PKR son of textbook perfect recovery; this time I really mean it.

[gr82cu2]

@Jane B. I'm going to jump in here and suggest you have your husband and son watch a video of this operation and then see if they stick to their guns about pain meds. There are lots of them, in vivid detail on youtube. I would never challenge their knowledge and medical expertise but you need to listen to the folks here who have been there and done that. Some have gone through it more than twice! If you don't take pain meds you will not be able to do your physical therapy and your recovery may be compromised. Not to mention you will be downright miserable for weeks. None of us want to take them for longer than necessary but they are necessary.

 

[jeano]

@Jane B. TAKE what YOU need! I'm an outlier, freak of nature, whatever you want to call it. Right now I'm fine with no narcs, but the first night home, morphine wasn't touching my pain. once I had a couple days of the dlaudid under my belt I was ready to do without. I'd love to not need any more narcs but if/when I do, God knows I've got tons I can take. You will know when its time to cut down and skip or delay doses. Basically that's what I've done, but on an accelerated schedule.

I was taking a total of anywhere from half a lortab with plain Tylenol to total 1000mg Tylenol anywhere from daily to 3 x a day all summer in order to get around with my right knee. I don't need to do that now that I have an "excuse" to rest and ice. It feels good to be off the lortab, off the morphine, off the dilaudid, and to feel the twinges and aches of a knee that is finally getting better, not worse. My balance is real good, I feel like I'm walking really well, and I'm not biting my husband's head off.

I simply don't like narcotics, head gets muzzy, bowels shut down, and my mood is terrible when I take the darn things. I stumble around and overdo. Having said all that, i'll let y'all know how PT goes tomorrow (assuming I'm not too doped up to post!)

 

[jeano]

Yes, those kneelers can be hazardous.

One wishes that the able-bodied devout would find the Christian charity to defer to the needs of the gimpy devout, but unless you choose where you sit really carefully there will always be someone who thinks its a Mortal Sin to Not Kneel. Usually its someone with a firm belief that its obligatory to flop down and pray for 5minutes before Mass starts. Whereas actually Mass isn't supposed to be about one's private devotions.

 

[jeano]

So, first day at PT, Mr jeano left work early and we arrived a little before 4, having picked up my script at the OS office en route. My PT comes to the waiting room and I wave my cane at him. "Where's your WALKER?" I get up, still waving the cane, stride into the treatment area asking, "Do I look like I NEED a walker?" my gait is critiqued by several staff and nothing more is said concerning walkers.

I beg to be allowed on the exercise bike. OK but we have to get all the routine questions asked first. We chat about my surgery , measurements are taken, my leg strength is assessed, finally ROM is checked. Flexion is 105 on my own, 115when he pushes a little. We'd like to get up to 130 which is where the left leg is. We are both pleased and I get on the bike for 8 minutes, then ice and it is time to go. Leg lifts, slides, stretches etc. start tomorrow. PT was ordered 3x week for 4 weeks. I'll get my days all in a row this week.

 

[tiredwife]

@jeano good PT day! Hubby hade a good one too.

 

[icep707]

Dearest @jeano ! Hey Pal , its been awhile. I see you are still up to your shanigans . I see you have done the other knee. Last I remember, you damaged your ankle. I have read your recovery thread in its entirety. Funny and witty as usual. You cracked me up about the geese, as I visualized the whole ordeal. BTW , send my regards to ice sherpa and ancient mother. You will be bionic in no time. These implants are a miriacle. A couple of months ago I jogged up stadium stairs like a young child, than it hit me. My knee is fixed and my life is restored. That was my Ah Ha!! moment. Very soon you will have yours and we will be so happy for you. Remember !! Dont over do it .Best wishes Jeano , Iceman

 

[NetballKnees]

Hi @jeano ... I made it to your very informative, hilarious a delightful to read thread. Honestly, you make me feel so much like a wimp. The thought of being out of hospital the same day as surgery just makes me shudder. I admire so much strong, resilient women such as yourself. Your ROM is great, your sense of humour intact and things sound to be going well. I am very happy for you that this is the case. Actually, I have a mental image of you out eyeing the horses and debating how soon you could get back on them. Thank you for visiting my thread. The PT the other day said my ROM was about 60 ... siiiiggghhhhh ... looks like another battle for flexion with this knee too. The other knee, after 10 months, has finally reached 90 - just.

I will keep tabs on your thread now ... I am sure it will be a beacon of light through my recovery.

Take Care Jean ... Love and Hugs ... Ellen

 

[jeano]

@icep707
@NetballKnees
All we need now is to get the Ouija board and summon mcirish and Foxy.... get the old gang together and swap lies.

After all the fun and games yesterday am feeling a tiny bit overdone and am resolved to rest right up until time for PT. Also I am finding the staples increasingly annoying. Counting the days til their removal, presumably Monday.

Ellen, there is nothing strong and resilient in my having been blessed with the kind of protoplasm that shrugs off surgical trauma. Eons ago when I took karate people would stand and admire how flexible I am. Born with loose ligaments and don't have to work much at it. Born with good verbal ability (according to my Ancient Mother, as a newborn they had to take me out of the nursery at the hospital and keep me with her in her room--separating moms and babies being the barbaric custom back in the Dark Ages--because I was keeping all the other babies awake. Not crying, trying to talk.) Frighteningly enough, by family standards I'm not the funniest. In aggregate we can be hard to take.

I can't balance a checkbook or suffer fools. We all have our gifts and our deficits.

Good insight about the horses, in fact we stopped to feed on our way in last night and I did the honors. I hadn't seen them up close for a bit more than a week. My mare came up for an ear rub. I really am looking forward to getting back in the saddle.

