SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
United StatesWe send positive thoughts because we know one day, though there's no saying exactly when, you will be positive about your knee replacement too! 
TKR Grandma B's Recovery Thread
- Thread starter Grandma B
- Start date
OP
OP
Grandma B
junior member
SusieShoes wouldn’t it be great if we could have a reunion! That would be amazing! I don’t think there would be a large enough place to hold it haha!!!
We would certainly make the news , maybe that would open up the eyes of the OS and P T what works instead of pushing and pulling making you think they know what they are doing. It certainly opened my eyes and I now tell them ENOUGH or I Just stop and walk out and sit.
Yesterday I went for my 6 week checkup with OS he was very pleased and didn’t mention anything about RoM only said I have to work on straighting my leg more and trying not to depend on the walker so much, he said to try walking holding on the the countertops to get more confident on walking so I went home and tried it! Boy I was holding on to the walls, doors and managed to surprise my husband by doing laundry he only had to put it in the dryer, the look on his face was priceless and I felt like it was the most important accomplished task I could of done, I got myself down stairs held on to whatever I grabbed and was quite impressed even though there was pain my leg held up it didn’t snap haha!!!! Let the dog out and managed to get up the stairs which by then was turning into a challenge, but I did it
I was exhausted, totally wiped out ! I had s full day PT, OS appt and doing light cooking and then the challenge of laundry and playing with the dog my day was done as soon as I got ice elevated I was out! And all with very little pain
i was so proud of myself even though my husband wasn’t too happy cause he was at work and if I fell he wasn’t there to help, which I truly understand but I had to try!
We would certainly make the news , maybe that would open up the eyes of the OS and P T what works instead of pushing and pulling making you think they know what they are doing. It certainly opened my eyes and I now tell them ENOUGH or I Just stop and walk out and sit.Yesterday I went for my 6 week checkup with OS he was very pleased and didn’t mention anything about RoM only said I have to work on straighting my leg more and trying not to depend on the walker so much, he said to try walking holding on the the countertops to get more confident on walking so I went home and tried it! Boy I was holding on to the walls, doors and managed to surprise my husband by doing laundry he only had to put it in the dryer, the look on his face was priceless and I felt like it was the most important accomplished task I could of done, I got myself down stairs held on to whatever I grabbed and was quite impressed even though there was pain my leg held up it didn’t snap haha!!!! Let the dog out and managed to get up the stairs which by then was turning into a challenge, but I did it
I was exhausted, totally wiped out ! I had s full day PT, OS appt and doing light cooking and then the challenge of laundry and playing with the dog my day was done as soon as I got ice elevated I was out! And all with very little paini was so proud of myself even though my husband wasn’t too happy cause he was at work and if I fell he wasn’t there to help, which I truly understand but I had to try!
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
I am SO proud of you. 
You did it! You trusted your leg and it proved it was up to the job. Yes, you will still have some pain at first while walking, until the healing is done. But it will get less and less. And the stiffness will still be there, but it too will become less and less.
You did quite a lot. Even if you think you should be doing more, you're doing quite enough. And you handled it perfectly by elevating and icing and taking a nap.
Who cares if your husband is impressed (he should be)? You're justifiably impressed, and so are all your BoneSmartie friends!
You did it! You trusted your leg and it proved it was up to the job. Yes, you will still have some pain at first while walking, until the healing is done. But it will get less and less. And the stiffness will still be there, but it too will become less and less. You did quite a lot. Even if you think you should be doing more, you're doing quite enough. And you handled it perfectly by elevating and icing and taking a nap.
Who cares if your husband is impressed (he should be)? You're justifiably impressed, and so are all your BoneSmartie friends!
OP
OP
Grandma B
junior member
@SusieShoes thank you!!! I feel so good
@Grandma B - you did great! :santaclap:
OP
OP
Grandma B
junior member
We all wish it could be soon - but remember that this recovery is a marathon not a sprint.
Slow and steady progress is what you should aim for. You'll get there!
Slow and steady progress is what you should aim for. You'll get there!
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
Yes, GrandmaB, slow and steady is the way. You’re not yet two months into a year long recovery. Though most people feel better at three months, there’s no guarantee about that. It’s not a magic number. 
Keep with the plan and celebrate the small victories along the way, like you’ve been doing. You will get there!
Keep with the plan and celebrate the small victories along the way, like you’ve been doing. You will get there!
Yippee! You did it all by yourself! I knew you could do it! What a wonderful, inspiring day you have had today. Now, you will need to rest tomorrow to let your knee recuperate. I found that worked well for me. I'd do extra stuff one day, and then almost nothing extra the necessary things the next. That kept my swelling and pain level down.
OP
OP
Grandma B
junior member
To all the wonderful ladies at BoneSmart who have helped me through this rough time of healing , listening to me vent at times that drove me to tears when I tried to be brave and felt like I was feeling sorry for my self as my husband put it! I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year!
:merry christmas: :dancing:
:merry christmas: :dancing:
Thank you very much. We volunteer our time because we care about all of you. We have the experience of years of knee problems and then our tkrs. We don't want to waste this experience so we spend hours a day on Bonesmart to try and be a help!
God bless you and a very Merry Christmas!!
God bless you and a very Merry Christmas!!
