Thursday, June 15, 2017

A Small Victory

I can't claim total victory yet, but I have made it through two weeks of my knee replacement recovery.  My blogging has had to take a back-seat to resting, icing and exercising.  I can now sit in a chair and put in some desk time.  At first I was stunned by the pain and lack of mobility.  Now I am mostly uncomfortable but making progress each day -- as long as I don't give it a rest or slack-off.  TBG has been keeping me fed and drives me to PT, helps me with exercises and keeps my morale up.  This has been a very difficult process. I consider it a victory that after two weeks I am bending my knee beyond 90 degrees.  I'm told that is a good thing!

The staples were removed this morning and that has been a relief.  I am now down to steri-strips which aren't painful (staples pinch!).  I do my PT exercises once per day and go out for short walks three or four times per day.  I have met many men on my block who have had this surgery and they offer me encouragement too.  Today I did not have to use my cane at all and was able to go on a three block walk by myself.  I've also been managing to use both legs on the stairs -- with ample support.  Not just the "up with the good, down with the bad" method I was using at first.

I had hoped to only miss two weeks of work then do a week at part-time,  but that was based on a smaller incision on the side of my knee that is common for a partial replacement.  My ortho went in from the front so I have the incision and underlying wiring to deal with -- basically the same as if I'd done a full.  I'm feeling badly about that and am pushing for progress.  My plan is to be back at work on 6/26, just short of four weeks.

Hopefully, my life will get more interesting once I can expand beyond my house and the few blocks around it, and I'll have better material to post about!

5 comments:

  1. Great to hear that you are doing so well. Bending 90 degrees is a great accomplishment in such a short time. This is no sissy stuff. You seem to be taking giant steps towards full recovery.

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    1. Thank you for the encouragement. I am working really hard -- and complaining the whole time! I don't like pain at all...

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  2. A friend had both knees done at once. Her daughter came for three days, then left her with water, snacks, and the remote. I don't know how she stood the pain. She was off for two months, but she is a nurse and must be on her feet. Keep up the exercise!

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  3. Hey knee replacement ain't no joke. It is terribly painful and you spend the first little while just adjusting to that. But is sounds like you are doing all the right things.

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  4. Glad you are improving rapidly. I know you are determined. Sounds awful to me, but that's something my sister may be looking at.

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