Knee replacement in three weeks and one day

Tereza Okava. I thinkk some depression is bound to come.  I have to remember this is a marathon, not a sprint.  Tomorrow is day three, I think you might now that day three after big surgery is usually a rough one.  Adrenaline will bottom out for sure.

I call the new words Verbal Punctuation

Susan Mené wrote:I have a new knee!  Home the same day!  
I wish I could post a recording of me walking with the walker yesterday.  Definitely added some new terms to my list of weird (non) curse words while half laughing/half crying https://permies.com/t/373207/frustration-kicks-HARD

Congrats! It's all uphill from here! Sure, there's pain, but you'll be healing and getting better, not getting worse. Keep that in mind. And yes, pain meds do help, so follow your surgeon's instructions.

And yeah, that strip looks so familiar. Wait until you see the 8 inch long scar--it is starting to fade on me now, so  it won't be as pronounced as it was. Do your physical therapy exercises and you'll be off the walker in 2-4 weeks!

(And yeah, I HATED using the walker. On the plus side, people got out of my way and held open doors! )

T. Woolf wrote: (And yeah, I HATED using the walker. On the plus side, people got out of my way and held open doors! :-D )  

Walkers are *much* easier on your arms than crutches and *much* safer.

The ones with seats can be critically important because if you suddenly realize your goal was a bit too far, instead of having to hurt yourself pushing too hard, you can just sit down and take a short rest. It's amazing how much even a 30 second rest can do to make the rest of the walk safely achievable.

A walker is a tool - and sometimes it's the correct tool for the job. Just like we don't recommend using a combination wrench as a hammer, (but I know, sometimes people do that...), a walker is likely the best tool for this job.

T.'s comment about people getting out of the way has an extra upside. A fall on fresh surgery can set back recovery. A wide berth helps you stay safe.

So please don't be so quick to ditch your walkers. Maybe you will only need it in the evening when you're a bit more tired. Maybe you leave it by your bed in case of a night-time emergency when your a bit more fuzzy headed. I am *not* suggesting long term dependence here - just not letting pride get in the way of a good safety measure. (Yes, I do get it... my mother had a drop foot after surgery and had to use one and her pride got in the way until I used stern words. )

Jay Angler wrote:

T. Woolf wrote: (And yeah, I HATED using the walker. On the plus side, people got out of my way and held open doors! )  

Walkers are *much* easier on your arms than crutches and *much* safer.

Here, here! When I sprained my ankle way back when I was 18, I had never used crutches and ended up spraining the other ankle! 😮😮😮

Yeah, me the klutz. Despite my dislike for the walker, I used it for about 3 weeks until my physical therapist said I was good to switch to my walking stick. I used the walker so long, because it was a great barrier against dog body slams. Now, to be fair, my dogs all became protective and gentle to me. Even my wild child, Riggs, a cattle dog mix who is a new addition to the pack. Riggs smelled my knee and became very gentle around me. But I kept that walker between me and playing dogs because one fall and I'd be back on the operating table.

If there's one rule that you MUST follow, it's don't fall.

And even though I'm not a doctor, that is the best advice ever.

    WHOA!  Yesterday was the dreaded "adrenaline wears off" day. Much more pain, more "sentence enhancers" and some tears, especially when I decided it was a great idea to change my underwear by myself while standing in the middle of the room and taking both hands off the walker. It was a controlled fall, no damage except irritating every muscle in the operated-on leg even more.   Not sure what I was thinking, hahaha.
   
   

Susan!!! I won't say anything because I also did something similar, even though I should have known better. Haters gonna hate, and hard headed optimists gonna test limits, right?
Glad you only hurt your dignity. It only gets better from here.....

And I swore I wasn't going to do anything stupid!  I wasn't thinking, and that one unguarded moment!  Very glad I didn't pay dearly for it!

Welcome to humanity!  

Susan Mené wrote:And I swore I wasn't going to do anything stupid!  I wasn't thinking, and that one unguarded moment!  Very glad I didn't pay dearly for it!

