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TKR Time for #2

Ok I have a rant - one that I’ve read hundreds of times on BoneSmart.

Wish I could just get over it. It doesn’t seem like the world is going to change, so I want to just let this roll off.

I’m getting better at letting it roll off, but today I failed.

Just got a call from the patient coordinator from the orthopedic clinic for my 30-day check in.

It's really nice that they call to check in and I do appreciate that.

The coordinator sounded extremely inexperienced.

She brightly asked me if I was still experiencing pain or if "things felt back to normal"

What in the world. My mental jaw dropped.

It was such a stupid question.

I said oh no, things don't feel normal and won't for many months according to my experience with my other knee

(And this is a problematic leg so it'll probably take longer and that's totally ok with me)

I said yes, there's pain, and my doc refilled my pain meds last week.

That’s the thing that's been the most discouraging and frustrating with these knee replacements.

So many people (many of them medical) expect so much, so soon.

They have those metrics that seem so arbitrary

I'm doing really well, but healing does take time

I know most of the BoneSmart members have experienced this and know it’s not at all unusual.

I let my guard down today and let it get to me. But OK! Guard up with the BoneSmart shield!! Bring it.

(Not really haha. Please don’t bring it. But when it happens again I’ll be more ready)
 
Rant away! We understand, because we've all been there.

And you're right. That woman asked a stupid question. Hopefully, she wont do that to the next person.
 
Thanks for listening, @Celle! Felt good just to get it off my chest.

Just had another good PT session. I’m SO glad I switched PT clinics.

Today the PT did massage again, working on my calf and hamstring tendons which he said were very tight and ropey.

The tendons were sensitive and sore, but felt so much better afterward. And both flex and extension were better after the deep massage.

I’ve been reading BoneSmart for years and have seen people mention that they got massage at PT. I guess I really didn’t know what that meant as my other PT never did it.

For the other joints, and for the first month of this one, I mostly stepped up on boxes, did heel slides, rode the bike, and worked on a Total Gym, etc.

But now, massage is making more difference in my flex and extension than anything the other PT ever did. I feel a tiny bit dumb for not having looked into different PT modalities before.

I’d never understood how ANYONE could like PT at all.

But now that I’m with someone who’s not stressing about numbers and is actually doing bodywork and working with my individual situation, I totally get it.

If PT seems like torture (as it did for my other two joint replacements), I’d just encourage folks to know that there are options and to not wait as long as I did to wise up. Stop PT and do it yourself (again, as I did with the other two replacements) or find someone who’s compatible with you and is actually helpful.
 
ebungalow said:
If PT seems like torture (as it did for my other two joint replacements), I’d just encourage folks to know that there are options and to not wait as long as I did to wise up. Stop PT and do it yourself (again, as I did with the other two replacements) or find someone who’s compatible with you and is actually helpful.
Click to expand...
So right!
That's great advice.
 
At one of my check ups, it might have been my 4 month check up, I had a cute young thing ask, in a cute happy voice, “are you still doing your exercises!” I wanted to smack her! I stumbled over my 99% lie and said yes. :hairpulling:
 
sistersinhim said:
If you were walking around the house and taking care of your daily needs then you were doing your exercises!
Click to expand...
I know much more now than I did then, and my answer from now on is a confident yes, I did/am doing my exercises, but I’ll just be doing daily activity exercises and not the sets they are actually asking about. From now on, exercise is exercise, regardless of the type!
 
Small score: was able to lower the seat on my stationary bike and rotate backwards and forwards :)

This knee is feeling looser. Still can’t really go up stairs comfortably. I can do it, but it’s ugly and feels too uncomfortable for now.
 
That's a big step of improvement on that bike! Good going!
 
Recovery continues at the typically slow rate - but has been good and uneventful, thankfully.

I went back to work on Tuesday. I know it’s early, but I’m a college teacher and intentionally taught a heavier fall semester so that I could have an easier spring semester. I did this last year for my LTKR and it worked well.

I chose winter surgeries because I wanted/want to be ready for intensive gardening, swimming, and other summer activities.

I wasn’t awesome at summer activities haha, but could do them without pain and with joy!

It truly did take almost a year for the other knee. Last semester I found myself zipping around and was so happy. It’ll happen again for this knee.

I went back and read my short recovery thread from last year. I see that I got depressed around weeks 10-12, so I’m trying to be aware of that possibility and to be patient with mental health as well.

These days I spend 2-4 hours at school every day, and have plenty of time to walk around or to elevate and ice. I’m doing both at work. I can do online classes from home, sitting in the recliner while icing.

Still taking tramadol when I get home from work and before bed. I’m elevating and icing a lot when at home. I’m taking the full 4000 mg per day of Tylenol every day.

It’s been so good for my mental health to be at school! Good to see colleagues, friends, and students. Sure, I got out to PT and friends came by the house when I was at home, but it’s been really good to get out and think about interesting things and talk with new people.

