TKR ACIM

[Layla]

Happy Three Month Anniversary, ACIM.
We haven't heard from you in awhile and wondering how you're doing?
Please consider leaving an update, we'd love to hear from you. Fingers crossed all is well and you're enjoying steady progress. Hope to hear from you soon!
@ACIM

 

[ACIM]

Hi all, I've missed you. Decided to do one more month as in Insiders Club member as I'm going through some things that are somewhat perplexing. However, I do hope that everyone is doing really well with their knee replacement recovery.

Went for my final follow-up and all looks good. However, I'm not at progressing as quickly as I would like to, you all know me so well, LOL. I've gone through some experiences after this surgery that I have never gone through before.

I now have three and a half months Post op. Feeling clumsy and off balance despite the fact that the knee is getting stronger and my bodily strength seems to be improving. My concern centers around the fact that I have not felt myself at all after the surgery. Indeed, these past few weeks I have felt kind of weird. It's hard to explain but it is somewhat like an emotional roller coaster. I just haven't felt like myself at all. Thought I would mention it to see if anyone had feedback about this.

I am learning how to walk all over again and never knew it could be such a delicate process of distinguishing which muscles have been compensated for all this time and now need to be rehabbed a little bit more than the muscles that actually did the compensating for my right knee. I have also started back to the gym which I am really really happy about. I only go about twice a week and I'm up to maybe a 60 to 70% workout of what I used to do before the surgery. I guess again, my big concern is the way my brain seems to be operating, haha! I'm working only 3 days a week now but 6 hours a day. It's a long day as I still feel somewhat tired from the surgery. Would love to get your thoughts. It's good to be back. Blessings.

 

[benne68]

Hi @ACIM. Thanks for the update.

Please notice that I have merged your new post it into your original recovery thread. We ask that members maintain just one recovery thread for each surgery, This way all your information is in one place, making it easier for our staff and other members to advise you better. And you won't miss or lose relevant posts and advice.

So, please post any updates, questions or concerns here. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you. You may want to bookmark your thread to make it easier to find.

For more on how to navigate the forum, you can read through this article:
How can I find my threads and posts?

 

[benne68]

I now have three and a half months Post op. Feeling clumsy and off balance despite the fact that the knee is getting stronge

Remember that you are still less than one-third of the way through this year-long recovery and your body still need times to get back to "normal." It can take 12 weeks for all the soft tissues to heal from the trauma of surgery and then they need to adjust to the body's new alignment. I think the longer we live with the bad joint -- contorting our bodies to deal with the pain -- the longer it takes for that adjustment.

I have not felt myself at all after the surgery. Indeed, these past few weeks I have felt kind of weird. It's hard to explain but it is somewhat like an emotional roller coaster. I just haven't felt like myself

Your description of emotional roller coaster is exactly right! Post-op blues isn't limited to the first few weeks of recovery, it can -- and does -- occur at any point in our recoveries. Some of us hit a wall at 3 months, others at 6 months. I remember struggling to plan meals so I could make a grocery list -- my brain just couldn't do something that had been so easy before surgery.

Be patient with yourself. It does get better. Give it more time.

 

[Jamie]

Hi, ACIM…..sorry to hear you’re feeling a bit wonky still after your TKR. However….I will also remind you that you’re still considered in the early stages of recovery. So everything that’s bothering you is totally within normal range. Our bodies take time to fully recover from this very major surgery. I know you’ve had a TKR before and maybe had expectations based on that experience. But each knee is different in the way it heals. Sometimes this is the result of the extent of damage the surgeon had to repair (more time in surgery can equate to longer recovery time). Or it can be that your body is 10 years older now than it was for your last TKR. Whatever….keep doing what you’re doing and just take a few extra patience pills each day to stay “chilled and calm.”

We’ll be here if you have any specific concerns to address.

