TKR Widget1's recovery thread
- Thread starter Widget1
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My orders were on during the day and off at night.
Kssii
senior
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2015
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- 79
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- Luther Oklahoma
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United States
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
The clue is in the first syllable of the word - thus 'tendin' appertains to tendons (and ligaments!) and 'neuro' is neurology or nerves. So no, they are not the same but they are both inflammatory issues.
In my experience, doctors don't tend to give much credence to chiropractors and regard them as 'fringe' medicine and to be scoffed at and scorned. I always put it to my patients that they wouldn't ask their doctor's advice or referral to a dentist or a chiropodist so what's the difference!
I think I can safely say that your doctor wouldn't have mentioned it at all! If they do, it's usually to tell the patient, NO elevating, NO icing! Madness!
I quite agree, Nigel. But then it's been a while since I stopped being amazed at anything doctors say or think! I've had more than one stand-up argument with surgeons (and spinal surgeons!) about the merits of chiropractic treatment! I truly think the only thing they get about it is that it's competition!
Kssii
senior
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2015
- Messages
- 259
- Age
- 79
- Location
- Luther Oklahoma
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
"I've had more than one stand-up argument with surgeons (and spinal surgeons!) about the merits of chiropractic treatment! "
Well there are exceptions--my cousin is married to a neurosurgeon. Several years ago, my lower back was seriously "out" and pain meds, muscle relaxers etc. were doing NOTHING to help. He told me, "You don't want what I do unless you have no other option." I asked him about chiropractors, and he told me, "I think they are very good for what they do." I went to one and recovered completely.
Well there are exceptions--my cousin is married to a neurosurgeon. Several years ago, my lower back was seriously "out" and pain meds, muscle relaxers etc. were doing NOTHING to help. He told me, "You don't want what I do unless you have no other option." I asked him about chiropractors, and he told me, "I think they are very good for what they do." I went to one and recovered completely.
I saw a chiropractor after a car accident and it was very helpful. What I liked about her was that we had just a few appointments and she didn't try to "sell me" on extra ones. Seemed very ethical.
OP
OP
Widget1
member
There is a chiropractor on staff at the OS practice. However, I don't think he's there full-time and I wasn't able to get an appointment with him. He has the most glowing positive reviews by far on the OS website of all the staff (there are no negatives visible for anyone). My OS has one review only. It's unfortunate that there isn't more coordination between the OS and chiropractors, for they certainly can complement each other in providing relief from pain originating in our bodies.
I've been busy ordering fabrics and supplies (online) so I can decorate my assigned building and stock up for my holiday boutique. Our NHL hockey team (my favorite sport) will be there for the lighting of the tree, opening of the winter village boutiques and outdoor cafe, as well the opening of the ice skating rink (in Florida). My mailbox has more packages in it every day. My enjoyment of driving all over and wandering through store after store for hours to find the perfect supplies has waned (or maybe disappeared) this year.
This afternoon I decided what my October/Halloween attire will be. I'm taking a pair of black leggings and hand painting front and back to resemble x-rays of the skeleton, and of course the new knee prosthesis will be on display on the left side
It's too bad that there isn't a line out there of "ortho wear" (for KR and HR replacement patients), then I wouldn't have to take hours to hand paint my leggings.
I've been busy ordering fabrics and supplies (online) so I can decorate my assigned building and stock up for my holiday boutique. Our NHL hockey team (my favorite sport) will be there for the lighting of the tree, opening of the winter village boutiques and outdoor cafe, as well the opening of the ice skating rink (in Florida). My mailbox has more packages in it every day. My enjoyment of driving all over and wandering through store after store for hours to find the perfect supplies has waned (or maybe disappeared) this year.
This afternoon I decided what my October/Halloween attire will be. I'm taking a pair of black leggings and hand painting front and back to resemble x-rays of the skeleton, and of course the new knee prosthesis will be on display on the left side
It's too bad that there isn't a line out there of "ortho wear" (for KR and HR replacement patients), then I wouldn't have to take hours to hand paint my leggings.
SarahJane
supremo
How are you doing, Widget? Busy crafting? Any return chiro appointments? Any news on the medical/diagnosis front? Sending you hugs and TLC
OP
OP
Widget1
member
@SarahJane - I've been absent here because I've been spending all my time putting new listings on the Amazon shop. To break from sitting at the computer I've been making things to sell at my holiday boutique in downtown Tampa, and want to have that stock ready to go for the Nov. 20th opening.
Have had PT appointments three times a week. There's an older gentleman who seems to be there each time I have an appointment, and he considers himself to be quite the rogue. On Wednesday I caught him trying to look up the leg of my shorts, so on Friday I wore capris to do away with that issue. Unfortunately they had him doing exercises at the rail next to the flexion machine I was on and he chattered on and on about how he doesn't snore much, etc.
