Bilateral TKR Beckaroo's recovery thread

[Beckaroo]

Go you! And your extension, too! We sound like broken records sometimes, always saying "Your extension will come! Your extension will come!" It's like saying don't worry, your prince will come, except knees. But then one day it does come and you get to dance around the ballroom.

Congratulations on having two new, fully functional knees! (Psst... they're still going to recover some more and get even better!)

Can they??!!! Can they really get better!! I’m so over-the-top with them now I can’t imagine what “better” will be like!!

Oh my gosh... I forgot one thing!
When I bend over in the shower, if I’m not careful... I could fall on my head!! Don’t know what you call that? It’s my balance I know, so yes, I guess THAT could get better. Lol.

 

[Beckaroo]

Whoopee!! What a fantastic report! Those coming up behind you will see that there is a rainbow at the end of this journey!

More like the pot of Gold!!!!

 

[SherrieT]

So great to hear. Thank you for posting

 

[KarriB]

Wow! That’s a fabulous check in! So very happy for you! Isn’t life with working knees great?

 

[Beckaroo]

Here I am. Another month has gone by. 7 months post op. It’s hard to believe!

I can’t say anything has really changed since I was here last month. It’s just been so good!! I have absolutely no pain in my knees. Now that’s not to say I don’t occasionally experience a heaviness in my legs when I’m tired. I do. And if I really overdo I’ll get an achy feeling at night, but it’s not something I even need an aspirin for. I still go right to sleep. No problems.

I still have a very mild sensation of toppling over if I bend forward at the waist, like to wash your feet in the shower, or to tie my shoes. So I sit to tie and use my back brush to scrub my feet. Other than that, I can do just about anything! Pain free!!!

It’s not the “doing” that’s so amazing... it’s the pain.... ITS GONE!!! NO MORE PAIN!!! I haven’t forgotten how extremely awful the pain was to live with. It was horrible. I cried daily. It just wears a person down. I’m so thankful it’s gone. At the end of every day, I like to just sit and reflect on the day, what was special or what did I learn from this day... everyday when I look back, my first thought is about how blessed I am to be pain free and have new knees.

If someone is reading this, I hope they will be brave and make the amazing decision to have that surgery. Get those new knees no matter how disruptive surgery can be to our lives. It’s so worth it. I regret nothing!! Bilateral TKR rocks!! I’d do it all over in a heartbeat

I have great gratitude for this site and all the wonderful men and women I’ve met here. I wish I could met in person. I’d give you all great big hugs!!

 

[Celle]

That's a great report.

It's good to know that your knees feel so good now.

 

[MSgirl]

Congratulations on your great new life! It is amazing, isn't it? When I look at what I'm doing now, I say what a lot of folks say. Why did I wait so long? Did I think it would get better? Did I stop to think that it would only get worse? Sometimes I think about how stupid I was but I guess I just didn't think about it enough. Maybe this was my lot in life? I really didn't know anyone who had had knee replacements. Now, when people say to me that they are "trying to wait as long as I can", I tell them not to. Get it done! I explain that the first two weeks won't be fun but the life they will have after will be amazing. Maybe that's our new job? To encourage others not to wait?

You are a great example of life after TKRs. I hope that your life continues to be wonderful and memories of our pain will eventually fade away (like childbirth!). Take care and have a great summer!

 

[Beckaroo]

Hi @MSgirl
I’ve said that to myself many times. Why in the world did I wait so long!? I had to stop working 6 years ago. You’d think that was my first clue! But no... I just kept waiting and waiting.

I agree, let’s tell everyone who has bad knees... get it done! Sometimes I see folks barely getting along and I have to refrain myself from asking WHY!!? Why would anyone want to suffer so? But of course I don’t. I’m a stranger and it’s none of my business!
But my heart truly goes out to them.

The pain is a memory...one I’ll never forget! But like you said, the labor is gone and the baby is grand! You take care! Blessings!!

 

[Jockette]

I’m glad you are doing so well!!

 

[SusieShoes]

Your report is amazing, @Beckaroo! What you said about the pain being GONE! NO MORE PAIN! is absolutely the best part about getting our knees replaced. I too wonder why I waited so long... but then we know why we waited. The unknown is always scarier than the (even if painful) known.

How wonderful that you are enjoying your life and can sit at the end of the day and reflect on how special the day was. Thank you for sharing your journey with all of us.

 

[sistersinhim]

What a great post!

 

[kneeper]

Thanks for sharing your update.

 

[KarriB]

Great report! Thanks for sharing with us!

 

[Rjack09]

Hi @MSgirl
I’ve said that to myself many times. Why in the world did I wait so long!? I had to stop working 6 years ago. You’d think that was my first clue! But no... I just kept waiting and waiting.

I agree, let’s tell everyone who has bad knees... get it done! Sometimes I see folks barely getting along and I have to refrain myself from asking WHY!!? Why would anyone want to suffer so? But of course I don’t. I’m a stranger and it’s none of my business!
But my heart truly goes out to them.

The pain is a memory...one I’ll never forget! But like you said, the labor is gone and the baby is grand! You take care! Blessings!!

Hi Becks
Your report brings man tears to my eyes. So proud of you. Sounds like you’re at the place of “this is the reason I went through this hell!!!
I’m 1.5 years out from bilaterals ans believe it or not still improving. Walking miles and miles every week!!
Thanks for sharing your story. There’s always “newbs” out there, like we were, bravely battling up the line!

 

[Beckaroo]

8 months out and ALMOST forgot to check back in!!! But here I am. I’ve been so busy. I’ve been so PAIN FREE!!!
I go up and down the stairs, easily. I do still need the handrails due to my balance just not quite right yet, but hey... I can deal with that. Basically, I can’t think of anything I can’t do within reason. I am 61, so I’m not going skiing or doing extreme sports, so of course there are somethings I can’t or won’t do... but basic daily activities are amazingly done pain free!!

Oh how I wish I’d done this years ago. Had I done this earlier I’d probably still be working. I loved teaching Pre-K and had to give it up due to rotten knees. I know it would certainly have been better finically for us.

Life has been amazing since surgery. I’m so busy! I don’t have to rest all the time as I did before surgery. I’m so happy with these new, amazing knees. I’m so grateful I did them both at the same time. I’m so thankful for all of you, your words of encouragement and concern. I’m so thrilled that I’m at this place in my life and I got here not worrying about physical therapy, or exercising, because I listened to you all.

Oh, ok,....there is one thing I need to report... being this far out I have noticed, occasionally my left knee pops! I can hyper-extend both knees, but my right knee will pop!! It does hurt, but it’s a normal hurt as though it was the knee I was born with. So I just am careful to not do that!! It usually happens in bed when I stretch. Other than that, I have no complaints.

Recommendations......HAVE THE SURGERY!!!
Life is too short to live in so much pain.

Hugs and loves to you all!!

 

[Jockette]

Awesome report!!!

 

[MSgirl]

Fantastic update!

 

[SusieShoes]

What a great report! You are rocking the new knees.

 

[sistersinhim]

Yippee! What a fantastic report!

 

[beachy]

Loved reading your thread ! I'm halfway through. I'm having BTKR in October. Both knees are shot and getting worse everyday. The worst is not being able to enjoy the things I'm used to doing. I would never have considered BTKR if not for Bonesmart. Thanks for your thread!