TKR CaliGirl's post op journey.

There's nothing like the swimming for therapy

How soon after surgery were you allowed to swim? I too swim, I find it's the only exercise I can do, and I love it. In fact I'm about on my way out the door today to the gym for my mile swim. I will miss it after surgery and was curious how long I would gave to give it up.
 
You are so lucky to be able to do pool therapy...I'm glad you are doing so well.
 
I'm glad your knee liked the pool therapy, but lots of people say how easy it is to do too much. I'm in two minds about it, but my physio is on holiday and my next appointment is the 8th July. I'm hoping I'll be a bit stronger by then and able to cope with the pool.
Tabby xxx
 
Swimming feels so good! It's wonderful that you can do it now.
 
@Happydale I'm so glad that what I'm sharing is helpful. That is truly my goal, as reading others' recovery posts has been so very helpful to me. I've wanted to share my experiences and ideas (like going up the stairs backwards when I first got home from the hospital), to help others. Yes, those glimpses of normalcy are definitely coming along, and I'm doing very well. I'm driving on my own now regularly, I've been to the pharmacy to pick up my own prescriptions, I can do a bit of housework (which is lovely, because my husband and daughter are slobs!), and I can sit in a regular chair for much longer now. I went out for dinner with my husband a couple of nights ago, and out to brunch with a friend last weekend. Both times I needed to put my leg up on the bench after a while, but I did not join the ODIC. I came home and was comfortable. I don't take much pain medication other than Tylenol most of the time, and when I do, I almost always cut the pills in half, as unless I've really overdone it, I don't need 10 mg of oxycodone. Half of a Percoset 10-325 and 1 500 mg Tylenol do a great job. The doctor gave me another prescription for the Precoset, which I don't actually need yet, but I'm filling it, so that months down the road if I have a bad day, I have something to fall back on without having to beg my doctor.

This afternoon I'm going to pop into my office for a little bit and say "Hi" to everyone, and touch base with the office manager regarding when I think I'll be ready to return to work. I'm so very glad that I discovered this website before my surgery, and that I got a reality check regarding recovery time. Before I discovered bonesmart, I thought I would be able to return to work at 4 weeks. I'm at 7 1/2 weeks, and am not ready yet. Also, with the knowledge I've gained on here, I know how very well I'm doing in recovery, and don't worry about the bad days. If I hadn't found this site, I think I would be constantly pushing myself to live a totally normal life, overdoing it, and suffering horribly.

The therapy pool at the hospital is 94 degrees, so it was just heavenly to get into. I couldn't believe how easy it was to do the exercises in the water, and how happy my knee is with me today. Once the other muscles get used to being used again, I think pool therapy is going to be amazing for me. I also have plans to go up to my mom's next week, and use her pool - although it's not nearly as warm, I can actually swim in it. Probably I'll mostly just walk in the shallow end, do some of the exercises I'm learning in pool therapy, and then float about a bit. I'm certainly not ready for proper enthusiastic swimming. Really, any excuse to be in the water - especially as it's been well over 100 here.
 
@Tabbycat Yes, it really is very easy to overdo it in the pool. Happily I didn't overdo it with my knee, just the rest of my completely out of shape body. LOL The therapist did warn me, but I felt fine in the pool when I was doing the exercises. No pain - or really any discomfort - at all. In land PT I do have some discomfort. Pool therapy was much more comfortable to do. I will be alternating between the two modalities, doing two sessions of pool therapy for every one session of land therapy, since they have different benefits.
 
I only had two sessions of pool therapy which I totally loved. I got tossed out of class because I was doing too well! The water was 94 degrees and I loved it. I got a membership at the gym that owned that pool and two others. I did my own a couple of times but they were too expensive and to far away so I guess I'll mostly be swimming in the Atlantic off NJ. Nice warm water there. Might even get up into the 60s!:rotfl:
 
Your recovery story has been so helpful to me - you're one of the folks leading my way through this. You have made great progress, and given me inspiration. I hope you're continuing to increase the normalcy of your everyday life.

I couldn't agree with you more Sara! I came to Bonesmart back in May of this year having put my replacement off for a year+ because I had heard such horrorible stories about recovery. My surgeon & all family members had been urging me to get my knee replaced. I lost 80% mobility, gained 30lbs and sunk deeper and deeper into depression because I couldn't walk the beach, I couldn't walk my dogs.. all I could do was hold on to anything within reach to get where I was going. Ended up being a walker.

So I got online hoping to find anything friendly about a knee replacement. I stumbled onto bonesmart and liked that they had a community of folks who had been there and done that. Soon I was a May Marvel and guess who reached out to me first.. to tell me we were scheduled for our TKR's on the very same day. @CaliGirl, Gayna! She even partnered us up, her left knee to be replaced, my right- LOL!

She has been such a support to me. She took my hand and together we got this done. Her being a big city girl (California) and me being a wimpy country girl (Farm is 30 miles from nearest McDonald's), she was a wonderful example of courage and strength to me.

