Knee Replacement? Please share your experiences.

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Well got my staples out, can I say ouch. Said it looks really good. I only have therapy scheduled through next week, but was told probably another 4 weeks more after that, so I was hopeful that was it.

My husband stopped at the urgent care because of a tick bite that looks to be possibly Lyme disease. Here in Wisconsin it's an epidemic almost, so they put him on 3 weeks of antibiotics, they just assume now, especially with the bullseye around the bite site which he has.

I have to go ahead to resume my walking as tolerated, and can drive short distances. They also had the results of the brittle bone sample they sent for testing. It was dead bone she said, probably caused by the chemotherapy, removal of the bone was the treatment, so not a tumor, and not cancer thankfully.

 

[sourland]

Good news on the bone sample. Lyme disease is not fun.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you, it's a great relief to know it's okay.

Not many people are familiar with Lymes disease outside of Wisconsin and the Northeast. It can be very devastating, especially to our dogs. At least half of mine have it and need treatment every 6 months or so. I have come to hate Lymes. I know quite a few people who have had it too.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm starting to think I'm a baby. I am still finding everything hard. I know I'm better than last week but feel constantly sore and like I can't get where I want to be.

My husband says I'm expecting too much too soon. I have tried resuming my walks but get fatigued fairly quick. I still have swelling in my leg. Every time I try to sit with it above my head it becomes painful and uncomfortable pretty quick. I do continue to ice it often.

I'm using my exercise bike to try to bend my leg more but so far can't go all the way around yet. I think I'm getting it straighter though. I honestly don't know how people older than me go through this. My mother in law said she cried after therapy too. I was starting to think I can't handle pain like I used to. Let's hope next week goes better.

 

[donrae]

I'm starting to think I'm a baby. I am still finding everything hard. I know I'm better than last week but feel constantly sore and like I can't get where I want to be.

My husband says I'm expecting too much too soon. I have tried resuming my walks but get fatigued fairly quick. I still have swelling in my leg. Every time I try to sit with it above my head it becomes painful and uncomfortable pretty quick. I do continue to ice it often.

I'm using my exercise bike to try to bend my leg more but so far can't go all the way around yet. I think I'm getting it straighter though. I honestly don't know how people older than me go through this. My mother in law said she cried after therapy too. I was starting to think I can't handle pain like I used to. Let's hope next week goes better.

I know it's hard to feel like things are going so slow. But I think the key is to remember just how far you've come in the last week or so. What couldn't you do last week, that you can do now?

I remember talking (I think with you?) last year when I was recovering from transplant. One big thing was I couldn't take the step from the garage to the porch while carrying the laundry basket. I had to set it down, step up, then pick up the basket again. Drove me nuts. But gradually, I could step up, and now I've been doing it for months and not thinking about it at all. I think it's the same thing for you....you want to be at least back to pre-op level of function, and would prefer 100%. But it's just not going to happen yet

. Come on, hon, they cut your leg open and messed with your bones, joints, muscles, they tweaked a lot of things in there! That alone is going to take time to heal. Folks used to be in the hospital for much longer, and this is why. We move folks out so fast now, we tend to forget it's really a very major surgery and has a long recovery time. But the key is to continue to recover. Literally write down things you can't do, and what your goals are. Being able to look back makes is much easier to see how far you've come, otherwise we forget how little we could do and feel we're making no progress at all.

I know I can't handle pain like I used to. Before my leukemia diagnosis, I considered myself a pretty tough chick. Now, (maybe it's more anxiety related than actual pain, I'm not sure) I'm pretty much a wimp. But I"m okay with that, I still do what needs to be done....just with more meds

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you. That all makes sense and makes me feel better. That's a great idea about writing stuff down. I'm going to do that. I can shower without sitting down now, and I don't really need my cane anymore, so two things.

My perception of time is a bit messed up. It feels like it has been months not weeks. I need to slow down I think.

When I went through chemo I came out the other side with excruciating leg pains and weakness from laying in bed for months. I was also left with no tolerance for pain. They said the chemo killed the bone in my knee. I also developed neuropathy so my ability to feel pain is hyped up. Every touch on my fingertips feels like razor blades.

I still want to be tough and take it though and feel like I need to get back to work here at home because my husband does everything, but that's my own idea, he's fine with me doing nothing.

Thanks for putting stuff back into perspective. I apparently need lots of pep talks, especially from others who have gone through some rough stuff and understands.

 

[lazy gardener]

My take on surgery is that it takes a full year to get back to "normal" (what ever that is.) When I had my shoulder surgery, it was a long long long time. Remember having babies? It took months before I felt like my body was "normal" again. You'll get there. Orthopedic surgery is a major deal. And you had the prior complication of Chemo. One step at a time! Sending PM.

 

[csneill]

I can't say it any better than donrae or lazy gardener. Keep your chin up & do try to compare your progress week by week instead of day by day. Considering you had some other health issues w neuropathy & your chemo & such prior to your knee replacement your pain is probably pretty normal for where you're at in your recovery.
I have a lot of patients who get frustrated because 'their neighbor, their sister, their friend' who had their knee replaced 2 years ago said they were back to normal in 2 or 4 or 6 weeks. Or said they were back to dancing in 2 weeks... Let me assure you they weren't! Just like a few of us have said about having babies- your mind seems to forget the bad stuff sometimes. You can do this- just listen to your body- push it- but not too hard. You do need your rest, too. This is a big surgery & a big recovery. If you think about it- your bone isn't even healed yet! I think it's only been about 4 weeks since your surgery right? Patience, patience girl! Keep icing too!

 

[sourland]

 

[donrae]

I still want to be tough and take it though and feel like I need to get back to work here at home because my husband does everything, but that's my own idea, he's fine with me doing nothing.

We are so blessed with good men! And cursed with the same drive to do stuff ourselves

. that was what bugged me so much also, the fact he was doing "my" stuff, that I felt I should be doing. He was fine with doing it, he knew it wasn't going to be forever, but it nagged at my brain. And it wasn't a thing of he didn't do it right, he did it just perfect. But I felt I should be taking care of myself and my animals, etc. and just seeing him do that bugged the snot out of me.

Living with us may not be a piece of cake all the time. I know my Honey wants to do more things for me, and It's hard for me to let him. So, take this opportunity to let your husband offer you these acts of service and take care of you. It may be a blessing to him that you don't realize

Baby steps!