 

[tiredwife]

@jeano If you wrote a book I would buy it! Love your wit! You are always a great way to start my day!

 

[jeano]

Yesterday at PT I actually got down to work, 10 minutes on the bike, then standing and lifting the leg to the side, calf stretches on the slant board, standing on tippy toes, then begged to get on the teeter board. (I have a deep and completely irrational love for the teeter board). More leg raises then ice. PT took a moment to thank me for making his job easier and entertaining. I immediately started whining that I would need Tylenol when I got home. Actually the only body part that I got negative feedback from was my bunion, which didn't appreciate the tippy toes thing at all.

 

[madinana]

@jeano I have problems with my calf being tight how did she do your calf stretches?

 

[jeano]

Standing on the slant board and leaning forward for 30seconds x5reps. The angle of the slant board is adjustable. I've been doing most of these exercises daily for a month during ankle rehab so not a lot of work needs done for the knee as regards the various stretches.

Another one I like stretches the calf and a tight plantar fascia, too. Stand about a foot away from a wall, both hands on the wall. Step back on the ball of one foot, bend the other knee, keeping the knee over, not in front of your toes. Most of your weight is on the front foot to begin. Stay on the ball of the back foot for a few seconds, feel the stretch, sink back a little more, pause, repeat until the back foot is flat on the ground, lift your toes, wiggle them, ahhhh.

 

[madinana]

@jeano i don't have a slant board but will definitely try the 2nd one as this is the main thing that is bothering me

 

[jeano]

The Ice Sherpa is off today and is waiting on me hand and foot, and a Good Thing, too. I don't know where I pushed the envelope a bit too far yesterday. Perhaps the half mile walk with the dogs. Nothing new was added at PT so I think they are blameless. Likeliest culprit was my being uniced and unelevated for too long. I had a very simple dinner planned but things got complicated by the arrival of our parish priest (an avid outdoorsman) who dragged a couple guys to our place to hunt squirrels.

The two fellas weren't any problem and thank God I felt no obligation to feed or entertain them, but I did end up visiting with Father for a few minutes (in other words supervising him while he dove into our fridge for a snack) and what with all the kerfluffle I ended up being on the feet for a good half hour longer than I had intended. By the time dinner was over I was DONE.

No PT today and plan to do nothing more strenuous than supervising Mr jeano while he vacuums. I am SO looking forward to getting these d***ed staples out.

 

[tiredwife]

@jeano It doesn't take much to make the tissues flare. Glad Mr. jeano is there to wait on you.
Hubby had stitches not staples I don't think they pinch as much. Actually one long stitch zigzagging beneath the skin with only 2 showing. It still had to come out and the part right above the knee always seems to hurt some.
You and Mr. jeano have a great day!

 

[jeano]

I had stitches and a ridiculously short incision with the first knee. Then I had much less incisional pain, but more bruising and in general felt more beat up. This knee the discomfort is 70% incisional and 30% a couple bony places that I can tell were hammered on. Not feeling beat up and hardly bruised at all. First knee I was Technicolor from thigh to toes for weeks. By this time last knee I was fed up with stitches, too, but there were only 3 of them on a 2 and a half inch incision.

 

[tiredwife]

@jeano Hubby's first leg was very colorful! This one he just had a little bruising. First knee he was almost off pain meds around week 4, this knee has a lot more pain. First knee ROM was slow coming, this knee at 4 weeks had the same flex and his first one does now, and has better extension. They do recover differently.

 

[kneeper]

Sounds like you had an ODIC kind of day. Enjoy being waited on by your personal ice sherpa.

 

[jeano]

I did very little Friday, other than pushing the dust mop around and giving the bathrooms a light going over. Was on my feet maybe 20 minutes total. The Ice Sherpa ran the vacuum and did all the chores, kept the laundry going. Today he is out with his cronies but all I have to do is let the dogs out a couple of times.

The other day my employer called. I work for a staffing agency that supplies nurses for a mental health facility. The little gal at the agency wanted me to know the nurse manager had some open slots in September's schedule....I told her that although I was happy they thought of me (not one shift was I offered in August when I COULD have worked) I was barely 10 days post-op and not even driving yet. She seemed puzzled. Maybe I should email her a link to the Youtube video of a partial knee replacement. She had to have been thinking I had my knee scoped or something. I told her to keep me in mind for October.

Its not like I didn't tell all interested parties when my surgery was scheduled and the time frame for my being able to return to work.

 

[NetballKnees]

What? Don't want to work this month? Really Jean. You are doing so well already. If I was to do what you did at PT they would have to sedate me afterwards. I manage heel slides on the bed (only x5) and leg lifts (also only x5 with holding); towel under ankle and pushing down for extension (x5); towel under knee and lifting only ankle (x5) then holding onto kitchen bench and lifting leg backwards bending and also straight out and alternating putting weight onto left and then right leg and leg out to side, then very shallow squats. I do this 3 times a day. As wonderful as it would be to walk my dogs, that day is a long way off. And I am not sure how I would hang on to the wheelie walker and the two leads at the same time. Provides a great visual though.

I would read a book you wrote too - of course, I would want a signed copy.

I'm glad the Ice Sherpa was looking after you the other day. I wish I had one. The 3 kids that live in Brisbane all visited at the same time today, so I had one vacuuming, one washing up and putting on washing and one doing the shopping. My precious grandson was there too, so it was like a tornado descended for a few hours, then they all left and quiet descended. I am really missing having another presence in the house.

Take Care Jean and try to stay off the horses for a little while longer. Hugs ... Ellen