Now she's so busy out there swimming in the pool and doing her city whatever things she does, I've missed her. Really missed her here. = (

Anyone else?

Screen Shot 2016-06-29 at 12.19.46 PM.png
 
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@Suz yes I have missed her very much I did ask a few days ago how she was like you she was one of the first people to reach out to me and we had a few laughs along the way, maybe it means your life and knee is improving the less you are on hear. I will always think of people on hear, and thank every one fore there help. I was grateful 5 years ago when I had my first TKR and think of those people that helped me then. We all move on maybe she has.

LTKR 11 May 2016
 
She's still posting on occasion so I hope this little 'shout out' will lure her back in 'more'- LOL!! It's like Celle said to someone this morning to the effect of- we need those who are positive & having good recoveries to continue sharing here to help those who aren't! She'll be back.. especially now.. haha!!
 
[emoji106]

LTKR 11 May 2016
 
Ok, I'm back and feeling very loved.:loveshwr:

Mostly I've been recovering, of course on the roller-coaster, with some pain to go along with the progress. In the early days the milestones seemed more frequent and significant. Now I'm just slowly improving. My measured flexion is still stuck at 106, but my knee FEELS less tight.

I guess I have had some milestones to celebrate:

I'm able to drive my daughter to the bus station every morning, and am driving myself everywhere I need to go. I did ask hubby to come to my OS with me in case it was too long a drive and I needed to take a pain pill. Ithe turned out I would have been just fine on my own. Although I was happy to climb into my recliner when we got home.

I'm able to do some grocery shopping on my own, and even walk around the store rather than using a scooter.

Hubby is out of town for a few days, and I'm able to take care of everything that needs to be done, although I do have to remember to pace myself, and not try to squeeze in too much in one day. I'm surprised by how much I can do, although boy was I tired last night.

Still not quite ready to go back to work (and going into this I was thinking 4 to 6 weeks would be plenty :rotfl:), but I soon will be.

I need to work on my extension, doing the exercises here in the bonesmart library. The recliner seat on my couch has no support under my knees, so that should be perfect for the passive stool stretch. I hate the towel under the ankle quad sets, as they are really uncomfortable, but I will start with doing a few, rather than a full set of 10, and take it from there.

I'm love, love, loving the pool therapy. I get a good workout, I can feel the benefits, and the best part is I get no complaints from my knee afterwards, unlike my land PT.

I hope all of you are doing well, too. Think good thoughts, it's a journey and we'll all get there in our own good time. :flwrysmile:
 
I can't wait to see where we are 4wks from today Gayna! I'm ready to say if my left knee starts acting up and taking precious mobility away from me.. I'd do this again.

There.. I SAID IT-!!!

LOL!
 
Oh, wow. Suzie, I'm not ready to say I'd do it again! Maybe in another month, not today.

Thanks for the info on water therapy, Gayna. I pay to belong to a gym that I never attend that has a heated therapy pool. I think that will be my next adventure on this journey.
 
@CaliGirl so glad you are feeling more normal, I had a tough road with my first and always said never again, hear I am again nearly 5 years down the line having had my other one and this time it's been so much better, I think you have to way up the pain in your knee v getting somthing good out of it at the end

LTKR 11 May 2016
 
Hi Gayna,
Lovely to catch up with how you are getting on. You've been such a good friend to lots of us especially me, getting me through all those worries pre-op and since the surgery. I will always remember how you helped me, and @Dawni too. I'm really glad you are having a good recovery. Don't forget to keep in touch.
Love, Tabby xxx
 
@CaliGirl I'm so glad you are feeling better, like you, I thought I would be able to go back to work after 3 weeks, now I'm supposed to go back on July 25th and I'm not sure I will be able to, it would be wonderful if I can.

Keep posting updates on you recovery and I really hope you continue to do well!!!
 
Going back to work wasn't too tough on my knee. It did swell up but no pain to speak of. My main problem was the energy drain I still was experiencing. I went back at 13 weeks so I thought it wouldn't happen. If you have a desk job you might be able to go back sooner but don't do anything else that day. Leave housework to the days you're off. Try to pre make meals n the weekends or arrange to pick up some ready cooked meals for work days.
 
@newlybionic I do have a mostly sedentary job. I am definitely experiencing more energy drain than pain most of the time.

I am lucky that my husband does most of the cooking and grocery shopping. I definitely will not be able to work and do pt (even my beloved pool therapy) for the first few weeks back.
 
9 weeks post op as of yesterday, and I'm able to do more and more. I even got into my car like a normal person today and it didn't hurt. I'm still using the cane first thing in the morning, and when I go out, but really don't use it in the house much at all.

I'm able to sit in a regular chair for about an hour. I then need to stand up and walk around, but then my knee doesn't hurt.

I told my office I will return to work on the 18th. I'm going to take a break from PT when I first go back to work. I think I'll be too tired at first to work and do PT. I really love the pool therapy, though, so will return to that as soon as stamina allows.
 

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