TKR Getting somewhere at last!

[speccybecky]

A new year and I must try and exercise more regularly. The last couple of months I have let it slip....too busy just living.
I have booked a week in the sun for March so for the next ten weeks I have to do more , and lose a bit of weight.

 

[Campervan]

Hi Nancy, How was Hogmanay? I remember Hogmanay very well from when I lived in Winchburgh, including one particular year when we saw one guy still drunk at 5pm New Years Day walking up the road one foot on the pavement and one in the gutter. And another year I had sausage rolls that I carried around the houses we visited - they were like solid rocks by the time we got to the last house around 4am.

 

[speccybecky]

Hi Margaret, Happy New Year to you and yours. Didnt do much on Hogmanay so a quiet time was had by us. Not unusual to see drunk people on New Years Day still on the way home from the night before!
Back to work today :(

 

[juniper]

Hi, Nancy,

I'm not on this site as much lately. Keeping up with work and having children, their fiancees and friends here for the holidays. But I do like hearing how you are doing. I think we both need to keep up with the exercise. It might be good to "report" to you about what I'm doing, and if you are inclined, you could do the same. I'd like to encourage you, and have you do the same. I'm in awe of our skiing friends, but since my knees made it impossible for me to ski even when I was a teen, it's not about to happen.

I have gone to the gym and cycled. And I've been doing six other basic exercises the PT at my surgeon suggested. He's the man I didn't get to work with but did visit once for some suggestions. Here's what he says: straight leg raises with weights (I use five pound wrap weights) three sets of twenty lifts and do each leg, not just the TKR knee; quad sets (tightening quads) one set of twenty each leg; knee bends with TKR knee (twenty held for a count of ten); march in place with high knees for three minutes; balancing on one leg--one set of twenty on each leg (twenty second holds); stand from sitting position in a firm chair, twenty times; and then fifteen to 30 minutes on the stationary bike. Today I walked and biked. I make sure I do each of these things every other day (at least). I have a bike at home, but I tend to do more when I go to the gym. Depending on how long I bike, I only spend a half hour to 45 minutes exercising. Sometimes I'm sore, sometimes I feel better afterwards.

Let me know what you're doing, and if you'd like to join in encouraging each other.

 

[speccybecky]

Of course Jane, I like to hear how you're doing. I'm in awe of your exercise regime. When I first went to gym it was , cycling 15 mins, walking 20 mins, stepper 3 mins (it hurt!) leg curls, reverse leg curls @ 5k, abductors @ 5k. Every other day. Then the OS said not to use weights! Since I ve been back at work its hard to find the time and its probably once a week. I do try to bend and stretch before I fall asleep but sometimes forget. I will try some of yours, I have 5k strap on ankle weights. I still get a pain across my knee when I bear weight on leg when bent like up and down stairs and getting up from sitting. I'm a bit discouraged as I hear of people who are completely pain free and I don't think I'll ever get rid of that pain, I'm beginning to wonder if something is wrong in there. Walking is just fine, a bit strange but not painful. Use my e mail address if you want . Take care, I hope your husbands job is working out ok

 

[speccybecky]

When you say knee bends, do you mean squats or just straightening and bending leg? I can do that but the squats is back to bending bearing weight and that is painful?

 

[juniper]

Hi, Nancy,

When I say knee bends, I mean laying down and bending my sliding my foot along the bed until I've bent my knee as far as I can. I'm with you. I can't squat, and I still feel pain going up and down stairs. I usually feel it when I walk as well, especially when I walk in the cold. I'm always aware of my knee unless I'm sitting. But getting up--ouch. The more I balance sitting and exercise, the better I am. Do you still notice improvement, even though it seems minimal? I do. I am just tired of waiting to be pain free. Patience. I think we will be even better in six more months. I know that seems endless, but I think it's true. I've set up a massage for two weeks from now. I'm hoping it makes a difference. I'll let you know. Have a good week.

 

[Randi]

You know, not everything is for everyone...even after all this time..and feeling as great as I do - I still can't do squats without pain ... So I don't ! My exercise for living recipe - find something you enjoy, that doesn't hurt, do it as often as life permits...and enjoy how much better you are than before surgery.

