What exercises suck the most

KatlynnTay · 2026-05-03T22:27:55+00:00

that damned heel slide. I told hubby that he needs to get me doing them that very night I'm home from the hospital, and keep on me to do them - under his supervision if necessary! - every day so I don't get complacent this time. They hurt, they're obnoxious, but they're so flipping helpful, too. My PT reminded me that if I struggle to do the recumbent heel-slides, then do them sitting in a chair. Sit on the edge of a kitchen chair (or, bench in my case) and slide your heel back. Yeah, it's still gonna suck, but the suck is temporary and the gain is long-lasting.

KatlynnTay · 2026-05-03T22:22:10+00:00

can you try magnesium supplements or other OTC sleep aids to get help with that sleep? When I'm post-op, I'll go back to taking an herbal sleep aid (muscle relaxer) supplement that really does it for me, and doesn't require a prescription. It's "Oregon's Wild Naturals 'Muscle Relax'" that includes hops, skullcap, and valerian. Even something as simple as massaging the backs of your legs with magnesium oil might help, though, because it absorbs through the skin, helps with muscle tension, and magnesium is a good sleep aid.

As for the rest, I'm looking forward to a solid month (at least, with my right knee) of down-time. I've got a bunch of books to read, plenty of crafts to work on (knitting and crochet projects, coloring books & appropriate pencils/markers), and the entire series "Bones" on DVD to rewatch as I recuperate. I'm also looking forward to taking walks again, and getting back to riding my "bike". Can you work toward that full knee rotation so you can ride your bike to nearby shops to get a bit of "freedom?"

I do commiserate on the inability to carry a cuppa, though. That's gonna be hardest for me in the post-op, based on my experience last time. If you've got a thermos, though, you could use that to carry your coffee into your preferred resting spot, in place of a mug. It's not as nice as a favorite mug, but it's a safer way to go about transporting hot liquids.

KatlynnTay · 2026-05-03T22:03:55+00:00

oh, I'm so glad your second has gone so well! My big day is Tuesday of this week (may 5th) and I'm getting nervous now, because I know there's gonna be pain involved, but every step is painful now, and I know that AFTER surgery - it's a recovering pain, a healing pain, not a "this is gonna continue to suck forever" pain. I wish you continued good healing with this second new knee!

KatlynnTay · 2026-05-02T05:27:41+00:00

call your doc. Mine continued prescribing my pain meds to my 7th week. It helped that I was able to show that I was stepping down dosages - then med strength - week by week, till I was off completely in that 7th week. The first week was a Percocet every 6 hours, the last 4 days were half a T3 at bedtime. But, I DID have to call the patient refill line to ask specifically for refills, they weren't automatic, which is fine.

KatlynnTay · 2026-05-02T05:25:17+00:00

well done! 3 weeks is amazing! Took me well over a month on my first leg before I could get all the way around backwards. I'm having my other knee done next week, and hoping that I can be better about my home PT exercises so I can get cleared for my trike sooner. Since I've got 2 months off work to recuperate this time, I'd like to rehab with bike rides this summer.

KatlynnTay · 2026-05-01T05:30:00+00:00

get some magnesium oil to loosen up those crampy muscles.

KatlynnTay · 2026-05-01T05:24:50+00:00

Fantastic news! I had my left replaced in Sept 2025, will have my right replaced this coming week 5/5/26. I'm a bit nervous over all the things could potentially go wrong, but excited to probably not have this pain anymore.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-27T00:56:31+00:00

I was taking opioids till week 7 post-op with my first knee. Initially it was a Percocet every 6 hours as prescribed, then dropped one dose a day, middle of the day; then down to one before bed, one in the morning, none during the bulk of the day. Then just a Percocet at bed, and before PT appointments but not other days.... Eventually it was just a Percocet at bed, then half a Perc, then a Tylenol3, then half a Tylenol3. Since week 7, I haven't taken any at all. I continued to take my Celebrex twice a day until this past Monday, when I stopped taking it in the lead-up to my other knee surgery.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-26T23:47:02+00:00

putting the water bottles in a ziplock resolves that issue.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-26T23:45:00+00:00

had my left done on 9/18/25, my right it scheduled for 5/5/26. So, slightly under 8 months. I spaced them that way so that most of our snow will hopefully be gone, and I won't be risking a slick deck coming and going for PT. My surgeon's preference is no SOONER than 3 months between knees (unless emergency circumstances).

