Bilateral TKR 2 years out and facing up to facts

[liam2015]

Yes, it's a rollercoaster. You're doing exactly the right thing by resting. It was just a week ago you "broadened your horizons" with a good walk. It will take more of those to gain back your strength with lots of rest in between. I can imagine it is especially harder after bilateral TKRs.

Once you recover, your legs will be stronger than before and you'll forget about the surgery. One day at a time and patience. You're doing great as evidenced by your walk where you said you were walking normally.

 

[Ghostpipe]

Thank you for your encouragement. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that I’m doing ok, all things considered.

 

[Jockette]

Sending lots of hugs, this is a rough recovery!

 

[Ghostpipe]

Went to the gym yesterday, for the first time in 8 months, due to lockdowns, lack of motivation due to Covid, and latterly my new knees. And because I had the second undisturbed solid night’s sleep since my op.
How the mighty have fallen! I am weak and feeble.
Didn’t do anything that would aggravate my knees, but haven’t been able to do that for years.
Total success! No extra discomfort later. It is said that using a gym in one’s dotage is better than body weight exercise at home, as the machines ensure that movements are done correctly without stress on the joints. I found this to be true. I have been doing a few hip flexor exercises at home, and discovered that these, done incorrectly due to my current disabilities, were the cause of the latest strain and pain. Used the machine at the gym, which fully supports the knees, with no problem at all.
As for motivation to exercise, once I made the effort to go there and paid, there was no longer an excuse not to do it.
At the end of my session, I scaled the two flights of stairs to get out easier than I find it at home, almost as though my muscles had been awakened.
Full steam ahead with recovery now that I am about to hit the 12 week mark.
FCBayern, will get hold of some smaller fins and aim for a gentle dive in a few weeks.

 

[MARYCOOL]

Wow, good for you!!
How does everything feel the day after?

 

[Ghostpipe]

Really good, thank you. I held out for an hour’s cleaning the kitchen this morning, much to my astonishment, really tight now so having a rest before assembling supper.

 

[Ghostpipe]

Now that my knees are a lot better, it has suddenly dawned upon me that I have had a problem spot on one of them since the start. It’s on the outside edge of the patella, level with the bottom edge. It is the only consistent problem spot now, and is stopping me from activity. When I bend the knee, there is a grinding that is discernible only by feeling with my fingers, not by walking. The same spot on my other knee is completely free of this.
I did mention it to my OS at my 4 week check up, but both knees were obviously still in the early stages, he said it is just soft tissue and will heal. It now seems that it could be something else. Any ideas?

 

[Jockette]

I had both knees done on the same day, same surgeon and both were in a similar condition beforehand. One is trailing behind in terms of recovery, since day one. No idea why, and neither does my surgeon!

One of our members posted this possible explanation:

”I watched a bilateral knee replacement when I was a nursing student. The patient happened to be a neighbor. It was quite a comfort to him that I was there. I was not that physically close to the surgical area because that's a super-sterile area. They wear space suits so they're not even breathing near the wound. I was by the patient's head. They did the left knee first and then the right, which went easier because they'd figured out the correct components on the left which means there was more tourniquet time, more putting on and taking off of components, and generally tweaking of the artificial joint on the left. So it was no surprise that the patient's right knee recovered more easily and with less swelling. Who knows how much each of our knees get tweaked and manipulated during the surgery, resulting in more tissue trauma?”

 

[Ghostpipe]

Thank you for showing me this, Jockette. In that case, I am glad that I had both done at the same time, at least they had one to “practice “ on and got the other one really good, as opposed to both being a “practice “ one. Yes, it’s the left one that isn’t so good. It’s a bit saddening for me, as I can’t help wishing that they were both like the best one. It’s hard to hit a balance between the two for activity, just at a time when I can start to slowly build strength and fitness effectively.
I’m trying hard to like my new knees, but still have unkind feelings for the left one!

 

[Jockette]

I’m trying hard to like my new knees, but still have unkind feelings for the left one!

I understand how you feel, and it took me a long time to be kind to my knee, as I finally realized it was doing the best it could under the circumstances.

 

[MARYCOOL]

That is exactly why I wanted to "stage" my TKR's. I did the left in Feb 2021, and will do the R in Jan 2022. I just don't like the tourniquet time, and I wanted one good leg to stand on There are days, however, when I wish I had them both done!

 

[Sisterpat]

I think that’s the benefit of the newer, robotic surgery. You have a CT scan within 2 weeks of surgery and the computer software gives exact measurements of what size the prosthesis needs to be. I had it with both my ops here in this little rural area of Arkansas!

 

[Ghostpipe]

It wasn’t available in our tiny country, and travelling elsewhere was not an option with the borders effectively closed. Are both your legs equal in terms of pain, progress, achievement etc? It’s interesting to have two to compare.
I bought an expensive scar cream at my OSs suggestion, was tempted to only use it on one to see whether it made any difference. Then decided that, if it miraculously did work, I would have odd scars, so abandoned the experiment.

 

[Jockette]

We have found that scars usually take care of themselves and any moisturizing cream will do, provided your incision is totally healed.

My OS’s office said to get anything that had vitamin E. I wasn’t sure what to get, with such brood guidelines, and my husband didn’t do well with a vague request, so I wasted a lot of energy shopping for a cream at 2 weeks post op! I wasn’t crazy about the cream I bought, and it was more than I should have paid, so I was sure to use it up! To be honest, I felt a bit queasy putting it on my incision, I didn’t like the massaging motion. Next time I’ll use whatever I have on hand, and only if I really need the moisturization.

 

[Ghostpipe]

It took me a while to pluck up the courage to touch my scars too. Having coughed up far too much for the special cream gave me the incentive to get on with applying it!! Back then, I would have bought any kind of quackery to improve things. It smells nice though, so even if it has no other benefit, I have fragrant knees

 

[Ghostpipe]

Erratic recovery or what!!! Suddenly, out of the blue, no reason, nothing different etc. etc....my knees are great today. No steel band, bending really well.
Did a shopping trip, which usually finishes me up for the day, followed by a half hour walk up and down slopes, put the seat of the exercise bike down a notch and did five minutes of flexing on it, still no steel band.
The Lord only knows why. I had a really bad and sore evening yesterday, a restless night during which I took a sleeping pill and a painkiller, which I haven’t done for weeks now, and was expecting a hellish day today. And look what happened! An overnight miracle.
Determined not to renew my membership of the ODIC, so icing and elevating, even though I didn’t feel the need.
Not holding out too much hope for this being permanent, experience has taught me that. Even so, if any newbies are reading this, it really does get better in time, regardless of how you handle it in the early days, all by itself.

 

[Jockette]

Your attitude is great, enjoy the improvement but still be careful!

 

[Ghostpipe]

All down to all you admins, and other posters.

 

[Molly35]

Love reading all your messages. I'm 11weeks post opp. And in my usual manner expected to be all better by now. Silly me quite the opposite. I get days when I think it's going ok then yesterday to stand or walk was painful. Am I doing things right? I excersize go for a walk when I'm up for it. But reading your posts it's me as usual wanting a quick fix

 

[Celle]

Hi @Molly35 -
Please will you tell us the full date of your knee replacement and which knee it is, so we can make a signature for you? Knowing the exact date will help us to advise you appropriately.
Thank you.

Your own recovery thread is here:
Knee Not Flexible