Knee Infection* The girl with the two fake knees

[Lady Glen]

Congratulations. You have clearly had a long journey. You must have deep reserves of strength! Happy New Year (and adventure!)

 

[lene']

Hi Jen, sorry to hear about your pain, getting back on the meds will help. Please be careful if you venture out, don't know about your area but our driveway is a sheet of ice!!! I have to take the dogs out and have to cross it so have been using my trekking pole with titanium tip. Once on the other side there is snow to walk in, that is not so scary so please be careful if you venture out! Glad to hear you got some sleep, I am still battleing that demon! I am back to taking Norco before bed but that only gets me through about half the night! keep an eye on that incision too, you have some of us concerned!
Blessings,
Lene'

 

[mwetzel394]

Hi Jen, sorry about the pain, getting out to your friends would be good, assuming your not cleared to drive?
That spot in your incision looks bad, hope it heals soon. I was up from 12am to 5 am tossing and turning in bed myself! Then slept 2 hours so i basically got about 4 hours total, will need a nap later!
Have a great day!
Mike


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[ACDCJen]

I did not get to go and see Mara for her birthday. However, my mom dropped off my present to her and she was shocked! She had help from her 3 year old niece and nephew to open them. It was as great as I had hoped.

I haven't been able to get on my laptop to post pictures. I think the Aquacel is amazing!! I've been using it since Tuesday, and there is already a marked difference. The "hole" in the middle is gone, the drainage is getting a little less, and it seems smaller all around. My nurse said the wound bed looked good because it was red and "beefy." I got plenty of supplies to change the Aquacel at least once a day. I'm very encouraged and there are no signs of infection.

Had PT today as well, the only session this week by choice. It went well, and I discovered that I can get out of our kitchen chairs if I have something to push off of. So that means I can play Uno and Phase 10 when the kiddos come over. My therapist is pleased with my progress and so am I!!! I am now working on exercises that will get me to using a cane, and I'm really looking forward to that! It's going to take some getting used to because I've used it so much this year on the other side!

Still having trouble sleeping, but I have a routine that I follow. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I just rest when I can and leave it at that! I am getting more sleep at one time, which has been great for healing! I think I got 6 straight hours last night (and no accidents in the morning either!) I have woken up shaking the last two days, but it goes away once I start to move. I did somehow tweak my right ankle so it's been more difficult to walk correctly and do some of my exercises, but I just adapt. I had surgery on that ankle 13 years ago to fix a bone fragment and an accessory bone, and it's had its moments since then. It's just more noticeable now that I need to use it more. The scar on my other ankle from surgery this year is annoying me too. But, I try to keep it soft. It's always something, right?!?

Today is wrapping day!! Getting excited for Christmas and seeing the kiddos open their gifts. That's my favorite part.

Hope everyone is doing well!!
Jen

 

[KarriB]

Good to hear the wound is coming along. Of course try to elevate that leg while playing Uno at the table, but I'm sure you know that!

 

[sistersinhim]

You aren't finding that exercising is causing your knee to swell and then spread open your incision, are you. It would scare me to do exercise just for that reason. Have fun wrapping! That's half the joy of Christmas!

 

[Celle]

I'm glad that Mara liked your present, Jen. It's a shame you couldn't see her open it, but you will have plenty of time to visit with her later on, when you've healed a bit more.

I'm so glad to hear that your incision is healing and starting to look better. :santaclap: :dancing:

 

[ACDCJen]

I am being very careful with exercises and avoiding major bending while the wound heals. This Aquacel is pretty amazing and I have found that the outside edges of the wound are rigid, I guess that's the word I'd use, so it doesn't really spread, unless it is made to. It's actually itchy and it seems to get smaller and smaller every day. No odor, no redness, no weird colors, no hotness other than nerve pain, and no fever. I'd say it's getting better!!!

I have so much stuff to wrap!!! I better get to it. Thank you for your input! If I can get my laptop to work, I'll post pictures of my knee soon.

Jen

 

[newlybionic]

Jen you sound like you are doing very well.. Hopefully by now you have finished wrapping all the presents and you are icing ancient elevating I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

 

[KarriB]

Were you able to wrap and keep the leg up? While in my imbolizer three years ago I figured a way to keep the leg up and wrap. Good thing I'm super flexiable!

 

[sistersinhim]

Great Jen, it sounds like you have everything under control!

 

[ACDCJen]

@KarriB

I can do both. The wound care involves a small piece of Aquacel and then a 4x4 foam bandage over that. It's really not restricted in any way. I keep it up all the time and ice it as much as I can. Doing ok today!!! Wound looks about the same, but the Aquacel is absorbing the drainage like it's supposed to. We'll see how it continues to do!

