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TKR Canadian Girl's Journey

Hi @amab, good morning! Just got out of the shower and am feeling pretty good. Just more of a really dull ache.

Are you fully healed for both of your surgeries now? I am reading a lot that it can take a year before you really feel back to feeling 100%. I am willing to wait for sure but would like to know what to expect in terms of when I may be able to lose any walking aids. My physiotherapist says if you are walking with a limp then you need to use an aid. I have a lot of issues with my back and glutes due to limping for so long (should have used a cane then I guess). But with massage and chiro I have been able to keep it manageable and expect that when I am back to an active lifestyle I will be able to strengthen all of the ignored muscles. It certainly is a journey.

Congratulations on the 5K walk. 44 minutes is awesome! I look forward to doing that as well. No reason to run when I can walk right? I used to be part of a Volksmarch Club back in the 80's when I lived in Germany. We have some amazing trails through the Gatineau hills so I will definitely be getting back into that. Running a marathi in Big Sur is on my bucket list but I am going to have to rethink that and replace it with something equally awesome.

Off to physio. Chat later.
 
Hi Lisa! I am 7 weeks post-op and can relate to everything you are saying. One of the shocks for me was the amount of pain in the rest of my leg, not my knee, which makes sense when I remember the amount of hammering going on during my surgery! I often use a heating pad on my quad while icing my knee. My OS said to use the heating pad or ice on my quad/thigh if it helps the pain and it does. In fact I would say my ice machine and my heating pad are my two best friends:friends:! Take care !
Pat (on the left coast :wink:)
 
@71Beetle My OS, prior to surgery, told me I could be using a walker for 6-8 weeks. After my first PT session two weeks post op I was told to ditch the walker and start using a cane. I have been walking unaided for the last three weeks or more and I am 8 weeks post op. I also have heard that if you limp use an aid. However, though I may limp a little at times I really concentrate on proper gait, heel then toe and extend to avoid doing that as much as possible.

Oh, and being an avid golfer I can understand your husband's love for his hobby, fishing. I would think, though, you being in Canada and all, we are sill talking ice fishing at this time? :realing::snow dig:
 
@robograndma Hi Pat, nice to meet you! Thanks for the tip on the heating pad and ice. I keep forgetting why the pain is there in the rest of my leg but yes, there was a lot of trauma done to it for sure. I was explaining to the physiotherapist how the feeling was and asked her why I have this aching from on the outside of my leg from my ankle to my bum and she looked and said "it's because you have a large bruise running that entire distance". :)

I see you username is robograndma (very cute). How many grandchildren do you have? Have you always lived out west? I have a brother in Duncan but I have not been that far out west myself yet.

Chat soon.

Lisa
 
Oh, and being an avid golfer I can understand your husband's love for his hobby, fishing. I would think, though, you being in Canada and all, we are sill talking ice fishing at this time? :realing::snow dig:[/QUOTE]

:heehee:.....that's a joke right Phil?! Ottawa temp today 24 celcius (around 80 farenheight)!

Lisa....I am born and raised in Victoria and fortunate to have all 5.8 grandchildren living here as well :loveshwr:!
 
@Phil That is good to know. I find the walker very cumbersome but it sure is stable. Walking unaided after 5 weeks is awesome - good for you! Something for me to strive for.

I golf as well. Notice that I did not say I was a golfer? :) I don't get out as much as I would like as I have three boys that I am taxiing around town. But I do enjoy it. We live really close to my favourite golf course https://www.lochmarch.com

When we retire, we plan on moving to a place on a lake where my husband can fish. I tell him as long as there is a golf course within a 15 minute drive he can fish all he wants! Although he does ice fish, thankfully the snow melted a few weeks back. The picture of my bug was taken the weekend before Easter and you can still see some snow on the ground. It has been a long winter in Ottawa!

Right now it is 77 degrees but feels like 88 with the humidity. You'll notice I converted that to fahrenheit :) I have been to Texas in the summer. Love that heat because you don't have the horrid humidity that we have.
 
@robograndma does that mean that you will soon have 6 grandchildren? Do they live close to you? My parents have 6 grandsons. I know my mom was hoping for a granddaughter but I have done what I can do and 3 boys is enough for me to give up trying for a girl :)
 
Yes, one is still in the oven! Due end of June. That will make three boys and three girls from my two children (boy and girl). We all live in Victoria! Living on the tip of the island everyone is close!
 
@robograndma That must be so nice for you Pat, having everyone close. My parents live here as does my oldest brother. I have another brother in Duncan BC and a sister in Calgary. The last time we were all together was when we celebrated my parent's 50th in 2009.:sad:
 
I wouldn't use a heating pad just yet. It's more likely to bring extra blood to where you put it and could cause more bruising and swelling. Try icing and elevating. The bruising around your ankle is gravity having its effect. As you get up and about, some of the bruise goes "downhill", so to speak, from higher up your leg.

