United States
With your daytime activities and your nighttime pain, your knee is telling you to slow down! You really don't need to exercise anymore, your ROM is amazing! Good luck and God bless you healing!
Bilateral TKR 7 Months since BTKR
- Thread starter DavidNC
- Start date
lene'
member
Hello DavidNC, I too had bilateral TKR last October...best decision I have made although I also did not think so the first month or two. Sounds like you are doing well, do not overdo!! You will heal up just fine in your own time. Have you tried getting an ice machine? I was able to score two from Craigslist for $35.00 each...they were a god send to help with the night time pain. I would strap both on and sleep in my recliner, it definitely got me through the first two months. Hang in there, you are still in the "Dark Days" but I can assure you that you will not regret getting your life back, it seems slow but at 8 months out now, I can hardly remember the "dark days" (Except for getting up out of a chair, that was the toughest thing for me for a long time). But make sure to raise everything, bed, chairs, commode, etc, that makes a difference. Take it easy with PT, it will all come back in time not hard work. Good Luck...
Blessings,
Lene'
Blessings,
Lene'
DavidNC
junior member
Thanks for the positivity! Celle, I am pretty sure I'm overdoing the walking but each day it's getting easier. I'm going to try to go really low dose pain med at night and see if I can get through it. This is the first morning I don't feel a need to schedule pain meds yet, so maybe I can do without today.
Don't let your pain get too far ahead of the meds. Playing catch-up is really hard.
dadman35
member
Hi David, in NC as well and 4 months out from ltkr. Also a teacher. Ice and elevate till Two months and working on ROM as tolerated worked well for me. Was back in the classroom at 2 months, not recommended but needed. Hope your recovery goes well.
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
DavidNC
junior member
5 weeks out and I am moving much better. Still have pain, especially upon waking (but finally sleeping through the night without having to medicate in the middle of the night). Down to low dose hydrocodone but still having to take about every 6 hours during the day. I am probably overdoing the walking, went for about a mile yesterday and knees feel stomped on this morning. A bit stir crazy as my biggest trips outside of the house have been to the grocery store with my wife. Today will be an elevate and ice day, no mile walks!
I found that a day of activity followed by a day of rest got me through this recovery in the first few months just fine. It sounds like you're doing it just right!
Sleeping through the night is a huge blessing! Not many can do that so early. That right there is a big help to your healing.
I was born and raised in Edenton until my teens, so I'm a country girl at heart. I'm not familiar with Steele Creek.
Sleeping through the night is a huge blessing! Not many can do that so early. That right there is a big help to your healing.
I was born and raised in Edenton until my teens, so I'm a country girl at heart. I'm not familiar with Steele Creek.
Last edited by a moderator:
becticu
graduate
@DavidNC, wow a mile walk! I am so impressed and I have to admit jealous! Walking is my therapy and before my surgeries I was able to walk even though in great pain. I always say, I am much nicer when I walk. We live on the edge of a mountain and walking on the mountain is my all time favorite. Can't wait to get out there! I assume you live in NC. That is some beautiful country there!
DavidNC
junior member
Paula, it's just an area of Charlotte, thanks Pheebs, I just need to stay patient, I'm ready to be 100 percent too soon lol, becticu, it won't be long until your out of pain, there was a big difference after 5 weeks for me
DavidNC
junior member
I haven't posted in quite a while but this forum was a great aid to me before and after my BTKR on May 24, 2017. I returned to driving at 6 weeks and work when it started back at 8 weeks (I am a high school teacher, so having the summer to recover was great). I still use a cane at work (mostly due to my fear of kids running into me in the crowded halls and knocking me down) but oftentimes I just leave it in the corner of my classroom. When I go out at home, I rarely use the cane unless I know there will be a lot of walking. I'm not pain free, yet, but my surgeon released me August 24 for a followup on May 24 and said I would not be 100% until then most likely. Using resistance bands for overall workout and doing some knee exercises still. It was probably 4 months after surgery that I felt less pain then I had before surgery, and by now I feel that the surgery was worth it. Still some pain, especially in morning, but I am no longer bowlegged and don't have that constant pain I dealt with every minute. I hope everyone here has a very Happy New Year and thanks again for all of your support.
HI David, and welcome back.
It's good to hear that you're doing well.
Don't overdo the exercises - you're back to teaching full time and I should imagine that's plenty of exercise for your knees!
Your surgeon is right - it does take a full year for complete recovery, so you still have plenty of time for your knees to improve even more.
You'll notice that, for the sake of continuity, I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread.
For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:
Don't worry that we won't see your question because, between us, the staff read all new posts every day.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you
If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.
It's good to hear that you're doing well.
Don't overdo the exercises - you're back to teaching full time and I should imagine that's plenty of exercise for your knees!
Your surgeon is right - it does take a full year for complete recovery, so you still have plenty of time for your knees to improve even more.
You'll notice that, for the sake of continuity, I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread.
For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:
- That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
- If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
- Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.
Don't worry that we won't see your question because, between us, the staff read all new posts every day.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you
If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.
DavidNC
junior member
Thanks Celle, I didn't know how to keep it in same thread! Appreciate your advice, also.
SherrieT
senior
Nice update. Thank you