Well, have a few more presents to wrap and Christmas movies to watch. My laptop is no more, so Scott is trying to figure out how to manage that. :( So, no pictures until I figure out how!!!

Just in case I don't get on tomorrow, Merry Christmas!!!
Jen

 

[KarriB]

Merry Christmas, Jen! I with you, love wrapping and watching others unwrap/open! Have a joyous day!

 

[cait1981]

Merry Christmas Jen [emoji319][emoji320]

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[ACDCJen]

Hello my friends. Sorry I have been so neglectful. I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I know I did! I must have been very good this year because I was so spoiled!!! I just enjoy being with my family. After having lived 12 hours away for most of my adult life, I definitely cherish being much, much closer now!!

I finally got out of the house on Monday for our annual Kookie Kousin's Christmas Party. My sister and I grew up with 4 of our cousins and we are like siblings. My sister has hosted this party for years now. We play games, talk, and generally act silly. We also have an ugly Christmas sock (used to be sweater) competition and we vote on who has the worst pair. The winner gets a coveted fanny pack with a little present in it. I finally won this year with my "Yetis in Christmas sweaters" socks. First win ever!!! I think I got the sympathy vote!!! Anyway, I was out of the house for almost 5 hours and I did fine with stairs, a wet deck, and low furniture. It was just hard to be away from home because this is where I feel safe and secure. No real problems getting in/out of my SUV(Scott drove me) pain-wise, it's just that my legs are too long!! I was proud of myself, but it felt good to make it back home safe and sound amd I was exhausted. Not sure if I'll go out again before my OS appointment next week. We'll see!!

Still treating my wound. It was looking better, but there is a hole in the bed of it again today. It does not look infected, but it looks gross. I can feel the pain from it more acutely, and it's not as far along as I had hoped. I see my OS next week so they can lay eyeballs on it. I think I'm just being impatient and it will take what it takes. The good news is that the knee pain and discomfort overall continues to diminish. I feel more confident with it and using it in the house. I will start getting used to the cane as my next step. My ankle scar from June is being a stinker...tight and somewhat painful, and it makes heel-toe extra challenging. Oh well!!

Having a meloncholic day today. Not sure why, just extra weepy and sad. I know lack of sleep is a major issue (2 hours Monday night and less than an hour last night). I am definitely my own worst enemy too. This too shall pass.

No pictures yet. My laptop is kaput for now. I'm using my old one for now and editing pictures on it may blow it up!! I do take one a day to check on the wound progress.

That's about it for me!! I'll try to catch up on posting and reading, but when I'm down and depressed, I tend not to do things I enjoy, like being active on the forum.

Thinking of you all!!
Jen

 

[KarriB]

Jen, I'm sorry to hear you seem to have the blues. It has been a long haul, but when you're done, you'll truly be done. I felt the same way as you during my infection, wanted to get out of the house, but then wanted to be home and back in my chair. I think it was because I didn't have to be up, or talk if I didn't feel like it.

I'm glad you're seeing the OS next week. It may help you a bit to not worry about the wound too much. Also happy to hear you had a merry Christmas! Next Christmas you'll have two good knees!

 

[PegGar16]

Hi Jen. Glad you had a wonderful Christmas. I was just catching up on your thread. I have just finished up healing an incision that opened up. My thigh was so tight where they took the graft for my knee flap. Is started as a little hole and then spread to about 2 inches. I used the aquacel also. Had to change the dressing twice a day. It was slowly healing but not enough. I ended up getting a skin graft done to cover it. They needed to get everything healed up for my surgery in January. It has finally healed
40 presents....what a good friend you are!


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[sistersinhim]

Maybe you have the after Christmas blues. I know it almost normal for someone to go through them. We all have so much to look forward to in the new year! It a good thing you're seeing your OS next week to get him to see your wound.

 

[lene']

Hi Jen, sorry to hear you have a case of the Blues, I was having them too last weekend...but things always get better. We have to have the bad days to appreciate the good ones, right? Because I went back to work this week I have been busy and can't think about being blue I guess. I hope your appt with the Ortho goes well next week and your leg really starts to heal, sounds like you are doing what you should, and remember you are still very early in the recovery of BOTH your knees. We are all rooting for you....If we ever get some sunshine in NY, try to get out and soak up alittle....(of course Tuesday was really sunny and I was stuck at my desk for work...go figure!!)
Blessings,
Lene'

 

[Celle]

I'm sorry you have the blues, Jen. You've had a long recovery, with both knees now replaced, so it's very understandable.

Can someone take you out, for a coffee or an ice cream? Just a change of environment for a while should help.