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TKR Second TKR Done, but still not very patient

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Hello all ... Thanks for your visits and wise words.
@Jozila @leejaa @bottomshollow @Ellejay @Nana moon 27

Ann ... thanks for visiting again. Great idea to tag @Josephine, but things have kind of moved reasonably quickly. I have visited your thread and am even more in awe of your ability to help and support others while dealing with a myriad of issues yourself.

Lee ... I was so happy to see a post from you. I hope you are well and work is not being too taxing on you. I must try to find your thread and catch up on your life. I hope the knee is going from strength to strength.

Lynn ... same for you. Very happy to see your post. Likewise I will have to go and check up on your thread. Have you been holidaying around and loving it?

JoAnne ... fancy ending up as recovery buddies. Perhaps we can look for each other in the dark midnight hours when sleep is hard to come by. It is so lovely that you are going to be a grandma again. It is as role that I cherish. Can't wait for more, but only when my kids are ready. Sebastian is 3 now and I call him my sunshine on legs. I said that to him the other day only to be told that the sun was up in the sky and he couldn't fly.

The dogs are doing well. Haven't been getting enough walking lately with being in hospital, recovering and them having bronchitis and a chest infection. Meaghan has been coming over occasionally to walk them, as well as Matthew, who brings his three and walks all five - looks quite comical.

@bottomshollow - I know the gallbladder will be not such a big op, but the consensus of the General Surgeon office was that having the TKR date so close didn't allow much time "just in case" there needed to be a conversion to an open operation for whatever reason.

So update ... Decision is made, bookings confirmed. Right knee will be replaced on 21 August as planned YIKES. Will recover knee until 17 October when I will have gallbladder removed then recover both gallbladder and knee at home a bit longer and back to work on 3 November.

It is not as much time off as LTKR, but is all the leave I have left all added up together. As I had a little panic attack in the anaesthetist's room just before the LTKR, I am going to request a Temazepam or something beforehand this time. They gave me one before the angiogram recently and it did a wonderful job in making me more relaxed. For some reason I was quite stressed about the angiogram.

My right knee is deteriorating so quickly that I really didn't want to put it off. I really don't want to have it done either, but know it is necessary.

Changing the gallbladder op was the easiest thing. The General Surgeon's office discussed dates with me, I selected 17 October. Then I asked about all the hospital forms that the surgeon had already filled in and given me to take with me and they just said to cross the op date he had put in and add the new one. Very relaxed and helpful.

I am a bit concerned about coming home without anyone else at home this time. I know the kids will do the best they can, but one lives in Sydney and the others all have jobs and lives and commitments. I know plenty on here recover at home without help, Josephine in particular, but I think I must be more of a sook. Add to that spoiled pets who are always going in and out if someone is home.

It was a great idea of Lee's to look for a nursing student or similar to come and stay, but I am on such a tight budget that any extra outlay is impossible. I have days now where I survive on tea and toast only. But I know I am not on my own there.

Thanks again everyone for your interest, affection and hugs ... I appreciate it so much.
Take Care until my next post ...

Ellen
 
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Oh Ellen so glad your schedule has been worked out for surgery. I wish you were close and I could offer you a room to recover with me. I also will not have as much help as last time. My hubby started a new job and cannot get any time off. I am also hoping for a quick recovery as my disability pay stinks. I am really hoping you can have keyhole as it seems like recovery is quick!

I also will get a script for Valium just in case I start with my panic anxiety attacks. Hard to change my personality which is doom and gloom.

I will be here when you recover and send you many hugs!!
 
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Hi @NetballKnees I'm so glad y have managed to come up with a plan that's going to work out for both lots of surgery. Well done for that! Thanks for popping by my thread. It's always a good distraction at times x x x
Love Nana moon 27 xxxx
 
Ellen, so glad you have a plan in place. I am sure that is a relief to get things in place. I know what you mean about the other knee needing to be done and not letting it get worse. It will be such a relief for you to get to the other side and not be hurting in both knees.