Glad you're okay. You should still talk with your surgeon about the fall. Yes, they will want to take a look at you to make sure you didn't do something that needs to be fixed now. Be careful.

Two rules for after surgery:

Rule #1: Don't fall.
Rule #2: See rule #1.

Seriously though, take care of yourself!

Susan Mené wrote:     WHOA!  Yesterday was the dreaded "adrenaline wears off" day. Much more pain, more "sentence enhancers" and some tears, especially ...

Did you have nerve blocks? Those usually go away a a day or two later. Yeah, it hurts. Hopefully you have enough meds to handle the worst of it. Talk to the surgeon if the pain is unbearable. They should be able to review your medications and make changes. I've already commented about the fall, so I won't do that here.

Thinking of you.  I support everyone saying, keep using that walker as the right tool for the job.  

Falls are terribly dangerous. Potentially life-threateningly dangerous.  

A walker with a seat is a great tool, which can help us with balancing impatience & long-term safer recovery.

All best wishes for you steady, safe progress.

    Thanks everyone for the concern about the fall.  Fortunately, it was a controlled, thought-out, slow-motion fall 😂.  As soon as I realized I had entered the "uh-oh" zone I straightened the surgery leg and slid it out in front of me and remembered not to FOOSH (Fall On Outstretched Hand) which is really bad to do.  Walker is in constant use.  I have in home exercises to do for the first two weeks and am sticking to it.  Ice, lots of ice.
    Going to write a few letters (yes, real letters).  What will all this teach me?

Robert Ray wrote:They gave me my appointment date today, Sept 14th. I am so ready, probably no skiing this year but it looks like the forecast isn't projecting much snow anyway.

Robert Ray!!!
Did you have your surgery yesterday as planned?  Are you doing okay?

I did! Unfortunately technical delays pushed the surgery from 9 am till 3:30 so by the time it was over It was late, so even though I was ready to go home they kept me overnight. Got home today at 9am and am taking easy. Zero pain sitting or reclining minimal pain walking, but past experience has been that the nerve block will go away in a day or two. I did go to work (book work) on day two after surgery last time. I will see how I feel tomorrow. Got the ice machine on for the swelling. PT sessions sheduled. Hope recovery this time is as fast as the last one.
It was a shitty week wife fell out of bed fighting a rabid dog in a dream so Sunday was spent in ER. Then leaving for the operation discovered a pipe in the well house broke. I was too hobbled to fix it, but my daughter who is a journeyman plumber called in a favor and one of her friends was kind enough to repair it so she could go to the hospital with me. I wasn't looking forward to fixing it when I returned. Wife and daughter say I am too anal and need to let others help.

Robert Ray wrote:I did! Unfortunately technical delays pushed the surgery from 9 am till 3:30 so by the time it was over It was late, so even though I was ready to go home they kept me overnight. Got home today at 9am and am taking easy. Zero pain sitting or reclining minimal pain walking, but past experience has been that the nerve block will go away in a day or two. I did go to work (book work) on day two after surgery last time. I will see how I feel tomorrow. Got the ice machine on for the swelling. PT sessions sheduled. Hope recovery this time is as fast as the last one.
It was a shitty week wife fell out of bed fighting a rabid dog in a dream so Sunday was spent in ER. Then leaving for the operation discovered a pipe in the well house broke. I was too hobbled to fix it, but my daughter who is a journeyman plumber called in a favor and one of her friends was kind enough to repair it so she could go to the hospital with me. I wasn't looking forward to fixing it when I returned. Wife and daughter say I am too anal and need to let others help.

Is your wife okay?

And yeah, you need to let others help you. 👍

She has the most impressive set of meerkat black eyes. She has a small 2cm sub dermal hematoma. With that she has been given a two week no driving order from her primary doctor, that is going to make day to day a bit tougher. I had no idea that eyebrows don't bruise. It is quite striking with the royal blue. She is in good spirits and can laugh at her predicament, and appearance. I want to do something for her injury but there really isn't anything you can do except keep an eye on her. She has always been an animated sleeper holding silly conversations while asleep and moving her hands with imaginary work. First time she fought of a wild dog though glad it wasn't a bear.

