PKR JusticeRider’s rehab adventure

Am I glad I did the surgery? Yes! I really am! I am doing SO much better than I was since my injuries 2 years before this surgery
That is wonderful! It is so great that you are now very definitely in profit from your surgery.
I hope and pray my other knee and my operated hip can hold out for as many years as possible. I really don’t want to do this again any time soon!
I definitely know what you mean though.
I have started to get an annoying ( but thankfully painless) click in my "good" hip when walking a distance. The thought of further surgery terrifies me.
Thank you for such a detail
 
I posted too quickly. I was saying thanks for all the information. It is really helpful to know exactly what you can do at 7 months. You are a couple of months ahead of me and it us really useful to know.
 
@JusticeRider thank you for the encouraging update. I will be 10 weeks tomorrow, and I went back to re-read your thread as we are having a similar journey. I will be meeting with my OS on Wednesday and feel I will be having the MUA talk again. I am summoning all my strength to decline, because I think I can get there without further assault on my knee. i know no two experiences are the same, but your story gives me hope that my experience does not mean my situation is hopeless. Hope you continue to have great days, weeks, and months ahead!
 
CricketHip , sistersinhim , beachy ,
thanks so much for the supportive comments! It really means so much to be able to share these milestones and celebrate with people who understand the journey. @EalingGran , I’m so glad my post provided some info that might help you in your PKR journey. I have no doubt you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of me by 7 months, but I hope it helps nevertheless!

@Cinders2023 , I’m so happy my ‘adventure’ could give you some hope :) That warms my heart. I know you’ve had some of the same struggles as I have, and I wish you strength and determination as you continue to heal. We’ll get there! Let us know how it goes at your appointment and talking with your OS about MUA. Only you know your body and what is best for it. I can tell you that personally…I am so glad I didn’t agree to it and chose the gentle way instead. Either way, we are all here for you!!
 
Had something very encouraging happen last Sunday and wanted to share. We met up with some friends for a walk and dinner. My friend asked if I was able to walk 5 miles. I have only done 4 up to this point but she said we were going to walk at a certain urban lake trail that I am familiar with, and I know that it is quite flat with an easy, smooth trail. So I said yes, that should be fine! I was excited to see how 5 miles would feel.

It turned out that the path around the lake is actually 3 miles, but we walked there from their house, which is one mile away. So that was the 5 miles round trip. The thing is, from their house it is a long gradual incline for pretty much the whole mile. Down on the way there, and up on the way back. I have been walking pretty exclusively on flat ground, mainly because I live in a valley and it’s flat here. So this was way more hill than I have tried yet.

In addition, we brought our dogs and my little terrier Ladybug was so excited that she was pulling a bit the whole time. She only weighs 7 lbs but you’d be surprised how much that little bitty pulling adds up over 5 miles! We only stopped once about halfway through for me to do a quick stretch at a bench. And I’m pretty sure we walked faster than what I have been. Peer pressure, you know. By the time we were trekking up the long hill on the way home, I was feeling some aching and tightness in my knee. I was worried about what the consequences would be!

When we got to their house, I immediately put my legs up on their couch and borrowed an ice pack to put on my knee. Also took some ibuprofen. After about 45 minutes of that, we put dinner together, had a nice meal, and then drove a hour back home. At home, I iced again and went to bed after doing the nighttime barn chores.

I waited two days before I truly believed it…NO adverse effects from all the extra activity!!

I have a new confidence in my knee and it’s resilience now! Now I know I can safely increase the challenges and plan to add in more hills. I really, really want to do an easy overnight backpacking trip by the end of the summer :fingersx::fingersx::dancy:
 
That is really amazing! So pleased for you. 5 miles with no break is fantastic.
It must be great to have real confidence in your knee.
Do you have any warmth or swelling now by evening time. If not- when did it stop?
 
Thank you @benne68 ! It really feels like a long, long journey. And it definitely isn’t over yet, but I can now see how I’ll be able to be myself again before too long!

