TKR GlideFloss TKR Report - from Dec 06 '21 on

[Jamie]

I could see that might be a "problem." You would need to set limits....

 

[Jcx]

Suffered badly with constipation in the first few weeks. Stool softeners should be given with pain killers and not prescribed when needed. Be warned newbies. Jcx

 

[Carol Anna]

@glidefloss

I say I could easily climb a mountain, but won't, as I wouldn't be able to get down!!

My sentiment exactly. I live near a park with a good walk round it but as it is in a ravine the walk involves walking up a steep hill which means you then have to walk back down the other side, which is still a problem for me. So I havn't walked round this since before my op - need to do part of it as wild garlic grows there and want to pick some this year. Walk on the flat ok, uphill good but down hill nah

 

[Scaredycat10]

@Shortstuff26

I became very aware my recovery might seem too gung ho but the truth is, it has been OK. I have a hamstring problem but I've had recurring issues with it ever since I had an injury donkey's years ago so can't ''blame'' the new joint on that.
Like you, I only saw the horror stories and put the op off for years, and then a dreadful bout of eczema [no elective surgery with open wounds like mine] stopped it and then Covid put the op off for me.

If I tell you I was driving my manual RH drive car [short distances for the first couple of weeks]after a left TKR the day after my insurance kicked in again at four weeks post op, that will give you some indication on how well my leg behaved.

Like @glidefloss I have worked at it pre and post op but unlike @glidefloss, I took all the pain relief thrown at me [and the constipation sachets too proffered by the nursing staff- they worked ] and can honestly say I have had discomfort and sleepless nights with that discomfort, but no acute pain which I had been told I'd have. and the thought of which scared me rigid.
Everybody has a story to tell, but although many folk do have real problems and dreadful issues, some, like @glidefloss and me, don't, so take heart and when you're ready, I hope your experience follows our recovery path.

 

[Scaredycat10]

Suffered badly with constipation in the first few weeks. Stool softeners should be given with pain killers and not prescribed when needed. Be warned newbies. Jcx

I agree whole heartedly.
I was given Fybogel [a laxative] twice a day whilst in hospital. I assumed it was a normal part of medication set up.
I came home with a pack of the sachets and took one a day for a week and then didn't need any more, but I was glad of them in the first instance.

 

[Catalien45]

Hi, @glidefloss! I’m sitting here with that first cup of coffee & catching up, & reading your most recent posts. I relate so well to your reluctance to the surgery. I think you may have “beat” me in stubbornness. My right knee has been bad for years, & in the past few, Terrible! My family Really encouraged me to look into TKR, & several years ago, a PT flatly commented, “ you’re going to have to have this knee replaced before long”. . But, I resisted, then the Pandemic ( and a logical excuse). Finally, last year, the constant pain just got unbearable, & i saw my wonderful surgeon, & scheduled TKR in early October. I still remember 2 days before my surgery, heading up our stairs, & my knee hurting so bad, realizing that I could not Wait for the surgery! My journey has had a “ bump” in the road ( incision & cleanout surgery... no fun!). But also meeting some wonderful folks along that bump, incredible nurses working in the middle of the Omicron surge here, and so much encouragement from this forum. Seeing people here who have had much more than I have, to deal with. I would do it again, in a heartbeat, knowing everything.

Btw, I’m like you, the opioids make me pass out easily, Tramadol worked, with the aid of anti-nausea, & then Extra strength Tylenol, & finally, nothing. It’s just So wonderful being able to do things (such as daily walks with my husband snuggling with our 6-year-old grandson, cooking, and soon, our garden!). And in general, without pain. I’m still working on my ROM and flex, neither are perfect -but hey, I’ll take less than perfect if I don’t totally get there. My life is So much better now. Fortunately, my left knee is fine. You sound like you are even more hard-headed than I am (my husband & 2 grown kids will find this hard to believe). Good luck on your other knee. You sound like you have the determination to come out fine.

Btw, I did get a chuckle out of all your “stuff”. We got a lot of boxes too, prior to my surgery. Most is now in our garage (our grandson has already asked if he can have one of my canes when I no longer need it, he likes to use it as a hobby horse). I’ll be looking for your progress & cheering you on.

