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TKR gzuckero's Recovery - '6 months in<

Walking and movement of the joint is v important, but beaware that just like the good physio said if its showing signs of being damaged more it can only get worse. I'm a hippie with other problems and walking is best for me I set my self wee target either in distance or activity and take a moments rest then off I go again. Oh BTW brilliant attitude

Legin THR Sep 14
 
Thanks everyone for the uplifting messages, although these are not for me personally, but I felt is was kind of. I m only 16 days post op, not too much experience to feed back, but I know all those messages are from fellow TKR ,s valuable experience, let,s just say the key is Patience. And Hug along the way.
 
Please don't compare recoveries when you have your right knee done, I made that mistake and realised that no two recoveries are the same. This recovery is much slower than my first tkr, not saying yours will be but take it as it comes.
 
Welcome @Birdy! You'll quickly find that no matter on whose thread you are on, words of encouragement and experience ring true for everyone, even though, as @CATSMUM says, no two recoveries are alike. What is your thread Birdy?
So glad you are starting to see the light @gzuckero! :yes!: It often takes awhile, but progress is there. Cool about your scars!
 
We all move forward just sometimes the plan changes and new starting points are put to us too move forward


Legin THR Sep 14
 
12 weeks today and here's what I CAN do
Work out with my trainer at the gym who has degrees in therapy re bad joints and bones. He pushes me hard but works with me by finding out how I feel that day and what hurts and what doesn't. Joints he cares about, muscles, well....he kinda likes it when those hurt.
I'm able to walk up to 3 miles at work without too much of a problem now. Still working up to the five miles a day that I was doing prior to surgery.
I can go out on our boat on the lake, get into the water and then back in the boat via the ladder. This is a bigger deal than you might think because you have to be able to bend the knee (almost to pre-surgery bend) and then pull your body weight out of the water while balancing on a ladder rung. This was a HUGE moment for me. We missed most of the summer on the lake due to my recovery but have been able to enjoy these last couple of weeks. Warning - if the boat goes to rocking from wakes or waves I either have to brace myself or sit. Sea legs require stability I have not yet achieved.
I can ride a recumbent bike, the Octane machine (also recumbent) and do some squats. I've been able to get up a 12 resistance on the machines which is helping rebuild my leg muscles and help me get strength. I can also do leg presses now. I'm up to 85 pounds which is really light to what I used to do way back before I had knee issues but we're working up a little at a time.

My struggles
Still don't have my knee straight. It's not terrible but I have to work on it every single day and it hurts. However after doing the exercises/stretches to straighten it I walk better, with more natural motion. So working every day is what I will do.
Swelling is still a challenge. At the end of every day and all day after a morning workout I have to ice because of swelling. This has become such a regular thing that NOT having ice on my knee seems weird.
I'm still using a cane. This is usually just until I "get going" then I could put it away but what are you going to do once you're up and going. So it still goes with me everywhere. The "get going" part is after sitting for hours in meetings at work or getting up in the morning after being in bed all night. I hope one day to hop out of bed without a thought and get on with my day
I still have pain behind my kneecap. This is the only thing that is concerning for me at this point. I'm reaching out to my therapist to see if he believes this is normal or not.

Hope all of you are coming along well with your own recoveries.
Good days and not so good days but I keep chugging along.
 
You are doing fabulous!!! I so get what you are saying about getting out of the water into a boat. I couldn't wait to swim after my knees - the pool at the club only had those side ladders. Then we celebrated my recovery at 4 months with a trip to Hawaii where I went SCUBA diving off a boat. Only way out of the water was to heft oneself out on the boat ladder with about a 120 degree bend! Huge accomplishment gzuckero!!! I am so impressed with all of your "CANS!!" The struggles will resolve. Each day is a new day. Sounds like you have an excellent PT who is sensitive to what is happening as your body heals - well done. The pain behind your kneecap at only 12 weeks sounds very typical to me! WTG girl!! Try some gentle massage for the swelling - it too, will resolve. Thank you for such an awesome update!
 
Wahey I agree with NightQ megga improvements girl but also so grounded as to where you are. I have no doubt you will do the just jump out of bed without a thought soon, nice one lass

Legin THR Sep 14
 
So here I am 6 months+ into my recovery and I'm still having some struggles. Turns out if I stand for long periods, walk on hard floors for long periods or walk distances (1/2 mile or more) I end up crippled all over again. It doesn't appear to be my joint itself but rather the tendons or ligaments on the inside and outside of my knee.