Yikes! Bless her heart! Has she ever had a sleep study done? I hope she feels better, and heals fast!

Robert Ray wrote:I want to do something for her injury but there really isn't anything you can do except keep an eye on her.

Ouch! That unintended (?) pun hurts almost as much as thinking about her shiners! Tell her to next time be sure the dog in her dreams has his vaccinations! 😉 Glad she's more or less okay.

Robert Ray wrote:I did! Unfortunately technical delays pushed the surgery from 9 am till 3:30 so by the time it was over It was late, so even though I was ready to go home they kept me overnight.

      I was afraid of a long delay happening, though staying overnight wouldn't have been terrible.
      Injured wife, broken pipe, and surgery all around the same time.  Life has a way of smacking us around sometimes!  I hope you are past the toughest day. When the block wears off and the adrenaline drops, it's tough one, but you know that.
    Finally realizing this recovery will be a marathon, not a sprint.  The pain has not been too intense, but it is relentless.  It rears it's head in a new way every day.  This morning I am a bit tearful, wishing for just 5 minutes without pain.  

Went to do book work yesterday for an hour or two. Muscle spasms are giving me the most trouble. Have been able to manage pain with Tylenol and staying away from the oxy. Using the walker but take the cane to pull my leg in the car. The methocarbomol for spasms makes me feel like a few beers under the belt. I did drive but no oxy or methocarbomol until I got back home. Pain wise this time around overall pain is not as intense, but the zap of muscle spasms is more prevalent. Significant swelling, but coming down. Working the toes up and down no problem, rotating the ankle hurts a bit more. Knee sliding is an issue and will be for a few more days I think. Muscle pain only and the bag of rocks knee noise is gone. Not ready for driving with a clutch. Feels like a perfect dead on kick to the thigh during a sparring session.

Susan, obviously each one is different. But in the end you'll be glad you went through with it. My pain this time is not as bad, the nerve block wore off much sooner so after that plateau I bit the bullet and am holding off the oxy and as long as I stick to Tylenol every 6 hrs pain management is working. I am a little wobbly, still need the walker but very pleased with this procedures outcome so far. Everybody handles pain differently and there will be some new words during PT that you will come up with. The not knowing/new journey for me was intimidating on the first one so I was prepared this time and you didn't have that. I am sure that has helped me on knee 2. Pushing it a little bit on my part but I think moving will help in the long run just monitor the pain and stop when it shows up. I was able to get in the car today without using the cane to pull my left leg in so I am way farther along than I had imagined I would be, and probably would be making my orthopedist mad. But hey he looks like he is 18 yrs old.

Robert Ray wrote:Went to do book work yesterday for an hour or two. Muscle spasms are giving me the most trouble. Have been able to manage pain with Tylenol and staying away from the oxy. Using the walker but take the cane to pull my leg in the car. The methocarbomol for spasms makes me feel like a few beers under the belt. I did drive but no oxy or methocarbomol until I got back home. Pain wise this time around overall pain is not as intense, but the zap of muscle spasms is more prevalent. Significant swelling, but coming down. Working the toes up and down no problem, rotating the ankle hurts a bit more. Knee sliding is an issue and will be for a few more days I think. Muscle pain only and the bag of rocks knee noise is gone. Not ready for driving with a clutch. Feels like a perfect dead on kick to the thigh during a sparring session.

