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Bilateral TKR BTKR: What was I thinking?

@Josephine thank you for your input. It is just an odd thing to be happening. I drove to a doctor appointment today and grocery shopped...I am exhausted!

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Today I went to work. Sub at a high school. Easy day, but I am exhausted! @Josephine, @Celle and @Jamie, I am 11weeks out. Shouldn't I be over this by now? My knees are so sore and feel like logs.

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11 weeks after having two knees done is still very early in a year long recovery. You will continue to be tired for quite some time until your body recovers.
 
It can take up to a year to recover completely from a TKR and I was still feeling the energy drain at 8 months. My energy was better, but not completely back. I went back to first grade part time at 12 weeks and I was whipped, spending most afternoons napping.
I hope they don't call you in tomorrow, you'll be able to rest.
 
Oh my goodness, your knees are still babies and so is your body from after the bilateral. No wonder you're pooped!
 
I agree. If you read this Energy drain for TKRs you will see that it lasts at least 3 months for just ONE knee. And you had not only two knees done but one was a revision to boot! So I would suggest that in your case, the energy drain and the general healing process. Plus you had your first day back at work. You said it was an 'easy day' - did you forget everything that goes along with going back to work? I'm referring to all this - it all adds to the burden

~ having to get up earlier in the morning
~ getting washed/showered, putting on the 'face',
~ getting dressed
~ getting a fast breakfast and eating it in about 5 mins instead of casually
~ getting out the car
~ driving/travelling to work
~ walking from car/transport to office
~ actually being up and about and unable to take intermittent proper rests during the day
~ walking from office back to car/transport
~ driving home/on transport
~ putting car away/walking from bus stop to home
~ making an evening meal
~ probably feeding pets and/or others
~ washing up and then finding it's almost time for bed!
 
@Josephine Thanks for that wake-up call. I am going to start off with 3 days a week so I can crash the other 2. I brought my ice machine with me today, maybe that will help! It just seems like such a long recovery that I am getting tired of it and everyone else seems to think that it's about time to get it together, too. At least I reached one goal----I walked on the beach and in the Gulf with my 3 year old granddaughter at Key Largo last week!!!

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34120 said:
I am going to start off with 3 days a week so I can crash the other 2.
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It would be even better if you can alternate your days so you have a day to recoup in between!
34120 said:
everyone else seems to think that it's about time to get it together, too
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Well, a) it matters not a jot what other people think! They aren't their knee and they probably haven't got a clue as to how tough this recovery really is! And b) it's not something you can control anyway. The only 'people' in charge are your knees and they will let you know loudly and stridently when you do something they don't like!
34120 said:
At least I reached one goal----I walked on the beach and in the Gulf with my 3 year old granddaughter at Key Largo last week!!!
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That sounds totally dreamy! However - and I really am sorry to pour cold water on your accomplishment - walking on sand is probably THE most trying and damaging thing you can do. Dry sand is bad, wet sand is ghastly!
 
34120 said:
everyone else seems to think that it's about time to get it together, too.
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That would be

(a) all the people you know who've had BTKR and are knowledgeable

Or would it be

(b) people who know nothing and have no experience but do have opinions?

My guess is that the scores are (a) zero (b) lots. Meaning you can take no notice.
 
Josephine's right. All those people who know nothing about what you're going through want to judge how badly you're doing. If they only knew!
 
Thank you all so much for your input. Your support is much appreciated! I am so happy that I stumbled onto Bonesmart. Another question, @Josephine, @Celle and @Jamie, I have spoken to another surgeon in the same group about my hammer toes, right foot. She has explained the surgery and recovery, but is hesitant because of the BTKR. Can you give me your thoughts about when I could safely have another surgery? I would like to do it in November because I have already satisfied insurance deductibles, etc. I see my OS on Thursday but would really value your opinions.

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The problem with toe surgery is that you will have to be off your feet for several weeks while the bone heals and after that a period of painful walking adjustment, all of which could take around 5-6 months, so obviously you don't want to consider any additional surgery like this that might interfere with the knee recovery. And a BTKR can take around 4-6 months to get back to anything like normal. So in light of this, I would recommend you need to be thinking about at least a year before you consider the toe surgery.
 
Thank you!!!

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I had a BTKR and I was an educator for 37 years---I returned to the classroom at eight weeks post-op, and I found out all too quickly that it was waaaaay too soon. I came home exhausted.

You have to realize how much surgical trauma that was done to your knees, and how much energy your body is expending in recovery.

What you are going through is perfectly normal, and we have to simply work at being very, very patient and understand that recovery will most likely take much longer than we are prepared for.

When I returned to teaching, I did absolutely nothing on Sundays after church except ice, rest, elevate, and repeat.

I returned to umpiring HS and college baseball at five months, but I still had a slight little limp. At six months post-BTKR, I was at around 80%-85%, and it was not until eight months or so that I was honestly at around 90%-95%-100%. We can gain ROM upwards to a year and beyond post surgery.
 
I had both knees done at the end of April and at the end of the school day I still have swollen legs and feet and they are stiff and I'm tired! It will be 6 months at the end of October.
 
Oh boy, rough night. Tried to sleep without a pillow between the knees , or under if on my back. Awoke in pain and stiffness something awful. Also, it seems I have developed restless leg syndrome before getting to sleep, which keeps me awake. I'm trying to work each day I can because I have foot surgery Nov 4th and need the money. I come home, ice, elevate, rest, any suggestions??? @Josephine, is this a setback, or just part of the process?

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Hi there. I'm sorry about the restless legs. That article Marian attached is very good. I have seen patients treated successfully with gabapentin . I was prescribed a small bedtime dose (300 mg) by my surgeon as part of his routine orders to prevent RLS and help with sleep. It worked great for sleep but I was unusually sensitive and had to stop it. Since I stopped it, I've noticed occasional episodes of random leg jerking at night (not severe or frequent like yours), so the gabapentin was probably helping. You might consider asking your doc about a small, short-term round of this?


Shelia
RTKR - 8/23/16
LTKR - 10/11/16
 
@34120

I also have RLS on some nights. I drink a small glass of tonic water with quinine and it really seems to help. It's such an awful, uncomfortable feeling, isn't it?

Good luck!!

Jen
 
I guess that is what I get about once every few weeks. I didn't realize it could happen after a tkr.
 
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