TKR Slainte's Big Adventure

[Celle]

I'm not 10 weeks out on knee number 2, I am 10 days out!

Have some yard work planned for the weekend, cutting back some massive bougainvillea along the side of my house. That stuff has inch-long spikes and is beautiful but deadly. I love it enough to suffer through its upkeep. This time I will be sitting in a chair carefully clipping the branches into big bags, and my children will do the footwork of lugging the full bags out to await pickup.

I agree with Poz222.

It's much too soon to be thinking about yard work, even if you are going to be sitting down.
You should be spending most of your time lying down, resting, icing and elevating that knee. Your new knee won't like you sitting in a chair for a long period at this stage of your recovery.
And, as Poz says, there is the danger of getting scratched and introducing infection.

Let the bougainvillea wait until next year, or else get someone elee to do it.

 

[Slainte]

Great point about the bougainvillea. And yes, no matter how careful I am I always come away with some scratches. I will rethink my weekend activity. Maybe sitting in a chaise lounge with a good book. That's the ticket!

 

[Thesoutherncook]

Whoa, girl! You are really chomping at the bit to be out and about!
I still (@ 11 wks) go out and look at my weed filled flower beds, turn around and come back inside where they are out of view! Soon it will be cold and the weeds will be gone! Please take it easy.

 

[Slainte]

Here in Orlando it never gets cold enough for the weeds to be gone! :cool:
We have not had a hard freeze in a very long time. But things do slow down enough in the winter to get caught up. I love to work in my yard, and I really miss it. My neighbors miss me working in my yard as well. It's a jungle out there!

I worked full days from home yesterday and today and am very glad I am done until I go back to the office on Monday.
I walked a bit with a cane today, but I don't bend my new knee enough to do it properly. I end up hiking that hip to take the step. Will work on it over the next few days. My new knee finally decided not to hurt all the time. I will say that it was tougher than I thought it would be to do the second knee so soon, if only because I so dislike starting over after having come so far. But one day at a time, I will be back.

 

[Thesoutherncook]

I also have to admit that we live on a mtn, in the edge of the woods on 5 acres and no one sees my flower beds unless they come to see US! Lol! I remember those days of living in a neighborhood and doing yard work every weekend! I also like to work in the yard ( dig in the dirt with bare hands and feel the soil!) but have done little for a few years as the knees refused to cooperate. So, I plant perennials and paint them in watercolor!

Don't give up your walker too soon. I tried it and wound up throwing my pelvis out of line. My PT straightened me up and admonished me to use the walker until I no longer limped! The OS echoed that at 4 wk appt. about the cane,too.

 

[Wanttobebiking]

Slainte, I hate to admit it but I agree with everyone else. No gardening this weekend. I have gardened once in 12 weeks. It was by far the hardest thing I have done, and I went for a 15-mile bike ride this past weekend and a 25-minute swim yesterday. So now I just sit on the patio and admire the weeds and overgrown shrubs. Glad you are doing well enough to even consider it.

 

[Pescara]

I know how you feel. My Mexican Petunias are growing wild and all over the screen of the Lanai. The only good thing is the dog loves to chase lizards even if they are on the outside lol. There is a man in our park that we will have to go ask to trim all the bushes and Hibiscus. David doesn't have the time to do it. He works and taking care of me is a full time job. If you feel the need to go out the chair and a good book sounds great. Please don't get scratches and risk infection.

 

[BusterBeans]

Slainte, so good to hear how well and how quickly you're healing. And that you're in Central Florida where it's still warm and sunny on your bones. It would be so tempting to play in the dirt "just a little." We'll be in Cape Canaveral for January thru March.

I'm still in the rehab but expect to be released by Saturday. The hospital wouldn't release me Sunday because I couldn't climb a 6-inch step (backwards and with no practice or lower heights first -- guess you can tell I'm still carrying a grudge) after my bilateral. Today I did the 6-inch step several times and got in and out of a regular tub and stood without a walker for 7 minutes. I have pt for 3 hours every day so it's been painful but I can walk through the parallel bars frontwards, backwards and sideways without using the rails. I'm still not sure how I'll eventually get up the 18 steps to our second floor and I'm not telling anyone that I live in a 2-story house.