    Yesterday was a morning "whiny" moment;  I allow myself a moment now and then, and it blows right through.  The muscle spasms!!! "Dead on kick to the thigh" is such a perfect description, and is one of the pains that makes me laugh and holler "Are you kidding me???" as it hits. I didn't have the "bag of rocks" feeling, but many do.  
     I agree with moving!  Get up walk, move, PT exercises, ice, rest repeat.  I have to admit that despite my complaining yesterday, I am doing great.  I got up this morning and had to go look for my walker; apparently waddled to bed without it last night.
Overall, my pain ran from intense (but not out of control) to "meh", I think the ever-present nature of it, like someone poking me constantly,  wore me down yesterday.  I cannot emphasize enough what ice has done for me.  I swear nothing works better.  
  My martial arts testimonial/confessional:  I started training as an adult, I was not into it for ego, but just for me.  I am not dyslexic but have difficulty with right/left perception, I was not a natural, and it took a village to train me.  
    Some of my training family got together recently to celebrate milestone birthday, and as we laughed and reminisced, my sensei became dead serious and said, "You may have been the most talented, but you were the most persistent student I ever trained. "
     You're my knee replacement sensei! It's So helpful to hear from someone who has gone through/is going through this!!
     

Soon you will be able to sleep on your side, another milestone. Still a lot of down time, as everything settles in. Few trips around the kitchen during the day and my 1 hour trip to work at a desk to get out. Mind going at normal speed with ice machine running during the the sitting on my butt times, body going 1\2 speed. You know once I am done with this machine it might make a good hydroponic pump for a grow system,.......

Robert Ray wrote: Mind going at normal speed with ice machine running during the the sitting on my butt times, body going 1\2 speed. You know once I am done with this machine it might make a good hydroponic pump for a grow system,.......

You know you're a permie when while still in recovery, you're already plotting new uses for your ice machine!

Susan Mené wrote:

    Yesterday was a morning "whiny" moment;  I allow myself a moment now and then, and it blows right through.  The muscle spasms!!! "Dead on kick to the thigh" is such a perfect description, and is one of the pains that makes me laugh and holler "Are you kidding me???" as it hits. I didn't have the "bag of rocks" feeling, but many do.  
     I agree with moving!  Get up walk, move, PT exercises, ice, rest repeat.  I have to admit that despite my complaining yesterday, I am doing great.  I got up this morning and had to go look for my walker; apparently waddled to bed without it last night.
Overall, my pain ran from intense (but not out of control) to "meh", I think the ever-present nature of it, like someone poking me constantly,  wore me down yesterday.  I cannot emphasize enough what ice has done for me.  I swear nothing works better.  
  My martial arts testimonial/confessional:  I started training as an adult, I was not into it for ego, but just for me.  I am not dyslexic but have difficulty with right/left perception, I was not a natural, and it took a village to train me.  
    Some of my training family got together recently to celebrate milestone birthday, and as we laughed and reminisced, my sensei became dead serious and said, "You may have been the most talented, but you were the most persistent student I ever trained. "
     You're my knee replacement sensei! It's So helpful to hear from someone who has gone through/is going through this!!
     

Hey there! Ice is your friend!. Sorry you're going through so much pain. It does get better, trust me. I started martial arts on and off since I was 18. So, I too am not the best, but probably the most persistent. Unfortunately nearby us there isn't a shotokan dojo. I used to do Tae Kwon Do, but unfortunately in this area, they've made it into too much of a sport and not enough "martial arts."  

I've stopped using the muscle relaxants and the opioids, but I have them around in case it does flair up. My main issue is stiffness now. But this too shall pass.

My physical therapist and I are working on balance and strength. I walked down and up my driveway, which is about a 7% grade! Small improvements. But I'll be honest and hazard a guess I won't be doing any uphill/downhill hiking until next year. Kind of sucks, but that's the way of things.

I have some numbness along my leg now. I was warned that could happen. Oh, and my knee clicks -- not audibly, but I feel it. It doesn't hurt and I was told it was normal. But it's worth it to have mobility again. Even if it takes awhile.  

