Bonesmart newbie- right tkr - 90 days and counting
- Thread starter SpaceGirl
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SpaceGirl
senior
Thanks
I will definitely start with the bike and try to get in a much as my legs will tolerate. I also have one of those total gyms, supposed to work your whole body, only problem with that is its low to the ground, but I can get help up from hubs. 89 days and counting!
Do some work on upper arm strength as well. In the first few weeks after a knee replacement, you'll be relying on your arms a lot, to help you get up from chairs, toilet etc.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
Oh yes, upper body strength! You will be really happy if you can develop strong arms. My OS had me do exercises for my legs (quads and hamstrings) but not the arms and upper body. I really wish he had.
OP
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SpaceGirl
senior
Good to know, thanks! I will work on arm strength too, which I kinda use them a lot now to get up from various places. I hate living in constant pain but I look forward to Summer next uear where hopefully all of it will be gone!
OP
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SpaceGirl
senior
Down to 79 days til surgery, still feel like I got a lot of ducks to get in a row before then. We have been doing some purging of junk, still have a lot to go and rearranging of things to make sure I can get safely from the living room to the bedroom and bathroom. I feel like every since I found out I need TKR I have been hurting more and more each day. Maybe it is all in my mind? lol
I have been looking at recliners and geez, the ones I find that I like, all seem to be manual and well that's not going to be very helpful. Any recommendations? I don't have a ton to spend on it, so need something good budget wise as well. So much to do and so little time!
I have been looking at recliners and geez, the ones I find that I like, all seem to be manual and well that's not going to be very helpful. Any recommendations? I don't have a ton to spend on it, so need something good budget wise as well. So much to do and so little time!
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
Borrow what you can. You won't need some assistive devices for more than a few weeks. Also, if it turns out you *don't* need them, you won't have wasted your money. I bought a few things I never used at all. 
You don't necessarily need a recliner. Many people recuperate on a sofa or using a chair and ottoman. You can use pillows to elevate (I did this when visiting the family, stacked their sofa pillows) and big bags of corn or peas to ice instead of gel packs. No need to spend a fortune!
You don't necessarily need a recliner. Many people recuperate on a sofa or using a chair and ottoman. You can use pillows to elevate (I did this when visiting the family, stacked their sofa pillows) and big bags of corn or peas to ice instead of gel packs. No need to spend a fortune!
If you have access to a pool, swimming is great exercise, too!
OJ2
senior
I am not a professional by any means, but it made sense to me to try to build muscle before the surgery. You will be depending on your non-operated leg and your upper body for a while. The stronger you are going in to surgery, the stronger you will be coming out. And I bet you could find a lot of modified exercises online.
My surgeon said the month before surgery is not the time to cut calories. But pick your surgeon well, and then have confidence in him,
My surgeon said the month before surgery is not the time to cut calories. But pick your surgeon well, and then have confidence in him,
Pk4tmjsd
junior member
Hi SpaceGirl. I read through your thread a few moments ago. Congratulations on your decision (s). It brought back memories. Both knees done in 2017 (March and June). However, I should have had them done in 2016. Life was not going to kind to knee replacements in 2016 and the planning began. Two days after our ski resort closed in March 2017, I had an 0700 tee time with my surgeon. I have been fortunate. The surgeon has been taking care of me since 2005 and more than familiar with their deterioration commenting at one visit in late 2015 or early 2016, "What are you waiting for?!" LOL -- was always hoping they would get better. I was skiing and walking a lot, pre-op for the right knee, and "eating for healing" (lot of protein and good food in the diet versus.....) while doing PT pre-op for the left knee, pre-op. That helped the fitness level for my legs and managed weight. Bicycle certainly is an option. Swimming? Your positive attitude and peace of mind (you have no question the surgeries are needed and you are ready) will serve you well as your journey continues.
OP
OP
SpaceGirl
senior
@SusieShoes I do plan to borrow a few things from sweet ladies at church who have been through knee surgery, a raised toilet seat, a shower bench to name a few. I think I will look at one of the lounge doctors too, do they work ok for just 1 leg?
@sistersinhim I wish I did! We have local y's around here but can't afford the cost to join and to add insult to injury, I am hard of hearing and wear hearing aids in both ears, therefore when I swim I have to take them out, and well, I am not likely to hear much of anything then. I tend to shy away from pools for that reason.
@OJ2 I am cutting calories, but I follow myfitnesspal to control weight and foot intake. I don't do anything severe, I just have it set to lose an avg of 1lb a week. I am trying to get some more working out done at home, lifting some arm weights and start using the exercise bike I have.
@Pk4tmjsd Thank you, I know this is needed, and I am trying to think of all the positives that come from the surgery rather than the annoyances that I know will be there. I know it'll be painful, but I can't imagine its worse than what I currently deal with. Some days I can barely get out of bed they hurt so bad.
