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Bilateral TKR 2½ weeks and going strong on BTKR

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This recovery is strange. Each day seems a little better...then every 4-5 weeks, there seems to be a BIG improvement. This week it had to do with having walking feel normal - at least more normal than it has felt in years. Also my energy level is coming back. I spoke w/a co-worker who had BTKR - she said it took around 9 months for her to really feel like herself.

We got new furniture yesterday. I love the new couch - however, as the delivery guys put the legs on, some essential part fell into the body of the couch - so the legs are on our mantel and the couch is about 5 inches short. It's providing me with good "sit/stand" practice! We also got two recliners-that-don't-look-like-ugly-recliners. I have been a recliner-hater for many years, partly for aesthetic reasons and partly because they kill my back. But these new ones are magical. The foot section elevates much higher than our old recliner, the back offers good support, and with a pillow under my knees all is wonderful. Oh, and our living room looks about 100% more polished.

Question for those who are farther out: For how long did you do your PT exercises? I thought I was committed to doing them every other day, but already it's been 4 days (though I did swim yesterday & today and walked a lot). At our final appt., the PT suggested I could lose ROM if I didn't keep doing slides of some sort. I am SO ready to spend my workout time doing other things...
 
Hi all - if anyone even reads this! It has been months since I've posted something new about myself.

This week I will mark 7 months since my BTKR. Overall, things are going well. Work certainly is much easier than it was when I returned last July; I stand and walk more without even thinking about it. Standing for a long period results in soreness when I first bend to sit, but that quickly subsides.

I took a 6-hour car trip to see my sister in September - last year I couldn't bear the idea of sitting in a car! My husband did the driving, but riding was pretty comfy overall. Sis & I went to see a Princess Diana exhibit and she (sister, not Diana) mentioned later that I didn't sit down once or limp.

I ride the exercise bike 2-4 times a week for 25 minutes at level 7. Sometimes I walk for a mile or a little longer. The question I have...I can feel great throughout the day yet still end up with stiffness and pain, especially in the night. It's not the pain I had pre-op; I never fear standing or taking steps. I can't tell whether I'm exercising too much or should exercise more or whether exercise isn't even a factor. example: Today I swam for 1/2 mile (slowly), then came home and cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms. Tonight the knees feel tough. Most nights I take a pain pill, but only hydrocodone makes a difference, and (understandably I guess) the doc won't prescribe that any more -- only tramadol, which doesn't seem to do much.

Is this within the normal range for 7 months out? So many people on here are at 5 months and walking what seem to me to be great distances.

Don't get me wrong; things are MUCH better than pre-surgery. I just can't walk more than a mile without "feeling it."

Good wishes to all - now I'm going to play catch up in the forums!
 
This is a wonderful report. Each of us has the drive to fulfill what we want----if you wanted to walk long distances, you would be doing so. Being able to walk a mile is really good. Being able to visit your family and enjoy it is also good. In short, Life is Good!!!
 
Hi Miss J!! Nice to hear from an old Bonesmart Buddy! I would not worry about comparing your journey to anyone elses. You are walking, biking and only 7 months since surgery! That is terrific!!!:spin: Just keep doing what you are doing and you will continue to improve. I still have a little stiffness- especially in the evening if I did a long 2 mile walk. It just takes time and in a full years time I am sure that will mostly go away. I am at my 5 month anniversay November 4th. Lets keep intouch! :SUNsmile: Joan.
 
Love to hear from two of my favorite Bonesmarties! Skigirl, you always put things into proper perspective. And Joan - yay! You sound so jubilant in your posts. I too want to keep in touch.

Last night at the gym instead of just setting the exercycle at "Random Level 7," I tried the cardio setting. This means more resistance for a longer period of time. I found out just how much conditioning I've lost. Today the knees were crying a bit so I'm taking the night off of exercise. But it DID feel good to sweat from exertion.

Today in class I stepped backward and bumped against a table - lost my balance and tottered. The students laughed, of course; I was pretty proud of staying upright!

Tomorrow will be a new challenge: Working at the soup kitchen (standing) for an hour. I took myself off of the serving list a year ago because of my knees and back, so this is big. We'll see how I do. Afterward I go to dinner (and wine) with friends. Life IS good.
j
 
the bone strenghtning and balance class is at our local sports center. slow walking, holding one leg up sitting, then standing up, some ballet moves, knee bending, stretching, some weights, and rubber bands. side stepping, some on the floor...check you local sports center.........
 
Really, I am so proud of you---moving forward, not backward. Who cares what happens at the gym---at least we are there!!! Think about it, we live in a sedetary and overweight country---and we are moving forward!! Good work.
 
Hello everyone -
It's been awhile since I've posted here. I am at the 11-month mark as of March 2; last year I was trying to prepare for surgery. Now I don't think twice about going up/down stairs like a normal person. Wow, what a lot can happen!

Overall, things are good. I go to parties and stand around, I move around at work well, etc. I have a few questions at this point in my recovery and hopefully someone will see them and have some ideas!
1. My knees function well but feel VERY tight - sometimes I feel like the Tin Man, wanting to cry "Oil me!" Do I need to massage my scars and loosen them up? The tightness is especially across the kneecap/back of knee; however, this doesn't affect my ROM. It's just a stiff, tight feeling.
2. At night my knees are restless - I push the recliner back & straighten them; I sit the recliner up and bend them; I cross my legs and uncross them, I massage them...but it's very hard for me to sit still for more than 20 mins or so. ? Does anyone else feel this?
3. Exercise: I walk for half an hour on a track at least 4 times a week. When my back/hips allow (I have separate issues there), I ride an exercise bike on a hill program for that length of time. To me that feels like an appropriate level of exercise at this point, though by the end I feel a bit stiff (see point 1). Any comments?