Robert Ray wrote:Susan, obviously each one is different. But in the end you'll be glad you went through with it. My pain this time is not as bad, the nerve block wore off much sooner so after that plateau I bit the bullet and am holding off the oxy and as long as I stick to Tylenol every 6 hrs pain management is working. I am a little wobbly, still need the walker but very pleased with this procedures outcome so far. Everybody handles pain differently and there will be some new words during PT that you will come up with. The not knowing/new journey for me was intimidating on the first one so I was prepared this time and you didn't have that. I am sure that has helped me on knee 2. Pushing it a little bit on my part but I think moving will help in the long run just monitor the pain and stop when it shows up. I was able to get in the car today without using the cane to pull my left leg in so I am way farther along than I had imagined I would be, and probably would be making my orthopedist mad. But hey he looks like he is 18 yrs old.

   You experience and encouragement has been so helpful, I can't begin to express how much I appreciate the support.  I am already glad I had the surgery. This may sound strange, but since deciding to do it, I've been looking at the whole process with curiosity:  What will this recovery look like? What will it feel like? What can I learn?
  It has given me an insight on pain. Even though this had some "painful moments", those moments have become re-classified in my mind as "very uncomfortable".  It's opened my perception to the fact that there are levels of pain so much worse than what I am experiencing.
   SO, I may get I get crabby, I say that I'm done, then I say, "Okay, that felt good, but nobody's going to do this for me," and it's get up and go.   I seem to be sharing too much of the "down" moments, which even though I classify them as negative, they're completely do-able. This weekend I did full flights of stairs using a cane.
   I've noticed that missing a tylenol dose just makes me sore and crabby.  Tylenol works well for me.  Like I've mentioned,  I had it done on a Wednesday and Friday was the worst.  I took low-dose oxy after doing my home PT exercises that day and it it helped me get over a really bad place, but overall, I can see people getting through this completely without AND needing a lot more.  Whatever get's a person moving!
    Move, ice, move, more ice!  Ice is my best friend!

Ice, ice ice. Really such a simple help. Saturday was a crappy day, the dogs unused to our both being home started furniture parkour and Molly decided to take them for a walk. Of course the wired Aussie pulled her off her feet and she banged her head again. With an overabundance of caution I took her to the ER since she had the earlier noggin bleed and had a no drive order from her Doc. There was just no way to get comfortable in the waiting room, as they checked her over as I waited so I pushed it to far. She was fine thank goodness. You just can't plan sometimes. But anyway Sunday was a day of just lying about and today feeling pretty good. I did fall back on taking an Oxy on an empty stomach so saw it again 10 minutes later, so I am just back to the Tylenol. I haven't been wearing the compression socks as directed, I will try them today to see if there is any help.  Right now it is just dull pain with an occasional twinge. Tomorrow first PT with a therapist. Getting better each day.

Robert Ray wrote:Ice, ice ice. ... I haven't been wearing the compression socks as directed, I will try them today to see if there is any help.  

Ice both controls pain and can help reduce swelling. Compression socks help to reduce swelling.

However, *properly* elevating your leg *also* helps control swelling. Proper "elevation" means the body part ideally is at a higher elevation than your heart. Remember that your blood, with the help of arteries that have muscle fibers in them, take the blood to your extremities, but veins are much thinner walls, and rely to some extent on muscle action to help move the blood. And swelling often relates to the lymph system which relies even move on muscle action to keep it moving up against gravity. I couldn't find a quick modern reference, and we've learned a lot in the 40 years since I took a college level anatomy class, so this is "old knowledge".

My point is, that if you're doing exercises frequently, and when resting, get the leg up on pillows so that it's higher than at least your hips, this will help reduce the risk of swelling.

DVT's - Deep Vein Thrombosis - ie blood clots in your veins are a serious risk under certain conditions and nearly killed a friend of mine when bits broke of the clot and lodged somewhere serious - thankfully not her brain. This was following a serious leg bone break, so I don't know whether knee surgery caries the same degree of risk, but this can even happen to people sitting too long on plane flights, so I am quite sure that regular movement, even if for short periods, is one protection.

Short answer is that the compression socks may be less helpful if swelling is controlled in other ways. They are difficult to put on, so if you're doing all the other things, you could check with the doctor to see if they're worth the effort vs putting that effort into more exercise.

