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Bilateral TKR Beckaroo's recovery thread

Beckaroo said:
Yes, the recovery time is soooo long I sometimes do get impatient.
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Boy, do I remember that well! I got so I hated that word, patience, and just started calling it the 'p' word!

With an extension of 2-3 this early in your recovery, you are doing fantastic. You should be able to do just about everything you want to do with those numbers. Going from a 6 shows that you are improving nicely. My extension was late coming in at about 4 months. I found that taking long strides, concentrating on the toe to heel walk, that it came in quicker. Once I saw it improving, I just forgot about it. Yours is headed in the right direction, so I think you an forget about it, too!
 
Sistershim is right, 2-3 extention is great for 2 months post op! I’m sure all the work around the house has helped. If you begin walking b sure to go very slow, only adding 5 minutes a week to give your knees time to acclimate to the new expectations. The longer stride sister talks about will help eventually. It took me months (and months) to get a good ROM, every knee is different.
 
Went shopping today and got some good walking in! I’m sure it wasn’t the same as walking outdoors, but boy did it feel wonderful.

We had to go grocery shopping, I ride the electric cart, but we stopped at a department store so I could look for a new sweater. I’d have bought the one I found, but the lines were tooooo long! Walking for me is still easier than standing in line. Ouchie!

But I walked all over Kohl’s, up and down the isles and it was pain free!! Woot!!! Long day out...got home...NO SWELLING!!!! I couldn’t believe it!! Guys, I can see the light! Oh, I know to be careful. I know all about the ODIC. I was very aware and the minute I felt that tightness coming on I was going to bail on my husband and sit in the truck. But it never came! Even after we got home I was still able to help unload groceries. I’m laying in bed right now, after a busy day and still no discomfort! Glory!!

I truly believe walking (at the correct time in your recovery journey) is soooo beneficial. It’s certainly good for my sense of well-being and mental health.

I’m in awe of me! :heehee:
 
Woohoo! What a wonderful, successful day you have had! And what good news! That light is so much closer than it used to be. I suggest you rest as much as possible tomorrow so your knee can recoup.
 
Hey beckaroo
Sounds like you’re doing really well.
I’ve started hiking again albeit fairly gentle sloping dirt roads (fire roads) still cautious (with hiking stick) going up and downhill on sometimes loose dirt road type stuff. But really nice to get back (slowly) to hiking. A day at Disneyland confirms I can walk on flat ground most of a day! (I still enjoy an “elevate” at the end of the day. )
I wanted to respond to you specifically to agree about the benefits of walking. I realized today it feels like it’s probably doing more for my recovery than the gym stuff (at least at this point) 2 days after my 8+ miles of walking around Disneyland—was the BEST my legs have felt for years. Boy. Going up and down multiple flights of stairs quite well.
But true to form with my recovery, one step forward, 3/4 of a step back.
So, still making progress, still not 100 percent, still on the sunny side of the tunnel! And keep working.
I think I’m probably just slower than you, but I’m very happy that I’ll make it 100 percent, I keep thinking about you and your husband at death Valley next year with a big fat smile! Merry Christmas!
 
Hey there rickj!! :wave:
I’m thinking you’re way ahead of me! I can’t yet even imagine walking Disneyland. Wow! That’d be absolutely amazing! And hiking, though I’ve never been one for gyms or exercise... I do enjoy riding my bicycle, swimming, and I used to love shopping all day. Is that exercise? I can’t wait to get back to those activities!! I’m still in awe of your eight miles in one day...dang, YOU ROCK!

So the other day my husband and I grocery shopped, and I went in to a few department stores to look around. We had a lot of errands to run, even stopped for dinner on the way home. As I lay in bed that night, thinking back through the day, I realized I hadn’t thought of my knees ALL DAY!! And the next day I did feel really good. Our new knees DO want to walk! I so agree with you wholeheartedly. If fact, I find if I sit too long I ache worse!

Death Valley! I can hardly wait!! We love the desert. Originally, my family came from Silver City, New Mexico. They owned and operated a silent movie theater, my Great Grandmother was a pianist for the silent movies. The family stories of the desert are thick in my family. Hearing them as a child instilled a real love for the “unseen” beauty in the desert. Fortunately, my husband has the same love of Death Valley. Have you ever been there? We also plan to go to Silver City this year, now that I can truly enjoy it.

Keep walking!!! :hiking:
 
12 weeks out....
I no longer need anything to assist me. No potty raiser, no cane or walker. No one needs to help me out of chairs, or off the floor.

I haven’t taken any pain meds in weeks now. I still occasionally ice, not daily as the swelling is almost non-existent. I do elevate at night mostly, due to the fact I can’t lay on my right side yet, (sciatica) and need a different position to sleep in. So I elevate my right leg. It does not fully extend yet, it still needs more healing I’m sure.

I can walk longer and longer distances. I do go a tad slower than normal as it really reduces any swelling. But walking feels amazingly good! Especially when you walk correctly!

Sitting, especially on chairs that don’t extend out far enough to support your thighs well, causes my lower legs to slightly swell and ache when I get up. But than walking a bit seems to take care of it.