OP
OP
Grandma B
junior member
I was wondering is it normal if you stand for a while for you’re legs to hurt and start to feel like logs ? I’ve been pushing myself to do more I’m holding on to counter tops and anything along the way to walk! It’s still hard to let go even though I’m slowly doing it (baby steps) and also in PT there helping me walk with a cane, when oh when willl I be able to walk? It’s so frustrating! Even though I do see a little bit of progress and my leg is a lot stronger than it was before.
I can walk up the stairs and down with that leg going first . To me it shows there is some progress, but it seems forever and my patience is wearing thin, this recovery is no joke! I don’t understand how you’re told you’ll be glad you did it , I feel I shouldn’t of went through with it , I want to be normal, I’m grateful for all the little victories that I accomplish , only it’s taking forever and the depression sure knows how to get you down in the dumps.
I can walk up the stairs and down with that leg going first . To me it shows there is some progress, but it seems forever and my patience is wearing thin, this recovery is no joke! I don’t understand how you’re told you’ll be glad you did it , I feel I shouldn’t of went through with it , I want to be normal, I’m grateful for all the little victories that I accomplish , only it’s taking forever and the depression sure knows how to get you down in the dumps.
Oh yes! We've all found that just standing still can become very painful. Even after walking round the supermarket without any pain, standing in line to checkout was painful.
As your leg gets stronger, walking will become easier. Practice walking a little with the cane at home. You may find it's easier to maneuver around the house than a walker.
But I can't see why there's a rush to get off the walker. It's only a tool and it's much better to use it than to risk a fall.
It's only just over 2 months since you had this major surgery. Since complete recovery takes as long as a full year, you still have plenty of time for everything to improve.
It's still too early for you to feel glad that you had the surgery. You're still in the difficult days. Hang in there and things will get better. The time will come when you're glad you had it done, believe me!
OP
OP
Grandma B
junior member
@Celle I feel so much better with you’re advise , my PT keeps trying to get me off the walker and there is nothing more than I would rather do but, my leg doesn’t feel like I could let go I’m trying and I know I’m not there yet to just let go! Im so happy you said there’s no rush , when I read about others who are walking I’m begining to think maybe there is something wrong with me , how is it others let go and are walking in stores with no assistance while I’m holding on to the food cart for dear life and walking like a snail .
I’m sorry to sound so ungrateful for little things that are happening, I feel like everyone expects me to walk and Im letting them down, I cook and do dishes and laundry and put the groceries away but I have to sit or lay down for a while cause my legs get stiff and I don’t want to fall . Thank you so much for cheering me up.
I’m sorry to sound so ungrateful for little things that are happening, I feel like everyone expects me to walk and Im letting them down, I cook and do dishes and laundry and put the groceries away but I have to sit or lay down for a while cause my legs get stiff and I don’t want to fall . Thank you so much for cheering me up.
I know it's hard, but try not to give in to the pressure of other people's expectations. It's your leg and your recovery. Your leg is recovering on its own schedule, not anyone else's. It's going to be OK.
Your PT wants you off the walker because somewhere she/he has a little schedule, where "most people" give up the walker at a certain time. That makes no allowances for individual recoveries. It's a one-size-fits-all schedule.
If you need a little longer - so what? You'll still recover. You won't need the walker for ever.
Here on BoneSmart, we've even advised people to go back to using the walker if they are limping, and to keep using it until they walk automatically with a normal gait.
Your PT wants you off the walker because somewhere she/he has a little schedule, where "most people" give up the walker at a certain time. That makes no allowances for individual recoveries. It's a one-size-fits-all schedule.
If you need a little longer - so what? You'll still recover. You won't need the walker for ever.
Here on BoneSmart, we've even advised people to go back to using the walker if they are limping, and to keep using it until they walk automatically with a normal gait.
Has the PT tried transitioning you to a cane, having your practice without the walker?--or just wants you off the walker? I transitioned to a cane, but that has its own coordination issues.
It's better to be safe than to go off walking aids before you're ready.
My PT had no timeline--she said some people needed them longer than others. I was using a cane well into 2 months. You know when you don't need it when you realize you've left it across the room...
It's better to be safe than to go off walking aids before you're ready.
My PT had no timeline--she said some people needed them longer than others. I was using a cane well into 2 months. You know when you don't need it when you realize you've left it across the room...
OP
OP
Grandma B
junior member
My PT follows a scheduale and he is trying to transition me to a cane, but it feels so unsteady I’m not comfortable with it, I don’t feel secure walking with it I feel like I’ll fall, I will stick to the walker until I feel comfortable that I’ll not fall, kneeper you are right about the coordination issues with the cane it feels very wobbly
Good decision!
It's your body and your knee and you have the right to do what feels best for you.
There's no point in getting off the walker, only to feel insecure with a cane.
Tell the PT that you will use the cane when you feel more secure. Tell her that you consider it would be unwise to risk a fall at this stage of your recovery.
It's your body and your knee and you have the right to do what feels best for you.
There's no point in getting off the walker, only to feel insecure with a cane.
Tell the PT that you will use the cane when you feel more secure. Tell her that you consider it would be unwise to risk a fall at this stage of your recovery.
OP
OP
Grandma B
junior member
They have the same program for everyone in there, it’s like robots doing the same routine, no mater if you just started out new or you’re a couple months along we follow the same routine! 
They are constantly checking on where you should be at on there schedual , I’m definetly sticking to my walker until I have enough nerve to let it go , it’s going to be on my schedual 
They are constantly checking on where you should be at on there schedual , I’m definetly sticking to my walker until I have enough nerve to let it go , it’s going to be on my schedual 
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