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TKR Athlete in recovery

You're welcome!
Hopefully, Lefty, is feeling stable and functional enough to support you post February 10th, which I am sure is the case. Even though no two recoveries are alike, even with the same person, you somewhat know what to expect from the first recovery to plan more effectively. Follow a similar path to the first and you should do okay. Do realize that recovering from two surgeries this close together may feel somewhat exhausting, so get rest whenever you're able. You're lucky as one recovery rolls into the other, you'll soon be all "done and dusted" as our dear UK friends say. You can do this...think of those that have bilateral knee replacement. Both knees at the same time! Brave souls, huh?!! :yes: Cheering you on!:yay:
@ingsurfs
 
9 week update and want to share what I've learned:
- So many body systems involved in a TKR: circulatory, skeletal, muscular, skin, ligaments/tendons
- Every system heals on its own trajectory
- What worked yesterday may not work today
- Start the day with a plan: meds, stretch, exercise, daily life - balance it to build strength & flexibility
- Drink more water & avoid salt (reduce swelling)
- Use the cane when out and about - ensures proper alignment
- Single activity - ice; multiple activities overwhelm the systems (shopping, ice/elevate; laundry, ice/elevate, etc.)
- Abilities:
-- Swimming with no leg activity 30 laps; 5 freestyle with legs; water jogging a few laps but careful
-- Stationary bike trainer (like a real bike) getting too easy so contemplating the real thing this week
-- Heat in the shower on knee feels good; alternating icing with some warmth
-- Flexion about 125 (I'm guessing) compared to other knee at 140; a five inch difference
-- Extension 0 but have to keep working on it throughout the day
- The tibia rod and new prosthetic adjustment is profoundly difficult with most exercises causing swelling and inflammation so have had to super analyze this. Don't know of any PTs who specialize in this unique feature of rehab. Tramadol has helped manage the unreasonable pain associated with this adjustment. Has anyone else had this experience of rod and TKR?

Thoughts, opinions, welcome!
 
It sounds like you're doing great at less than three months!

The flexion will slowly keep increasing. You don't need to work at it; that can be counterproductive - "tincture of time" plus proper walking and slowly increasing your activities will restore it.

Your tendons and ligaments won't heal for another few weeks, so I caution against outdoor bike riding with so many variables for risk not just of falls but the need for a sudden movement to rebalance. I suggest you look at and then post in our Cycling Club for advice from avid cyclists, some of whom are still active members.

I tried a forum search for tibia rod and couldn't find anything beside your posts. But other staff sometimes do better searches than me!

@ingsurfs
 
Now 10 weeks post L TKR I have learned a lot so am applying lessons to R TKR Feb 10. Right now I'd love some advice on a recliner that will work well for recovery. Any ideas? I work online full time so it needs to have all those features of comfort and usability.

I learned:
- Don't do the stairs right away which I did (20 stairs to my bedroom) immediately after surgery. Little did I realize that my pretty fit body can do but the knee cannot do with all that is healing.
- Chill, really chill, and focus on not overdoing it for at least 9 weeks. I over did everything.
- Take miralax religiously and eat at least 2 cups of popcorn each day
- Make a pre-surgery appointment with pain management to customize the recovery control. What docs give you is so restricted now, you may need more and different medications to arrive at some semblance of comfort at least those first 3 weeks.
- Use the cane often, even after you think you don't need it. Mostly for alignment.
- Realize that in Week 10 you can start really pushing those muscles to engage, and it hurts so good. But, resort to painkillers again to make this process easier and more encouraging. I awoke with severe muscle soreness from biking, swimming, stretching but it's the body's way of gaining strength and that's pretty much a process of activation and healing....athletes recognize that particular pain.
- Take more time off work; a week is not enough; 3 weeks optimal. I just didn't want to think, just survive and watch a lot of cool shows. But I'm a professor so have to teach. I'm going to automate some of my work and take 2 weeks off.

Your thoughts on my musings, and a good recliner are most appreciated.
 
Right now I'd love some advice on a recliner that will work well for recovery. Any ideas?
Do You Need a Recliner for Recovery?

The short answer is, no. While a recliner isn't a necessary recovery item, many are unable to imagine their recovery without one. Not only are they loved for comfort and convenience, but for the assistance they offer at a time when getting out of a chair can feel like a challenge.

