Baymule’s Journal

Baymule

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PT went well yesterday. I walked in carrying the walker. I told them I was following doctor's orders, but I really didn't need that thing. They wanted to see how well I could walk with a cane, so I carried the cane. :lol: I stressed to those lovely young ladies that I am VERY active and my activity level is NOT a successful shopping trip to the mall. I told them about buying the farm and detailed everything I had done and the things I will be doing. I told them I have a 4 wheeled walker with a seat for being outside, so if I get tired, I can sit down. They thought that was a good idea. I have yet to use it, but will sometime this week. Their decision was for me to ditch the walker in the house and that I am clear to drive. Good, because I was going to do that anyway. They really didn't know what to think of me. We did a lot of laughing, they just couldn't help themselves.

They had me do a few exercises, I thought I was going to die. The knee has been crooked for the last 3-4 years and the muscles and tendons are all drawn up. I've limped and lurched around for so long, that it will take a lot of work to get things back to some version of normal.

I told them I wanted to stick my foot in a stirrup and mount up on a horse without somebody pushing on my butt to get me in the saddle. They asked if I could mount up before surgery.......what? Do they think I've been out there riding the trails in the few days since surgery? :lol: Uuuhhh....... nope. Haven't been able to mount up unassisted in years. And when came time to dismount, I crumpled up in a heap on the ground because I couldn't stand up, due to the pain. I want my life back. I want to RIDE.

They had me do some stretches, the results of that kept me up most of the night writhing in pain. I have my own pharmacy on the table, but hate taking pills. The side effects impress me, and not in a good way. I am healthy and strong BECAUSE I don't gobble pills like candy. I don't suffer side effects BACAUSE I don't take the damned things. Heart attack, stroke, blood clots, brain damage, blindness, etc......... and this is supposed to HELP me? Don't think so.

I was up at midnight peeling that bandage off and I rubbed Arnicare cream on the back and side of my leg. I'm bruised from my ankle to mid thigh and look like a train hit me. The Arnicare is helping with the pain and fading the bruises away. I took some wild lettuce tincture, compliments of @Devonviolet and finally went back to sleep for a few hours. I have hydrocodone and celecoxib, supposed to take several times a day. And Pepcid for the nausea and stool softener for the constipation and on and on. How about if I just don't take it? Blech. Several other things that I didn't even fill. I've lived in pain for so long, what's a little longer? Suck it up buttercup.
 

SageHill

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I told them about buying the farm and detailed everything I had done and the things I will be doing.
Ohhh you are in so much trouble now! :lol: -- when I had my knee done/repaired I told the PT guy that I "walked and ran backwards, forwards and sideways when training dogs to herd" --- little did I know the fate I sealed for myself with that simple statement :lol:. I loved going to PT but it was he-double hockey sticks doing some of the exercises. The icing and electrical stim at the end were nirvana. When it was all over said and done, at the last appointment I commented on how some of those exercises were killers. Mr PT then said "If you'd told me you had a desk job you wouldn't have had to do those."
You're on the right track the toughest will be the brain saying "do this" and the body muscle memory won't agree. But you'll get through this and be better than new. :thumbsup
They really didn't know what to think of me.
Yuppers!!! Same here.
 

Bruce

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I think you are at the far end of the scale of fitness for what the PTs see for knee replacement people. I suspect most get quite sedentary as the pain increases, probably why some need to lose weight before the surgeons will go ahead with the procedure. That isn't our @Baymule!
 

farmerjan

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It is easy to get more sedentary with the pain that makes some things nearly impossible. I know I put on some weight that I didn't need... but after the ankle replacement.. and covid hitting full blast and the extended time in the boot and all. I was much less active and then the knees got to hurting so bad that it was more than just pain... I could not stand for 5 minutes without being in tears. I could not do the "walking the pastures" and all those things for about 5 years and it is easy to gain a few pounds... especially if your family tends to be more "heavy built" ... I came by it very honestly. So, that is my biggest thing now, trying to lose some of the weight as I get more active. And there are things that are easier... walking and standing doesn't hurt. I get stiff, and my "footing" is not always stable... but the cane seat I have takes care of that. But it is surprising how your stamina is knocked for a loop with surgery.... you run out of steam REAL QUICK... and I know that it is the body just trying to make you slow down so that it can heal.
So, do the exercises and yep... crying or nearly feeling like you are going to die is the norm for a little while. I can even more sympathize with the muscles and tendons and ligaments not wanting to stretch out like they should to be normal again... That is why I went BACK into some PT because I could not take the pain in the right knee/leg... the hamstring still doesn't want to stetch out like it would be "normal"... but it is getting there after years of not being right.
I need to lose the flab to be able to get back up in a saddle without a mounting block of some sort... but the ligs and all are getting better...
Yours will too @Baymule .... trust me, it will get better...but it is not going to happen overnight because we are not the kind of people that going shopping at the mall is normal .....
I am a year out of the double replacements, and just now feel a whole lot more "secure" in my walking out in the field... not to where I can just go and not watch... but not so scared of falling as I used to be; and then wondering how the he// I would manage to get up again. And I have a couple years on you.... and way too much extra weight... so it WILL COME....and it will hurt some to get there.
 

Baymule

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It hurt a lot to get to where I was. It will hurt to get back some semblance of my life back.

I started looking at Tennessee Walker horse ads this morning….. and found my DREAM horse. A breeder in Ennis is breeding Appaloosa “Indian Shuffler” gaited horses. I didn’t know that any were in Texas. I’ve only found them in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, priced well out of my reach. These had no prices listed, so will more than likely still be dream horses. The original Nez Perce Appaloosas were gaited. After the Indians were put on a reservation, their horses were taken and cross bred with everything in an effort to destroy the war horses. When the breed was revived, it was patterned after Quarter Horses. Very few gaited Appaloosas survived. I’m thrilled to find these. Maybe I can go see them. Dreams sometimes come true.
 
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Baymule

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Was at PT at 7:30 this morning. They stretched out the knee/leg. Ouch! I came home, stopped in driveway to get out and go pet Anatolians. I’ve sure missed them. I got something to eat, packed knee on ice and took a nap. Exhausted.

Son took me to Texas Roadhouse last night. Got a ribeye, salad , baked potato, loaded. I’ll have the rest of it tonight for supper. He left out this morning for a job.

I went in the sheep lot last night with the walker. Scared them silly, but Ewenique finally came up for scratches. Freaked dogs out, but Sentry wanted his momma so bad, he didn’t care what contraption had a hold on me. LOLSheba was highly suspicious, kept circling and finally fell over at sons feet for tummy rubs. I got dog hugs and was happy.
 

Alaskan

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Was at PT at 7:30 this morning. They stretched out the knee/leg. Ouch! I came home, stopped in driveway to get out and go pet Anatolians. I’ve sure missed them. I got something to eat, packed knee on ice and took a nap. Exhausted.

Son took me to Texas Roadhouse last night. Got a ribeye, salad , baked potato, loaded. I’ll have the rest of it tonight for supper. He left out this morning for a job.

I went in the sheep lot last night with the walker. Scared them silly, but Ewenique finally came up for scratches. Freaked dogs out, but Sentry wanted his momma so bad, he didn’t care what contraption had a hold on me. LOLSheba was highly suspicious, kept circling and finally fell over at sons feet for tummy rubs. I got dog hugs and was happy.
Animals are such a hoot!!

:lol:
 

Baymule

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I’ve had a rough couple of days, sleepless, painful nights. I’ve been miserable. I feel better today and used my outside walker to go see Sentry and Sheba. I sat on the seat and petted both through the fence. I decided to walk to the mailbox. Driveway is about 1/8 of a mile. I was chugging along and realized I had an escort!

DDFBBA13-4C26-430C-B18A-945DFD5D7875.jpeg


I love me some cow TV, even better when they are my own personal escort! Aren’t they so darn pretty?
 
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