BTKR at the young age of 31

[Josephine]

Michael, welcome to BoneSmart.

There are days that I just don’t have the energy to do the therapy, days that I would rather just sit on my couch and not add any extra pain or stress on top of the regular pain and stress that I have on a daily basis.

If you think you have low energy now, just wait until after the op! You'll think you were superman before! Energy drain for TKRs

On these days I just have to push through and remind myself that being lazy is not an option. It is not going to be an option after the surgery because if I am lazy and do not do the therapy as instructed then I will severely limit the longevity of my new hardware, which is not something I want to do. Laziness post-surgery will allow scar tissue to form which will limit my range of motion and create new pain within the joint.

Actually that's a popular misconception that I am happy to dispel right here and now. Doing too much is much more dangerous and more likely to cause adhesions than otherwise. That's because doing too much causes the tissues to get angry, hot, inflamed and DRY and it's this which will can cause adhesions.

All the hard work, pain, and suffering will be worth the new lease on life that I am being granted. I just have to remember that nothing in life comes easily, and that if I put in the hard work then I will be able to do whatever I wish and it will all be worth it.

There is no need for hard work, pain and suffering after TKR. Non whatsoever. We have a couple of sayings on here which I think you should take on board

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1. MORE IS LESS ​

2. NO PAIN MORE GAIN!​

There is absolutely no need for recovery to be anything more than a big, long, boring period when you allow your knee and body to recuperate and heal. The only hard work that involves is keeping awake through endless daytime tv!

You will find useful to read these articles (I know Judy has already given them to you but these are significant​

Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?​

Work “Smarter” and not “Harder”​

Myth busting: The "window of opportunity"​

and finally my own story (potted version!) Knee recovery - UK style​

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So you see that hard work is not necessary in this but careful work is. And do remember one more fact of life after TKR - THE KNEE IS IN CHARGE, NOT YOU! If you listen to your knee and don't do anything that makes it scream at you, you will be fine.

​

 

[Michael Reed]

Trust me, I understand and fully plan on letting my body dictate how my rehab/recovery is going to go. I don't plan on over-pushing myself. What I mean by what most of you guys are pointing out is that I am not going to allow myself to be lazy on the days that I am able to fully do what I should be doing.

 

[TheHistorian]

Trust me, I understand and fully plan on letting my body dictate how my rehab/recovery is going to go. I don't plan on over-pushing myself. What I mean by what most of you guys are pointing out is that I am not going to allow myself to be lazy on the days that I am able to fully do what I should be doing.

A good attitude, as long as you can tell the difference between "laziness" and "I'm tired and sore and weak and can't concentrate." I went into my surgery with the misconceptions I'd be in charge, much like I was when I lost 160 pounds six years ago, and taught myself to ride a bike at age 40 and then rode a century ten months later. I learned - instead of my taking charge, getting back to work full time in two months, riding long distances, I find myself just returning full time at work last week, and I've still not gone on a bike ride. Yet, I don't feel lazy at all, for just the daily activities of my life keep me busy and tire me. Despite sleeping a lot my recovery has been very good. I discontinued PT because they were hung up on minor degrees of extension and flexion, and enjoyed making me scream like Mel Gibson at the end of Braveheart. I've been doing fine with exercises as I feel like doing them - on the knees schedule, not mine.

You are obviously a determined man, one who has dealt with physical problems from a young age. Determine to allow yourself to be "lazy" from time to time.

BTW, tell me to shut up at any time.

 

[BornAgain1997]

Michael
Welcome to BoneSmart and i'm also considered young for knee replacement which happens on the 3rd of July, I'm 47. I also have several issues going into this including but not limited to staph infection, ORSA, Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis. So like most everyone on here we all understand what your going through and or facing. I can tell you that you can't have a psoriasis flare up on or around your knee. My legs were 60% with psoriasis but when they treated me with IV antibiotics they cleared up to where I could control them with the cream, so you might want to ask your OS about that. Keep us posted updated as we're here to help each other. By they way keep up the good attitude and it gets better.

