Tips to straighten TKR leg

[Pattipoo]

Girl...I hated to EVEN bring up the hot flashes. The reason I enjoyed the blood thinner was that it made me cold. I didn't have a hot flash for 5 weeks!!!....now, they're back in full force.

I'm just happy to know that I've got my "gals" out there that can SOOOOOO relate to my situation....

Thanks!!

 

[SusieSW]

Patti - Happy Birthday!...Sounds like you have a great family. I hope you had some yummy cake - you've earned that and so much more.

Got to way in on the hot flashes. I'm 55 and I'm having them bigtime these days. Power surges???? (That's the positive re-framing of the whole sweaty business). In the middle of this frigid Cleveland winter, sometimes I just start stripping off the layers - my husband just watches me, shakes his head, and asks - "another hot flash?" I swear they're worse since the TKR.

And the scars. I posted a question about scars at the very beginning of January - Josephine offered some helpful information then - you might want to look back at my "Sensitive Incision Scars" post to see what she had to say. I am four months PO now (yep- just hit that mark) and still having an awful time with the scars. They're raised and they hurt. I hate having anything rub against them. I've been told to rub Vitamin E cream into them, and really massage the scars. They haven't gotten worse, so maybe it's working. My husband insists that they look smaller, but I'm not sure.

So - what is "normal" anyway - can't remember.

Happy Birthday Pattipoo!

 

[Skeet]

Happy Bday, Pattipoo!!

And Susie, I've been using lotion and oil on my scar since the staples came out. I think it helps most with the lessening of scar tissue under the incision. Mine is still sensitive, but the more I massage it the less sensitive it seems to be. Maybe I'm just imagining it... I am on opiates

As for hot flashes, I had lots of the night sweats after surgery, but not so much anymore. I'm so glad that is over. Haven't ever really had the hot flashes much at all and I'm 55.

Love you gals!
Skeet

 

[Doug]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU PATTIPOO. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU PATTIPOO. It's 1:20 I just woke up again. I'll toast you with a diet coke and a oxycodone. Can I join the girl talk?? I'm not hormonal but that is a condition well known to my son and I now. Don't know if I should be hot/cold, sad/happy or just go sit in the garage.
I've managed to catch one heck of a cold now. I hope it just stays at that because I really don't want to go see a dr. right now. I can't take most decongestants because of blood pressure. Tonight I said the heck with it and took one in an effort to sleep. Obviously it didn't help the sleep bu I can at least breath through my nose.
Even though I felt bad I went got on the bike. Oddly, I was able to go lower than ever. My calf is hitting the back of my thigh at the top of the cycle. I don't know what degree that is but I do know that is about as far as Dougie is going to bend his leg.
As for scars, I guess me being a male, I don't really care about mine. I'm about to the point that I'll wear it with pride after going through all of this. I have been rubbing it with vit.E to break up some of it so it doesn't get too tight.

 

[Skeet]

As for the scar, I'm proud of mine and show it to anyone who wants to see it - mostly the kids. It's "awesome" or "gruesome" depending. It's the most major scar I have and I've paid the price, so I'm gonna milk it!! Besides, it is cute since I had another incision just 6 weeks prior to remove hardware from my knee so he didn't make a straight incision, it goes straight until the top of the knee and then kind of swoops to the side. Unique. Just like me!

Skeet

 

[Doug]

Well I'm 55 and frankly glad to hear so many young folks are in the same boat as me as far as knees go. I'm sure that I will end up getting it done again as I do plan on wearing this thing out. The Dr. places no restrictions on my activities. He knows he won't see me running unless I'm real scared or real mad. I do debate staying in the martial arts. I've done them most of my adult life. My motivation there is that my son is getting too darn good at it.
Skeet, I know you have to go to work and look what time you're up.
I've got to get up early and take my female boxer to the vet. She has cancer and has to be operated on. Going to be a bad day at the house. My male boxer will keep running through the house looking for his buddy.

 

[kath]

When they measure the 0 it is laying down, however my leg is pretty straight and I do not walk with the limp for the most part. My other knee though hasn't been done yet and that is more painful than my new knee, so I have problems there. I think what helps me the most is just that original easy exercise I think we all got where you tighten the muscle on the top of your leg and pull your toes back and press your knee down. I just do it while laying on the sofa or in bed, alot actually because it relieves the tightness I get and pain as well, I think more than anything that has straightened my leg the most.
Hot flashes, I spent a lot of time months before my operation in the walk-ins at work. Nice to work in the restaurant biz during times like those. I have a friend that turned me onto some herbal supplements, I started to take them and within days the heat flashes stopped. I had to go off of them prior to surgery and did not go back on due to another upcoming surgery so I figured why bother. But I really noticed that I get these sweats when I am backing off my pain meds. They are different though from the traditional change of life heat flashes that I was getting. Luckily haven't had any of them back yet. Those are the ones that start at your chest and make your head feel like it is on fire. The things I just experienced were more like when you have the flu or something. My PT told me it was a mild withdrawal and to back off the pain meds slowly not just stop all of a sudden like I did. Took me 3 times to put it all together and since I took his advice, I am much better. Perhaps you are experiencing something like that or it could just be the dang old hot flashes. The stuff I was taking was a menopause balance complex with black cohosh,soy isoflavones, flaxseed,etc. and an high potency multivitamin/multimineral. It really worked for me. My friend convinced me to try it and I have suggested to some other friends that had great success with it. I guess you can get it at a health food place or maybe even walmart, she got it for me through some Shaklee thing. I am not up on this stuff at all, but it worked for me.