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Well now I am at 57 days and counting. Some days I am still stressed how this is all going to work out. How my kids will get to all their activities etc. My oldest should have her license in Oct, that was the soonest they had an opening! We are required to do appointments for road tests here and they are booked solid. She has been driving all over the place lately though, and should do fine on her test next month. On positive notes my oldest graduates in May next year and has been accepted to all 4 colleges she applied to and got an scholarship award for her top school. Too bad it's not paying for a full ride LOL but we will take any amount!
Time is ticking away and I am trying to get everything organized and ready for recovery at home. We're getting ride of junk and clutter, getting all our ducks in a row with husband and daughters work schedules. I think the hardest part right off is going to be laid up during Thanksgiving. I am not sure how that will work out. We aren't really hosting anyone, but my mom who is in a nursing home usually comes for dinner. However I am not going to be able to deal with that, so not sure how this is going to work.
Thanks for all your help here, answering questions when I have them. I really enjoy reading the recovery threads, so I can get an idea of how things will go.
@sistersinhim I wish I did! We have local y's around here but can't afford the cost to join and to add insult to injury, I am hard of hearing and wear hearing aids in both ears, therefore when I swim I have to take them out, and well, I am not likely to hear much of anything then. I tend to shy away from pools for that reason.
@OJ2 I am cutting calories, but I follow myfitnesspal to control weight and foot intake. I don't do anything severe, I just have it set to lose an avg of 1lb a week. I am trying to get some more working out done at home, lifting some arm weights and start using the exercise bike I have.
@Pk4tmjsd Thank you, I know this is needed, and I am trying to think of all the positives that come from the surgery rather than the annoyances that I know will be there. I know it'll be painful, but I can't imagine its worse than what I currently deal with. Some days I can barely get out of bed they hurt so bad.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well now I am at 57 days and counting. Some days I am still stressed how this is all going to work out. How my kids will get to all their activities etc. My oldest should have her license in Oct, that was the soonest they had an opening! We are required to do appointments for road tests here and they are booked solid. She has been driving all over the place lately though, and should do fine on her test next month. On positive notes my oldest graduates in May next year and has been accepted to all 4 colleges she applied to and got an scholarship award for her top school. Too bad it's not paying for a full ride LOL but we will take any amount!
Time is ticking away and I am trying to get everything organized and ready for recovery at home. We're getting ride of junk and clutter, getting all our ducks in a row with husband and daughters work schedules. I think the hardest part right off is going to be laid up during Thanksgiving. I am not sure how that will work out. We aren't really hosting anyone, but my mom who is in a nursing home usually comes for dinner. However I am not going to be able to deal with that, so not sure how this is going to work.
Thanks for all your help here, answering questions when I have them. I really enjoy reading the recovery threads, so I can get an idea of how things will go.
KarriB
Former BoneSmart staff member
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Unless husband or children like to cook just send someone to the grocery store for a rotisserie turkey or chicken, pre-made mashed potatoes etc. or go totally off tradition and order pizza or make a lasagna pre-op to stick in the freezer. You may be able to settle into a seat with your leg elevated to give directions to the cooks, but you won't feel like cooking for a good while and you really shouldn't be on your new knee for that length of time at 2 weeks post op anyway.
Congratulations to your daughter!
Congratulations to your daughter!
OJ2
senior
I like the idea of making a lasagna and freezing it for Thanskgiving. I would bet your kids would be saying for years "remember that year we had lasagna for Thanksgiving?" Just making memories.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
Either have your Thanksgiving catered, or alternate, per ideas above. Unless your daughter has already roasted a turkey on her own, you're probably not going to have the energy to coach her. Moving around the kitchen will be difficult at best for you.
A Lounge Doctor, or any other foam wedge or pillow stack, will work as well for one leg as two. Most of the members here who have them had a single TKR. Your leg will just have a bit more real estate.
TKR is a painful surgery -- no point in playing that down -- but I found it far less painful than my arthritic knees! Yes, I was in less pain after surgery. But it was still pain and I was very happy to use heavy duty pain killers for a few weeks. You will be, too. But you are going to love being rid of that arthritis pain.
A Lounge Doctor, or any other foam wedge or pillow stack, will work as well for one leg as two. Most of the members here who have them had a single TKR. Your leg will just have a bit more real estate.
TKR is a painful surgery -- no point in playing that down -- but I found it far less painful than my arthritic knees! Yes, I was in less pain after surgery. But it was still pain and I was very happy to use heavy duty pain killers for a few weeks. You will be, too. But you are going to love being rid of that arthritis pain.