@EalingGran , I’m not getting any extra warmth or swelling in the evenings anymore! I’m sure it could happen if I overdo, but not regularly. My replaced knee is often warmer than the other, but not always. I think the evening swelling eased up around 5 months.
 
My replaced knee is often warmer than the other, but not always. I think the evening swelling eased up around 5 months.
That is helpful- thanks! My knee is not greatly swollen but definitely a bit puffier/ slightly swollen by evening still.
Interesting that your knee is still slightly warmer though at times. Mine probably is as well during the day but only really check when it is a bit sore in the evening.
I have read somewhere that TKR/ PKR can stay warmer for up to a year and that nuclear scans stay hotter for over 2 years!
 
Hi BoneSmart friends! Hope the spring is bringing hope and new beginnings to all. Easter is right around the corner!

Hey, does anyone have any experience/knowledge of surgery affecting the immune system long term? As someone who rarely gets sick ordinarily, I’ve been dismayed by the number of times I have caught one bug or another over the past few months. Ironically (and fortunately) it didn’t start until things started improving with my knee. But over the last 3 or 4 months I’ve been sick at least once every month ): I don’t know if it’s because of the surgery or just post-pandemic backlash or what. All I know is, it’s no fun at all! Any thoughts?
 
don’t know if it’s because of the surgery or just post-pandemic backlash or what. All I know is, it’s no fun at all! Any thoughts?
We have been ill constantly for last 5 months.
It has affected my husband, daughter and her partner- so not just a post surgery thing.
I think it must be our lack of immunity post pandemic.
 
@JusticeRider Major surgery can have an impact on the immune system. Your body is sending all its energy and resource into healing. It's bound to be sensitive to "bugs".

Years ago someone recommended that I drink a probiotic yogurt drink every day to boost the immune system. I have to say that for me it worked. I have had one daily for years and have had very few bouts of illness. The recommendation was from the Head of Theatres (surgical area) at the hospital where I worked.
 
I agree with EalingGran. My older daughter and I were just talking about this. Many of her students and families have been sick this year. We really are just learning how the pandemic messed up our lives.
I hope everyone has a nice Easter. If anyone is interested in finding a dessert to make check out sallysbakingaddition.com. I'm off my diet for Easter!
On a side note, my younger daughter has volunteered to get an overweight horse back in shape for free riding. This poor horse hasn't been ridden in a year, so it is a challenge and lots of work. I know you are enjoying riding in the nice weather and longer days.
 
You are not alone in asking this, @JusticeRider! I had the same question because I seemed to get knocked down by every passing virus for almost a year post-op! I was concerned and did quite a bit of research to understand what was happening. There are a lot of technical articles on the NIH website, but the best summary I found was on BreastCancer.Org website.

"Any type of major surgery can stress the body and suppress the immune system. The reasons for this aren’t fully understood, but we do know that surgery and the anesthesia medications given to help make you sleep can be hard on the body. It can take
a couple of weeks to many months for the immune system to recover fully. During this time, you’re more prone to infections that can affect any area of the body, such as the sinuses, throat, mouth, lungs, skin, and urinary tract. The more extensive your surgery is and the more surgeries you have, the greater the impact is likely to be.

Hope that helps!
 
I believe another part of the problem was we all wore masks for years and didn't build up our natural immunities for the bugs out there. The little ones are back in school with all those other children catching all kinds of illnesses and bringing them home. Having surgery has lowered your resistance to all these bugs out there.
 
Thanks to all for the responses! I’m beginning to think it’s a combination of lowered immune response AND pandemic backlash (meaning 2 years or so of masking and social distancing resulting in much more illness now). We were pretty careful for quite a while, between my multiple surgeries and my husband’s severe asthma. And we’re very much NOT being careful anymore, including marinating ourselves in germs nearly every weekend seeing music. And I do feel the surgeries have made me more vulnerable. My husband hasn’t caught any of it, not even from me! Lucky for him. Meanwhile, I’m hoping I feel better soon :mcoffee:
 

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