TKR Tennis Nut's Recovery Thread

[Tennis Nut]

He gave her a choice Carol. Either go to assisted living in our town or she could accept inhome assitance and stay in her own home. She chose the latter and now refuses. She won't admit she even has Altzheimer's. I'm rescheduling her appointment/checkup with her neuro so he can sit her down and tell her how it is and that she has to give up her car. It's going to happen, it's just a matter of when. My husband is getting more fed up by the day. Loves his mom but finally sees the truth. After me telling him what I've been seeing for five years. Men are slow sometimes.

 

[Tennis Nut]

I'ts hot and humid and totally beautiful. We live on the Gulf Coast and the water and beaches are sugar white and turquoise blue. Unlike the NE US where beaches are dirty and the water is gray. Very artisitic area of the US. I'm an artist myself and sell locally. Very sociable for the most part. I don't know of any race riots here. I think that was Chicago,, Detroit, all the big cities up north. Burning cars, throwing bottles, etc. There were some protests and marches in Birmingham and on the campus of the U of Alabama. I'm actually from E. Tennessee which is cooler and more mountainous and even more gorgeous. My family is all from there but originally, came from Wales on Dad's side and Ireland on Mom's.

 

[Pumpkin]

Good luck with your MIL, it is a tough decision to make.
My Mom goes to the eye doctor today, and I am sure he will tell her she can no longer drive. Not going to be a fun day for my Brother who is taking her.

 

[Tennis Nut]

Pumpkin, it's hard to try and take time to fall apart yourself when aging parents do he same. Driving is their last totally independent thing they want to hang on to. You hate to take it from them but for safety's sake you must. Good luck with you mom

 

[patient 99]

he can sit her down and tell her how it is and that she has to give up her car. It's going to happen, it's just a matter of when. My husband is getting more fed up by the day. Loves his mom but finally sees the truth. After me telling him what I've been seeing for five years. Men are slow sometimes.

The flaw must be that you can sit her down all you like and make it clear. But come tomorrow wont she have forgotten. I think men would be less slow if they were the ones at the sharp end. All too often its the wife who intervenes and does.

You should put some of your paintings up for us to see. What's your style.

Quite amazed at your description of Alabama. If a place isn't on the tourist route it can get overlooked - that's probably a good thing.

 

[Tennis Nut]

Yes, she will forget as soon as she leaves if not before.

Google Gulf Coast, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Pensacola, Emerald coast, Ft. Walton Beach, Rosemary Beach. The entire gulf coast oanhandle area of Florida and coastal alabama are huge tourist areas. Fairhope, where I live, is quite similar to Carmel, CA in looks andnthe artsy thing, and your royals have been here to play polo. It's a huge international draw for spurt Americans who play polo too. Thankfully, moratoriums were passed on high rise building so our area didn't turn into the ft. Myers, Naples Florida kinda of area. St Petersburg and Tampa were ruined by that. We've got an Air Force base and a Naval air station too. Mobile, al is where the big tanker planes are built. Our economy has not suffered like a lot of areas but we aren't inviting anybody else to come live here. So keep it quiet.

I will put some stuff up in a SoCial area later. I'm more abstract now since that's what sells and I usually do big things. Nothing smaller than 40 x 40 and usually bigger than that. 5'x6' is nice size. Some coastal birds and seascapes. My flowers are awful so I avoid those.

 

[patient 99]

Good morning Mary, how's your knee coming along and how are you feeling? Carol

 

[Tennis Nut]

Hi carol, I had my 9 week checkup this week and everything is fine. I still ache and get sore. Can't predict it or know when it's coming. Some days are great and some are frustrating. Same with sleeping. Almost none at all last night. But overall, I'm fine and I have noticed that I forget to take Tylenol or tramadol for the ache. Guess that means its aching less. I don't see my doctor again for 12 weeks. Have you completely recovered now or do you still have aches and pains after five months? Any issues with sleep? Just wondering if sleep is forever disrupted. How often do you have to go in to see your doctor?

