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#1780070
Angelkitty
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Back online from knee surgery! 
Hello all!!! Today is the first day I have been on the computer since my knee surgery last Thursday. The recovery has been very painful! The doctor’s thought I had a torn meniscus but it turns out that my knee cap was damaged and the dr had to re-shape my knee cap and the bones it sits on. I can not walk on my leg yet and I am stuck hobbling around on stupid crutches. My knee is swollen and bruised-I am popping pain pills every 4 hours and I can not sleep for more than a couple hours at a time cause my knee starts throbbing. I will be out of work until Monday and I will hopefully be on rz on and off in the next couple of days. Thanks for all the thoughts!
Angel 
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07/01/08 09:16pm
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#1780168
Clawedfrogsrule
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1780070
Back online from knee surgery!
aww feel better! Hopefully your job doesn’t require much moving, going back on Monday seems kind of soon for something like knee surgery, not that I’m too knowledgable on the subject lol
any way I hope you have a speedy recovery :)
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07/01/08 11:10pm
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#1780207
JackAsp
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Message To: Clawedfrogsrule In reference to Message Id: 1780168
Back online from knee surgery!
Make sure you stay well-hydrated. Try to stick with easy to digest foods such as silkworms. Make sure your temperatures and humidity are good. Amphibian owners have an amazing ability to regenerate tissue, so if you get through this part you ought to be hopping around and eating crickets again in no time.
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07/01/08 11:59pm
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#1780464
Amphibiandude
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Message To: JackAsp In reference to Message Id: 1780207
Back online from knee surgery!
hey i hope you feel better soon and take to heart what jackasp said
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07/02/08 11:16am
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#1780478
Keechoo
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1780070
Back online from knee surgery!
Hi Angel! I was just thinking of you today while looking at the calendar for my orthopedic surgeon appointment tomorrow. They also believe I have a torn meniscus which I’ll find out tomorrow. Take your time doing anything and stick to those pain meds. I was given Vicoden but it didn’t even touch the pain. Over the counter 1600 to 2000 mg of Motrin works much better!
Jack gave some good advice. Don’t soak in the Mela Fix unless your doctor says you can get your knee wet. And if you can get into a tub, please give me your secret! Thank goodness for walk - in showers!
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07/02/08 11:33am
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#1780663
Froggie75
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Message To: Keechoo In reference to Message Id: 1780478
 Back online from knee surgery!
Hi Angel!! I posted the other day seeing if you had been out here yet! Glad you’re doing okay, you’ll be up in no time with no pain, just hang in there!!!!!!
(((Hugs)))
Linda
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07/02/08 02:36pm
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#1780863
Keristen
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1780070
Back on line from knee surgery!
Usually people who have knee surgeries do better with anti inflammatory pain removers such as Motrin in addition to the Rx.If you decide to do this i would eat some yogurt or drink some milk with it to coat your stomach first.Check with the pharmasist and make sure the Motrin wont interact with any other Rx given.You could also do cold/ice therapy which will take down the swelling making the tension on your knee better.I’m sure your dr. and everyone have already told you all this stuff....anyways I hope your doing well
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07/02/08 05:44pm
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#1780991
Angelkitty
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Message To: Keristen In reference to Message Id: 1780863
Back on line from knee surgery!
Thank you everyone! lol Jackasp!!! Too funny! Yeah I am on tylenol 3 which helps with the inflammation and the pain. I have to take 1 every 4 hours cause they wear off pretty fast. I sell insurance so I sit on my behind all day which is good. I am gonna try to go back on Monday-I am not getting paid for being off since my boss is a jerk. Keechoo-mela fix-ha! I have not found a good way to get into the tub yet-I am not allowed to get my knee wet at all so hubby has been helping me out...Linda-I was gonna post on your original post but decided to make my own post. I am going stir crazy in the house though! I am either stuck in the bedroom or in our living room but hubby helped me downstairs in our family room (in the basement) so I could at least go online. I miss my rz! I’ll keep everyone updated. I’ll have to scan the pics my surgery so you can see my knee before and after (inside-very cool looking!).
Angel
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07/02/08 07:53pm
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#1781005
Angelkitty
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1780991
Back on line from knee surgery!
