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Bilateral TKR SusieShoes' New Knees

You mean there is a life/world outside of TKR???? When did this happen??? Why was I not told??? Wait..... my brain has other things it can do other than constantly think about knee??? Are you certain????:scratch:
 
Great post Susie. I'm still deep in the fog at 6w. I have about a month before I ease back into work. I'll be doing speech and hearing screenings for preschoolers (1-3 mornings per week), so I only have to outthink a 4yr old. I'm hoping by Sept, I'll be able to. :rotfl:
 
Wow! Your writing ability extends well beyond novels. Your posts are so informative for those coming behind!

One of the things I have been forever grateful for during this recovery is that I ( and my knee) can take our own sweet time getting better. I am retired and don't know what I would have done had I felt pressure to go back to work. Not that I didn't love my work and my team, but I was a sales manager for a team of reps in 7 Canadian provinces. That of course meant a lot of travelling! Lots of walking through airports and retail stores when working with reps, lots of sitting, lots of driving! When at home I could work from my home office but for meetings etc had to travel to our Canadian head office which was a 2 hour drive. Mind boggling now to think of doing that after my TKR. I think as you say, both physically but also from a mental clarity standpoint.
I think it is important that we make it clear to newbies on this forum so that they plan ahead for a staggered return to the working world and give themselves at least until the 12 week mark!
Your body and your mind will thank you!
 
...and when your plot popped into your clear brain...I remembered your genre and wondered just what was going on lol.

I know for a fact - I used to always read before falling asleep. After the TKR, I could only watch my next episode of whatever Netflix I was watching. I just started reading novels again, before falling sleep, a couple of months ago.
 
Susie, I love your post about mind fog. It is spot on. This surgery has affected me so much mentally. I have had more than one person tell me I have lost my "spark" and that hurts to hear it but I agree that it is true. I have not felt like myself for a long time. I'm not healing as quickly as others and as quickly as I assumed I would and it has taken a definite toll on me mentally. Anyway I always love reading your posts. They are comforting

Another fun fact that I saw on @Jennszoo feed was that you also enjoy Game of Thrones. I am a die hard fan and don't have a lot of friends who like it like I do. I enjoy the unpredictability of it all and I enjoy the books and the show so much. I'm attaching a meme for you that truly is relatable these days :)

[Bonesmart.org] SusieShoes' New Knees



RTKR 4/19/17
 
So Susie, you're saying there's hope? Phew! Just kidding, really, I'm finally *there.* It sure did take awhile though! My short-term memory still seems to be a bit off, for instance, I put my favorite reading glasses in the freezer yesterday, and of course, couldn't find them. I'm hoping that returns as I engage more fully in complex tasks. Though I no longer work for $$$, I handle the family finances; bank statements, bill paying, investments and all that sort of thing. I also try to paint a bit each day and this has suffered! Why, I'm not certain, except perhaps for what you described as difficulty with creativity. I'm sure it will return, and it's just a matter of time. For now, I just slap paint around.

In my case, the exhaustion is better for the most part, but just this afternoon I needed a nap. Yep, a 2 hour siesta. I slept well the night before and have been sleeping well in general, so it isn't that. I was just *tired*, lead-like, all day. No energy whatsoever. I'm sure tomorrow will predictably be *different*....aren't they all?

@Jajakio, sitting IS uncomfortable after an hour for me. The chair, sofa or chaise is irrelevant; it's the legs. It's definitely my clue to get up, but this isn't really new due to pre-existing back/hip issues. That said, these problems have been exacerbated by the TKR. In 6 months, I'm sure it will all be a bad dream, but for now? I'm a 'Jack-in the Box."
 
(((@mechellec))) who are these people saying you're not sparky? What do they know about what you've been through, physically, mentally and emotionally? This type of talk is so unwarranted and inappropriate. It really rots my socks; aargggh!

Great meme, lol! Seems pretty *sparky* to me.:snork:
 
Sunflowers are one of my favorites! I have grown them from seed many years, but skipped it this year because I knew I wouldn't be able to care for a garden with my knee surgery coming up. Such a lovely picture.


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@jaschembra, what happens in my brain sometimes is best left there, though there's a market for some of it. :wink: I also had trouble reading for pleasure. I loaded up on Kindle purchases and didn't read a one. I just this past week did read a paperback I'd bought two years ago and always wanted to read. Gosh I love those big fat fantasy novels! I just move into them and fall into adventure.

