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Bilateral TKR BTKR- bionic woman

I can relate, Aspenglow! My granddaughter and I went shopping a couple of times but we went to one of those stores that has ride-on motorized chairs! It was a way to get tasks done and not join the Overdoneit Club! Oh, and as KarriB said, I propped my leg up on a chair or took a cushion for a bench, etc., depending on where I was going...
 
Ok 19 days out ....so just about 3 weeks for bilateral. I'm off the muscle relaxer and 12 hour morphine and "just taking" dilaudid a few times/day along with blood thinner and Tylenol. Pain is getting better....although it's also changing.

Not quite to 0 for extension. -1 and -4 (sorry but that's seems awfully close to 0 when you see it on their measure thing)

My bend is 100 and 90....feel like I'm not making much progress for 3 weeks out. Any advice on this? Do I need to push myself harder on exercise?

I still use a walker but am able to walk without it for 5-6 steps here and there. Getting anxious to ditch it but know that falling is my greatest risk (aside from infection) and being a bilateral I still don't have a good leg to stand on.

Not being able to drive is making me crazy. Growing tired of trying on friends for rides to PT and help picking up one of my kids from school. Just wanting my independence back. Anyone else felt this way?

I find myself feeling envious of those who staged their knees one at a time as it seems like at 3 weeks out they are more mobile and further along. I know that I'm all done and don't have any future surgeries hanging over my head, but feel like my recovery is lagging single TKRs.

Also finding myself crying over small things. Do pain meds contribute to this or is this more a reflection or my own expectations not being met regarding recovery progress and cabin fever?
 
You are doing wonderful. Be patient. It gets better every week. It's been over 6 months since my bilateral knee replacement. It will be worth it I promise!
 
AspenGlow said:
Not quite to 0 for extension. -1 and -4 (sorry but that's seems awfully close to 0 when you see it on their measure thing)

My bend is 100 and 90....feel like I'm not making much progress for 3 weeks out. Any advice on this? Do I need to push myself harder on exercise?
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You are almost there when it comes to extension. Those small figures are hardly worth worrying about. You'll be at zero very soon.

As for flexion, what on earth is your therapist doing, letting you get worried about those numbers? They are great for just 19 days out. There are people here who will be envious of you for those numbers.
My surgeon doesn't expect 90 degrees until about 6 weeks after a TKR, so you are well ahead of the game.

For goodness' sake, don't push yourself more with the exercise. In fact, recovery from a TKR is an example of where Less is More - Less exercise = More progress. You really don't need to do lots of exercise, because it isn't exercise that increases ROM. It's Time and the Reduction of Swelling.
Time for your wounded knees to heal, time for swelling and pain to decrease, time for your whole body to recover from the trauma of major surgery.
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
TKR: work “smarter” and not “harder”
AspenGlow said:
Not being able to drive is making me crazy. Growing tired of trying on friends for rides to PT and help picking up one of my kids from school. Just wanting my independence back. Anyone else felt this way?
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I'm afraid you just have to be patient with this. You mustn't drive until you are off the heavy-duty narcotics and your brain is clear. You need to be 120% certain that you can do an emergency stop, and that your judgment is good. You may need to get a clearance from you surgeon as well, becasue some insurance companies require that.
AspenGlow said:
Also finding myself crying over small things. Do pain meds contribute to this or is this more a reflection or my own expectations not being met regarding recovery progress and cabin fever?
Click to expand...
This article talks about the post-op depression. It comes from several causes:
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
I found that all my emotions were fragile for some time.

I know that recovery is a severe trial of patience (been there, done that), but nothing you can do will speed up your recovery. Dig deep, try to be patient. It is worth it in the end.
 
Everything you're feeling is normal. I felt all those feelings, except for the exercise, I don't like pain. Working harder, exercising more will set back your recovery. Continue to follow the activity progrsssion chart and don't push yourself. Remember, return to work timeframe is 12 weeks and I needed everyone one of those weeks. I didn't drive for 2 1/2 months, so I understand the desire to be independent and I thought my family was going to change my nickname to weepy. There was a lot of crying!

When I was feeling down and stuck I would visit a friend to watch a movie or we would go out to eat, I made sure to prop my leg up no matter what we did. It did help to get out of the house and feel a little normal.
 
Hi @AspenGlow, I too had BTKR on 10/5. I know I am not ready to drive yet even though I am off the pain meds during the day. Moving my knee laterally is still painful so as much as I want my independence back, I am not ready yet! I tried last night to go to the store to shop alittle, thought actually walking with cart would be okay but before I got out the door I was very swollen, stiff and achy! It is hard to slow down, and be patient but my knees are dictating my life right now no matter what I want!
Blessings,
Lene'


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Had PT yesterday. PT wants me to push myself these next three weeks. Exercises were painful as its extension and bending and she wants me to push myself just past discomfort to what I would call a 6-8 in pain "in order to make progress".

Felt good rest of afternoon and then last night was MISERABLE trying to sleep. Even taking 1 dilaudid wasn't enough and I was tempted to take 2.

Finally just got up at 4:30 and came downstairs to watch tv as I was tired of being in pain in bed.

