40 dealing with life prior to TKR. Next stop PKR May 27th, 2010.

[bombero1969]

ONE WEEK POST-OP   

Today marks the one week post-op point. I was able to sleep from 9:30pm to 4am last night for the  first time. By 4 the pain was back and I was unable to go back to sleep, but I will take all of the sleep I can get.

Yesterday was my first day to go to PT, I was expecting a worse time and to come home in much more pain then when I had left the house. That was not the case, the session went pretty good, the PTer told me that I can back off from my "homework" a bit if I wanted to. He was impressed that I was at 95 degree felxion and was only 6 days post-op. I thought that was about average or mediocre. But he assured me that my goal is to be at 90 degrees and to maintain at least 90 the first few weeks. He said that if you don't maintain it that the 90 degree mark is very hard to come back to.

I do use ice packs, and as we all know that ice can damage the skin after 20 minutes that is all I go for. But the one thing I did do was to buy a iceman that pumps cold water around the knee. That way I can keep the knee cold longer but not ice cold. Though I have started to get away from the iceman a bit so it doesn't get too stiff.

The biggest thing that is frustrating is the constant ache inside the knee. It almost feels bone deep, and wont let me get into a comfortable position. Sometimes it feels good to bend the knee and leave it there for a few minutes, then the ache comes back. Feels like if I could just get it in a comfortable position it would be great.

I do not know how much different a PKR is from a TKR, but it would be reasonable to say that a TKR would probably hurt more and ache more than a PKR. I can really say that I feel for those of yall that have had the TKR. I could not imagine if all of my knee was replaced how much worse the feelings would be.

[Plumb]

a few posters have had  both pkr and TKR and yes they say TKR pain is worse.. But what can you do..  They are choping bone..  Ya gonna be sore for a bit.   Sure your up and walking.. but  they downplay the sore time.

[bombero1969]

11 days post-op

A quick update.

  My knee is doing great, getting better by leaps and bounds. Well not really leaping and bounding but walking without limping. Which is a really good feeling. It still gets sore and aches quite a bit, tires pretty quickly. But no need for the walker or the cane around the house anymore. I take the cane with me whenever I leave the house in case it gets tired. This is the best thing I have ever done, why didn't I do it sooner. Also hope that it lasts for at least 15 years. Being optimistic and praying about it.

Thanks to everyone guiding me along the way and giving me such incredible encouragement. Reading your posts and journeys really has helped.

[whitey85]

Wow.....sounds like things are going really well!!  To think that you are only 11 days post-op and feeling so much better...that is awesome...It must be great to be leaving the old pain behind...at least the 'new' pain should be getting better every day!!!!!!  Good luck with all of your p/t...so glad it is going well...

[bombero1969]

Got back from vacation yesterday, did not go to the beach due to the oil washing ashore.  But we did get out of here and go to Broken Bow Lake in Oklahoma, taking the boat with us. It was such a wonderful trip, and was great to just get away. Took some ankle weights and some bands with me so that I could do my own PT while on the trip. Did not even use them. We had rented a cabin that the bedrooms were both upstairs. So there was many many trips up and down those blasted stairs. Found out that swimming also was a bit challenging with the knee also, but did get some exercise for the knee. Thought about going on a hike but decided that it would be really bad to hike in the mountains / hills of the beautiful Ouichita Forest. Didn't want to get half way through and be wiped out with no way to return without a very lengthy rest.

All of that and only 5 weeks post-op this past Thursday. Going to my second post-op appointment this coming Tuesday, hopefully the doc releases me to light duty. At least I will not be burning any more sick time and be able to get out of the house daily doing stuff.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend. Happy 4th of July to all.

[bombero1969]

Today I went to the Doc and he asked what I wanted to do, so I told him I would love to go back to full duty. That I would be 100% compliant and go to light duty if that is what he says to do, the knee feels way batter than it has in the past year not to mention the months prior to the surgery. He said that I can return to full duty tomorrow morning, and made my day. He simply stated that how much pain I was in with the bone on bone at the first of the year and still worked full duty through it that I am ready now to return.

I am so excited,and to think I will be going back a day before my 6 week post-op. Thank you to everyone that has stopped by and shared your wisdom, experiences with me. Thanks for you words of encouragement.

[Plumb]

Yippie,,,   Enjoy that knee ya hear me.

[daisey]

That is GREAT that you are getting to return to full-duty so soon.  I on the other had...as of monday still have four more weeks off for sure.  I hope that when I return to the doc that I get to return to duty.  I am getting around great but the knee still tires pretty easy. I agree with the statement about it being the best thing I had ever done.  I feel the same way about my replacment.  It has been such a great change compared to before surgery.  Hope you continue to do well.

Daisey

[debbieo]

Aint life good!!! Back  to where you can help others.  Walk on!!!
debbieo

[bombero1969]

Update!

Well we have had our busy shifts and then our lazy days. So far I had one shift that we were up all 24 hours running medical calls on the box, most were just normal calls but a couple were actually really good calls. Though I have become partial to the engine that I am assigned as engineer to. I get to be on the engine more than the box and that is fine to me. Last night (or early this morning 0430) we got toned out for a residential fire in a neighboring city. So I got to bunk out and ended up on the nozzle. It was my first fire since being back, and was so exciting and thrilling. To be able to perform such tasks and only have a complaint of the heat from the weather was wonderful. My knee held up much better than I was expecting, did not get sore or protest at all.

I am so glad that I had the surgery and would do it all over again just to be able to do all of these things.