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Calling all April replacements!

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Hi @Tamsmom

My BTKR was on May 5, 2014. I hope that is relatively close to your date so that we can share our experiences.
I would love to read about your surgery and recovery.

Yesterday, I was 42 days out, and I had been able to drive for one week. It feels great to be able to drive. I drove myself to outpatient PT.

My extensions in both legs are Zero. And my ROM is 130 in left knee, and 128 in right knee.

I feel stronger each and everyday but still not as energetic as my normal old self. I look forward to having more energy. I am not pushing myself though. I am following the advice on this Forum and take the easy route to recovery. Letting the knees be in charge, etc.

Hugs!




Tamsmom said:
This is a great and quite large forum, I wanted to create a thread for people who went under the knife in April 2014.

I don't know if the recovery area is where it will be allowed, I hope so!

I am thinking it would be convenient to see how others are doing that are on the same timetable as Me, plus, people that are a little behind us in surgery date can see what to expect in the next couple of weeks.

I love reading everyone's threads about the recovery even if they are not very recent so I will still be reading those I just am hoping to have a more timely thread available to interact with.

So hop on and tell me what has been good, bad, scary, frustrating about your surgery and recovery!

My surgery date was April 1st


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hop on board! it sounds like you are doing great! the energy drain is still very much a part of my life...sometimes i wonder if i just got used to doing nothing and am now lazy!
 
I treated myself to a pedicure, an aromatherapy facial and a back, neck and shoulder massage today. Absolute bliss!
 
I had my surgery April 21 2014 It seems like so long ago, but then again, it seems like yesterday. I am going on my 9th week ( I think). I have trouble going down steps the old way but I can get up them pretty easy now. I am still having some pain on the outside of my knee, which they say is caused by my IT band. ( who knows)
Still having problems sleeping without my benadryl, and I am hoping that once I return to work at 12 weeks it will be better.
I still have a limp, however, I am really trying to master heel toe, heel toe. My quads are regaining strength and I faithfully do my exercises daily. I almost believe this will be the rest of my life. I do have swelling when I am on it for long periods of time, and I continue using ice whenever I can.
As for pain meds I am still taking 25 mg of Tramadol per day and tylenol in the evening before bed and maybe once during the day if needed. I take my cane with me more for the fact that everyone moves out of my way when they see me coming than for the actual need, but it is good to have it with me if I need it.

@Tamsmom I agree with the part about being lazy. My energy levels are not the same yet. And I think this being lazy and resting has caused me to begin to think like that.
@Mai5ie I would love to get a pedicure, but my doc says to be careful the first year and try not to do that because of infections. The massage sounds heavenly
@Wellness in Virginia you sound like you are doing great. Keep up the good work.
 
Looking forward to my massage in a half hour!
If I stay home my energy is pretty good, go out and I am wiped out if I do more than one stop.
 
@jbucks -- Now I know what to expect when I am 9 weeks out. Thank you so much for posting. I still find it difficult to get more than 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Since my BTKR 6 weeks ago, I had 2 nights when I slept well, that is 2 nights with 6 hours of sleep per night in the last 42 nights. The majority of the other nights I get in 3 hours here and there if I was lucky. I look forward to sleeping better so that I could feel more energetic the rest of the day.

I hope you will start to sleep well soon. What do you think of taking Tylenol PM? Have you tried that?
 
I still have trouble sleeping at night. I usually take Tylenol pm and sometimes a muscle relaxer. I don't really need a pain med but just want to sleep! 4 am is my bewitching hour and that is early if you don't get to sleep much before midnight.

All of the sudden I just don't want to ice.

Pain is fine, just stiff and a funny feeling on the top of my knee, I don't know if i would even describe it as a stiffness.

I even wear little low healed wedges to work!
 
Hey All! I'm a new member to this forum. I stumbled on it this morning as I struggle with sleeping I had BTKR on 4/21/14 and my biggest struggle is what seems to be restless leg syndrome and that discomfort keeps me awake. I try to go to bed after taking 5 mg Ambien but getting to sleep is ear impossible. Originally my primary care doc drew blood and said I was terribly iron deficient and felt that was causing my RLS symptoms. I've taken it religiously for 3 weeks (325 mg, twice a day) which causes terrible stomach upset and I HATE it! I'm not really noticing any difference. I've returned to work full-time and not sleeping is causing terrible problems with focus, irritability, very low energy......
I expected that my physical recovery would be a journey and it wouldn't happen overnight, but it's the RLS symptoms and lack of sleep that is hampering my recovery.
Is anyone else struggling with this? Any advice? I'm starting to feel desperate!
 
