TKR Celle's Left TKR

[Slainte]

Escalators are a blessing and a curse. I am so thrilled to see an up escalator instead of stairs, and so nervous stepping on one. When I was a little girl my mother really stressed making sure my shoestrings were tied up and not dragging the ground before getting on an escalator. She had heard of some child's shoestring getting caught in the treads and that was an unhappy event. To this day I step on so gingerly, and hold on for dear life. I can't imagine doing a backwards somersault on one! Testament to a strong constitution that you fared so well. Enjoy your trip!

 

[CATSMUM]

Glad you're ok after you're fall, some people can be in such a rush so you were so fortunate to be helped by people who were thoughtful.

Have a great holiday, l lived in Berlin back in the 80s when the wall was up, no doubt it will be so vastly different now. Hopefully, hubby (who's never been) and l will visit one day.

 

[Celle]

One year report

Last week, it was a full year since my left TKR.
My surgeon told me at my last check up that he would order X-Rays for both my knees (my right TKR will be 4 years old in early December) and that he would look at the X-Rays before deciding if he needed to see me about the knees. If the X-Rays looked all right and I had no problems, I would not need to see him.

It's been a week since the X-Rays and I haven't heard from him or his nurse, so I'm assuming that all is well and I won't need an appointment. There are no problems from my end and, as I've already seen my GP and my optician since our return from England and I have an appointment with my dentist, I'm happy not to need any more appointments just now. My OS is very approachable and I know I can phone for an appointment any time I have concerns.

I still have a few aches and niggles from my knee, especially if I overdo things, or if I lie in a position it doesn't like during the night. However, these soon pass. I'm still a little stiff in the morning and when I first stand up during the day, but this disappears after I've walked a couple of steps.
I think that there is still potential for more improvement with the ROM, but I'm not rushing that.
I'm still not perfect on stairs and I always hang on to the rails for support. I'm not sure if that is a matter of confidence, or if my knees still need to improve. Since I had a couple of falls, I don't wish to fall again.

Both my knees coped well with our trip to Eastern Europe. They didn't stop me from doing anything and I wasn't the slowest person on our coach, by a long way. I didn't go down the salt mine near Krakow, but my husband tells me that I would have been able to manage it.

Berlin had indeed changed a lot since the last time we were there. We loved Budapest, Prague and Warsaw, but found Vienna a bit disappointing. The Danube wasn't blue and you can't see much of it in the city. However, Vienna was redeemed by the very pleasant concert we went to in the evening - lots of Strauss waltzes, a pair of opera singers and some ballet.

We passed through Calais (France) four times, and saw the tent city (surrounded by barbed wire fences) that is the refugee camp there. We left Eastern Europe before the surge of refugees arrived there. It's a huge problem now.

We left England on September 8th and arrived back here in NZ on the 10th. It's a marathon journey, but we managed to sleep a fair bit and arrived not too worn out. My knees managed well and they enjoyed walking through the intermediate airports on our way home. It's taken two weeks to get over the jet lag, though.

 

[Nana moon 27]

Wow Celle that year has flown. I remember you going in for that op around about the time I had the revision on my first TKR. That's flown.

Well done on your recovery Celle it gives me hope. I'm so pleased you enjoyed your trip. I am going on a coach trip, boat ride and railway ride in Austria, The Rhineland and Prague. My mom said I'd be crazy to turn down a once in a lifetime trip like this. So we go 22nd Dec-2nd Jan xx

As regards your X-rays...as they say..."knee" news is good news That was a dreadful pun!!!!

Thanks for sharing your update
Love Nana moon 27 xx

 

[Campervan]

I still have a few aches and niggles from my knee, especially if I overdo things, or if I lie in a position it doesn't like during the night. However, these soon pass. I'm still a little stiff in the morning and when I first stand up during the day, but this disappears after I've walked a couple of steps.

My 4 month old knee is doing exactly this but the pain/stiffness doesn't completely disappear.

Glad to hear the Europe trip went well and your knee/s behaved. The long haul flights from England to NZ are killers, especially economy. Twenty four to thirty six hours of sheer torture! I've heard that the jet lag is less if you come through the East rather than via LA but I don't know how much truth there is in that.