Keep posting and let us know what is going on or if you just need to let the stress out. You continue in my thoughts. Always sending good wishes to you. Lee
 
Hi Ellen, I hope that now it is all falling into place you feel happier now. It sounds like a good plan, you've obviously got some good people with your best interests at heart working with you.
Yes, I've been very lucky this summer, we took our caravan to France for eight weeks and toured the length of the Mediterranean coast, it was a wonderful trip, I am very lucky. My knee behaved impeccably and I was swimming and cycling most days.
Lots of love to you, I hope that you are not in too much pain at the moment xxx.
 
Hello fellow Bonesmarties and especially JoAnne @Jozilla @Nana moon 27 Lee @leejaa and Lyn @Ellejay and apologies Josephine (no tag).
I have just written a huge post and had it disappear ... :tantrum2:Now I just have to remember what I said.
I think I thanked you all above for sending such good wishes for the next TKR. I am definitely nervous about it, while all the time knowing it is desperately needed. Someone at work told me it should be easy this time because I knew what it was all about. I responded that it was precisely because I knew what it was all about that I was nervous! I know no two knees are the same and I am wishing that this knee is a star performer, but there is a little whisper in the back of my mind that keeps asking "what if it's worse?":yikes:. I am hoping to be one of those Bonesmarties who leave hospital with a bend of 90degrees. (Pretend there is a praying emoticon here).
So, 10 months after my LTKR, where is that knee situated now? (and don't say in the middle of my leg ):rotfl:
Well, the flexion, at best is 80-85degrees. This is the most disappointing thing to me. To the surgeon the op was a success because the pain is almost gone completely, but to me, to not be able to do things I could do before the replacement does not mean a success.
However, I do have 0 extension.
I cannot ride a bike because there is not enough flexion to gain a full rotation. I cannot get in or out of reasonably low seats without a lot of difficulty. Getting out of normal height or even higher seats still means I have to either rock back and forth to build up momentum or use something/someone as a lever. Still, it could be a lot worse. My BS friend @GimpyGal deals with so much more.
Getting off a toilet seat can only be done by levering myself up using the cistern or the wall if there is no cistern. However, I do not need to sit on a toilet riser or anything.
Putting socks/stockings on is a bit of a wrestle on the TKR leg, but I do eventually get them on.
I really have no idea how I am going to get the TED hose on when at home by myself. Perhaps I will have to leave them on for 6 weeks and shower in them. Would save washing them I guess and keep my legs cool as they dry.
When I sleep, I usually sleep on my side, changing from side to side throughout the night and I sleep with my legs slightly bent. Last night, for whatever reason, I must have straightened my legs during the night and when I woke up for one of the regular trips to the little girl's room, the right knee would not bend at all and was so painful. Eventually I coaxed it into bending, but it just emphasised that this replacement is badly needed ... and now.
I hope everyone in Bonesmart world is having a good day/night and recoveries are going well.
@tiredwife ... I hope you and hubby are both getting some much needed recovery sleep. I must say hubby looked very good in those photos. Probably because he gets so much loving care from you.
Take Care All ... Post again soon.
Hugs and love ... Ellen
 
Can anyone help with which moderator to contact to change my thread name please? I did see some instructions to JoAnne about how to change it, but I don't have the button that was referred to. I would like it changed to ummm ... let me see ... thinking, thinking ... Patience is still not my strong point BUT time for the next one.
 
Hello Ellen, in your position I too would be very worried if not a little frightened. I am sitting here with an arthroscopy looming in a weeks time, and I keep saying that I wish it was a full TKR, but I wonder if I'd be so blasé if the OS had agreed to my wishes, and let me have the TKR? I am lucky and have much more bend than you have, but I'm still not content with it, as there are things I can't do that I did before. A few weeks ago I was with my 2 yr old grandson on one of those miniature steam engines, when the train got back into the station I just couldn't get up! It was so embarrassing, my son and my husband had to haul me to my feet. I saw a physio yesterday who told me that the joints are not meant for mobility, but for pain relief, and I was lucky with the bend I've got. The thought of having a second one done, which will happen soon, is very frightening, there will be so many things I can just about do now but won't be able to with two non bendy knees...but to walk without pain would be so wonderful.
I am thinking of you my friend, you are in a very difficult position, and with the gall bladder problem as well life is particularly difficult for you at the moment. Lots of virtual hugs, Lyn xxxxx
 
Hi @NetballKnees I did not have a button either to change thread title I tagged bottomshollow or any moderator can do it for you! Happy weekend!
 