@Shortstuff26.... I’m glad to see that you found this forum Before your surgery, the good folks on here will definitely help & encourage you as you prepare. My husband found it for me about a week after my surgery. It has been So very helpful, informative, and encouraging for me. I think it is hard for most surgeons to cover every little detail, there’s so much to learn. And there are many “veterans” who have had both knees done, & really have a lot of knowledge & experience. You are very young, I’d think that youth will be on your side. My 77-year-old body has had a few complaints about all this, but, I’m pretty stubborn & tough. And still not looking back with any regret for having done it. I think you will do fine, and wish you the very best. I’ll be looking for your posts.

Well, once again, I began this much earlier, it is now evening, a few snow flurries, but I’m snuggy & warm inside. A good evening to everyone out there..... stay warm!

 

[glidefloss]

Hi @Catalien45 , we both are up there in the "stubbornness" derby! But we took the plunge and are very happy for it! One of the reasons friends would use when nudging me to get the surgery done was that it'd be an easier recovery the younger I was ... but I figured that if ever I did decide to have the surgery, I'd take a few months before to "youngify" myself by working out harder with specific exercises to prep for the recovery/rehab. And that's exactly what I'm doing as I rehab my right and prepare for my LTKR next month.

And one of the great advantages of having done the surgery when I did (65), the knee components are much more durable than those decades ago and they'll probably last a long time after I kick the bucket. In fact, when my end is near, I could even list my bionic knees on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace ... slightly used set for cheap!
All the best on your continuing recovery/rehab! Spring's almost here! Great time for non-achy knees!

 

[Layla]

In fact, when my end is near, I could even list my bionic knees on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace ... slightly used set for cheap!

Hahaha!
Or…your survivors could have them bronzed, just like they used to do “in the olden days” with kids first walking shoes.

 

[glidefloss]

March 21, 2022 Status update of my right knee at the start of the 15th week post-op:

My right knee is steady, solid, and pain free. It bends easily and though its flexion hasn’t been measured since the start of Week 8, it feels even “bendier” than when it measured at 138. Extension is 0. The knee continues to gain in strength and endurance as evidenced by the steadily increasing weights, number of reps, and number of sets on the leg extension, seated hamstring, seated leg press, and abduction/adduction machines. Since I do these exercises with both legs, I am at the stage where my left knee (LTRK coming on April 14, 2022) has started to impede further improvements … which is okay as I’m preparing the left for its own replacement and I don’t want to add any more time spent at the gym to do each leg separately.

I’ve started including more lateral knee stretches and am taking this very slowly as there can be considerable discomfort on the right knee when bending laterally (it was severely bowed at time of surgery). I initially tried doing these stretches on consecutive days but have since backed off as it’d seem to cause internal swelling in the knee a couple of hours later (the knee would feel tighter but pressing around the knee itself, I’d not discern any actual swelling). That said, a small sign of progress has been my new found ability to comfortably sit cross legged (the figure 4 variety) on a chair for a few minutes. Prior to that, attempts to sit cross legged would result in discomfort in the lateral area of the knee within seconds of doing so. A few weeks back I started doing modified versions of "cow's pose" and "child's pose". My right knee and lateral side of my shin would feel "numbly tingly" during the entire time the knee would be against my (thick) yoga mat. A couple of nights ago, the tingling sensation seems to have died down but numbness persist while on my knees. While doing these, I get to the point of mild discomfort before pulling back. Slow, incremental progress is my goal in these and in all the stretches I've been doing. I’m hoping that all the stretching will also get the left knee in great shape for its own recovery/rehab in a few weeks.

I am able to sleep on either side for extended periods of time without the right knee complaining. I am also able to easily shift sides under a heavy weighted blanket without any discomfort to the knee. Per my logs, it was on the 8th night that I first tried sleeping on my side, with a big pillow between legs - it wasn’t a very successful attempt. It wasn’t for another couple of weeks before I was able to lay on one side for longer periods of time without a lot of resulting pain when shifting from that position. Once I break the habit of being half asleep to “negotiate” the turn of sides, I’ll be able to string together longer periods of unbroken sleep (although with my left TKR coming, I don’t think it’ll be till July or August 2022 before that’ll actually happen.)

Walking long distances (5+ miles) on smooth, hard, uneven, soft, rooty surfaces are no problem … for my new right knee. My left knee/hip/lower back limits how far/long I can keep walking. Stairs are no longer an issue - despite the occasional tightness in my right knee. On a recent trip to Portugal, we went down/up a long series of stairs with close to 300 steps to the beach … without any discomfort and trudged up and down through cobblestone streets without much thought about the new knee.

