Guest viewing is limited
Lounge Doctor

Seriously - When can I wear Levi's again?

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

AlaskanTKR

graduate
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Messages
553
Location
Palmer, Alaska
Simply asked - when can we get back into our old jeans again? I am a jeans and sweatshirt type of teacher - I own one skirt/dress and its for weddings and funerals only. No heels - only flats. No foo-foo fancy stuff up here. I wouldn't even dare to have any type of clothing rub on the scar from my tkr right now - yuck. ANd in reality I would need a pair of jeans like 5 sizes bigger than I am just to accommodate the size of my knee/calf and lower thigh.

So - from all those winter knees - when did you get into jeans after all this. I live in Alaska and only have about a month and a half left b4 the cold sets in. So my shorts (long and comfy) will be useless after mid September - if that long! I guess I could try sweats - but still - they will rub. icky!

Any ideas?
MArianne
 
Marianne,
As a winter knee person, I think you might consider going and getting that pair of jeans 5 sizes bigger.
I hate to say it but at 7 months, my knee just returned to a more normal size about a month ago.(still a different shape from the good one).
Can you wear something like warm ups/sweat pants?
My scar was sensitive for several months but no problem now.
Best of luck at work. I can't imagine returning at 4 weeks.
 
I wore sweats right from the beginning. My favorites were the kind basketball players wear that button all the way up the outseam. I wore jeans and "regular" pants when I went back to work at 8 weeks. My scar is medial and shorter due to the MIS/PKR and wasn't a problem once my staples were out.
 
How about knit pants?--places like Land's End have them and they are more professional looking than sweats. My incision is not bothered by long knit pajama bottoms, so maybe the knit pants would work.
 
I did knit (capris because I was a spring/summer) But the knit part wasn't bad, though I did constantly hike them up over my knees when I sat down. I did try some sweats, but they have a different texture inside, rougher. The knit was smooth. My incisions are still sensitive, but not in a bad way. I actually enjoy when my husband rubs my knees, it's wierd.
 
Marianne, I was able to wear my jeans again at about 10 weeks. I hope you get there soon. In the meantime, I think everyone's suggestions are good....some knit pants or sweats. Hang in there!!!
 
Hmm after reading all of these replys I am forced to ask myself when I will be able to wear my wetsuit again for instructing sailing or will I have a very odd looking left knee squeezed into one?.......thinking on that one now!
As for jeans...well I cannot imagaine life out of them....so best look for some reserve issues to wear......
I do have a serious ask...something I have not given much thought to...howbig/long do the scars tend to be total knee replacement?and again I ahd not realised it would stay senstive for so long so a padded divers suit may well be the answer to this sailors issues.
Nin
 
Scars run about 8-12 inches, but from what I have seen shrink some over the years.
 
Many thanks for letting me know,I think I was so totally gobsmacked when I was told the pioneering op they had tried to buy me time,had not wrked...I forgot to ask any really relevant questions,apart from do they make knobbly knee replavements as I do posses very knobbly knee's,which my surgeon fortunately found very amusing.
Its the warped Irish humour in my blood
Nin,
 
That sounds like a very sound idea.....if it doesnt freak you out,it cant be all bad after all,and the end result of pain free knee's means it should be treated as a friend
Nin
 
Got to tell you all this - in the gym yesterday (boasting that I go to the gym!) this man got chatting to me. He looked great, my age (i.e. old!) and nimble, did some heavy duty time on the treadmill and the cycles. Then he told me that a) he had lost 130lbs in the last 2 years! and b) he had had both knees replaced! Insisted on hoyking up his leggings to show me the scars!

Both were fantastic, just minutely thin lines. He said he was immensely happy with both but he cannot kneel. He is an avid gardener and has an allotment. To weed and such, he has a board on castors which he lays on and scoots up and down between the raised beds!

Just thought you'd like to know!
 
That paints a wicked picture of solving the mobility problem,bravo that man..
Dare I ask if it was an English eccentric?....;]
Nin
 
I feel like everything about my recovery was different than most. I like leggings and big, long shirts. Right from the beginning I wore my leggings and had no discomfort at all. I think it is because I had such a small amount of swelling, even from day one my leg was far smaller than it was prior to surgery. I made myself 15 pairs of shorts to wear after surgery but I don't think I wore them more than a couple of times, some I never will wear. I was more afraid that one of my little lap dogs would scratch me and cause me to get an infection that the fear of that overcame any discomfort I had with long pants. So I am no use to you at all Alaska other than to be moral support. I know you have had a lot of problems with swelling. I just don't understand why some of us have a lot of swelling and some of us have hardly any. I know when I have done too much though as I can feel the swelling start and just the little bit that I have had is immensely uncomfortable. When I get that feeling I immediately ice and elevate. How are you going to be able to go back to teaching so soon, Alaska? I am so in awe of all of you that are going back to work so quickly. My goodness.

I had a first yesterday and was so proud of myself. I got down on the floor yesterday and dusted my television stand. I even got up by myself. I know that sounds like a small thing but I haven't been able to dust that Da%$ stand for two years and boy did it need it. One thing I have learned about my men, they just don't clean like I do. Surface only and I am having so much fun getting my house clean again. We had only lived here less than a year when I got down with my knees so this is a dream come true for me.
Rowdy
 
Its wonderful to know that you are doing so well.
Although as somebody else has said on this site,the wonder of doing housework soon wears off..;].....this is such a great site for all the reasons you have mentioned in your message,a huge variety of people,with diverse jobs,but all with so much imput about how there ops have gone,reasons for ops etc etc,and because all are differnt in varying degress's it gives somebody like me great confidence in going into this op,and knowing there can be many and variuos hiccups along the way back,but all are okay and have been experenced and talked about on here,
Many thanks for all of that,I have not found such a great and open site on the uk websites,whilst searching...so once again many thankyou's for all of your replies.
Nin
 
Hey Josephine, a) I think he was flirting with you.
b) I'm thrilled to hear you are still going to the gym.

AS FOR GARDENING AND WEEDING, NO KNEELING FOR ME EITHER. DROP AT THE HIPS.
 
Thank you for all your suggestions, comments and stories. With this all said - I guess I will pack up my jeans (which were tight fitting) a put them up till at least Columbus Day. I need to go look into some leggings pretty fast. My knee has always eld swelling but right now I don't think I could even get the knee through thethigh part of my jeans. Oh well. I feel much better I am not alone in all this. My other concern was that even if I could get them on in the AM would I be able to get them off - And after today I know I would need to ct them off. First day back was a tough one for the knee - lots of swelling! Thanks again for all the input - no rushing here - Relaxing leggings it is!

Marianne
 
And renew that friendship with your old pal, IcePack.....that will help. Good luck!!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Active Antibacterial

Members online

Total: 299 (members: 3, guests: 296)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom