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TKR Susie-Q's 2nd TKR Recovery Thread

I'm hoping that since symptoms in most are so mild and it's so infectious that those who are healthy will get it and we can eventually reach herd immunity. I'm tired of all the silly rules that don't make much sense and also some of which are downright unconstitutional! People losing their jobs because of (a lack of) vaccine status! How does this help anyone? This has lead to staff shortages everywhere but especially in hospitals where it's needed the most! Don't get me started......
 
I'm having some mild pain, minor swelling (it feels warm) and soreness in The Knee. I don't really feel like I'm doing too much but after mentally listing everything I'm guessing it's the extra dog walk I've been doing lately (she's back to needing 2 a day or she pesters us) and the extra bending over (putting more strain on the knees) putting Christmas decorations away in the big plastic containers and also lifting said containers and carrying them to the entryway. My lower back has been hurting too from my bad form with bending and lifting. I left the really heavy stuff for hubby to move but I'm sure I'm lifting things I probably shouldn't be yet. So I've taken the odd dose of Advil and I'm back to icing again. Could it also have anything to do with the fact that I'm not doing any PT exercises so my quad has gotten weaker? I haven't been doing the bike either. It's probably the extra lifting.

Move over on that ODIC bench and make room for me! :oyvey:
 
Remember, you're almost five months into a recovery that takes about a year. Granted, around three months most people feel a lot better, and at five months even more so. But, your knee is still recovering, so it's not too difficult to do too much and make it angry. I agree with icing, and taking it a little easier for a bit, and then try to not overdo again. I also doubt your quads are weaker, although anything is possible, I think it's more likely you just threw a lot at it all at once, so it's throwing a hissy fit back at you.
 
I have come to realize that doing things that used to be ordinary tasks are not that ordinary after my replacement. I think my entire skeletal system has been so out of alignment for so long that I’m having aches and pains as I relearn how to move. And after my second replacement in a few weeks, I’m expecting to have to start the learning all over again. I just figured out how to change positions in bed with the “new” knee and soon I will have another “new” knee. Could be interesting…
 
It's amazing sometimes how little it takes to put yourself over the line when adding in exercise or activities after surgery....even months afterwards. You'll have ups and downs. When you're experiencing pain from over activity, a day or two of Tylenol on a schedule can help. You take 1000mg every 6 hours for total of no more than 4000mg of acetaminophen in any 24 hour period. Just remember to count the acetaminophen in other products in your daily total (like cold or allergy medications.)

Advil and other NSAIDs are usually not as good with pain as Tylenol.
 
Thank you @Jamie and @lovetocookandsew . As if to confirm things, I did my bike today and can hear a little popping/clicking as I go around, telling me I've got some swelling in there. I didn't push it and I certainly didn't move the seat forward as much as I usually would, I just used the round and round motion to loosen things up. Icing again now. I will add Tylenol for a couple of days. Other than the dog walk, 10 min on the bike is literally the only thing I did today besides some very scaled back ADLs.
 
That sounds like a wise response to overdoing things. It's a balance and it's tricky to maintain sometimes.
 
I've been meaning to ask for awhile now, can one of the moderators change the title of my thread to Susie-Q's 2nd TRK Recovery Thread? Thanks in advance! :loveshwr:
 
I had something interesting happen yesterday. I had a stack of mail and catalogs that hubby had set aside for me to look through and one was a multipage letter from our insurance company. It said that due to the fact that their first date of PT they had for me was Aug 30th, technically I ran out of insurance benefits on Nov 27th and anything after that would require a review to decide if I needed more. Well, Aug 30th was my surgery date and I didn't start PT until Sept 13th, which meant my Dec 10th last appointment was within the 3 month time frame. So I called them up and found out that they counted the PT session I had in the hospital (of course!) as the first. Luckily they have already paid for those appointments in Dec and I've paid my portion so all is well. It doesn't mean they can't come back later and say I was past the due date but I'm taking that they already paid it as a good sign. Anyway, I thought this might be a little informative, don't forget that PT session in the hospital is your first one!

