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TKR Dewey Did It...#1 AND #2

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Hello....I'm still taking it easy. Knee #2 has decided it's had enough of taking over now, and is actually just begun to be more painful than my RTKR!! I really need it to hang on just 4 more weeks! I'm ok when taking my pain med, but once that wears off BOTH knees are yelling at me now!

I will be trying the warm water in the pool nearby today. I'm not actually looking forward to the dressing (swimsuit=yuck!), trying to put my clothes on in the locker room while wet, and going out in the snow afterwards, but I do think it will help. I'm hoping it will help A LOT with my bend to get this ROM up before next Friday when I see the OS and he decides about the MUA. Besides gently walking and marching in the water, does anyone have a good water exercise plan? Anything to be careful of?

Thanks! Hope you all are having a great day!
 
Hi Dewey, I have taken two noodles in the pool for flotation so I can pedal and extend. The warm water seems to loosen everything up. I don't worry about ROM I just enjoy and relax. I know what you mean about the locker room!
 
The long foam floaty things. Here in the US we call them noodles. Any floatation thing that supports you would work.
 
The pool felt great yesterday! I was really tired after about 30 minutes of gentle walking and marching, but it really seemed to loosen things up for me! I felt I was bending much better, too!

Then, I get up today and BOTH knees are really achy! Physical therapy didn't go well.....it HURT, and my ROM was not even as good as it was on Monday!! I'm really feeling discouraged now.

Could it just be that I over did it in the pool? I now only have ten days to get this ROM better before my OS will want to do a MUA!

I'm just so sad today.....:boohoo:
 
Oh dear Dewey, don't be disheartened. It was a new exercise experience for your knees, first time since your recent major surgery. It will take a while to get used to it. Maybe you were a bit over enthusiastic for the first time as you were enjoying it so much.
It will be fine, go back to basics, rest, ice and exercise and things will settle.
Remember it is your knee and up to you whether you think a MUA is appropriate or not. Your OS can advise and give reasons but only you can decide whether to follow the advice.
In my opinion you are still early in recovery and things will still improve a long way given time and gentle stretches but you can listen carefully to your OS and his reasons.
Keep your chin up. Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully a better one for you.
Big hug, Toothfairy x :console2: :flwrysmile:
 
Thanks, Toothfairy. You are always so kind to others! I sure hope you're doing better and getting stronger each day, and that this will be an easy recovery for you! You certainly deserve it!

I'm sure achy tonight. It's so hard to get comfortable, and the throbbing is getting to me now. It's been a couple of weeks since I felt this way. I thought, just maybe, these days were coming to an end and things were looking better. I'm really beginning to be nervous about doing knee #2 in just three weeks. I'm not sure I'll be ready to start this whole process again! I'm sure hoping tomorrow is a better day!

Sure wish my posts would get more responses. I know there's some wonderfully encouraging and supportive people out there.....I could really use some of your kind words tonight! Thanks!
 
Dewey, I'm sorry you're achy today. I overdid things myself today, and I'm feeling it tonight. Maybe you can give yourself a day off, or even two, and your knee will be happier for it. I have to have my second knee done also, but I'm waiting until summer when my daughter can be here, so I'll have a couple more months recovery time. It is scary to think about going through all this again, so I understand a little bit how you're feeling. Hang in there and just think about how much better things will be a few months from now with both knees done and doing well. You can do it!
 
Dewey, I am sorry you are so uncomfortable. Being in the water can be deceiving, you feel so good in the warm water and your knees are not supporting all the weight because you are buoyant. Maybe you overdid it a little but it shouldn't be a setback. Give yourself a rest for a day, it won't set you back. I have found that I can have a great day and think wow,only to have a bad day and get discouraged. I have never been on such a roller coaster. I need to remind myself what I was like the week after surgery when I couldn't even lift my leg onto the bed. Ice ,elevate and have some chocolate tomorrow!
 
Hi Dewey ,
I hope that a new day brings a better day for you. It is a thought doing it all again. Like you I have to face having my second knee done too.
I would like to have it done as soon as possible so that it almost becomes one recovery period rather than waiting till everything is totally settled from the first knee and life is getting back on track then starting a whole new recovery. At least with knee two you know there are no more to come after! I will have to wait on the whim of the NHS to see when I can have knee two done.
Hope you can have a nice easy day and be kind to yourself. Sending a hug your way,
Toothfairy x :flwrysmile: :friends:
 
HI Dewey, sure hope you are feeling better. I too have to have the second knee done on May 29th so I totally get the aprehension. But just try and think about how much better you will feel having a matched set. Of course that will be after a lot of hard work and much healing. I will be thinking nothing but positive thoughts for you.
 
Thanks. Yes, I'm sure it will be better with a matched set! Unoperated knee is almost giving me more trouble now! I guess it's had enough of taking over for a while!