Linda-I just saw your post-thank you SO much. That was very nice of you!
**hugs** back at ya!
Angel
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07/02/08 08:05pm
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#1782518
Hazzah
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1781005
Back on line from knee surgery!
This has nothing to do with knee surgery but kinda does i broke my leg (the tibia and fibia!!!) and i had a full leg cast and was hobbling around with crutches to well i couldnt move my knee for a good month and a half or 6 weeks well it was a bad decision to bend my knee that was worse then breaking the leg itself!!!!!!!!! so i understand the pain meds i took lor tabs i think?? wow those things were addiciting
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07/04/08 02:27am
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#1782908
Angelkitty
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Message To: Hazzah In reference to Message Id: 1782518
Back on line from knee surgery!
Yeah I tried bending my knee and it feels like someone glued my knee cap and everything else together-very strange feeling! I took a couple of steps today! Sounds silly but very exciting for me!
Angel
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07/04/08 04:16pm
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#1782986
Keristen
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1782908
Back on line from knee surgery!
To take a bath you can get in the bath tub ,lay down before you draw any water and use a few towels rolled up(like you would a sleeping bag) and wrapped tightly in saran wrap then, tapped up so no water can seep through to get your knee wet then put your leg on that to elevate it and draw the water as high as you can without getting the knee wet then wash yourself.Its the best thing that i can think of and what we use in a hospital when a patient is unable to use a chair seat or anything.Oh about the Tylenol it does not have ib pro fin which works as a anti inflammatory.Motrin contains this and it works to take down the swelling and relieves pain once the swelling is lessened your knee wont feel as glued together.It feels that way as those muscles have not been used yet so they get atropine as well as being tight from the actually surgery itself.anyways i hope you are doing well and hopefully i helped a little bit with my useless knowledge
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07/04/08 06:04pm
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#1783053
Keechoo
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Message To: Keristen In reference to Message Id: 1782986
Back on line from knee surgery!
Angel, that is exactly how my left knee has felt since May 12th and my right since June 27th. Isn’t it a weird feeling? At night I’ll wake up in pain as my legs have tried to stretch them out.
Keristen, my problem is actually getting into the tub. Because my knees feel glued in place, I can only lift my foot about 4 inches off the ground which makes getting into the bathtub to take a shower or a bath pretty much impossible. Not to mention getting into a vehicle....I pretty much have to lay across the seats to get my legs in. And for bed, I have to put the sheets and blankets all the way down to the foot area, get in, and pull everything up.
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07/04/08 07:31pm
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#1783133
Angelkitty
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Message To: Keechoo In reference to Message Id: 1783053
Back on line from knee surgery!
Keristen-thank you for the helpful advice! The swelling is going down and my knee is starting to look normal again.
Keechoo-good news is that I was finally able to take a shower last night with my hubby’s help. This is what we did: taped gauze pads on top of the wounds (I have 3 incisions that can not get wet), got a kitchen trash bag, cut a hole in the bottom of it, pulled it on over my knee, tied it to make it tight at the top and bottom, then wrapped it extremely well with water proof tape, hubby helped me into the stand up shower (thank God for those!), and I balanced on 1 leg with my right leg stuck out of the shower-hubby was there the entire time in case I needed help. I felt fabulous afterwards! When do you go for your dr appt?
Angel
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07/04/08 09:15pm
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#1783456
Keechoo
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1783133
Back on line from knee surgery!
July 14th for the left leg. The holistic orthopedic doctor said the surgeon will probably want to get an MRI for the right knee since that one is now as bad as the left. I actually have to hold my knee with my hand in order to walk with minimal pain. I tried using the brace I had for the left knee on the right knee but it hurt even more. I’m hoping he finds out what is wrong with it so if it needs surgery I can have both knees operated on at the same time.
Keep healing! And keep us updated on the process!
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07/05/08 12:18pm
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#1783483
Hazzah
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Message To: Keechoo In reference to Message Id: 1783456
Back on line from knee surgery!
wow that sucks Keechoo. ur guna be stuck in a wheel chair..........they are incredibly fun!!!! lol
but no so fun when both ur legs hurt at the same time :(
hope it turns out good for ya both!
