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Revision TKR Totally recovered at last!

I know how you felt about the bike, Marian.
My daughter has one at her house, where we go to stay for a few months each year.
Last year, I got the bike out of the shed, got the seat adjusted to my height and took the bike out onto footpath network near her house.

I chickened out and couldn't ride it!
The handlebars are shock absorbent and they sunk down when I leaned on them, which surprised me. Also, I think I have become more scared of falling.

I'm going to try again this year, though!
 
@newlybiotic, I enjoy bike riding. I have a step through woman's bike, which helps a lot. There are bike trails called 'rails to trails' that were old railroad lines that have been converted to bike, foot and/or horse trails. These are nice and flat and pretty easy on the knees. Google them close to you. I think you'll like them. I'm hoping to go this weekend if that tropical depression doesn't give us a washout.
 
I should have my bike sometime next week. I live in a rural area and once I leave my development the speed limit is 55mph. No bike paths anywhere near me at all.
 
I'm also rural, but we have a few really mean hills. That's why I like the converted train tracks. No hills!
 
@sistersinhim How long have you been riding your bike? The new bike has upright handlebars and a shock absorber in front and back so I can handle the bumps around here.
 
I have been riding all my life, but the last few years have slowed way down. It had gotten to the point where I couldn't raise my leg high enough to get on and off of a regular woman's bike so I started looking for the lower rise where I have to raise the leg about half as high. I'll be so glad to get back to riding miles and miles a day instead of maybe a mile or two, then having to take off the next three or four days.
 
10 weeks post revision today! Wow this time has flown by. I'm a bit worried about going back to work in a couple of weeks. I went out with my daughter to do a little shopping and then for dinner and my knee got very swollen and I was very stiff and achy afterwards. I can't see how I'll be ready to work those long days. I tried wearing a compression sleeve for a little while yesterday morning before I went out and it was very uncomfortable. I wound up taking it off in an hour. I have a PT session tomorrow and then I thought that I might float in the pool. Afterwards I'm going out to dinner with two of my daughters and a son-in-law for my second eldest daughter who has just turned 30.

I also am supposed to have an insurance adjuster see my car after my mishap last week and try to schedule my car for repair. I really don't need that hassle or expense right now but I have no control over it and it will need to be done. Hopefully I can pick up my new bike this week and I'll set up the trainer for it in the house. I'll get used to it indoors and then I'm out for some very, very short rides around the block and I'll slowly gain some time and distance. I can't believe how out of shape I am all over. Hopefully I'll be able to lose some weight and get some strength back. I'd love to eventually be able to do a MS ride on behalf of my oldest daughter. That will be my long term goal.

Thanks to all once again for all your support and kind words during some of the worst times of my life prior my revision. You all helped my to gather up some courage and go through with it and your prayers have helped me recover as well as I can.
 
Are you wearing a compression sleeve or compression stocking? I still can't wear just a compression knee sleeve because it seems to just trap the swelling and tightness. Very uncomfortable for me.

I just started wearing a thigh high compression stocking about 4 days ago and so far I like it.
 
You will love your new low entry bike. It is so much easier to get on and off, and just knowing that makes you feel more secure about riding it. The only thing I wish I had on mine was the great big tires that have come out now. That would be a lot more tread to stay on the ground and less chance of turning it over on a rock or in a hole.
 
I'll post a picture of my bike as soon as I get it. I'm thinking of ordering some bubble wrap too so if I fall I will bounce! :rotfl:

I have a question that I can't find an answer to in the library. I usually take gabapentin for another reason than nerve pain. I've had burning and tingling in my lower leg since my original surgery last July. I took an extra dose of the gabapentin and the pain went away for the first time in almost a year! Does anyone know if this pain ever gets better or is this something I just have to live with? I go back to my OS in two weeks. My psychiatrist is the one who has prescribed the medication for me. Do I need to see a neurologist or some other doctor for this? Then I wonder what caused this to happen. Was it the excessive PT I had after my original surgery? @Josephine can I was again get your invaluable input?
 
newlybionic said:
I took an extra dose of the gabapentin and the pain went away for the first time in almost a year! Does anyone know if this pain ever gets better or is this something I just have to live with? Then I wonder what caused this to happen. Was it the excessive PT I had after my original surgery?
Click to expand...
Sadly, nobody knows. It's one of those things that are rife with conjecture and "educated guesses" but no real facts. One thing we do know is that if it's not treated effectively, there is a risk it can progress to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS or RSD). And your experiment with an extra dose shows very clearly that you have been undermedicated all along.
newlybionic said:
Do I need to see a neurologist or some other doctor for this?
Click to expand...
I think it might be a jolly good idea to get it reviewed by a neurologist since he should know about appropriating dosing. Whilst very few cases of neuropathy escalate to CRPS, it's best to take any and all precautions to prevent such a thing.

Where using a hashtag where #CRPS is mentioned and if you click on it, you will find a few other threads or posts about it.
 
@smarttoys I considered going to get the surgical stockings but when I go to work I wear scrubs with fluid impermeable coats that go down to the knee with long sleeves. The heat of all the dialysis machines makes it unbearable at times and I'm usually drenched with perspiration so I don't think the stocking would work well for me under those conditions.