 

[ACIM]

@Jamie
@EalingGran
@benne68
@Layla
So good to hear back from you all. I appreciate the feedback as it is quite reassuring. I wanted to also mentioned that I gained 10 lb from the surgery and was desperately unhappy as I could not fit into my clothes, haha! So I was checking on the internet and was "told" that about 75% of all knee replacement patients gained between 6 to 8 pounds after surgery. Happy to say that so far I have lost eight of the 10 lb. I simply can't have weight on these joints. I've been eating very little but simply haven't had much of an appetite. The food I'm eating is high in protein and low in carbs. I look forward to continuing our communication and thank you again. Blessings.

 

[benne68]

I've been eating very little but simply haven't had much of an appetite.

This could be a major factor in you not feeling well! Recovery from surgery is a bad time to try to lose weight.

Good nutrition is essential to recovery because our bodies are in a "high demand" stage for energy. Protein alone isn't enough. You need to good carbs from fruits and vegetables for your recovery too. Please make sure you are eating a well-balance diet. Check out these articles:
Dietary Tips for Recovery
Nutrition Basics

Don't worry about the weight gain right now (and please don't listen to Dr. Google!) It happened to me after each of my surgeries because of inflammation and lack of activity. But, as the inflammation went down and I was able to get active again, the pounds dropped easily -- without dieting.

 

[Jamie]

Remember that during surgery, the doctors flood your system with fluids which causes immediate weight gain. One gallon of water weighs 7 pounds! It can take a few weeks for your body to process all this extra fluid through the lymph system, but it usually does go away. Deb is right that this is not the best time to cut your nutrition. Your body needs all those healthy foods to adequately provide energy to heal.

 

[ACIM]

Well thank you. I am getting plenty of proteins with beans, legumes, chicken, lots of high water content food too, very big on salads. Not going to heavy on the carbs but do have some. And I could eat fresh fruit and vegetables all day, well, truth be told MOST of the day. Yes, my experiences with this surgery have been very different from the experiences I've had from past surgeries. I really look to you guys to reassure me and feed me information that I don't know I would otherwise have. Eternal gratitude for you.

 

[Jamie]

That sounds like you’re on the right path with nutrition, then. Good for you….

 

[Layla]

Hi ACIM,
It's nice to hear from you
Thanks so much for that support as an Insider, it is greatly appreciated!

I guess again, my big concern is the way my brain seems to be operating,

As mentioned, you're still in healing mode and will be for some time to come. You may still have trouble concentrating, the timeline for this seems to vary from person to person. If you're not sleeping will that can contribute to mood issues, feeling blue or emotionally flat. Inflammation also affects the brain which can contribute to the fatigue, lack of motivation or brain fog. You may be to a point also where you're wondering is -
Is this as good as it gets? No...and you know that from past recoveries that it gets better with time, so hang on, you're still on a bumpy ride, but each month closer to feeling like yourself once again.
I hope today is a good day!

 

[meecies]

I guess again, my big concern is the way my brain seems to be operating,

can you explain a bit more what you mean, if you don't mind sharing..?

while it's reasonable to assume it's from the surgery, with aging bodies there often
are other things that can be going on...
so if it feels concerning to you, it might not be a bad idea to check in with your primary care doc to make sure there isn't something else going on.

I can't tell you the number of times that I noticed something "off" but found some seemingly "obvious" reason for it, only to discover that it was not what I assumed was the most reasonable explanation. Sometimes it was still something minor but other times I'd have been better off getting it checked out.

 

[ACIM]

@meecies
Hi meecies:
To try to clarify further what I meant by "not feeling myself" was that I have often felt somewhat "blunted" by external stimuli, almost as though it has been a buffer between myself and the world. I don't want to use the word dissociate but it would come close to that. I've just sort of been aimlessly wandering in my mind although I have been going to work 3 days a week at 6 hours a day. I do legal transcription work for the state of Pennsylvania state boards so the work is somewhat exacting and Demands a great attention to detail. Other than that I can't really describe what's going on. I did go off my benzodiazepine for a few days so I'm thinking that had something to do with it. I'm back on them again and I'm feeling more with it.
I just don't remember having had any of these experiences after past joint surgeries although I am 70 years old now so age may have something to do with it. Sorry I cannot be of further help with this. It does feel like it has pretty much passed now, thank God. I'm going to the gym this morning and feel really good about that as I have been losing the weight that I gained after surgery. I hope you are doing well and thank you for reaching out. Diana

 

[ACIM]

Also, I have a new primary care doctor who did my blood work a couple of weeks ago and everything came out fine. I'm going back to see him in a week or so for follow-up.