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07/05/08 12:57pm
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#1783619
Angelkitty
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Message To: Keechoo In reference to Message Id: 1783456
Back on line from knee surgery!
Wow Keechoo-both knees!!! My heart goes out to you. I know how difficult it has been recovering from one knee. Yeah like Hazzah said-it will a wheelchair for you. Hopefully it is just meniscus tears for you cause the recovery time is a lot less than what I had done. I was doing some research on what was wrong with my knee and I found out the the recovery time can be months! I also have problems with my left knee but after getting my right knee done I will not be having surgery on my left knee any time soon. I do not handle pain very good and this has been extremely painful. I had what is called runners knee and my knee cap AND cartilage attached to the knee cap were damaged (old injuries from sports and from a past job). Normally surgery is the last alternative but the doctor thought I had a meniscus tear cause my knee cap looked so bad on the mri plus I have been in pain for years and it was getting to the point where I could barely function on a daily basis without pain medication. They originally thought I had very bad arthritis but then the locking and slipping of the knee cap started and then it was surgery time. Keechoo-keep me updated and I will pass along any helpful hints I have.
Angel
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07/05/08 03:05pm
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#1783775
Hazzah
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1783619
Back on line from knee surgery!
well when i broke my leg and had a full leg cast when they took it off i couldnt bend my knee at all otherwise yeah...........the first time i tried to bend it was worse then breaking the leg! lol i cried. But yeah the recovery for the knee was like 3 months untill i could bend it almost normally.
not to bring u down but just though i wouldmention how long it took my knee to recover. but surgery is different so it could recover faster.
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07/05/08 06:32pm
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#1783841
Keechoo
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Message To: Hazzah In reference to Message Id: 1783775
Back on line from knee surgery!
Slipping of the kneecap is what my right knee feels like. Not so great of a feeling. Right now I’m on crutches and my doc told me to favor whichever one feels worse at the time. The best way to describe my walking is that of a cowboy who has ridden their horse for way too long. To climb the stairs I have to swing one leg up at a time. I’m sure I’m funny to watch but definitely not fun to move.
A wheelchair in a 1700s antique house? That will be fun to deal with. I guess I’ll be sleeping downstairs in the frog room.
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07/05/08 07:35pm
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#1783970
Angelkitty
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Message To: Keechoo In reference to Message Id: 1783841
Back on line from knee surgery!
Hazzah-yeah I am able to bend my knee a little bit but not much and any little bit I bend it hurts like heck! I’ll find out this week (my follow up appt) when my physical therapy will start-happy joy!
Keechoo-Sounds like your knees are worse off than mine were. Hopefully it’s just a torn meniscus-healing time is about a month but it still sucks! I am just hoping that the pain will start to go away and I will have a "normal" knee again. Wow-it’s gonna be weird to not have any pain in my knee-not sure what that’s like. I go back to work on Monday and that is gonna suck big time.
Angel
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07/05/08 09:30pm
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#1784620
Hazzah
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1783970
Back on line from knee surgery!
yeah that would suck. Im glad i didnt have physical therapy i just did myself kinda. i just bent my knee till the point it hurt then bent it back then repeated and in like 3 months i was perfectly normal again besides the fact my leg was a toothpick! felt so weird when they took the cast off i was like wow it is really light and really skinny man that smell though was nasty!!!!!!! sweat and a whole bunch of dead skin dont mix 
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07/06/08 03:32pm
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#1784772
Angelkitty
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Message To: Hazzah In reference to Message Id: 1784620
Back on line from knee surgery!
Sounds delightful-lol! Thankfully I have never broken anything in my 32 years and God willing I won’t! I have had numerous surgeries though and I am also a cancer survivor but hands down this has been the worst recovery. My pastor actually brought something interesting to my attention today. He asked how long had I known that I would have to have surgery-I told him a long time, he then said we’ll I knew I had knee problems and even that wouldn’t slow me down. I am a very busy person with a full time job, an Avon business, and I own my own cheesecake company along with many other things. MY hubby, my pastor, and family and friends have been trying to get me to slow down but I never did. Well since I wouldn’t slow down I guess God decided that it would take a surgery to slow me down and to lay me flat on my back-I got my "vacation" I needed and was able to get much needed sleep. Plus this surgery has also made me rely 100% on my hubby since I was totally unable to take care of myself-a very humbling experience. I am always the one to take care of everyone else and to be totally helpless was very new to me. I fault with myself a lot but I do have to say that my hubby took care of me 150%-I saw a side of him that I have never seen and made me fall in love with him all over again! Sorry to ramble but I just wanted to share this with all of you.
