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TKR Getting my Life back on May 1

Feeling better tonight. I actually think my swelling/tight band feeling is ever so slightly better tonight which is saying something since evenings are always the worse. Our 5-year-old grandson spent the day with us which is always a treat.

I have a question. When were you able to go downstairs "normally." I can go up one step after another but I am still doing the old one step at a time when I go down.
 
I'm still just using my RTKR to do steps because of my week natural knee. But I can tell you it took my dad 9-10 months to go up with each leg. He had 15 years between his TKRs.
 
If I don't have anything in my hands and I go slow, I can go down, supporting myself with both hands.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
I guess I just need to be grateful I can go up "normally," and realize the rest will come along with everything else. I slept pretty good last night until about 4 or so in the morning and then woke up. The area around my incision felt like it was on fire! I took a couple Tylenol, which seems to calm it down as much as anything, walked around and laid there for awhile. I don't think I ever did go back to sleep though. Once this sleep issue resolves, I think I'm going to make a big stride forward!

We have a retirement party for a neighbor at Italian Gardens restaurant tonight. I'll take along an icepack and find a way to discreetly prop up my leg is need be. Thankfully, I can tolerate sitting in one position much better than I could a week ago.
 
Hi Kansas Teacher,

I have not been able to walk up or down stairs normally for about 5 years. Now that I am post-op 6 weeks tomorrow, I also have wondered how long it is going to take do the stairs normally. I go slowly and hold on to the bannister, one step at a time, just like I did pre-op.

Yesterday was the best day I have had post-op so far. I think that this forum is a large part of that, knowing that my recovery is normal. It has helped alleviate some of the anxiety that I was feeling and knowing how to manage the pain and post-op progress more effectively. Getting out yesterday for a few hours was huge for me and did wonders for my sprits as well.

It's great that you felt the swelling/tight band feeling was a little better last night! I am sorry you had a bad night though. I can tell you that I occasionally have nights in which the pain seems to be worse and I am not sure why. But last night, I actually slept without any pain meds the entire night!!! I still wake up every few hours, but I did that pre-op anyway. I also can tell that the hypersensitivity to the sheets and other things is lessening and I am actually able to sleep part of the time in the prone position (on my tummy) again! That is huge to me!!! Since you are only about a week or so behind me in recovering, I am confident that we will both be able to have better days ahead!

Try icing your foot in the car on the way to the party tonight. Don't take it off until you are ready to enter the restaurant and you may want to pre-medicate before you go out. I did that yesterday and it made a world of difference! Hope you have fun tonight!
 
I think I will do that @MidwestTKR . My pain in my knee has great diminished (although still dealing with the sensitivity) but I do notice that I seem to have a sore spot on my knee kind of on the front lower inside area. Is it normal to have that and/or other sore spots just pop up now and then?

Roxie
 
For my first knee I think it was past 8 weeks to do stairs foot over foot. And I was still doing them carefully when I started back to work at 12 weeks.
It was sooner for the second knee--though that was doing it very carefully. You need bend and quad recovery I think to be able to do it.

By sore spot do you mean an area of achyness? Weird pains in the leg and knee that come and go while you're healing are very normal.
 
@Kansas Teacher , I can tell you I also seem to have certain spots in my knee area in which I seem to have most of my pain after the initial more general intense pain was gone. Those areas are the ones in which I seem to get sharp stabbing pains or an achy pain that come out of nowhere. I am wondering if that is pretty normal or due to the OS repositioning my leg to align it correctly due to the valgus I had prior to surgery.
 
Yes, I do mean an area of achiness, @kneeper . I notice the same thing, @MidwestTKR . This morning, I was sitting reading the Sunday paper with both feet flat on the floor and not in an odd position at all. All of a sudden, I got a twinge of pain there and it surprised me because I wasn't doing anything! My OS talked about everything needing time to realign as well so I suspect you are right that our leg is angry it's having to reposition nerves, tendons, ligaments, etc.