The other thing is, if you're bothered by pain all over your leg, are you taking sufficient pain medication?

Don't worry about the leg lifts - it's still very early days and they will come, with time.

Don't even think about using the rowing machine for quite a while. That machine builds strength and you don't want to be doing strengthening exercises until all your tissues have fully healed.

You're not even 2 weeks out yet, so you have plenty of time on your side. No need to rush. This recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.
 
I am feeling a certain calm today. It could be the meds or it could be that I am starting to feel pride in my small accomplishments :) Either way, I do have to thank everyone that has connected with me through this forum. Your inspiration, knowledge and cheerleading has been a big part of me getting to the stage that I am at.

@Celle @robograndma @pumpkin @Phil75070 @amab @lori107 @DogLoverx3 @Haze @Mai5ie @Old Texan @pippi @referee54 @Jozilla @maryo52 @Wednesday you all inspire me and I am so happy to be getting t know you.
:flwrysmile:
 
Good evening! Looks like it was a great day for you!

You asked this am........."Are you fully healed for both of your surgeries now? I am reading a lot that it can take a year before you really feel back to feeling 100%.".......

I'm pretty well healed from my LTKR......the 12 month mark is a generally good gauge; but everyone one heals at their own pace. I'm 15 months out for the left one and it's just fine. For my RTKR I'm at 8 months. I progressed a little quicker with my right one because the damage to my left was much more severe. Progress for my right one continues; only needed about 3 official PT sessions but lots of home exercise.

Now, there are days the knees remind me they are there and "who's the boss".....:heehee:......like today, my right knee is a bit "cranky" but that's probably due to overdoing in my weekly exercise schedule of swimming, resistance weights, walking. Biking has been a bit sporadic so far this spring. I keep relearning the lesson of "not overdoing"; must be a slow learner or something.....

You will do well and continue to progress.....

Best to you
 
Hey Beetle, glad you are coming along. I am 7 weeks out & doing pretty well. Still have pain & get wore down rather quickly but I overdo one day & rest two days. :yawn: I hope you got your boss straightened out. This is a long
process. Only tried golf once but I have way too many hobbies already. I would have agreed with Phil & thought the ice was still on. Oh well. Fishing is therapy. Sometimes you hope to catch a meal sometimes a big one & sometimes you hope the fish don't bother you. I am going fishing in Ontario in August just because I can since I am retiring. Good luck on your recovery & good luck to your husband fishing. :bigfish:
 
Wow. I think you must be an innately upbeat person. Hope things are going well for you.
 
@amab Good to know the level of activity you are currently doing is possible. I have so many activities that I want to get back to or to try for the first time! I will have to be sure I pace myself. It is like graduating high school again...the possibilities are endless and the world is my oyster! Let's be clear, high school graduation was so long ago that I have no idea if that is how I felt. :)

@ironman60 is that your username because you compete in Ironman races or a play on the metal joints? Sounds like you are in good condition at the 7 week mark. Good for you. Congratulations on your upcoming retirement! Where in Ontario will you be fishing? Are you going for walleye? That is generally what my husband fishes for. It is known as pickerel in the US. We go up north to Temagami Ontario every year for our holidays. Beautiful scenery, great fishing and the call of the loon is the only way to decompress from the daily grind.

I am not sure if I will go this year. I would have to drive back on my own (6 hour drive) to make it back for my surgery on July 3rd. I don't know if it will be worth it. My hubby and our two younger boys and my husband's parents will all go. Maybe best that I stay home with my oldest boy to ensure the house stays in one piece (last year there was a "get together" in our absence that resulted in a few infractions of our house rules) :)

maryo52 said:
Wow. I think you must be an innately upbeat person. Hope things are going well for you.
Click to expand...

@maryo52 I am a pretty upbeat person. My dad always says if you wake up in the morning on the right side of the grass it's going to be a good day. I keep waking up on the right side of the grass. :)

I am going to try to sleep now - it seems to be easier now that I have the stronger meds.

Chat soon!
 
Good Morning all! I slept pretty well last night. I know it's the meds but regardless.... I will have to work on finding a balance between pain and drug induced stupor. That will be my to-do today. :)

I do believe I have been spending too much time on my butt. I am getting pain similar to sciatic pain. Does anybody have any ideas on easing this pain?

We have a long weekend in Canada this weekend, Monday is Victoria Day. This is my favourite long weekend - I see it as the gateway to summer. We are finally opening the pool and it will be nice to sit outside (if the rain stops) and watch the boys perform cannon balls and silly jumps of the diving rock.

Happy Friday everyone!
 
Everyone gets one or more of the following: sciatic pain, hip pain, or lower back pain. It's, yes, from sitting around (which is necessary), but also from the two legs having very different lives! "This too shall pass."
 
Get up and walk around (very briefly) throughout the day, change position often and take your meds is the only thing I can tell you. You might try a heating pad on your back on low heat at times.
 
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