karmigirl
post-grad
Historian,
That incision is a thing of beauty.
That incision is a thing of beauty.
Bilateral TKR The Historian - recovery diary
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TheHistorian
post-grad
United States"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing."
In other words, Keats is saying that I will be able to sleep better after surgery because I'll have less knee pain.
OP
OP
TheHistorian
post-grad
Lousy past three days. I postponed PT and my INR blood draw because I had a, ahem, stomach problem. I had it come out again today when I finally got done my blood draw. As I was prepared to cross the street to my car I had to duck into the closest place to use the loo (note proper British useage). It was a pizza place....
"Do you have a bathroom?"
"Yeah, but its for customers."
"I'll have two slices of Sicilian and a Diet Coke. I'll be back for it in a few minutes."
That out of the way, I decided to get my grocery shopping done. As I entered the supermarket I glanced at the motorized scooters, and then at the ordinary wheeled carts. I said, "I have to do it sooner or later", so I grabbed the push cart. 25 minutes later I was checking out, tired, wobbly, sore, but pleased. I had walked longer than I have since surgery, and perhaps before.... I'd not been doing much shopping prior because I found it so painful to stand.
Tonight I hurt enough to take a Tylenol tablet, but I'm happy. I can walk.
"Do you have a bathroom?"
"Yeah, but its for customers."
"I'll have two slices of Sicilian and a Diet Coke. I'll be back for it in a few minutes."
That out of the way, I decided to get my grocery shopping done. As I entered the supermarket I glanced at the motorized scooters, and then at the ordinary wheeled carts. I said, "I have to do it sooner or later", so I grabbed the push cart. 25 minutes later I was checking out, tired, wobbly, sore, but pleased. I had walked longer than I have since surgery, and perhaps before.... I'd not been doing much shopping prior because I found it so painful to stand.
Tonight I hurt enough to take a Tylenol tablet, but I'm happy. I can walk.
OP
OP
TheHistorian
post-grad
In addition to the stomach problems, I had a possible withdraw problem as I've now gone off Lyrica on my surgeon's instructions. I was very depressed for a day... it could have been the horrible rainy weather and the digestive upset, but I've learned Lyrica in Europe is given as a script for anxiety. In the US its approved for nerve problems, but obviously its a psychoactive drug. I feel better now that its gone from my system...
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TheHistorian
post-grad
Turns out my first hike might be this weekend. My town has its second annual Shad Festival, and one of the county parks hosting it has a 3/4 mile ADA accessible Interpretive Trail.
"I'm attending a shad festival this weekend. Yes, my life is that boring" I said. My friend replied "how does that compare to broken link removed: https://www.correspondencechess.com/campbell/articles/a060615.htm
"I'm attending a shad festival this weekend. Yes, my life is that boring" I said. My friend replied "how does that compare to broken link removed: https://www.correspondencechess.com/campbell/articles/a060615.htm
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TheHistorian
post-grad
My dance card is filling up. My second scheduled hike will be a one mile "ADA Accessible" event at a local state park May 26. I joined one a couple of years ago and had a good time.... although I felt humble in the company:
OP
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TheHistorian
post-grad
Going flatwater kayaking May 25. I've never been kayaking before. I expect it to be a blast. Here's the lake I'll be kayaking on:
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TheHistorian
post-grad
Continuing my ambitious planning, June 30 I assault Pole Steeple in Micheaux State Forest again. 8/10 of a mile up, and the same down. Last time I descended in a thunderstorm with a park ranger.
At the top. South Mountain in the background. American Civil War buffs will recognize that range as the same one that Lee and McClellan fought over in Maryland. Antietam Creek starts a few miles south of here. And Gettysburg is about 15 miles to the east.
Woman on the left screamed just after I took the photo. The rock shifted. She should be careful.... it's a 75 foot drop from the ledge.
"I will look up unto the hills; from whence comes my help? It comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth...."
Soaked, tired, and sore, The Historian waves his hiking poles aloft in the storm in triumph...
At the top. South Mountain in the background. American Civil War buffs will recognize that range as the same one that Lee and McClellan fought over in Maryland. Antietam Creek starts a few miles south of here. And Gettysburg is about 15 miles to the east.
Woman on the left screamed just after I took the photo. The rock shifted. She should be careful.... it's a 75 foot drop from the ledge.
"I will look up unto the hills; from whence comes my help? It comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth...."
Soaked, tired, and sore, The Historian waves his hiking poles aloft in the storm in triumph...
