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Bilateral TKR Scheduled February 2016

Your garden is beautiful. Thank you for those lovely photos. But is it more important than looking after your knees? Even if the garden gets a bit neglected this year, there will be other years and you will certainly be able to look after it properly next year.
 
I have a trimmer that I can use standing up for weeding but won't be getting down to do planting...


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I guess I foolishly thought February would allow me to heal enough for gardening. But we did have a really early spring here and everything popped fast didn't it @charmed-life ? @Celle I won't compromise my knees for my garden that's for sure. Yes it will have to wait till next year. The creeping charlie is poised to takeover the neighbors stunning yard, yikes. Like I said I am being whiny and crabby and I will just have to get over it.

Went swimming and did my walking exercises. Walked through the grocery store, got a couple bags full and now I am icing.
 
We went to my husbands new hip surgery doctor today. My GP had her hip done by him and recommended him to my husband. The doctor actually studied under and worked with my knee doctor at Mayo. How is that for a coincidence? I asked if he wanted to see my knees and he did a quick exam bending and pushing and was satisfied. So he said he will do an anterior approach on my husbands hip which lets him heal more quickly than the traditional approach and come home in a day or two. They scheduled it for June 30th. Soon.

Swim Pt yesterday was nice, a bit intensive. I hope it helps more tomorrow. They put a chair in the dressing room for me, but when I sat down it moved!!!! on the slick floor. Honestly this place is not designed for seniors and/or the disabled. Booby traps everywhere. But I love the swimming.

Had a minor victory, the 4 x 4's that my chair had been raised up on came off. I can more easily get out it now. For some reason the raised chair started getting hard to get out of. But the couch is still up on 2 x 2's.
 
Day 91 Week 14

Been a while since I posted some pictures. My knees are still quite swollen, the doctor today remarked about that. And they are still quite sore. It's not all the time, but it does hurt to the touch. The incision gets red by the end of the day and can be quite warm. I am icing, but it's getting hard to because I hate being cold all the time. So I sat in the sun today for an hour while I had the ice on them. I hear/feel a lot of clunking when I move my knees. I get tired out when I have to walk from the parking lot into the doctors office a long way away.

On the photo with the black lines it is showing where my skin has been damaged from the tape I used to keep the big dressings on about a month or more ago (on both knees). It's odd that it only happened in one spot, the same spot on both knees. I needed them to sleep for quite a while because the sheets would hurt my scar. It's bit better now but it's still sensitive even though I am rubbing them. often.
[Bonesmart.org] Scheduled February 2016
[Bonesmart.org] Scheduled February 2016
[Bonesmart.org] Scheduled February 2016
 
Day 94 Week 15

Yesterday I braved Walmart with my cane, then hung onto the cart for dear life. I lasted a couple hours trying on swim suits (ugh of all things) but only found the bottom and no top. My friend who went with me asked why I didn't go to a different store like JC Penny's and I told her they didn't have heavy duty carts like Walmart to hang onto. Last time I went there they had plastic stroller type baskets, nothing that would support me like the grocery carts at Walmart. Just about killed me shopping for 2 hours but when I got home I had no problems save for a little foot cramp this morning. I was fully expecting to have knee pain and be exhausted but it was pretty good.
 
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I'm glad you were able to get out and brave Walmart. I also hang onto grocery carts whever I go shopping and only chose stores that have them. Buying swim suits is hard. I bought mine on line last year when my daughters took me on a vacation. That's when I had energy pre TKR. You've made another step forward and that's great.
 
Day 97 Week 15

Last night was a rare bad night. The backs of my legs are so itchy and have been but it was worse last night. I don't know why my legs itch, maybe the nerves are waking up like crazy.

Had swim pt and she was not happy that I don't have better ROM even though she didn't check it. It's apparent that it is not moving well. Of course she gave me an extensive list of exercises to do at home and blamed me for being "stuck" because I was not doing enough. I think I a doing more than ever, life things like cooking, cleaning and shopping. Just not so much at pushing my knees back to gain ROM. oh well.
 
Possibly the pool water has really dried out your skin. I had the same problem. After using a moisturizing body wash I had to use several applications of lotion before they stopped itching. I hope they stop itching soon.
 
Day 100!

Had another Swim PT yesterday and it was exhausting. I do think my knees are getting stiffer, especially my right knee. My walk or gait is not good, not hitting my heal first. The right knee has a pain on top of the kneecap when I walk bearing weight on it and is worse at the end of day.
 
I know the couple of times I did pool therapy my knee swelled up a lot. I felt like I weighed a ton when I got out of the pool. I think that happened because I did too much and the warm water (95) made it easier for it to swell.
 
That's an interesting theory and probably true. I even asked the PT if warm water would increase the swelling and she didn't know. They have asked me if I wanted to get in the hot tub and I don't think that is a good idea.
 
@KayeKaye, I was just wondering how you are doing? Does the pool seem to help in the recovery process? How is your husband feeling? Hoping both of you are coming along.
 
Day 112

Another day of Swim PT. I haven't made any ROM or extension progress despite all the PT and my own efforts. But the PT said I am walking much better and was impressed with my heal toe strike and my swelling on the knee has gone down a bit. I thoroughly enjoy my swim time and it tires me out. But I guess it is not making much of a difference. I think I am half way through with my allotted sessions of 20. Still having jabs of pain unexpectedly when I sit, and I am awfully sore when I first get up from sitting. Trying to walk around with no cane, but not getting very far.

Hubby is going under the knife on the 30th this month for his hip. Then we will see how well I do taking care of business.
 
While you don't feel any difference the PT did notice that there was. I really do hope that you can finally get rid of the pain that you have had soon.
 
Glad to hear you are walking better! I'm about the same as when we got together. On a road trip now and knee doing ok with it.


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