All is well in my 'knee world'!!!
Last week, I graduated from Physical Therapy. I am continuing to work out at the Physical Therapy Center on their Wellness Program. I concluded with 130 degrees of motion in the left knee - I have 135 degrees in the right knee and I expect that the left knee will eventually match that.
I went for my 12 week checkup on Monday and all is well there too! I don't see the surgeon again until November!
Although I had the set back with the right knee in December everything is doing well with both of them now.
I am walking; sleeping; going up and down stairs; and doing light exercise comfortably.
My biggest fear these days is the snow and ice. We only got about 8 inches of snow with the storm last Friday, but yesterday we got 18 inches. My Husband has done a wonderful job of keeping my path from the house to the car cleared out. Unfortunately he's not in charge of snow & ice removal for all of Central Pennsylvania. I own several pairs of 'good snow' boots - the kind with real treads on them (my favorite pair is a pair of UGGs, that cost a small fortune, but they're warm and they have good traction - note these are truly snow boots, not the 'fashion' UGGs). I'm gaining confidence on flat surfaces with the weather challenges, but I still don't like inclines or uneaven pavement.
As with the first knee replacement, I'm glad that I had the 2nd one replaced. I had the 1st one done at the end of Summer - much better time for that undertaking than Winter. If I ever have surgery that I can schedule again, I will NOT schedule it during snow & ice season!!
I'm off now for a ride on the stationary bike, then to do some knitting on this snowy day!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Not the other one!!!!
Things had been going along very well with my left knee. Everything was on schedule. I was down to using a cane and I had started to drive....
UNTIL last Wednesday (December 23rd) I was getting ready to go to Physical Therapy when, while attempting to stand up, I torqued my RIGHT knee. All within a couple of seconds, I had extreme pain, the knee cap went where it doesn't belong (and quickly returned to where it does belong), and I let out a loud screech (although my husband described it as a blood curdling scream).
We quickly decided that I could put weight on it, but that it wasn't stable.
I called the surgeon's office - who was on vacation (no surprise there). I left a message for his nurse and ask her to call me back.
So, I got dressed with much assistance from my husband. I couldn't lift my right leg while I was seated. And I very gingerly went off to Physical Therapy. Two of the Physical Therapists evaluated it and concluded that it was strained and said that it should take about a week to improve. If it didn't show improvement, I should make an appointment with the surgeon. And if I found that I couldn't put weight on it, I should go to the emergency room.
When I returned home, I was in communication with the Surgeon's Nurse. She also said that if it didn't improve in a week, I should come see the Surgeon and that I should start to take anti-inflamitory medication.
Christmas was awful for me, and many tears were shed :-( My Husband had to work, we had an ice storm, and my entire day was spent with my knee up being iced.
But, by Saturday, the Christmas blues were over and I was starting to move better. By Sunday, I was even able to go out for dinner.
I'm Happy to report that at Phyical Therapy yesterday (Monday) I was able to do some unassisted straight leg raises and I hope to be back to the stationary bike and stepper on Wednesday.
No big plans for New Years, but hopefully no painful events either!
It would be reasonable to expect that this would have created wonderful knitting time for me - but oddly enough, it didn't. I had a terrible time concentrating, so all I did was a sock and a half :-(
My knee is improving (and I think I'll be able to forego the trip to the Surgeon) and my knitting is now back on track with the sweater projects.
Have a Happy New Year
UNTIL last Wednesday (December 23rd) I was getting ready to go to Physical Therapy when, while attempting to stand up, I torqued my RIGHT knee. All within a couple of seconds, I had extreme pain, the knee cap went where it doesn't belong (and quickly returned to where it does belong), and I let out a loud screech (although my husband described it as a blood curdling scream).
We quickly decided that I could put weight on it, but that it wasn't stable.
I called the surgeon's office - who was on vacation (no surprise there). I left a message for his nurse and ask her to call me back.