The reason I haven't used the compression socks is because they are such a pain in the ass to put on. I agree with the leg elevation, however just one of the nurses told me to absolutely do not elevate the leg above the heart for any length of time because it would hamper my future mobility. I have put that into my "take into consideration file".  Everything is going smooth now, working for an hour or two right now my feelings are that I will be working as normal with a walker Wed, or Thur.
Susan, are you or have you used compression socks in your recovery?

Robert Ray wrote: I agree with the leg elevation, however just one of the nurses told me to absolutely do not elevate the leg above the heart for any length of time because it would hamper my future mobility.

Good to know and follow!

I admit I was thinking 10 to 20 minutes, not all night!

Robert Ray wrote:The reason I haven't used the compression socks is because they are such a pain in the ass to put on. I agree with the leg elevation, however just one of the nurses told me to absolutely do not elevate the leg above the heart for any length of time because it would hamper my future mobility. I have put that into my "take into consideration file".  Everything is going smooth now, working for an hour or two right now my feelings are that I will be working as normal with a walker Wed, or Thur.
Susan, are you or have you used compression socks in your recovery?

I'm not Susan, but one thing I switched to were knee high graduated compression socks after the surgery compression socks rubbed the back of my knees raw. Ask your surgeon or your physical therapist if you can do that. They're easier to get on and off and better than not wearing them at all.

Reminder: I am not a medical expert and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, so check with your medical professional first before doing anything I say.

What they gave me was a thigh high compression sock. The wife's not helping, the cat calls add to the embarrassment. It is just me, but not my look. Big quads and calves just don't belong in thigh highs.

Hello, I saw this on the recent postings and felt I had something to contribute!
My Dad and Brother are both Physical Therapists and I have heard from both of them multiple times about the importance of rehab after knee surgeries. Essentially there is a 14-21 day window in which the body can recover and be improved above the normal "baseline" which would be your neutral. So you'll have a better knee/leg/mobility than before the surgery IF you push past the mind and do everything it is you are supposed to. If you do not meet the standard given to you, the opposite happens. It could be worse off than before the operation, or consider it just your knee/leg/mobility will never be the same again.

Essentially, the time to put in the work is now. Nothing else matters but making that happen. The body has an unbelievable capacity to heal, but do anything and everything you can to get stronger. We are all hoping the best for you! I don't mean to scare you, but don't consider this to be the time to wait.
Good luck!!

I have waited until after your successful knee replacement to relate my knee replacement experience.
In 2013 I had left knee (my only knee) replacement surgery after suffering severe bone on bone pain for years, cortisone injections and a knee brace had done very little to alleviate the situation. My leg had become very bowed at the knee. After walking with forearm crutches for 39 years
my height had gone from 6'2" to 5'10". The orthopedic surgeon had told me in 2010 that I was the perfect candidate for a knee replacement. He said I would know when it was time to have the surgery but it had to be done before I retired from my job which provided excellent medical insurance. My retirement was set for 2015 on my 64th birthday.

The morning of the surgery I was assured that I would be up and crutching around the next day.

In the recovery room the surgeon came in with a grim look on his face and showed my the x-rays of my new knee. They revealed a spiral fracture in my tibia from the knee to the ankle. During the surgery when the surgeons were pounding the anchor for the new knee into the cut off end of the tibia the bone had split open and the crack extended to my ankle. He explained that I had the hardest bones he'd ever worked with.

I was sent home in a wheelchair three days after the surgery with a machine that flexed my leg every minute or so while lying in bed. For the next two and a half months I went to he hospital for physical therapy sessions several times a week.

After ten weeks I stood up on my crutches for the first time, totally pain free, with full range of motion in my leg, and restored to my original height of 6'2".

The knee has been working fine ever since. The hardest part now is complying with the 25 pound weight restriction for lifting and carrying.
 

Susan, how is your progress?
One of my customers relayed a story where he actually became lucid when they were hammering in his prosthetic during surgery. The new prosthetics are not quite the same.
I am self graduating to using a cane today through the house. At work I use a walker still to carry things with. My Physical Therapist poo-pooed the nurse that told me not to keep my leg elevated while sleeping. She pretty much said as long as you are exercising and moving throughout the day and elevating the leg helps get a good night's sleep it is ok. Starting with 110 degree flexion with the left leg so a little better than the starting 120 degree flexion of the right.

