Revision TKR _My Saga of a Hopeful Happy Ending - Nerve Burning??

[Pumpkin]

Nancy,
Wonderful to hear how well you are doing. Josephine has the best advice, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Take good care and take it easy, healing comes with time.

 

[LaPaz]

Thanks everyone it feels so good to post positive things. At least this time around I have advise from Physical therapy in the states. I am sure they will be impressed with me after not seeing me a month. I know I have to take it easy as just doing a little bit more causes me not to sleep as well at night. I have told all my dance friends that I will be about 6 more months before I should consider returning to the dance floor. They have visited me many times and tried to get me to go just to watch and listen to the Salsa Group. But for me that is too tempting so I say no. Also dances here don't begin until 11pm and shut down 4am. At that hour, I have no more energy and my knee just says NO WAY! I miss it sooo much. I am sick of doing nothing but waiting on my knee to be ready. That type of patience with me is very difficult! You would think I would be good at it by now.

 

[1ELISEA]

6 more months before I should consider returning to the dance floor.

Did I read those words correctly?!
I am impressed!!

Yes, after all you have been through, now is the time for a little more patience. Theeeeeennn you can dance a happy dance!

 

[maryo52]

Nancy, I hope you are feeling more confident in your recovery as you seem willing to ease up on your leg. I'm sure you've heard plenty about the gentle approach on here, and that applies also to legs that are reluctant to bend.

Regarding the drugs -- are you careful to take your ibu and pain drug with a full glass of water and some food? That helps soften the GI effects. As you push your leg less, you can probably drop down to one half percocet and then as you have less pain, space those out. You won't even notice withdrawal if you wean slowly like that.

Your knee needs extra TLC because it's had multiple surgeries. Very often the response to knee issues is the body shuts down the innervation to the quad and it becomes weak because the body is staying, "Spare the knee!" It's called "arthrogenic muscle inhibition." It took me two years to get my quad back. It's not time yet to make your quad a priority. Just as we get kids out of diapers before worrying about applying to college, this is healing time for your knee while establishing normal function and a decent bend. Down the road you work on better flexibility and strength, but certainly it should not be pushed until maybe the six month mark. De verdad!

 

[LaPaz]

Guess I better check in. I am 3 months post on the right revision. Things are going slow but well. My ROM is doing well around 130 degrees. I am almost off pain meds maybe by the end of the week I will be completely off percocet. I do have a hard time sleeping at night but it is just not the knee causing it. My back, thighs, calves,butt and knee are sore. My body is trying to wake up from no use for 6 months basically(or am I making it). Now that I am more active the body is sore and I have to back down. If I walk, bend or stand too long during the day I pay for it at night. Some of my exercises I have over done so I had to back down. But the good news is my doctor said that I am doing just fine not to worry about over doing it but just to listen to my body. Sounds familiar! He said he wished all his patients would get out and exercise as much as I do that they would recover much better. Next Appointment end of July about 4 months. As for me, I wish I could have my life back and I did not have to play this back down and give it more time thing. All my friends are out having fun doing things I wish I could do and I am still waiting it out. I keep telling them it will be about 6 months before I can start feeling a little normal again. Oh, the waiting it is so hard and I have done this too many times. So maybe by the 6 month report you will hear a much better attitude from me! And then by the year report I will not report back about having to do another surgery.

 

[LaPaz]

I am 5 months now and doing better . I saw the doctor last month and he said I was doing well but expect a slow recovery the full 12 months. I just started back to the gym this week and am introducing leg strength exercises slowly. So far no problems but a little stiffness afterwards. I am still swimming and biking but have cut back a little because of the gym. I felt I kind of reached a plateau where my knee just did not seem to be getting stronger so I thought the gym may help. I also have started back doing a little salsa dancing but slow and easy. I did do too much one time and it took a few weeks of not dancing to recover to where I was before. My doctor said that when the knee is hurting and it does not go away easily it just prolongs the recovery process. Wow, you would think I would have it down by now.

 

[Jamie]

How wonderful to hear from you and to know you are making progress. I know it's frustratingly slow.....but once you get that first year behind you, it should be really, really worth it!!! It sounds like you're going at the recovery process just right by adding things in slowly. Good for you!! Hope to hear more good news as the weeks pass.

 

[skigirl]

Wow, this is telepathy, I was just thinking of you and had decided to look up your thread for a report!!

One thing is even though the recovery is slow---you are still reovering. I am so glad to hear that and also glad to hear that you are starting to dance again. Life is just sitting there waiting for you!!!

 

[1ELISEA]

5 months now and doing better

LaPaz
Hi Nancy
I've been away from the forum and missed your updates.
How are you doing now?
The sunny face is my imagination of the weather in LaPaz. Are you back there or in the States?

 

[LaPaz]

Hi Elisea yes back in La Paz with still 80 degree days but that is slowly cooling down as winter approaches. I am now 7 1/2 months and still plugging along. I had a few downs so I am not finished recovering. My OS said to give it at least a year maybe longer for what I have been through. I have backed off dancing and am more focused on workouts at the Gym to help get my strength back. It's getting there but very slowly and I know I need to be stronger to really enjoy my dancing. My last down was due to not taking a anti inflammatory and the knee getting real stiff to the point it hurt most the time. I stopped because I was getting headaches and could not sleep at night and I felt my body was telling me to give it a break from the drugs. I finally had to stop doing the gym because I was hurting bad so I went to see my OS to ask him what was going on. He said that I need the anti inflammatory and he would try me on a different one to see if the headaches go. Well, it worked and at first I had a slight headache then they went away. My knee felt much better and I was able to return to the gym and continue working out. Of course, I iced and elevated but that didn't seem to make as much difference as the anti inflammatory. Its just so difficult for me to not do the things I would like to be doing and baby the knee but its what I know I have to do. I just keep thinking of how this all started about 4 years ago and here I am still recovering.

