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TKR The adventure begins

Welcome to recovery from a Middle Tennessean. I have been looking for your posts here. I am 11 days PO and tend to spend most of my time elevating and icing. I have an ice therapy machine which I purchased used which allows for longer icing. Sometimes it seems we take 4 steps forward and 5 steps back.:swoon:We will get there.
Glad to see you on the recovery side. Chattlyn is already here.
 
I was so obsessed about ROM while I was in physical therapy. I wasn't happy unless I was measured every time. I've been out of PT for 3 weeks. Just riding my recumbent bike 10 minutes most days, doing some exercises and trying to walk more as well as working a little. I have no idea what my ROM is and it doesn't matter. Im measuring progress by what I can do instead. I'm sure ROM has improved since I left PT. I know the knee moves further and easier than it did a few weeks ago. I tend to worry things to death anyway so this a change for me. Could I possibly be getting mellow? Nah, not likely. I'll probably find something else to obsess about soon.
 
So tomorrow is 8 weeks for me. I'm working about half time, but I'm in control of my time. I went out and inspected a good sized house on my own yesterday, maybe a little over an hour of walking, measuring, bending, and I felt well enough to stop at the grocery on the way home. But I napped and iced for a good 90 minutes after lunch. I don't limp at all when I'm rested but if I have a long day, the limp shows up toward the end. I no longer use the cane or at least hardly ever.. I carried it on the job yesterday just in case, but i never even took it out of the car.

I'm doing most of the cooking and hubby is doing much of the cleanup and dishes. I'm doing some housework but not back to normal yet. Nights are getting better. I usually wake up one, maybe twice some nights, but often don't get out of bed and fall back to sleep within 10 or 20 minutes. I slept until after 9 this morning which was a first. I'm usually up by 6 or 7 since I can no longer find a comfortable spot. I guess I needed the rest. No real pain anymore. Stiffness when I first get up from a chair and some mild discomfort on stairs or when I push too hard. Energy levels aren't normal yet. I get up and get going and have a busy morning and by mid afternoon, I'm often napping and and icing. Down to 1 afternoon nap and still elevating for a couple hours in evening.

I originally thought I would go full time next week but now decided I'm adding about 5 hours a week until I feel normal. It's one of the perks of working for ourselves. I truly can work as much or as little as I like. Except for the money, of course, I don't get paid for being off. But it not a huge issue. We can manage. Husband says don't worry, take as long as I need.
 
Great report! Glad you're listening to your body! I'm just 2 wks behind you and feeling some of the same things. I'm happy to hear that you're able to be flexible with your work schedule. There are no medals for heroines in TKR!
 
I was originally sorry and a bit worried to quit physical therapy at the end of 4 weeks but my insurance only allowed me 20 PT appointment for the entire year no matter what. I was thinking it was very likely that I would have the second knee don't before the year was out, so I decided to save some for next time. I was doing well with 100 flexion and 0 extension at the end of PT , but I was worried. Would I stall out, or even loose ground? I decided to try 2 weeks on my own and reasoned I could always go back if things were going badly. Im 8 weeks out now and pleased to report recovery is going well. I'm riding my recumbent bike for 10 minutes most days, walking when i have time and otherwise mostly activities of daily living. The pain has reduced to stiffness and occasional discomfort. More importantly, even though I haven't measured it, ROM seems to be improving. Not quite even to other knee yet, but close. Overall, I am moving better, even doing stairs somewhat more comfortably.. I can go up foot over foot when I concentrate and occasionally go down foot over foot but not always. Stairs are no longer an issue and in spite of mild discomfort I go up and down stairs to my office 10 or 12 times a day.

Best of all, the old knee is hardly bothering me so far. It was bad just before surgery and I was sure once I got moving around a bit more after surgery , it would act up again. So far, so good. I'm working about half time and moving around a lot. Except for the occasional twinge, non operated knee is behaving. The doctor had told me we would do the very bad knee first and then see how the other knee did once I was carrying my weight more evenly and not limping. But I was still sure the other one was going to need to be done right way. It is still early on, but I'm amazed and pleasantly surprised at how well it has done so far. Next appointment is in October, and I suppose if it's not bothering me any more than it is now , I will be free for a while. I'm back on my diet. Maybe losing 50 more pounds will keep it from getting worse (or at least buy me a little more time). It would definitely be cheaper to have done this year with my deductible met and all but I honestly can't justify having it done unless it gets much much worse. So far, so good.
 
what a great report ~ you are doing amazing and your r.o.m. is excellent, especially at just 8 weeks post op. it will continue to improve as you've probably noticed. it's also good that your other knee is behaving. did you ever have it x-rayed to see the extent of arthritis/bone on bone, if any? congratulations on a well-done recovery.
 
