Become an Insider

TKR Sleep is back - now for more recovery!

Hi Dawn and welcome to the forum. I am going to echo all that the others said in that this surgery knocks you right off your feet for a while and you need all the rest you can get, anytime you can get it. That may be right smack in the middle of a friend's visit but if they are real friends it will be ok! The more you let others help when they offer, the more you will be helping yourself and your recovery. I am sure that your son and your man are looking forward to your being yourself again and hope they understand that this is a long recovery. Let them help you. It will help ALL of you if they feel they are contributing and not getting in the way of your feeling better!
The good news is that you are almost through the worst as far as pain goes. Not saying there won't still be some but you will start having days in weeks 3 & 4 that you start feeling human again. You will gain a little bit of mobility and hence a tiny bit of independence. For me, it was not having my husband stand right outside the bathroom door to help if needed lol!
 
:hi:hi dawn...welcome to Bonesmart. things will get better. try not to overdo things, including physio. ice and elevate your knee as often as you can for at least 45 minutes at a time, as stated in the articles here. also, accept any help offered from your friends ~ you can pay it forward someday. i know it's hard to ask for help. take good care of yourself and come here to ask questions or vent any time.:flwrysmile:
 
Eight weeks will be tough to get back to work. You will be very tired so prepare to be able to do nothing at the end of the day except to rest and recharge. Is there any way you could go back part time for a few weeks so you could avoid too much of a financial hit but also give your body a little longer to heal?
 
JDP said:
Although this is only Day 10, it feels like 100.
Click to expand...
As you say, this is only day 10. You are in the phase of recovery where you probably feel physically the worst. TKR is a major surgery.

As far as returning to work--KarriB has wise words. The best way to be ready to go back is to take care of yourself in the recovery. Your body will take the time it takes. Don't think in terms of willpower or more exercise.
If you have to go back at 8 weeks, think about what kinds of accommodations you can get (or make for yourself) to elevate, ice etc. during the day. If you could go back part time at first that would be better knee-wise.
 
You are all angels!!!!
Thank you so very much. I am not sure how to write you each individually but I will figure it out when I get my laptop out at some point down the road! Tough on this phone.
Kitchener and Toronto members and I live in between! And our global world allows us to chat with folks all over the globe - amazing.
Your words of wisdom and encouragement have helped me immensely.
 
Hi all,

There must be an easier way to do this! :chinstroke:I wanted to thank you for your help. I've been doing a bit better. Graduated to a cane (I know it's early but I live in a tall, narrow townhouse with 35 steps.).

I went out for the first time yesterday to my initial physio assessment at the hospital. She was amazed at my strength (She should have seen me before this awful ordeal.) but was very worried about my "flexion and extension" with a head shake and "you don't want it to heal like that, do you?". :no-fin: I informed her I worked extensively at my range of motion for both for years and felt confident it was there once the swelling went down. She didn't look convinced.

Thank goodness for this site and all of you or I would gave left in tears. Instead I left with cane in hand, head held high, and my son carrying my folded up walker! :egypdance:

Tomorrow is my 1st post op appointment with my OS. I am assuming I will get my staples out. Then my 1st physio class. I'm very nervous.

Yesterday I took my 2 best guys - son and man - out to lunch and we did 1 errand. I was toast when we got home and slept straight away. I get waves of extreme fatigue and always try to not fight it. :sleep:

My blues come and go too. I try to not think about things too much. That is tough. I think counselling might be as, or more, valuable after TKR, and other surgeries, than physio. As usual, with our medical systems, mental health is an afterthought, if a thought at all. I might have to do some lobbying after this is over!

I hope you are all doing well and I hope to hear back. Thank you again. :thankyou:


To
kneeper, newlybionic, liam2015, Pheebs52, gertie, imjustme62, KarriB, PoetryChef, kmak81230, sistersinhim, OJ2
 
Last edited:
Hi Dawn, I can't imagine hearing such discouraging words at that pre-physio visit! Oh...wait...yes I can! I got the same from a Home Health PT during my first week home post-op; hah! Needless to say, I didn't keep her hanging around for long, and don't you worry one bit about what that :censored: had to say! It's much too early in the recovery game for anyone to make such scary pronouncements. Even if it were later, who needs that kind of negativity? No one.

Try not to be too worried about your first actual physio visit tomorrow. Just remember the BoneSmart rules and set your boundaries from the beginning. You're the boss! Don't let them push, pull or hurt you in any way whatsoever. When you say *Stop* or *Enough* that should put an end to whatever is going on. If they ask you to do 20 reps of heel-slides and you can only do 10, that's ok. You will most likely experience some level of discomfort, but it should never cross beyond that into pain. Pain is your Red Line, not to be crossed.

