TKR Carole’s recovery thread

[Carole4815]

I was surprised, too! For a few weeks, I felt like I had to put them up, then down, then up, then down, every few minutes (the electric recliner makes that easier). But I seem to have progressed to the point that they can stay down for longer, now. I am so fortunate that I can do that comfortably. The only thing that bothers me is if the edge of the seat digs into my thigh, but I can avoid that if I position myself carefully.

 

[luvcats]

I say never underestimate the power of a good night's sleep. It's a true healing miracle.

I think it was about 7 weeks the first go round before I could comfortably sit with my leg down for any length of time. This round that doesnt seem to be a major issue, but it's so early it may just have not manifested yet.

 

[Carole4815]

Still feeling pretty good today, so my sweetie and I are planning to have a light lunch at our favorite inexpensive mom'n'pop restaurant again today.

Last night sweetie and I talked about the timing for my second TKR. I was astounded when he said that his care giving so far has not really inconvenienced him. Huh? How could that be. He has done so much. So, I thought he was just saying that to be nice, but after a long talk I guess he really doesn't mind. It helps that he lives right next door, and he was already making multiple daily visits over here before the surgery. Things that seem big to me, like filling my ice machine several times a day during those painful early recovery days, or (ick!) doing my laundry, did not seem like a big deal to him since he was here anyway. He is enthusiastic about how much I have recovered already and that makes him more enthusiastic about the second knee replacement and how much that will improve my life.

I hope I have thought of all the other factors that I should consider related to the timing of my second TKR. Any thoughts on that? Here are the factors I have been thinking of:

(1) I'll still have to get all my dental work caught up, and

(2) I want to lose 5-6 pounds of weight that I gained since surgery, which will get my blood sugar back down as well (that's the way my Type 2 diabetes works, I'm lucky I guess). I suppose that some of that is probably due to water in my swollen knee since its diameter is about doubled, but in my case, my blood sugar would be helped if I lost it anyway. Fasting blood sugar this morning was 145, eek! Gotta fix that pronto and weight loss eating healthier foods is what does it best for me. And then

(3) it might be nice to be able to drive for a month or so before the next surgery, so I don't completely forget how. I'll probably get the go-ahead in early October. And

(4) I want my present surgical knee to be able to bear my full weight so it can help me out in my second recovery. It would be nice if I also have reached a point where I don't need the metal hospital walker, but you can't have everything and so I'll settle for standing like a flamingo on just my present surgical leg with my hands hovering above my walker and not touching it, for at least 10 seconds.

(5) Caregiver inconveniencing (apparently this one is settled, resolved, not an issue).

So, maybe next spring. I have a nice but quiet, sedate life so no events or vacations to plan around.

I have to admit that @luvcats is my role model for scheduling her second TKR so fast after the first. She is amazing and I truly respect anybody here who has had their second knee done that soon after the first. I am not as brave but I do think it's time to start thinking about this.

 

[Ladyala]

Wow I just caught up on you...eventful times!! I'm glad you are doing better & hope that pt listens to you next time. Sounds like you have a good plan in place for your tooth & next knee surgeries. Good job!!

 

[judgar]

I had my left one done 6 years ago. I was glad I could wait that many years. Yes luvcats is a brave person. I admire that. Whenever you decide to do it you will do great. I think it is all in the state of mind.

 

[luvcats]

It's very gracious of you to say, but I'm not sure I should be anyone's role model. It's mostly a combination of desperation and perfect timing for us. It might have been more sensible to wait a bit longer for my body's reserves to build back up. You'll definitely want to consult at length with your surgeon about what you need to be able to do before the next one.

The biggest thing has been having one actual good leg to stand on and support all my activities. It's harder than I thought it would be, because I've used my right leg dominantly for years, and my left isn't quite as strong as it needs to be. I think I'm putting my strain than is optimal on the surgical repair.

