Revision TKR Never give up, keep trying, don't settle - that's me, Bonnie

29 days post op today...4 weeks and 1 day! I'm doing pretty good. I started driving my car on Monday, just a few days shy of 4 weeks. I love having that independence back. I've even gone to work twice this week for 3 hours each time just doing desk/computer work. I'm mostly just taking Advil and usually on PT days I'll take 1 Norco to be able to sleep without achiness. Back on November 20th my ROM was 74 and today it was 98. I know I could have gotten to 100 but my PT said no, don't push it and make yourself sore. Next Friday on the 11th I'll see the doctor again and they will evaluate my ROM for a MUA, only because of the scar tissue I grow. I don't know how 98 measures up for 4 weeks but my pain level has been quite good. I call this my second most painful surgery but best recovery yet.
 
Bonnie,
Glad to hear you are doing well, and your ROM is going in the right direction. I agree with your PT, best not to push it and irritate your soft tissues.
 
What a wonderful, encouraging progress report! I'm glad everything is going well for you! I also loved being behind the wheel again, started pretty early like you. Try to limit your trips for a while. Being out and about is quite taxing.
 
That sounds like a great report, Bonnie! :yes!::yay:

Your ROM is good, too.
 
Bonnie--just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing after your revision. So glad to hear it is going well and I hope you have a nice holiday season. I know that sooner or later I will need my other knee done, and with adhesions on this knee (not yet resolved because of my logistical problems with arrangements that need to be made), I am making a note to myself go to a surgeon who uses non-metal implants next time, just in case.

Cheers for continuing good progress for you!

Giilina
 
@Gilina hi there!! Thanks for checking on me...I am doing just great. Out of 6 knee surgeries of which 3 were my original TKR and two total knee revisions I am experiencing the best recovery ever!!

I saw my surgeon on December 11, 2015. They measured me at 95 degrees but then asked me, at Physical Therapy when I am all warmed up what is my ROM? I told the Doc, a painful 102. I asked..."realistically what would he expect that I could achieve ultimately in ROM? The doctor said that due to all my surgeries and scaring and shortened quad muscle that he'd be happy if I ended up with 110.

Well guess what??? Three days later I was at 112 degrees, then two days later 116 degrees, then another two days 117 degrees. Now today 120 degrees!! In 10 days I have gained 18 degrees! I've never had this kind of success before, I have always had to fight for every single degree. So at 6 weeks and 4 days post op today I was peddling a bicycle. Never has it ever been this good. It's about time! I'm so glad I had this 2nd revision. I walk completely normal, my leg is NOT swollen at all and most people can't believe that I just had my knee replaced on November 5th. I'm working again, and taking care of my granddaughter twice a week and pretty much doing anything that I want to do. I love my doctor he did such an awesome job!!!
 
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This is terrific! Congratulations and I hope you continue to be thrilled with the results - you certainly deserve a good recovery and a highly functional knee after all you have been through.
 
You're one of those dancing at 6 weeks stories! Good for you!
 
my leg is NOT swollen at all
Now that is amazing, especially considering that you had revision surgery. Maybe you should ask your OS what his secret is!

Glad you are doing so well--I think that a positive attitude helps. Despite my adhesions, I can easily grocery shop and got to bake cookies for Christmas this year. So many things are so much better than a year ago.

Seems we will be enjoying our holidays this year more than in years past!

Gilina
 
I'm glad you'e making good progress, Bonnie.
:merry christmas:
 
Great to hear, Bonnie. Merry Christmas and I hope recovery into 2016 is picture perfect.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Hi Bonnie,

I am crying for your Molly and for you. It hurts so when they go but it is so worth it for all the love we share with them. Dogs--the only creature that gets happier the more clothes we put on. Dogs--the only soul equally happy to see us each and every day. Dogs--no matter how many times things haven't gone as they hoped, this time might be different. Dogs--if we could all be as pure.
Such treasures.
 
2016 is almost here. I turn 58 at the stroke of midnight. Again, hope this new year is the best in many for you Bonnie.
 
2016 is almost here. I turn 58 at the stroke of midnight. Again, hope this new year is the best in many for you Bonnie.
Well let me be the first to say Happy Birthday @trailspud. I always enjoy your posts and like it when you check into mine. I know we are both the out doorsy type! I wish you the very best to come in 2016!
 
I just wandered onto your thread and saw that you have gone through several revisions. I just found out today that I need to have a revision on my TKR from July. I have one question. How were you able to go through it all again after it wasn't right the first time? I'm just totally panicked about the thought of having it becoming even worse than it is now.
 
I just wandered onto your thread and saw that you have gone through several revisions. I just found out today that I need to have a revision on my TKR from July. I have one question. How were you able to go through it all again after it wasn't right the first time? I'm just totally panicked about the thought of having it becoming even worse than it is now.

I'm glad you found me @newlybionic

I was able to go through it a 2nd time and a 3rd time because I knew I could not continue to live my life with what I had. Pain, swelling, ROM 50, walking with a limp. That is just not me. I am active and athletic. I would not just "Settle" (as in my thread title).

My 1st TKR was nothing short of horrid, was a bad, bad, bad, horrible painful experience. When I found out I needed a revision I cried but at the same time I knew I had to do it. I was pleasantly surprised that the revision was not as painful as the original TKR, and I recovered fast and very well. But...I started going backwards again with pain, swelling, loss of ROM due to aggressive growing scar tissue.. So two months short of two years I had a second revision because I finally got a new doctor who listened to me and took both my previous knees into account. He wanted to know if I had ever been metal allergy tested. I told him I had not, no doctor had ever even brought up the subject before.

Long story short, I paid $600 out of my pocket to have metal allergy/TKR cement testing done, a blood test which is way more accurate than a skin patch test. My blood was overnighted to a special lab in Chicago, and each sample was tested with about 8 different metals and a couple of cements. Turned out I was allergic to nickel and chromium. My Stryker knee was made of nickel. So another revision to take out the Stryker knee. There was no deciding, it just had to be done.

The most painful parts of revision for me are the tibia. Chiseling out the implant in the tibia that leaves that shin bone sore to weight bearing even now at 8 weeks. I remember with my first revision it took 12 weeks to stop hurting. But the overall recovery from both revisions have been soooo much better than the original TKR. They were able to now pick the right knee for me that I would not be allergic to. I think that the 1st TKR is the worst because that is when your bones are originally sawed, drilled and hammered.

I know it's a scary thought, but if it will give you a better quality of life then you've got to do it. Think of it as a finish line!! You want to cross it!! Never give up, keep trying, don't settle for what you've got!
 
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@RunA42K Thanks so much for all the information you've given me. I will have them do the allergy test before any new surgery to make sure so I don't run into any problems with that. I know I'm worse off than I was after my TKR and I'm getting worse as time goes on. I'm happy to hear that it can get better.
 
Thank you from me too. I've read the latter part of your thread; I see my consultant tomorrow about revision surgery, I'm on the list but have a lot of questions still to ask.
 

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