So, I got dressed with much assistance from my husband. I couldn't lift my right leg while I was seated. And I very gingerly went off to Physical Therapy. Two of the Physical Therapists evaluated it and concluded that it was strained and said that it should take about a week to improve. If it didn't show improvement, I should make an appointment with the surgeon. And if I found that I couldn't put weight on it, I should go to the emergency room.
When I returned home, I was in communication with the Surgeon's Nurse. She also said that if it didn't improve in a week, I should come see the Surgeon and that I should start to take anti-inflamitory medication.
Christmas was awful for me, and many tears were shed :-( My Husband had to work, we had an ice storm, and my entire day was spent with my knee up being iced.
But, by Saturday, the Christmas blues were over and I was starting to move better. By Sunday, I was even able to go out for dinner.
I'm Happy to report that at Phyical Therapy yesterday (Monday) I was able to do some unassisted straight leg raises and I hope to be back to the stationary bike and stepper on Wednesday.
No big plans for New Years, but hopefully no painful events either!
It would be reasonable to expect that this would have created wonderful knitting time for me - but oddly enough, it didn't. I had a terrible time concentrating, so all I did was a sock and a half :-(
My knee is improving (and I think I'll be able to forego the trip to the Surgeon) and my knitting is now back on track with the sweater projects.
Have a Happy New Year
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Recovery and PT
I have been home from the Hospital for 3 weeks - so I'm a bit delinquent on this - sorry.
My trip home was not difficult. I had the forsight to ask for pain meds about 1/2 hour before I left the hospital so that I was as comfortable as I could be. This is a good time to share that when I had the other knee done I had a terrible time everytime I got into the car for 6 weeks following the surgery - I would get quite ill, all of the symptoms of a migraine except the headache. This time through I have not had any difficulty traveling in a car!
My Physical Therapy (PT) started the Monday after surgery and I have appointments 3 times a week.
During the 1st week of PT, it consisted of stretching, being stretched and manipulated by the therapist, ice and electric stimulation.
In the hospital at my 1st PT session after surgery I had 95 degrees of motion; at the 2nd session after surgery it was 93 degrees - it went downhill from there. At my 3rd PT session after I was at home, they estimated that I only had 80 degrees of motion. Also I had a considerable amount of pain around the knee cap. All in all, not a good 1st week.
On November 30th, I had a followup appointment with the Surgeon. The staples were removed and I had X-rays taken. When I talked to him about the pain around the knee cap, he said told me that my knee cap had been out of alignment to the outside of the knee prior to surgery and he thought that it was just part of the healing process with everything where it should be - if it didn't improve I was to call him. If everything was OK I go back in 10 weeks.
The 2nd week of PT there was some improvement. I started to use the stepper and the exercise bike. On Wednesday my motion was up to 93 degrees and 100 degrees on Friday.
Most of my time was still being spent sleeping, exercising and going to therapy through the 2nd week.
Last week (week 3 post surgery), I started to telecommute a couple of hours a day and things continue to improve at PT (112 degrees of motion as of Friday). I'm now also working on stairs, balance and strength at PT. And I'm down to 1 crutch (unless it's snowy or icy then I'm supposed to use 2 - as of now, I have opted to just stay home when it's bad out!!). This week I have also stepped down from the Oxycontin/Percocet pain control to Vicoden.
During the 1st 2 weeks post surgery, I went to my Mother's single level house to use her walk-in shower - this week, I have been adventuring up the stairs and into our bath tub to shouwer. As nice as the situation is at Mother's house, I prefer to shower in my own house!!
Next week, I will be able to stop using the TEDs (anti-embolism stockings) and the blood thinning medication.
So I feel like everything is very much on schedule - I'm off to knit a Christmas gift!!
My trip home was not difficult. I had the forsight to ask for pain meds about 1/2 hour before I left the hospital so that I was as comfortable as I could be. This is a good time to share that when I had the other knee done I had a terrible time everytime I got into the car for 6 weeks following the surgery - I would get quite ill, all of the symptoms of a migraine except the headache. This time through I have not had any difficulty traveling in a car!
