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TKR Sarah Jane's Summer Journey and Fall Frolic

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@SarahJane - I drove last Wednesday for the first time. I felt pretty confident in the strength of my TKR leg (right), but did take a drive around the neighborhood, trying quick stops, just in case. And my first trip was on a busy freeway, a total of about 35 minutes, not just through the neighborhoods. It's most important that you are off narcotics and that YOU feel comfortable with the demands of driving.. being able to adequately respond in an emergency situation. I will say, it was NICE to know I had some level of freedom back from being able to drive myself!!:yes!:
 
SarahJane, I drove at 4 weeks (RTKR). I had been off narcotics for a week by then. I stopped narcotics early because, like you, I was having a lot of stomach problems.

My first trip was just around the corner. My goal was to drive myself to PT so hubby didn't have to take me after work. As everyone said, practice gas and brake pedals before you drive. Also I recommend practice getting in and out of the car. I don't have a problem getting in, but sometimes my right foot gets stuck getting out. I make sure the seat is back as far as it will go before I get in and when I get out.
 
Thanks, everyone.

I'm not sure if I'm entirely ready to go without pain meds. I was doing heel slides assisted by a skateboard last night, and had some tightness and pain. I ended up taking a Percocet and a Zofran before bed. And a half tab of each first thing in the morning.

I heard back from the friend whom I'd asked about a ride to the party. She emailed me back and said she was sick as a dog. So I called another friend to see if she could give me a ride. She's thinking about it and will get back to me. She knows the wife of the birthday boy, but really doesn't know him. But under the circumstances, I think they'll understand if I bring her. If she isn't able to rearrange her plans to take me, I'll go down to the parking garage and drive around there a bit to see how I'm handling the car. If I feel confident, then I'll go. If I was feeling a little uncertain, then I'd call a cab and hope someone at the party offers to drive me home.

@Legin, I *love* manual transmission cars. All my cars up until the last two were stick shifts. I ended up buying the automatic Toyota Corolla owned by my party-giving friends when they bought a Prius. They offered me their car because I had carpal tunnel syndrome and was going to have surgery. They talked me into switching over to an automatic. Two years ago, when I first contemplated replacing the Toyota, I was all set on buying a manual Honda Fit. Trouble is, only 15% of the Honda Fits in the US were stick shifts, and I was looking at used cars. Gotta say that all this year I was really glad I didn't get a stick shift. My knee was really going downhill fast, and I'm not sure I could have driven up until the time of surgery with a manual transmission. Sigh. Maybe I'll get a cute little convertible sports car when I go through my midlife crisis. :) BTW, on behalf of all the vulnerable little children in the UK, I thank you for erring on the side of safety and giving up your car keys until (and I hope this does happen) you get that foot numbness settled.
 
Ty, I have been in a v serious accident, its prob from where my probs started as a chap crossed the road in his car and hit me head on. He was doing over 60mph. Several hours to cut me out. I'm not worried about driving just concerned my foot may cause a megga error. So since then I have walked wayyyyy more, gotten on buses and shared friends cars, so really a more social person now. Although I did enjoy belting out to tunes and me thinks fellow passengers may complain if I try to on a bus. Most cars here are.manual, I have had a big old auto Jag but wasn't keen. Best car I have had was my wee porkka, (Porsche). But two babies didn't fit alas. Hope you get to that party and you have mastered the recovery boogy.

Legin THR Sep 14
 
As it turned out, I didn't go to the party after all. My other friend came over mid-afternoon to give me a lift. We chatted a bit as I peeled carrots, cut up some cucumbers, made a little veggie dip, and put an assortment of chilled drinks in an insulated bag. I took my walker and we went along the path to the driveway. It was hot outside. I told my friend I'd wait for her there while she went up the ramp to get her car. I started to feel faint while I waited. By the time she came back down, I ended up leaning against a car for support. i was worried about making it back to my place with the walker, so I asked her to go back to my place and get the wheelchair. While she was doing that I got to wondering whether I was experiencing low blood sugar. So I had a lollipop while I waited. My friend said I looked a little better when she got back. She wheeled me back home. I took my blood sugar; the reading was 155. So low blood sugar was probably not it, or at least was no longer a problem. I went to lie down and called the birthday boy to express my regrets. I did feel a great urge to go to the bathroom right after I got back home. So maybe it could have been a little stomach bug, maybe it could have been the heat, maybe it could have been a little low blood sugar, maybe a combination of the above.

Anyway,I'm happy to report that by the evening I was feeling better. Better enough that I enjoyed dinner with another friend and then did a little water exercises in the pool.

Taking it easy this morning. Thinking of going downstairs to the garage and practicing driving in and out of my parking space after lunch. As the Calvin and Hobbs comic strip once said, "the excitement never ends."
 
There will be other parties and places to go when your ready to. Sounds like you made lemonade out of lemons and the night ended up going well. Hey at least you tried...
 
TY, @bdink21 and @cairistiona60. Not only did I try, Bridget, but I was able to offer my other friend some yummy carrot and cucumber sticks with dip and some chilled drinks. ;)

Gotta admit that I just finished having a little cry. I was sorry to have missed the birthday party, as many of the guests were people I don't get to see very often. Emotional roller coasters are also par for the course, aren't they? I'd just gotten off the phone from a friend who hasn't visited in about a month. She's one of those people who are juggling a lot right now, but I am hurt she hasn't made the time to juggle some time to visit me into her schedule. She asked how soon it would be before I could drive, which I took to mean it was OK if I came over to visit her, but she wasn't going to take the time to visit me. She juggles a couple of sources of income, one of which is ceramics. So if I'm over there we can chat while she continues to work. I'm feeling somewhat isolated and unappreciated right now, so it would have been nice to have her offer to come by sometime this week.

