Bilateral TKR 32 y/o and her new knees!

[Rhodyrhody]

@Rhodyrhody I am getting slowly better at getting around. I can walk unaided but I still drag the walker around for balance. I don’t lean on it at all, though. My pain level is between 0 and 2 when I’m sitting/relaxing and 2-3 when up and moving. At night it can sometimes climb to 5ish. I am still taking pain meds, though.

@MCC I just tried elevating last night and it helped for most of the night. Previously, I had not been. I did have to readjust at 3:30am, but it definitely worked better. Thanks for the advice! I can’t wait until I can sleep on my side again!

Glad to hear you're getting around and the pain seems manageable!
Are you able to sit for long without your legs elevated?
What does that do to your pain level?

<Sorry so many questions!>

 

[ricekrispy]

@Rhodyrhody No worries! Is there a specific reason you are curious?

I am able to sit with my legs down for reasonable chunks of time, I just try not to remain that way for more than 20ish minutes so that I can make sure my swelling stays under control. It usually doesn't increase my pain level. Putting my legs down initially if they are stiff can give me a little pain, but once they are down they are good.

 

[ricekrispy]

@Rhodyrhody I just saw that you are coming up on surgery soon! I'm assuming that's the reason for all the questions! Let me know if you have more! I would highly recommend pre-op PT if you're not doing it already.

 

[KitKat64]

@NavyGunns, I also looked up knee replacement videos on YouTube. I really wanted to know how it was done. It's fascinating to watch, and a little gross, lol!! It's interesting to see how they use computers as part of the surgery!! Technology has come a long way!!

 

[NavyGunns]

@KitKat64, it is amazing! The fact that we can now watch a video of the procedure we either are considering or just experienced is also amazing! Of course one better have a strong stomach! I was amazed the PKR video didn’t show much blood, guess I figured there would be more. In my case, I already had a very good understanding of how the computer and mako robot were used to aid the surgeon which was why I wanted that type of procedure done. At first my insurance company refused to approve the procedure. They first claimed it was too “experimental “. My OS wrote them a letter telling them they were full of BS (no not BoneSmarts either!). Then they refused saying my condition didn’t warrant PKR. I was about ready to give up and cancel the surgery date when I got a call telling me my OS worked a miracle and got them to approve. Happy day that one was!

 

[ricekrispy]

@NavyGunns and @KitKat64 I'm a little too nervous to actually watch the procedure yet... I don't do well with medical stuff

Day 14 post-op!

Got my staples removed today! Also got my first xrays post op and they look great! So excited to see my knee caps actually tracking where they should be!! Everything going smoothly so far. I have about 105 flexion in my left knee and 100 in the right. PT has been going pretty well. I was quite nervous by what I read here to go through with PT but I have a good relationship with mine, so that has helped. I'm pushing myself in terms of flexion but being careful to make sure that I'm resting, icing, elevating, etc. and taking it easy most of the day. I was standing/walking with my walker for about an hour yesterday and did pretty well, although I was stiff last night, which was no surprise.

 

[NavyGunns]

@ricekrispy, sounds like you are doing well. Nothing wrong with being nervous about pt! That’s what will ensure you pay close attention to how your knee responds. Even though I had spent significant time pre-surgery working out in the gym to keep my leg strength up, I, too, was very nervous about doing something bad during pt. That’s what forced me to be cautious when trying something new. The good part was that my PT respected my approach and didn’t try to force any thing I didn’t feel I was ready for.

Keep up the good dialogue with your therapist, it will go a long way toward ensuring a good outcome with your knee.

 

[sistersinhim]

The key to PT is for your knee to be the boss at all times. If it hurts now or later, your knee isn't ready for that yet. Wait a few weeks or more then you can try it again. Don't let any exercise hurt. Discomfort is OK, not pain. Pain is your knee's way of telling you that what you are doing is actually harmful for it.