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TKR Amberpep's Recovery Thread

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I wonder why some people get them and some don't. My neighbor got them, but I didn't. Now we went to 2 different hospitals and had two different surgeons.
I'd love to know what the difference is and why some do and some don't. Maybe our moderator can help with this.:scratch:
 
I think the method of anesthesia is usually what the OS prefers. I had a spinal because that's the way my OS wanted it---turned out great!
 
I had a spinal and femoral block. the block was supposed to block the pain after the surgery until the other meds got on board.
 
Hi everyone ..... it's been awhile since I've chatted with you all.
On May 24 it was a year since I had my TKR-R done, and I could not be happier with it. It's actually far better than my left knee which is now beginning to act up, although not nearly as badly as my right one did.
I wonder ...... "is this the time of 'falling apart'?" Heavens, I hope not. :DOH:
Take care everyone,
 
So nice to hear from you , amberpep. Absolutely fantastic that you've made it through recovery and have a great knee you're happy with. Let's hope that other knee will hold out for much, much longer. But, if not, you know what to do and where to come.

And I'm afraid that late 60's does appear to be the beginning of a "falling apart" slowly but surely. Usually the body's payback for all those years we abused it without realizing it.

Take care of yourself and keep in touch. We care.
 
One thing I'm still working on is the scar. The bottom 2" beyond the knee is just a thin little line, barely visible. After that, the remainder of the scar - about 3-1/2"
above the knee is still discolored and "thickish." I was going to try one of those scar things - Mederma or whatever - the other day, but when I talked to the Pharmacist she said that it is essentially scar tissue and to continue rubbing it with any lotion I had. I've been using Vit. E on it since I had the surgery. She said that was fine but to really rub it and do it anytime I used any kind of lotion on my hands. I hope that works.
 
Congratulations on your year anniversary. I still have a visible scar too, but it's flat. Good idea to keep rubbing it with lotion. I still have some of the cocoa butter w/ vitamin E bought originally. Maybe I should use some. I'm not too concerned about its appearance since I almost never wear shorts in public anyway, but it would be nice to see it fade a bit. I think it will take time. When I went for my PT last week she thought the scar looked pretty good.
 
kneeper ..... I have that cocoa butter with vit. E. I have a giant jar and put it on my lips at night. I'm going to try it on my knee today. Thanks for the tip.
 
I've started doing what the Pharmacist said and rubbing the cocoa cream on my knee several times a day - pressing fairly firmly and going in all directions. It's working. The scar is getting flatter and much less red. She said it was scar tissue that needed to be broken up and I do believe it's working. I'm delighted.
 
:yes 4:
 
kneeper ..... I had to laugh when you said you never wear shorts. Boy, I have not worn them for several years. I "jokingly" say that all the M&M's I've eaten over the years are in my thighs ..... lumpy, bumpy, thunder thighs! That would be me.
 
Someone from church said to me, "I guess you won't be wearing shorts anymore." I laughed and said, "Of course, I'm going to wear shorts! Why not? I already got me a man!"

And I wear shorts---gets too hot here in the summer not to anyway.
 
Hi Amberpep lovely to hear from you again, and so glad that your recovery went smoothly and you are now having fun.

I do believe that your late 60's is the onset of problems like hips and knees, though I don't know why that should be, and like you my scar is really not visible now below my knee but is a faily thickish scar above my knee, although I can honesly say that it is very silver looking now, and a little bumpy too. I still plaster it with Vitamin E cream, and I am sure it makes a difference. I am 21 months post op now, and the knee is good, and the leftie is complaining but not so much now as at first.

Look forward to hearing more from you soon. Stay well xx:friends:
 
My scars are fairly small--4inches long. But, I don't wear shorts ever. I gave all of mine to Salvation army and I won't even wear a skirt unless it is below my knee scars.

In addition, to hating the sight of the scars, I really hate it when someone comes up to me and says, in a loud voice, oh, did you have your knee replaced?

I always reply no to this question, by the way. I just don't want to get into any discussion about surgery at the golf
course or the pool. K
 
Hi everyone. It was a year May 24, 2011 since I had my surgery. I saw my surgeon 2 weeks ago, he x-rayed the knee and I asked him for printouts .... wow, what a difference from before to after. He did a perfect job. My knee is great, but, I still have, on the outside of my knee on the right side some discomfort. It's where the skin area is numb, but the discomfort is in the flesh part underneath. I don't know if this is something I just have to live with or if it will eventually go away.
I'm at my daughter's for a 1 week visit and they have an in-ground pool. Monday evening I was in it for quite awhile - I love to swim. It felt so good during the time I was swimming, but the next day was rough in that area. I have not gone in since. It's OK now and back to the way it was - still the discomfort in that one area. I'm assuming it's a ligament or muscle. Just wondering if this will go away in time, or not. I'm beginning to doubt it.
My doctor asked me how my left knee was, so I told him - not so great sometimes. He said that often happens .... you use it so hard pre-op. that afterwards when the new knee is stronger, the other one hurts. Oh goodie!
Hope you're all coming along and slowly improving everyday. Thanks for listening.
abby
RTKR May 24, 2011
 
aretha said:
Hi Amberpep lovely to hear from you again, and so glad that your recovery went smoothly and you are now having fun.

I do believe that your late 60's is the onset of problems like hips and knees, though I don't know why that should be, and like you my scar is really not visible now below my knee but is a faily thickish scar above my knee, although I can honesly say that it is very silver looking now, and a little bumpy too. I still plaster it with Vitamin E cream, and I am sure it makes a difference. I am 21 months post op now, and the knee is good, and the leftie is complaining but not so much now as at first.

Look forward to hearing more from you soon. Stay well xx:friends:
Click to expand...
 
Hi Aretha ..... I wonder why it is that the bottom half of the scar becomes invisible fairly quickly and the top part is still very much there. I'm rubbing the cocoa butter cream in every night and AM and it's definitely helping, but it's still much thicker, darker, and bumpy. The bottom part is a barely visible line ..... really looks strange.
If my left one "goes" I will not hesitate to get it done. I'm very pleased with my surgeon, the hospital I chose, and my physical therapy. I know some people whose experiences were not at all like mine. One even went to a local hospital (I didn't) and she got an infection from where a needle was placed. It took 2 months for it to finally heal up. That makes me cringe.
Take care and thanks for writing. I have not written much lately, but when I saw an e-mail from Coachie, it jogged my memory and said "write you silly goose!"
abby
5/24/11 - RTKR
<*)))><
 
Hi everyone ..... it's been awhile since I've been on here. On May 24, it was a year since I had my RTKR. I saw my OS the end of May for my year checkup and he took x-rays...... amazing ..... it's perfectly lined up. I asked him if someone could print out pictures of them and they did ..... 2 of the replacement and 2 before. The "before" ones were really awful looking ..... no wonder I had such awful pain.
I still have an area, about the size of a 50 cent piece, on the right side of my knee which has no feeling, and that is the same spot that still hurts when I walk. I figure it must be some sort of nerve damage and I must just live with it. I'm still working on massaging Cocoa Butter in the top part of the scar. The bottom half is barely visible, but the top half, although fading, is still redish. It's scar tissue and I've been massaging it with cocoa butter, pressing fairly hard to break up the scar tissue. Hopefully, it will soon be gone.
When I saw my OS he asked me how my other knee was, and I told him that it hurt, but nothing like the right one did. He said that's pretty common as now the right knee is stronger and for so long the left knee has been taking the brunt of my walking.
Good to talk to you all again.
abby
 
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