This morning I had an appointment with the spine/pain intervention specialist my OS referred me to. He had some tests performed, and also told me my left leg was hotter than my right one, and that I had a pink/red leg on the left all the way to my foot, while my right leg is normal flesh color. The first step will be a left lumbar sympathetic block that he will do next Tuesday at the outpatient surgery center. He said he'll monitor after the first block, and that there's a 50% chance of it being successful. He said if a series of blocks work then it's great. If they don't work, then he'll have more tests performed, and as a last resort would do a cooling radiofrequency ablation on my knee.
In addition to the swelling and pain on the two areas (at top of knee, and below the knee), I keep getting these random stabbing pains on the inside, and can't walk or sit or stand until they go away because the pain is so intense. It's not constant, but rather maybe 10 times a day, and I can't move until the pain lessens. Still waking up in the night, even though I'm taking the sleeping pill my primary prescribed.
However, every time I start feeling down about this I only think of Pescara and how she endured two lengthy spine surgeries and has to cope with that on top of her knee recovery - she's my hero. During my recovery it seemed like on the days that were the darkest we'd have a storm, and I'd look outside to the east and see a total rainbow - that happened 7 times (I marked each one on the calendar). Three times in the last three weeks when I've been sitting outside in my courtyard (it has one open side with plants/flowers) a magnificent great blue heron has walked up to the open side and just stands perfectly still and looks at me. Each time I told it what a gorgeous creature it was, etc. It just looked at me while I spoke, and then after a few minutes just strolled away. Those are my little signs that everything is okay in this world.
Have had PT appointments three times a week. There's an older gentleman who seems to be there each time I have an appointment, and he considers himself to be quite the rogue. On Wednesday I caught him trying to look up the leg of my shorts, so on Friday I wore capris to do away with that issue. Unfortunately they had him doing exercises at the rail next to the flexion machine I was on and he chattered on and on about how he doesn't snore much, etc.
This morning I had an appointment with the spine/pain intervention specialist my OS referred me to. He had some tests performed, and also told me my left leg was hotter than my right one, and that I had a pink/red leg on the left all the way to my foot, while my right leg is normal flesh color. The first step will be a left lumbar sympathetic block that he will do next Tuesday at the outpatient surgery center. He said he'll monitor after the first block, and that there's a 50% chance of it being successful. He said if a series of blocks work then it's great. If they don't work, then he'll have more tests performed, and as a last resort would do a cooling radiofrequency ablation on my knee.
In addition to the swelling and pain on the two areas (at top of knee, and below the knee), I keep getting these random stabbing pains on the inside, and can't walk or sit or stand until they go away because the pain is so intense. It's not constant, but rather maybe 10 times a day, and I can't move until the pain lessens. Still waking up in the night, even though I'm taking the sleeping pill my primary prescribed.
However, every time I start feeling down about this I only think of Pescara and how she endured two lengthy spine surgeries and has to cope with that on top of her knee recovery - she's my hero. During my recovery it seemed like on the days that were the darkest we'd have a storm, and I'd look outside to the east and see a total rainbow - that happened 7 times (I marked each one on the calendar). Three times in the last three weeks when I've been sitting outside in my courtyard (it has one open side with plants/flowers) a magnificent great blue heron has walked up to the open side and just stands perfectly still and looks at me. Each time I told it what a gorgeous creature it was, etc. It just looked at me while I spoke, and then after a few minutes just strolled away. Those are my little signs that everything is okay in this world.
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SarahJane
supremo
I agree with @Slainte. Life's giving you a truckload of lemons right now, and you're pacing yourself very realistically and not drowning in despair. Instead, you're making lemon bars, lemon cake, limoncello, lemon chicken, lemon sherbet, lemon gelato, preserved lemons, avgolomono (Greek lemon, chicken and rice soup), and three different types of lemonade. Or, at least, lots of wonderful one-of-a-kind creations for your Amazon shop and the upcoming craft fair. As well as taking care of your body by seeing the specialist.
Speaking of the craft fair, do you have anyone to help you with the set-up and take-down of your booth? I hope you won't try to do too much of that yourself, dear friend.
It seems like you're being watched over by your spirit animal, the heron. A good thing, I think. They have spindly legs, yet can stand with perfect balance and poise. They are loners, not herd creatures people/birds who spend a lot of time with their mates or families. They soar, almost effortlessly, and can see clearly. They are comfortable with themselves. Very cool that one came so close to you.
