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TKR Two TKRs and a broken kneecap - on the mend now!

Thanks everyone. :flwrysmile:
The sciatica did in fact coincide with me coming off morphine, which I had been carefully tapering/reducing and then had stopped. After the second night of awful sciatic pain and almost no sleep, I cracked and took a dose of morphine again on the third - and slept for 10 hours! I have very little pain during the day, but night times are different: it’s hard to get comfortable, and because I already have scoliosis and three collapsed vertebrae, being forced to lie on my back, is creating some pain. I’m not going to beat myself up about it - the morphine works, so I’ll take 5ml at bedtime for the time being.

Also, newsflash! I went OUT yesterday evening! It was my first social engagement with more than one or two people, and my first evening engagement since before Christmas, so it was a big deal. My friends did all kinds of things to make sure I could get there - I had help from six or eight different people, at least! I was still home in bed by 10:30, but it felt so good to get out!
 
FionaW said:
Also, newsflash! I went OUT yesterday evening! It was my first social engagement with more than one or two people, and my first evening engagement since before Christmas
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Congratulations! Well done- so glad you are bearing up with all your issues.
 
Such great news, Fiona! It sounds like you're surrounded by loving, caring friends.
I hope you're able to do this more often.
A great week to you!
@FionaW
 
Yes, I do have loving, caring friends, and sons. I am lucky. :) :-) (: The tricky thing is that very few of us are retirement age - so almost everyone works full-time, and those that don’t are caring for elderly relatives and/or grandchildren, which means people have very busy lives. We don’t often get a chance to get together, which is one of the things that made Saturday night special.:loveshwr:
 
Big news! I saw my consultant today and he has cleared me to remove the brace that I’ve been wearing since my kneecap was fractured on the 2nd of June!!
:yahoo::spin::dancy::happydance::egypdance:
So my patellar avulsion fracture has healed well enough that I can now begin to bend it and walk on it again - the extensor mechanism is working, and should continue to repair and get stronger with use.

I am so relieved! I really had no idea how it was mending inside that brace, or what it would feel like without. It feels okay. Obviously I’ve got a long way to go, but considering where I was at the beginning of June this is fantastic. Hopefully I won’t need any more surgery in the foreseeable future, and the risk of infection/possible amputation has been avoided. Phew!

My rehab really starts now, 7.5 weeks after I was expecting it to! As you can see (photo below) I have some muscle wasting and weird lumps and bumps, so it might be a long haul, but it does look like I should make a reasonably good recovery eventually.

My surgeon also said that he was sent another patient, who had the same problem as me, following a knee replacement at another hospital. There (unlike in my case) they decided not to treat conservatively - ie: “wait and see” - but to operate immediately to try to repair the kneecap. This patient then developed a serious infection - which my surgeon explained was a very serious risk and why he did not recommend operating - and the only thing my surgeon has been able to do for her is to fuse her knee joint, so that she cannot ever bend it again.

So if anyone on this forum ever finds themselves with a patellar avulsion fracture in future, you might like to bear this in mind. Think twice before agreeing to let any surgeon open your knee up again, especially within the first few months, before the bones have healed completely.
 

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So so pleased to hear your good news.
Really hope all goes well from now on.
All the best and keep us posted.
 
What wonderful news and what a relief, Fiona.
You're finally on your way to a brighter future. :SUNsmile: I am super happy for you.:yes:
Have a great week!
@FionaW
 
Thanks @DogTiredKnees - it has been off for a week now. My legs are slowly strengthening. I can’t yet lift the broken knee when it’s fully straight, but I can lift it if I bend it slightly. And I can climb up and down a flight of stairs, one foot at a time, with a crutch… But that’s good enough for me to be able to sleep upstairs in my bedroom again, and use the bathroom morning and night - which is a really big deal after 2 months living all in one room! I start outpatient physio tomorrow, and I’m guessing that will probably be weekly… So, it’s slow, but it’s all heading in the right direction :flwrysmile:
 
That sounds brilliant. Managing stairs after all you have been through is great news. Fingers crossed all stays well and go really easy with the physio.
 
You're making progress! Sleeping in your own bed must feel like a treat.
Physio better treat you well...or your BoneSmart posse will come after them.

:fasthorse::fasthorse::fasthorse:
A great week to you, Fiona!
@FionaW
 
Happy Two Month Anniversary, Lefty!
I'm hoping today is a great day, Fiona :SUNsmile:
Enjoy the rest of the week!
@FionaW
 
How's it going?
Hope things are continuing to settle and improve after your traumatic episode?
 
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