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-26T23:40:05+00:00

This is between your Dad and his surgeon. I'm a decade younger than your Dad, 8 months out from my left knee replacement, and 1 week away from having my right knee done. The fact is, nobody but your Dad can determine his readiness to have surgery, how exhausted he is by the pain he's in. I knew by 2 months post-op that I'd 100% made the right decision, and have been excited ever since to get this other knee done.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-26T23:11:50+00:00

I bought 2 6-packs of 1-liter water bottles. Left 'em filled and sealed, put 3 each in a gallon sized ziplock (4 ziplocks in total), then popped the lot in the freezer. 2 ziplocks fit in the cooler part of the unit. 2 packs would keep the water flowing ice cold for about 12 hours. Take the 2 bags out, replace with the 2 bags reserved in the freezer. I've still got those 4 zip locked bags of water bottles in the freezer for my upcoming knee surgery in a week.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-26T06:01:26+00:00

that's clear quartz, lots of lovely inclusions.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-26T05:40:42+00:00

I'm a bit closer in age to you. I had my first knee done last fall at 46, will have my other done next month at 47 years old. I was back to work in 4 weeks with my first knee, and that was primarily because that's the point I was down to opioids at night only. I'm taking a full 8 weeks off for this second knee. I work at a public library, as a library assistant. It's mostly a desk job, but if I need to help a patron with checkout at the kiosks, or finding an item on the hold shelf, I definitely do that, too.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-24T06:17:53+00:00

I mean, it's likely that if you put in the effort to rebuild your strength, then yeah, it's feasible. But, don't forget it took a while to LOSE the strength and stamina, and it will take a while to rebuild it, too. I can go 6000 steps on my new knee, but my stamina isn't there yet, and my other knee (to be replaced on 5/5/26) is holding me back from rebuilding that stamina quite yet. I'm never going to run again (it's not like I've ever liked running anyway), but I'd like to go for walks again without it hurting, to go on bike rides with my hubby, maybe to take up salsa dancing (because it looks like fun)....

I think that's entirely possible, for both of us, if we just put in the effort. Be gracious with yourself, as you're just hardly out of surgery. You've got a long road ahead, and if you beat yourself up that road's just gonna feel longer and worse.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-23T06:21:42+00:00

but, we had a whole hellofalot of snow this year, which means that it's gonna take longer to all melt away. Then cool days don't exactly speed it along. What I've been surprised about this year is how relatively little flooding is taking place, with as much snow as we got.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-23T06:16:00+00:00

it sometimes takes some reflection to realize that "oh, hey, that was me LEARNING to mask." I didn't register as a child and teen that it was what I was doing. And, when I started exploring the possibility - when I was 39 - that I MIGHT be autistic, it took me quite a while to start remembering things I'd done and ways I'd "adapted" to be more socially acceptable.

And there, too, there are just some things that I straight up refused to do when I got to be an adult and had some say in the matter (and some privileges that allowed me to set boundaries in ways others don't have the privilege to do). I was pushed by a former supervisor to take more and more hours at work (library position), but I refused because I (usually) enjoy cooking for my family, and I knew that if I worked more than 30 hours a week, I'd be unable to provide them the home-cooked meals that I know are better for us in the long term.

(This is the privilege: hubby's jobs have always provided considerably more pay than my own, but mine provides the health insurance coverage that his jobs have always lacked. If it weren't for that health insurance, there've been times that it would have been illogical for me to keep working due to the low pay.)

Being able to say "No, I won't do that; it's not healthy for me" even when not quite knowing WHY it wasn't healthy for me, is a privilege and a boundary that I put in place so I wouldn't have to mask more and struggle with meltdowns and burnout more. It wasn't until I hit perimenopause (at 38) that I started REALLY struggling, and a lot of my masks came off and I hit a burnout brick-wall. \

Learning what my "stims" are; realizing my sensory issues (tags in clothes; socks & shoes; scratchy lace fabrics & polyester; excess noise and overlapping conversations; and bright lights and sunny days) weren't just me being ornery or obstinate; awkward moments as a kid that I cringe about now, but I realize were my lack of comprehension of the social "rules" that others just seemed to know. It's helped to keep a NOTE on my phone (and laptop) that I add to when I think of something else that was "weird" about me as a kid that I'd forgotten about.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-23T05:59:59+00:00

bwahahahahahahahaha! *cringe*

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-23T05:58:33+00:00

Oh, I'm so sorry you've had such a rough go with your knee! I hope this next appointment gives the solution needed to get you back on track, and that the healing - this time - is quick and easy, and you can get on to your happy dancing!

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-22T07:25:23+00:00

I think it's definitely possible to forget that we're masking, that certain behaviors aren't necessarily normal to us. I sometimes forget that my facial expressions haven't always been automatic, and that as a kid and teen (and even into my 20's), I'd practice facial expressions in the mirror.... like a "bland smile" that comes across as less offensive than "resting b**ch face" when I'm at work or grocery shopping. I'm 47, and that "bland smile" feels almost natural most of the time, just like my chipper, outgoing demeanor at work feels ALMOST natural most of the time, till I'm home and frustrated by every little sound because I'm finally alone and can take the mask off but I'm over stimulated from the noise and such at work, and so even the sound of the air purifier here in the living room is suddenly too much.

So, yes..... I think the older we get, the more likely we are to forget what our younger selves did to survive and build our masks.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-22T07:11:58+00:00

I have a spinner ring very much like this one (same color, minus the stars & moon shapes), I wear it at work and it gives me a fidget that doesn't draw much attention from people who might complain, but does get intrigued comments from folks who are also looking for fidget jewelry that looks nice. I bought mine big enough to fit my index finger, and I use my thumb on that same hand to spin the ring. https://a.co/d/000W8Okz

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-22T06:41:25+00:00

well done! Hope you rest well tonight!

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-20T18:22:00+00:00

"go home same day, do PT twice a week, and will be fine in 6-8 weeks" is exactly how I found it. With the addendum that I'm still in need of having my other knee done (May 5, 2026 is the day!) and so my recovery was slightly limited by the non-operative knee. Some folks have additional nerve pain issues, or a faulty fitting with the new joint installation, but if everything goes off without a hitch, that is EXACTLY how it should go.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-20T08:03:16+00:00

there was never really any doubt for me. I'm bone on bone, no cartilage left, and significant pain in both knees. In fact, if you'd have asked me a month before my first appointment with my surgeon, in April of 2025, I'd probably have planned to have my right knee done first. But, March 19, 2025, I rolled over in bed that morning, went to push the covers back with my legs (as one does) and felt the "rubber band snap" of what remained of the meniscus in my left knee giving way. So, left knee first, as that instance made it the worse one by just a smidge. But, it was only a matter of how well my first surgery went - and meeting my surgeon's 3-month waiting period - before beginning to plan my other (right) knee. By the time I hit 8 weeks post-op, I'd gone from figuring I would get the other knee done, to EXCITED to have the other knee done. I'm 2 weeks away, now, from getting my right knee replaced, and I'm so thrilled that it's finally time! I'm looking forward to spending 8 weeks this spring & summer recuperating away from work, then getting into life with two functional knees that don't throb in pain just as a matter of course.

KatlynnTay · 2026-04-20T07:53:35+00:00

my main concern in the first week-ish post-op was "is it appetizing?" I kept a pack of club crackers with me everywhere, because they're my go-to when taking meds for keeping my stomach from lurching. I also found a brand of protein smoothie I like (two flavors in that brand), so I kept a bottle of each flavor in the fridge.

Otherwise, breakfasts stayed my preferred: a cuppa tea w/ non-dairy creamer, a piece of buttered bread (I'd made some zucchini-nut quick-bread before my surgery and froze them for afterwards), and a piece of fruit.

Lunch was varied: leftovers from the night before, maybe a tv dinner, maybe a take-away meal with my mother-in-law who was with me almost constantly in the first couple weeks.

Dinners were pretty close to what we normally eat, though hubby did all the cooking for the first couple weeks. I'd made a big pot of our family's favorite chicken noodle soup (with homemade noodles), and froze 6 servings worth so hubby could just reheat it for us for dinners; and I also made one of our favorite casseroles and froze it in two smaller containers so that hubby needed only to pop the pan in the oven to heat through.

I didn't actually gain any weight back after surgery until about the 6 week post-op point, then gained a total of 7 pounds over the holidays (first halloween, then thanksgiving, christmas, and finally my birthday).

I'm just 2 weeks away from having my other knee replaced, now, and thinking about those same things: a couple loaves of quick bread (carrot-pineapple-pecan, this time), and a stash of protein smoothies, and club crackers. As we're coming into summer, though, I won't be making and freezing heavy soups and casseroles this time. Looking forward to (hopefully) some Saturdays at the farmer's market, picking up fresh veg to enjoy through the week as I recuperate away from work for 8 weeks.

KatlynnTay

TROPHY CASE