Biking 35 miles was uneventful during and after the ride. I must admit though that I would often caution myself to watch a curve/turn or a sketchy section of trail/road lest I take a tumble on my new knee - something I never used to think of pre-surgery.

Day to day activities are completely uneventful, right knee-wise. It’s pretty amazing how good it feels to have a pain free (if occasionally tight) right knee … even as the left knee has been ramping up its complaining.

I still elevate my legs at least twice a day, once in the late afternoon for an hour and the second time right before bed for up to 30 minutes. All told, I spend close to 4 hours tending to the leg - an hour or so at the gym, an hour afternoon elevating, an hour stretching, half hour or so elevating before bed. Recovery/rehab is time consuming and hard work!

 

[MaryCat]

@glidefloss thanks for the update. Your recovery is inspiring-best of luck with left TKR

 

[Catalien45]

@glidefloss , you really are moving along! I’m walking daily with my husband for 1/2 hour, which is about 1 1/2 miles..... we’d worked up to an hour, ( 2 1/2 miles), but both were really tired & suffering backaches, so we backed off - this seems to work better for us. ( we do have 10 & 15 years respectively, ahead of you, that might enter in the equation ). And, we both have other things we want to get back to. He’s working on a marquetry project, something new for him ( we had a small Woodcrafting business for a number of years, making handcrafted jewelry & keepsake boxes, but the marquetry is new, a challenge.... and, Beautiful!) and, I have a lot of cleaning out, organizing, sewing projects, and, I love to cook & explore new recipes, and hoping to start some of my flowers & vegetables from seed this year..... so, we keep pretty busy! I’m trying to be more disciplined about my knee exercises . I know I won’t reach your level, but, you are a real inspiration. Your 2nd knee is coming up soon. You should be in good shape, you’ve been through it before, you are already preparing that 2nd one...... and, you’re obviously tough, and stubborn! I really think that can be an asset. We were just laughing, remembering my last day at the hospital after my surgery for an infection in the incision. The little PT wanted to be sure I could negotiate the stairs from our garage to the house. She took us to the PT room there, with a set of stairs. My husband saw me look at them, set my jaw, and manage to “ hop” my way up, then down. It wasn’t pretty, but she saw my face, & knew I was determined to go home... which we did a few hours later..then, it took a good 10-15 minutes after we got home to negotiate the 3 steps into our house, the foot pain was really bad. But, home felt Soo good, and, worth it!. Stubbornness pays! I’m looking forward to reading about your 2nd knee - no doubt , you’ll do fine. Btw, I got a big kick out of your idea of dealing with those “parts” after we’re gone! Does seem a shame for them to go to waste, especially if someone could use them........

 

[glidefloss]

Hi @Catalien45 , thanks for your kind words. And yes, you and your husband have several years ahead of me and if years from now I am as active as you are now, I'll be really blessed!

You ought to post a photo of your husband's marquetry project. Hopefully I'll find something artistic or meaningful or at least semi-productive to do too. Got to make sure I don't forget to keep my noggin healthy!

You are an inspiration as well ... such "positive lightness" despite challenges. I really hope to be that way too a decade hence.

Thanks again and all the best in your continued recovery/rehab ... and on all your (and your husband's) projects!

 

[Vida]

I had my tkr a week before you and my recovery story is very different. I am still as swollen as I was in the first weeks. I cannot manage more than 4000 steps. And am now back on opiates as the pain has ramped back up. The latest trigger? Taking my mother and her walker to the supermarket for an hour of very, very slow shopping at art gallery pace. I could barely walk when I got home. We really do recover differently.

 

[glidefloss]

HI @Vida , yes, we all recover very differently and it's a really good thing bonesmart makes sure we're all aware of this. In re walking very very slowly, that used to absolutely kill my right knee before it was replaced.

I'm very fortunate in that there are 2 others at the gym I go to who've had their TKR within 10 days of each other. We compare notes, encourage, sympathize, empathize each other - I suspect that that little bit of socializing with fellow TKRers psychosomatically help all three of us in our recovery/rehab.

Feel better soon! All the best with your continued recovery/rehab!

 

[Scaredycat10]

We do recover at different rates @Vida but if it is a very small crumb of comfort, although I am nowhere near @glidefloss's level, I am doing pretty well but, big but, if I stand still for any length of time [back to volunteering at a charity coffee shop], I ache like mad afterwards and need to give 'the knee' some TLC. Plus, if I walk slowly, it's not as easy as a brisk walk. You'll get there at your own rate which is fine.