OP
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TheHistorian
post-grad
Once again I feel like a freak of nature as I look through some of the threads here..... people on heavy grade pain pills months after surgery. A quarter year after the replacement and people can't reach 90 flexion. I was off Percoset at three weeks and I had 130 flexion within a month. Something must be wrong with me. No wonder I have some friends who had knee replacement telling me I'm doing it wrong. (I had one guy unfriend me on Facebook while I was in the hospital since I "didn't understand the pain scale" and was hurting my recovery. The same guy spent six months on Tramadol for one knee and kept emailing lists of drugs to ask for, including laxatives......)
Anyway, I apologize for doing this all wrong.
Anyway, I apologize for doing this all wrong.
OP
OP
TheHistorian
post-grad
I chose that term on purpose. I was at a friend's wedding three weeks before the surgery. I'd done my last hike that afternoon, and I was caught up in the moment at the wedding reception and danced. I stunned a lot of people, including the bride, who said, "Wow, you have moves!" Later someone told me I looked like a walrus trying to climb a tree.... but I digress.
Anyway, I've always been shy around the fair sex because I was 400 some pounds. When I lost weight I had women flirting with me. Then I rationalized that I had a limp, slouch, bad knees, you name it, and once that was seen I'd be ignored again.
Well, I don't have a "deformity" in my legs any longer, and I'll soon enough have a normal walk. My weight will drop as I become more active. I'm 46, have manners, culture, morals... and reasonably good looks once I shave the beard off. So I'm looking forward to resuming dating, and feeling confident about dating for perhaps the first time in my life. And yes, that will include dancing. I hope to have a full dance card, and with luck I'll eventually meet someone I'll dance with for the rest of my life.
Its funny, but for most of the posters here knee replacement just restores what they already had. For me, in correcting a deformity that I've carried since birth, it's making me whole in a way I hadn't expected.
OP
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TheHistorian
post-grad
PT ended early today due to my fatigue and soreness. No matter, I'm still doing wonderfully.
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TheHistorian
post-grad
Time to start planning camping trips.....
Big question I have is how I'll get up from the tent. Any suggestions? I can't hope there's a raised camping site as I found in Pine Creek Gorge two years ago. I just hope I can still fit into my 200 dollar hiking boots. My feet are still a little swollen from the surgery.
Big question I have is how I'll get up from the tent. Any suggestions? I can't hope there's a raised camping site as I found in Pine Creek Gorge two years ago. I just hope I can still fit into my 200 dollar hiking boots. My feet are still a little swollen from the surgery.
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TheHistorian
post-grad
Camp stove set up ready to go in Pine Creek Gorge, at Slate Run, August 2010. Brits posting here might be amused at my choice of reading material.
ruppbike
senior
Glad to see you are doing so well!
OP
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TheHistorian
post-grad
I'm not sure I'm doing so well, so much as dreaming big. As I said to my GP when I started discussing replacement two years ago, "this isn't about my being able to climb stairs. It's much bigger than that." Too many folks spend their lives wondering "dare I eat a peach?" I'd go through a bushel of them while they are pondering.
OP
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TheHistorian
post-grad
Found out where my freakish pain tolerance came from. My mother had a fracture in her ankle a decade ago, and had to have metal parts put in. On discharge she threw away her script for pain reliever and stuck with Tylenol. She's hiking on that same ankle at age 72.....
bottomshollow
Former BoneSmart staff member
Just face the facts, Historian, everything about you is just over the top!!!! :hysterical: But just enjoy being the exception to what the rest of us have had to suffer. Just don't gloat about it! :th_heehee:
I'm happy to see that you're doing so well and that you have all these fantastic plans laid out for yourself. Have loved all the pics.
Take care of yourself and don't get too cocky---don't want anything to come back and bite you. We care.
I'm happy to see that you're doing so well and that you have all these fantastic plans laid out for yourself. Have loved all the pics.
Take care of yourself and don't get too cocky---don't want anything to come back and bite you. We care.
OP
OP
TheHistorian
post-grad
I hope I didn't come across as gloating.... I'm genuinely bewildered.
And I am being careful with my recovery. While I have big plans, I also allow recovery time afterward. And I'm not always successful. Witness my hike to the highest point in PA.... we took the half-mile trail to the top of Mount Davis, but then circled back on a horribly overgrown three mile trail. Here I am at the end:
:th_heehee:
OP
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TheHistorian
post-grad
I should have stopped and gone back the easy way after reaching the top.
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