Thanks all for any pointers.
 
Stiffness is usually from overdoing it---maybe ride the bike a little less hard? But, you sound like you are active at all aspects of your life. With a bi lateral, it will take longer than a year for your knees to even out for you, I would put them up on pillows when they are stiff and see if that helps.
 
Skigirl! So good to hear from you. I know you are very active. How long would you say it took for you to get to your current level of activity? It's frustrating to only be doing a half hour of something that can (remotely) be classified as cardio, and at a pretty low level. I'm hoping to be able to ride a real bike in a month or two when the weather is nice...but I also have my doubts.

I find myself having to take pain med (either Tylenol or, sometimes, Tramadol) to sleep without tossing/turning due to discomfort (not pain) in my legs.

I thought one year would be total recovery - it's clear that won't be true. Plus, the new kness feel very mechanical and "fake" - not like part of me. That has been a feature all along.

Still, I do pretty well, I think, and am SO glad I had the surgery. As you always say, Skigirl - life is good.
 
'Really, when I was about 6 months out, I began skiing and then about 8 months out, I realized I still did not have full stamina. It was really a year until I felt totally like myself and forgot about my knees.

I call my knees fake knees---do they feel completely normal? No, of course not. But, they are better than the knees that I had!! I still hear noises and feel crunchy sometimes, but by and by, I really don't think of them that often.

You had a bilateral and so it will be longer than a year for your recovery. I think it is realistic to get back on the bike and maybe when you do some biking and hiking, you will find that you don't think about them as much either. I would start out slow---hike 3 or 4 miles max at the beginning---you have to build up your endurance too.
 
Right, Skigirl - I am under no illusions that my new knees are ever going to be like "real" ones in feel & function. They are so much better than the old ones - I'm good with the tradeoff.

Thanks for your reassuring words. I'm going to Ireland this summer w/my husband -- he wanted to do this when I met him three years ago, but I couldn't imagine it. I plan to start walking outside as soon as weather permits so that I get more practice with uneven terrain, and I might get walking sticks. As for biking, my only real concern right now is balance as I stop - sometimes I still have a little drunk-stumble here and there if I'm backing up or get bumped hard & am starting to work on various balance exercises.

My first plane trip will be next month--not horribly long flight times, but a plane change, walking in airports, etc. as well as sitting in the tiny seat. Again, it's wonderful to plan this without worry. My last plane trip occurred when my knee was swollen like a basketball - I remember downing hydrocodone w/wine during my layover (! not good). As always, a look backward shows how wonderful life is now.

j
 
Jeanine, my husband used Nordic walking poles which he got from a pt for about $60. Some of them teach Nordic walking---a class would be worth the money in my opinion. I always use hiking poles when hiking--they take 40% of the pressure off your knees. I think they would be useful for Ireland too. They fold up inside the tube, so that you could pack them.

The Nordic walking poles, unlike my hiking poles have a soft tip, so I think they would be okay to carry on the plane. Also, you can ask for a wheelchair assist from gate to gate. We tipped the attendants about $10 each time, which was the only charge and it really did help my husband not to have to wallk from one end of the airport to the next.

I did not click into my pedals for over a year because I was afraid of stumbling when I got off. I think it is like everyhthing else---a few wonky landing and it will all come right back to you. Kelly
 
Kelly
Thanks! I spent some time today on Amazon looking at various hiking/Nordic poles. All the reviewers were raving about how they transformed walking. I have always avoided walking (bad feet as well as knees), but see it will be one of my primary forms of exercise for awhile. I am excited about trying the poles. I don't think I'll need a wheelchair in the airport; guess I'll find out on the 1st trip next month. I'll let you know!
j
 
I doubt that you will need a wheel chair either, but it is nice to know that it is a free service from the airlines.

My husband loves his Nordic walking poles--he has a bad back, they have changed his life in many ways.
 
Hi everyone! I have not posted in a very long time, got through the winter bitter cold and the knees felt it. I had my bilateral knee replacement last March 11th. Got released to go back to work which was May 9th. Did great, then my lower back started bothering me and I wound up going to a chiropractor. Then I got lazy. My ROM was great in the beginning and that tight band feeling is gone. I am still having problems squatting and the front of my knees are stiff. When I take Ibprofen it disappears. I will be calling my doctor and my PT about this in the next week or so. I started working out and moving more than I was and this could be the reason for the stiffness. So does it really take more than a year for total recovery? The front of my knees still feel warm at times and at lunch today I did the treadmill and recumbent bike. So happy I can walk and I can get up from a sitting position on the bus now as well. No complaints, but a little disappointed with this stiffness. Thanks for any advice.
 
So encouraged to read this thread that there are others going through the stiffness like I am. If I stand for a long period of time they get stiff, but they don't hurt. I think my problem was that I did not bend my knees to pick stuff up because I couldn't before and because of the pain, so that kept me from doing that. I can do wall squats and go down with no pain, but I can't stay there for too long, unless I have my 800 mg. Ib. The doc prescribed Nocor for me just recently too. The Ibropen does the trick though.
 
I called my PT today on this and he said to get on my bike, lower that seat and do it every day for 20-30 minutes and this tightness should ease up in about 2-3 weeks. He said whether I am exercising or not that day (doing other things, i.e., treadmill, swimming, elliptical), to get this in. I do know from doing this that it does loosen the knees.
 
I also ride a bike for 30 min a day---I think it is great exercise for tkrs.
 
Thanks for the update, glad you have your life back!
You had me for a moment, I thought you had your BTKR March 2014, yikes that was an incredible recovery :heehee:.
Keep it up, you will only get better!
 
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