20 long years...finally my turn!!

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ACDCJen

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Hello,
I'm relatively new to BS, but I have had knee problems all of my life! I am finally able to get my first knee replacement! I just had pretty extensive left ankle surgery on June 8, 2016, and 5 weeks later, I ruptured my left Achilles tendon. Good thing I had the surgery because the internal stitches are what kept it from a total rupture! I was put into a fiberglass cast for 2 weeks and I got it off today! I have about 3-4 weeks more to go before my Achilles is good enough for the replacement. I am just waiting for the date, but hopefully will be in September!! He said he was going to open it up and see if the outer part of the joint is as bad as the rest of it. If it's not, he will do a partial. He said that this would allow me to have an easier time with a revision in the future, particularly as I'm 39 years old. If I was a betting woman, I'd say he'll most definitely be doing a total replacement. This same doctor told me 20 years ago, when I was 19, that my knee was already bad enough for a replacement. I kept it going for 2 decades and now it is time.

Like most of you, I want my life back. My quality of life has suffered more and more over the years and I want to be able to enjoy myself before I am totally decrepit! My goal is to be able get out of my kayak by next summer, get up off the ground/floor, walk for more than a block, use my bike, and lose weight! I just want to be healthier and more capable of moving around!

So, I have to wear a walking/fracture boot, which I affectionately call Das Boot because I've worn it for about 5 months already, for another 4 weeks or so and then TKR (or PKR). I am looking so forward to having a normal knee because I have NO idea what that would be like!

Thanks for letting me share and for all the support you've given me so far! I really appreciate this forum.

Jen
 
Glad to hear you have a date, and are on your way to getting your life back.
 
That's great, Jen!!! I'm glad you're able to get your new knee! :yahoo:

Like you, I cannot wait to get on my bike. I also want to get some kayaks. I did some kayaking in Frenchman's Bay at my in-laws and loved it. We have a perfect lake here for kayaking and I'd love to do that in the summer.

I've also had congenital knee issues, so am looking forward to no knee pain for the first time.

Good luck!!!
 
:welome:That's great that you will be able to get your knee...I also had Achilles tendon repair surgery around 10 years ago, not so much fun!!!

Good luck with your current recovery and your future surgery :flwrysmile:
 
I got my date!!! September 14th! I'm excited to finally have a knee that works! I'm doing my "exercises," drinking my protein shakes, and trying not to over-think it!!!!!

Jen
 
Best wishes for the 14th, Jen. :flwrysmile:
 
Yes, will hope and send best wishes for your big day! I just had my Left TKR 6 weeks ago and it is amazing: the knee doesn't hurt...what hurts is the soft tissue they had to wrangle to get the old decrepit knee parts out and the new in! And, it is daily improving and I'm working hard at getting my range of motion back to where it can be. This forum and the individuals here are a phenomenal resource! I can't tell you all of the wonderful support I felt when pain Meds didn't work well for me...except to cause insomnia! Then my OS office gatekeepers refused to provide advice or help! So, everyone here offered suggestions as to how they dealt with similar issues, I learned lots about diff. medications that are available, and I've been able to be more of a self-advocate as a result. The knowledge here is amazing! Glad to hear you will, like me, be celebrating new possibilities for movement fun!
 
Well, I'm a long-time insomniac, so no sleep isn't a problem. Usually, with most of my surgeries anyway, I sleep so much! But, I'm prepared for pain and no sleep since I live it every day anyway.

@BBCG It will be so nice to have less pain! Dare I hope for none? That would make it all worth it!

Jen
 
Hi @ACDCJen , you have been through a lot. I really hope this knee surgery will make a big difference and go a long way to helping you get a quality of life back. You have a great attitude, and with the advice and support of this wonderful forum you will do very well. We are all here for you.
Tabby xxx
 
I dropped by to say "hi". I hope today will be a good day for you. I am believing that when this is all behind us that you and I will both have pain free knees. Not less pain, no pain!
 