As a general comment, I have often encountered people frustrated by trying to interpret success rates.  If someone speaks of a procedure having a 98% success rate a few other issues come into play. The first is how success is defined.  A procedure to improve mobility may have a 98% success rate, but what if success is regarded as a 1% gain in mobility?  Another problem that people seldom realize until they are on the wrong end is that even if a procedure does have a 98% success rate, if you end up in the 2%, then the procedure, for you, had a 100% failure rate.

I found myself dealing with a woman who was very upset the doctors lied to her.  Her husband had a stroke and heart failure. He had spent 10 days in intensive care.  The primary physician, the day after her husband was admitted, told her it would take a miracle for him to recover. Her complaint was that the doctors had spoken with her about pulling the life support.  She insisted they had never told her how serious the situation was. You see, she regarded miracles as happening all the time.

John F Dean wrote:

As a general comment, I have often encountered people frustrated by trying to interpret success rates.  If someone speaks of a procedure having a 98% success rate a few other issues come into play. The first is how success is defined.  A procedure to improve mobility may have a 98% success rate, but what if success is regarded as a 1% gain in mobility?  Another problem that people seldom realize until they are on the wrong end is that even if a procedure does have a 98% success rate, if you end up in the 2%, then the procedure, for you, had a 100% failure rate.

    I found myself dealing with a woman who was very upset the doctors lied to her.  Her husband had a stroke and heart failure. He had spent 10 days in intensive care.  The primary physician, the day after her husband was admitted, told her it would take a miracle for him to recover. Her complaint was that the doctors had spoken with her about pulling the life support.  She insisted they had never told her how serious the situation was. You see, she regarded miracles as happening all the time.

    So true.  The subjective, (including POV, expectations, perceptions, denial, attitude, etc) all factor in.  There's another fact that people find very hard to swallow: poor outcome does not always mean malpractice.
   

Steve Mendez Thanks for the considerate timing.
That is one for the books!  The mental, physical, and emotional toll of waking up from anesthesia to a whole new reality is inconceivable (not to you, though).  That you came out the other side successful is wonderful. Getting through each minute, each hour, each long night and day was an accomplishment that can't go unacknowledged.  

Robert Ray wrote:Susan, how is your progress?
One of my customers relayed a story where he actually became lucid when they were hammering in his prosthetic during surgery. The new prosthetics are not quite the same.
I am self graduating to using a cane today through the house. At work I use a walker still to carry things with. My Physical Therapist poo-pooed the nurse that told me not to keep my leg elevated while sleeping. She pretty much said as long as you are exercising and moving throughout the day and elevating the leg helps get a good night's sleep it is ok. Starting with 110 degree flexion with the left leg so a little better than the starting 120 degree flexion of the right.

   It sounds like we are on very similar timetables! 2 weeks out I'm 95% cane, 1% walker, 4% walking around unaided while  occasionally holding on to walls.
   Yesterday was a big day.  My German Shepherd has been so patient, basically limited to our yard, woods and neighborhood, and yesterday my husband and son took me and my pup to one of our favorite town parks nearby. There's a spot where there's a huge grassy hill and meadow, and we can park right there.  They threw balls for the dog, and I, using my cane, went down the hill (zig-zagging to reduce stress on the knee), checked on an autumn olive tree that is loaded with berries for foraging, went back up the hill.  Walked a teeny part of one of the trails and back to the car. I felt wonderful watching the dog run and just being in a favorite spot of the favorite little 152 acre park the pup and I know so well (We explore everything, not just the trails).  
   This morning I made a decision to up my anti-inflammatory (celebrex) to 200 mg in the morning and what a difference! Max dosage per day is 400mg, so I will be within normal range.  Have my 2-week fllow up later today, so will talk to them about it.