I'm back - day 6 post TKR

JuliaHod12
JuliaHod12 Member Posts: 456
edited 3. Aug 2012, 17:25 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi guys

I am now just back home, 6 days after my Op, just a quick update.......

Op Day - went to theatre about 6.15pm, had general anaesthetic & spinal block.......(that was a tad tricky and took him nearly 20 mins!) came round in recovery about 9.30pm, back on ward by 10.30, tea and sandwiches at midnight! SLEEP

Day 1 - Total wipeout, spinal block hadn't worn off........no progress
Day 2 - Good amount of pain, bed exercises
Day 3 - Good amount of pain, difficulty getting me out of bed,needed knee brace.........stood up for about 30 seconds, bed exercises! ;-)
Day 4 - Less Pain, better progress, in and out of bed with very little help bed exercises and gym (parallel bars etc) 65 degree bend
Day 5 - Less Pain, Excellent progress, bed exercises, got in and out of shower (board over bath) with help,more gym work.......70 degree bend
Day 6 - even less pain, gym exercises, up and down stairs properly unassisted, in and out of car with little help, currently have 85 degree bend!

HOME! :lol:

now to continue the hard work! I will catch up with you all in a day or two xx
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Comments

  • fowls48
    fowls48 Member Posts: 1,357
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well Done julia


    Keep up the good work .Glad your home .xxx

    karen.
  • diamond
    diamond Member Posts: 396
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Wishing you a speedy recovery Julia bet your glad that is the op out of the way.x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    That's fabulous, keep up the good work! DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • Helenbothknees
    Helenbothknees Member Posts: 487
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Sounds good, Julia! Welcome back, so glad everything went well. Marrianne, Steve, and I have been missing you, and probably others too.
  • dachshund
    dachshund Member Posts: 8,899
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Julia
    you've done well good work with the exercises try not to get
    carried away with the housework.
    take care.
    joan xx
    take care
    joan xx
  • mig
    mig Member Posts: 7,154
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Good news,well done now starts the hard work.Mig
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,280
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Julia
    You are doing really well, and I am sure your thread will help many that are waiting for there TKR.
    Wishing you a speedy recovery xx
    Love
    Barbara
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well done, Julia. Yes, you are right, the hard work begins now. :wink::) When you look back you will not regret it, promise. :D Do as you are told, RICE Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevate and all will go to plan. Remember it is a major operation so will take time. I found writing a daily diary really helped. When I was getting impatient I would look back and see how well I had progessed. One does tend to forget otherwise.

    I wish you well,

    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • tjt6768
    tjt6768 Member Posts: 12,170
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello mi dear and welcome home :D

    Sounds like you are doing very well, long may it continue :wink:

    Now stop playing on the internet and get some excersises done lol
    e050.gifMe-Tony
    n035.gifRa-1996 -2013 RIP...
    k040.gif
    Cleo - 1996 to 2011. RIP
  • elainebadknee
    elainebadknee Bots Posts: 3,703
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Julia

    Its good to see you on here posting again after 6 days....Your 85% bend sounds very good too you, I guess this is where all the hard hard work starts eh?
    Hope you continue to recover well and are well looked after too..

    Elainex
    JuliaHod12 wrote:
    Hi guys

    I am now just back home, 6 days after my Op, just a quick update.......

    Op Day - went to theatre about 6.15pm, had general anaesthetic & spinal block.......(that was a tad tricky and took him nearly 20 mins!) came round in recovery about 9.30pm, back on ward by 10.30, tea and sandwiches at midnight! SLEEP

    Day 1 - Total wipeout, spinal block hadn't worn off........no progress
    Day 2 - Good amount of pain, bed exercises
    Day 3 - Good amount of pain, difficulty getting me out of bed,needed knee brace.........stood up for about 30 seconds, bed exercises! ;-)
    Day 4 - Less Pain, better progress, in and out of bed with very little help bed exercises and gym (parallel bars etc) 65 degree bend
    Day 5 - Less Pain, Excellent progress, bed exercises, got in and out of shower (board over bath) with help,more gym work.......70 degree bend
    Day 6 - even less pain, gym exercises, up and down stairs properly unassisted, in and out of car with little help, currently have 85 degree bend!