@bottomshollow .. how are things going for you? I have a favour to ask please. Are you able to change the name of my thread to - Patience is still not my strong point BUT time for the next one - I don't have a button thingy to do it. Thanks so much ... appreciate it.
 
[Bonesmart.org] Second TKR Done, but still not very patient
@NetballKnees, your thread title has been changed per your request!
 
Ellen, of course you are scared with the second knee to be done. I have not had your issues and I was scared - it is surgery and no guaranteed outcome but lots of hope. the knees do tell us that they need doing no matter how scared we are. It was easier for me just knowing how to plan and what to have ready at home from supplies to food to layout of where to keep meds and how much of over the counter stuff to have on hand for the recovery.

The other big thing for me was knowing that bonesmart was out there and I would have support and understanding and a place to let my feelings out and it really helped. You also know everyone here will offer support and many of us wish we were closer so we could do even more.

Take care and keep using us as a sounding board and to let the anxiety and worry out. You are not alone. Lee
 
Thank you very much @bottomshollow and thank you Lyn @Ellejay JoAnne @Jozilla and Lee @leejaa for your visits.
Well, just over a week to go now. This weekend I will be going to the hire chemist and hiring a shower chair, wheelie walker and toilet riser (I have decided I would try a riser rather than an over toilet commode set up). Then need to cook and package dogs' dinners. One of the lovely young ladies I work with is coming to stay at my place while I am in hospital to house-sit and pet-sit. One of my sons will come over and clean up the back yard a couple of times and walk the dogs and my daughter will be doing any laundry I need doing and bringing any clean clothes I may need while in hospital. My other son who lives nearby is in charge of bringing my Sunshine on Legs, Sebastian, to see me in hospital.
I just can't quite get my head around how much extra I need to do before the op this time with no-one being at home for help when I get out of hospital. I am having a few less weeks off this time as I will have exhausted all my leave - long service, annual and sick, so I sam hoping the recovery is better than last time. Otherwise, I will just have to resign and live on my super. Hmmm - not a bad thought.
The right knee has been giving way and been so painful that it is making it easier to have this replacement done.
Funny story - when I booked in for this TKR, my surgeon's receptionists gave me all the paper work and info on pricing etc., because over here we have no pre-op visits or procedures and just being the completed paper work to the hospital on day of admission, which is the day of surgery. Then I had my little heart episode scare which gave me a week in hospital and eventually an angiogram (which showed clear arteries). The episode turned out to be gallbladder and removal was recommended. So I had to wait for an appointment to that specialist, who wanted to do it just before the scheduled TKR, so I completed all the gallbladder paperwork and then, as you know, decided to have the knee replacement first and the gallbladder removal in October. So went to fill in all the TKR paperwork - couldn't find it of course. Looked everywhere for days. Found a lot of other things and tidied up a lot of spots, but no TKR paperwork. So I requested the receptionist to prepare me another pack and fill in all the stuff and drove to the surgeon's office in my lunch hour and picked it up. Yesterday I was making sure I had the x-ray of my right knee to take to hospital (the surgeon won't even see that until just before surgery) and suddenly thought that I should take the x-ray of my replaced left knee in case he wanted to see what the replacement looked like in the left leg and make sure they were the same. I picked up the big envelope with the x-ray in it and opened it to check it was the correct x-ray, and yes, you've guessed it, all the lost paperwork was in there. THEN I remembered that I had put it in the x-ray packet so I wouldn't forget where it was. I worry myself sometimes.
Take Care everyone ... Be good to yourselves ... Love and Hugs ... Ellen
 