It's such a relief to have those staples out! Just don't expect your knee to feel any more flexible, lol. It won't, but your skin will be delighted to have them gone.:SUNsmile:

Unfortunately, the extreme fatigue is *normal* and will be with you for quite awhile. You will feel much more energetic at around 10-12 weeks, but still not 100%. Remember, this is very lengthy healing process of about a year and right now, all of your energy is devoted to healing. As such, sleep whenever and wherever you can, all guilt-free. As for the post-op blues, you're in great company here. They come and go and it's also just part of the process. Personally, I think it's fatigue and med related, perhaps combined with frustration and some anxiety about healing. The good news is, it doesn't last. :SUNsmile:

Forum posting tip: When you'd like to address a particular member, just tag that one person. A run-on sentence of tags makes it difficult for people viewing on a phone. If you are engaged in a back and forth conversation with someone or several members, they're already watching your thread, so tagging isn't really necessary. Hope that helps!:wink:
 
hi dawn...what city are you in, between t.o. and kitchener? good luck at your first surgeon appointment and getting the staples out. it will be interesting to see what he or she has to say about your r.o.m. such a silly thing the physiotherapist said at the assessment, as if you're going to stay the same as you were that day.:doh: you're so early in your recovery, you have lots of time to get the swelling down which will help with bending your knee and your extension. now is the time to rest and heal, read the articles about icing and elevating, and activity progression. if you're tired, lay down and sleep no matter what time it is and keep the pain under control. let us know how you make out at the surgeon appointment and your first physio class. :flwrysmile:
 
Here's hoping you have a great visit with your OS. Yay for getting those staples out. You'll feel better right off the bat.

That was a ridiculous threat from the pre-physio person. You're less than two weeks out and of course you're not going to "stay that way"! Healing is very dynamic and you're going to regain ROM just by that alone. And you're being so wise about the blues: they do come and go. So does the energy drain. Now that you're on a cane, though, that too will feel like less. I don't know why, but a walker just made me tired looking at it!
 
I am at 3 weeks post op right now. I feel pretty good. I keep reading about bad times around week 4-6, so I am careful not to push myself too much. Everything is a little easier to deal with if you know it is coming.
Also, I try to celebrate each and every little accomplishment- the first time I could lift the new knee onto my bed by myself, the first time I could reach to put a sock on my good foot, my first leg lift, etc. every mark of progress shows us that things are improving. Yes, it is slow, but it is progressing.
 
Dawn--It sounds like you're doing really well for 2 weeks out--good strength, off the walker and onto a cane, able to do some simple outings--all good. As others have said, the ROM will come back. I too had that PT head shaking, tsk-tsking and dubious look when I said something about ROM being there once the swelling goes down. I think it's a common experience, unfortunately! I treated myself gently and the ROM came back and we were both happy in the end.

Interesting idea about counseling post surgery. I've certainly found it helpful to get support on here and validation that the blues are all part of the process--it would be great if that were mentioned by the medicos as something that often happens post-op so we wouldn't be taken by surprise at the first meltdown.
 
@JDP
My L-TKR was on 24 July so I'm 5.5 wks post-op. I'm blessed to have been able to move in with my sweetie for my recovery, so that's been hugely helpful. :friends:
I never asked my OS about driving or returning to work as I knew I'd do it on my own schedule. I drove at 3.5 weeks, but working is more draining than driving so I haven't worked very much yet. (I actually scheduled clients 2.5 weeks post-op! And of course, had to cancel every single one, that week & the next, & the next!)
For me, the financial picture won't allow 12 weeks off, but I'm self-employed and can at least keep my schedule very, very light.
My issue is impatience!--even though I *know* how important it is not to rush! I also tend to forget some of the best self-care habits, like supplements (bromelain, Vitamin C, Vitamin D) and self-massage.
Just kinda think I should be done by now! But the help, support, and kind guidance I've gotten here has made a world of difference!
Keep on keepin' on!
Taza :SUNsmile:
 
Those patronizing tsk tsking, finger-waving, head shaking folks are the pits - and certainly not helpful in recovery. My OS is a bit like that but fortunately my PTs just roll their eyes and while it upset me some after my last visit I now can let it roll off my back. As others have mentioned you are very early in recovery and it sounds like you are doing really well -- and you know how to take care of yourself and your knee. You are right about the mental health part of this recovery. It is often overlooked by our PTs and OS's and yet such an issue for many of us. That's one of the reasons why Bone Smart is so valuable for post-TKR recovery.
 
Hi, Dawn,
Socializing has been low on my list as I recover. That's one reason that this forum has been important to me. You sound like an extroverted person, with social things being a big part of your life. So you are probably used to social activities giving you energy, not draining it. As someone who is somewhat introverted, socializing tends to drain my energy, unless it is with a close friend or two. You may be temporarily in my camp, due to the fact that most of your energy has to go to healing and to coping with daily life's basics. It might be good to explain to your close friends that you currently have a love-hate relationship with socializing--that short is better right now, but that you couldn't do this without their friendship and support. You could say, "You guys know I love to get together. Please keep asking me to join. Just don't take it personally if I say no--it may be too much for me at that moment." True friends will understand--and if they are like me, they will love understanding the current parameters vs. trying to figure out on their own whether or not you are "up" to this or that.
 
Another sleepless night. And trying to wean pain meds. My 2 challenges right now. Other than those, doing well at patience most days.
@liam2015 - I love in Milton
 
hi dawn and wecome ti bs/ really i meant to say welcome to the sleepless nite club lol
 
it sounds like you're doing better JDP, other than your sleepless nights. i hope you're not having too much pain or stiffness ~ do try to take the edge off with icing, elevating and medication, for example maximum dose tylenol, once you wean off the narcotics. in other words, no need to suffer if something will help. i don't think i've been to Milton but i've heard it's a charming town/city. my son lives in Waterdown, not too far from you. :hi:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Corganics CBD
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel

Staff online

Members online

Total: 1,297 (members: 5, guests: 1,292)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom