Day 2 Post-Op

I am home. Ouch. I need to go back and read my first posts here and see if my right leg hurt this much.

There isn't anything to report. The surgery was fine, recovery fine, nothing new. Oh, there was an 86-year-old woman next to me in physical therapy today who was able to kick her operated-on leg almost up to her ears. Grrr. She made the rest of us look so bad. I can barely lift my heel up off the surface. My straighten/bend measurements are -10 degrees and 77 degrees today. They like to have us at a 90-degree bend when we go home, but I was discharged anyway. Physical therapy and the home health nurse will be here tomorrow: PT to torture me, the nurse to draw blood for a PT/INR because I'm on coumadin again.

I'm moving slowly around the house with my walker, and cursing when I have to lift my leg up to get into bed or when I sit and have to hold my leg up off the floor because I can't bend it too far yet. I just keep telling myself that it will get better very soon. I'm using the ice machine - I now own 2 of them. I'm taking my good drugs. I'm planning to sleep well tonight in my own bed. I missed The Groom. It's nice to have him next to me again.

Oh, I am finally about an inch taller. I can tell, because my walker needs to be adjusted. It's too short now. My left knee is still very swollen, so I can't see the results yet. I'll get pictures this weekend and see if I can see how much straighter the leg is.

One Day Pre-Op, Nine Weeks Post-Op --- Give or Take

Wow. These last 4 weeks have gone by quickly. I've been doing my exercises most days. There is almost no pain in the right knee now. No swelling. I have no complaints at all.

My left knee, however, has been aching like crazy. I will be happy to have the replacement over with and be into recovery so the pain is lessened.

Surgery is at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. *yawn* We have to be there at 5:00 a.m.

So, here we go again with the pictures. My left leg is really crooked! I'll post when I get home, probably Wednesday.

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One of our lovebirds, Rob, died. His mate, Laura, seems to be doing ok. She has been very vocal, and I think she's attaching herself to a chewy strip thing hanging in her cage. I caught her napping next to it yesterday. We need to get her a stuffed bird for a mate.

Five Weeks Post-Op

Wheee. I started outpatient physical therapy yesterday. I have the same therapist that I had with my arm. It was nice to not have to go through the "getting-to-know-you" phase with a new team member. We just snipe at each other when we need to, like old friends. :-)

I think she's trying to kill me, though. I have 4 new exercises, and I'm supposed to do 30 of them twice a day. THIRTY, TWICE A DAY. That's in addition to my other exercises that I'm already doing. It took me almost an hour this morning to do them all. And I still have to do at least another round, if not 2 more. And I am supposed to start doing my left leg, too. I'll either give up, give out, or come out looking like a female wrestler.

I told The Groom that our love birds may start cussing and groaning. They were paying close attention to me while I was suffering through the moves this morning.

So, 4 weeks from now I will be on day 1 post-op for my left knee. I'm looking forward to having it over with, but also dreading it. In comparing the knee surgery to others I've had, it was fairly easy. But.. it was surgery. There was pain. It's been hard work. I hope these knees last me the rest of my life.

Post-Op Day 33

Just short of 5 weeks post-op, and I think I am doing pretty well. I've been discharged from home physical therapy, and I will start outpatient PT on Monday.

I am bending my knee to 113 degrees without difficulty or help. The bigger concern is getting the knee straight. I really have to work on that so it doesn't want to stay bent.

There is still some swelling, especially in the evening. I only use ice sporatically now, usually after a strenuous bout of exercises or after walking too much. I went to the hospital last week for a CT scan of my abdomen (infection brewing,) and as in most hospitals, I had to walk and walk and walk to get to where I was going. Walking on hard floors has always been a problem, with lots of pain after I stop walking. That hasn't changed. I guess I won't be shopping at Wal-Mart anytime soon.

Here is another picture. Not much is changing, I think. Except my tan. You can see that I wear slippers when I am outside, because my toes are very white.

Day 26 Post-Op

Before Surgery

Almost 4 Weeks

My leg, knee, and foot are still swollen, but I can really tell a difference in how straight my right leg is compared to the left. They are both still ugly. :-)

Three Weeks, Five Days Out

Ah! sweet mystery of life, at last I've found thee;

Ah! I know at last the secret of it all;

All the longing, striving, seeking, waiting, yearning,

The burning hopes, the joys and idle tears that fall!

~

I took a hot bath.

Post-Op Day 20

I saw my surgeon today for my first post-op visit. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks. He is very pleased with my progress. We are scheduling surgery on my other knee in 6 weeks.

The staples were removed by home health on day 13. We also stopped the coumadin that day. I've been walking with and without the cane lately. I use ice once a day now, in the evening. By then, I'm usually a bit sore. I am still doing my exercises, and home health physical therapy comes three times a week. I forgot to ask about going to out patient PT. I guess the therapist can call and get the orders. I am doing 3 sets now, with my personal goal of working up to 4 sets.

I have an abdominal infection that I am keeping my eye on. I finally went to my PCP today, and he referred me to the surgeon who did my original hernia repair 3 years ago. I don't want this little thing to turn into a big thing, especially now that I have this foreign stuff in my leg.

I drove home from the doctor's. I'm free again! Not bad for less than 3 weeks out, eh?