jbucks
member
United StatesI am really baffled by this no sleep. I had a glass of wine before I went to bed last night because I did not have any pain meds all day. still no sleep. that used to put be out for the night
Swelling? Can't figure out why....
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71Beetle
post-grad
Hi @Tamsmom! I am not getting your alerts. I hope you don't think I am ignoring you! I am doing well thanks. I was swimming this weekend again - it still feels weird but I am getting used to it. My right knee is giving me more pain lately than the one I just had operated on. I consider this progress! If I was not getting the right one done I would be very pleased with my recovery thus far. Now, let's be clear, I am still on meds though not as regularly; I still don't have a great ROM and I still cannot go downstairs properly or go full rotation on the bike. But I walk pretty close to normal on the TKR leg (still limping on the right leg); I don't cry for no reason and I am sleeping more so those are all good things. Just in time for me to do it all over again in 10 days 
Hope you are doing okay! Do you work from home or do you go into the office? In insurance, are your hours pretty much days or do you have to meet clients on nights and weekends? How long have you been doing this? I am commission based as well which is a pain when you need to take any extended time off.
Hope you are doing okay! Do you work from home or do you go into the office? In insurance, are your hours pretty much days or do you have to meet clients on nights and weekends? How long have you been doing this? I am commission based as well which is a pain when you need to take any extended time off.
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Tamsmom
senior
Well I passed! In a month I will officially be a registered rep for my broker/dealer for variable investment products!
Another good part of the day was a littl shopping done with my daughter...the new knee did great, the old one just needs to go!
Here I am awake still!
I get to try and golf tomorrow, a scramble at work, thought it would be a easy re-entry to the golf course.
4/1/2014 TKR
Another good part of the day was a littl shopping done with my daughter...the new knee did great, the old one just needs to go!
Here I am awake still!
I get to try and golf tomorrow, a scramble at work, thought it would be a easy re-entry to the golf course.
4/1/2014 TKR
OP
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Tamsmom
senior
Well dr said wait 12 weeks to golf, so I did, 12 weeks and 1 day....the knee did pretty good, got a little stiff pretty quick but never got worse and seems ok now several hours later, the golf on the other hand....I sucked! New clubs I don't know how to use on top if everything else...but it was good to get out there.
4/1/2014 TKR
4/1/2014 TKR
71Beetle
post-grad
@Tamsmom - congratulations on passing your exam and on getting back to golf! That is amazing! You should be proud of yourself! Who cares what your score was - you were out there and that is what is important. I was unable to golf last year and this year it is out as well. I can't wait to get bad to it next year. I may join a ladies league next year. We will see.
Hope everything else is going well with you!
Hope everything else is going well with you!
OP
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Tamsmom
senior
Maybe just maybe I am getting back to normal....I did some powerful retail therapy yesterday and didn't really think about my knee....well I did, but then I realized I didn't need to! I had been looking for the perfect bedspread since the day we moved into out new home Jan 2011 and low and behold I finally found it! So I needed a few other things to finish the bed.
We also got out 8 month old French Britney dog back yesterday. She has been gone almost since my surgery. She h
Went to hunting school and unfortunately she didn't do excel at bird hunting...the while reason my husband got after! Anyway, I have not been very excited getting her back since she is high energy and not completing house trained but I have to remember everything doesn't always hurt anymore!
It is surprising how we change our lifestyle and habits when we are dealing with constant pain, and now that the pain to somewhat relieved I find myself having make myself do things again.
4/1/2014 TKR
We also got out 8 month old French Britney dog back yesterday. She has been gone almost since my surgery. She h
Went to hunting school and unfortunately she didn't do excel at bird hunting...the while reason my husband got after! Anyway, I have not been very excited getting her back since she is high energy and not completing house trained but I have to remember everything doesn't always hurt anymore!
It is surprising how we change our lifestyle and habits when we are dealing with constant pain, and now that the pain to somewhat relieved I find myself having make myself do things again.
4/1/2014 TKR
71Beetle
post-grad
Hi @Tamsmom - woohoo! You have done so well and things are really looking up for you. This is great news! I was doing retail therapy yesterday as well but I paid for it today. Don't you love it when you find the perfect thing (bedspread, dress, shoes) that you have been looking for? I would like to replace our bedspread too but it is so low on the priority list that I doubt I will for some time. I don't dislike the one I have but I would like a change.
Your dog sounds like she will keep you on your toes. She was gone for 3 months to hunting school? Is that generally how it is done? it must be weird for your family and for her to get back into a home routine. I hope she settles in soon. I had never heard of a French Britney before so I looked it up. What a beautiful animal! I have seen that breed before but never knew the proper name. Definitely looks like a hunting dog. What does your husband hunt for?
