What were your private milestones

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edk

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When I got my information packet from the surgeon it had a set of obvious
milestones:

Discharge from hospital 3 days
PT at home 1-2 weeks
Drive in 3 weeks when weaned of pain meds
Sex in 3 weeks (still trying to figure out what position might be pain free)
Walk to post op visit with cane but not really needing it in 4 weeks.

So those were all obvious but along the way I had a number of things
happen where I thought "God I never thought I'd get to this day".

Probably the first was finding a second pain free position to sleep in.
Then there was a walk outside without cane....

So what were your milestones which gave you an immense sense of
accomplishment to have done no matter how trivial they might be to the
average person.
 
EdK,
I'm 11 wks post op now.
I wanted to get back into Karate to some degree. I have done so and help teach on
occasion.
Pt...I was allowed by my Dr. to do my own PT after three weeks..But, I have known my Dr. since he was 13, taught him to lift weights and he knew I know how to work out. He gave me some things not to do yet and I've followed his direction.
I really wanted to go up stairs...A hot bath was calling..Made it at about two weeks. Not impressive technique but got there.
Pain Pills...Still take them as needed..Particularly if a low pressure front is coming. I don't know when I'll stop completely..Not worried about it.
Sex and positions..If you want it you'll find a way...Trust me.
Cane..I went to a zoo with my family last week. We walked for four hours..I took a cane just in case..It did come in handy towards the end..I did need ice and pills that night.
One of our members a couple of months ago (I believe Gatiger The Wise), compared recovery from TKR with the stock market..It has good days and bad days.
One dumb milestone or goal that I haven't reached yet---We have a mall with a 1.2 mile indoor walking track.. About 1 1/2 months ago, I was walking along thinking I was doing o.k. when two little white haired "really senior" ladies passed me like I was standing still.
I tried to catch them but they left me in the dust. My ego was crushed...I want to eventually ambush them and pass them like they did me!!!!
 
Wait a minute Doug....I thought they had blue hair and you mean to tell me that you haven't beat them in the raise around the mall yet? That will be the day when this happens and I know, personally, that I am anxiously awaiting this day for you! he he he....
 
Maybe the blue was from the afterburners they turned on when they passed me..And no, I haven't beaten them yet. Honestly I don't know if my knee will ever get that fast. But I'll try. If I can just pass them and hold position for 30 seconds would that be a victory??
 
Starting PT at 2 weeks PO
Driving at 9 weeks PO
Going back to work at 12 weeks
Not needing pain meds every day 12 weeks
Forgetting about my TKR for short periods 14 weeks
Going down stairs - 14 weeks
getting to 120+ ROM - 12 weeks
Taking the riser off the toilet and the seat out of the shower - 8 weeks

Those are the major ones...I'll not comment on the intimate ones :)
 
At 5 1/2 weeks, my accomplished goals have been:
1. Get off the bedpan - day after surgery
2. Be able to really ride the bike - I think this happened around the second week
3. Switch from walker to cane - this happened about week 4
4. Leave cane in the dust - I can do that now around the house, but take it when I go out.
5. Get sleep at night - boy, I still have trouble with that, but it was significantly better at 4 weeks.

Yet to do:
1. Get off pain meds. I'm thinking I can do that in a week or so and switch to Tylenol.
2. Drive. This is huge!!! I'm going to try it tomorrow when we go out to dinner.
3. Do stairs like a normal person.
4. Get full range of motion back.
5. Complete OT.
6. Do some gardening.
7. Not think about my knee for a whole day.
8. Get my stamina back so I can do activities for an extended period of time, not just in spurts with a nap in between.
 
