TKR. I've seen countless expressions of the knee being heavy...etc

Hahahaha....Maybe it's me, but I do sometimes have some 'random' thoughts.  I was actually going to ask the surgeon if I could keep the parts of bone they cut out....I have no idea why....Just a random thought I had.....I suppose it was loosley related to having 'bits' of me taken away, and the finality of it, and not being able to get them back...Is that weird?...Actually yeah.  It probably is.

In regard to the aftermath of the surgery, I suppose looking back (had mine back in May)....The pain and troubles I and everyone else has, has just gotta be better than the pain I was in prior to the operation.  Because before the operation, there is no end...and it's only going to get worse.  Whereas the prospect of getting back some lind of normality (eventually)...at least there's light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm a week in front of you Liz my TKR is 21st November 

All the best to you and. Liz 

Pete as I have mentioned several times I had to have a revision (replaced the original tkr) in Jan 2013. The day after I got carried away with things as to be mobile and getting on with the program. I was attempting to put on some underwear without help and fell and broke the femur on the bad leg. Next day theu put in an 18" plate with 4 screws in the knee and 4 screws in various areas that went nearly all the wayy through the femur. It was supposed to be a lifetime insertion but it got to the point the skin my knee was so inflammed they went ahead andd pulled the hardware 10 mnths later. I did talk the doc into saving me one of the screws from the knee ( 2 1/2" inches long), I have been working on the wording for a plaque commemorating the way I got screwed at that medical facility

Was I screwed or was I not 

the screw made my knee really hot

in they went causing me pain every day  

so here on this plaque they're on display

 

Wish you well my freind, I'm sure we will be hearing from you afterwards

All I can say is OUCH!!!!!......

Never thought of doing that liz I was to traumatised after letting the aneathatist sweet talk me into having a epidural , another story for another day. I have lost a stone since the op, just no appetite and its still not right. I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery from the op.tucks

love it....thanks

Well said Pete! We get so focused on the pain and the roller coaster recovery of the TKR at times,  that we forget how bad it was before the op, and that it would only get worse. At least after the op, we can look forward ( or hope!) to doing the things we used to do a little better than before. My surgeon said I'd never be 100% again, but we hoped for at least 80%, so that was worth it to me.

Unfortunately one knee replacement does not erase the arthritis in other parts of my body, but I guess I will worry about that when the time comes. We can only do what we can do at any given time.

Anyway, it's always fun to read your posts. You not only have good advice but a wonderful sense of humor

How are YOU feeling, after what, about 6 months?

Betty 16 weeks tomorrow 

That is just awful, all that you have been through     The TKR is bad enough, but to do it over again then break your femur on top of it all???  My heart goes out to you! How are you feeling now ? Has your recovery been about the same as the rest of us, through the various stages?

You are also right about weather change and barometric pressure. I googled it after our weather turned cold & my knee & hip were aching more than usual.

Take care my friend. You seem always upbeat despite what you have been through.

Thanks.....probanly the worst part of it, 30 days after the hadware was removed  staph infection appeared and they had to reopen the entire knee and take out the disc, clean flush and put in a PICC line. 2 months of infused high doseage antibiotics and now pill form antibiotics the rest of my life. Knee is healing fine but the scar tissue from the plate is somewhat difficult to contend with at times.

Oh my, a staph infection too? Were you in the hospital for two months? Why do you have to take the antibiotic for the rest of your life?

Do you feel you are finally on the road to recovery now or are there other op's in your future? What, if any, are your limitations? Can you walk, bike or exercise pretty well?

You are an inspiration to us on this site!

Betty 16 weeks tomorrow 

I wass only in the hospital 4 days theen to a rehab center for 2 weeks, then went to a local hospital for the infusion. Once the infection is in the bone it can come back in a hurry with vengence and can be fatal. The antibiotic is a defenseive tactic so it doesn't have a chance. My wife's nephew is one of the most well know infectious disease docs in the country and he confirmed I definately was on the right track. He didn't like the choice of antibiotics but didn't realize I have a negative reaction to the family of drugs he would use..I'm now 77 so it's not like a 50 year old having to look at many years of it. My wife has Parkinson's Disease so I have to be up and going as much and as fast as possible as I do most most of the stuff around here. She can no longer drive so it's imperative I stay on my feet

Like I said, you are truly an inspiration. Bless you and your wife.

May I ask where your wife's nephew practices? I think you are in the U.S. as am I.

You definitely are an inspiration to us all

it puts my niggles into perspective well done.Your wife is lucky to have you

take care 

Jean 

Good luck, we must keep in touch and support each other, are you in the UK, I am in Somerset, having the surgery at a treatment centre in Shepton Mallet, it's supposed to be excellent, but I bet it will hurt just as much as everywhere else!!

 I was actually going to ask the surgeon if I could keep the parts of bone they cut out...

Funny Pete......I asked the surgeon if I could keep the old bone for my dog (as a joke) he said " believe me, he wouldn't want it".

I've been trying to maintain my weight for years. When I returned to my weight loss club six weeks post op,  I had lost 0.8kg and I ate whatever I felt like, comfort food was definately on the menu, out with the calorie counting, so I thought I would have put on weight, especially since I wasn't active, just lying around moaning about the pain and the other rotten side effects of the op.

Anyway, thanks Pete, I often wondered if the bionic knee was heavy or not, now I know.

 

John is at the university of Washington. He was one of 12 nationwide that the CDC called to a meeting on Ebola a week ago. He was a major player in the control of Hep C.

