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TKR The adventure begins

Thanks, Pheebs. I did screw up very early and my leg swelled pretty badly and took 3 days to get back to normal. I am learning I'm not invincible. I have actually been cautious a couple of times this week. I suspect I'm one of those people who learns the hard way even when I should know better. And afterward realizes what I did was not the smartest. My son keeps on me not to overdo. The husband has known me longer and just kind of shrugs and thinks it is less trouble to figure it out for myself.
 
So I'm weird. I'm doing pretty well with many tasks but having trouble with some simple ones. I've been going up and down the 12 stairs to my basement office once a day. It pulls a bit but is doable. However I can't sit at the desk in my regular desk chair for more than 15 minutes comfortably. The knee starts pulling and hurting. I've tried raising and lowering the chair and it doesn't matter. I spent 8 hours a day in that chair for the last couple of years and always found it very comfortable. I think it's going to be longer than I think before I get back to work.
 
Even though you are making great progress in some areas, like steps, it is still quite early in recovery with lots of internal healing still going on. I found it very uncomfortable to sit with legs down for any length of time until a few weeks ago - I am almost at 12 weeks. It will get better.
 
yes, sitting at a desk or table with leg down is painful (pulling and hurting) also. it's a little better if i stretch my leg out to the side, but not ideal for sitting long periods of time. can you get a footstool, maybe a soft fabric footstool to put under your desk and elevate your leg? it's probably a good idea to get up and walk around every so often to cut down on the stiffness.
 
Sitting with your leg down with your infant knee is painful for everyone at your stage in recovery. Try to elevate and ice while you're sitting. I know it's not easy, but will buy you some more time to sit there.
 
Day 22
Had a busy day yesterday. Had my physical therapy session early morning. Did my regular garden and chickens. Took a nap and iced then took 16 year old son to Lowes and bought some lumber. He's been taking me to physical therapy and is something of a woodworker and interested receptionist in having him build a dining room table for her. He has built me an exquisite cofee table and showed her pictures of this and his other work. He's a great kid. Took another nap and iced. Went out to supper at our favorite mexican place across town. I feel pretty good this morning and had a decent night last night only getting up once about 4:30, took another tylenol, iced and went right back to sleep until nearly 9am. Recumbent bike arrived and my dear husband put it together for me. Off for a nap and then maybe a short spin. PT says hold it down to 8-10 minutes and don't overdo.
 
that's great you had a decent night's sleep and you felt okay this morning after your busy day. good for your son to take up woodworking ~ it's a creative, artistic and exacting skill to have and much in demand. enjoy your new bike!
 
You can't buy a good night's sleep! It's truly a gift. I glad you got one.
 
Yesterday was rough. Like many of you I'd been fighting constipation while on stronger pain killers. I'd been proactive and doing pretty well with miralax and prunes. I'm just working my way off off percocet, one occasionally 2 to get through the night and things were improving. Had horrible stomach cramps and diarrhea yesterday evening/ night. I'm fine this morning but it's an interesting change from borderline constipated for the first three weeks. One step forward, one step back. I haven't been nauseated since I had surgery thanks to proactive regimen from the beginning. Hospital gave me presurgery antinausea drugs, put a scopolonime patch behind my ear, more antinausea drugs in IV bag and a prescription drug to go home with me. I had my surgery done at St Thomas Midtown in Nashville and don't have a bad thing to say about them. They have a large joint replacement center and have it down to a science. Nurses do joint replacement center only and know what is going on. I woke up hooked to ice machine. Nurses kept asking about pain levels and if I was hot or cold. They answered questions I had not even though to ask, gave me a choice of whether I wanted catheter or not, made me feel well taken care of. Great physical therapy, not so much exercises, but helping me learn to get to bathroom on my own, physical therapy gym where we practiced getting in and out of car and shower, stairs, etc. I'm a picky patient and still tell horror stories about the hospital I had my last child in. Had c-section and no presurgery concern about nausea. I threw up for 8 hours straight before they got it under control.
 
