked out the week before last when I went for an outpatient PT eval and was measured at 115/5. I know I have more swelling in my knee than I did a month ago, but the PT and then the doctor from the OS office last week were aghast that I was 115/5. When I had PT on Thursday they measured me at 122/5. I can't stand the torture rack stretch machine that they use to measure flexion, as I have to keep my knee at that angle for 5 minutes straight.

Josephine and Skigirl and Celle have reassured me about the ROM measurements. At this point I don't give a hoot about the ROM, because it's the swelling and pain (abnormal at 16-1/2 weeks because the pain is much more than I had even at 8 weeks) that I want assistance and guidance in resolving.

When I find myself questioning myself (and yes, sometimes out loud), I just go back to Josephine's recovery threads that I've bookmarked and re-read them to refresh this funny selective memory.
 
@SarahJane
I think your flexion at 110 is pretty good for 2+ months out. Don't worry if you've hit a plateau - that's normal for this recovery - and don't forget that ROM can continue to improve for a year, or even longer, after surgery. There's no need to rush to get ROM.

Here's a few exercises you can do at home (gently and not too many times) to improve extension:
Extension: exercises for improvement
Extension often takes longer to achieve than flexion, so don't worry.
When you're walking, concentrate on the correct gait, like this:
[Bonesmart.org] Sarah Jane's Summer Journey and Fall Frolic

If you can't achieve full extension over time, you are likely to limp.

Did you see that cairistiona60 has started a Dr Who Fans thread in the Social Room?
 
@SarahJane .... I, too, was stuck at 5 extension. So, I tried laying on the bed on my stomach with knees off the edge and letting gravity straighten it. It worked for me and last week's measurement was 3. Not perfect, but better! Might give it a try for just a minute or 2. I'm up to 5 to 7 minutes ! Also concentrating on gait. My PT said I had to re-learn how to walk correctly and it would not take long. He was right!
Good luck!
Glad you got outside! A change of scenery can be a real blessing!
Hugs from down South!
 
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