Bilateral TKR BTKR Recovery - on the way to my new life!

[London Trainer]

Thank you all for the lovely comments! I ran for 5 minutes on my treadmill yesterday and felt great. Also realised that it’s the first time I’ve been able to run without pain for over 6 years. I always just used to push myself through the first 15 minutes and the pain would slowly ease but yesterday I ran gently with no pain from the start.

@DJL1967 - really hope you get your surgery soon. It’s the hardest and most brutal surgery I’ve ever been through (I’ve had 2 major back operations) but also one of the most rewarding as it’s wonderful to be able to move around without the crippling pain, to be able to walk without my knees randomly giving way, not to be woken up in the night with agonising stabbing pains in the knees - the list is endless!

@Carmencita - glad to hear you’ve had your surgery and can start your recovery. Soft tissue massage is amazing because it really helps to undo the tight muscles and gently release the scar tissue. You’ll get there in the end - it’s a long road but well worth it.

One of the things my surgeon said on Thursday has stuck in my head when he said how nice it was to see “the sad lady who hobbled in to my office in August now marching in with a smile in her eyes”. I knew my arthritis was bad, I knew it was starting to depress me but I hadn‘t realised how much it was dragging me down.

And a weird side effect from surgery that you don’t often see mentioned - my toenails have stopped growing! My surgeon says this is totally normal and that growth will resume when my body has recovered from the massive trauma of the surgery.

I look back to the early weeks after surgery and then I see where I am now - it took 14 weeks to turn a corner and now I’m so much happier with my recovery. If I’m like this at almost 6 months then I can’t wait to see what it will be like at a year!

 

[sistersinhim]

And a weird side effect from surgery that you don’t often see mentioned - my toenails have stopped growing! My surgeon says this is totally normal and that growth will resume when my body has recovered from the massive trauma of the surgery.

I've never heard that before, but it makes sense. Maybe it's God's way of not having to bend down to cut them until we can without pain! I know it was a while before I could reach my feet.

 

[London Trainer]

It’s been a while since I posted and I’m now 9 months out and so happy with my new knees!

Last week I ran 15km on my treadmill (over 6 days), walked an average 20,267 steps per day and really enjoying being able to do all this without my knees constantly giving way like they used to before my surgery.

I had a fall 2 weeks ago, tripped down the kitchen step and landed on both knees - ow ow ow and lots of tears - but they feel fine now. I emailed my lovely surgeon in a total panic and his one line response was very reassuring ‘It is not advIsable to fall on your knees” and this forum also was a massive help when I read some older threads about falls.

This surgery has been absolutely life changing for me. Yes, my knees still feel stiff (especially in the mornings) and I do wish I had a better ROM (but it’s more than functional) - however, the occasional pain/twinges are so low on my pain scale compared to before that I can ignore them. Once I get moving or stretching then everything eases off.

One of the key components of my recovery has been walking daily on my treadmill - this has really helped to improve my walking gait and it’s also been a safe way to gradually build up my walking speed.

I would like to do an outdoor run again one day but for now I prefer to stick to running on my treadmill as it’s more supportive (and I’m much less worried about falling!).

Kneeling is still not entirely comfortable but I’m getting used to it and I’m able to demonstrate exercises requiring kneeling for my clients which is excellent.

I can’t wait to see how much better it will be a year after surgery - I’m getting back to levels of fitness I thought were lost to me forever and it’s a fantastic feeling.

Wishing everyone good recoveries - don’t lose hope at the beginning when it seems totally hopeless - it does get better eventually and at the pace that‘s right for each individal.

 

[Jockette]

That is a great update, thank you for coming back to share!

 

[Sisterpat]

This gives all us newbie knees great hope! Thanks for sharing this!

 

[Ghostpipe]

Thank you for taking the time to update. I am 17 weeks out from bilaterals, and it’s great to hear of success stories. Really gives hope!

 

[Freestyle]

Thanks, @London Trainer. It's so wonderful when someone comes back after a long time and gives a positive update. After my first TKR (around the time of your surgery), I, like so many people, just disappeared after six weeks when I had gotten on with my life and was no longer thinking about my knees every day. I really enjoy reading recovery threads.

 

[Arrangrl]

Thanks for this
I have read through your journey and it seems we all go through similar stages! It’s great you are feeling so well and fit .

 

[London Trainer]

So I’m now almost 18 months from surgery - still managing daily average of 20,000 plus steps, running 15km a week (on my treadmill), skipping, lots of intense workouts - and it’s often amazing me how much happier my life is with my new knees.

I’m getting a slightly better ROM and although I have the odd twinges (and some torn muscle fibres in January - from sprinting) I rarely think of my knees anymore. They don’t impact my daily life now which is fantastic. The only pain relief I take is slow release ibuprofen at night, but that’s more for the arthritis in my feet, spine and hands.

i look back to the early days after surgery and it seems a whole lifetime away. Such a brutal operation, an incredibly long recovery but a totally worth it result. Even kneeling is getting less painful . . .

Really hope everyone going through this horrendous surgery can draw comfort from my recovery and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Even when it seems you‘re never going to feel better it helps to remember that every day you’re getting closer to a more active and less painful life.

Wishing everyone the very best outcome.

 

[glidefloss]

Hi @London Trainer , what a glowing report! I'm impressed and inspired and aspire to be as active as you in a few months! I hope to be able to start treadmill jogging sometime late this year (my soon to be replaced left knee will be 6 months post-op by then, and my right knee will be pushing on a year) and if that goes well, maybe trail runs will again be in my future.

Thanks for your posting and all the best for continued success!

 

[London Trainer]

It was 2 years on Friday since my I got my new knees and I’m still super happy with them! Running 25km a week (over 6 days and only on my treadmill), walking 20k plus steps daily, rushing up and down stairs (and escalators!) with no problems. The rest of my arthritis does bug me quite a bit - in my feet, hands, hips, facet joints in lower back, shoulders and neck - but my knees feel great!!!

To everyone at the beginning it really does get better. Time, patience and good physio. One of the things that massively helped (and still helps) is walking on my treadmill. It’s a brilliant way to improve your gait safely and with control.

Good luck to everyone going through this incredibly difficult surgery and rehabilitation. It seems to take forever to start recovering but feels amazing when you get through the initial nightmare.

 

[Jaycey]

@London Trainer Great update! So glad you are getting back to living again. A treadmill is a great way to retrain your gait without the impact of running on a hard surface. Well done!