Grandson is on his way home -- it was fun to have him here although I don't get to be as active with him as I might like right now. Soon, I hope.

Roxie
 
Kansas Teacher said:
When were you able to go downstairs "normally." I can go up one step after another but I am still doing the old one step at a time when I go down.
Click to expand...
The stairs bit was one of the last things to happen to me.

Going up the stairs got easier as time went on, but it took quite some time before I had the ROM, the strength, the balance, and the confidence to go down the stairs.

We are talking months...
 
Kind of a common theme with me, isn't it, @referee54 ? That "P" word. When I taught school, people marveled at my patience with my students but I sure don't have it with myself. I guess I'm kind of feeling impatient tonight because Russ leaves tomorrow to spend a few days with our daughter and family in Arizona and I'm stuck at home going to PT and babying my knee. Boo hiss. I miss my grandsons.
 
I completely understand how you feel, though. After my BTKR, I had to skip my family's Thanksgiving dinner---only two weeks removed from a BTKR and on Oxycontin---I was not ready to go anywhere. I stayed at home while my wife and two kids went to my parents' home and spent the day with my two brothers and their families.

Even when they brought food back to me, I could not taste much of anything, and I was very sad and depressed about it.

However, Christmas was much, much better---not quite all the way there yet, but a big, big step forward, and so much more enjoyable! It was worth it!!
 
I know @referee54 . I do keep doing that. They're just growing up so fast and I'm missing out. :(

I went to our next door neighbor's retirement dinner tonight at Italian Gardens. She retired after many many years of being a florist. I was worried about sitting in a chair for a couple hours and being comfortable. I got up once and walked around but really did quite well. While I was there, I met another guest who had a TKR 4 weeks before mine. She told me she was struggling with extension and that her PT had asked her to lie on her back then pushed down around her knee as hard as she could to straighten the leg. She said it hurt terribly and that it still wasn't straight. She was having a great deal of difficulty walking with a bent knee. It made me thankful that I found Bonesmart and would know enough to keep that from happening if I were in the same boat.
 
Hi Roxie,

So glad you had a nice evening!!! Doesn't it feel wonderful to be able to get out for a little while and actually have a good time again!! I am very happy for you! I feel terrible for that guest you mentioned! To think that a PT will push down hard like that! What the heck are they thinking??
 
@Kansas Teacher my dad and bff's PT did the pushing down on the knee thing after informing them they were done with PT after that day. I went to that PT group after my TKRS and watched what they did carefully, not wanting the pushing on my knee, but after the 2nd surgery I left that group. Just not willing to have someone screw up something I'd invested so much time and effort into. Loved my 2nd PT group.
 
Interesting you would say that they told them they were done with PT after that day. This lady told me the same thing. It was her last PT so I guess they felt they needed to resort to drastic measures. She sure was having trouble walking around though. Hubby is off to Arizona today to see daughter, son-in-law and grandsons. Lucky him. I have my annual eye exam so that is my fun for the day! Also need to make a stop at Walgreens for some more Tylenol.

Roxie
 
I'm sure you are sad you can't join your husband on the trip, but I'm happy to see that you aren't concerned about being on your own. That's a great change from just a week or two ago, isn't it?!

Question for you... Do you think you could lift one of your grandkids yet? My guy is a solid 35 lbs, and still in a crib. Which means I can't be alone with him at nap or bedtime until I can lift him. Considering taking the plunge and converting to a toddler bed this weekend, but im pretty sure we will be saying goodbye to naps forever.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
No, @JennyLynne , I don't think I could or that it would be advisable even! My 5 year old grandson is solid and he's hard to lift with two good knees. I probably could carry the 10 month old baby who is tiny tiny -- only in the 5th percentile for his age. Tiny, wiry and very active though! The toddler bed sounds like a good move in your case. Lifting a child in and out of a crib is hard work.

Roxie
 
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