My hubby used to hunt before he met me. He hunted deer and rabbit but did not eat it so he was really only doing it for sport and I could not get my head around that. He still fishes and that is fine because we eat what we catch or we catch and release if it is a fish we won't eat or if it is too small. He still shoots his guns but it is at targets now instead of animals.
It is pretty cool how we adjust to pain and then how we forget it isn't it? I am so pleased for you that you have really turned the corner and I hope things continue to improve for you. Take care!
Your dog sounds like she will keep you on your toes. She was gone for 3 months to hunting school? Is that generally how it is done? it must be weird for your family and for her to get back into a home routine. I hope she settles in soon. I had never heard of a French Britney before so I looked it up. What a beautiful animal! I have seen that breed before but never knew the proper name. Definitely looks like a hunting dog. What does your husband hunt for?
My hubby used to hunt before he met me. He hunted deer and rabbit but did not eat it so he was really only doing it for sport and I could not get my head around that. He still fishes and that is fine because we eat what we catch or we catch and release if it is a fish we won't eat or if it is too small. He still shoots his guns but it is at targets now instead of animals.
It is pretty cool how we adjust to pain and then how we forget it isn't it? I am so pleased for you that you have really turned the corner and I hope things continue to improve for you. Take care!
OP
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Tamsmom
senior
Thanks @71Beetle I am feeling really pretty good! Having a normal day is such a good thing anymore! It is great to not have the knee be the first and only thing I think about. As hard as this recovery is when things go "right" I can't imagine some of the things people here have been through and still are working hard to lead a normal and productive life.
3 months tomorrow....this past month has been a steady progression to getting back to normal. now normal isn't my activity level 5 years ago. 5 years ago I ran, did body pump, took spinning and was in good shape for the first time in my adult life. I even worked part time at a PT clinic. While there I would see older somewhat overweight women and men come to get relief from arthritis in the knees, I am not going to lie I totally judged them and thought no way will I let myself get to that point..."if they would just get I better shape and lose some weight they would be better". Well God humbled me and put me in my place. Stress became overwhelming in my life, marital, financial, everything and the #100+ pounds that I lost started creeping back on but I was still being active and working as a weight watcher leader. As a few pounds came back I noticed pain in my left knee when I would run on the treadmill, but I just cut back the amount of times I ran a week. We finally moved into our new house also know as the money pit. I vowed to get back to a healthier lifestyle, I was done working for WW, loved the program, not so much working for the company...the first Monday we were in our house I got up, worked out at the Y, unpacked, up and down stairs all day. Went to leave to pick up daughter from a friends in the evening and fell stepping off the step from the house to the garage, it was a temporary step....fell hard into the concrete, screamed for husband and when he got me up and took my boot off UGGS-January in Nebraska! And he was sure I had broken my right ankle so off to the hospital...thankfully no break, but I had also fallen directly onto my left kneecap. I didn't think much of the knee at the time, but as the weeks went by the knee got worse and the ankle got better. Ever heard of "post traumatic arthritis?" That is what happened along with a torn meniscus. So, therapy and a knee scope later the knee didn't get better and the weight kept piling on! I think my bad gait and compensating for the bad left knee I screwed up the right one. Fast forward through many injections I finally gave up, 2 knees bone on bone I had to decide when and where to do this TKR. I chose a surgeon that specializes in difficult cases, revisions, etc. not that I had one but I decided to start with him as opposed to ending up with him!
NO ONE can prepare you for this surgery, physically or mentally....my sister is a PT and she said 3 month recovery, first month you don't do anything but take care if yourself and PT...but we still don't get it. I think the mental part has been just as difficult as the physical pain.
So today I feel hopeful again, for the first time in 4 years. I want the active lifestyle I had just embraced when I got hurt back. No I will never run again, but I want to be able to do most other things. I am trying to decide how to lose the weight again, WW or some other way? I know all weight loss really is is calories in less than calories out, but you have to be accountable.
I want to encourage everyone that is 6-12 weeks out, it will get better, you won't be on pain meds forever, you will be able to walk the grocery store and not be in pain at the end. There will come a day whe you don't feel like your knee is so tight that the top will tear open at anytime! I still feel some tightness but nothing like even 4 weeks ago!
Chin up everyone! Be thankful you were healthy enough to go through the surgery, hopeful a better day is right around the corner and don't take anything for granted. Oh and don't judge others like I was so swift to do!