I would say your new leg should be up to doing all your daily life tasks. I was walking around the house easily without a cane. For me stairs were a necessity, but you don't have any stairs in your daily life, so that probably doesn't matter.

Just one leg wouldn't have gotten me a quality of life improvement. I'd have still been mostly disabled even with one good leg. My health just wasn't optimal enough for a bi-lateral. You want to talk brave? Bi lateral is brave. I can't imagine doing both knees at the same time. That would have been twice the misery, and I don't think I could have managed that.

 

[Carole4815]

Thank you for your very helpful thoughts and observations, luvcats.

I agree, bilateral is SO brave! And good point that I do want to be up to doing all my daily life tasks with my first new knee. I will need more stability and a better gait, and I will need to be able to support all of my weight on the leg that has my first new knee.

I'm making progress in that direction. About 20 minutes ago I lifted up my good leg and stood on my surgical leg alone, not for very long, but long enough that I was able to get into my stand-alone shower the easy way. I did this by simply lifting up my non-surgical leg and stepping over the 3" threshold at the entry like normal people. This improvement makes it SO much easier to get into the shower. Today's little victory.

 

[luvcats]

I completely understand your victory today. I can now do something that we call Stepping Over the Cat. I couldn't used to manage. I'd have to shuffle around them or prod them out of the way. Over is so much more convenient!

 

[Didot]

I also struggled to know when to do the second one - especially given I had such a hard time with my first, done in January. But I considered after 6 months that even though it was still far from perfect, I may as well do the next one and then focus on getting both better. I am 4 weeks in to my second and although still so hard, it has been easier. At least you know what you’re dealing with. To a large extent I feel like a bilateral patient, because both knees are still very vulnerable and there’s a long road ahead. But at least it’s done and it’s one way forward and up from here. Good luck - will keep an eye out for how you go.


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[Carole4815]

I completely understand your victory today. I can now do something that we call Stepping Over the Cat. I couldn't used to manage. I'd have to shuffle around them or prod them out of the way. Over is so much more convenient!

I love it!! "Stepping Over the Cat". I don't have any pets but I can imagine that would be a huge victory too!

 

[Carole4815]

I also struggled to know when to do the second one - especially given I had such a hard time with my first, done in January. But I considered after 6 months that even though it was still far from perfect, I may as well do the next one and then focus on getting both better. I am 4 weeks in to my second and although still so hard, it has been easier. At least you know what you’re dealing with. To a large extent I feel like a bilateral patient, because both knees are still very vulnerable and there’s a long road ahead. But at least it’s done and it’s one way forward and up from here. Good luck - will keep an eye out for how you go.

Thanks, @Didot ! That is very helpful information for me. I have been thinking, "Well, maybe March?" which would be about the same interval of time as you had between your two TKRs. So your post gives me some real insight into what it feels like to arrange the timing at 6 or 7 months.

 

[Carole4815]

Today's little victory - - I think? Maybe I have lost my mind to try something like this.

Anyway, I just walked 8 steps without my walker at all, to carry a towel across the room. I was limping but just slightly, and I felt secure, steady, and safe while doing it. I did not feel at all unstable or wobbly, or as though I would fall. Then I walked the 8 steps back to my walker. 8 steps seemed totally fine although that was enough for today. I am not ready for long distances yet.

Oh I know, that Carole, what a wild daredevil!!!



So, on a fleeting impulse an impossibility became possible. I have been absolutely GREEN with envy, silently, when reading about various bonesmarties that don't need a walker any more, even though I was genuinely happy for them at the same time. It never occurred to me that perhaps one day I, too, would be able to walk 8 steps without a walker. In my world that has not been a possibility for years.

It seems that what is happening here is that for some unknown reason I am gaining strength in my surgical knee and leg at a rapid rate. How delightful! Maybe bendability is not returning at quite such a rapid rate, but as Celle and others often point out, ROM will come in time.

Today, PT again. Ugh. But I only have 3 more weeks of it and I will not let them set my progress back.