Take care and keep healing.


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Slainte]

Mum's the word on your two-story house!

Sounds like you are making great progress! That is a lot of PT, but if that's what it takes for them to cut you loose, so be it. I used to work in Cape Canaveral. Laid back beach town with lots of smart people living in it. The rocket industry is coming back with the new private initiatives. Perfect time of the year to be there.

Fingers crossed for your Saturday release!

 

[Celle]

I have pt for 3 hours every day so it's been painful but I can walk through the parallel bars frontwards, backwards and sideways without using the rails. I'm still not sure how I'll eventually get up the 18 steps to our second floor and I'm not telling anyone that I live in a 2-story house.

That's far too much PT.

After all that work, You should find your stairs are a piece of cake.

 

[Thesoutherncook]

We live in a 3 level house and on week 2 the master shower sprung a leak! I had no choice but to go upstairs for showers for 3 weeks while it was torn out, replumbed and rebuilt! I told the home therapist my dilemna and he said, " Then lets GO!" And up we went! Of course, I was exhausted when I got up! Lol! You CAN do it!

 

[Thesoutherncook]

Jo,
You shamed me! I spent an hour on the deck dead heading 5 pots of mums in hopes they will bloom once again before frost! I thought about you as I sat there snipping and snipping and snipping.....

 

[Swish]

I hired my neighborhood handyman twice this summer to weed my garden. He's great and will even do small jobs that no one else wants to do. So worth it.

 

[Slainte]

Jo,
You shamed me! I spent an hour on the deck dead heading 5 pots of mums in hopes they will bloom once again before frost! I thought about you as I sat there snipping and snipping and snipping.....

If someone is doing gardening and thinking about me, that counts as me helping with the gardening, doesn't it? Thanks!

Two weeks out today. Got discharged from home PT today, thank goodness. They had to discharge me since I am going back to work on Monday. ROM numbers not great - 0 and 90. I don't see my OS until the 26th so am going to try to gently up that number before then. Will not miss PT! Mostly consisted of them asking why they were there if I wasn't going to do the exercises. I just wanted them to report to OS that I am making progress. I am, and they will. Now to enjoy a long weekend before the next hurdle - the office.

 

[Braunzie]

@Slainte - Don't you have to have your OS release you to work? Surprised you're going back to work before seeing him?? GOOD LUCK for Monday!!!! - I think I've said it before, but I think you're BRAVE!!!!

 

[KarriB]

We are having a hard frost this weekend with snow flurries possible. I need to cut mine totally down.
Jo, don't know how you go back to work so early! You are super woman!

 

[bdink21]

@Slainte my you've been busy since the last time I've been on BS lol! Sounds like you're doing great! Kudos to you for going back to work so soon....I couldn't have done that!

 

[Pescara]

Sorry about my last post. I have no idea what I did. Right now my mind is Swiss Cheese. Looks like me finally got a great break from the heat so I can understand why you want to get out. Cabin fever can set in very early. If you do go out don't forget a cooler with ice. The yard work will still be there tomorrow. You are to early in your recovery to tackle yard work. Take care of yourself first.

 

[Slainte]

@Slainte - Don't you have to have your OS release you to work? Surprised you're going back to work before seeing him?? GOOD LUCK for Monday!!!! - I think I've said it before, but I think you're BRAVE!!!!

Yeah, no one is really saying anything about my lack of a return-to-work release. The owners have to be at an out-of-state conference all next week, so I have no choice but to be there. Only half days next week, though. I am getting better, finally. These first two weeks were no fun, but I think I will brave Sam's Club tomorrow. We can go early during business member hours, and I can ride a motorized cart. I am tired of the food choices my husband and children have been making. They do sell other things than pizza and hot dogs these days, don't they? I need meat and vegetables! Happy Friday to all who have returned to work. It's the weekend!!

 

[Wanttobebiking]

I'm taking off early today. Really need some downtime. The last time I rode a motorized cart was in Target when I was recovering from a broken ankle. I really thought it was fun until when I went to return it. I looked back at my husband to say something smart, when I ran into a steel bench that made a real big, I mean huge, clatter. No fewer than 10 Target employees were at my side within 30 seconds. I practically ran out of the store. Have fun, but drive safe.