 

[kath]

doug,
good luck with your dog, I know that is so heartbreaking to see your animals go through things like that.
we just can't get away from the late nights can we?
I am 54 and I only hope I can dance enough to wear them out! and live long enough.

 

[kath]

Susie,
Ever try good old cocoa butter? Works for me, it really has helped, my puffed up part of my scar is small about an inch out of the whole thing and I had a feeling that would happen as my one staple just didn't seem to be holding it together quite right. I still hate having fabric touching it though. Hard to get dressed for work and I don't like jeans on it either. Around my house I wear flannel jammie pants or light weight drawstrings because of that. Funny I decide what I am wearing to work based on the feel of the fabric on my dumb old scar. This too will pass so I am told by friends that have experienced this.

 

[kath]

Happy Birthday Patti!

 

[Pattipoo]

Thanks for the advice and birthday wishes. Birthday is over...can get on with my life.
I'm contemplating playing hookey from work today. Might be brave enough...might not!

Anyway....I'm over my pity tantrum....back to my old (so old) self!

Have a great day, everybody!

 

[bsassy]

i have no idea how you guys manage to get up and get to work each day....i have major admiration! i got so lucky when i re-married 10 years ago...i got to retire and start my life and i love it! i know i couldn't muster the energy to be anywhere by 8am....my snaps to you all! i'm also hearing you girls on the flashes...surg seems to have re-triggered them to a volcanic intensity......hot-freezing-sweating....i hate it....can't do the herb thing coz of blood pressure but i hear over ^ over it really works..it's about 12 degrees here and my bedroom window is half open....the dog and i love it,,the big guy doesn't share my need .... lol

 

[SusieSW]

Doug - my heart goes out to you about your dog. I hope she's ok. My cat is being treated now for kidney failure and intestinal lymphoma. I'm going to take her in for another check-up on Thursday (before PT) - they're going to look at her white blood cell count and other things and tell me where she's at with her illnesses. I've had her since she was about 6 weeks old, a little puffball that fit in my hand, and she's 15 now. Our pets are wonderful companions and really do become part of our families. Good luck with your boxer.

Kath - yes - I recently found a product that is cocoa butter with Vit E in it. Sounds like the best of both - I have only been using it a little while. I honestly don't care about the appearance of the scars - as some of you said, they're sort of a badge of honor. My husband, who, by the way, was able to make me laugh as early as the post-op recovery room, says they're "cool" - even sexy (he's a character). My real complaint is how much they hurt. If they just looked they way they do, but weren't so sensitive, I wouldn't care.

By the way - my hubby has been my hero through all this. I can't imagine getting through this without him. When I was in the rehab unit, he brought in his Ipod - he had made videos of our kitty and loaded them onto the Ipod. His mother had broken her hip a month before my surgery, so he was taking care of her too.

 

[Doug]

Susie,
Well the good news is that the Dr. got all of the tumor out of her and I get to go pick her up later this afternoon.
The male boxer has been restless and following me around all day. He isn't used to being alone at all.

 

[TitaniumMan]

Doug, hope all goes well your doggie. Keep us posted!
Chuck

 

[Skeet]

Praying for total recovery for your "baby". Our dogs are so precious. I hope all goes well and that she's healed soon.

Skeet

 

[Doug]

Just got her home. She is on valium..(Think I'll join her with an oxycodone). She is laid out on the couch covered up and sleeping. The really cute thing is that he young male boxer is sitting next to her like he is guarding her.
As usual thanks for the caring responses.
Doug.

 

[SusieSW]

Doug - glad she's home. Your doggies sound so cute. I'll keep you and your little ones in my prayers. And I'd go for the oxy - you probably need it.

 

[dw6928]

My American Cocker Spaniels (Becky and Lacey) both send their best. They have been through the ringer but have come through, thank God. They hope the same for your's.

 

[ladyblue]

I know what you mean about the hotflashes....WOOO....hand me the frozen peas!!! I have a little hand-held fan that is my lifesaver! My scar is nasty too---I don't heal normal because every operation that I have had left a raised scar ( I feel like Frankenstein). Haven't been able to sleep too well the past several nights because my muscles go into spasms. As far as walking normally I have a severe limp and I feel like my one leg is longer than the other ( or is it just my imagination?!?) Tomorrow is is my PT and I want an honest opinion of what is going on...hope I can get some answers.