6 months post op

[Kohole]

I had my TKR 6 months ago and not real happy of the results. I had surgery a year ago last June to try an buy me some time before having TKR. They re-aligned my knee cap and cleaned the arthritis out. However, I never got my knee back and ended up having TKR this last June. I had a lot of atrophied from the first surgery, so I started off with a very week leg. I was really on top of my exercises but admit I have not been very good with my exercises. I feel a lot of anger and frustration with the whole process. My leg is still very week and unstable. The Dr. says I am doing fine but I am very frustrated with the weakness in my leg. I am very unstable and my leg wants to buckle out from underneath me. The Dr. says it will take about a year to get full use of my leg back. This what he said with my first knee surgery. Is there anyone out there that is about 1 year post opp that could let me know how there progress has been 1 year out?

 

[Josephine]

It surely does take anything up to a year to get the muscle tone back and begin to forget you had surgery. Some people are further on at 6 months but don't let that worry you. Everybody's recovery is different.

 

[Rowdy66]

Jo is right, she will not tell you wrong. One thing I might add is that it is up to you to exercise your leg. I only had PT three times after my BTKR but I did rode my stationary bike and did my strengthening exercises and stretches religiouslt. No matter where I was sitting or standing I found an exercise I could manage while I was there. I am 7 1/2 months post op now and have been doing great for some time but it is because even when I was down in the dumps or just plain old didn't feel like it I kept my legs moviing, exercise is the only way we are going to regain our strength. My legs were terrible, even had a fractured tibia I had been walking around on prior to surgery. What was scheduled to take 3 hours or so took six, OS said worst damage he had ever seen, he was amazed I had walked at all. Remember one thing we all have in common is that we had terrible damage in our knees and legs prior to surgery. I am convinced my OS tells all his patients that their knees were the worst he had ever seen, that way when we improve dramatically it makes us feel even better. People all have different rates of recovery, I have even read that some doctors think it takes up to two years for us to be fully healed so you have a ways to go. I know you can do it and you can bet we here at the knees forum will be cheering you on. Good luck, Rowdy

 

[Rowdy66]

I always forget to say welcome to the forum. This is, without a doubt, the best place you could have found to inspire you to work on improving your leg. Everyone here will cheer you on, pray for your recovery and send good thoughts your way, to say nothing of all the good advice you can get here. I have said it a jillion times but without this forum i don't know what i would have done. You have already met jo, our moderator, she is great, a nurse with over 50 years experience plus she has knee problems herself. She is the greatest, a true friend to us all. I hope you keep posting, we will all look forward to hearing from you and will help you in every way we can. With that said, good luck, rowdy

 

[Gretchendz]

Welcome....and listen to Rowdy re the exercise. Anything you can do will make things better.

If you look back on Rowdy's first posts, you'll see that she was hardly a happy camper at first either...in fact, most of us were not! She has worked through much adversity to get to where she is

I know the exercise was very tough for me as my knees were pretty bad (on the first the OS said it was the worst knee* he had seen on someone not in their 80s --I'm 57) years of walking wrong and hunched over had caused my muscles to fall into very bad habits. I do what Jo suggests--if I am sitting in the recliner or laying in bed, I work at flattening and tightening the quads. If sitting, I bend and flex every chance I get. It helps, even if not official exercise.

Keep posting on your progress--this group really cares.

*P.S. I think Rowdy is right, they must teach them to say that in med school!

 

[patfinch]

Welcome welcome you have come to the right place my friend......the help and advice is second to none.....I am now 4 months out TKR and I am lucky to have made good progress but Rowdy is correct you need to ecercise them legs....After reading posts on here I got myself an excercise bike and pushed myself daily on that as I was not getting out and couldn't walk very far outside.
I now use it very little but have thrown away my crutches and stick and my walking is improving daily...in fact some days when I'm out I occasionally forget about the surgery as my knee seems '' normal '' for brief periods.
You will get all the help you need on here trust me hunni we have all been there done that and know the ups and downs that knee surgery brings......this lot have helped me a great deal and I in turn will pass on any help and experiences that I can...
Good luck keep up with the exercises ( I know they are a pain ..but stick with it ) you WILL feel the benefits sooner than you think.....

love and hugs Pat xxxx

 

[NLK]

I wanted to let you know that it took more than 6 months to get my strength back. My TKR will be 2 years old in Feb. I went through so many months of weakness, possibly because I did not have time to do my PT. I went back to work at 8 weeks because I was a teacher and my kids needed me. I thought going back to regular working and driving 2 hours a day would be my PT. I had many incidents of "buckling" before it got better. Several times I thought I just lost my balance and fell. But, the worst one was 14 months post TKR at a Spring outdoor pot luck in front of MANY people. I was lucky or just learned that once you start to fall...don't fight it. I continued the strengthing exercises from my in-home PT and things have gotten so much better. I live in a snow area where this year we have had more than usual and I'm so happy that I have not fallen or felt any buckling in 6 months. Hang in there and keep up the strengthing exercises. This site will help with all you are experiencing.