Thank you everyone so much for the support! I really appreciate it. Saw the PA today for a follow up on my ankle/Achilles rupture and I'm doing great! We talked about the TKR a bit as I had a few questions. I told him that I'm sure I would end up with a total instead of a partial as my knee was pretty bad. He said that he had "heard" that it was pretty bad! Not a reputation you want, right? I will be ditching Das Boot soon as I want to be out of it for a bit before my surgery. I'm doing the pre-op strengthening exercises, ankle exercises, and drinking my protein shakes! Trying not to think too much about the surgery and the seemingly long, even though it isn't, wait. Staying cautiously, optimistically excited/anxious.

Jen
 
Jen, that's wonderful news!!!

I'm a little over six weeks out and felt that my first weeks were slow and the first two weeks were quite painful. BUT!!!! No bone-on-bone pain is amazeballs!!! I can feel some surgery-related stiffness, but it's so much better than a few weeks ago and light years ahead of where it was pre-surgery! I can walk and drive and feel good. I thought I'd never drive my Miata again and guess what?!?! I'm tearing around town in that little thing—with the biggest cheeser possible. I went in the pool yesterday and walked/high-kicked for 20 minutes. That felt great.

I say that to encourage you. I've had knee problems my whole life and pain since I was 13. It's never felt better than it does now. I'm so happy I had this done.
 
@LoveGiants
That is so great to hear! I don't know what it's like to not have painful knees as it's been a looooong time, if ever! I'm wondering if I will walk better now too? I have been pigeon-toed and knock-kneed since I started to walk at 9 months old. That would take a lot of time to get used to for sure!! :)

Jen
 
I love LoveGiants "amazeballs" phrase! It IS really great to feel NO PAIN in the knee itself, for me, too. I've been bone on bone for years, probably 10 or more, but I've done lots of unusual body-care things to help keep going, (unusual only if you don't know about them, though). All of that was because I didn't think there was anything I could ever do to feel better...except seek out pathways of self-care that lessened pain. It hadn't yet dawned on me that I was in that place that one should think "knee replacement"! I've done a care modality called the "Melt Method" for about 2-3 years and I truly think it kept me going for at least 1.5 of those years... A classmate, a PT at her day job, said to me one day, when I was limped badly in to class, "It looks like you ought to go to (ortho clinic) to see them for their "Fast Access" program. They'll see you in 48 hours if it's a recent injury. Maybe you need a new knee?" Within 9 months, here I am! So, you'll be there, too, Jen, I just bet!
 
About the pigeon-toed thing....I was too, and am now only half so, and it IS weird!! I am 6 weeks out from a right TKR, and while it hasn't caused ANY problems...my leg/foot does sit a bit differently. I mostly notice it laying in bed at night, rather than walking.
You never know!

Kim
 
My knee was so bad before surgery that my doctor was surprised I could walk without a cane.

I'm not going to lie, the first couple of weeks are rough, but immediately I could tell that my arthritis pain was gone, the first time I stood up and actually was able to straighten my knee all the way felt amazing, y had to learn basically how to walk properly again.

I am 11 weeks post-op today and do not regret my decision, only that I did not do it sooner, I feel that total recovery is still going to take some time but it's worth the wait.

Jen you can do this!!!
 
@Poohstew
Maybe I can use the uneven gait as a reason to have my equally-bad-if-not-worse right knee replaced before the end of the year too!! I think my OS already feels bad for me so he's been very agreeable to helping make my quality of life better. Thankfully.

@uva55
I think that's what I like so much about this forum....honesty! I have a high tolerance for pain, and I say bring it on knee!!! I'll manage it and whine about it, but I am dertermined to move on like everyone here has!!
 
Thank you @Josephine! I did look over the list last week. :) My shower bench has been invaluable to me for the last 5 months and I'm going to continue to use it! I've been very lucky with the help and support I have and wouldn't be able to do it without my family.

Jen
 
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