Yes, the other knee has been xrayed multiple times. Both knees were bone on bone 4 years ago but only one hurt at all then. The nonsurgical knee was bothering me pretty bad for about 6 months preop. Last time I was in for my 4 week post surgery checkup we looked at the last 2 xrays on the non surgical knee and discussed whether it was time to do it. Dr says insurance will approve me whenever I'm ready but he thinks I can put it off based on xrays and my lack of much pain so far. He was always of the opinion it might improve once it wasnt carrying all the weight for the very bad knee but i wasnt sure i believed him. It hurt a lot presurgery. He says it's my call and you can't always tell pain by xrays. Surgeon says he's ready when I am based on whenever it interferes with mobility. . So far, it simply does not hurt now except for the occasional twinge. Let's hope it stays that way.
 
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I have been upbeat and positive up to now. No 2 to 3 week blues, no tears so far. I was just focused and determined to get better as quickly as possible and everything was moving along as it should. It still is I suppose. I'm 2 days short of 9 weeks. I'm working half time or a little more, getting around relatively well, no cane at all anymore. I went to grocery yesterday and walked through the store for a good half hour and didn't even think about my knee until I was standing in checkout line.

So what do I have to complain about? Nothing really. I'm doing better than a lot of others who have genuine problems. I'm just so tired of this. Tired of running out of energy and spending an hour or two napping and icing every afternoon. Tired of falling asleep at 8pm in front of the tv . I'm tired of being too tired to tackle creative projects. I'm tired of sleeping poorly. I still can't sleep on my side for more than a few minutes and I still wake up a few times most nights. I was rarely insomnic before but now I lay in bed for an hour because very minor uncomfortableness in my knee won't let me drop off to sleep. 2 tylenol pm don't put me out for long. I rarely really hurt, just nagging stiffness and mild uncomfortable feelings and still being tired. Nothing exceptional, nothing that needs treatment. I'm just a lousy patient and I'm tired of not being normal yet. Okay, that's the end of my rant. I'm sure there is nothing exceptional going on, I just long to be back to normal and busy again.
 
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@Jajakio, the entire recovery process IS really tiresome and tedious! Your feelings are shared by all of us, but it's good to let it out now and then, isn't it? We just can't dwell there; hah! No, we cannot. I don't think you are as evidenced by all that you are doing, and frankly, I think you are doing remarkably well for just 8 weeks post-op, so CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS! Seriously, pat yourself on the back! I certainly understand the Energy Drain theory, but some of the bone-tired, drop-dead exhaustion just has to come from poor sleeping, wouldn't you agree? Once we are sleeping *normally* again, everything improves, from knees to mood; pinkie swear!

I didn't achieve great sleep until I realized I needed to sleep on the memory foam mattress in our guest room. We have a latex bed in our room, which, under normal circumstances is very comfortable, but...not post-tkr. I slept on the softer memory foam bed for several weeks, sometimes with Mistah, sometimes with a dog or two, and sometimes alone. It was the answer to my "Beauty Rest," prayers and also to side-sleeping. At about 12 weeks, I was finally able to head back to the master bedroom, though, occasionally, we'll switch off to the memory foam bed just...because. I think what I'm trying to say here is *softer is better* when it comes to the new knee. If you don't have a memory foam bed in the house, you could possibly consider buying a topper, just for your side of the bed. You wouldn't even necessarily need a memory foam topper, possibly a feather bed topper would do the same. So, this is just a suggestion that really made my knee and my sleep ever so much better!
 
P.S.: considering just how well you are doing, (you are) I think you will find some great improvements over the next 4 weeks, so, something to anticipate with glee! At around 11-12 weeks, I'd say my energy level was perhaps 75% of *normal.* Now, at 14 weeks, I'd say it's 90% of normal. Things just keep buzzing along in a positive way, so keep resting up for some big, positive changes on the horizon.:SUNsmile:
 
Thanks, Pheebs. Maybe you are onto something about the mattress. I was just saying to the husband yesterday maybe it was time to buy a new mattress. No memory foam in the house. My son had one a few years ago and I recall not liking it then. I don't have a feather bed topper but I think I would like one. That may be something to look for. I won't sleep on anything but a feather pillow and I have a light down quilt I use in the winter. So off to amazon to see what is available.

I have found this community to be such a help with recovery. If i didnt know this was normal, I'd be a lot more worried. I don't want to rant excessively to family and friends, they dont always get what im complaining about anyway. Or they get super cheerful and tell me I will be all better soon. But I really have nothing important to complain about. The husband worries too much about me already. He's been very supportive and has been doing way more than his share the past couple of months. He expects way less of me than I do. But I've never been down this long in my life. The only other surgery I ever had was my c-section and I came home and never really stayed in bed. Took a nap here and there but got up and got dressed early every morning and did normal things right away.

I also got up and got dressed every single morning with this too. I thought about why it is such a big deal for me and all I can come up with is that when my mother died of cancer she got up and got dressed every morning until things got too bad and then she stayed in her sweats or pajamas all day toward the end. So I kind of associate that with hopelessness I guess. I'm okay eating breakfast in my pj's, but I have to get dressed to believe I'm making progress. It can be sloppy shorts and a t shirt but no pajamas. I never realized why I felt that way until recently.
 
