Driving after TKR

Thank you. Yes it is my right knee as well. I am at seven weeks post surgery and yes my knee is stiff and still a little swollen. I guess it will just take time and confidence and just short trips at first.

Well thanks so much. Yes you are getting blasted with weather lately I have to get used to the idea of getting behind the wheel again Just have to build a little confidence. Good luck and stay warm.

Sometimes necessity outweighs lack of confidence. My wife can no longer drive as she is in the advanced stage of Parkinson's disease. For a short time we had some help like meals on wheels and different friends taking us to Dr's appointments but that gets old quick. In March of '15 I had to have the prosthesis completely removed , the knee flused and closed up, immobilized and no weight bering , 8 weeks of antibiotic infusion then after nearly 4 months reopened. The new prosthesis was installed, again immobilized and 25% weight bearing. All of this time I was bouncing around on a walker trying to regain strength and take care of her. Cooking was very difficult even though I'm better than average with My culinary skills. Most of the time I was o.k.ed to drive but tring to get my walker in the car while not bending my leg or put weight on it was difficult.. What it proves is that some times we can do things out of necessity we didn't think was possible.we have deep cleaning help come in every other week and all of the hardware is done by outside services. I do all of the cokking, shopping, errands, Bill paying and decision-making regarding finances as her mind just can't process that stuff any more. The big difference......everything is done at an unbeli e veably slow and steady pace. No rushing, no hurrying and absolutely no looking back and 22nd guessing anything. We have 4 kids. 9 grandkids + a new step grandson and 9 great grandkids. She keeps all the birtdays listed so everyone gets cards and gifts but instead of shopping the grands and great Grande get gift cards and cash. The kids still get gifts but everything is ordered hi a the internet. So, life gets back to normal eventually however; it,s a different normal than the one you left behind with the tkr. Sorry b t o borevyou withball the personel crap but every once in awhile the brain like the body needs a good cleaning out. Stay safe.....stay warm and dry

Wow you have had to take on a lot. Kudos to you. And you are right necessity is a real big booster, I found that out when my Mom was ill.

I have noticed that you are always on here trying to help everyone. I hope you have good friends where you are to give you some help and a boost sometimes as well. Even if it is just a cup of coffee or tea and a few laughs. Nothing better than good friends to spend time with. Good luck and God bless.

Thank you Cheryl. My daughter has the same vehicle so I know what you mean. Yes I agree when I am ready I will have to grit my teeth, say a prayer and go for it. Lol

That's so funny! I feel the same way that friends and family r done w/ the whole taking care of me thing. I'm sure they think that after 6 was. I should be all healed and back to normal! 

Though I must say, my husband has been very patient w/ me. PROBABLY because he knows he needs knee surgery in the near future and needs me to care for him.LOL!

i went to the supermarket today w/ hubby and came home ready for bed!!

by the way , has this surgery affected anyone else's appetite? I find that I'm not hungry most of the time. Didn't mind losing some weight, but my physio was upset w/ me for not eating enough. He says it's very important for recovery. That's the first time anyone has told me I had to eat since I was 3!!😀I try to eat 3 x /day but mostly feel like simple carbs. My whole sense of what I crave to eat has changed.

i wish everyone on this site the very best of luck w/their recovery!!!

thank you all for being here; it is so helpful to know ur not alone.

It is so great to talk to someone who is in the same place as me. Going through the same experiences. I just wish friends and family understood a bit better and had a bit more patience. I wish everyone as quick a recovery as possible with no new "surprises"

Yes it really affected me at first and now it is kind of off and on. Some things just turn me off and others I can eat a little of and then I am done. I try to eat more often in the day. Kind of a little at a time. This crazy surgery sure throws us for a loop in more ways than one.

Social rejection is tough.......but you have to then reverse the situation a little and put yourself in their place. So often people would like to help but feel really uncomfortable trying to get involved. I've been asked to explain the tumor and my treatment in a small group. I've seen the look in people's eyes: they can't make eye contact, they become very nervous and squirm in their seats. One lady had to leave the room as the discussion got a little too graphic for her. The urge to help was evident as the usual remarks, I have a Dr I'd like for you to see, have you tried including more of this or that in your diet, there's a brace you should try and on and on. They have no idea the Dr's I've seen, the tests that have been run, the meds I've tried for pain and everything I've tried to get a nights sleep. I know they want to help but truth be known, their brains are so busy looking for solutions they don't even remember the complexity of the problem. In reality, what they really want is for me to quit so they can get the hell away from me and get back in their comfort zone. I like to look at the good in people and try to understand where they are in their lives but sometimes its very, very difficult. Maybe you have noticed, at the other persons request, you can be trying to explain and suddenly the conversation turns to them or someone close to them and completely away from you even if they have come to your home.

My wife's disease, parkinsons, is a great conversation maker. People who only know about it by reputation suddenly become card carrying experts making more off the wall suggestions based on some fragment of information. The most common is why dont they try deep brain stimulation because they heard the term on TV. Then you have to spend a half an hour explaining what and how it's defined and used.

We just have to learn how to cope with the problem of our condition and the problem of those around us.

Oh new knee friends..you got a real smile out of me...yes, for me on the food, too..i crave it, cook it, smell it and then...dont want it..lol...crazy surgery for sure...had several serious surgeries...nothing beats this one... have felt a little alone and isolated even tho people around me..... what a gift, our little convrersations ...sigh..a place to share our victories...:-) cindy

It is somehow comforting knowing that someone else is going through the same things. Sometimes not in quite the same way or the same time but still comforting. Thanks to everyone for sharing their concerns,triumphs, trials and errors. Please keep sharing.

I am so very happy that I found this forum before my surgery. It has helped open my eyes before the surgery, not really knowing what I was in for. And after the surgery it has been like someone sitting with me holding my hand saying "I know what you are going through. This too shall pass." Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!

Glad to hear I'm not alone concerning the food issue. I used to love a rotisserie chicken, spicy food, loads of veggies! Not any longer. I have forced myself to eat a salad for lunch like I was used to. Once I start , if I'm hungry enough, it seems ok. This whole thing is weird!! Ali in all, I'm trying to make healthy choices, even though all I feel like is soup or pretzels!!

i still don't understand why one should be affected in this way from this particular surgery!!??

So many things happen all at once but I think just the level of pain and the length of time plus the schedule change your body goes through with the lack of sleep. 20 plus years ago I had to go through rotatorcuff surgery due to damage done in an auto accident. I was told this would be The most painful experience I would ever go through. 11 years later I went through the 1st tkr and found my surgeon original advice was wrong.........very wrong indeed. The tkr completely messed up my eating habits. Short periods of sleep, long periods of being up and alone made frequentruns on the fridge a 'll night long a necessity. The pain meds screwed up the digestive system with the on and off constipation plus the urinary track and bladder infections. Ice cream at 3 a.m. was so much better than a piece of chicken and broccoli at 6 p.m. dehydration also n plays a big role. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water all day long. I start the day with a 32 oz glass and continue with every meal and right up t o bedtime. Once body functions and sleep are regulated 89th e appitie gradually returns with the healthiest foods being last. Be carefulnabou 89th your consumption of too much salt as well. The eatingvisclikecthe bend.....you have to work on it but you cant force it to happen. Eat small portions morecofter. 5borv6bsmall are better than 2 or 3 big ones_every day anyway. Toss in a small glass of wine early evening if you feel n up to it.research has proved a few ozs of alcohol daily is benefical. I pretty much quit sometime ago but I figure that on average I can make it to about 146 years of age. I turn 79 next month. Guess I finally found some of my planning for old age was beneficial.