I'm doing a lot though. Even pulled some weeds, laundry, gave dogs baths and going out on the boat tomorrow if it just won't rain. We've had such a wet summer that we haven't been able to see the beaches and gorgeous water very much. The dogs love it and swim and roll in the sand. Quit a mess when we get home. Do you see lots of golden retrievers in your area? I run into an English bred golden now and then here in the US. Some seem calmer than goldens here in the US. English labs are very much calmer, shorter and stockier. One of mine is hunting bred and she has a high prey drive and often brings me things. Possum, baby rabbits, squirrels. Yuck! My boy in my profile picture was bred for show and therapy. He's a lazy, laid back love machine and will likely be an eternal puppy.

I watched all the news about the new little prince. Wills and Kate are a cute couple but Harry is my favorite royal. Hope you're doing well. Wondering how it is at 5 months. Hoping I have something great to look forward to.

 

[patient 99]

Hi Mary, From what you have said about your TKR I think you are one of the lucky ones that will recover well and quickly. I think my recovery is perhaps a little slower than the average. No pain as such, but I can't get rid of the tight rubber band feeling which makes walking, in particular, quite an effort. I am hoping it is normal scar tissue which will go in time rather than adhesions which require MUA. I sleep really well. In fact too well. I used to sleep for about 7 - 8 hours a night. Now its more like 9 - 10. I put it down to all the energy I use when walking with a tethered knee.

The good thing is that in the main I have gotten over the tears and depression stage. I am happy if it takes a year to reach full recovery. But I do know that for some it can take longer, and I have to be prepared for that. I never go to see my doctor. I do have an appointment on 16 August with the surgeon. That's when a decision will be made as to whether or not I need MUA. I am concerned about that, but am keeping my fingers crossed that it wont be necessary. Keeping up with my exercises to give myself the best chance. How's your exercise regime? Anything you particularly favour?

Your dog looks lovely. I like dogs and occasionally look after 2 black labradors when my friend's on holiday. But I wouldn't have dogs of my own. Too tying and they create a lot of extra work indoors. The compensation I'm sure is that they give a lot of love.

Any change on the mother in law front?

 

[Tennis Nut]

The MIL is same. No progress. We just have to deal it and will. Expecting it to get much worse.

You have good range of motion. Didn't you say it's 120? I wouldn't think you need MUA. And you aren't having much pain any more so I think it will get better once all swelling is gone. That's what I keep hearing and that there is swelling you can't see. one big advantage I've had is that my quad wasn't cut. In the end result, there's no difference but for a quicker recovery, my PT says it makes a big difference. My OS doesn't do hardly any of the quad cutting replacements. Only when the patient needs to have it done that way. They've been doing hips without cutting some of the muscles too.

That's good that you've gotten through the depression. That takes a big toll on you. Wish I could sleep 7-8 hours. 6 would even be good but 6 is about all I've ever slept anyway. I'm sure it will come back. That tightness is supposedly one of the last things to do away. I've got more on days when I do more and get stiff. I really think recumbent bike is the best exercise of all for ROM. Do it backwards some too. That and stretching and step ups and step downs. Have you tried any slow motion marching? I think exercise is supposed to prevent adhesions and the biking should help. I've seen several people here mention having MUA and that it helped. Hope you don't have to do that though. Can't be fun and if you're like me, you've had about enough "fun" already with this. I'm sure you're going to get up one day and see that some of the tightness is gone. Hope it's sooner rather than later.

My dogs are tons of fun and I hope to never be without at least two. Yep, they shed all over the house and they are indoor dogs. The vacuuming never ends. They're going swimming tomorrow and I am too.

 

[Tennis Nut]

Carol, on another note, have you notice how young some are that are getting TKR's? Saw a few in their 40's. I was thinking 60's was young.

 

[My knee Charlie]

Carol, on another note, have you notice how young some are that are getting TKR's? Saw a few in their 40's. I was thinking 60's was young.