My major accomplishments/goals were:
*Driving-waited till 4 weeks since I had 4 other drivers in the house at the time and was not forced to drive sooner.
* Getting around that dang pedal on the bike-around 4 weeks
* Just getting out of the house and feeling normal again-11 days post op for staple removal and out to lunch, grocery store.
* Went to Costco and walked around with crutches at 3 weeks. Didn't go up and down all the isles but managed quite a few
*Started outpatient PT around 2 weeks postop. Just getting out of the house on a regular schedule was great
*Sleep through the night. This happened for me at 8 weeks right on course when I had to go back to work and get up at 4:30. Hey wait a minute, maybe that doesnt count for sleeping through the night since 4:30 isn't technically morning!
*I had to do steps the first day home as I wasn't getting in the house without climbing up a set. My livingroom is also a step down so I had to go up an down a step several times a day. That first trip up the stairs on day 3 after surgery was quite scary but I did it on my own.

Doug, I think you need to do just as you said, pass them, hold for 30 secs and say "mornin ladies, how are the knees holdin out? That would definitely be a victory!
 
Whew, I just might be able to do that in the future..I'm not there yet. I don't want to pass them, hold for 30 and start doing a victory dance...They might call the men in the white coats..
 
I went back to work, full time, at 4 weeks...I thought that was a pretty big milestone.
 
It was a milestone to get rid of any aids to walking. I gave up the cane at 4 weeks. It was a good day!!
 
WHAT on earth would we have done without one another? What great friends I've made. I'm so thankful for each of you.....we're Blessed to have found each other.
 
my biggest milestone was just recently when the day had passed and I realized that my surgically replaced knee had not entered my mind. it was astounding!
 
How about the goal of actually getting myself to show up for surgery? That wasn't a little thing. After surgery, 1st steps, getting to the toilet myself. off walker, stairs, stairs again. coming home, came earlier tahn I planned because I didn't go to rehab as planned . First week post-op milestone, then 2 weeks. Shower, Shower standing. upstairs to bed room. loading dishwasher and tidying kitchen by myself. Walgreens, waking down the road alone and now without cane. Going to church. making my husbands lunch for work. driving. Still to come. No pain meds for knees, easily doing stairs, grocery shopping for real. gardening, catching up on all the house stuff that has fallen behind because i've been unable. walk the dog (she's got alot of energy), loosing weight gained from not moving enough to burn what I eat (at least some). 6month mark, not thinking about my knees all day, every day. That enough?
 
Milestones... Ah, I remember when!
Off the walker at 10 days post op
"Rolled" over in bed at 2 weeks
Driving at 3 weeks (off narcotics at 2 1/2 weeks)
90 degree bend without pain - 3 weeks
Off the cane by 4 weeks
Sex - 4 weeks
really good night's sleep -4 weeks
Grocery shopping without the little electric cart - 5 weeks
Walked a mile - 6 weeks (boy did that hurt! too soon.)
132 degree bend - 9 weeks
Rode my horse - 10 weeks TODAY!!!

Keep track of those mile stones... they are real encouragers!
 
That's great, B!

I did something "new" last night....woke up for a potty visit...when I came back to bed (our bed is high and even though I'm tall, I have to climb into it) I bent my operative knee and climbed with it...put full weight onthe knee cap...didn't hurt a bit...scared me to death but didn't hurt.
 
Patti
Did you *plan* to do that or just end up on your knee and say "uh-oh" and wait for the hammer to fall?
 
did NOT plan it (was half asleep)......as soon as I was up on it, I panicked.....no need to,though...it was all good....I smiled and went back to sleep!!!

That was HUGE for me because I've told you guys how I REALLY like to kneel while taking communion....we have a huge open altar....this made me very happy!!!
 
Very pleased for you Patti. Do you have little cushions to kneel on when you kneel for communion? It may be a good idea to take one if not.
 
I did it, I did it, I did, I did it!!!!!!!!!!! Yesssssssss!!!!!!!! Finally, I just jumped on my stationary bike, it was 1.30am. I managed to go all the way round. Admittedly I hired the saddle this time one notch (but I had tried that before with no success), but I went round. I continued for 5 mintes. Painfully but I did it!!! This is my favourite milestone, I am at 12 weeks and 4 days. Two more days before I see the OS about manipulation, maybe I can avoid it after all? We will see. I'd better get working on it.
 
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