@kneechick, RLS is a common side effect. Mine lasted several weeks and is better for the most part, sometimes I feel it but then I start to think I have stressed myself out so much with not sleeping that I am imagining it. Whether I am or not, a good nights sleep is a rare occurrence still!

I hope the other parts of your recovery is going well! There are a ton of amazing quick articles in the library, even several moths out they will be very beneficial.

Oh and I had a friend tell me after she had a ruptured Achilles' tendon she suffered from RLS for awhile, must have something to do with healing!


4/1/2014 TKR
 
Tamsmom,
So glad that you started this!!!!! My RTKR was April 23rd. Hospital stay was 3 days then home. Went back to work at week 3 (desk job). I had trouble getting ROM in the beginning but now I'm at 110...so exciting. Still cannot get to 0 :(( But I work on it everyday. I bike everyday and am now able (slowly) to do stairs normally. I have not taken any pain med since week 2, just didnt need them. I also work out in my pool several time a week. I do still have swelling above the knee but doc seems to be happy with overall recovery. I also get stiff if I stand for any peroid of time, but walking does not make the knee stiff. I'm feeling good these days. I'm almost to the point of being happy that I had this done. lol I know I will be glad in the long run.

Thanks again, it is really nice to see where everyone else is on their recovery.
 
Also April, but at the very beginning of the month. It's been only about three weeks since I began to sleep well, so it should be happening for most of you very soon. I feel I am now at the point at which I feel almost normal. Legs still achy, but nothing I can't handle. My energy is less than it was, but I'm starting to take long walks with the dogs and hoping it helps.

One thing I notice is that when I wake up in the morning and bend my knees, I can really feel the stretching along the wound. Other than that, nothing.
 
@Tamsmom Thanks for the thread. I hear you on the ice. It is becoming difficult to ICE I dont know why, I guess it is the process of just being over all of it. I am
On a high note. I saw a friend when I was traveling this weekend. She had her knee done 2 years ago. She did say that it took her 1 year to feel herself. She said it was excrutiating in terms of frustration not being able to do more faster.
She looks great now and does all the things she could not do before her surgery.
 
@Knee Chick,
Welcome to Bone smart! Why don't you start your own thread in the Knee Replacement Recovery Area, there is a button in the upper right hand corner, where you can start a thread. That way you will receive more people will see your posts to answer your questions and concerns.
Here is a link to an article about restless legs in the library.
Restless legs following knee replacement surgery

@sunshinetwp ,
Welcome to Bonesmart, sounds like you are doing fine, you can start your own thread in the Knee Replacement Recovery area, just click on the black button in the upper right hand corner, and tell us about your recovery.
Here is a link to an article about swelling, Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?, that may help you with your on going edema.
 
Hi all. Just catching up with other 'April knees'! I feel FANTASTIC. I've spent the last few days decorating - lots of painting, stretching, climbing on and off chairs... I feel wonderful. Going to the gym twice a week to try and build up my stamina, but so glad I had this op.
 
RTKR on April 23, My recovery to this point has been better than I anticipated. I started PT 3 weeks OP with my flexion around 85 and extension around 20. PT was some what of joke had 4 sessions.

What I feel helped me, was getting on a recumbent. My first time it was very difficult to do a complete rotation, but it became easier. In my 3 wk OP I started going to gym twice a day (gym twice a day for 7 wks) and exercising at home. In my 7 wk OP started riding my road bike and in my 10 OP I did a 40 mile ride. I'm now 3 months one week OP I still hit the gym every day and try still active.

I never had any high levels of pain any time. When my leg starts to feel uncomfortable I ice and elevate. My ROM is now 125,0
 
BTKR on 1 April. I had an amazingly easy recovery but now at 4 months, I feel like I have hit a wall. Right leg is doing very well but that pesky left knee has got me so frustrated. It doesn't hurt to walk normally but still hurts to lift leg, walk up stairs and get up from a sitting position. I'm very faithful about doing the rehab exercises. 25 leg lifts and side lifts, 5 times a day. I'm trying to get those quads built up but it seems like it's counter productive. It hurts on either side in what I would call the "hinges"... Where it bends. Any other April bone smarties still having issues? Thanks for letting me rant!


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Eva,
Sorry you are having troubles with your right TKR, sounds like you are over doing your exercises, try cutting back significantly and give you knee a rest. You are only 4 months out and still healing.
I stlll a sore knee, and use crutches outside of the house.
I tagged you in your thread so you could easily find it later.
Let us know how you are doing?
 
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