Good news is the OS said that the knee looks good with no evidence of any problems just give it more time. When it is not stiff I can get it flexed to about 135 degrees. So that too is great news as the OS did not expect I would have that kind of ROM with so many surgeries.

 

[skigirl]

Nancy, the news about your rom is awesome. I can imagine how frustrating the last few years have been--but it looks like you are on the home stretch now. I hope to hear that you are dancing soon. Kel

 

[maryo52]

So you can't control how you push yourself? Lot of that going around! Don't forget the stop when it hurts part of the message. And congratulations on doing so well at 7.5 months. I love dancing but mainly live vicariously through Dancing with the Stars.

 

[1ELISEA]

Excellent Nancy!
Now that you are in true recovery and not just spinning your wheels it will take a bit of time to heal to get back to doing what you did before your 4 year journey. And when you look back in several months at how far you have come after such trauma, please be totally impressed with your accomplishment! I know I am!
And great news on your ROM!

 

[Jamie]

I agree, Nancy. I am in awe at how far you have come since that first surgery mess. You are a wonderful example of what we tell folks about never giving up. I'm so proud of your progress and hope that things continue to improve for you.

 

[LaPaz]

Nancy, the news about your rom is awesome. I can imagine how frustrating the last few years have been--but it looks like you are on the home stretch now. I hope to hear that you are dancing soon. Kel

Thanks Kelly and I am hoping you are doing well after your revision. Looks like ski season is upon you again real soon. Please give me an update on your progress. Happy Holidays to you

 

[LaPaz]

So you can't control how you push yourself? Lot of that going around! Don't forget the stop when it hurts part of the message. And congratulations on doing so well at 7.5 months. I love dancing but mainly live vicariously through Dancing with the Stars.

I think we both have been through a lot. I hope you are doing well with no more problems. Happy Holidays

Excellent Nancy!
Now that you are in true recovery and not just spinning your wheels it will take a bit of time to heal to get back to doing what you did before your 4 year journey. And when you look back in several months at how far you have come after such trauma, please be totally impressed with your accomplishment! I know I am!
And great news on your ROM!

Thanks for your concerns and encouragement Elisea. I am just waiting this out and hope to be impressed in the end. One thing is I don't give up. That must be the competitive side of me. I am sure that is true with you as well. Happy Holidays.

 

[LaPaz]

I agree, Nancy. I am in awe at how far you have come since that first surgery mess. You are a wonderful example of what we tell folks about never giving up. I'm so proud of your progress and hope that things continue to improve for you.

Thanks Jamie I appreciate your support. Happy Holidays

 

[LaPaz]

It's been a long time since I last reported. Happily the ending is looking pretty positive. I am now about 14 month after my 2nd right knee revision. This revision has been a real tough one and very slow to heal. The slightest bit of activeness the knee would just stiffen and tell me to slow down so I did. The only exercise that I kept up regularly was bike riding and workouts at home. I stopped the gym as every time I went I would stiffen bad and have to take way too many inflammatories along with ice and elevation. So now 14 months later I have an average ROM 125 and up to 130 degrees. I am still biking, doing a little swimming and started back dancing (yeah). So far good but a little stiff and a few ibuprofens. I have not gone back to the gym as I just started back dancing 3 x's a week and want to monitor my knee stiffness so not to overdue exercising. I am one to not know when to stop until it hurts and so far I have not gone there. The leg still has a ways to go on muscling and the body still needs more conditioning as I tend to tire to easily. A long road but I am seeing the light at the end.

As for problems; my left knee sometimes bothers me when riding my bike. The other day I had to stop 3 times and get off and walk. I am sure it was scar tissue rubbing and when I walked it must of place it differently. I actually feel stronger now on my right knee than my left.

Adventures; My mother and I went for 6 weeks Feb-Mar to Asia (Thailand, Malaysia and China). Just one month before our trip a friend and I went to see the Monarch Butterflies in Mexico. We got to visit one sanctuary then going to dinner I stepped off a high curb into a hole and there went the ankle. Knee ok but the ankle had a hairline fracture and torn ligaments. So, crutches and an air cast for me the first 3 weeks then no crutches for the next 3 weeks. That made it so the beginning of my trip I was in an air boot and of course did not let that slow me down after all I had been through with the knees. I actually got pretty good at walking in that thing and when it started to feel better I went to a hospital in Bangkok ($25) for x ray and doctor opinion of the healing. I was able to take the boot off and wear an ankle support which I took on my trip, too. I rode two elephants with that thing on, many boats and hiking. My mother is 85 years she did very good and I kept up with her!

 

[maryo52]

I am one to not know when to stop until it hurts

Nearly everyone on this forum is in the same club!!

Suggest going back to basics -- icing and elevating -- when things get grumpy in your knee rather than NSAIDs. I used to be an NSAIDs fan and never had a problem with them, but more and more is coming out against them.

Thanks for your update. Lots of ups and downs but mostly up!

 

[Pumpkin]

Nancy,
Thanks for the update!
I had an extensive revision in April this year, and am feeling this is going to be a long recovery. It is heartening to read of your success over the last year.
My knee stiffens when I do too much telling me to follow the mantra, thanks for reinforcing that I am doing the right thing by resting.
Thanks so much for posting,