    HOME! :lol:

    now to continue the hard work! I will catch up with you all in a day or two xx
  • JuliaHod12
    JuliaHod12 Member Posts: 456
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    thanks for all the support guys, i was thinking of you all in the wee small hours when i couldnt sleep! ;-)

    I can honestly say the first couple of days were a bit rough, but the standard of care i had from the medical staff and physio team were second to none!

    and there's more good news..........I got my Blue Badge awarded! yay! :-)

    righto, i've hed my tea..........more exercise before early bed..........ttfn xx
  • pegleg
    pegleg Member Posts: 139
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Just to say well done you ! :D , I had mine done on the 17th July and its amazing how quickly I've healed and progressed :D , keep up the good work ! :D:D xx
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well done, Julia! Elna's got it spot on - RICE but no housework.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • Numptydumpty
    Numptydumpty Member Posts: 6,417
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Julia, I'm pleased you're home, and getting on well. I hope things continue to improve.
    Well done with all the exercises!
    Wishing you well,
    Numpty
  • SteveBurns
    SteveBurns Member Posts: 177
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well done Julia. :)

    Good to have you back. Six days in hospital, long time but sounds like it was good for you.

    The exercises were obviously supervised so must have been good, better than DIY at home.

    I'm into my 5th week now and in much less pain, still painful when I bend the leg but getting more degrees each day.

    You have to follow instructions and keep the leg up to prevent the swelling going down to your foot, ice often and walk frequently.

    Keep us informed and well done you :)
  • SteveBurns
    SteveBurns Member Posts: 177
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Julia, I meant to say well done for the Blue badge :)

    I was refused mine because I told them I was having a TKR, they said BBs are only for people with long lasting mobility problems. As I was having the TKR it meant my mobility would improve. :x
  • lindalegs
    lindalegs Member Posts: 5,393
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well done Julia and good to see you back so soon.

    The effort and the resting do both pay off, try not to overdo things.

    Luv,
    Love, Legs x
    'Make a life out of what you have, not what you're missing'
  • Helenbothknees
    Helenbothknees Member Posts: 487
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Steve, I applied for a blue badge a little before I had a definite OK for the TKRs, and I got it. I now have it officially till 2015. Crazy system!
  • marrianne
    marrianne Member Posts: 1,161
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello everyone ,especialy Julia ,I missed your home comeing post until now ,Well its great to have you back you are doing so well ,just get plenty of rest to ,its crucial in those first weeks ,Catch up when you can ,Marrianne :)
  • elainebadknee
    elainebadknee Bots Posts: 3,703
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Aint it weird about the blue badge how some people can have the same surgery but one gets awarded it and the other doesnt...Youd have thought the same rules apply but suppose it depends on the applicant...

    Elainex

    Ps...Slightly freaked out at how Julia had probs with epdiural and had to have general too....Does that normally happen?x
  • SteveBurns
    SteveBurns Member Posts: 177
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I had an epidural and something to make me sleep through the op.

    I have had problems in the past with general anasthetic making me sick and thought the epidural may be better for me, wrong as I saw my evening meal twice :x
  • elainebadknee
    elainebadknee Bots Posts: 3,703
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Oh Steve!

    Urgh!! My dad was as sick as a dog after his op but they never told him he'd lost so much blood was near a transfusion! The epidural thing is only bit im not sure about but have to bite the bullet....

    Elainexx

    sorry for hijacking Julia's post...xx
    SteveBurns wrote:
    I had an epidural and something to make me sleep through the op.

    I have had problems in the past with general anasthetic making me sick and thought the epidural may be better for me, wrong as I saw my evening meal twice :x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Julia, how are things today? I hope you are as OK as you can be. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • JuliaHod12
    JuliaHod12 Member Posts: 456
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi DD

    I'm doing ok thanks, pacing myself today......did a bit too much yesterday and didnt use enough pain dullers! doh!
    not sure i have adopted the corect technique for getting into bed (our bed is quite high off the floor and i am using the dressing gown cord "hoist" method :lol: )
    not managing to sleep very much,but from experience after my arthroscopies,it normally takes time before i can settle back to a semi normal sleep/ activity pattern!

    anyway, am having to be very patient as himself isnt great at looking after me...........he's doing his best with direction, but i feel like i am nagging :-(
    as a rule, we are opposites, i'm an early up, early to bed type and because of his job (Rugby Club Manager) he keeps later hours.......anyway, he's taken 2 weeks off to look after me and cant seem to alter his body clock to suit mine yet! :roll:
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    You're home. That's important if not the best bit of all. You're being looked after - OK, maybe not very expertly but he's doing his best and that is important too. Mr DD is not a great Florence Nightingale either (despite quite a bit of practice) but then why would he be? If he wanted to be a nurse he would be one. After my surgeries I slept in a double bed in the dining room and he stayed in the marital pit - bliss! I could be restless or dopey without disturbing him. :wink: You are still relatively fresh from surgery so don't put yourself - or him - under too much pressure to get up and about and doing things. You have a lot to gain but, if you're too impatient, a helluva lot more to lose. Be kind to yourself, exercise, rest, eat healthily with the odd treat here and there and I am sure all will be well. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben