TKR 1ELISEA – Over The Year Mark!

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1ELISEA

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It’s been several months since I signed off.
A left TKR is on hold for a couple of years but it’s time to update on my right TKR.

Electing to have surgery is tough for many of us. Even with severe pain, it’s often easier to stay with the known than move forward to the unknown. And my metal sensitivities made the decision more difficult. Once the plan was in place for a nickel free implant TKR, though, it was time.

My right TKR was May 29, 2012. Few weeks post op, I was back on crutches for several weeks and dismally chasing “the ROM factor”. With a great PT, I powered through and had 135 ROM before I trashed my left ankle 6 months later. Ah yes, grace in motion.

The ankle’s partially torn tendon meant a walking boot for 6 weeks and ankle wraps for months; sometime in the future may mean surgery but not in the near term unless I trash it again.

Fast forward to today.
My routine involves working out two days a week. Usually starting with the bike for cardio, switching to leg presses, unless left non TKR knee is bothered, and hip abductors.

Added upper body after attempting overhead arm presses and was muttering under my breath about the gym rats who must have left 50 lbs on the weights. When I looked over it was ……....Aaahhh, ummm there was zero weight on the overhead arm press machine. Ooookkkkk. Now I’m working upper body as well.

Recently had a one year TKR checkup. OS compared current X-rays to a year ago and they are perfect. Yep, everything is perfect with the knee. Two thumbs up.

When leaving the exam room, I dramatically turned and pivoted on my TKR leg, looked at my OS and declared, ”Walking Is Freak’n Awesome!”. With a huge smile and a laugh he sent me on my way for a year.

I racewalked outta there and screeched to a halt as I almost knocked over a woman coming very sloooowly around the corner with her walker.

The woman made me think of this forum and how I should update. And here I am.:)
 
Love your report, Elisea!!! You painted a brilliant picture of your ability to walk, move, exercise and generally enjoy life. It's what this surgery is all about. It's so important for you to provide this update too, to reassure those who may be having some challenges in their recovery that there is an end to it all if they can just be patient and work through it. God bless you ... and have LOADS of FUN!!!!
 
Great to hear from you again, what a great report!
Still having problems and have had some additional testing, will find out the results in December.
Thanks again for your wonderful update, gives all of us hope.
 
I am so glad to hear from you. I was wondering how you where doing. After the year mark it is so great. I passed my year mark last June on my left knee. Oh its so great to be out of pain and be able to walk without the cane or walker. To sleep thru the whole night. Don't be a stranger. Missed you. Take care and keep us imformed of the new things that you can do as more recover happens. Tashia
 
So glad to hear how good your doing. When I saw your post on my site I thought I should check on you and your progress. One year mark sure does tell a lot and if there is going to be a problem at least for me that one year mark told the story. Stay active and enjoy the wonderful outcome.
 
:yay: Glad to hear about your progress!!
 
Thank you very, very much for the great update---of course, I am sorry to read of your ankle, but your new knee is awesome.

Those who are in the midst of a tough recovery should get a chance to see this and understand there is light at the end of the tunnel.

With a great PT, I powered through and had 135 ROM before I trashed my left ankle 6 months later. Ah yes, grace in motion.
That is amazing!
 
Bonnie wrote in her thread about her old knee the Smith & Nephew Journey:
http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/scar-tissue-new-surgeon-revision-its-me-bonnie.10146/page-59
"Now that I have a doctor who takes me seriously and my knee was no longer full of scar tissue, it freed it up to show how the components moved around inside. He said my TKR was "sloppy and loose" not loose in the bone but the parts moved too much side to side and not enough back and forward. He also said he never liked the kind of knee I have saying that he's seen problems with it. So most likely I will not have an answer as to "why the sloppiness" until they open it up and see it."

:sad: :scare: :what::shocked:

ACK, OMG. This really hit an exposed nerve. Just when I thought I was a rational and logical person, I read this and freaked more than a little. I mean, "I have the Smith & Nephew Journey" that she had removed; it's the kind I could have because of metal sensitivities. It was either that or take a chance with an implant containing nickel, provided I found an OS who would agree to put one in.

I am several years away from having a left TKR because of this exact worry; it is always in the back of my mind; that I might have an issue later with this nickel free implant. Even my OS said we should wait before doing the other knee.

Now..... what am I supposed to think? I have been trying really hard not to worry about it but is this what OS say when they speak frankly about certain implants?

I wasn't even going to voice this out loud on my thread but thought maybe it might help others to know that even me, who tries to give at least the portrayal of rational thought every other Tuesday in months with an even number or days, can be given to a case of nerves.
 
Time to write more.
I left the previous message because it shows that even after a successful TKR, we can still have nagging doubts. For me, the TKR allowed me to get back to being active and moving again. People no long stare at me when I walk, strike that, like when I limped before, wondering why I was limping so badly. Or worse, asking very personal questions and offering unsolicited advice.

I did all of my research, was very thorough in locating my surgeon, he uses the latest surgical techniques and materials, and teaches other surgeons. He is considered the best, the very very best. Yet, even with that, there are no absolute guarantees; as there are no guarantees when we drive or fly or participate fully in life.

I plan to have a long and healthy knee for decades, and in a few years from now, another knee like my right TKR. :SUNsmile:
 
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anew years party.jpg
Hope you and yours have had a wonderful Christmas holiday with lots of family fellowship and sharing of gifts and lots of good food to eat.


I’ll be looking for you at the BoneSmart annual New Year’s Party. It’s been a very eventful year for most of us---and will be a very eventful year coming up for others of us looking forward to surgery in the new year.


Remember to bring food and drink to share---and pictures are always appreciated and loads of fun to share.


SEE YOU AT THE PARTY!!!!!
anew years party 1.jpg
bottomshollow
 
Hi @1ELISEA

I was just reading through @icep707 post and read your news. I'm sure you will be just fine. However, like all surgery it a bit scary. I just wAnted you to know I will be thinking of you and ask if it is ok to mention this on my thread so that the others that visit it could perhaps say a prayer for you or send positive thoughts to you? Xxx

Love Nana moon 27 xoxoxoxo
 
@1ELISEA Re the cardiac ablation. I wanted to give an encouraging word, since Mr jeano had a similar procedure, although his was during open heart surgery for mitral valve replacement. He had been in atrial fib due to the valve failing and to compensate his atria had enlarged to the point that they were larger than his ventricles. By this time was going into V teach, not good for the life expectancy. Everything had to be retooled, cut down to a more normal configuration, cow valve put in and so on. His A-V node, the little dingus that coordinates the electrical impulses in the heart was destroyed in the process. Back in the day, this would have meant a permanent pacemaker to keep his heart in normal sinus rhythm.

Nowadays, they perform a Maze procedure. With the surgical equivalent of a soldering iron, they literally burn a convoluted path, hence 'maze' inside the heart to funnel the random electrical impulses into a coherent pattern. After they sewed him up he had a temporary external pacemaker for about a week. During that week, they periodically switched off the pacemaker to see if his heart had gotten the hang of beating normally, and threw various drugs at it to encourage things.

Ticosin was the drug that got his heart to cooperate. He was able to achieve sinus rhythm, the pacemaker was no longer needed, he went home and continued to take the ticosin for several months, then it was discontinued. He has been in NSR for over five years and takes no heart medications other than a low dose aspirin. Pretty cool, huh? I'm sure the ablation will fix you up.
 
To have context for further remarks, here is what I wrote on @icep707 's thread:
I am having a cardiac ablation on my heart November 4th. I have atrial fibrillation where my heart goes out of rhythm. But what's worse is that it it out of rhythm at 200+ bpm so they shock me back into sinus very much like they do with the paddles, charging, seen so much on TV.

I've gotten to the point where I need to do something for it so I'm trying cardiac ablation; they put a catheter in at the groin, lead it up to the heart, where they burn sections to try and prevent it from throwing itself into an erratic heart rhythm.
Sounds fun, doesn't it. :yikes::shocked::yikes::shocked:
 
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Hi @1ELISEA is it ok for me to put your last post on to my thread please? I'd like for me and my friendly group to send you well wishes. I think you're so brave xxxx sending you big hugs over the pond xxx

Love Nana moon 27 xox
 
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