 

[Catalien45]

Hi, @glidefloss ! Sitting here sipping my coffee, I realize that my math was a bit off.... that should have said 12 & 17 years! I was 77 in January, my husband will be 82 on April 1, and we celebrate our 52nd Anniversary April 10th! We were just kids, he often laughs, & says, “wonder what I’ll be when I grow up?” . We do both enjoy life, with all its ups & downs, as my sister often says, “life is good!” I have to think, with your attitude & your love of life, you’ll be just fine in your 70’s - and beyond!

I’ll have to see if my husband can help me find & post a photo of his first Marquetry project. The one he is currently working on is for the doors of a cabinet he’s building... it has a trumpet vine, the flowers & leaves, with a hummingbird feeding on it. I just love it, we have a trumpet vine on our backyard fence from our neighbor’s yard, just beautiful summer & fall! It will be some time before his project is done. But his first project was from a Triceratops dinosaur that our grandson had colored, Very brightly! He used colored veneers to replicate, as closely as possible, the colors. “Trevor Ticeratops”, as we dubbed him was a big hit for our grandson’s 6th Birthday! He uses it as a treasure box, he keeps his money he earns for chores, a tooth he lost, probably a rock or two ... little boy stuff. Proudly dragged it in to show the plumber fixing a problem in their tub. . He loves it! ( I do, too).

So your 138 ROM really inspires me! I’m getting back onto my knee exercises today! Things got a little busy & off-schedule when our son & his girlfriend recently visited from Germany. The visit was wonderful, but I am now out of excuses. I just find myself getting busy with all this newly recovered energy ( from the absence now, of constant pain), & then, my day is done, & I haven’t done those exercises! We do walk daily, even in the 20+ mph winds the past 2 days. Looking forward to today, & calm.

Well, here it is, the next day....sipping my coffee again, & i will finish this post! My “6 month out” date from my TKR is fast approaching, and, a little over 5 months since my cleanout surgery for the infection. I’m still so excited about all the things I can do, and the absence of constant pain! My two biggest challenges seem to be : 1. Working on my extension and my ROM. That will be my big project, & my husband suggested that we do our exercises at the same time ( although they are different focus, his, shoulder, mine, knee, but, many of our general ones are similar.). His self-discipline will inspire me! My #2 challenge is not overdoing my self- I get pretty excited with my newly found energy....

I continue to be inspired by you, and others here. This site has been a real asset to recovery, there is just so very much to know, and the very best of surgeons cannot possibly cover it all; and there is so much to learn from others on here. My Dr is really great, & I was given a folder with a lot of information, exercises, preparation, etc, prior to my surgery. It really helped, as I read every word, & did all that prep.... but, there was still a lot to learn, much from my friends here. BTW, my surgeon is in a group in the Denver area, & actually has 2 offices, one that has a PT area, I wonder if we might be using the same group? Fortunately, there seem to be a number of good Drs who do the replacement surgeries here.

Well, here it is two days later, sipping my coffee, & I will finish this post! I’m doing my exercises... yay! And, this morning was my LAST dose of antibiotic! We will celebrate by not setting alarms tomorrow, & enjoy the luxury of “ sleeping in” til 7 or so ( we’re early risers anyway). I’m a Bit nervous that my knee could become infected, this time in the joint, but, my ID dr reassures me that my chances of that are small, getting less as time passes, so I will focus on That, and enjoying life, & all that spring/summer brings. Today is Beautiful out, looking forward to our walk!

@Vida, I am so sorry that you are in pain again! Last year, when my knee was so bad, we’d go to our Farmers Market every Saturday.... the walk was painful, even with my cane, but .... I’m stubborn! The slow walking was especially hard on my husband, as he also had to walk very slowly to stay with me. Walking slower than your normal pace can be pretty hard, & I can only imagine how difficult for you. I do hope you are improving, & able to rest & relieve that pain. Do take care.

Well, I think I should get our breakfast going.... we most always have cheese grits, bacon, eggs & toast/ jam, etc on Saturday morning . I’m enjoying doing that again, I do love to cook! Everyone enjoy a lovely Saturday!