Will the left lumbar block help you with those shooting pains? I hope so. They sound dreadful. BTW, did you catch @momweb's comments in Pescara's thread? She didn't tag you, so you may have missed it if you were busy keeping your nose to the metaphorical persuasion. She wrote:
"It sounds like I, too had similar pain in my knee. It hit me big time especially at night. Sometimes I would get the pain when I was walking, and you are right, I would have to stop because the pain was so intense.
"I saw the OS for my 12 week check the other day and he said I had some hypersensitivity and gave me a prescription for Neurontin. I only take 3 capsules at night, but I can't tell you what a difference! I don't have that stabbing pain at night and I haven't had any during the day either. It's only been a couple of days but I'm really surprised. Could it be nerves that are bothering you as well? Worth checking."
Check in with us, however briefly, after Tuesday's appointment, OK?
Speaking of the craft fair, do you have anyone to help you with the set-up and take-down of your booth? I hope you won't try to do too much of that yourself, dear friend.
It seems like you're being watched over by your spirit animal, the heron. A good thing, I think. They have spindly legs, yet can stand with perfect balance and poise. They are loners, not herd creatures people/birds who spend a lot of time with their mates or families. They soar, almost effortlessly, and can see clearly. They are comfortable with themselves. Very cool that one came so close to you.
Will the left lumbar block help you with those shooting pains? I hope so. They sound dreadful. BTW, did you catch @momweb's comments in Pescara's thread? She didn't tag you, so you may have missed it if you were busy keeping your nose to the metaphorical persuasion. She wrote:
"It sounds like I, too had similar pain in my knee. It hit me big time especially at night. Sometimes I would get the pain when I was walking, and you are right, I would have to stop because the pain was so intense.
"I saw the OS for my 12 week check the other day and he said I had some hypersensitivity and gave me a prescription for Neurontin. I only take 3 capsules at night, but I can't tell you what a difference! I don't have that stabbing pain at night and I haven't had any during the day either. It's only been a couple of days but I'm really surprised. Could it be nerves that are bothering you as well? Worth checking."
Check in with us, however briefly, after Tuesday's appointment, OK?
OP
OP
Widget1
member
@SarahJane - what a lovely post! ♥ Thank you! I wasn't aware of the qualities of the heron! Last night I went outside to try and see the supermoon, but was so disappointed because we had nothing but dark clouds after hours of rain and I couldn't see anything. I looked to my right, and there was the heron, just walking along behind my wall, and it stopped while I muttered about not seeing the moon, then casually walked away. It's so amazing to be just about 7-8 feet away from the beautiful bird. It could be my spirit animal, because this is so unusual and I haven't seen a heron in my yard in the years I've lived here.
For the winter holiday I'll set up by myself on Nov. 19, and take everything down Dec. 20th. The city is renting PODs, and they'll all be together, with the outsides wrapped to appear like a Bavarian village, complete with all the holiday lights. I have to decorate the inside of my POD, but since they're small, will just have a long table (with holiday fabric wrapping the table), my banner behind it on the wall, a directors chair, and I'm bringing a tall skinny tree to decorate. I have some collapsible vertical storage that I'll use. Maybe I'll be able to find someone to help me set up. The PODs will be locked up every night, and the village is only open on weekends.
Right now I'm just focusing on the Amazon shop. I'm now at 731 out of my 950 goal, so just like the knee recovery, slowly but surely I'll get there.
Thanks for sharing @momweb comment on the pain. It certainly sounds like the same thing I have going on. The only thing is that unfortunately I cannot take Neurontin or Gabapentin. So, I'm pinning my hopes on the lumbar block being successful. The 50% odds are better than the 0% odds I've been dealing with lately.
I'll definitely post next Tuesday after I get home.
For the winter holiday I'll set up by myself on Nov. 19, and take everything down Dec. 20th. The city is renting PODs, and they'll all be together, with the outsides wrapped to appear like a Bavarian village, complete with all the holiday lights. I have to decorate the inside of my POD, but since they're small, will just have a long table (with holiday fabric wrapping the table), my banner behind it on the wall, a directors chair, and I'm bringing a tall skinny tree to decorate. I have some collapsible vertical storage that I'll use. Maybe I'll be able to find someone to help me set up. The PODs will be locked up every night, and the village is only open on weekends.
Right now I'm just focusing on the Amazon shop. I'm now at 731 out of my 950 goal, so just like the knee recovery, slowly but surely I'll get there.
Thanks for sharing @momweb comment on the pain. It certainly sounds like the same thing I have going on. The only thing is that unfortunately I cannot take Neurontin or Gabapentin. So, I'm pinning my hopes on the lumbar block being successful. The 50% odds are better than the 0% odds I've been dealing with lately.
