Encouraging Progress

[Skeet]

We all seem to have a lot of bad days and I wanted to report that Friday I had a great day. PT went really well, I'm ready to try driving this week, I did a couple loads of laundry by myself, I finally took a shower standing up, and I took the raised toilet seat off my toilet. While these may seem minor, they are moving me one step closer to normal. I only use my cane when we go out, and then not all the time. I'm 7 weeks PO tomorrow. I have times when my knee doesn't hurt and my walking is very close to a normal gait. Friday was one of those great days that gives me hope that soon I'll have more great days. And today and yesterday were bad days... so Friday was very important to me.

For those of you at less than 7 weeks PO, it does get better - I promise. For those of you past 7 weeks PO, thanks for all the encouraging posts you provide that give the rest of us encouragement and hope.

God bless you all,
Skeet

 

[kath]

Skeet, Can I ask at 7 weeks do you still take pain meds?
Also is there anyone that has had both knees replaced within 2 months of each other and if so how are you doing? Are you glad you did it?
Thanks for any encouragement I can get to keep moving forward to becoming a new woman.
I am also curious if anyone else has this Otis knee? Have to have an MRI to have it made specifically for you.
Kath

 

[jannd1053]

Kath, I had both knees done at the same time. I'm so glad it happened this way, Im really did not have a choice. I am now 8 1/2 weeks post surgery and doing well. I personally think that this would be an easier approach than doing them a month apart just from the psychological aspect of facing this surgery again so soon, but you have to make your own decision in this regard. I stopped taking pain meds at 3 weeks, and now usually am ok with 2 advil late afternoon or early evening. My right knee feels like brand new, but still some stiffness and discomfort in the left. I'm told that it is not unusual to have one knee lag behind when both are done together. Best advise I can give is what ever you decide, push past the pain with your exercises and give yourself the time that you need to heal. Good luck!

 

[Josephine]

Fantastic posts, ladies! All power to you.

And yes - it is very normal to have on leg lag behind the other.

 

[Skeet]

At 7 weeks PO I am still on pain meds. I cannot take ibuprofen due to having taken so much of it earlier on for my knee pain. So, I can mix in tylenol with the pain meds. I take 3-4 a day. My doctor said he expects I'll still be taking some pain meds for up to 3 months, esp. at night. I keep lengthening the time between the pills.

I have a Zimmer gender knee. It seems to work well, but I have nothing with which to compare.

Skeet

 

[JuneBug88]

Wonderful News!!!!!!!

I am 10 weeks post op, and I also have the zimmerman gender knee. Doesn't it feel good to get rid of the aids that we needed! I am going back to work next week, starting slow 2-3 hrs a day at first then build up my days. I still have some stiffness and soreness, but it is a diffrent pain than pre-op. What I need to build up is my stamina. My PT and Dr keeps on reminding me that it was MAJOR surgery and it will take time.

Debbi

 

[blondie42550]

I too am 10 weeks post op from bilateral TKR, rarely do I need any pain meds. Ocasionally at night if I have done too much during the day I may need to take something. But over all I am sleeping the majority of nights now.
I still like to take a tylenol before I go to PT, I feel like I can push it more if I do. Also my left knee lags behind my right one, and pre op the left was my best of the two!
I had walked "stiff leged" for so long that it has been quite challenging to learn to bend my knees when I walk. PT is helping me re-learn how to walk and it really feels good to not look like I am wobbling when I walk. There is still some stiffness across my knee cap when I bend them, but I can feel it decreasing daily.
Believe it or not, I can actually get into and out of my bath tub!!! Yea, no more man showers!
Now, since I have normal knees, I find it difficult to stand for long periods, like cooking a meal! Not only do the legs hurt but the lower back is not used to my new stature. Not to mention I have arthritis in my lower back! I know I am going to have to be able to stand longer than that. I will have to "build up" to standing longer. I don't dare try to walk in the Mall yet. I still am riding the scooter at the store. Around the house, though I am walking with no aid at all. Except going up and down stairs, and then I am using the cane and the hand rail for support.
I have not gone back to work yet. My job requires periods of being on my feet for extended amounts of time. Also I am going to PT 3 times a week until the 21st of Feb. I expect, by then, I will be in the position where I can return to work.

 

[Josephine]

Hey.blondie- you sound like you are doing very, very well. All power to you, lady! As for that back - ever thought of visiting a chiropractor? Mine did wonders for my back, can't recommend them highly enough.

(BTW, nice to see someone else who has figured out the WYSIWYG editor!)

 

[jannd1053]

Blondie, sounds like we're at about the same place. My better leg befor surgery is now the one that bothers me the most. I also have not returned to work yet. I'm supposed to return at the end of this month. However my job requires me to stand and or walk all day and I'm very concerned about it. I know that I become very uncomfortable when I stand longer than 1 hour. I will be 9 week post surgery tomorrow. When I try to increase my standing time my left leg becomes very painfull and seems to bother me the rest of the day. It's so good the hear of others experiences and that at 9 weeks that i'm not expected to be able to breakdance.

 

[kath]

Thanks Jan,
I wanted to do both knees because of the anxiety of it, but my surgeon would not do them both. My old knee is the one that is really bothering me now, PT really set my unoperated knee into a spin on Friday and I cancelled PT twice since, I can barely walk. I did work a long day today, but I am sitting down at my desk. I am going to PT in the morning.
I think I will just go and get it done in March to get this all behind me. I don't want to wait any longer.
I am really glad to hear how well you are doing. I still am taking pain meds at 4.5 weeks, but it is more my back pain that bothers me since my surgery.
My knee is in all honesty doing pretty good I think.
Kath

 

[blondie42550]

Josephine!
Like you, I like to be creative with my posts!
About the chiropractor, yes I have tried it many years ago, and disliked it immensely (don't like the word "hate"!). I know I have arthritis in my lower back, plus I had an injury (that is a long story) that reoccurs when I put any strain on it. I truly feel like once my body adjusts to the changes in my knees, my muscles will be able to support me and it will all be good. I am going to join a gym today and try to work on muscle tone and cardio.