As far as daily activities, I honestly have to say I feel that I’m about in the place I was before surgery...without the pain. Every day is pretty good, every week is better...the lack of pain is AMAZING!!!

Now, I guess it’s time to say...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 
Beckaroo said:
12 weeks out....
I no longer need anything to assist me. No potty raiser,
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I am impressed! I still can’t/won’t do that, but then I’ve struggled for years with the lower potties!

You are coming along great!
 
Jockette said:
I am impressed! I still can’t/won’t do that, but then I’ve struggled for years with the lower potties!

You are coming along great!
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We have three potty’s in our house. Two are elongated and higher up than the one. I don’t use the lowest potty. I’m able to use it just more difficult. But the other two are fine. Maybe I’m free of the potty raiser just because of our toilets... I don’t know :shrug:
As I haven’t really used other bathrooms since surgery. After teaching 25 years... I have a teachers bladder! :yes: I can hold my pee all day long! All you teachers know what I’m talking about!! :heehee:
 
That’s exactly what I told the nurses when they wanted me to use a bed pan after my TKR. I didn’t want to and said, “I’m a teacher I can hold it a long time”. Well, I didn’t take into account all the IV fluids and had to use the bed pan 2x. It was awful!
 
Too funny @KarriB !! You know EXACTLY what I mean!! I had to use a bedpan right after they gave me the spinal before surgery. I over-flowed it! So embarrassing...but they should have let me go before the spinal!

Another thing I realized tonight, I can’t really put my pants on well. My legs don’t go up high enough yet, so I have to sit on something to put my legs in my pants! That is something I sure hope improves greatly over time. I don’t like that!

And I can cross my left leg, (good child) over my right knee, but not the other way around. I can only cross my leg for a while. The heaviness of my left leg begins to cause swelling in my, (bad child) knee. Is crossing your knees a bad thing? I’m really not doing it now, a lot, at this phase of my recovery. But what about the future? Cross or not-cross?
 
@Beckaroo , I think crossing your legs initially is contraindicated for potential blood clots. With surgery 12 weeks behind you, that’s no longer a big concern. I’m just about the same time frame as you for surgery and cross my legs, which is encouraged in my Silver Sneakers aerobics for flexibility . My left knee is not as flexible as the right, but continues to improve. Sounds like you’re really doing well
 
I got into the habit of putting my pants on sitting down and before I put on socks, they slide on much easier without socks.
 
Kayaknlady said:
@Beckaroo , I think crossing your legs initially is contraindicated for potential blood clots. With surgery 12 weeks behind you, that’s no longer a big concern. I’m just about the same time frame as you for surgery and cross my legs, which is encouraged in my Silver Sneakers aerobics for flexibility . My left knee is not as flexible as the right, but continues to improve. Sounds like you’re really doing well
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Yes, thank you. I hadn’t even thought of blood clots. Excellent point! It’s interesting that your aerobics class encourages crossing your legs. I’ve always heard how bad it is for circulation, but us gals do it anyway. I know I sure do!

Our good/bad knees are opposite in their recovery. Funny how being done at the same time doesn’t mean they both are identical in healing.

I’m encouraged that I seem to be doing well, but you my friend are like the poster child of amazing!!! I do believe our surgeries were on the same date and I can’t even begin to do what you’ve accomplished! Love reading you journey! You are blessed!!
 
KarriB said:
I got into the habit of putting my pants on sitting down and before I put on socks, they slide on much easier without socks.
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Welp, that’d be me! Sit down still to put pants and socks on. I’m so use to my right knee being the worse of the two, (still is to date) that I hadn’t realized how I still struggle with it. Even to put my tennis-shoes on I have to approach it differently. Sure hope that over the course of this year that all improves. :thumb:
 
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It will improve. My TKR is so much better than my natural left knee, it’s unbelievable.
 
Three months out since my bilateral tkr surgery!! I just wanted to share that I do believe I’m turning another corner. The “bad” days are gone. Everyday just gets better and better....

I can stand; I stand in the shower, no shower chair, stand at the stove, the sink, to fold laundry, to take my dogs outside, to have a conversation with someone, to pump my own gas. I can walk; I walk around the block, short trips through the store, up the stairs, down the road with my husband. And the most wonderful thing happens....I forget about my knees!!! I forget to notice any pain because there is none! I forget I had surgery. I forget how horrible things USED to be! I’m just doing my thing with no notice of my knees!!

My bad child right knee is finally improving. Using BoneSmart way to test, I believe my extension is about a 2 and my bend is about 125. I know that since the swelling has drastically reduced, I have much greater rom. It’s phenomenal!! :yes!: I seriously have two brand new, free of disease knees!!!

So friends, especially those of you in early stages of recovery. It does get better!!! We all heal at different rates... but we do heal! After years of pain and suffering and loss of time when you weren’t able to keep up...the wait time of recovery is soooo worth it! :yes:

I’m using zero drugs, nothing! My blood pressure, cholesterol (I have a secret natural remedy) is all good! Blood work is perfect! I’m 60 and take no medicine! No more pain pills. Glory!!!

Ok, my “praise report” is over. I’m not doing anything special, just living life pain free...

I’ll check back in another week.

THE END :dogwalk:
 
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