While your mobility is limited, a lift recliner offers ease with sitting down and getting up. Recliners can provide a wide range of positions for you to relax, keeping you comfortable while you're healing. You may need to make the recliner sit a bit higher if it doesn't have lift capability, but that can easily be done with a simple wood platform or blocks.

Reclining with your feet above heart level, toes above the nose, allows gravity to naturally reduce swelling and inflammation, boosting circulation and aiding in recovery.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share advice and tips! We need to keep in mind that each recovery is unique. While the BoneSmart philosophy successfully works for many, there will be exceptions. Between the recommendations found here, your surgeon's recovery protocol and any physical therapy you may engage in, the key is to find what works best for you.

As you know we recommend a Phased Return to Work -> HERE
beginning at twelve weeks, with the understanding that it's not possible for all to take that amount of time off. It is great that you were able to return as early as you did. We've had other professors here discuss the brain fog, as well as fatigue. You're lucky, ingsurfs!

Best Wishes for your upcoming surgery and lots of comfort to you as you wait.
@ingsurfs
 
I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I couldn’t face having my other knee done so soon, even though the surgeon said he would, but he admitted most people waited a good 6 months or so. I think you’re very brave, a lot more than me! I’m at almost 4 months and feeling so much better that starting over now with the other one would just be too much for me, but we are all different and at least the recovery will overlap and soon be over. Good luck with everything.
 
I had my second knee done 4 1/2 months after number 1, and the earlier knee did just fine.

I wouldn't have been at all happy going througg recovery without the recliner I had inherited from my mom. It's superbasic - you need to push back to achieve "lift off" - but having one functional knee at any given time was adequate for this.

Just be aware that a typical recliner won't put you "toes above nose" so while it's great as a basic nest you'll still need to either add pillows to it or move to a bed or sofa with a three pillow stack or a wedge like the Lounge Doctor for periods of greater elevation (I chose to just add one pillow to the recliner and set up my bed as the place to lay flat with legs fully up.)
 
Great advice about the recliner. I'm pursuing a loveseat recliner so I can place my computer to the side and when I recover, have my honey there! My first knee was without recliner and pillows dropped everywhere, so frustrating. When you're paining, everything is frustrating, right?
 
I used an electric recliner the first 6 weeks or so and slept in that about half of the time. When the bed was not comfortable, I'd get up and get in the recliner. When the recliner got old, I got back in bed. After a couple of months, I improved enough to go to my regular manual recliner, which I still use. As was said before, you will not get enough elevation with just the recliner's foot lift and will need to get a wedge or something similar to raise your leg and feet on the recliner's foot rest.
 
Let's celebrate, Lefty, today. Three months under your belt. :yay:Happy Three Month Anniversary!
Only 19 days to go. I hope you are finding many moments of comfort as you wait. :friends:
@ingsurfs
 
Yay! Thanks for the celebration note as I prepare for knee #2 Feb. 10. What is surprising is that I am now able to do things I could not have done before the TKR, like a tree top ropes course this past weekend, getting into and out of my kayak yesterday, knee bends, etc. It's so mental as I'm reticent to use the knee but it successfully supports the other, not corrected, knee. Amazing really. Feel like I'm five years old again in the woods of Germany hunting for wild strawberries with my mother.

While painful and sometimes rivetingly so in the middle of the night, it's a journey that promises a rebirth of all that movement that makes life meaningful.

Getting a recliner delivered tomorrow as I think it will help immensely on this second knee. I am also not going to overdo it as I did with this first knee. No stairs for the first few weeks, etc.

Any other advice for those getting the second one done so close (3 mos) to the first?
 
@ingsurfs a truly inspirational story to read. I wish you continued success now and your next TKR ❤️
 
Realize that in Week 10 you can start really pushing those muscles to engage, and it hurts so good. But, resort to painkillers again to make this process easier and more encouraging
Whilst it's good that you feel more able to push- I would still recommend taking it slowly and really listening to your body. I wouldn't use painkillers to over rule the messages. It is still very easy to overdo things at around 3 months.
We have members who get a bit gung ho and try to get back to normal too quickly and give themselves a set back.
I didn't really do strength work with bands/ weights until nearer 5 months when I was more confident that the tissues had healed.
 