3 months tomorrow....this past month has been a steady progression to getting back to normal. now normal isn't my activity level 5 years ago. 5 years ago I ran, did body pump, took spinning and was in good shape for the first time in my adult life. I even worked part time at a PT clinic. While there I would see older somewhat overweight women and men come to get relief from arthritis in the knees, I am not going to lie I totally judged them and thought no way will I let myself get to that point..."if they would just get I better shape and lose some weight they would be better". Well God humbled me and put me in my place. Stress became overwhelming in my life, marital, financial, everything and the #100+ pounds that I lost started creeping back on but I was still being active and working as a weight watcher leader. As a few pounds came back I noticed pain in my left knee when I would run on the treadmill, but I just cut back the amount of times I ran a week. We finally moved into our new house also know as the money pit. I vowed to get back to a healthier lifestyle, I was done working for WW, loved the program, not so much working for the company...the first Monday we were in our house I got up, worked out at the Y, unpacked, up and down stairs all day. Went to leave to pick up daughter from a friends in the evening and fell stepping off the step from the house to the garage, it was a temporary step....fell hard into the concrete, screamed for husband and when he got me up and took my boot off UGGS-January in Nebraska! And he was sure I had broken my right ankle so off to the hospital...thankfully no break, but I had also fallen directly onto my left kneecap. I didn't think much of the knee at the time, but as the weeks went by the knee got worse and the ankle got better. Ever heard of "post traumatic arthritis?" That is what happened along with a torn meniscus. So, therapy and a knee scope later the knee didn't get better and the weight kept piling on! I think my bad gait and compensating for the bad left knee I screwed up the right one. Fast forward through many injections I finally gave up, 2 knees bone on bone I had to decide when and where to do this TKR. I chose a surgeon that specializes in difficult cases, revisions, etc. not that I had one but I decided to start with him as opposed to ending up with him!
NO ONE can prepare you for this surgery, physically or mentally....my sister is a PT and she said 3 month recovery, first month you don't do anything but take care if yourself and PT...but we still don't get it. I think the mental part has been just as difficult as the physical pain.
So today I feel hopeful again, for the first time in 4 years. I want the active lifestyle I had just embraced when I got hurt back. No I will never run again, but I want to be able to do most other things. I am trying to decide how to lose the weight again, WW or some other way? I know all weight loss really is is calories in less than calories out, but you have to be accountable.
I want to encourage everyone that is 6-12 weeks out, it will get better, you won't be on pain meds forever, you will be able to walk the grocery store and not be in pain at the end. There will come a day whe you don't feel like your knee is so tight that the top will tear open at anytime! I still feel some tightness but nothing like even 4 weeks ago!
Chin up everyone! Be thankful you were healthy enough to go through the surgery, hopeful a better day is right around the corner and don't take anything for granted. Oh and don't judge others like I was so swift to do!
71Beetle
post-grad
@Tamsmom Thank you so much for your story. Wow, what an inspiration. You will get back to where you were, I just know you will. You are right about the mental pain as well as the physical pain. It is so good to see that you have overcome this pain and are headed back to your active lifestyle. I know I have said many times on my thread but I just can't wait until I have recovered from my upcoming surgery on my second knee so I can get my life back.
Thanks again for the inspiring message! I really appreciate it!
Oh, and I like your new profile pic but you can't see your smile as well as you could on your previous pic!
Thanks again for the inspiring message! I really appreciate it!
Oh, and I like your new profile pic but you can't see your smile as well as you could on your previous pic!
OP
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Tamsmom
senior
OP
OP
Tamsmom
senior
71Beetle
post-grad
Have a nice time at the wedding. Hope you are well rested and don't overdo it.
I am not really nervous for tomorrow. It is just the means to me getting back to my active life. I have full confidence in my surgeon and I can only hope that the recovery on the right goes as well as the recovery on the left. I still don't have a great ROM but I walk unassisted and go up stair normally and have decreased my meds considerably so I call that a good recovery.
I am spending the night at my parents and they will drive me to the hospital for 8:00 am for a 10:00 am surgery. My hubby will be home on Friday and will bring the boys by to see me then. I will be too doped up tomorrow anyway to enjoy a visit from them.
Safe travels to you!
I am not really nervous for tomorrow. It is just the means to me getting back to my active life. I have full confidence in my surgeon and I can only hope that the recovery on the right goes as well as the recovery on the left. I still don't have a great ROM but I walk unassisted and go up stair normally and have decreased my meds considerably so I call that a good recovery.
I am spending the night at my parents and they will drive me to the hospital for 8:00 am for a 10:00 am surgery. My hubby will be home on Friday and will bring the boys by to see me then. I will be too doped up tomorrow anyway to enjoy a visit from them.
Safe travels to you!
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