Yes,the dog days of recovery really suck - I can say that you will get past this period of extreme tiredness due to crappy sleeping - and perhaps in the next few weeks. I think I started sleeping better around week 9 or 10 and it made such a huge difference in energy and outlook. I "slept", er rested, in the spare room (softer mattress and egg crate foam) for at least 10 weeks. It is great to have BS for venting!
 
Thanks, surgery buddies. After the first few weeks, I sleep in my own bed most nights. Once in a while I still get up because I can't sleep and end up sleeping on the couch. I had a wonderful night Saturday night. Went to bed late but fell asleep in 5 minutes and for the first time slept through the night. Immediately followed by an awful Sunday night and Monday night. Last night was only mediocre. I'm sure part of my attitude is due to lack of good sleep for the last 8 weeks. I'm glad to know it is common and will pass eventually. I'm sure I'll be a more cheerful person with once I get enough sleep. I know lots of people who are often insomnic, but I never understood how difficult it was for them until now. It is almost 11, I have taken my tylenol pm about 45 minutes ago and now it's time to grab my best ice pack and head off to bed. Good night.
 
Okay so here I am at 9 weeks and over my midweek moodiness. I worked pretty close to full time this week (not quite) and I feel like I've turned another corner. Nights still aren't always good, but pain has greatly improved in daytime. I'm walking normal speed without a limp. I haven't had time to ice and elevate last two days until evening. I have taken less tylenol in the daytime, in fact, I often forget to take one until afternoon. And im still not swollen and feeling pretty good. My energy level isnt quite normal yet but greatly improved from a few weeks ago.

We went to buy a new mattress this morning and I was bouncing on and off a dozen and a half beds with no pain at all. After lunch, I cleaned house, swept and mopped floors for an hour. Rested on the couch for about an hour with ice pack, then went down the hill to the creek and took a short walk in the woods for the first time since surgery. That hill is sort of steep but I just took my time and was fine. It was lovely to be out in the woods and feel more normal. Then I came home and drove across town to take daughter to work since her car isn't running. Came home, made a nice dinner and am resting and icing on couch before bed. I'll probably take my two tylenol pm just before bed and have a glass of wine in the hot tub with hubby. If I can just get back to a regular good nights sleep I will be happy.

I was thinking today how much better off I am than before surgery. My doctor said it would take me 4 to 6 weeks to be even with where I was before surgery. He called it about right. It is a bit more complicated than a direct comparison though. How do you factor in sleepless nights or energy drain? But I was probably moving as well as presurgery by o4 or 5 weeks. Factoring in my job and how I was doing, my doctor told me I could go back to work part time at 4 weeks and full time at 8. I know that is earlier than some people do, but he was right about that for me too. The first week I barely did 10 hours spread out on my timetable with lots of naps and icing. But this week I did a good 35 hours and was a bit tired Friday afternoon but bounced back by today. Before surgery, I could barely manage a trip through Walmart and sometimes left without everything on my list because I had reached the end of my pain tolerance. Now I can get around most of the days without significant pain. I am grateful to my custom Conformis knee, my good surgeon and a good dose of luck.
 
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I am so impressed and encouraged by all that you are doing. I totally underestimated the length of recovery time, and it does get very tiring. Thanks for the glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.
 
Hang in there @OJ2, it does get better. I was still somewhat overwhelmed at a month out like you are. I was still in a fair amount of pain and got so tired so easily. Not moving along as fast as I wished seemed like the biggest deal. My ROM was stuck at 95 to 100 which was fine but it just did not seem to be moving much. Like you, I underestimated this whole TKR deal. Seems like I turned one corner about 6 weeks and another this week. It will improve for you as time goes by.
 
9 weeks and a few days:

It has been a good week. Just this week I think I very turned a big corner on pain and stiffness. No idea what my ROM is but the operated knee goes back very close to as far a the non operated knee. I am honestly not in real pain anymore. A little stiffness here and there and a little discomfort on stairs or at night but really pretty minor. Today I actually forgot for a second which leg was operated on. Only for a second while in the middle of some maneuver or other, but I actually did. Yes, I still have occasional stabs of strong discomfort/mild pain in the middle of something but it doesn't last long.

I won't say my energy level is normal yet but it has improved enormously over a few weeks ago. It is 10 pm and I'm still awake and energetic. I napped for an hour and a half this afternoon but otherwise have been up most of day, even pulled weeds in front flowerbed for 20 minutes. Haven't tackled any new big projects yet but am thinking about it. Maybe painting the kitchen. It been cool, 70s in the daytime and 50s at night and that has helped my energy level too, after the dog days of summer. Sleep is somewhat improved since the middle of the week but I never know what the night will be like. Sometimes decent, sometimes insomniac and restless. Still can't sleep on my right side for more than 20 minutes and can't sleep on my non operated side at all. My hip hurts. I thought it was the mattress, but no. Even with the new mattress, my left hip still hurts if I lay on it for long and my back acts up now and then.
 
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