TKR Strange New World

@Denny39 I had a similar thing today. My first trip to my local pharmacy and a neighbour asked why I hadn't got rid of my sticks. It's only been 3 weeks! We were advised to use a stick until we could walk without a limp. Like you, I can often manage indoors, but even then there are times when it's painful and I know I'm not walking properly without one. Our pavements (sidewalks) are quite uneven and the last thing I need is to trip so I use 2 sticks outside at present. He then admitted he'd tripped over a raised edge recently, smashed his glasses and bruised his face badly and he hadn't just had surgery!
People just don't think, or they think they know more than the medics. Mind you,I suppose I underestimated what this recovery is like before I got here.

Thanks for reminding me that my other issues might well affect my recovery too. You hit the nail on the head.
 
@Denny39,

I too can relate to the pressure of getting rid of a device to make life easier.
I was about 3 weeks post RTKR and my daughter commented on the fact that I was still using the elevated toilet seat. Now my daughter is wonderful and I love her dearly. She said, “isn’t it time you got rid of that?”. Now mind you, this was in the master bath and no one really saw it except me and my husband. I told her, when she had a total knee, then she gets to have an opinion, and she laughed. I was doing so well at that point and was walking unassisted and I think I fooled people in to believing this whole recovery was easy.
But you know what, that weekend I did have my husband take it to the basement. Spent about 18 hours without it and proceeded to strain my quad so badly I could barely get around for 2 days. I learned my lesson and now proceed at my own pace. And had my husband bring the elevated seat back upstairs and used it for several more weeks. My husband also installed a grab bar for me.
So you do what make you comfortable and makes your recovery easier.
 
@gia2cats
I am 11 weeks post OP tommorow and still have the raised toilet seat. I get a shot of deep pain when I attempt to sit too quickly, so Its serving a purpose right now. Mine is also in the Master Bath so who cares.
 
I will never give up my raised toilet seat. Why should I? Those comfort height ones are popular and they are very similar in height. I don’t know how those low ones ever caught on!
 
I’ve started a jigsaw puzzle. Although I can’t sit for long, I have a skateboard under my foot and do slow moving back and forth - then stand a bit, then sit again etc - but at least it takes my mind off my knee. One can become obsessed with it otherwise.


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I love jig saw puzzles!
 
@dido That's a great idea. I've been looking longingly at my puzzles and wondering when I'll be able to sit long enough to do one. All I need is a skateboard! I guess. I could use a plastic bag though :chinstroke:
 
People, we seem to have gone off what is supposed to be the main topic of this thread, which is Denny39's knee and his recovery.

There have been 15 posts since Denny last posted. I'm going to move some of them to more appropriate threads.

Please remember to talk about your problems and concerns in your own threads.
 
@Lindylee
@gia2cats
It is hard to believe that with you at only weeks anyone would even think of suggesting you get rid of your cane.
The first two weeks have been referred to as “The Dark Days”, followed by two weeks of “Dog Days”. When my surgeon discharged me, he said, “You’ve got a couple of rough weeks ahead of you”. NO DUH . . . !
I don’t think it is really possible for someone who has never been through something like this to really comprehend the reality of it. I sure didn’t; and I had thought about it and researched it a lot. I was convinced it wasn’t gonna be much fun, but I sure didn’t even begin to comprehend just how “not much fun” the first few weeks would be. I still (9 weeks yesterday) use my cane around the house, usually in the afternoon. As the day wears on, it gets more painful. That may be in part because I have an upstairs office and neither of my knees like stairs. But I NEVER leave the house without it.

So many people, including me, have commented on how they have paid for doing something not too bright. In some cases, because they were intimidated by someone, who probably meant well but just didn’t know what they were doing. In others, they just pushed too hard too fast. PLEASE don’t make the mistake of reading about someone who was doing amazing things at 4 weeks, and feel that you should do the same. For one thing, I have found out, that often isn’t the whole story. But even if it is, it’s not YOUR story. If you work your own recovery story out carefully, thoughtfully, and wisely, it has a much better chance of having a happy ending. Unfortunately for some of us, PATIENCE is usually a key ingredient (AAARRGHHH!!!).
 
@Denny39 Thanks Denny. The more I learn about this recovery, the more I'm convinced that the first thing I should be listening to is my body. That will soon tell me what I can and can't do. I'm so grateful I found this forum. Shared knowledge and experiences all help us make the right decisions.I have no intention of throwing my sticks away just yet!
 
For those of us in the 8, 9, 10 week Post-op period, we can’t help but notice that those earlier and more memorable day-to-day, or week-to-week improvements that encouraged us and gave us hope, are becoming more far and few between. And it’s easy to start wondering, “Am I still on a good recovery course? Am I really still improving as I should be”?

But I suddenly realized while walking through the house this morning that I had been up 3 1/2 hours, and not only was I walking without my cane, but also with an almost un-noticeable limp. Now, I know good and well that by 3 or 4 o’clock this afternoon, I will either be using my cane or walking like the Hunchback of Norte Dame. But it was encouraging to realize that only a few days ago, my early morning “kind-of-normal” walking period was only 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours or so. So there is still noticeable improvement; you just have to look a bit closer.

Another thing I was very concerned about was would I ever regain the radial movement needed to be able to rest my Left foot on my Right knee, for putting on Sox or tying shoes. So I tried it this morning. I still have a ways to go, but it’s a lot better than it was a couple of weeks ago. So I took a picture. I’ll be able to compare it one or two weeks from now.

I described the recovery process to my daughter who lives in California as; 2 REALLY, REALLY rotten weeks, followed by 2 REALLY rotten weeks, followed by 2 ROTTEN weeks, followed by 2 MISERABLE weeks. That brings you to 8 weeks, when you can begin settling down into that more gradual path where recovery is going on more subtly, kind of behind the scenes and sometimes almost unnoticeable. Those “Little Victories” that @donnag1108 championed are still there, so keep a sharp eye out and don’t don’t lose sight of either your goal, or your progress.
 
You are doing so good for only 2 months! What a great report!
 
That's terrific news Denny and really encouraging for those of us still in the REALLY ROTTEN weeks. I have been keeping a diary so I can note any improvements as I go along, gives me something to focus on when I feel progress has slowed.
 
@Denny39, having a healthy sense of humor while also staying positive will be your ultimate secret to success! Before you know it, you’ll be posting a report similar to mine earlier this week. Keep the faith pal!
 
OK. 9 weeks and 4 days this morning. For the first time since surgery, I was able to walk around the house this morning with my Left knee feeling perfectly normal. No feeeling of pain or weakness. That was in a straight line, one foot in front of the other, no sharp turns, twists, bends, or sprints. It didn’t last long, but it sure felt good. I wanted to just keep on walking, but the wall got in the way.
 
That's a very inconsiderate wall you have :loll:
Great to hear how well you're doing. I think we all look forward to that day when our knee feels normal - brilliant!
 
The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is grab a cup of coffee and go sit in my favorite chair on a heated, vibrating mat. This helps my back recover from a night of tossing and turning, searching for that mythical “comfortable” position (which apparently still doesn’t exist at this stage). I read for awhile, then when I get up, I still have to stand still for a few moments to let things get stabilized and oriented.

This morning, for first time as far as I remember, as I stood there, I heard a very impressive symphony of cracks, pops, snaps and creaks as everything settled into place. I must be getting old. I wonder; would it help to put a shot of WD-40 in my morning coffee?
 

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