My Physical Therapy (PT) started the Monday after surgery and I have appointments 3 times a week.
During the 1st week of PT, it consisted of stretching, being stretched and manipulated by the therapist, ice and electric stimulation.
In the hospital at my 1st PT session after surgery I had 95 degrees of motion; at the 2nd session after surgery it was 93 degrees - it went downhill from there. At my 3rd PT session after I was at home, they estimated that I only had 80 degrees of motion. Also I had a considerable amount of pain around the knee cap. All in all, not a good 1st week.
On November 30th, I had a followup appointment with the Surgeon. The staples were removed and I had X-rays taken. When I talked to him about the pain around the knee cap, he said told me that my knee cap had been out of alignment to the outside of the knee prior to surgery and he thought that it was just part of the healing process with everything where it should be - if it didn't improve I was to call him. If everything was OK I go back in 10 weeks.
The 2nd week of PT there was some improvement. I started to use the stepper and the exercise bike. On Wednesday my motion was up to 93 degrees and 100 degrees on Friday.
Most of my time was still being spent sleeping, exercising and going to therapy through the 2nd week.
Last week (week 3 post surgery), I started to telecommute a couple of hours a day and things continue to improve at PT (112 degrees of motion as of Friday). I'm now also working on stairs, balance and strength at PT. And I'm down to 1 crutch (unless it's snowy or icy then I'm supposed to use 2 - as of now, I have opted to just stay home when it's bad out!!). This week I have also stepped down from the Oxycontin/Percocet pain control to Vicoden.
During the 1st 2 weeks post surgery, I went to my Mother's single level house to use her walk-in shower - this week, I have been adventuring up the stairs and into our bath tub to shouwer. As nice as the situation is at Mother's house, I prefer to shower in my own house!!
Next week, I will be able to stop using the TEDs (anti-embolism stockings) and the blood thinning medication.
So I feel like everything is very much on schedule - I'm off to knit a Christmas gift!!
Surgery and Hospital Stay
My Surgery was Thursday, November 19th - Sorry it's taken me so long to bring this up to date...
Things were very efficient in the surgery preparation area. They started with putting me in a hospital gown, shaving around my knee, having me answer a lot of questions, inserting an IV port and giving me a calming medication. I need to note here that the nurse was nice enough to put the IV port in my arm instead of my hand so that I could knit! The doctor then came in to check on me (don't remember him coming with the 1st knee replacement). And I was sent off to the surgery queueing area.
The next visit was from the Anesthesiologist who explained that they would be giving me an Epidural, a Femeral nerve block and sedating me. He gave me the sedation, had me roll on my side for the Epidural - and I don't remember anything else until I was in recovery...
I was very fortunate - everything went according to plan, and my pain was very well controlled while I was in the hospital. I had a bulky dressing on my leg, with a drain. I had a TED (anti-embolism stocking on my non-operative leg) and I had wraps on both legs that inflated and deflated a couple of times a minute to assist cirulation in my legs.
Friday,the day after surgery, I had my 1st Physical Therapy (PT) session. The Femeral nerve block was still in place, so anytime that I was putting weight on the leg, I wore an imoblizer. They had me make several 'laps' around the PT area with a walker and sent me off to Occupational Therapy to learn how to sit and stand correctly, get in and out of the car, etc.
When the doctor made rounds on Friday evening he told me that everything was going well and that I could be discharged on Saturday if I felt comfortable after therapy on Saturday - a day ahead of schedule!!!!
Friday night and early Saturday morning brought the end of the IV medication, the removal of the drain, the removal of the Femeral Nerve Block, the removal of the bulky dressing, and putting the TED on the Operative Leg.
PT on Saturday went very well - laps were with a crutches this time and I we worked on stairs. I live in an 80 year old Colonial House that has many stairs, so a walker isn't a good choice!
(I do need to put a note in here for any knitters reading this. I was working on a February Lady Sweater while in the Hospital - and it became quite the topic of conversation. Everyone who came into the room from the Doctors to the janitorial staff wanted to see what I was doing. It got to be pretty funny when it was not only the people who were there to work with me, but the folks that were there to work with my roommate as well.)
Since everything went well, I was discharged with instructions and prescriptions in hand. Off to the next part of the adventure...
Things were very efficient in the surgery preparation area. They started with putting me in a hospital gown, shaving around my knee, having me answer a lot of questions, inserting an IV port and giving me a calming medication. I need to note here that the nurse was nice enough to put the IV port in my arm instead of my hand so that I could knit! The doctor then came in to check on me (don't remember him coming with the 1st knee replacement). And I was sent off to the surgery queueing area.
The next visit was from the Anesthesiologist who explained that they would be giving me an Epidural, a Femeral nerve block and sedating me. He gave me the sedation, had me roll on my side for the Epidural - and I don't remember anything else until I was in recovery...
I was very fortunate - everything went according to plan, and my pain was very well controlled while I was in the hospital. I had a bulky dressing on my leg, with a drain. I had a TED (anti-embolism stocking on my non-operative leg) and I had wraps on both legs that inflated and deflated a couple of times a minute to assist cirulation in my legs.
Friday,the day after surgery, I had my 1st Physical Therapy (PT) session. The Femeral nerve block was still in place, so anytime that I was putting weight on the leg, I wore an imoblizer. They had me make several 'laps' around the PT area with a walker and sent me off to Occupational Therapy to learn how to sit and stand correctly, get in and out of the car, etc.
When the doctor made rounds on Friday evening he told me that everything was going well and that I could be discharged on Saturday if I felt comfortable after therapy on Saturday - a day ahead of schedule!!!!
Friday night and early Saturday morning brought the end of the IV medication, the removal of the drain, the removal of the Femeral Nerve Block, the removal of the bulky dressing, and putting the TED on the Operative Leg.
PT on Saturday went very well - laps were with a crutches this time and I we worked on stairs. I live in an 80 year old Colonial House that has many stairs, so a walker isn't a good choice!
(I do need to put a note in here for any knitters reading this. I was working on a February Lady Sweater while in the Hospital - and it became quite the topic of conversation. Everyone who came into the room from the Doctors to the janitorial staff wanted to see what I was doing. It got to be pretty funny when it was not only the people who were there to work with me, but the folks that were there to work with my roommate as well.)
Since everything went well, I was discharged with instructions and prescriptions in hand. Off to the next part of the adventure...
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Getting Ready
Wow, I can hardly believe that my surgery is less than 10 days away....
They say that time flies when you're having fun. I'm not sure that I've been having fun, but I've been wildly busy getting ready for a 6 week leave from the office, and time is really flying by.
I've been busy putting things on my to do list and then checking the completed items off. Unfortunately, everytime I check something off, I think of 2 more things that need added.
The up-side to being so busy is that I've been really productive the last couple of weeks. Oh and my Christmas shopping is well under control.
The down-side at this point is that I can't take any of the pain reliever/anti-inflamatory medications that I would normally take and Tylenol doesn't seem to be making me much more comfortable.
Well, time to go work on the knitting projects that I am trying to accomplish by the end of December.
They say that time flies when you're having fun. I'm not sure that I've been having fun, but I've been wildly busy getting ready for a 6 week leave from the office, and time is really flying by.
I've been busy putting things on my to do list and then checking the completed items off. Unfortunately, everytime I check something off, I think of 2 more things that need added.
The up-side to being so busy is that I've been really productive the last couple of weeks. Oh and my Christmas shopping is well under control.
The down-side at this point is that I can't take any of the pain reliever/anti-inflamatory medications that I would normally take and Tylenol doesn't seem to be making me much more comfortable.
Well, time to go work on the knitting projects that I am trying to accomplish by the end of December.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Pre-Op Testing
Monday was pre-op testing day.
My appointment was for 2:00, but the letter that the hospital sent said to be there 15 minutes early. Of course this leads me to wonder why my appointment wasn't just scheduled for 1:45... And, needless to say, they didn't see me until 2:25.