 

[Steelergal]

Congrats on that great accomplishment!

I understand the green with envy! My ROM has stubbornly stayed within 10 degrees for the past 6 weeks. It's so hard not to compare with others. But our journeys are our own and I'm slowly coming to terms with my actual recovery vs. my perceived recovery. Now I celebrate if I get ONE more degree or if my knee isn't swollen at the end of the day! Here's to all victories, bit and little!

 

[Carole4815]

Thank you, @Steelergal ! My ROM seems to almost be a measurement of how much swelling I have, and therefore how much I happened to ice that day. It isn't keeping me from doing any of my important life activities (like walking 8 steps with no walker!). If they try to measure my ROM at PT today, it will probably be low because my knee feels a bit swollen and stiff. I know that as it heals, this will improve.

 

[sewhat]

You were talking about going from your Plain Jane walker to your rollator. Maybe you'll go from PJ walker to cane or nothing! You must be doing your exercises and gaining strength. Next you're going to be dancing with Sweetie.

 

[Carole4815]

I have a cane, but haven't really figured out how to use it effectively. It completely confuses me. Sweetie says he will teach me (he uses one). But, I haven't taken him up on that yet. To me a cane is a complete enigma; what hand to hold it in, how to fit it into one's stride, and so on, are deep mysteries to me. So maybe I will go from Plain Jane to nothing! That is a nice daydream that could come true one day.

Right now I am so tired! Here is a synopsis of my tiring day:

We went to the PT place, which is on the second floor but the elevator was broken! That was scary. There was no sign on it and when we got in, the buttons wouldn't do anything predictable and it started making loud noises with the door closed and wouldn't go anywhere, and we couldn't get the door open. We finally got out somehow. I called the PT place on my cell phone and told them about it so they called the repairmen. Meanwhile I cancelled my PT appointment since I did not want to try their rickety, wooden, outdoor stairs for my first time on stairs. Then we had to walk forever back to the bad parking place where we parked.

We went to our favorite restaurant for lunch, but no good parking spots there either. So, we drove around for 40 minutes and still no good parking spots so we took the best one and hiked to the restaurant. Sweetie said that was probably more exercise than PT, ha ha! but anyway I'm beat. Still, the shrimp pasta alfredo was divine, and our lunch together was a lot more fun than PT.

 

[newlybionic]

You definitely had enough ‘PT’ today. I’m glad you weren’t stuck in that elevator.

 

[Carole4815]

Me too, @newlybionic !!! I get so scared of being stuck in elevators. At least this one was on the ground floor, so we didn't need to worry about falling as long as it didn't decide to move. It was still scary to me. When the door opened briefly and we rushed out, my sweetie was really scared that it would close on me and hurt me, since we couldn't control it at all. But we are fine.

We are still trying to figure out why the parking was so bad everywhere today! We even wondered if today was a holiday, but I don't think it is.

 

[sewhat]

Yes, it is a holiday, you got out of doing PT! lol Way to go!

As for the cane, it goes in the hand opposite your bad knee. You move it with the bad leg and lean your weight on it, away from your bad knee.

You sure get to eat out a lot. I need to figure out how you do that. I told you about the cane, now you give me hints on how to get so many "dates."

 

[Carole4815]

Well, my sweetie loves to eat out. He says he cooks but in 20 years I have never seen that happen. I am tired of cooking too. But luckily, we live in New Orleans, and there are lots of "neighborhood mom'n'pop" type restaurants here that sell good, nutritious food costing less than fast food chains. We have always eaten lunch out together. He eats dinner out too, late at night after he gets off work, but I eat something plain and low calorie at home. That's just what we have always done.

OK, try this: "Let's go get lunch, I'm starving, how about that place down on the corner!" Works for me. LOL We don't go anywhere fancy so no need to dress up for lunch.

I'll have to try that with my cane. It sounds like it takes a lot of coordination to do that. I keep wanting to hold it in the hand on my bad knee side.