TKR 3.24 TKR at 39yrs old

FunkyFresh2021

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I've had 2 ACL replacements and a couple clean up procedures in the past 14 years. I have always been active, I was a collegiate athlete and I cannot stand to sit still even to this day.

I am also a mom to 3 very active kids under the age of 10.

I am so grateful I have found a doctor that understands my quality of life has been significantly impacted due to my knee.

I am nervous that the new knee won't be able to perform like I need it to and this surgery will be for nothing.

I was told I will be able to play tennis, ski, kick a soccer ball, play tag, jump on a trampoline, and pretty much do anything I would like - except to run 3 consecutive miles- Keeping my spirit up and diving in to this group! Thanks for the add!
 
Welcome to Bonesmart!

You will be active again. After you heal.

The best piece of advice I can give you is, this can be a long and slow recovery, and you must give your knee time to heal. Patience in recovery is really important.

If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:
Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic knee?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced knee, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing knee recoveries
 
Hello @FunkyFresh2021 - and :welome:

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? From your thread title, I think your surgery date is March 24th. Is that correct?

If you can remember them, please also tell us the dates of your other knee surgeries and what the surgeries were.
Having all this information will help us to advise you appropriately in the future.
Thank you.:flwrysmile:

Recovery from a knee replacement takes a long time. It's not the sort of surgery you can bounce back from in just a few weeks, even if you are young and fit.

I'm afraid that you will have to find a lot of patience, as it will be essential to spend plenty of time resting, icing, and elevating your new knee.
 
@FunkyFresh2021 Welcome to the forum. Much like you I have had bilateral ACL repairs and many clean up procedures over the past 30 years. On top of my knee issues I also have had bilateral femur fractures and 4 fractured vertebrae so, I have had my share of surgeries in my time. Finding the right surgeon that understands quality of life is more important than reaching a certain age to have a TKR is key. I finally found the right surgeon to do my bilateral TKR and he has given me confidence that I will be able resume all the activities I did before I developed my knee issues. I look so forward to the day I can get back on the ski hill, go hiking and hitting the trails on my mountain bike. It's been far too long.
Good luck with your current situation. You found a great forum with a wealth of information.
 
Hi @FunkyFresh2021 and welcome!

Though it will take a while--every recovery is different, but none are short--you should get back to doing all those things you describe. I'm older than you, but I had both knees replaced and the only thing on your list I haven't done since recovering is ski. I've never done that, so... but I did a little trampoline and soccer with one of my grandkids. Nothing hardcore, just kid stuff. The point being you can look forward to resuming a lot of the activities you have put on hold.

This forum aided my recovery immensely. You will find lots of great information here.
 
As the others said, you should be able to do all those things you listed, once your knee has healed completely.

As you've been a very active person, you will need to find a huge reserve of patience, because recovery from a TKR takes a full year. You'll be able to do most normal activities long before that year is up, but it's probably best not to try the more active pursuits until that year is up.

Recovery involves a lot of resting, icing and elevating and over-activity can slow down recovery, so start looking now for things you can do while you're sitting still. Your main job at first is to rest, ice and elevate, and not to overdo your activity.
 
Quality of life is so important. I strongly recommend that you ask for and accept all offers of help while you recover to give yourself healing time. My girls are teens and fairly helpful at 16 and 14. Under 10 may understand but get friends and family to do many things with them, make meals for you, help around the house, etc. You need to elevate after and I can imagine in your young household it will be hard to. Hire help if you can afford and need. My cleaning ladies usually come every other week but are coming weely, groceries are delivered and we are having many more meals delivered for the short term right now.

Good luck!!
 
^One of my friends is super organized and she actually organized a few of my friends to volunteer to help with rides to PT or picking up random items for me. Generally people want to be helpful, they're just not sure what to do.
 

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