TKR Covid recovery and impact on recovered 2 1/2 year TKR

[Geoffa]

At 7 weeks.
Septem Horribilis it seems my prothesis came with an Embedded GPS chip!!
Week started well, then got enthusiastic for a trip to our beach home and a check on damage done to my boat following recent storms. Only a 2 1/2 hour drive.
Silly me, back home with a very angry knee.
Worse I have no heavy duty pain meds!!
Back to rest, ice machine and recuperating!
At times I lay in bed asking myself why I bothered.
Lesson learned.
All the best.

 

[Jaycey]

Too much too soon. That knee will let you know very quickly if you are over doing. Rest, ice and elevate and try another day. You'll get there!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

@Geoffa
Uggg! I’m going to the beach for a few days this weekend. I’m really worried about walking on the sand. My therapist said that we’ve been practicing walking on uneven surfaces for weeks and to just take it slowly. I’m going to try! I hope you recover from your beach trip soon.

 

[leejaa]

I think we all overdo at least once during recovery. It seems to be part of the process and the knees remind us quickly that they are not ready for what we want. All part of the recovery journey. Have a peaceful day.

 

[Muldoh]

I went walking in the sand about 2 weeks ago when I was about 9 weeks post-op. At first everything felt fine, but I paid the price the next two days with an angry and painful knee! My advice is to take it easy, even if it initially feels ok. Good luck with recovery!

 

[sistersinhim]

Walking on sand is like using weights. The sand tries to hold your foot down so it takes more pulling to get it back up. Taking it very easy!

 

[Geoffa]

Thanks for the caring comments, feeling a lot better today. Hope to get out and watch my grandson play Rugby Union midday today.
Recovery followed the proven formula we are all familiar with!!

 

[Geoffa]

8 week update.
Fully recovered from over exuberant beach visit
138 deg ROM
Extension needs work although OS advised my settings were 'tight' best suited my ligaments and confident would improve with life
No more opioids
No more PT required
Allowed to lift 25 kg
Full body remedial massage permitted
Swimming and kneeling OK
Still a long way to go, no short cuts.
Next OS visit for six weeks.
Best regards.
Enjoying a nice Riesling and blue cheese to celebrate!!

 

[Oregon mom]

You sound like you are doing great and being so active! I love these inspiring stories of the recovery process.
I'm just starting week 3 of BTKR so it's helpful to see how the people ahead of me are thriving.
The only problem now is you've got me wanting blue cheese and it's the middle of the night and I don't have any blue cheese.
I also don't have the arugula salad with rare beef medallions, cold hard boiled quail eggs and candied walnuts to dump the blue cheese on.

 

[Geoffa]

I just plonked it on water crackers!!

 

[Jockette]

You are doing exceptionally well!!

 

[leejaa]

Great report . Have a fantastic week end.

 

[Geoffa]

Early 9 week update.
Recovering well nothing to report, standfast " the psychology of a fully functional knee".
My words, probably not a medical term.
Over the last couple of days I have had long periods of no knee pain at all. Heaven.
What I have noticed though is I still behave if my knee is a pain. So many things your body does to compensate for so long the formed habits are incorrigible.
How you stand, turn, alight from chairs, enter cars, lift, climb stairs do stretches the list seems endless.
I have to make a mental note to use my new knee as nature intended, I sense many natural movements have to do with confidence in extension, conversely flexion use seems to come naturally.
Using extension will most likely improve my extension range. Oh the synergy of nature.
Feeling good just shifted 200 concrete pavers, now for my friendly ice machine.
All the best.

 

[Oregon mom]

What I have noticed though is I still behave if my knee is a pain.

I completely understand! My left calf is actually slightly smaller than my right from over a year of compensation. As I'm recovering, I have to consciously make myself use my left leg as much as I use my right and it's a real challenge.
Human bodies are amazing in their ability to heal, compensate and adapt. I wonder how long it will take my left leg to realize that it's ok to function normally again? Or my right leg to realize it doesn't have to do twice the work anymore? Nearly every step I take, I'm taking mindfully. I wonder when I'll just be walking around and not thinking about the mechanics of each and every step?
Great job on those pavers! I love hearing about folks living life again.

 

[Geoffa]

10th week update.
Firstly let me thank all associated with Bonesmart it has helped me enormously in my journey.
I can only report progress, it's as if the 10th week was the week when everything turned around.

Bouquets.
I now go many hours and through many activities without any pain. Even when I over do it, as I often do, I get tightening with minimal pain.
My sleep is very good, back, tummy or either side.
My range of exercise and stretches is surprising.
I even pushed a wheelbarrow half full of bricks.
ROM not interested in measuring as flexion is past 140 with extension still needing a little work at about 0.
Had a deep tissue remedial massage, much better value than PT. really sorted out my calf muscle, proved my ham strings and hip flexure muscles need a lot of work!
I can now see some quad muscles at my knee.
My patella is moving nicely.
I still ice four times a day.
I now walk up and down stairs as if my new knee is the good one!

Brickbats.
Still fatigue easily and find it hard to get my previous energy levels back.
Restless leg comes and goes.
Did a nerve receptors test for my ankles, standing on one foot putting your arms out and close eyes. Could not hold for more than a few seconds either leg. Need a lot of work, time for the old fashioned wobble board.
Still yet to break old limping habits still not completely natural, think it has something to do with my nerve receptors.
Or maybe all the surgery damaged nerves a destroyed my muscle memory!!!

Summary.
Should have had the RTKR years ago.
All the best.
Geoff

 

[capecoral]

I had my surgery right before yours July 27 I seem to be getting better every day I walk down stairs no problem I still have problems sleeping Only pain med I take is Oxy at night because I can't get comfortable Still a little swollen and I ice a lot I see doctor in 2 weeks for my 12 week check up and I.m going to schedule my left knee surgery I would to have both new knees and be done with this

 

[Jockette]

All those “problems” you mention are normal side effects of this surgery/recovery and will improve as you heal during this year long recovery.

Could not hold for more than a few seconds either leg. Need a lot of work, time for the old fashioned wobble board.

You don't need a wobble board, you need time to heal. Your body is not unfit, it is wounded from surgery, but it will sort itself out.

 

[leejaa]

Overall great report. It is a major surgery and it takes time to fully recovery. Patience is so needed to get us through much of the recovery and sometimes most of it as we progress in our healing. Keep up the great job of icing and elevating.

Have a peaceful day.

 

[Oregon mom]

Thank you so much for sharing! It is amazing to hear about you pushing a wheelbarrow of bricks! And stairs! That is incredible and very inspiring. I would love to get 140° flexion in my knees. Very impressive progress. Congratulations!

 

[Geoffa]

11th week.
Gee nothing much to report, recovery goes well.
Out and about.
Beautiful springtime in Canberra so COVID19 assured quality time in the garden.
Need to get my fitness back and was surprised how much I got done.
Finally feel like my quads are starting to get some strength back, most things I wish to do are limited by quad weakness. The knee itself is fine.
Still getting the very early morning, you need to move, wake up from the knee!! I have found good old ankle pumps, slides and quad stretches settle the pain without the need for analgesics.
All the best.
Geoff