More good news from Patient 99 at 20 months and what may be the happy conclusion to her challenging recovery:
Just got back from a week in Spain. My knee behaved so well I wanted to write about it as I think it's the conclusion to my TKR journey. It's the happy ending I've been waiting for.
Last week I went on holiday to Spain. I was nervous. I had no idea how my knee would cope with all the extra demands of traveling, flying, carrying luggage, lots of walking, etc. Twenty months in recovery is a long time - more so because I thought it would take about 6 months. That caused me to worry, seek second opinions and generally seek more support from my BoneSmart friends than I sometimes thought was reasonable. Looking back I now see that the surgery shattered my confidence. This is why the trip abroad was such a challenge. I probably would have cancelled it last minute if it weren't that I would have let my sister down.
Anyway, off I went and GUESS WHAT? My knee was fine. I walked a lot, danced a bit and generally had a good time. I noticed that I was using my leg quite naturally - even turning over in bed wasn't done with knee in mind. I don't want this to sound like a miracle just happened. I doubt I will ever join that group of people whose TKR feels just like a normal knee. My ROM is fairly average 120/0 and I still have to wear my elastic calf support (just below the knee). It makes things just that bit more comfortable, but I now feel that life has got back to normal, and I am not thinking knee every minute of every day and worrying myself that I might have to have further surgery. Oh, I also found a brilliant pair of shoes - Skechers Go Walk 2 - that really put a spring in my step, So that helped as well.
As for the tight band feeling that has bothered me for so long, it hasn't gone away. I can still feel the inner workings of my knee. The difference is that my head now accepts it. There's no pain, it just feels different. I have an appointment with the second opinion OS on 5 December. I might even cancel that appointment if things continue to go well.
I don't know why my knee has taken so long to recover. There was nothing unusual about my pre op condition (just bone on bone caused my arthritis). Nor was there anything unusual about my operation itself. I never needed an MUA. I had physiotherapy, but never let anyone hurt me. I was never a member of ODIC (over-did it club). There was a theory that my problems might have been due to excess scar tissue, but nothing conclusive. It remains a mystery. This just goes to show that we really are all different, and that recovery takes as long as it takes. So dear Reader, if you are worried that you are in the slow lane. Please, please do not despair . I am proof positive that the `give it time' philosophy really does work. Thanks BoneSmart. I wouldn't have wanted to do it alone.