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TKR Getting my Life back on May 1

In time, @wberry you will be able to get back to walking. You're on Webb Road, aren't you? If so, I'm just south of you down the road. I'm anxious to hear about your appointment.

Roxie
 
Two miles? I am impressed.

I wanna retire and get back to walking again!

Maybe that's why standing has never bothered me... I've never been a barefoot sort of gal. :)

It is such a gorgeous day here in MD!
 
@tigz , I made myself wear good shoes all say yesterday and it made a huge difference although I hate it indoors. How soon can you retire? I have to admit that it's nice! I did another 2 miles today. Muscles get a bit achy but knee does fine.
 
Not any time soon!

Was talking to a retired co-worker who passed through yesterday who said she started walking at three months and gradually added distance until she was up to two miles, and thought that was one of the best activities in her long term recovery. I'm so whipped when I get home from work, and am still being careful about overdoing it on days off.

It *is* getting better all the time (hearing the Beatles in my head :) ).
 
Oh yes @tigz . Keep crooning because you are right -- you've improved so very much. I think walking is the best for me too. I enjoy it, it builds endurance and loosens up my new knee when I walk. I'm a fan! But, if I were working full time there's no way I'd have the energy to come home and walk.

I guess you are quite a bit younger than me but time does seem to fly by.

Have a great day!
 
Only seven years... but I don't have the nice pension system a public educator would have. :)

*Everyone* currently or previously living in the house is a County employee. Hubby's a retired firefighter, daughter is now a school librarian (new! this year!) and the boy is working for 911. I feel left out. :)
 
The pension is nice although they are rare these days. But I digress -- maybe you can just muster up the energy to walk a quarter mile or so to start with even two or three days a week. If it makes you feel better, you might be more motivated to do it more often.
 
My wife has a pention, not a big one, but every little bit helps. She turns 65 this year, but we haven't decided if we will take SS.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
@Kansas Teacher -- you inspire me and make me think I can do the traveling we love to do! We spent four days at our daughter's home, a 100 mile drive, while they took our oldest grandson off to college. From there we went to visit my mom and dad, another 200 miles east. I did well on both those trips, but the 300 miles home made my knee swell. Of course, I had been on it all day before we took off to head home, and it was 11 pm when we finally arrived so the knee had a workout! I was glad to get home to my ice machine, too, as I only took freezer packs with me. I did travel with my body pillow and that helped with sleeping. I will definitely bring the ice machine with on the trip to California and am thinking of investing in a refillable ice bag to use in the car. I love reading that you are walking 2 miles at a time--I am slowly working up to a longer walking schedule. I am up and down the stairs at least 10 times a day now, and most of the time I can alternate legs with slight hand support on the handrail. Our California adventure starts in two weeks, so any last minute advice would be appreciated.

@wberry -- thinking of you and hoping you can make a decision and get this knee finally working correctly.
 
@sdgrandma , I think you have the right idea about traveling with your pillow, ice bags, etc. Earlier on when we traveled, I actually used to take my ice machine with me. We have a built-in converter in the car and I can actually plug it in there and sit in the back seat and elevate while icing a few times during the drive. I realize that not every car has one but wonder if there's maybe a way to purchase one somehow???? Walking is good but slow meandering makes my knee and surrounding muscles hurt.

I think you will be okay on your trip if you just remember to pace yourself and allow some time to rest and ice your knee. We went to visit our daughter in Phoenix (a two -day drive both ways) when I was only about 6 weeks out. I had to rest and ice fairly often but it sure was a morale booster to spend time with my little grandsons.

Roxie
 
So since my surgery will be in Wichita, I am going to have a two hour trip back after I am released. I have a cryo cuff, so I will fill it and hope that is enough for the trip. Did you sit in the back seat so you could prop your knee for the trip from KC or just ride in the front and keep it iced.
 
I did sit in the backseat and elevated my knee using pillows. My ice machine plugged into my car which was nice.
 
Gosh, I'm getting bad about posting -- guess that means I'm living my life. I just hit the 4 month post-surgery point and things are pretty good. I am consistently walking two miles most days without pain -- a little stiffness, yes, but no pain. ROM is great and stairs are a piece of cake. I do still have a bit of pulling/slight pain/discomfort on the inner lower part of my kneecap -- kind of where my meniscus would be if I had a meniscus. I'm using a bit of Voltaren gel on it which I find very helpful and it doesn't bother at all when I walk -- I tend to think it is probably a tendon or ligament that needs to get stretched out. My IT band is settling down a lot and never really wakes me up anymore, thank goodness. I'm sleeping well. It's still a bit tight but as long as I walk, it's improving quickly. I finally figured out that riding the stationary bike was actually makes the IT band worse so once I quit that and went to walking, it improved rapidly. Once it completely heals, I do plan to go back to bicycling at least now and then. I can definitely tell all the walking is making my legs a lot stronger.

Swelling is still there a bit -- mostly on the top of my knee/lower part of quad. I've been making a bit more of an effort to elevate my leg at least a couple times a day and that is helping. Honestly, I had gotten kind of lazy about that!

While I'm still not at the point where I can say it feels totally like a normal knee, I am at the point where I can say that I'm glad I did it. Being able to walk two miles without pain is such a blessing and I had missed that so very much when my knee was so bad. I really feel like it's just going to get better and better from here on out so, for those of you in the very early stages, hang in there. It really does improve.

Roxie
 
Roxie, your healing is progressing steadily. That's a great walking program. :cool:
 
@Kansas Teacher - Your update is encouraging. I'm just 7 weeks out today, and frankly it's hard to imagine my being able to walk down the street and back to the mailbox, let alone 2 miles without pain and tightness. Time seems to be passing slowly, but it is passing, so I know I will get there. :yes: (I can hardly WAIT!!!!! ) Thanks for posting your progress.. :)
 
@Kansas Teacher -- I hope when I am 4 months out I will be able to say I am glad I had this surgery! Will it ever feel like a normal knee, though, or will there always be something different about it? I don't think I have read anything about that.
 
I don't know the answer to that, @sdgrandma . Truthfully, it seems a bit subjective to me. Some people on this site and other places say it eventually feels just like a normal knee. Others say that, while it is a huge improvement, it still never seems quite like a normal knee. My guess is that it becomes a new normal and I will be happy with that.

Roxie
 
Sounds like everything is moving along for you, Roxie. I am one of those that always knows that the knee is there. But I wonder if it's because the two knees feel so different. I am always aware of my limitations. Getting up off the floor is a bear. I fell off my chair at school on Friday :heehee: my chair flipped as I was reaching for something. I was fine, but getting up, ugh. So happy no one was there to see me struggle. It does bother me to struggle with the floor because I love to do sit ups, etc. on the floor.
But 2 miles is fabulous! Good for you!
 
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