New Left Knee @ 9 weeks now!

11 years ago

Oh no...another "Faron's knee" update!

Already NINE weeks now...Uffda!

Things are goin' pretty good. Just started last Monday with the 8+ hour days, after 2 weeks of 4 & 5hr days. The knee does get stiff & sore after 2-3hrs on my feet. If I take a 15min break after ~ 3hrs, I'm ok for another hour-or-2 max! I sure do need ALL of the 1/2hr lunch-break!!!

At the start of lunch, I take my 2nd Diclofenac (Rx) pill, & kick up my leg. OK for another couple hrs, then another break is needed! I take pill #1 about 7:30am b4 work. By 5pm...I'm goin' HOME!

During the day, I've gotta stretch the knee a dozen times. I head to the stairwell, & put the foot on the 2nd step up, & slooooowwly lean forward with the knee. Feels like taffy slowly stretching out!

Then it's home to sit down, have supper, & get the ice-machine goin'!!!
:-)

Today-
Was the first day I felt brave enough to scrape some snow & tire-tracks off driveway & sidewalks!!! I HAD done a little a couple days ago...maybe 10 minutes. This evening, I was out there an HOUR! Temp was mid-teens, & getting breezier.

Knee felt stronger and more stable than last year!! No more of that weird "give" feeling I've had for decades now! It had slowly been getting worse the last few years. I would have to instinctively "flex" the leg-muscles to "catch" the knee, so I wouldn't fall.
>>> It's weird what you get used to doing when compensating for something isn't it?!?!
>>> I still do most of the strengthening exercises daily. I think my legs are stronger NOW than b4!
>>> Since coming home from hospital, we've gone thru almost 20 20lb bags of ice...Uffda! I only need to ice once/day now, but for the 1st 6 wks, it was twice.

Faron
(I've linked this b4, but this a neat ice-machine!!)

Here is a link that might be useful: My knee-icer!

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Comments (4)

Annie Deighnaugh
11 years ago
Glad to hear of all the progress being made. Congrats!
2ajsmama
11 years ago
Great progress! I'm surprised you still need the ice machine though - maybe you should take it a little easier for a while if you're that sore/swollen at the end of the day?400 lbs of ice in 9 weeks?!

Looks like a good idea, I'm tempted to buy one for Dad (coming home Sat from 2nd operation) but you need an Rx for it? Got to be better than the frozen veggies and weird clay freezer pack my mom is having him use.
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Faron79
Original Author
11 years ago
Hello out East Ajsmama!

(Wow! 400lbs.?!?!?! Never thought of it that way!)

I didn't need an Rx for the "chiller", lol!
I just asked if it was mine to use at home, & they said "sure".
I think they send the machines with every knee patient. I think I mentioned previously somewhere here, we "pay" for it anyway, buried in the billing...?!
Oh well, it sure helps!

I didn't mean that I'm heavily swollen at the end of the day. There is slight swelling though, and only the knee itself. Not down into the ankle/lower-leg at all. The muscles around the knee do get tired & stiff though! And the MCL-area, where it was reinforced & re-anchored, still gets sore occasionally thru the day. I also do a lot of stretching as I mentioned.

So, I figure, just to help the healing, I put ice in the bucket, fill it with water, plug it in, & cool-off the knee! Certainly doesn't hurt anything!
(bought another 20lb. bag 2 days ago....)

You could ask the hospital staff/Dr.'s if there's an Rx for it possible?! At least trying is free!

Do keep me/us updated on your DF! Again...tell him & your Mom, there's a guy in Fargo, ND that's sending good wishes waaaaayyy out east!

Faron
2ajsmama
11 years ago
Thanks Faron, I clicked the link and it said it needed an Rx as a Class (whatever) medical device. But I was in Big Lots the other night and got an 18" x 14" flexible "ice cube" mat with individual cells, just in case he needs 1 for each knee (at least he won't have to resort to frozen veggies, and this is big enough to wrap around the knee).

I'll let you know more tomorrow after he comes home. I haven't heard from Mom since that first call, I tried calling her at home tonight after dinner (figuring she spent Wed night in the hospital, I wasn't sure about last night) and there was no answer. If I don't catch her at home in the AM I'll try her cell. I have 20 lbs of citrus and some Yankee Candles she ordered from fundraisers to bring by the house, and a cemetery box to put on her parents' grave on the way up there.