OP
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SpaceGirl
senior
Thankfully hubby is the turkey and ham guru in the house LOL I do everything else though, but my 17 and 12 yr old will be able to help no doubt. Since hubby will have the hardest part, it will probably work out ok. I think it's just the thought of not being able to help, you know? I am also thankful our church will setup a meal train and between church friends and other friends, we'll probably be good on food for several weeks.
In the mean time I am so glad that I sat down before the school year started and wrote out all the weekly plans for my homeschooled 7 yr old. That way hubby can do work with her for a couple weeks, and she knows pretty much we have a set schedule daily. When I did the schedule, I had no idea that surgery would happen, so I am glad that it will work out well for both of them.
This weather around here is making me ache so much lately, it's not even that it is cool/cold, the pressure from these fronts, argh! Those with TRK already, do you have issue with aching still when the weather changes or storms come in?
In the mean time I am so glad that I sat down before the school year started and wrote out all the weekly plans for my homeschooled 7 yr old. That way hubby can do work with her for a couple weeks, and she knows pretty much we have a set schedule daily. When I did the schedule, I had no idea that surgery would happen, so I am glad that it will work out well for both of them.
This weather around here is making me ache so much lately, it's not even that it is cool/cold, the pressure from these fronts, argh! Those with TRK already, do you have issue with aching still when the weather changes or storms come in?
KarriB
Former BoneSmart staff member
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After the first few weeks you'll probably be able to help with the homeschooling as long as you find a way to keep your leg up while teaching. Concentration and focus can be a problem early on though.
OP
OP
SpaceGirl
senior
@KarriB yes I can imagine! Luckily her work is easy to travel, so she can bring a work book to the bedroom or living room and I can help, and if I am not feeling up to it that day, hubby can do when he gets home from work. We usually are done in about 1-2 hours if she stays focused lol
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So officially at 45 days now until surgery! Ack, its coming so fast! I set up my pre-admissions testing today, that will happen on Nov 1st. I am not sure what all that entails, any advice? I tried my recumbent bike yesterday, could only manage for 8 mins, lowest setting, no restraint, slow rotation and OUCH! I had to go ice for an hour. Funny it was just my left leg that hurt. I think the bike is too much of an upright, so that's probably not going to work out well. Back to the drawing board on exercising before surgery.
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So officially at 45 days now until surgery! Ack, its coming so fast! I set up my pre-admissions testing today, that will happen on Nov 1st. I am not sure what all that entails, any advice? I tried my recumbent bike yesterday, could only manage for 8 mins, lowest setting, no restraint, slow rotation and OUCH! I had to go ice for an hour. Funny it was just my left leg that hurt. I think the bike is too much of an upright, so that's probably not going to work out well. Back to the drawing board on exercising before surgery.
KarriB
Former BoneSmart staff member
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2015
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- 11,941
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- 70
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- Pittsburgh, PA
- Gender
- Female
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- United States
For me it was what a regular yearly physical required along with a chest x-ray, an ekg (although I have an ekg years now too) and blood work.
Just do what your knee allows as far as exercise before surgery. It's not worth doing exercise that causes you such pain this close to the surgery. If you can do a little exercise without it sending you to the ice for an hour, that's fine.
I remember in the months before my tkr trying to do the NuStep and feeling every vibration. I could walk only about 10 minutes at a time--and then had to ice. Not fun days. :(
I remember in the months before my tkr trying to do the NuStep and feeling every vibration. I could walk only about 10 minutes at a time--and then had to ice. Not fun days. :(
OP
OP
SpaceGirl
senior
@KarriB thanks for the info, I should have asked when I was on the phone or at dr office but my brain was not there apparently LOL
@kneeper I will definitely skip the bike, it has been placed back in the garage for now. I have some free weights I can do some upper body exercise with and we have one of those total gyms that uses your own body weight as well, so maybe that is a better option to work on because I can not do anything major knee wise unless I choose too.
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So tomorrow my oldest and I are heading to Mobile for her first college tour on Friday. We are excited, but I am dreading the 6 hour drive there, all the walking on Friday and then the 6 hour drive back home. I hope it's not a super fast paced tour and I can sit down here and there. Fingers crossed the pain isn't too bad.
@kneeper I will definitely skip the bike, it has been placed back in the garage for now. I have some free weights I can do some upper body exercise with and we have one of those total gyms that uses your own body weight as well, so maybe that is a better option to work on because I can not do anything major knee wise unless I choose too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So tomorrow my oldest and I are heading to Mobile for her first college tour on Friday. We are excited, but I am dreading the 6 hour drive there, all the walking on Friday and then the 6 hour drive back home. I hope it's not a super fast paced tour and I can sit down here and there. Fingers crossed the pain isn't too bad.