Plus my building gives me ample opportunity for new walking routes. The other day I went to a large lab and walked its perimeter while looking at the snow outside the windows.

My knee is still stiff and aches sometimes. It has the occasional zinger or odd pain pop up now and then.

My flex is still lagging behind what my sometimes aggressive OS and original PT would like to see.

But my new PT tells me he’s not worried and that I’m coming along just fine. He measured 112 flex and 2 extension two weeks ago. He continues to do deep massage and gentle stretching.

I’m riding the exercise bike several times a day and am slowly increasing the time. I’m up to about 10 minutes 2-3 times a day.

I can go up steps normally and can go down a few steps normally, although neither is pretty.

So that’s it! Coming along, determined to be patient and not push things.

It only took me three joint replacements to truly learn that the body will heal when it heals and that I can help the healing by being gentle and patient.

Thanks for being here! The forum is a lifesaver!
 
You’re having an amazing good recovery. :) You’re back to work successfully, which not everyone can manage. You have the best kind of job for it, a (largely) desk job that lets you do much your own way and also gets you up on your feet a bit. I found taking short walks throughout the day was far preferable to sitting at the desk the whole time. And yes, being a grownup again and meeting with peers and being active again in your profession is a huge mental/emotional boost.

Here’s looking forward to spring gardening! :flwrysmile:
 
Thanks @SusieShoes - I know how lucky I’ve been so far.

My progress and easy recovery is not down to me or anything I’ve done.

Others may disagree, but progress seems so random and so much a factor of luck.

Seems like we can absolutely do the things recommended on the forum and those things seem super helpful.

But then I read about folks who HAVE followed the recommendations and have problems.

So who knows. I’m lucky.

Didn’t want to come across as too self satisfied because I truly see it as unearned good fortune.
 
Well - it’s 8 weeks today post surgery.

I’m so happy to be on this side of the replacement.

Last Friday PT measured the knee at 118 flex and 1-2 extension. He’s been doing some deep massage that really seems to help.

He told me to keep doing whatever I’m doing as flex is getting better in tiny increments.

What I’m doing: not much.

I ride my bike for about 10 minutes once a day - sometimes twice. Some days I walk for about 20 minutes taking long strides to stretch.

I elevate and ice 2-3 times a day for 45-60 minutes each time.

I’ve started using the TENS machine for 30-40 minutes each evening. I think this might really be helping.

I teach for a few hours every day and then usually come straight home and ice.

The building where I work has 4 floors, so lots of stairs for practice. I walk up/down a flight of stairs normally maybe once a day. Thankfully the building also has an elevator.

I also have stairs at home and try to walk up normally a couple of times a day.

I’m still taking 50 mg of tramadol at night, and taking 4000 mg of Tylenol spread throughout the day.

Still sleeping in the recliner, and not sleeping terribly well. I expect this to get better within the next couple of weeks.

There’s my update - I’m very grateful for the uneventful recovery. Knock on wood.
 
@ebungalow
Glad to hear you are doing so well. Sounds like you are moving right along in your recovery without incident. I think it is wise that you take Tramadol at night, I havent taken any pain meds since week 2 but I wake up in pain every day. It goes away once I'm moving and though I've considered it, am afraid to start it now at 10 weeks po.
Sounds like you found a great PT, someone that actually listens to you and treats you individually! I'm sure that gives you reassurance. Take good care.
Dale
 
ebungalow said:
He told me to keep doing whatever I’m doing as flex is getting better in tiny increments. What I’m doing: not much.
Click to expand...
I love this! You are doing so well! Keep up the good 'little work'!!!
 
Welp - the blues are rolling in right on schedule. I had some depression about this same time last year with my first knee replacement. I’ve read the BoneSmart article about the blues many times.

Everything is going well physically. It’s an easy and good recovery. This knee felt sturdy earlier than the last replacement. It isn’t very loose and flex has been more challenging, but I know it’ll get better over the next 8-10 months.

I’m still sad. The depression feels like fatigue and also feels somewhat chemical. I still can’t sleep in bed as I’m a side sleeper. I tried again the other night and my knee just gets too sore within about 15 minutes.

The first 10 minutes of laying on my side with a pillow between my knees are awesome :) Then it’s back to the recliner.

My PT couldn’t be nicer. I have two young guys who do deep massage and gentle stretching. They’re great. No pain.

And yet I’m often teary and overwhelmed.

I honestly don’t mean to whine - I’m fortunate. Just recording this for anyone else who’s dealing with the blues around this time despite an easy recovery, let alone those who’ve had some bumps in the road.

I can’t remember how long the depression lasted last year - knowing it’ll get better helps a little bit.

So does posting it here. Thanks for being here.
 
:console2::console2:

Most of us had the depression to some extent, we understand.
 
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