Revision TKR Sondrals’ Revision

[Celle]

I'm sorry you lost your big boy dog.
It's always sad when we lose our furry kids. They're so much a part of our lives and they give so much to us.

We had to let my grey cat go 6 weeks ago - the one in my avatar. She was almost 14 and she developed diabetes. We treated her for 3 months and she improved, but she never came back 100% and she was slowly fading away. She was my constant companion and I still miss her so much.

The big thing — I went to pt all by myself, and I only used my cane to get to and from the car at home. No walker!

You did very well. Congratulations.

 

[sistersinhim]

My cat was 21 when her hip broke and I had to put her down. I miss her terribly still and dream about her quite frequently. I believe God gives us these animals to help us through life. My 13 rescues at the time of my tkr gave me a strong reason to get better! The unconditional love they give us makes taking care of them a pleasure.

 

[sondrals]

Went back to work part time today. Boy am I tired. I also have PT this afternoon. Maybe this will solve my “I can’t sleep” thing. Did alright, took both the wheeled walker and my cane. Used the walker to get in and out of the building, then the cane mostly around the office. Used my walker to carry stacks of files to and from my desk. But man, 4 hours feels like a lifetime, lots of stretching, getting up to move around. Hopefully PT will understand and take it a little easy on me today.

 

[Jockette]

Hopefully PT will understand and take it a little easy on me today

As we’ve said before, you take charge of the PT session and tell them how it’s going to go.

You’ve gone back to work really early. You no longer need to go to PT as your knee will get plenty of real time exercise in all your work day involves. Adding PT on top of it will stress your knee too much.

 

[sondrals]

You’ve gone back to work really early. You no longer need to go to PT as your knee will get plenty of real time exercise in all your work day involves. Adding PT on top of it will stress your knee too much.

I know. I ran out of time off so I didn’t have a choice but to go back. At least it’s part time right now. I told PT I want to focus on walking properly and not push it a ton. So it was pretty relaxed. Pretty tired tonight though.

 

[Jockette]

I’m glad you had a relaxed session.

Seriously, 3 and a half weeks post op is really early days. So much of your body’s energy is going towards healing the trauma of this surgery that there’s little else left over for just getting through the day. When you’re not at work try to do as little as possible and rest. Make sure you ice and elevate.

If it was me I would stop going to PT, right now it’s draining your energy. Walking properly will come naturally as you heal. My PTs never worked on walking with me and I walk fine now. Did I walk well at 4 weeks? No. Did I care? No. I was just trying to get through the day. It all worked out as I healed, and healing takes time.

 

[sistersinhim]

You’ve gone back to work really early. You no longer need to go to PT as your knee will get plenty of real time exercise in all your work day involves. Adding PT on top of it will stress your knee too much.

I agree. Working and all it entails getting there and back home is more than enough PT. I never took formal PT after 11 knee surgeries and I'm walking just fine, too.

 

[sondrals]

Working sucks. My other knee is being a total jerk. I’ve almost been in tears two days because of it. I feel like I can’t put weight on my surgery knee so it’s taking the brunt. Please tell me this gets better. Also my new knee kinda makes a popping/clunking feeling, is that normal? It doesn’t hurt but I guess I have PTSD from my knee problems before because it freaks me out. It’s pouring rain here and maybe I’m just in a down mood but I feel like I’ve gone backwards

 

[Jockette]

I’m so sorry your having such a bad time right now. You are still in the “angry tissue” stage of your replaced knee, and your other knee is taking the brunt of what the new one can’t do yet.

I know you had to go back to work, but as you are experiencing, it’s still to early to be back at work.

All of us get/got easily upset early in recovery:
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/post-op-blues-is-a-reality-be-prepared-for-it.7591/

It does get better.

 

[Didot]

I sympathise. What I found difficult about going back to work too was everyone’s expectations of how much better I should be. It’s stressful to try to get back to being functional, when you’re actually so broken. It’s a lonely place to be. Take care of yourself.


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[Celle]

Working sucks. My other knee is being a total jerk. I’ve almost been in tears two days because of it. I feel like I can’t put weight on my surgery knee so it’s taking the brunt. Please tell me this gets better. Also my new knee kinda makes a popping/clunking feeling, is that normal? It doesn’t hurt but I guess I have PTSD from my knee problems before because it freaks me out. It’s pouring rain here and maybe I’m just in a down mood but I feel like I’ve gone backwards

Yes, working does suck when you've had to go back so soon.

Still in the first month post-op, you should be spending most of your time resting icing and elevating your leg, so your poor knee can start to heal.

Instead, you've had to go to work and that's not fair to either your knee or yourself. Of course your other knee is being a jerk - you're asking it to take almost a double load.

This will all get better, but I'm afraid things won't improve as quickly as they might have done, if you had been able to stay at home for longer.

Your knee making a noise is normal. There's nothing wrong with it when that happens.
This article explains: Clicking/clunking knee joint after surgery

 

[luvcats]

I'm sorry your right knee isn't being a team player right now. Didn't it get the memo? It needs to pick up a bit of the slack with the other knee so early in healing.