 

[Celle]

We always find that the jet lag is less when we go to the UK than when we return to NZ, no matter which route we take. We always fly economy - it's the only way we could afford to visit our daughter once a year, or every 18 months - but we take turns having an aisle seat. We either go through the East or Dubai, not through LA.

 

[Nana moon 27]

Hi Celle. I just read your post about the escalator incident. I'm scared stiff of them. However hubby persuaded me to try one at a local shopping centre. As I went to step on my knee was kind of jolted and I nearly fell back. Luckily my husband was right behind me and saved me. I'm not doing escalators for a wee while longer. I came back down in the lift! X

I just read about your trip too. It sounded lovely. Im going to see Prague for the very first time as part of the planned coach tour, mini cruise steam train ride through Austria and the Rhineland. We have never done anything like this ever and this is a once in a lifetime chance to do it.

You seem to be doing ever so well with your general day to day activities now, I'm glad that dreadful escalator incident didn't knock your confidence

Take care
nana moon 27 x

 

[Celle]

I received a nice letter from my OS yesterday:
"I have reviewed X-Rays of both of your knee replacements performed on 18/9/15. Your left knee replacement performed on 18/9/14 is in excellent position with no evidence of complications and your right knee revision performed on 9/12/11 also shows no evidence of problems.
Hopefully, your knees are functioning well and allowing you to do the activities you wish. I understand you were planning to travel to Europe this year and if you have already been I hope the trip went well.

If you have any ongoing problems with your knees (or any other joints) in future please do not hesitate to be in touch with the rooms."

I'll see how my left ankle behaves - it is the main thing that prevents me from walking long distances - and I will get back in touch with him, if necessary. I will be answering his letter some time this week.

That reassuring follow up didn't cost me anything, because the OS ordered my X-rays weeks ago, on the public health system.

 

[Nana moon 27]

Oh what a lovely letter. So thoughtful and kind. I wish more surgeons would do that x it's so reassuring x in all honesty it might pay you to get that ankle checked sooner rather than later x

 

[Celle]

Yes, my OS is a lovely man and a very good surgeon. He's always very approachable and he even gave me his mobile number, so I could contact him when I am travelling. I know that I'm lucky to have him.

The ankle problems are, I think, the lingering effect of a bad sprain several years ago.
When I first started having trouble with it, I was getting tendinitis. I had X-Rays and an MRI.
The MRI showed that I had torn part of my Achilles and damaged a couple of other tendons.
I've also got early arthritic changes in my ankle and foot bones.

I've already told my OS about it. He said to see if the TKR, which would alter some of the stresses on my ankle, did anything to help. If it didn't, he'd get another MRI done, so see if anything has changed.

I don't think the TKR did help, but the ankle doesn't give me problems constantly. It can give me months with no problem and then it flares up again. I'll watch it for a while, before I decide to pursue further investigation.

 

[Nana moon 27]

My daughter sprained her ankle aged 13. Was told to stay off it for a month, refused. Now she's paying the price.

That's horrible though that you get respite from it but then suddenly it gets you. Your OS sounds fabulous!

 

[copsham]

Hi Celle
Your old injury sounds suspiciously like my current foot injury (lisfranc injury). They are apparently very difficult to diagnose unless you are a specialist. I am sometimes visit the Lisfranc Fracture Club Facebook page which is informative albeit nothing nearly as helpful as Bonesmart. There are many people there who were misdiagnosed many years ago. I am just sharing this with you incase it is relevant with useful information if not please ignore it.

Good luck with your knee and hope ankle foot issues fade away.

 

[Celle]

Thank you for the suggestion, @copsham .
I looked up lisfranc injury and I think my problem is more related to my ankle than my foot. I have had both ankle and foot X-Rayed and I saw another OS when I first started having problems. The original sprain was over 10 years ago.
Part of the problem is that I over-supinate my feet, which stresses the soft tissues - a bit like shin splints, although my pain is felt at the back and lateral side of my ankle. (I have worn orthotics for this, but they didn't appear to help and they put extra stress on the medial compartment of my knee.) I do wear supportive shoes with good arch support.