Fortunately, I had some knitting with me, so I was able to get in some knitting on my 5-sock project.
The hospital has its Surgical areas well separated from the Medical areas, so I don't feel like I was unnecessarily exposed to any of the current flu strains. (I'm a little fearful about the flu this year, I think the media exposure about the flu has left me a little paranoid).
OK, enough chatter...
My first stop at the Hospital was with the secretary. I had to produce my insurance cards, and sign numerous forms (including insurance, privacy, surgical consent, etc.)
Then it was off to an interview with a nurse. She went over my current medications and asked medical questions (i.e, previous medical procedures and drug allergies). Then she asked some personal questions, such as my living situation - I believe this line of questioning is so that the best post-op care is planned for. I live with my husband, who can take time off to assist me after the surgery, so it is my expectation that I will come home and go to a therapy center for physical therapy. If I lived by myself, they might send me to a physical rehabilitation center for a week or so, or plan for in-home physical therapy.
Next was the testing... First they took 5 vials of blood, then did an EKG and finally a couple of chest X-Rays.
All-in-all, it took a little over the hour at the hospital and there was nothing too painful.
Fortunately after the initial wait to get things started, I went from one thing immediately to the next.
Here's where my paranoid tendancies come out again... But I aways try to take my own book or knitting with me when I know I may have to spend time in medical waiting rooms so that I limit my germ exposure from the waiting room magazines. And the bonus is that I can spend my time productively while I wait.
The next adventure will be my pre-op physical in 3 weeks.
My appointment was for 2:00, but the letter that the hospital sent said to be there 15 minutes early. Of course this leads me to wonder why my appointment wasn't just scheduled for 1:45... And, needless to say, they didn't see me until 2:25.
Fortunately, I had some knitting with me, so I was able to get in some knitting on my 5-sock project.
The hospital has its Surgical areas well separated from the Medical areas, so I don't feel like I was unnecessarily exposed to any of the current flu strains. (I'm a little fearful about the flu this year, I think the media exposure about the flu has left me a little paranoid).
OK, enough chatter...
My first stop at the Hospital was with the secretary. I had to produce my insurance cards, and sign numerous forms (including insurance, privacy, surgical consent, etc.)
Then it was off to an interview with a nurse. She went over my current medications and asked medical questions (i.e, previous medical procedures and drug allergies). Then she asked some personal questions, such as my living situation - I believe this line of questioning is so that the best post-op care is planned for. I live with my husband, who can take time off to assist me after the surgery, so it is my expectation that I will come home and go to a therapy center for physical therapy. If I lived by myself, they might send me to a physical rehabilitation center for a week or so, or plan for in-home physical therapy.
Next was the testing... First they took 5 vials of blood, then did an EKG and finally a couple of chest X-Rays.
All-in-all, it took a little over the hour at the hospital and there was nothing too painful.
Fortunately after the initial wait to get things started, I went from one thing immediately to the next.
Here's where my paranoid tendancies come out again... But I aways try to take my own book or knitting with me when I know I may have to spend time in medical waiting rooms so that I limit my germ exposure from the waiting room magazines. And the bonus is that I can spend my time productively while I wait.
The next adventure will be my pre-op physical in 3 weeks.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Pre-Hospitlization Plans
It seems that there havve been an extremely high number of upper repiratory infections and flu cases this year. Or maybe I'm just more concerned than usual since I know that I will be hospitalized for several days (and they keep sick people in hospitals - but hopefully not in the orthopedic ward).
In any case, I consulted my General Practioner regarding my upcoming surgery and the precautions that I need to take. She recommended that I have a flu shot and a pneumonia shot. I had them both yesterday morning - with no ill effects!
Tomorrow's big adventure will be the pre-operative testing at the hospital.
In any case, I consulted my General Practioner regarding my upcoming surgery and the precautions that I need to take. She recommended that I have a flu shot and a pneumonia shot. I had them both yesterday morning - with no ill effects!
Tomorrow's big adventure will be the pre-operative testing at the hospital.
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