 

[Michael Reed]

Thanks for your response BornAgain1997. Luckily I don't have any issues with my psoriasis on or around my knees. My main issue is on the bottom of my feet and I fear that when they have me stop my prednisone that I will have a flare (which I am actually having already). This will create an issue with my recovery since when you have cracks and sores on the soles of your feet it means you don't walk or put pressure on them. Hopefully this won't be the case and my doctors can come up with a plan to keep it from happening.

On a side note I am going to my knee class tomorrow along with having my pre-surgery medical check-up to gain my medical clearance. At that point I'll be asking about what drugs I will have to discontinue and at what time along with other things that I have concerns or questions about (like what pain meds I will be on since I have an allergy to morphine).

Once I am done with my appointments tomorrow I am heading south to my brothers for a few days for the fourth. Should be a good distraction from all this.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

What I did make comment about numerous times was being lazy about it, which is unacceptable. Will I have times that I will be unable to do therapy because of pain or some other uncontrollable circumstance? Sure, but just not doing therapy because I don't feel like it is unacceptable and will in the long-term allow scar tissue to form which will then mean I need a revision much earlier than I would if I wasn't lazy.

Hmm, Josephine has already taken some issue with this and I will too. It may be just the way you've worded it and you may be well aware of what follows, but just in case, OK?

Proactive determined recovery means, in the early days, being not just lazy but bone idle.

AFAIK it's untrue that doing absolutely nothing will allow scar tissue to form, and again AFAIK scar tissue doesn't imply revision.

For the healing part of recovery, which lasts several months, you need to avoid anything that hurts or that causes swelling. Now that's impossible because to start with everything hurts, what it means is not to compound that hurt with aggressive exercise, or indeed doing anything you don't have to if it hurts.

All you need is gentle stretches for flexion and extension.

Any strength or fitness exercise that puts force through the knees will (a) compound damage by hurting and put back recovery (b) fail to actually help the muscles because you simply cannot exercise hard enough to stress them because it hurts.

NO PAIN. Ok?

 

[Michael Reed]

Yep, I understand the no pain part. As you said it probably is just the way I have worded it. I am not going to be lazy when my body will allow me to do the exercises that my PT has instructed me to do but I will definitely lay off of the days that my body just says, "ummm NO!".

 

[noddy]

Hi Michael, Good luck with the op. I had mine 10 weeks ago today at the age of 39 but I wish i had done something about it earlier as I couldnt be happier with the result. I have been back to work since week 3/4 part time and week 6 full time and yesterday I was able to play a round of golf for the first time in many years. I have suffered from no pain and taken no medication since the first week. MY ROM is not the best but steadily improving now that the swelling is nearly gone. I went from a painful life to a pain free one in in literally a week so would recommend this surgery to anyone, if you feel you are ready for it then go for it - you wont look back.

 

[referee54]

It is the utmost importance for a TKR patient to listen to their body---the knee will tell you. Many of us didn't listen and eventually paid the price with soreness, stiffness, and a slower recovery time. Don't work harder, work smarter. When you get frustrated because you feel that you are not working hard enough, remember that not doing anything at times is part of a healthy recovery.

 

[TheHistorian]

Folks, Michael's blog is very interesting. Well worth reading for both "pre" and "post" TKR patients.

 

[bottomshollow]

I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[carolinagirl]

Excellent blog Michael! Everyone check it out as it is a good read!!!

 

[Michael Reed]

Thanks everyone, I find that it is helpful for me to put things down into words. Plus it will help others that are going through this process just like us. There aren't many that do this at a young age and I know hearing from someone near your age is comforting in a way.

I plan on continuing to blog weekly until surgery and then will post whenever I am able to fully put my thoughts together, as TheHistorian has said, sometimes after it's just hard to form coherent post.

For those looking for my Blog you can find the link in my signature.