Angel
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07/06/08 06:28pm
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#1784830
Hazzah
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1784772
Back on line from knee surgery!
WOW your a cancer survivor!!!!!! After that i wouldn’t slow down either. my science teacher has brain cancer and fighting. she is doing very good :D and she lives 2 houses away from me. yeah i had to rely on my parents to help me to xD. i would get angry very fast though cus i couldn’t do it myself like getting a glass of water used to be so easy but then i had to yell hey!!!!!! I’m thirsty! and they got my a giant water bottle :D. Once you figure out that u cant do things as easy it makes u angry but makes u think in a different way like a person paralyzed from the waist down.you are very lucky hope u recover very quickly!!!!  
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07/06/08 07:01pm
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#1785555
Angelkitty
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Message To: Hazzah In reference to Message Id: 1784830
Back on line from knee surgery!
Yeah I have been cancer free for a little over 7 years now. I had stage 3 cervical cancer-there are 5 stages and the 4th and 5th are normally terminal so I am very blessed to be alive and totally healed of cancer. I go every year for a check up/biopsy to make sure it is still gone but I know it is! I know-it is SO frustrating when you need/want something and can not get it yourself. I am actually at work today-my coworker picked me up and it was a circus just to get here! I have a chair to put my leg on, my ice pack, and my pain pills so I should be good to go!
Angel
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07/07/08 09:57am
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#1785685
Keechoo
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1785555
Back on line from knee surgery!
Cancer! Wow that’s a big one! Congrats for being cancer free for so long!
I think part of problem is like your Angel...not wanting to be helped. I was born with muscular dystrophy but didn’t find out until I was about 22 and everyone treated me normal as I was growing up. I was yelled at for not standing straight and made to stand against a wall with my shoulders touching it. My mother says if she knew I had it back then she would not have hounded me as much. I always figured lout a way to get done what needed to be done and I think that’s what ruined it for me now. I took care of the kids (2 and 5), took care of the chickens, the cat, the amphibians, the house, the garbage, the laundry, and everything else. I struggled carrying the load of laundry up and down two flight of stairs and didn’t ask for help. When my husband came home on the weekends, it was me the kids came to whenever they wanted anything.
My husband is back for good now and is trying to help me out but he doesn’t do things the way I would do them which agitates me. I know I have to let it go but I’m like my grandmother in that way.
I am glad I haven’t been in as much pain as you, Angel! I don’t think I’d be able to handle it. Every time I’m sitting and not in pain I start to think it was just a bad dream and that I can stand and walk without pain. Then I get up and think what a fool I was to have thought so.
I hope you had a good day back! Keep us updated on recovery! Give me the bad along with the good so I can get my mind prepared for whatever is to come.
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07/07/08 12:52pm
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#1785849
Angelkitty
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Message To: Keechoo In reference to Message Id: 1785685
Back on line from knee surgery!
Thank you! Wow you have been through a lot and I commend you for not giving up like a lot of other people do. Yeah it’s nice when there is no pain and then you stand up and realize the pain is still there and that sucks!
Well you said you wanted the bad-well here it is. The recovery has been extremely painful and long. I should get my left knee done that that will not happen for a long time. The pain is almost constant however the pain will hopefully be gone in the long run and this will benefit me in the long run. I thought many times over the past almost 2 weeks that if I knew it was gonna hurt this bad would I have got it done? I honestly do not know. It was horrible.
Right now the only good thing is that I got a ton of much needed rest and sleep plus I have to look forward to no more pain in my knee! Oh-also I get my bandages (steri-strips) off tomorrow so that should be fun but at least there will be no more tape on my knee-it hurts when it pulls at the skin.