The good news on the car front is that I did spend about two minutes behind the wheel, backing up and going forward in my parking space. I even took the car out for a spin to one end of the parking garage and back. Today, the parking garage. Tomorrow, maybe from one parking garage to another. The excitement's neverending around here.
 
@SarahJane - You're allowed to cry and feel somewhat isolated during this journey. It is really disappointing when someone we consider to be a friend through thick and thin slides away, and it takes just a tiny effort to map out an hour or two to visit a friend, no matter how busy one is.

A couple of people said they were going to visit me in the hospital, but didn't show up or call. Others told me that they would visit me at home and we'd go out and eat (I was not allowed to drive for 7-1/2 weeks). On two occasions I cooked and had their favorites prepared and then after they were supposed to be at my house I received a call that something had come up and they'd come some other time (3 mos. out and no one has visited). Others wanted me to come to their homes or meet at a restaurant, but I had no way to get there because I couldn't drive.

At least we know we have ourselves to rely on and can make it through this TKR journey even if the rest of the world fades away.
 
@SarahJane I can sympathize. I have two brothers. One in Canada about 90 minutes away and one in Africa. I have received a total of one telephone call from the one close by. Nothing from the other one. Not even a FaceTime call or an email. No visits from my family whatsoever. Thank goodness for my husband's family. His parents visit or call every few days and his sisters have called, visited or Facetimed. One is in Pullman, Washington so she couldn't visit but we have had some great FaceTime chats and she texts at least once a week. Wish my brothers cared about me as much as them. Certainly lets you know who you can count on.
 
{{{@Widget1}}} I'm so sorry -- that was really rude and inconsiderate of those people. I wished we lived in a world where people said what they meant and carried through on what they said. If I lived near you I'd certainly try to find a way to get together ... the isolation is disheartening at times. And phoey on people who say what they think society expects them to say ("I'll visit you in the hospital;" "yes, I'd love to come over to dinner," etc.), not what they really mean. I really don't understand why they don't realize it is crueller to say something which gets your hopes up than it is to say something very vague and encouraging and non-commital.
 
Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.

I lurked on this site since early June, and it's the only way that I found out information. Without this Knee Recovery Forum I would have truly despaired, and the information and journey that others have had is invaluable.

My Mom called me in hospital and every day at home, and I received a card from one brother, but that's it. My 5 siblings are still upset that I didn't have the procedure done at Mayo Clinic and recuperate at my Moms. I didn't think that would have been fair to my 94 year old Mom to have to deal with my recuperation, as she has her own health issues. Just last week one sister told me that no TKR surgery in FL was any good (I'm the 1st in my family to have knee surgery).
 
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You also have a world of friends here. Its all part of the cabin fever. You as you feel cut off. It will get better as your independance increases, which isn't really that far away for you.

Legin THR Sep 14
 
Hi! I am just getting around to posting an update, and I find that @cairistiona60 wrote on Wednesday and @Raffs wrote yesterday and for some reason I didn't get an alert. Sorry. I hope you don't think I was being rude and ignoring you. I'm finding that I'm not getting alerts from people I'm following, either, and have to go to my news feed to see what they're doing.

Today I had a small breakthrough. A friend came over to join me in some pool exercises. We changed into our swim suits, left the condo, and entered the gated pool area before it struck me -- I hadn't brought either the walker or the cane with me! I thought about going back to get it, just for a split second. Instead, I decided to risk it and do the pool and exercises and rely on my friend's help if I needed any to get back home. And the good news is -- I didn't need any help!

I haven't ventured out of the garage yet, though. One small victory at a time. I'm getting more and more and more tempted just to get into car and take off, though.

Two days in a row some friends came down and took me out to lunch. The first took me, at my suggestion, to a very small and manageable (walking and crowd - wise) farmers market. I had some Greek taboule, hummus, and tzatzki (sp -- I have no idea how it's spelled, but it was delish!) and pita bread. One of the friends from the second day is a vegetarian and practices Hinduism, so we went to a local Indian restaurant/grocery. I'm just now finishing up the leftovers.

No big plans for the holiday weekend. But I've been invited to the Hollywood Bowl for a week-night concert. I haven't been for several years, so it'll be a treat. I'm worried about sitting in the car getting there and back -- 45 minutes to an hour each way, and through the concert, too. But I have no dignity whatsoever. If my knee gets uncomfortable, I'll excuse myself at intermission and sit in an adjacent picnic area where I can elevate and ice before rejoining my friends for the long ride home. I have a doctor's appointment that afternoon, so it'll be a long day.

Hope you all are having a great weekend!
 
SarahJane,

Congratulations on your milestone of going to/from the pool without assistance! You did it!

I'm so happy that your friends took you out to lunch, and your culinary choices sound yummy! You'll do fine going to the concert, as you already have a plan in place should you have issues with your knee (as well as where you'll go to elevate and ice in comfort). Have a great outing!
 
I'm glad you enjoyed swimming. The pool is my favorite. I did some laps yesterday but had more swelling today

On the car ride you could use a flexible ice pack. It will help.
I'm a day ahead of you in surgery
 
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