Healing definitely does a huge number on your emotions. No control. It feels like the worst weeks of PMS in a lot of ways. Argh. Weepy and teary for no apparent reason. It will pass, but not fast enough. Nothing in healing is ever fast enough as far as I can tell. lol

Can you put off PT for a few weeks? I've thought that it would have been of more use to me once the swelling improved. You certainly don't need the extra effort right now when you have to work too.

I hope today is a better day.

 

[Jockette]

Can you put off PT for a few weeks? I've thought that it would have been of more use to me once the swelling improved. You certainly don't need the extra effort right now when you have to work too.

I agree.

Being back to work means you’re already getting more than enough movement for your knee. You don’t need to go to PT and add exercises to a day that already has too much activity in it.

 

[sondrals]

I’m taking a short break from PT. I’ve also decided to change therapists because I think this one was pushing me too hard. I saw his supervisor briefly after surgery and really liked her. My normal guy made a comment about he was so glad I have the bend I do because if I hadn’t he would of had to force it. He also pressed down on my knee, I asked him not to do that because I was uncomfortable with it and he stopped immediately. But It rubbed me the wrong way and after a week of almost being in tears and not wanting to seem mean, i called and asked to be changed back to her.

I’ve also called my surgeon to see about maybe getting a cortisone shot or something in my other knee since it seems to be doing the majority of the complaining right now. I left a message two days ago and have not heard anything so despite them discouraging multiple messages I’m calling them again Monday.

When is it ok to take Aleve or Ibuprofen? I’ve been strictly relying on Tylenol but it hasn’t done much for my non-surgery leg. I’m not on any prescriptions anymore because I ran out of my Celebrex and gabapentin last week. Do NSAIDs impede bone healing? I don’t know why I thought that was something that I’ve heard.

 

[sistersinhim]

Do NSAIDs impede bone healing? I don’t know why I thought that was something that I’ve heard

I didn't go back on my NSAID until about 4 months out. When I broke my foot/ankle the OS said to come off of them because they slow down bone healing. That's all I know about them except: https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads...rease-risk-of-heart-problems-new-study.20142/

 

[Celle]

NSAIDs increase the tendency to bleed and you shouldn't take them if you are still taking blood-thinners.
They can be pretty hard on the stomach and may cause gastric bleeding, so make sure you eat something when you take them - and do stop taking them if you have any gastric symptoms at all.

There is some evidence from studies that shows that NSAIDS may impair bone healing, but other studies haven't proved that conclusively.

 

[sondrals]

NSAIDs increase the tendency to bleed and you shouldn't take them if you are still taking blood-thinners.

I haven’t been on blood thinners since my first post op visit at week two.

I broke down and took two ibuprofen yesterday, that plus resting seemed to help some. My other knee hurts still but not as bad.

Managed to vacuum the area rugs in our house today and threw a couple of loads of laundry in, cleaned up the kitchen and mopped the entryway. Resting now. It’s been pretty rainy and with our fur child it really needed it. Gotta get on my bf about mowing the lawn hopefully in the next day or so if it doesn’t rain. Hate asking him to do much because he works 10 hours shifts.

Caught myself walking off without my cane today, not quite ready to go without it because it helps for both knees but kinda gives me a little hope.

Gonna get a shower and call it a day, think I’ve done enough to make me feel sufficiently accomplished and not totally over do it.

 

[sistersinhim]

For a month out, you are doing amazingly! As long as you listen to your knee and obey it, you'll continue to do great.

 

[sondrals]

@sistersinhim right now it’s more listening to my “good” knee. But I am listening to it and obeying when it says time to stop. Though that knee is on my list right now

 

[sondrals]

I feel like a failure. It’s 5 weeks today and I am still using a cane. I can’t for the life of me figure out “how to walk.” I’m so incredibly frustrated and scared. The porch was icy this morning and I was terrified to go out on my own so I made my bf walk me to my car. Winter is coming and all I want to do is cry because I’m so scared of falling on ice.

I have this weird shifting feeling when I put full weight on my surgery knee, is that at all normal? I guess I’m terrified something is wrong with my replacement. My knees have always dislocated and that was why I had surgery but is it just residual fear or something real? I feel so far behind on my walking. I can’t stand still for very long because I put all my weight on my right leg. Is there some way I can just force myself to use my new knee.

My right knee is killing me, I am scared they will want to replace it too. In a way I want it done too but I’m terrified of ending up in a wheelchair at 41. I could save a ton of money if I got my other done before the end of the year because of my insurance. But I don’t know how much more I can ask from my boss.

I literally can’t keep it together today, I’m trying to be at work and can’t stop crying. Thank god I work in a small office and I’m alone today.

I’ve tried to talk to my bf or my mom about what I’m feeling but they just don’t seem to understand. My bf thinks I need counseling now. I’m just so confused and scared, this was supposed to make my knee better but it doesn’t feel like it is.