Once again I find myself arguing internally with the notion I must push myself to get better and knowing that pain is not beneficial. I thought I was past this kind of pain. Feeling discouraged and defeated.


Sent from my iPhone using broken link removed: https://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=75543
 
You are in pain because the PT pushed your knees to a place they were not ready to go. Some PTs work under the assumption that by pushing yourself you can recover faster. Nothing about this philosophy is true. There is nothing you can do to hurry TKR recovery. Your bones and soft tissue have to heal which takes time. I suggest taking a look at these extension practices. Sitting with my leg bridging the chair and ottoman worked for me. I didn't even know it was good for extension, I did it because it felt good. It isn't an overnight solution, but then nothing good ever is. I'm going to leave you with a few links to peruse. I'm sure you've read them before, but just a reminder that this experience takes time and patience. :)

https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/extension-how-to-estimate-it-and-ways-to-improve-it.9529/

https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-tkrs.14334/
 
I tried rehabbing my knee twice and can tell you following the bonesmart mantras gave me a better outcome and without the pain that you are enduring. The first time I did all the exercises I was given no matter how much it hurt me. I even allowed a PT to force my knee to bend as much as he could do while I was crying. I believed that was the way to go. The second time I followed the advice here. I had much less pain. My flex is now 130 where I only got to 105 before. You have nothing to lose by trying it for yourself. Ice, elevate and let your knee heal first. I hope you are feeling better today.
 
Don't push yourself. You'll set yourself back. Your knees are infants and need to be treated as such. They need rest, elevation and ice as much as possible! I'm still icing most of the time after on my feet a while. It works better than meds for me!
 
For me I found that I would try a little less than I thought I *could* do and see how that felt. If it felt ok several hours later/next day, I knew I could do a little more. The key for me was to think in terms of small increments, always "checking in" with the knee. :)

Sometimes we all have joined the ODIC (overdid it club) as it's the nature of tkr recovery (a bit of trial and error) but don't let the PT convince you that you have to push yourself into lots of pain. You just get more swelling and its harder to bend.
You sound like you're doing fine.
 
Alright experts....I'm at week 4. Been crying for no reason for the last week. Truly starting to feel like I am depressed. Food doesn't sound good, the smallest thing has me exhausted and crying. All this sedentary sitting has my lower back starting to hurt.

Incisions aren't totally healed enough for me to put vitamin e on them but they are soooo tight.

I had been sleeping fairly well but haven't slept for the past week.

I did try driving yesterday (1.5 mile trip each way) and that was nice.

Feel stiff most of the time. I think I'm just giving up on rehab. I feel caught in this recovery world and cannot see being better any time soon where I can enjoy life and not be constantly thinking about my knees.
 
@AspenGlow you are experiencing the post op blues. It seems like forever since the surgery, you want to get on with your life and not be dependent on others. What you are experiencing is normal and most of us have gone through it. You may experience it later in your recovery also. My post op blues came after my second/infection surgery. I couldn't talk to anyone without weeping and it lasted a few weeks. You are in the dark days of recovery when progress when seem slower and take longer to see progress made. Please take a look at the post-op blues info. There's also a post op blues thread I'll look for and post on your thread.

https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/post-op-blues-is-a-reality-be-prepared-for-it.7591/
 
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My goodness, most of us here can relate to those blues. They are perfectly normal. You had a BTKR so your body has had a double whammy! You are driving much earlier than I did. It was 7 weeks before I attempted it. Sometimes I still have trouble getting in and out of the car. Driving if fine, but it's that bending sometimes! Your stiffness is normal, too. That still hangs on for me sometimes.
 
Hang in there, @AspenGlow . It does get better. It's normal to get the blues, but if they linger on, or if they're really getting you down, go and see your own doctor (PCP/GP) and ask for a short course of anti-depressant medication.
 
Yep, post op blues and possibly pain control issues. I know most of my pain was in the form of what I called "achy stiffness." Pain meds helped.

Doing a few short walks over the course of the day--up and down the hallway etc. make you feel a bit less stiff. But don't go crazy. ;)
For me it was one walk up and down my driveway a couple of times-- along with regular trips to the kitchen, bathroom etc..
I did the driveway walk every day until I was ready to walk down a couple of houses and back. Not only was it good for the knee but getting outside for a few minutes felt good for the morale. If you still have some nice days are you venturing out for a little fresh air @AspenGlow ?
 
I just read today that cashew nuts are a natural antidepressant. They might be worth a try.
 
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^if nothing else they're tasty. :heehee:
 
I eat a lot of cashews, @sistersinhim ! Maybe that explains my wonderful personality! :heehee:

@AspenGlow , you may want to take a field trip here or there to help with the blues. At least once a week we'd (my chauffeur and I) would stop at a restaurant for breakfast or lunch, usually after a drs appointment because I was seeing my OS twice a week. I made sure wherever I was I could prop my leg up, usually on a booth seat beside me. So grab a friend and head to a restaurant. If your theater has recliner seats grab an ice pack or two and go to the movies. Sometimes it helps just to visit a friend and get out of the house. Doing normal things helped with my blues.
 
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