 

[meecies]

I did go off my benzodiazepine for a few days so I'm thinking that had something to do with it. I'm back on them again and I'm feeling more with it.

oh my yes, I hope your doctor has given you ALL the pertinent information about benzo's.
I know a lot of ppl who had a very difficult time if they forgot to take it for even a day.

 

[ACIM]

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all at bones smart for being so supportive and reassuring. I've been reading some other tkr post-op blogs and I feel lucky to be doing as well as I am. I only cried three or four times since my surgery on April 9th. But I know I went through a lot of, I want to say depression but that really isn't the word to use to describe what I was feeling. It was more like a blah blah, blunted feeling towards everything. That is passing with each day I am able to move.
I will say that I do not have the energy now that I did prior to the surgery. I am only up and about maybe 10 to 13 hours a day and then I go to sleep. I sleep through the night with no waking up. I am doing more now which is why I'm still feeling tired. I start with morning chores, my spiritual meditation, about 20 to 30 minutes of stretching and then I begin a 6 hour work day on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 6 hours doesn't seem like a lot but the prep for getting ready for work and getting there and back adds a couple of hours of time to the 6-hour work day.
By the time I get home from work I am exhausted and don't want to talk to anyone. Just want to go to my quiet space and stay there until the next morning. I am fortunate to have four days off in a row before before going back to work again on Mondays.
I also started going back to the gym about 3 weeks ago but only twice a week . I became so disgusted with my body and my weight gain and had been walking two or three days a week prior to going back to the gym. The gym is not easy but it is so well worth it for me. I am actually starting to see a little bit of tone come back into my muscles, haha! I will also say that even though I can walk up steps with both feet I am still unable to use both feet to walk down the steps. I'm working on that. Hope to never have to go through a joint surgery again. I love you all.

 

[EalingGran]

will also say that even though I can walk up steps with both feet I am still unable to use both feet to walk down the steps. I'm working on that. Hope

It really sounds as though you are doing amazingly well.
I am not surprised you are still tired by the end of the day.
I couldn't do stairs normally until about 6- 7 months although I did have some ongoing ligament issues. Going down stairs and kneeling are usually the last things to come back.

 

[benne68]

I will say that I do not have the energy now that I did prior to the surgery. I am only up and about maybe 10 to 13 hours a day and then I go to sleep. I sleep through the night with no waking up. I am doing more now which is why I'm still feeling tired.

This is normal. At 3-4 months post-op, your body is still drawing on your energy stores for healing. Not as much as during the first couple of months, but it's still taking some. This will continue to decrease slowly.

Take a look at this illustration, it's a helpful representation of the "energy drain" we experience (be sure to scroll down to the second post):
Energy drain for TKRs

 

[ACIM]

@Layla
@benne68
Good to know on both counts guys. Layla I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that walking down the steps and full kneeling were the last things to come back. I feel certain I will go through the same timeline experiences that you did.
And beene: you are very reassuring and if not for bonesmart I'd probably need another knee operation now because I would have pushed myself too much too fast and too hard on the first one.
Went to the gym again today and boy is that hard sometimes. Never painful, but my body senses that it's kind of a drag. Nothing compared to seeing the muscle tone start to come back into my depleted body, LOL.

 

[ACIM]

@EalingGran
Hi dear, I have never asked you how far along you are post-op on your knee replacement. This is kind of funny but I must tell you that my psychiatrist, who I love dearly but who somewhat pontificates, is going to have a right knee revision done within the next month. He's already bragging, haha! Haha, that he'll be back in the office within 3 days. I know he was being facetious but I said to him, " okay then, have at it!"
Can't wait to see him after his surgery to get his feedback on what he went through. He really is a doll and I do adore him. But not enough to NOT give him some ribbing about the surgery.