TKR Flutter1’s BoneSmart Success

[Flutter1]

Oops. Typo. Meant BoneSmart. Thanks everyone. Decided to start training for hiking trip to Canada summer 2022. I will update next month. Hang in there everyone!

 

[Jo Wo]

Oops. Typo. Meant BoneSmart. Thanks everyone. Decided to start training for hiking trip to Canada summer 2022. I will update next month. Hang in there everyone!

glad you have your life back on track. A hiking trip is a great goal to focus on.

 

[ihavetwins]

@Flutter1 You are 9 days after me and you are doing fantastic. I also have a home gym with weights, bike and treadmill. How much/what kind of knee strengthening are you doing at this point? Thanks for any advice

 

[Jockette]

@ihavetwins I moved your post directly to Flutter1’s thread, so you could exchange ideas without taking Smokey1’s thread off of her recovery. Enjoy “comparing“ notes!

 

[Flutter1]

Hi BoneSmart friends. Happy Hot and humid July. I have passed my 6-week mark since my LTKR so here’s a little update for this month. The time seems to be passing more slowly now — yet it seems so long ago that I had my surgery. Where I am now:
~ EXERCISE (this is very important for my heart health) RECUMBENT BIKE at my pre-surgery distance setting for 20-30 minutes daily. It is much more comfortable now. I always stop all physical activity a few minutes before I know I have hit my limit. Somehow, I just have a sense for that. WALKING: twice a day for about 15 minutes each. I will be spending a year working my way up to 5-8 mile hikes if all goes well so we can do some traveling. STRENGTH: Resumed online FitnessBlender strength training for abs/upper body. I have had instruction from personal trainers in the past, so I am careful on proper form, squats are out. I do simple front leg lifts and very modified lunges. Planks cause no added pain other than just being planks!! I still practice thigh squeezes and some balancing. 15 minutes of STRETCHING.
~ PAIN no more zingers yay! All of a sudden I noticed yesterday that the tight band had really lessened when walking. Still stings a bit behind incision. Stairs are ok. Still slow on that. I ice for 20 minutes after activity. I take one Advil and one Tylenol twice a day. Sadly, my 5-year-old partial still feels wonky, with pain behind the kneecap and s pulling sensation above the knee when I bend sometimes. I had a mishap prior to current surgery which caused some issues. X-rays showed no problem with the partial, but my surgeon will review things again in 2 weeks. He definitely is not the kind to let this go. We both have high expectations.
~ EVERYDAY STUFF can stand 30 minutes to cook a meal. I am enjoying preparing the meal kits we just started getting from one of the fresh meal kit services. I am wasting a lot less food, especially when it is just the two of us. Regular light housework and plant upkeep. My husband weeds now. LOL. I am doing short shopping trips and limit outings to 2 hours. Keep my legs up about half the time when home. Planning trips again. We live in a community with an 82 percent vaccination rate, so I am making the most of getting out again. Yesterday at the grocery store,I hardly thought of my knee.
Wow, hope this isn’t TMI. Thanks again BoneSmart! The support here is amazing. See you in August!

 

[Sisterpat]

Flutter - what a fabulous report! Girl, you are amazing! If BoneSmart had something to do with this fantastic recovery, it is the best advertisement in the world! See, BoneSmarties, this program WORKS! Great news, Flutter. You are are a perfect example of how to manage a difficult recovery! Power on!

 

[Jo Wo]

great news! It seems you have gotten much of your old life back by making sensible accommodations to your still-recovering knee.

 

[Jockette]

You are doing amazing, many of us are not where you are at 6 weeks.

 

[FCBayern]

Amazing @Flutter1! Keep listening to your body and adjusting as needed. You have this under control and are doing everything right! We all wish our recoveries went as well!

 

[BBCG]

Well done, Flutter!! You rock! You seem self-directed, thoughtful and sensible and wish I wish I lived near you to ask more about your exercise options! I’m heading back to Pilates this week and walking daily but you will get to your plans with your good intent and follow-through!

 

[Flutter1]

Thanks all! Have fun at pilates @BBCG! I use a set of adjustable weights up to 25 lbs each. And a program called Strong, on Fitness Blender.
There are other programs on the site, also. Many are free. I worked with 2 personal trainers prior to COVID to help with form and to guard against injuries. One was at a local 55+ city-run community center and he specializes in safe strengthening. He was only $35 for 45 minutes. He was awesome! Here are pics of at home equipment. I don’t mind spending money on my physical and mental health.

 

[70somethingsusa]

Where in Canada are you hiking?

 

[Flutter1]

@60somethingsusa Hi! We are hoping to take a tour of Banff and Lake Louise.

 

[70somethingsusa]

@60somethingsusa Hi! We are hoping to take a tour of Banff and Lake Louise.

You must check out Mount Robson!Tallest peak in Canadian Rockies....spectacular hiking opportunities!

 

[Flutter1]

I post this only to show that I believe my focus on healing for the first 6 weeks (with only 8 sessions of gentle in-home PT, stretching, walking and a bit of stationary biking), has allowed me to be very active with little pain now at a just past 7 weeks post op. We all progress at different rates, but I am so grateful for where I am now in this journey thanks for following the advice here. Some of today's walking included endurance "training" (LOL) up and down a steep hill several times.

 

[Flutter1]

It has been a week or two since I have checked the forum. Thank you again to the advisors @Celle, @BBCG, @Sisterpat @Jockette and all the others for steering me in the direction of common sense, moderation, and ownership of MY knee. Today I had my 2-month appointment with my surgeon. He called me a "rock star, " which made me laugh. He didn't even ask about PT. But truly, I am beyond elated with my progress. Honestly it has been a complete surprise to me. I am able to walk twice a day for a total of 3 or more miles. Every morning I complete one 30-40 minute session of a one-month long strength training program. I can stand for 30 minutes to prepare a real meal again, walk my sweet dog, get up and down from the floor, and sightsee with my husband. Pre-replacement, just walking the 2 blocks to see my good friend was agony. Now I really don't give it a thought. I look forward to doing activities with friends and family.
Today's walk was the first time that I barely noticed that rubber band feeling we all know so well.
Hang in there everyone. Wishing success and health to all here.

 

[Jockette]

Wow, that is amazing, for only 2 months post op! You go, girl!

Best wishes as you continue healing!

 

[Celle]

I'm so pleased your 2-month appointment went well, @Flutter1 . You made it happen, with just a few suggestions from us. That's what we like to hear.

 

[BBCG]

Yippee hooray, Flutter!! That is SUCH good news, Rock Star indeed! I got to 1.33 miles today and could have gone farther, but discovered my Nordic Walking poles really help me maintain my posture and help me use the muscles I should-oughtta be using and not slump!

I'm so happy for you...and your husband and dog and friends, too! yay!

 

[Flutter1]

Hi friends. Coming up on 10 weeks. Amazing! Started painting again. My neck and right hand start to get stiff before I even think about my knee. For those of you in the early stages who are discouraged because all you seem to be doing is watching TV — don’t be. I felt the same way; but now our television is off almost all the time. Life is pretty much back to normal for us. I still wake up stiff and sore some days like everyone else. But it’s ok because it will improve. Hang in there. Here’s a painting I did last week as well as a record of a day I definitely overdid it.