 

[TheHistorian]

Thanks everyone, I find that it is helpful for me to put things down into words. Plus it will help others that are going through this process just like us. There aren't many that do this at a young age and I know hearing from someone near your age is comforting in a way.

I plan on continuing to blog weekly until surgery and then will post whenever I am able to fully put my thoughts together, as TheHistorian has said, sometimes after it's just hard to form coherent post.

For those looking for my Blog you can find the link in my signature.

While you are browsing here, look up the recovery thread for Lonewolf, "Ready Set Go!" He's 36.

 

[TheHistorian]

BTW, with this talk about age, I think Michael will be one of the few posters who doesn't become younger from the surgery. I'm 46 but when I'm recovered I'll be like a man in my 30s. I expect many of the posters here, all active men and women, are years younger than the age you can calculate from our birth certificates. At the end of his surgery Michael will be 31 years old both chronologically and at heart.

 

[Michael Reed]

I'll be happy with 35. Anything beats the feeling of being 80.

 

[kneeper]

I'll be happy with 35. Anything beats the feeling of being 80.

Too true. I remember begging off some commitment that would require standing for an hour and one of the older people in the group saying "but you're young!" I said "my knees aren't."

 

[Michael Reed]

Ugh, went to the store today and ran a few more errands that needed to get completed and am now worn out. Knees are killing me. Can't wait for the day that I won't be so exhausted after just making a trip to the grocery.

 

[Leisa]

What's there to say? Well I have Psoriatic Arthritis (a form of Rheumatoid Arthritis) that has been working negatively on my knees for the past 15+ years. Within the past 4 years it has limited my ability to work and I even had to go on disability. Now this is not the life that a 31 year old wants to have, living in an in-law suite at his moms, on disability, un-able to work and be social able.

A few years ago I went and saw an ortho doc because my right knee was constantly locking up on me and giving away. At that time he said I had the knees of an 80 year old but that he wouldn't touch me for 10 years because of my age. I just accepted that and tried to live my life as normal as I could.

Well I finally got fed up with not having the life that I wanted and went on the search for another opinion. That is when I found my current ortho doc who has a background in treating Rheumatoid arthritis. One of the first things out of his mouth was, it's not about age it is about quality of life. Boy did I feel better hearing that. Before I knew it I was scheduling my surgery eight weeks later.

That was four weeks ago, I am scheduled to start my new life on July 25th. I am both excited and slightly nervous at this point. I stumbled upon this forum as I was looking for someone around my age who has had a TKR (which I have yet to find). Maybe I will find that person so that I can read their story and relate to it a bit.

I have a friend that had his first tkr at 42, not quite as young as you. I'm so happy to hear you found another Dr. and are taking control of your life. I know you hate living w/Mom but I'm thinking 'Thank goodness she will be close as you recuperate'. As a mother of a 30 and 35 yr. old, I would hope they both would make the same decision you have made. Not give up and get back to living! Good for you!
I will be waiting to read your progress. Best wishes to you.

 

[Shanis]

Hi Michael,

I just had a TKR on June 25th on my right knee and I am 38 years old. Something that I wanted since I was about 35 years old! I too was told that I had to wait until I was around 50 years old. I had severe arthritis on my latteral side. Prior to my TKR, I have had 3 scopes in the last 6 years with little to no success. I used to be runner. I could not even go on a walk longer than a few blocks anymore. My quality of life was a real bummer. I have two kids 7 & 9 years old and I couldn't even do fun stuff with them. I got sick of saying "Mommy has a bad knee"! After my last scope, my doctor, said that he hoped I would make it 6 months to 2 years before a TKR. That was in March. There was no improvement. I had it. I just said schedule it. Everyone has an opinion, believe me! So many people could not believe that I was getting TKR at my age but I did and my life is going to be better because of it. I am in the thick of it now. This is the hard part, recovery, but I know in the end it is going to be so worth it!!!

Go for it and good luck to you!!