Oh I still can't use this site on my iPad, I can use the App, but I can't keep reminding myself of what everyone has said so I know what I wanted to say.
Ellen, you sound really well organised, I did smile at your list of things to do- meals for the dogs...what about meals for you? I'm sure your family will be in and out and caring for you, it won't be the same as before, I was the same, my husband was so caring, but tbh a lot of the time he was fussing, and it could have managed without a lot of it. Not that I'm complaining it was lovely to be so cared for.
I'm not in quite the same position, but I'm also running around doing all the last minute jobs before my arthroscopy on Saturday. The freezer is stocked, today the washing and ironing will be up to date and Friday the house will be spotless. I'm having a day off tomorrow while I babysit all day.I am determined to rest after this arthroscopy, I didn't after my previous two, I don't think I had any improvement and then ended up with a TKR quite quickly. Maybe if I rest I might get a better result and not have to have a 2nd TKR quite so soon. Last week I had to go for the pre-op, blood tests, ECG, weight, blood pressure &MRSA, just hoping they don't find anything that would put the op off. It's amazing that you don't have all of that before a major operation, when I have to just for a keyhole procedure. I begged for a spinal anaesthetic but it has to be a general unfortunately.
Good luck Ellen, take care of yourself before the op xxx Lyn


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart®
 
Love the thread title.
My daughter gave me two small boxes many years ago, empty boxes with a small label inside the box.
One labelled patience, one labelled tolerance. Because I apparently lacked sufficient quantities of both. Now I have an endless supply.
They are pinned up beside the bedroom door,,so I look at them every time. I start the day.
Old school inspiration?
But it does make you think when you start the day.
If I can give some of my patience to help I will gladly assist.
 
@Ellejay your day is almost here! I hope you find some relief after your procedure. It is certainly worth a try.

@Reebok your daughter sounds very thoughtful. I love the boxes!!

@NetballKnees yes, Yikes you are almost there and well prepared. I spent this weekend cooking and freezing food. Your little Sebastien will bring you lots of love when he visits. I am having so much fun with my grandchildren!!

Take care. (((Hugs)))
 
Ellen, you sound so organized - it does seem like there is never enough time to be fully prepared. You will be great,your family loves you and will be around to help. As someone else said, make sure you have snacks and meals for yourself also.

Many hugs and good thoughts going your way. Lee
 
Ellen, I just want to pop in to say good luck. You will be fine because you know what to expect this time around and it may help you cope. Any surgery is scary and I totally get your nerves. I have to go because the morphine is trying to make me type strange stuff that every time my eyes shut I see. But if a hallucination and not pleasant at all. I've had snakes in the bedroom before now preceded by a form of sleep paralysis. So I'm going to okay a game before I drop. It helps me lose the gremlins (hallucinations a bit) before i sleep.

Love Ann xxx
 
Countdown - 3 sleeps to go :shocked:. Thank you for your visits Lyn @Ellejay, JoAnne @Jozilla @Reebok Lee @leejaa and Ann @Nana moon 27
@Reebok ... what a lovely idea those two boxes are. I might take you up on that offer for a loan of some of your patience if you don't mind. I think it's because after those hard first 3-4 weeks, you are sitting around recovering but you are not sick. I find it really hard to do.
Ann - I think it is because I do know what is going on this time that I am so nervous. Not of the actual op - after all I sleep through that. :snork: Those first 2-3 weeks are so horrible. I am so sorry the morphine is giving you such hallucinations. Sometimes the side effects from what is supposed to help us just makes things a bit worse. But most of all, I am so sorry that you even need morphine. It means the pain is bad and if anyone doesn't deserve anything bad to happen, it is you. You seem so positive, so determined to help others through their bad times. It is a great trait you have. Love and Hugs for you ...
Lee - I'm not really organised. I didn't get around to hiring the mobility and toilet/shower aids on the weekend. Meaghan has assured me that she will do it while I am in hospital. I have finished all the dog meals and frozen them. Nothing for me yet. Thank you for your good thoughts and hugs. I hope life is going well for you and work is not being too stressful any more. Loving hugs ...
JoAnne - now YOU are organised. Your holiday is coming up and I hope it is everything you wish it to be. Spending time with family is always precious. Caring hugs for you too ...
Lyn ... I will visit your thread to find out more, but I hope you are recovering from the arthroscopy and the general anaesthetic hasn't had too much of an effect on you. xoxo

I love my Bonesmart buddies and have no doubt that after Thursday I will be back on here more and more, whining and ranting and occasionally, hopefully, being bright and eager and maybe helping others.

Take Care All ... Ellen
 
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