Josephine I will follow up with the psychiatrist who has prescribed gabapentin for a different reason and make sure it can be increased with my other medications. I will see my OS on the 15th and I can see my PCP prior to that as soon as I speak to the psychiatrist. It was such a relief to no longer feel that burning pain.

I had an extremely long day today. I had my car looked at by an insurance adjuster. It turns out there is $3,000 damage done to the underbody of the car. It is still mechanically sound which is good since I live so far away from everything. The Hyundai dealer will order the parts and I can get a rental for the days it's in the shop.

I went to PT and did the usual exercises. My old knee hasn't been too happy right now. The PT wanted me to start doing squats but then decided it wasn't such a good idea since it would aggravate the old one. I'm still totally amazed that I can bend my knee so far without any pain. It just goes as far as it can go. With the first TKR there was a point between 0 to 45 degrees where I also had an extremely sharp pain. I could then go past it but that pain never went away. The PT did put my leg in a brace to gain extension but just to the point of discomfort. He iced it at the same time. Afterward I went down to the therapy pool and did some slow laps using just my arms to try to get my upper body some strength back too. It felt so good. My knees were both happy with the nice warm water relaxing all the muscles. After I quick shower I went out to dinner for my second daughter's 30th birthday. I got home a little after 1030 tonight. I was gone 11 hours all in all.

Tomorrow I'm driving 3 hours each way to see my 91 year old dad who is starting to lose his memory and is physically failing. I miss him very much and phone calls aren't always enough. He's been going downhill quickly since mom passed away fairly suddenly a year and a half ago from a medical error. That's why I have visited and even stayed with people I know overnight so no errors are made that could hurt them. It's something I have vowed to do. Even if I can help one person I will continue. My oldest has a medical procedure this Friday and I'll be there with her to make everything goes the right way.

I need to get some sleep but it's not coming tonight. I just haven't had enough time to wind down. Hopefully I will get a few hours so I can be off to the beautiful Jersey Shore.
 
:tantrum2: I'm pretty angry today. I drove an hour each way to go to PT. I used the bike for 10 minutes, did three exercises I could have done at home and iced for ten minutes. That was the entire session. I asked a couple of questions and I just got a shoulder shrug. What a waste of time and money. I have two sessions left and I'm cancelling the one for Monday and I'll just go Thursday because I will be seeing the OS after that. I'll be getting my bike Saturday so it makes traveling to PT a waste especially since they can't answer questions I have about certain stretches I want to be able to do.

Secondly and probably the totally ridiculous and outrageous thing to happen today concerned an ongoing fight I e been having with my old OS office over money that they have owed me for almost 11 months now. :no-fin:
So I went to the post office to pick up my mail. I received a certified letter with a check for the $250 they owed me. Of course there was a letter enclosed. It stated that they were enclosing a check so it wouldn't cause me any further 'INCONVENIENCE'. :censored: Is that what this is? :xmark: Living with a TKR in such pain I couldn't sleep! Couldn't work without being in extreme pain! Ignored by that OS? Going through so much anxiety leading up to my revision? Then the revision itself with the recovery time and pain to be able to get back to work and be able to live my life finally. :gaah: Inconvenience is a word you can use about a broken cell phone, not someone's physical and mental health. I'm just really flabbergasted by the whole thing and that they just couldn't give a:holysheep:.
 
I'm glad your old OS's office finally paid up, Marian. As for all the "inconvenience" :yikes:, try now to do what the song from Frozen says - "Let it go!"
It's history now and you're moving forward, with a lovely, new knee, one that is going to work heaps better. Better times are ahead.
 
Of course you are angry! The use of the word 'inconvenience' was nothing short of dismissive!

I would take that $250 and buy myself something extravagant, just for me. Just for my pain and suffering. And then, not give that office another thought.

As far as the PT, there's nothing they are doing that you can't do yourself. So, why bother? On the only positive note, you aren't getting HURT there.
 
GimpyGal said:
Of course you are angry! The use of the word 'inconvenience' was nothing short of dismissive!
Click to expand...
Which is pretty much how they have treated you from the beginning. As police officers say "Nothing to see here, move on".
 
Well that money I will put towards the balance for my new bike and of course a helmet. I might need training wheels too!:bicycle2:

I took my oldest for a hysterocopy this morning where they removed two polyps that they said looked benign. They are sending out samples to be checked just to make sure. She is going to have IVF to try to get pregnant as soon as the tests come back. Her OB/GYN was able to get it okayed without doing a lot of other steps first. He probably cited her recent MS diagnosis to make it be a priority. I told her I'd be glad to move down near to her and wouldn't mind getting somewhere I could have my own apartment within the house. I could put down a sizable deposit and she could make the monthly payments. I wouldn't mind being a fulltime grandma for any little ones. We will see how it goes. She's such a great girl and her husband is wonderful. They would be very good parents.
 
That's such a generous and loving offer Marian. I can see the tree is a great example for the apple :-)
 
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