It sounds like your surgery was in a very good facility! Many hospitals are having joint replacement wings, which is a really good idea! Mine was also like that and I had nothing bad to say about them. Even the food was good! It's such a blessing to not have to worry about being mistreated while undergoing such a life-changing and terrifying surgery!
 
Just catchng up on your journey.... eclipse party? YES! We live in farrrrrrr western NC where we will have one of the longest states of totality ( and possibly more visitors than our area can imagine or handle!) That is my goal for our neighbors...an Eclipse Party at our house! Of course, everyone will contribute...but I have a GOAL!

I'm on TKR #2 with them being 2 yrs apart. The right was done first because it looked worse on x-Rays ( but did not cause nearly the daily pain) with the agreement that #2 would follow along soon. Long story, but it didn't happen and consequently, I never really realized the relief that #1 brought. I was still hobbling on a painful, arthritic, bone on bone knee that had undergone 45 Supartz injections and untold numbers of cortisone inj. .....finally, I went to another surgeon who, within 5 minutes, said "When are we doing this?" I can hardly wait for the recovery to progress to the point where I can actually have 2 knees with no pain!!! All of this to say, give your body and spirit time to heal, but go ahead with what you know is best for YOU!

I have to honestly say, full recovery took a year. And even in the past two weeks, with RTKR taking the lead, it has improved in ROM! I'm glad to have both behind me and look forward to travel with my DH and "jumping waves" with Grands! You'll get there, too.
 
@the southern cook, good for you. I'm still contemplating the second knee and anxious to learn how it went for others. You are behind me on the new one but catching up fast. Yes, Eclipse party. We are near ky/tn border just few miles from longest eclipse time in us. Not sure what I'm doing yet but something. Goals are good.
 
Day 25

I did it! I did It! After 2 days off all hard drugs I drove. My son starts school next week and we decided to go after some clothes. He just got his license this year and is still not a super experienced drive. We live out on the edge of town and he has been doing fine running to Walmart and driving me 10 minutes to physical therapy. I know he still hates the 8 lane main drag shopping area. I was going to let him drive anyway for practice an I impulsively decided I was ready. I started off in our quiet out of town neighborhood and decidedif at any point it felt like a bit much, he could take over. No hurry. I did fantastic. Wasnt sore at all. Dealt with heavy traffic 20 minute trip each way. He went to one store and I stayed in car and rested until he had his selections. I went in for 5 minutes and approved and paid. He's a good kid and developing his own taste anyway. I'm sure he's just as happy not to have mom making suggestions. It went well and I came home and iced and am now sitting at kitchen table waiting for curry to finish. Cooking is okay as long as I don't stand at stove too long. I chopped veggies at kitchen table and put pot on to simmer. The kid is making rice and checking curry now and then. I feel pretty good now . We will see if I pay for it tonight.
 
Yeahhhhh for small and large victories! Some days it's baby steps, others it's giant steps! All are celebrated!
I'll bet your son loved the day! You both gained some independence today!
 
Driving with a rtkr this soon is amazing! Good for you! It was 7 weeks before I could drive. Your son sounds like an angel! You are very blessed!
 
I hope I do as well on my conformis knee schelded for August 31

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Wow - great progress today. Hopefully you will recover from the big outing and cooking without too much discomfort. Driving is huge for independence - and feeling like you are making progress.
 
My son is a fantastic kid. He's my extra bonus. I had turned 40, we moved to a new house and I discarded all the baby stuff from the older girls in the move. Surely I was done having kids. Surprise! I was a few weeks short of 42 when he was born and my husband and I had been married 20 years. But he's been easy from the beginning. And a genuine joy. He's our only kid left at home and has been my support and cheerleader through this whole thing. With him starting school next week it is good timing to be able to drive. My husband has been so accommodating and would do anything for me but he's the only one working now and I keep him up enough at night with my constant shifting around. I try not to ask him for things that aren't strictly necessary.
 
Somebody talk to me about clunking. I am almost 4 weeks out and so far have had none. How common is it? Is it something I might expect later on or does not having any yet mean I may not? No issues, I just got curious about this after reading about so many others experiencing this.
 
I have not had it either - yet. I'm curious about it as well and keep wondering if it will show up.
 
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