My husband’s going to help me post those photos of Trevor Triceratops

 

[glidefloss]

Sitting here sipping my coffee, I realize that my math was a bit off.... that should have said 12 & 17 years! I was 77 in January, my husband will be 82 on April 1, and we celebrate our 52nd Anniversary April 10th! We were just kids, he often laughs, & says, “wonder what I’ll be when I grow up?” . We do both enjoy life, with all its ups & downs, as my sister often says, “life is good!” I have to think, with your attitude & your love of life, you’ll be just fine in your 70’s - and beyond!

Hi @Catalien45 , before I forget to say it - I love your posts ... they're especially fantastic for reading while sipping! Advanced Happy Birthday to Hubby and on your 52nd Anniversary on the 10th (almost a week after my LTKR )! I'll celebrate my 42nd (or is it 43rd) "peonage" this October. Looks like we'll be following your footsteps! You, your husband and sister have the attitude that help make the years, challenges notwithstanding, good years. I definitely want to be like you guys as the years roll on!

What a beautiful treasure box!! Trevor Triceratops is gorgeous!! Awesome!! What a lucky grandson!! That'll be a family heirloom to be passed through the generations!

Like you guys, our son lives in Berlin and ... so does our daughter! Who would have "thunk" that our two kids would find their way there and settle. They both provide us very interesting insights into the war and how much it's affecting long held (at least post-WW2) beliefs/hopes/aspirations/etc. The war will undoubtably shape new thinkings for generations to come ... one can only hope some good will come out of this madness.

I’m still so excited about all the things I can do, and the absence of constant pain!

Likewise! That feeling hasn't gotten old ... yet ... and hopefully never will. I think the feeling of gratitude (regardless of how small or big it is one is grateful for) is an underrated mood lifter. There are lots of things to complain about ... but a lot of things to be thankful for as well!

In re recovery/rehab - having your hubby around to do exercises with is a blessing. And as a number of forum advisers have said - recovery/rehab is not a race ... slow and easy will get you "there".

My surgeon is with the Panorama Orthopedics and Spine Center. If you search on YouTube for "Watch knee replacement using the MAKO robotic arm" you'll see Dr. Thomas in action. The clip has over 2 million views! I feel very fortunate having him as my surgeon ... and am also very fortunate that the PT Physio I had (also with Panorama) was also very good --- we were a really good team.

All the best on your continued recovery/rehab. Thank your husband too for posting pictures of Trevor! I'm looking forward to seeing more of his creations!

 

[glidefloss]

RTKR - Week 16 post-op; LTRK in 2 ½ weeks

Right Knee:
Not much new/different to report on my RTKR. The knee continues to do well albeit it still has some internal tightness but no visible swelling in the knee or in the back of the knee.

Getting up from bed remains my least favorite time of day - the knee is at its stiffest/tightest (though pain free) state … it’s still not a great feeling nonetheless. There is a bit of discomfort (infinitesimally decreasing each day) on the lateral side of the knee when coming down stairs.

Strengthening and stretching exercises continue to be the main focus of rehab and elevating the focus of recovery. I almost never ice these days.

Game Plan for my LTKR:
Since all my leg strengthening and stretching exercises involve both legs, my left knee and leg have been experiencing gains along with the right … but now require nearly as much post-workout recovery baby-ing as does the right. That said, the leg and knee should be in pretty good shape for the April 14th replacement.

Here are a few things I’m planning for Knee #2 post-op … based on “lessons learned” from my Knee #1 experience -