My OS and I actually talked about this. His theory is that in this day and age people refuse to grow old and continue expecting their bodies to do what it could in their 30's and 40's. so he has noticed he is treating younger people as well

 

[Tennis Nut]

I suppose that could be the case but I was thinking poor diet and obesity could be an issue as well. Lack of activity too. I see so many people 20-30 years younger than I am who aren't in 10% as good a shape as I am. Takes work and people expect to get "fixed" when something breaks. I tried desperately for 5 years to NOT get a TKR. PT, acupuncture two times a week, meds, LRZ7 laser treatments, massage, hyularonic injections and an unloader brace to play tennis in. All of that for 5 years but it all stopped working so here I am and glad it's over except for the healing.

 

[patient 99]

one big advantage I've had is that my quad wasn't cut.

Josephine, I haven't got a clue if my quad was cut. What's the current practice in the UK? Apart from my dodgy knee my leg prior to TKR was in good shape. At this stage of the game I ask only out of curiosity. Carol

 

[Tennis Nut]

Carol, was your incision straight up the middle of the knee and 8-12 inches long? And did it extend some above the knee? The quad sparring or minimally invasive TKR has a 4-5 inch scar and its not in the middle of the knee. Mine is toward the medial side and does not go over the top of the kneecap. And it makes no difference in the long term or end results which kind you had. It's just easier and quicker to recover if the quad isn't cut. It still hurts like the dickens too.

 

[patient 99]

Hi Mary, the bad news for people who have to have TKRs earlier in life is that they may have to go through it all again. I read somewhere that the life of a new knee is approx. 20 years. So if you have it done when you are 40......... But things are improving all the time. I bet in 20 years time there probably wont be a need for a site like BS. You will pop in to the hospital in the morning, get your new knee and be back to work the next day.

I saw a tomorrow's world type programme on the TV. They are predicting that in the future all our parts could be replaced. They showed you a model of `a person'. The only thing that was real ie, what she'd been born with, was her head! I think I've been born too soon. I quite fancy being able to off load the old body and strap on a new up market one - just as long as it doesn't involve icing, elevating, sleepless nights and pity parties <chuckle> Carol

 

[patient 99]

Hi Mary, yest it was the 8-12 inch, straight up the middle one. So my quad must have been cut. Even if the end result is the same, why for heavens sake aren't all OSs doing the type that aids recovery? I wont forget this when it comes to having my other knee done. C

 

[Tennis Nut]

It's amazing how far TKR's have come too. They didn't last even 10 years at first. Some of the new materials are supposed to last 30 years now but it depends on how they are treated by their owners.

We might want a new younger face popped on over the old one if we have all those new body parts of the future. Just want to keep what's inside my head. I saw where a double arm transplant was done on a US soldier whose arms were blown off by an IED. Amazing. Like you, I'm over the icing, elevating , sleepless nights and pity parties. I did sleep like a rock last night though.

 

[Tennis Nut]

Carol, not all doctors do that procedure. My OS and two of his partners do them. It requires more training for the OS and the surgery takes longer and requires more skill. Some doctors here that I interviewed all gave the same pat answer. "I like to have the large incision so I can see what I'm doing". It was like I was hearing a ore-recorded message from them. My dr has done over 4000 replacements and is averaging about 150 of the minimally invasive per year. Some surgeons also try to scare people by saying that there is risk of misalignment. And there is that risk anyway. But the work s done through a smaller "window" and the quad is shoved out of the way. The physical therapists around my area all say that patients who have it do great. And when I say the surgery takes longer, mine took less than an hour from incision to closing it up. Surgeons here like to slice them open fast and be out of the OR in 30 mins. There are also cases that can't be done minimally. Rush university hospital in Chicago does them as outpatient surgery. That amazes me. I needed to e in the hospital on Iv drugs!

 

[My knee Charlie]

I can't imagine this procedure being outpatient! I had a foley cath in me for 2 days ( so grateful not to worry about having "go right now" lol). The y kept the nerve block I for 2 days as well as the drain. To walk was scary. So I appreciated the help the first few days.