Redrhodie, your comment means alot coming from someone who is pretty upbeat about most everything. Thank you everyone for your kind words and well wishes. They really help!

I now have my staples out and have a few steri-strips covering a small section on my incision. This weekend I will be able to shower normally and will no longer have to rely on my hairdresser, aka DH, who has been washing my hair in the kitchen sink. My swelling is improving with each day and I am able to putter around without joint pain. What a neat thing to experience for the first time in years! I try to walk up and down the stairs once a day to improve strength and flexibility but the area above my knee still feels very tight when I try to bend my knee past 90 degrees. I know the 120 degrees flexion will eventually come so I try not to push it too hard. Still it's hard not to.

I haven't experienced the blues that comes with using narcotics for pain management as some knee patients have experienced. I got weepy once in the hospital and that was because of lack of sleep the night before and I was feeling more pain and frustration as a result. I was weepy again last night and it was due to feeling so vulnerable and achy, probably the result of a big thunderstorm that was moving in our area. Even though I was feeling down, I would not hesitate to have my knee replaced but it does come with a price--a long rehab process, and that is what made me somewhat sad. I can't be available to others who might need help. I can't drive or take my parents to the doctor or even the emergency room if they need to go. I have to rely on others for that and it's difficult to do so as I consider myself to be a fiercely independent person. I am thankful that I am progressing rapidly but I also think about what if I had been one of the patients who experienced a rough recovery with limited range of motion and lots of pain post op? There are some patients who have had a TKA that still experience pain and swelling years after the surgery.

Another thing I've experienced is the lack of empathy or understanding from those who have not had a TKA. People think that if one has a TKA that he or she will be up and at 'em and back to normal within a short time--and it seems especially true if you are young for a TKA. I had a family member that was surprised to learn that I had to use a walker to get around. They are surprised that I still sound tired on the phone just 2 weeks post op. (Anemia!)

There is not only the physical healing but the psychological healing as well. There is on occasion the fear or frustration of not being able to have the strength or endurance to accomplish a task, such as cooking a simple meal, driving a short distance, or walking in a large, crowded store. There are days when I seem to take one step backward and I feel emotionally spent. My mind can't seem to focus and process alot of information and I get overwhelmed, frustrated, become weepy and I know then that I have to rest more. There are days when I see a lot of progress too and it's those days that gives me a boost and gives me something that I can think back on when I have a down day.

Having a good support system makes all the difference in the recovery process. I could get by with just me if I had to but it's nice that I do have DH available to make sure that I'm safe, that I'm without a lot of pain, and without a lot of undue pressures that comes with life. Having that has helped me tremendously and I can rest easier because of his efforts.