I've been working out post completion of therapy riding recumbent bike, recumbent elliptical, and recently started the rowing machine again. Everything feels ok while I'm doing it as long as I don't raise the resistance too high, but then the stiffness and pain sets in and I start walking like Frankenstein again. Pre-TKR I would gauge if I was doing too much by if I had pain, but pretty much everything I do has some level of pain associated so I'm not sure if I'm overdoing or what.

Anyone else have similar struggles and/or suggestions? Everyone here has been a life save for me through this experience so I trust your feedback!!!
 
Some folks who have this problem find that a neoprene "sleeve" will help. Some folks have looser tnedons and ligaments. I would try a brace and if it works, I would talk to my OS.
 
I would double check with your OS that everything is ok first. At least you would not be worrying about a problem. He/she could then discuss with you how to handle your specific concerns. It's well worth a return visit.
 
Don't forget, too, that you only just over half way through a recovery that takes full year. Your knee is doing a lot, so perhaps you could ease off some of the exercise for a bit longer?
 
Six months after my 1st TKR I went on a vacation that included lots of walking, hiking and even some horseback riding. I was stiff and sore every day by mid-afternoon, and whimpered in my sleep every night (so I was told). That was last spring. Just 8 months later that same knee feels GREAT!

Schedule an extra appointment with your surgeon if you have nagging concerns. I did, and the reassurance really helped. Remember that you are still healing at six months. Full recovery takes up to two years!
 
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I'm 7.5 months post op on my left knee. If I do too much I suffer and the knee gets stiff and sore. After a good nights rest and a day taking it easy the knee returns to normal. But if it doesn't work then a physio massage does. My RTKR is 4 years old and doesn't flare up the same so its patience I'm afraid to wait until things settle down. As Celle say, recovery can take a year.
 
gzuckero said:
I've been working out post completion of therapy riding recumbent bike, recumbent elliptical, and recently started the rowing machine again. Everything feels ok while I'm doing it as long as I don't raise the resistance too high, but then the stiffness and pain sets in and I start walking like Frankenstein again... pretty much everything I do has some level of pain associated so I'm not sure if I'm overdoing or what.
Click to expand...
NO kidding! Can you not figure out cause and effect?

I'd like to ask you some questions if you don't mind, and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your present pain levels? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery! :no-fin:) Also don't forget to include other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness

2. are you taking pain medications? If so what, how much and how often?

3. What is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

4. is your leg swollen at all?
[Bonesmart.org] gzuckero's Recovery - '6 months in<


5. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

6. what kind of PT exercises and exercises at home are you doing? How much and how often?

Can you describe them like these examples ....

Exercises done at home: 3 sessions a day
Heel slides x10 (reps)
Straight leg raises x10
Steps x10

At PT
Squats x5 (reps) x2 (sets)
Wall slides x5 x2
Clamshells X5 x2
 
BTW I merged your threads as per this request One thread for your recovery please?

It is so much easier to be able to help you and give you the advice you need when we are able to easily see when your surgery was, what other issues you may have had, and what has been going on in your recovery just by looking at one thread instead of bouncing back and forth between two or more other threads.

We also have help articles here, you know! In here How To Use This Forum (it's in the "Help & Info" tab across the top of the page).
The article you want is this one How can I find my threads and posts?
 
To me rowing machine sounds :scaredycat:for a knee less than a year old.
 
What everyone else said!! :heehee: Additionally, look carefully as you do your PT exercises. It is easy to be slightly angling a knee or a hip without being aware of it, but it ends up putting more pressure on the muscles and tendons that are still healing. My PT had to correct my postures frequently. Be sure to "square yourself" and stabilize before doing any of them.
 
I work out with many of the same machines. I think it is important to find out your liimits. If 15 min on the rowing machine feels good and 25 min makes you swell, then listen to your body. Do 15 min, then 17, then 19, etc until you build up the time. constantly pushing your knee beyond its ability leads to swelling and more problems.
 
Hi. I am 6 months out next week and I can do the rowing machine for 5 minutes but only about 2 minutes on the elliptical. Walking long distances and biking is fine but I still cannot go down stairs without pain. I think it is a soft tissue issue on the lateral side of my knee. I agree with @NightQuilter. My PT says I collapse my hip when doing step downs and now I have to do them in front of a mirror. Lots to relearn after TKR.
:gaah:
 
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