Perfect is a word I have removed from my vocabulary--it's an unrealistic goal. :rolleyes: Hope you feel better soon.

 

[speccybecky]

A bit like kneeling, I can do it but don't like it....so I just try and avoid it

 

[KathyH]

Ooh just the thought of kneeling on the operated leg makes me cringe

 

[speccybecky]

Today my knee is one year old.
Would I do it again? It still sometimes hurts going up and downstairs, it hurts when I turn over 'wrong' in bed. It hurts when I stand up after sitting down but wears off after a few steps. I am aware that I have a mechanical knee.
My rom is good, I can walk better than before and no longer need a stick .
So, weighing it all up, yes I think I would do it again.
I am hoping I can continue to improve in the next few months

 

[Pegleg 49]

Today my knee is one year old.
Would I do it again? It still sometimes hurts going up and downstairs, it hurts when I turn over 'wrong' in bed. It hurts when I stand up after sitting down but wears off after a few steps. I am aware that I have a mechanical knee.
My rom is good, I can walk better than before and no longer need a stick .
So, weighing it all up, yes I think I would do it again.
I am hoping I can continue to improve in the next few months

Happy Birthday to your new knee , glad all is well , mine only 6 months old but I'm getting there ....slowly ! x

 

[juniper]

Suddenly remembered my new knee's birthday today as well, Nancy, as I was going downstairs at school. My colleague said, "And you'll call tomorrow!" She wants me to see someone who will consider a revision, a second opinion, a look at why my knee has been healing so slowly. I'm actually more patient, even though I'm not sure I should be. I really don't want to go back to my surgeon. He'll be a jerk, I think. He has been so far, ever since my pre-op visit when he was wonderful, and sane, and reassuring. Since surgery, he treats me like the kid in class who just isn't tying hard enough.

Happy birthday to our knees, Nancy. Seems like we both have similar challenges. Hope we eventually have similar success.

 

[KathyH]

Nancy, it is good that you are glad you had the TKR and I think that is the main thing you can focus on. As for the negative sides, hopefully these will turn into positives in time. For a lot of us, it has been slowly but surely.

Juniper, it sounds as though your surgeon is being rather childish himself. Like he thinks all his surgeries should turn out 100% in super quick time. He needs to be more mature and understanding that some of us take a little more time to get 'there'.

 

[speccybecky]

Jane and Kathy, thanks for your comments, I hope you are recovering from manipulation Kathy. Jane , it's hard to know what to say to you. I think some people ,like your colleagues , just expect us to be perfectly healed by now and it's just not like that. I think you are doing more exercise than me! If you feel you are not getting any better then can you not speak to a GP, does it have to be surgeon? I think I should be getting a check up at one year from hospital but no appointment has arrived yet.

 

[kneeper]

Happy Knee-versary, speccy! Boo on your OS, juniper. Does he have a PA? sometimes they are more patient friendly.

 

[speccybecky]

I am noticing that my tkr knee is sometimes still warmer than the other knee.
Is this usual for a year later?

 

[Campervan]

Hi Nancy, mine is too. Just on the outside and mainly lower outside.

 

[hapiheylo]

Burn that booklet! Listen to your body, it's telling you to low down. I have been very emotional throughout everything, personally I find it to be a good outlet. Good luck and keep posting.

 

[juniper]

Hi, Nancy. Just thinking of you. I'm home sick today, nasty viruses going around. Can't swallow and am coughing throughout the night, even after some heavy duty cough syrup. Sad because I spent the weekend preparing for individual conferences with my sixth grade English classes and we have a poetry night coming up for fifth grade. I was so ready to be at school and got whacked with this on Monday morning. Suddenly spiked a fever and spent the day in bed with chills. Now I'm out for the third day in a row. Ah well, right now, the way I feel, I'd rather be in bed than in class. Not much exercise going on these days. Have you gotten back to it? Every little bit counts, I tell myself. Did leg lifts with weights last night. It was plenty. Just read something about the fact that the emotional well being that comes from anticipating a vacation often begins six weeks before the trip. The well-being afterwards tends to diminish in about two weeks. So enjoy every minute of anticipation, my friend.