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TKR Slainte's Big Adventure

Slainte said:
Part of my problem is that my first knee was the poster knee of fast and easy recovery. This one is not awful, but is not a walk in the park. I am just going back to basics, and will do less than I think I can.
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We tell people so often not to compare their knees - as you've found out, one recovery can be very different from another.

I'm glad that you've decided to ease back, because you really are trying to work very early in this recovery process.
I know that you feel that people are depending on you, but truly you owe it to yourself to take all the time your knee needs to recover properly. This is frustrating now, but it will pay off big time later.
 
Oh, I love that Eagles' song. I am taking it very easy. Today I made it through the whole day at work, but sitting in my chair with my leg propped up on another chair got very tiresome. So I am treating myself to a reclining desk chair. Found it on Amazon and it will be delivered to my office Thursday. I will be able to lie fully flat, and with the help of a pillow on the footrest and a closed door, I can really take a break. Can't wait!
 
Slainte you are one committed gal. Going back to work so early. I understand as I postponed my surgery 3 times because work was too busy. I got my second knee the day after you so it is interesting to follow you progress. Although when I left work I did tell them the doctor will put me out for 12 weeks but if all goes similar to the first knee I will go back after 8 weeks I can't imagine going back after 2 weeks. As everyone else advises take it slow and listen to your knee.
 
You are doing great. I could never have gone back to work so soon. After 30 years of working at the same place I took my retirement. If I had worked longer I would be on my feet for 8 hours a day. Love the idea of a reclining desk chair.
 
Slainte, So glad to hear you've gotten the other knee done and it's over with!! We were a day apart i think (july 8) and i enjoyed your optimism so much during our recovery! I just found out i've got to have my right hip done and its scheduled for Jan 14, ugh! but as i say thank goodness we have these options. Do you still get pain in your original replacement? I've just started with this come and go sharp pain and didn't know if it were one of those nerves waking up. You are inspirational!!
 
@janetg , my 16 week old knee has continued to defy expectations and feels like a normal healthy knee. Except I don't trust it to climb stairs. That failing is mine, not the knee's. But I have noticed a few of our comrades asking about sharp pains suddenly occurring. The consensus seems to be that it is indeed those reawakening nerves.

My 4 week old knee is not quite so angelic as its next leg neighbor. It is still pretty sore. And I have a lot more swelling this time. But I am seeing improvement, especially since I quit doing anything but the bare essentials. I hope by Christmas I will be pretty whole again.

So you have a new hip to look forward to in the new year. I understand that it is an easier go than the knee, so you will do great. Good to hear from you!
 
Four weeks out today. Dragged myself up on my scale this morning, and I have lost 21 pounds since the morning of my RTKR on July 9. My desk chair recliner arrived today and it is fantastic. The footrest is not high enough on its own to properly elevate, but with a couple of pillows under my legs it will do nicely. Started back on the Tylenol PM last night and it helped a little. Will keep trying, as I remember last time it took a few tries to do the trick. I am back on a walker at work, and moving very slowly. My knee is not quite so grouchy, but it has definite opinions about what it will put up with.

Got some not great news from the foot and ankle doctor this morning. I went to him to see about orthotics for my feet. One of my ankles is fused, and the other foot is just plain flat. He told me that orthotics will help the fused ankle very little, and in fact since my fused ankle will cause my new knee replacement to wear unevenly, it will greatly shorten the life of the replacement. A possible fix is surgery in the ankle to move my heel into better position. Would be pretty drastic, requiring 6 weeks of non-weight bearing following surgery. He told me the reason the fused ankle is bothering me now is because I have arthritis in the joints below the fused area. When I asked if it would be worthwhile to do the surgery, he asked how long I was planning to live. Apparently if I drop dead within the next 15 years it would make no difference! This was not the cheeriest conversation I had this week.

I am getting the orthotics, though. They will help even out my leg length. And help some. Sigh. Glad tomorrow is Friday. I really need a weekend.
 