@Fire wolf, I write fantasy and science fiction, and erotic romance. I'm neither famous nor particularly good at it. But it sure is a heck of a fun way to spend my retirement!

@Ruby9297, it's between sunflowers and daffodils for me as to favorite flower. Good thing each has its own season! I too used to garden, before arthritic knees. I just ordered some spring bulbs and look forward to planting them. This yard could use a little fun.
 
@mechellec, I'm so happy you and others have found my post helpful. This need to recover mentally is a very real aspect. Some people have more trouble with it than others, I suspect, but it can be just as confusing and frightening as the physical parts of TKR. We ask ourselves if we'll ever be the same again. I knew it would pass because I've had it happen before, most vividly with my divorce. I could not write during that, either, and the biggest reason was that my brain was dealing with something else.

If our mind is pre-occupied by something, in the case of TKR by our body, our knee, our pain or our achievements with same, it simply doesn't have the resources to spare for other things. A creative mind is a mind in a certain space--and that space simply isn't available during or in the recovery from a traumatic event. TKR is a very traumatic event, and the body will, in emergency situations, almost always take precedence over things less necessary for survival... things like the spinning of stories, or painting, or whether or not those checkbooks balance. Your spark is still there, just waiting for things to settle down so it can shine again.

I hope these people who told you you've lost your spark did so in a conversation you initiated. Otherwise saying that to someone strikes me as hurtful. Even if they thought that, they should also have realized you are going through a huge trauma. Something has to give in the event. Something always does. But even those who think they are supporting us can have no patience with how long and sapping this process is.
 
@mechellec, and I love Game of Thrones! I met GRR Martin years ago at a science fiction convention and he's a hoot. I stopped reading the books after the first one because he killed off Ned Stark. But I picked them up again years later. And the show. Just one word: DRAGONS!

Mr. Shoes does not find the show even remotely interesting (except when the dragons show up because, let's face it, they're eminently watchable) so he simply lies on the couch and browses while I yell at the TV.
 
@Pheebs52, exhaustion has a lot to do with it, for sure! I practically napped for two solid months. It's hard to get much going when constantly zonked out on the recliner. And I hear you about the complex tasks and finances. Immediately post TKR is not the best time to make investment decisions.
 
@mechellec i don't know how anyone could say you lost your spark (only you can say those things). my goodness you hosted and attended your beautiful daughter's wedding recently and i believe you had a funeral to go to around the same time. i too would be hurt by a comment like that. perhaps the person that said that was meaning something else but said it unintentionally in a negative way. my best friend has been like that through our whole 50 year friendship but has got a lot better and has been very supportive of me during this and another illness. she just doesn't perceive how her comments can hurt. the funny thing is that i am very sensitive to her feelings and i always weigh what i'm going to say, unless it's something spontaneous but positive. btw i love the meme you posted.:flwrysmile:
 
Often people who've never had major surgery don't realize the toll it takes on your whole body AND mind. My TKR changed my whole outlook on life, so my personality in a way. I learned to enjoy simple pleasures and most importantly, not sweat the small stuff.
 
This happened to me when I went through breast cancer treatment. This TKR is right up there with altering ones perspective on life, for sure! And when others don't understand, it can be hurtful.
 
It sure is true, the statement - one can not fully understand unless they've been there themselves (and then, that isn't always true based on the recovery).
 
nodding head in agreement at all the recent posts.
Even close family members have asked why I still need crutches, sticks, why I don't go on outings etc etc. The very worst is when people say I could have avoided this had I lost a lot of weight. (my thyroid quit working 30 years ago, and since then I ballooned , alas, I also like pastries)
 
Susie, I can't believe you met GRRM! Wish you could have become friends with him and then been able to call him and tell him to hurry and get out his next book! :). He does not have the excuse of a TKR! Haha.

Love the comments from everyone about how this changes us and people don't understand. Thankful for this forum so we don't think we are crazy! :)


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SusieShoes said:
write fantasy and science fiction, and erotic romance. I'm neither famous nor particularly good at it. But it sure is a heck of a fun way to spend my retirement!
Click to expand...

@SusieShoes , I beg to differ with you on both counts! First of all, you are famous here! Besides, real writers don't write to be famous, they write because it is their passion! Secondly, based on what you write here, there is no possible way that you are not particularly good at it!!
So, you go girl!:yay:
 
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