Still having a stiff knee during the night as The Knee doesn't like being bent for too long and of course I'm bending it in my sleep. Otherwise, sleeping fine and still using my knee pillow in between my knees when I'm on either side. I've been walking the dog twice a day lately because my daughter has been working a ton and my husband is lazy and doesn't want to. The weather has been rainy so that means drying off the dog each time too. The bonus is that I've closed all 3 of my rings for 4 days in a row now on my Apple Watch. Averaging 7500-8500 steps a day, which is an average day for me. Looking forward to a stretch of dry weather starting today. :happydance: No more pain in either knee.
 
@Susie-Q , great news that you have no pain. Those of us that are behind you time wise look forward to that day. Lazy husband
 
Great news that you're pain free! Actually, hubby being lazy is a good thing in some ways; it means you get to add to your ADLs, which means more normalcy and more activity without pain.
 
Good information for others to keep in mind about insurance, @Susie-Q. Thanks! Of course, all insurance rules are not alike, so it does pay to review your policy prior to surgery to know what will be covered. Policies always have a customer service number you can call to discuss it and ask questions. Being informed is a good thing.

You're doing great with your recovery and I bet your pup enjoys the time you're spending on the walks.
 
lovetocookandsew said:
Actually, hubby being lazy is a good thing in some ways; it means you get to add to your ADLs, which means more normalcy and more activity without pain.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about this and you're right. It pushed me to do more walking that I normally wouldn't do and it was/is probably good therapy for my knee.
 
Cautionary tale, ladies (and gents)..... I decided to take a bath last night complete with bath bomb, bubbles and a glass of wine. When I was done I could not get out of the tub! Part of it was letting too much water out before I got out, the other problem is no mat or resistance for my feet so I was sloshing all over and my feet had nothing to grip on. I had to use my phone and call my husband in the other room to come help me get out. Embarrassing! My arms seemed to be as weak as kittens, the wine probably didn't help. Anyway, be careful, ladies! Make sure your spouse is home to help you if necessary. (this was my second bath since surgery. I'm not sure how I got out the first time but I know it was by the skin of my teeth) :bath:
 
Excellent words of caution. And I must say that your wonderful description of your “adventure“ tickled my funny bone! You are a brave woman! I do wish I could have seen your husband’s face when he answered your call. I really needed a laugh today and am so happy you shared!
 
Another semi-milestone.....the weather has improved here (it's stopped raining) and the sun has been coming out, which puts me in the gardening mood. I finally cut back my dead peony stalks and did a little bit of tidying up. We have these wire fences that are about 2 feet high surrounding the garden areas that we put in when Daisy was a puppy as she used to go back behind the plants and try and eat them. She thought it was a great game to run back there and make me chase her. So hubby put these fences around to keep her out and only have access to the grass. Stepping over these fences was always precarious for me to get in there and pull weeds because of my unstable knee. Well I did it yesterday and felt much stronger and more stable! I'm anxious to get out in the yard and do things and I won't be dreading it so much because of my (former) knee pain. Come on spring! (which comes early here in the PNW). I see crocus and daffodil spears already poking out of the ground...... :happydance:
 
Mini-milestone: My old cat threw up on the dining room carpet and I knew it would be difficult to clean it up by just bending at the waist so I actually got on my knees and was able to do the clean up for a couple of minutes without much pain. I felt the uncomfortable sensation of the metal implant but not the agony of angry tissues still healing. Yes, I know I still have a ways to go, I'm getting some soreness and aches here and there depending on the level of activity I'm doing, always followed by icing (which I'm doing now). I can at least get on my knees, if necessary, with a pad or on the carpet.

I've noticed my ROM has increased too and is close to the other knee. I don't have a way of measuring it except to compare it to my right knee.
 
Wow! A bath and cat cleanup all within a week or so--quite the adventure :heehee: Sometimes we figure out what we can do by trying it. Sounds like you're doing well.
 
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