Still down today. I was ok until I went to get my hair cut. While I was sitting there, an older gentleman walked in. The girls just gushed over him, and told me that he had had TWO knees replaced just 7 weeks ago! Oh my, you should have seen him walking! You could not even tell he'd had surgery! No limp, not slow, nothing! Now, I'm at six weeks on ONE knee, and still use a cane when I out! I still limp, and cannot bend to 90 yet! He said his ROM for both of his knees is at 125! I know we are not supposed to compare ourselves to others, but WOW......I REALLY FELT SO FAR BEHIND!

Just can't get past it! Arrrggghhhhh.........
 
Oh Dewey,
That was just what you did not need. Are you sure he had TKR's? It seems unlikely that someone could have bilateral TKR's 7 weeks ago and have that ROM, maybe they misheard and it was 7months.
Whatever you are not behind. You are following your own bodies healing path. You need to focus on how far you have come and ignore other people.
Big hug,
Toothfairy x :console2:
 
Hang in there Dewey you really are still early in the process. I had my 2nd TKR on 12/18 so I'm about a month and a half ahead of you. At 6-8 weeks I started feeling really blue so part of what you are feeling is really just normal post op stuff. Not all of it happens in the first 2 weeks.

The pool sounds wonderful and it is possible that you over did it. It doesn't take much you know.

I'm 12 weeks this week and while I am up and around and doing most everything, it doesn't take much to just plain wear me out. I'm good on my feet for about an hour between my sore knee and my aching back. I was 4.5 months post op from a lumbar fusion when I had the knee done so really I"m recovering from both and sometimes they don't agree with each other.

I have found that this persistent cold weather doesn't help either. We can't get out as much as we would like and when we do it's cold and windy and achy bones just don't like cold and windy - at least mine don't.

You are so not alone. I find it really hard to believe that that person at the barber shop had 2 TKRS too. It's possible he only had knee surgery - but who knows everyone is different. I still limp.

There was a commercial about knee replacement on TV the other night and I swear my boyfriend still doesn't understand as much as I have explained it to him. He said so is that what you have and of course I said yes and went through the cutting and smoothing and hammering, glueing, closing etc. and the guy is an engineer and still doesn't quite comprehend that there are many components to a knee replacement. Anyway I hope you find it a little bit humorous because we really are in a club all our own.

Be well my friend, be well. Take your meds, have a cup of tea - I have been having a mid-day cup nearly everyday now - helps take the chill off or I'd be broke from heating my home and gives me a reason to sit and settle my mind and my bones.

You are doing great!
 
Well, Dewey, even if he did have them done just 7 weeks ago, it would make him the rare exception and not the rule. You have a lot more company than he does. Please consider how far you've come and don't spend time agonizing over how far you have to go. Good things come to those who have patience and wait. Your good things ARE coming----I promise.
 
Oh, thanks to all of you! That's what I needed.....really! Just someone to tell me it's going to be ok! Even if it takes me longer than most, it's still going to be ok!

I do think the winter weather has added to my sad mood today. I'm just really ready some warm days and some warm sunshine!

Tomorrow is another day! Thanks again for helping to make me feel better tonight. I sure do appreciate it!!!
 
CarolynS said:
I'm sorry you're achy today. I overdid things myself today, and I'm feeling it tonight.
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We all have been there and felt that way---listen to your knee and understand that it is normal to try to push thngs every now and then...

CarolynS said:
Maybe you can give yourself a day off, or even two, and your knee will be happier for it.
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This is an excellent point---it is difficult to do, as we want to "keep on keepin' on", but there are times that by doing nothing, we are doing more for our recovery than if we would actually keep up the PT. It is paradoxical, but it is very true.

I also believe that you need to take time off, not only to allow yourself to rest physically, but also psychologically, too.
 
Hope tomorrow will be a better day for you Dewey. Ive had one of those days myself. Im sure yours wasnt made better by the bionic bilateral superman. Pffft Dont beleive all you hear. Hopefully when we wake up (if we sleep:sad: ) the sun will be shining and we will feel ready to face another day of recovery. Take Care:cheers:
 
Dewey said:
Still down today. I was ok until I went to get my hair cut. While I was sitting there, an older gentleman walked in. The girls just gushed over him, and told me that he had had TWO knees replaced just 7 weeks ago! Oh my, you should have seen him walking! You could not even tell he'd had surgery! No limp, not slow, nothing! Now, I'm at six weeks on ONE knee, and still use a cane when I out! I still limp, and cannot bend to 90 yet! He said his ROM for both of his knees is at 125! I know we are not supposed to compare ourselves to others, but WOW......I REALLY FELT SO FAR BEHIND!
Click to expand...
Everybody recovers at different rates and in different times---but I have to tell you, I really do not believe him---he may be telling the truth, but one thing he does not have, is compassion---do not, please, do not ever compare yourself to somebody else, as we are all different. Everybody recovers in their own special way---some may take longer than others, but they all recover!

I had a BTKR and I had a limp for about five months!!! Everything took longer than I wanted it to, but I did get to where I wanted to be, and you will to!!
 
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