I'll definitely post next Tuesday after I get home.
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OP
OP
Widget1
member
@Legin - thanks for the tip about pregabalin! I'll ask my doctor if I can take it. There's so many things I'm unable to take (from my pharmacogenomics - Rx DNA "bible"). I'm glad that I'm reasonably happy, because I know that medicines like valium would be fatal for me.
I'm afraid that in my care to prevent falling on my knee today that I might have another stress fracture on my right foot. It's swollen and hurts like crazy in the same place it happened to it last year. When I left PT today the water was running over my ankles and the rain was sideways. A big lightning cloud-to-ground strike was so close to where I was. I did not run, but tried to walk rapidly across the parking lot to get into my car (at that point I was closer to my car than the front of the medical building). My left foot slipped in the water and I did a convoluted slipping and turning motion but did not fall, and my knee was spared, and I was spared from lightning. I turned on to one street and the water was up close to the top of my tires, so I wasn't able to get home immediately. By the time I got home my foot had already swollen over my soggy shoe and was hurting. I hope I don't have to go back to wearing the walking boot on that foot again. :(
I'm afraid that in my care to prevent falling on my knee today that I might have another stress fracture on my right foot. It's swollen and hurts like crazy in the same place it happened to it last year. When I left PT today the water was running over my ankles and the rain was sideways. A big lightning cloud-to-ground strike was so close to where I was. I did not run, but tried to walk rapidly across the parking lot to get into my car (at that point I was closer to my car than the front of the medical building). My left foot slipped in the water and I did a convoluted slipping and turning motion but did not fall, and my knee was spared, and I was spared from lightning. I turned on to one street and the water was up close to the top of my tires, so I wasn't able to get home immediately. By the time I got home my foot had already swollen over my soggy shoe and was hurting. I hope I don't have to go back to wearing the walking boot on that foot again. :(
SarahJane
supremo
I *could* say it never rains but it pours, but it's difficult to convey the empathetic, sympathetic, nurturing tone of voice and facial expression behind the ironic statement ...
Widget, I am so, so, so sorry. You don't need anything else to cope with. Universe, listen, lay off already, why don't you? Haven't you traumatized Widget enough?
And, how come Florida's hogging all the rain? Asks the Californian enviously.
Widget, I am so, so, so sorry. You don't need anything else to cope with. Universe, listen, lay off already, why don't you? Haven't you traumatized Widget enough?
And, how come Florida's hogging all the rain? Asks the Californian enviously.
cairistiona60
senior
Oh that must have really hurt. I am so scared of falling. I was walking behind my hubby just as he stepped backwards and he bumped into me. I thought I was going to fall and had that nauseous feeling I used to get when I thought my patella was going to dislocate. I needn't have worried. My new knee held its ground and I didn't fall. My husband was so sorry, he thought I had passed behind him and he could step back in the clear. I ended up feeling sorry for him because he was so upset at the thought of me falling.
I hope there is nothing seriously wrong with your foot. Take it easy.
I hope there is nothing seriously wrong with your foot. Take it easy.
OP
OP
Widget1
member
I discovered that I also did something to my right knee in addition to my foot. It's swollen and catches, and it hurts like crazy and now I have to push myself up from a seated position. The feeling is oddly similar to two years ago when I tore the medial meniscus in my left knee. When I slowly limped into PT today they just used the ultrasound on my left knee and iced both knees and that was the extent of it (thank goodness). Tomorrow I'm going to make the drive to the ortho urgent care and have the right knee looked at. Maybe a cortisone injection in the right knee will tide me over until my left knee is stronger again. Last night and today I elevated and iced both legs and used the Rx pain cream on my right knee and foot.
SarahJane - you and your state of California can gladly have our rain! At the end of July and early August when we had massive flooding with 10-18 inches of rain falling in 48 hours, we were already ahead of the annual precipitation average by over 30". The ground is so saturated that flooding comes instantly. We're also heading into an El Nino winter, which for us means massive amounts of rainfall off the Gulf. For this go around a low system stayed in the Gulf right off Tampa Bay and that's what brought us this round of constant rain. Meanwhile, while we were having record rains and flooding, southern Florida remained in a drought situation.
SarahJane - you and your state of California can gladly have our rain! At the end of July and early August when we had massive flooding with 10-18 inches of rain falling in 48 hours, we were already ahead of the annual precipitation average by over 30". The ground is so saturated that flooding comes instantly. We're also heading into an El Nino winter, which for us means massive amounts of rainfall off the Gulf. For this go around a low system stayed in the Gulf right off Tampa Bay and that's what brought us this round of constant rain. Meanwhile, while we were having record rains and flooding, southern Florida remained in a drought situation.
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