TKR Benne68's 1st TKR recovery

Hi @benne68 I agree, a whole different animal !!! Far less pain with the THR but I found the restrictions very hard and very anxiety provoking!! To be able to do what you want and being limited by pain and not the constant fear of dislocation is easier mentally I have found, but the pain of a TKR is a beast !! However all my notes from my first TKR plus the definite advantage of having been through it once has really helped. Good luck with your 2nd -
 
@dogwalker2 - That is excellent news, another thing not to worry over, I'm due my 2nd knee in December, others reading this and going through the same process will be somewhat relieved xx
 
I know TKR #2 is not too far in the future and I'm sure having these posts as a benchmark will be a big help.
I am deeply grateful that my posts from my 2015 journey were still available here. Reading through that journal before and during this recovery allowed me some peace in preparing and just dealing. I still got anxious/nervous as my date was approaching but my set up, my care team and my patience were improved as a result of my journal.
 
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Same here. My first TKR was 11 years ago and I didn't find this place until I was 3 weeks post-op. I wish I had that documentation from those first few weeks but it was nice to be able to read through what I did have to know what I was and wasn't doing at certain stages. I would say this knee has been a little harder but at the same time easier because I knew what to expect. My ROM has been slower with this knee but I'm 11 years older plus I lost some ROM a couple months prior to surgery this time, which is probably the reason why. I'm glad they are both done now and hopefully I won't have to think about a revision for another 20 years at least!
 
If I had a dollar for every time I said, "after I get my other knee done" or "I'm going to have to get my other knee done eventually...." I'd have a lot of dollars! It was 11 years between surgeries and I simultaneously forgot a bunch of stuff and also remembered the process. You'll be prepared better for the second one, for sure.....
 
Well, guess I needed a reminder about not trying to do too much. :bignono:

Decided to help hubby with some leaf raking this weekend and today I'm back in the ODIC ... not only does The Knee ache, but my back is killing me. Had to up my naproxen, use heat packs, and spend most of the day on the couch. :censored:
 
@hawk2go Did you use heat? How was it?

I've only used the heat on my back so far. Wondering when it's okay to try it on The Knee.

Icing is so counterintuitive when it's cold outside!
 
I've been using moist heat when I wrap The Knee at night. Using the heating pad was so soothing and I felt a bit more flexible in the morning (could be imagination). It felt counterintuitive because The Knee is always a bit warm but reading back to my last TKR, PT used heat before our sessions around this time (and then ice after).
 
8 weeks today:

Not a lot of change from a week ago -- except for my foray back into the ODIC this weekend. Pain level is up a bit, but since the weather has turned colder, I haven't been faithful about icing.

My main exercise the past week has been walking -- I'm up to 1 mile now -- plus some time on the stationary bike. Haven't really been doing too many of the PT exercises and will probably hear about that at my appointment tomorrow!

In other news: The scabbing on my incision scar finally resolved so I could start wearing silicone strips. The help a lot with the sensitivity since clothing can't rub. And, even though it's been less than a week, I'm noticing the hard ridge down the center is already a bit softer and flatter.

Onward and upward.
 
I really don't do very many PT exercises either (shhhhhhhhh........) but mainly just ADLs, walking and the stationary bike. You are doing so great, @benne68 !!
 
This is encouraging... I still have some scabbing, & beginning to wonder if it was OK.....but I see from your post, it can just take a while......we have some 20 degree nights coming up, & somehow, I find myself kinda dreading that icing! But, it does help the pain.
 
Happy to report that my PT didn't reprimand me (as I expected) when I told him that I've been walking rather than "exercising." Instead, he watched me walk, commented on how even my gait has become and encouraged me to keep walking! (of course, he also suggested that some of the exercises would help with strength....)

We checked my flexion for the fist time in two weeks. It's at 118, so hasn't changed much (it was 115 then). Maybe I should resume those heel slides after all :chinstroke:
 
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Good news. I'm loving my glorified furniture movers for my heel slides. I actually sprung for a set advertised for exercising. When I got them, I was like - shoot I have these things. Try em if you got em.
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Your ROM number is not the only sign of improvement/progression. Our medical team makes much too much of it. ROM will improve in time. All the heel slides in the world do not equal healing. It’s good to give your knee mobility, which the walking does. There‘s no magic in the heel slides.

Regaining our ROM is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.

Here are excellent examples of improvement:
he watched me walk, commented on how even my gait has become

You are coming along great!
 
I forgot to add, my ROM improved a lot in my second year, as my whole leg continued to relax and heal. I even got greater ROM in my third year! So, don’t worry about your ROM, it will come! On it‘s time not ours.
 

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