TKR Winner winner, chicken dinner! Bionic Liz's new RTKA

[L.I.T]

@Celle , yes, I imagine it will take time. I think I'm a little worried at the moment also, because I'm working 2 days a week - but I have a desk job and while I can put my leg on top of my desk, I can't do toes above nose (or heart for that matter), and my swelling is just getting out of control. The ice helps, but 15 minutes after ice, it blows up. My mind is registering it as "the swelling is getting worse"......

So I'm going to try to just not worry about it and keep on keeping on. Thank you for the encouragement!

 

[L.I.T]

PS - your pictures with sayings remind me that I need to get myself back to Alanon! Thank you!

 

[Mireille]

@L.I.T I don't know if you use a lap or desk top but I got this laptop holder, has a built-in mouse pad on both sides, on amazon that I can put on my bed and work while I'm laying almost completely flat and leg elevated. Just a thought!

Good job on the icing! I was returning my non motorized cryo cuff but I took it back out of the box today, lolol Was not a fan but decided to give it another shot.

 

[Celle]

Liz, while working part time is not going to help get rid of the swelling, you do what you have to do.

Try to look at it this way: The swelling is going to go away eventually. It may take longer than you want it to, and probably working will make the swelling persist for a bit longer, but you're still making forward progress, even if it feels as if you're moving at a snail's pace.

Don't expect to see improvement on a daily basis, and sometimes not even weekly, but progress is happening.

 

[L.I.T]

@Celle, I will take that to heart. I have slid back a little from two weeks ago, but that was largely from my flutter kicking which created enough swelling for me to get 'stuck' in this impingement cycle. But I have been improving since last week, so I'll hold onto that, like you said. Thank you!

@Mireille, I wish I could still use a laptop. One picture below is of our work setup - mine is on the left. We each have three 26" monitors we use to watch surgeries. The second screen is an example of what it looks like when we have a full load - each small window next to a chat box is a separate surgery. You can see it gets crowded. If we get down to 3, i can put each one on a phone or tablet and come to bed

I did ice religiously at the desk, though.

(For those of us in the medical field, there is no patient info in these pictures - the chat boxes are the technicians we work with - not patients...I am HIPAA sensitive - and compliant)

 

[Celle]

There doesn't look like much room to elevate your leg in that setup, Liz.
Even if you can just get it up onto a chair, it will be better than having your foot right down. Aim to get knee above hip, so you can at least get some drainage.

 

[L.I.T]

@Celle, I've been putting my lower leg up on top of the desk (thank goodness for flexibility!). My knee ends up at about my chest level - better than down, but not optimal. It does make my mouse feel a little crowded though LOL

 

[Mireille]

@L.I.T yup, I can see it would be difficult to do all that in bed just keep doing the best you can. I can't wait for the day that all these challenges will be a distant memory.

 

[Celle]

You're doing the best you can, Liz. I'm sure everything is going to work out fine - it's just such a huge trial of patience.

 

[Cratchit]

Wow, Liz, that`s an impressive array of monitors and screens you have there! I don`t know how you do it but much respect to you! Thank goodness for flexibility too as I really don`t know how you are able to perch your leg up there - I know I couldn`t!

This swelling business is a tricky one to deal with as it`s so variable. When there is a reason for an increase (like flutter kicks or doing too much generally) it`s understandable but sometimes it just seems so random and unrelated to any particular activity, even non-activity. Par for the course I suppose. My leg is considerably less swollen than it was so it is a time thing - and patience! Aaargh!

@Mireille that laptop table looks really good. Not seen them before but think I may have a look for one. Love the picture on the right hand side!

 

[Mireille]

@L.I.T Sending wishes for a swelling, pain free knee day! How are you holding up?

@Cratchit I found it on Amazon, they have all different varieties. I originally wanted a rolling cart but wouldn't been hard to move up and down steps, lol. This works really well for me and it has gel pads on the bottom as well as side pockets. The pic was taken in Virginia Gorda, BVI, thanks!

 

[L.I.T]

Oh the random swelling! (hand on my forehead in my best Scarlett O'Hara voice)! I get that all. the. time. No rhyme or reason, just POP like a corn kernel! I'm also finding that I tend to swell a LOT after I ice (machine, gel packs, or veggies) - no idea what that is about. Makes me really question whether I should be icing even. Who knows. Maybe if I just do a combo of everything and nothing, it will turn out OK? To my PT who so kindly said "you'll figure out what works for you," my response is "you sure about that, buddy b/c I'm bombing this test so far!"