OMG.   You certainly don't do things by halves..... You must be a very strong man, and like others have said an inspiration to us all. I hope you are getting lots of help from family and friends.....take care of yourself and your wife...wishing you a speedy recovery...😊🌞⭐️

ThAnks..... We are about to get our first taste of cold weather so the walks which help will be done for awhile. We get some help from the kids but like most they have plenty on their plates and don't live real close so its a bit of inconvienience for them to be running to help. Fortuneately, even with our problems, we are able to get by o.k. we have learned to modify our needs to our abilities. No more international travels and not much of any kind. I spent over 40 years as a traveling salesman so I really have done about as much seeing the country as I need. Life's been good to us, nearly 57 years of marriage and 4 good kids so we have no real complaints. Just hope health care doesn't eat up our savings.

I take my hat off to you. You have a great attitude to life and what is important to us. I have heard very little whingeing and whining from you you see to be able to take everything on the chin. Your postings are always posotive. I wish you and your wife well over the next difficult season tucks

Hi Betty,  Thank you for your kind words in regard to my posts.  I've been back at work since the beginning of August and managing quite well really.  I still have problems bending it too much (my knee...what did you think I meant?...hahaha)...And I still have problems getting in and out of the car...and if I walk to fast or too far, I still get fatigued.  But I've read back on my blog from the early days recently, and how I feel now is nothing like how it was back then.  So I must be on the mend.  However, I really can't still invisage a point where I sort of 'forget' about my knee, and treat it as completely normal....Maybe that will come, I don't know.

I had to laugh the other day, I got a follow-up appointment from the hospital last week....advising me to attend to see the consultant on the 15th February 2015.....That's pretty much in 4 months time!....Talk about being a bit 'previous'....hahaha

It isn't often I am glad I live in the UK but where health care is concerned the NHS is a blessing. Having said that I went private for my knee.  My mum often doesn't realise how lucky she is having my sister and me so close by, it only takes about 30 mins to get to her house. ( I sometimes wish I lived much further away - is that an awful thing to say?). 

57 years, wow that's something to be very proud of. Hope the weather doesn't get too bad and you can still get out and about. I'm hoping we don't have a bad winter as I will be too frightened to walk outside with my knee. I wonder if you ever get used to your knee and treat it the same as your old one?  I suppose time will tell..  Take care.....😎

does my kneecap look ok

 

Thanks....I think age has a lot to do with it. When I was younger I thought the sun rose an set on my behind. When I changed jobs I was sure the company I was leaving would go under as I was their leading salesman 3 out of the 4 previous years.much to my chagrin, it didn't. When I retired a few years ago I thought I couldn't possibly be replaced with somebody that was as diligent in their efforts as me...........they did. When the tumor ate up my knee 4 months before I retired I was sure people would rush to help me with my projects, they didn't. So for the past few years I stopped worrying about proving my worth and focused on little things I'd never had time for. I realized I'd missed seeing my kids grow up cause I was to busy trying to put food on the table and a roof over their head

 Now I wake up on the morning, enjoy a cup of coffee with friends, visit with neighbors and see about my wife's needs. Pretty simple living but I enjoy the no challenge or deadline routine. Probably would have had far gray hairs if I done this 40 yes ago. At least I'm fortunate enough to have lived long enough to realize my folly, many of my friend weren't so lucky. Living with a little pain is a lot better than the alternative. Have a good day

Looks a bit bruised but not bad at all.. I have a big scar all the was down the front of mine.  Wish my knee looked as nobbly as yours - I mean that as a compliment, mine have n definition you can't really see the knee cap!.

Knee cap?....You mean we actually 'have' a knee cap?....Cripes!

Well I'm talking from memory cos it must be a good ten years since I saw mine (if not longer)  maybe in future I won't be asking my husband "does my bum look big in this?"  It will be "does my knee look big in this?"  😅

For me it's 'does my belly look big in this'?....hahaha

Who cares if our bums look big ...only the people walking behind us can see .and if they don't like it ....tough ...they can walk in front ....lol

The speed I walk these day's that's pretty much all they could do....or die of impatience...hahaha

Like that attitude Jean! 😀

What a wonderful philosophy...land so very true 

 

really does it look dislocated

 

look

Oh jean I wish I had your attitude but I'm still of an age where it matters to me - not as much as it did cos prior to op I probably wasn't walking fast enough for my bum to wobble anyway!.  I will try and adopt your attitude in future.  Just need to educate my five year old in the art of diplomatic comments!! 😁

My attitude is ....what will be will be .... 

And I really do care about my appearance lol ....even my undies are designer ; 

 Nora Batty specials ...( UK readers will understand what I mean )

and 5 year olds are allowed to embarrass their Mothers ....it's their Job 

 

I suppose there is a bit of a lump on the side but I don't know what a dislocated knee looks like. If your're concerned I would go to the drs or hospital and have it checked out...

where is the lump excately

 

It will get better. I went to my daughter's wedding on Saturday (8 months post op) wearing high heels and a just above the knee dress. I wore a beautiful pair of wolford lace tights and the scar didn't show at all.

The lump is on the left side as you look at the photo but it could just be how a normal knee looks I'm no expert. Why do you think it is dislocated?

Oh wow.  Hope you had a fabulous day.  It really is true that time is a great healer emotionally and physically.  I can't wait to be wearing shoes with a heal even if it's only a kitten heel....👠👡👟

I hadn't been able to wear heels for years do it was worth having the op for that alone. You'll soon be running around.

this is how it looks