Cleared 1 month on 5/4 so I’m nearly to week 5. PT is moving along with ROM being 1-2 degrees ahead on Leftie. I’ll take it. I think some is my age, some is the degree of damage, some is patience/not trying to reach some athletic goal and some is just a gift.
I think another huge difference this time around is feeling stable enough and though painful it’s different from bone on bone pain…I’m not so afraid of falling like I was with Rightie. I think my injury to Rightie that brought on that replacement caused a bit too much hyper extension for my liking (though within the “normal range” to them…not so normal to me!). I’m hoping that time and strengthening with overcome that over-extension that randomly happens when I’m walking. I think of it as "snap back" as it's rapid and thankfully stops when it's maxed out. Anyway, Leftie feels more reliable already so I’m not in the constant fear of falling and with concentration, can walk as if there was no surgery--other than not walking as fast as I used to. I’ve ditched the cane except for stairs and being out in public (more than a store with a cart or the in and out of the car trips). Part of using a cane as long as I did before was the fear of slipping on ice as well as my Left knee was ready for replacement so it was nice for support.
This week was PT 8 & 9 ending with ROM of 137. Machines (standing hip machine, leg press, extension and curls), bike and various step sequences are going fine. My PT keeps saying I'm the only one who has reached the ROM I have during the post-surgery sessions and that she might just put my photo on the wall. LOL...no thanks, but it's fun to hear that I'm top of anything.
The best thing that happened was a PT who is also a friend saw me while working with her client and saw me again the next time I came. She said she’s very impressed with my gait—that it’s so smooth. My own PT later added that she can’t tell which knee was replaced when. Those were both a great boost!
I started back to my new job at partial hours. It’ll eventually be a 30 hour/wk job but for now it’s 20.
I ordered a stool on wheels to put my leg on under my desk (wheels are so much easier with my wheelie desk chair if I need to back up or even spin the chair, my leg can more easily follow. I keep my 4 frozen bottles of water for my ice machine in one of the staff refrigerator/freezers and the water just stays in the ice machine (though I’ll probably switch that out at the end of the week). It’s under my desk and easy to strap on/ice my knee. It’s a lot to learn a new job and recover but it’s been easier with the shortened hours (thanks to the PA's recommendation on my "fitness for duty" form that needed to be completed before returning to work). I think I tried a 3 hour shift at my previous job and with the archaic desk set up...from the chair without arms that was ridiculously low and no more hydraulic pressure to stay raised to a height that would be comfortable for me to the random low boxes and a milk crate they offered to prop my foot up on to sort of elevate my leg plus the way I'd have to grab things from a printer one step down and just a goofy desk layout, it was pure torture after about the first hour. My leg just ached and I asked not to have anything longer than a 2 hour shift if they needed me. Now with the ice machine on hand and my rolling stool and a really amazing office chair, I'm in a much better set up to succeed. There is some standing and roaming to get to parts of what I need to do but for the most part, I can remain seated with my leg up or down.
A week before I went back, I started going to acupuncture in hopes that it would decrease the swelling on my left knee. It was on the outside area but a little of it crossed to the inside. It looked more like a water balloon was under my skin and if you pressed on it, it was squishy and if you pushed on it, it would get larger on the other side. Seemed to me to be something that should resolve with all of the "RICE" I was giving it. I elevated extra, wore compression sleeves, rested and iced to no avail. One session of acupuncture and wow, by evening, it was noticeably less swollen and by morning back to a normal looking knee with a fresh scar. ;) I stood a little too much that next morning and some of it came back BUT after elevating and icing, it was back to not swollen. AND, I slept like a champ that night and the next night. Wow!!!! Yeah, I still took my night time pain meds but didn't need a second dose in the middle of the night and I nearly slept through the time to leave for my PT the next morning. I didn't sleep quite as great the next two nights but managed to do the same thing with barely waking up in time to race to PT. LOL. My knee also had stopped the side pain when trying to put it on a pillow or just the mattress (depending on which side I'm on--knee on the mattress when I'm on my left side and on a pillow when I'm on my right side). I went 3 times the first week and last week tried stretching it out to 2 times. That seemed fine. I'm going tomorrow and will again request that if there's a spot for better sleep to put the needles into, to make sure he does. LOL.
Yesterday, I was adventurous and went to a craft fair with a friend. It was an hour away and I brought my cane in, in case I needed the support. It ended up being more of a "pointer" for things I was looking at that my friend didn't see! My friend is a thorough shopper so I knew we'd look at every booth in that auditorium.
We were there a few hours and I was getting tired by the end and feeling a bit stiff. It was hard bending my knee to get into the car but I did it. We then drove toward home until she saw a store on the way she loves and wanted me to see. We must've wandered that store at least 45 minutes. LOL. I was ready to get back into the car to sit! The amazing thing is when I'd be on concrete floors like this auditorium and the store, for anything more than an hour, I'd feel it in my knees. Yesterday was my first time in years where I wasn't feeling THAT pain.
Yay! I did ice and elevate when I got home. This was the longest I've been up and around since before surgery. It's also the longest that I've been up and around without feeling light headed and feeling like I need to sit down or I'll faint. Part of that might be overheating. Yesterday was cool enough and the auditorium had a cool breeze working through it so I wasn't ever feeling too warm. Not sure, but I know it was refreshing to know I could feel good for so long. I hope that continues as the temps warm up. Guess we'll see! The new knee was a little cranky overnight with more little aches than I've recalled having lately but a small price to pay for the adventure. When I got home, I watched part of a movie and then fell asleep in the recliner. Woke up and started watching another movie...and yup...fell asleep. I cannot believe how well I slept even after those two solid naps that were easily an hour each!!! Even with the minor twinges of pain during the night, I could roll over and fall back to sleep.
It's time to sleep for another night. I know now that I have to set an alarm to get up if I have any morning appointments. I won't for tomorrow--my first thing is at 9 and if I'm late, it's okay--just coffee with a large group of friends and people come and go at times it works best for them.
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