@Cratchit, yes, I'm lucky (and cursed) enough to be hyper flexible almost everywhere - I've always been double jointed in the arms (they bend backwards and look 'broken')... Found out I was hyper flexible in my shoulder when I had my slap repair... And then when I was diagnosed with OA, realized it was in my hips, fingers, and even knees. I suppose that's one reason it's hard for docs to diagnose - I have mixed symptoms for connective tissue, auto-inflammatory, and auto-immune diseases. We've ruled out all the major auto-immune with blood tests, but the others are more obscure.

Selfishly, the loss of ROM will one BIG emotional adjustment I will need to make with my new knee. I won't miss the hyper-extension.... But the hyper flexion, I will have to build a mausoleum for, and grieve over a loooooong period of time. Even with OA and swelling, I had FULL flexion and often sat with my heels against my bum, was up and down on the floor all the time, and sat cross legged more often than not. So I will have to learn a while new way of squatting, sitting, and climbing with my new knee. Of course, it's also possible the hyper flexibility contributed to my OA, so pretty much a blessing and a curse I think it may be easier when I get the other knee done, and can be symmetrical LOL And thank you also, for the encouragement about time. I'm going to try to work on my faith a little bit

@Mireille, I love your idea of cancelling PT, and carting off to Puerto Rico (was it?). It sounds like a dream come true - right up there with @Red's Mom and Hawaii! If only I had thought of these types of things! Unfortunately, hubby isn't too keen on us taking time off from work... And then there are our 3 cats to contend with. But still.... You will have to send pics so we can also live vicariously through you!

 

[Mireille]

@L.I.T Since I have nothing better to do I've been all over the Internet researching ways to make this process better. Haven't found the v magic pilll yet!

I've come across articles that dispute the RICE is nice theory. "Gerald Weissmann, editor of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology journal, said: “For wounds to heal we need controlled inflammation, not too much, and not too little. say that since inflammation is the body's response". Apparently we need inflammation to heal.

Now, I'm no doctor and icing makes me feel better so I will continue to ice. However, if you feel it's making swelling worse for you, maybe you should elevate without ice and see how that works. I think the ice is more for pain relief, the elevating is to get the fluids out of the knee. Right? I don't know. At this point I'd hang upside-down if it went away.

Swelling, swelling, go away, come back another day! NOT!

 

[L.I.T]

@Mireille, the article makes sense - I may try icing with my machine but maybe just for shorter bouts, and see what happens. Or, it could be like my PT said - that he's seen every surgeon's regimen for recovery, and they all tend to yield the same results.

Ha! Again with the control!

I like your thought - let's keep the bug-a-boo swelling away with nursery rhymes! Something has got to work eventually! If nothing else, it will help pass the time!

 

[Red's Mom]

Maybe one day they (the OS) will figure out a way to put us in suspended animation for say 6-8 weeks to recover in complete amnesia! I am thankful to be here where I can be outside every day!

 

[Mireille]

I was jokingly telling a friend that the surgeon should put us in a medically induced coma, do therapy while we're lying there and wake is up when we're ready and done.
,

 

[L.I.T]

@Red's Mom @Mireille, I'm with both of you! Although at this point, I'm holding out for a year - and while they're at it, they can make me lose some weight while we're at it!!!

 

[Red's Mom]

@L.I.T Oh my gosh. Reading your thread makes me smile! This is a convoluted journey for sure! Your humor helps me get through it. I have a weird clunk or snap on the lateral aspect below my knee. It happens mostly non weight bearing often when repositioning in bed. Trying to do a reverse clamshell triggers it all the time. I love blood and guts and wounds why do you watch multiple surgeries, that would be fun! Have you bought new shoes? Have you tried gentle massage for the swelling? I'm full of questions tonight. My current struggle is doing things correctly. I have so many habits from the bad knees years. Turning sideways to do stairs and curbs. Swinging my legs from the hip. Reaching out to walls for support and balance. These habits are so hard to break and I think they contribute to my new knees acting up. Keep on keeping on! Keep making the rest of us smile!

 

[Cratchit]

I have so many habits from the bad knees years. Turning sideways to do stairs and curbs. Swinging my legs from the hip. Reaching out to walls for support and balance. These habits are so hard to break and I think they contribute to my new knees acting up.

I recognise those habits and agree that breaking them is the hardest part of my recovery at this stage. That and the other knee playing up.

I was jokingly telling a friend that the surgeon should put us in a medically induced coma, do therapy while we're lying there and wake is up when we're ready and done.
,

Good plan - and a little fairy to do the housework etc while we're out of it!

@Red's Mom @Mireille, I'm with both of you! Although at this point, I'm holding out for a year - and while they're at it, they can make me lose some weight while we're at it!!!

Absolutely!

 

[Mireille]

@L.I.T How goes the swelling today? I hope less icing is working out.