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Happy your new chair came. And I'm jealous about your weight loss. Now that I'm off the meds, my appetite has come back and I'm eating just as heartily as before.

As to your other news: Yikes! It looks like there are some difficult choices in your future. Was the doctor able to give you odds on whether the "possible fix" would work? What did he mean by "greatly" with respect to the wear and tear on your knee replacement. What type of damage to the TKR does he expect to occur? How complicated would the revision surgery be? Would it just affect that one leg, or would both legs be in jeopardy?

Hope you enjoy the weekend! You deserve it, after working so soon after your second surgery and having this difficult conversation with the foot and ankle doctor. I think you'll benefit from having your leg length evened out. And I hope that his dire predictions are wrong, or that his time estimate is off by a couple of decades. You've gone through quite enough surgery, thank you very much!
 
Just catching up on your thread Slainte. Ditto what Sarah Jane said and Rob68's reply made me smile and start singing. It sounds like you might have a difficult decision to make in the future. You are such an inspiration to so many of us, you know you have a bunch of friends cheering you on!
 
Yikes, don't like the sound of the ankle issues. What a question to be asked. So, how long are you planning on living. Oh wait, let me see, um, as long as I can? Or, oh wait, what about another 15 years, 3 months, 6 days. Who knows!! I have to use life expectancy charts at work and according to them I have about 27 years left. Morbid much? I am sure you will do what is best for your ability to function and let's hope that you get many, many years to enjoy life.
 
Gee your Dr has quite the bedside manner :thud:. Sorry for the unpleasant report but understand. Hubby shattered his foot and ankle about 2 years ago but chose not to fuse it, but arthritis is setting in.
Congrats on the weight loss!! Hope I will be able to say the same but the pain medication has not bothered my stomach one bit. Good job!!
 
@Glamg1979 , I broke my ankle in 9 places, and did not get it fused until two and a half years later, when the degenerative arthritis had really set in. I would have done it sooner, but was pregnant and had to wait until 6 weeks post partum. Spent most of my pregnancy in a wheelchair. That was almost 25 years ago, and that fusion really gave me my life back. The pain was gone and I had a lot more ability than I expected. Just so your husband knows that a fusion is far from the end of the world.

@SarahJane , he thought it would half the lifespan of the replacement. And just affect the left knee. His point about the living more than 15 years was to make my future 73 year old self encourage my current self to take one for the team so that my future self will not be staring at a revision.

Thanks everyone for your virtual hugs. And the song. Made me feel much better.

Ankle guy is in the same practice with OS, and he said he would talk to him. I would also seek other opinions on this one. Not going to worry about it right now. But I will say that it brings home the need to do whatever else I can to extend the life of my replacement - i.e. losing weight and not pounding it.

Love you all and TGIF!!!
 
Sorry to hear this. Both of my knees hurt when I start wearing a new orthotic for plantar fasciitis. It forces everything to move into different positions, but after a few days I'm usually ok. I wore a new orthotic yesterday and my knee was sore while wearing it, came home and put on the Vionic I usually wear and no soreness. I didn't think there would be such a break in period the second time.
I'll be curious to hear whether your knees are sore with the new orthotic.
 
Thanks for taking the time to explain your situation. I'm glad that the two doctors are in the same practice. Things always go more smoothly when there's good communication between specialists. After all, you're not just a knee or an ankle, but a whole human being.

Wow, spending most of your pregnancy in a wheelchair! You *have* been through a lot in your life. That kid better not forget Mother's Day or your birthday!

Glad you're looking forward to TGIF. Have a great weekend, @Slainte.
 
@Slainte - just got caught up on your thread.. I'm pulling for you, my friend! Take every minute to rest that you can.. you have bit off a bit going back to work so soon, but I get.. "you do what you need to do".. And .. the ankle issue... Get the orthotics and "live long and prosper!!!" @Rob 68 - LOVE the song, and got a bit "misty-eyed" myself!!!!! Yes, I'm a total sap.... But it did send a great message.. :yes:
 
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