• Pain management:
  • I plan to take Meloxicam as my primary anti-inflammatory (vs Advil and Aleve for Knee #1). I didn’t take Meloxicam after my RTKR.
  • I’ll have both Tramadol and Oxycodone prescriptions filled and (try to) be less hesitant to take them (starting with Tramadol) as warranted. I didn’t take either after my RTKR and had a really “interesting” time on night #2 … something that I’d rather not go through again. I plan to use Tylenol in conjunction with Meloxicam as my primary pain meds.
• Constipation avoidance/Recovery Diet (first weeks post-op):
  • To deal with possible constipation (caused by antibiotics messing my gut bacteria or my probable use of prescription pain meds), a week before surgery I will start taking probiotic capsules, eating yogurt and some prunes, drinking kombucha, and adding spinach, broccolini, brussel sprouts, and Polish sauerkraut to our meals.
  • I’ll have Smooth Move tea, more prunes and Miralax in reserve. For Knee #2, the equation won’t be “pain versus strain” … hopefully it’ll be “no pain and no strain”.
  • For the first week or two, I plan to take a protein drink (Premier Protein, 30g protein, 1g sugar), a protein bar (Kirkland, 21g protein, 1g sugar, 15g fiber), and a cup of yogurt (Chobani less sugar - 12g protein, 9g sugar) in addition to oats for breakfast — ensuring I’ll get plenty of protein and fiber regardless of what else I eat the rest of the day. The drink + bar + yogurt = 63g protein with only 11g sugar.
• Inflammation reduction:
  • I now have a very light inflatable elevation wedge (very cheap at Amazon) which I will use on my recliner ottoman, couch, and bed. For Knee #1, I used pillows but the elevation angles weren’t reliably sufficient. The wedge is so light, it’ll be so easy to move it from one place to another.
  • I will use the Breg Polar Cube machine to ice the leg … this time around, while icing, I will have my legs elevated on the elevation wedge.
  • After icing, I plan to use leg compression sleeves (cheap version from Amazon) with my legs on the elevation wedge.
  • After compression, I plan to massage the leg from foot to ankle to calf to thighs … kneading as hard as tolerable.
  • When I’m able to maneuver the leg up against a wall (hopefully within 2-3 days), massaging downwards will be a lot easier and the hard pulling downwards will, together with gravity, help get excess fluids from my lower leg, knee and thigh into the lymphatic system as efficiently as possible. I’ll probably be able to use a yoga strap to move my leg around while it’s still in its log stage.
• Flexion and Extension exercises and outside PT:
  • Unlike with Knee #1, I plan to focus the first days post-op on inflammation reduction before doing any heel slides or extension exercises. I’m hoping that by “aggressively” working on inflammation reduction, I’ll be able to then move into flexion/extension exercises with a lot less discomfort (than Knee #1 did) towards the end of the first week… especially if the new knee is a lot less swollen by then.
  • I already scheduled my first PT session … it will be 2 weeks post-OP ... unlike my first RTKR PT session which I had on day 2 post-op. While I found it useful and enlightening, I really didn't do much by way of PT ... and since I am now better aware of what to expect post-op, it seems to make sense to wait a little longer before formal PT. If my left leg is somehow ready for “work” before my first PT session, I’ll start doing the exercises at home (most of which I know and have listed in my RTKR log.)
  • As soon as I can start doing calf raises, I will do so. I didn’t do these regularly enough the first couple of months after my RTKR but have found that doing them improved my balance quite a bit once I started doing them daily. That said, there’s the chance that calf raises might entail pain early on … in which case, I’ll postpone its use.
• Mental wellbeing management:
  • I’m mentally preparing myself for a more difficult adjustment with the LTKR. My right leg was bowed while the left is knock kneed, and looking at the x-rays, I’m anticipating that my left femur will need to undergo a much more pronounced adjustment once the left knee is done and the leg straightened … which in turn, could cause more left leg discomfort and could throw my body and my new-ish right knee out of whack as well - at least for a few weeks. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m preparing for the worst while hoping for the best.
  • Like post-RTKR, I plan to spend a lot of time reading forum postings (ala bonesmart) and viewing replacement related clips on YouTube. I find the feeling of being part of a large community of fellow TKRees comforting.
  • Set numerous daily low bar, easy to accomplish tasks … to give me lots of opportunities to celebrate little “victories” throughout the day.
  • After week 1, I’m hoping to be able to have not only outside PT but to also get to the gym (as I did post-RTKR). Getting out of the house and being amongst others, especially in a gym environment, can be very motivating. It helps too that at the gym I go to there are 2 others who have had their TKRs done within 10 days of my RTKR and another one who will have his TKR on the same day I’m getting my LTKR.
  • Sit outside when it’s nice and sunny. I plan to read, nap, elevate, ice, etc etc there as much as possible. There’s nothing like being outdoors on a warmish day, in the shade, in Colorado! As an added bonus, we have a very distant view of the mountains from our deck, always a spirit lifter. I had my RTKR in December, so this wasn’t really an option.
  • Continue maintaining a right knee log and start a left knee log side-by-side. Regular snapshots of the left knee will be included in the log … that’s something I wish I did with the right knee.

I think I’m as prepared as I can be for Knee #2 … and yet, I’m fully aware that the best laid plans can all be for naught based on actual circumstances.

 

[WFD]

Given the changes in the angles of your knees after surgery, at your first PT appointment you may want to have them measure your leg lengths to see if you need a wedge in one shoe. This might head off some of the problems people have.

 

[FourCats]

You sound like you’re ready for #2 and are being realistic that you may need to adjust those plans.