EalingGran,
Salient points, and well taken. My PT lady said back off, and your advice to not use pain killers to over rule the body's messages is also solid. Yet, the medical community, doctors, urge pain killers so you can push through it all. Mixed messages for sure.
 
I’m 11 weeks in on my LTKR and 6 weeks in on RTKR. 5 weeks apart. They have been mostly the same in recovery. The hardest part I’ve found is wanting and able to work the first one more but restricted by the 2nd one. I was doing stationary bike with R knee propped on stool after a Cpl weeks. I can now ride the bike with seat low so getting good flexing from bike on both. It was a hard 3 or 4 weeks until I was able to move and bend the 2 nd one better. Sleep has been hard for sure. I barely took any pain meds with first but without sleep I’m a mess so still taking oxycodone 5 mg cut in half at night so I’m able to function during the day.
Good luck on you next adventure and my mantra thru this has been “Embrace the calm”
 
Sleep has been hard for sure. I barely took any pain meds with first but without sleep I’m a mess so still taking oxycodone 5 mg cut in half at night so I’m able to function during the day.
Have you thought about trying a sleep medicine instead? You could try an OTC sedative antihistamine like diphenhydramine ( Nytol in the UK). I also got a few weeks of zopiclone from my GP. I alternated these two remedies to avoid tolerance and then weaned myself onto herbal valerian.
 
Insomnia is a real bummer for many of us in the initial weeks after surgery. It's generally not the meds, it's... everything about the trauma, discomfort, energy drain!

Definitely sleep whenever (and wherever it's safe and comfy!) - many of us sleep and/or nap in a recliner, or surround ouselves with soft pillows.

Icing, elevating, napping.... All help, but you might also consider some nonprescription remedies....

If you're lactose tolerant, a glass of warm milk! If you're not diabetic, a teeny bit of honey makes it even more comforting... plus milk is high in magnesium! Helps us relax!

If you aren't a milk drinker, or want an easier way to, an evening magnesium supplement has been very helpful for some members.

OTC diphenhydramine, an antihistamine also used as a sleep aid (Benadryl) because it makes you drowsy; it's also included in some cold, flu, etc "nighttime" combination meds.

Low dose melatonin, sustained release - not for long term use but I have used for a week at a time without ill effect. It should be taken an hour to hour and a half before going to bed, and during that time stay in a dimly lit area to allow this hormone to activate.

Valerian root - an herbal remedy, it can be taken in capsule form but that dose might be high compared to my preference, herbal "sleep" blends that include a smaller dose of valerian and make me pleasantly drowsy. Plus the other tea flavorings make it nice tasting! Celestial Seasonings and Traditional Medicinals sell teabags by the box. Their sleep blends without valerian have never ever made me sleepy.

What finally worked for me: a mug of sleep tea with valerian followed by a 3 mg sustained release melatonin, immediately going into a dimly lit room and relaxing. When I got sleepy, turning off the light and lying down with my legs up on the Lounge Doctor. After a few hours I would wake, move the Lounge Doctor away, and sleep more.

Be aware: even benign herbals and supplements can interact with your routine or post op prescription meds, either making their effects weaker or stronger. If you're on meds you may want to check with your doctor or pharmacist, or even check online for interactions.
 
You'll soon be "done and dusted" as our UK friends say. :wink:
One recovery rolling into the next.
I'm betting you'll love your recliner. I hope it's comfy and you find it an asset as you continue healing.
Happy Wednesday!
@ingsurfs
 
Hello and Happy Friday, ingsurfs :wave:
Thinking of you and wishing you comfort as you prepare for your TKR. May everything go smoothly, and relief and healing be just around the corner.

It's a great time to consider the Insiders Club. If you haven't had the time to check out what its all about, here is a link - https://bonesmart.org/forum/pages/membership/

Best Wishes for a peaceful weekend!
@ingsurfs
 
Hi All
LTKR #2 today and home recovering. Already 90 percent less pain and swelling from the first knee which suffered a titanium tibia rod and lymphedema.

Any advice for handling the continued healing for knee #1 while managing Knee #2?
 

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