Oh-I figured out how to take a bath. I fill the tub with water, sit on the edge (it is wide), swing my good leg into the tub, sit down (with hubby’s help), and put my bad leg on the tub ledge.
Angel
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07/07/08 03:25pm
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#1787075
Keechoo
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1785849
Back on line from knee surgery!
That’s funny because yesterday I figured out how to shave my legs! I’ve been so embarrassed going to the doctor appointments with unshaven legs even though I’m pretty sure they don’t care. It involves sitting on the side of the tub and swinging my legs over while holding onto the faucet and side of the tub. However I still am not able to bend my knees to the degree needed to sit in the tub.
As for pain, I have a pretty good tolerance. I didn’t cry when my first born wouldn’t descend, turned the wrong way, and got stuck (all without an epidural) but I have cried twice from the knee pain. Personally, I think I would rather go through with the pain then have to live my life like this. My mother keeps saying, "You used to walk the 5k and now you can’t walk to the garage. What happened to you?" I just want to walk pain free without getting out of breath!!!! I went to the drug store yesterday and felt as if my calves were on fire from standing too long.
I take it you’ll be starting PT soon since the bandages are coming off. Try to explain what they are having you do....maybe I can try some on my own.
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07/08/08 01:44pm
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#1787126
Angelkitty
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Message To: Keechoo In reference to Message Id: 1787075
Back on line from knee surgery!
Well sounds like you have a high pain threshold-my threshold is zero! I do not handle pain very well even though I have been in pain every day for years with this knee! I guess I just "got use" to living with the pain. Well I got my bandages off today and the one incision/outside of my knee is still swollen. The doctor was going to give me an anti inflammatory but I am allergic to aspirin so he did not. I will be starting pt this week. I will be going 3 times a week for 4 weeks! That sucks cause I have to pay $20 each time and that is gonna suck. I will keep you updated on what they have me doing. Good thing though-I can get it wet now! I can at least shower with both legs in the tub however he said no long soaks, no hot tubs, and no pools-no problem there. He wants me to start walking on my leg with the help of crutches and that is painful! He said I should be almost back to normal maybe by October!!! Wow! That is crazy! But the pain is starting to go away and I can bend my knee a little more. He said my muscles around my knee need to be strengthened now cause they are very weak right now. Oh and I was able to take a bath without help from hubby last night so I was very excited about that-he wanted to help but I wanted to see if I could do it on my own!
Angel
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07/08/08 02:25pm
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#1787280
Keechoo
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Message To: Angelkitty In reference to Message Id: 1787126
Back on line from knee surgery!
I can’t imagine being in pain for years!!! God bless you! I don’t know how many times I told my husband to knock me over the head and cut off both legs. I even told him I would take the blame. That comes out to be a lot of money to be shelling out. Don’t you hate how they take advantage of people? No pools? That stinks! I keep telling my husband that if I could get into the pool I would try some exercises. And I was thinking after I was finally healed I would use the pool. It sounds like a no go. I had read that recovery could take a long time. One of my former employers was looking to take me back but I had told them no because there would be no way I could catch those that like to take flight. It looks like you’re making strides! Good for you! Keep posting!
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07/08/08 03:59pm
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#1787344
Angelkitty
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Message To: Keechoo In reference to Message Id: 1787280
Back on line from knee surgery!
I originally injured my knee about 10-12 years ago and the damage has been building ever since. I have been in serious pain for the last couple of years but my dr thought it was arthritis until it starting doing the slipping stuff/knee "not" being there. He then knew something was wrong and the mri showed a meniscus tear but that was just my damaged knee cap. Yeah my pt has pool therapy and I can not use it  Sucks cause I was looking forward to it  . He said the reason for no pool, hot tub, etc is because there can be bacteria in the standing water that could get into my incisions and I could get a pretty infection and Lord knows I do NOT want that to happen! I will keep you updated on my progress. Oh-I start pt on this Monday. I wanted to start it sooner but the only thing they had was Friday at 8am and since I can not drive yet I have to wait until Monday at 5:15pm so my hubby can pick me up. This is tough having to rely on everyone else!
Angel
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07/08/08 04:36pm
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