TKR Hawkie's 2nd Knee

@hawk2go I delight in your being able to walk anywhere you want to go. And to dance and do yoga! That is great! I will be glad when I can say I am able to walk anywhere I want to go, without assistance, that is. You did it. I can do it!
 
Wow, Hawkie… congratulations! I’m still catching up, & saw your post on your celebration! My one year comes up next week ….I can hardly believe. I’ll see my surgeon on the. 7th, a little anxious, with my my lousy balance, but, still, he is a very kind & compassionate Dr, and I have had the other kind in the past, so I truly a appreciate him.
I had to chuckle at your comment about having plans for boys. We still reminisce of our son at that age……some of the most feared thoughts race through your mind when you hear that little voice announce…..” I have an idea!!” Yes, it’s best to have plans. Our grandson will be with us this weekend, & he & I will put up Halloween decorations & bake & decorate cupcakes. It will be so good to have him here.
Have a great time dancing! You’ve been one of my best guides & inspirations on this journey….thanks!
 
@hawk2go , I am jealous! It will be a few months until i can dance as I am day 4 after foot surgery. Only allowed up to bathroom, very boring life. My new thread is on other joints, bunion surgery. Have a dance for me!
 
I think I danced for everyone!

Sunday was a rainy day and when I got up my knee hurt. I used my air compression leg cuffs and an anti-inflammatory skin patch and was good to go in the afternoon. While in pain, I was indignant and annoyed that my knee had the nerve to give me pain after such stellar work. Then I turned that statement around, after such stellar work for months, I had a day with pain. I'm also fine today, it may have been the barometric pressure or a short stay on the ODIC bench.
:happydance:
 
I started doing some VERY basic Pilates every other day. Tired of my hips and lower back hurting and I know it's from weakness. BOY am I out of shape! :flabber: I can't do everything either and I have to copy the modifier person and not the main one but it's a start!

Glad you were able to go dancing and not suffer too much afterwards. :thumb:
 
BOY am I out of shape! :flabber:
Wow - I'm right there with you. I knew when I chose the gentle recovery approach that I was sacrificing stamina while awaiting more capability. Now that there are far fewer restrictions, the stamina has become the challenge. I'm okay with that since I saved a bunch of pain during recovery and am certain the stamina will return with consistent commitment, no worries at all.
 
I'm also fine today, it may have been the barometric pressure or a short stay on the ODIC bench.
:happydance:
Probably a little of both, but now that you are out dancing and being active gain the stamina will come with time. I can do more now than 10 years ago. Pain free movement is amazing!
 
@hawk2go , barometric pressure definitely affects your knees, mine too.
What are air compression leg cuffs?
 
Like the picture below, my air compression cuffs cover my feet, lower legs, and upper legs with different cuffs that expand and contract based on a set program. It ends up providing a gentle massage that I find helps with temporary swelling and fatigue. My version also generates heat on the knees though there's no compression in that area. I bought them with my pre-op gear but my OS didn't want me to use them early to avoid damaging the incision and my chiropractor had some other concern that I have since forgotten. I forgot about them until a couple months ago.

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Pilates is deceptively hard.
I tried planking again. My first attempt lasted 5 seconds and really challenged me, lol. Good news is that I am gradually able to hold it for longer periods working toward my near term goal of 1 minute.
 
The one time I tried a plank it killed my back. It must have been done wrong. How do you do it?
 
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Yes, if it hurts your back you're doing the plank wrong. Your abs and glutes should be doing the work, but if they aren't your back takes a beating. Focus on tensing the abs and glutes and try to hold the plank. If/when you start to feel it in your back stop and rest. It might take some practice with very short planks before you can hold one for any length of time.
 
If it is comfortable for you, you can start with your knees on a soft cushion on the floor, to make it easier so you can practice good form. Not everyone can rest any weight on their knees at this point, but many can.

You can also practice leaning against a wall or with your forearms on a bench with your feet on the floor, and progress to harder variations as you get stronger.

The most important thing is not to let your hips sag lower, below the straight line that your body is making. If anything, your hips should be slightly higher, only a little bit. Letting your hips sag is usually what causes back pain.
 
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I’ve been reading these posts on the plank. Thinking I should start working On that again. I used to do I minute a day, but am just now back doing more exercises. ( have to admit, I kinda “ slacked off during the summer, with everything that was going on). My balance is Really lousy lately! We are back walking 30 minutes weekday mornings, just over a mile, everyday. And I’m doing leg lifts. A friend suggested standing on one foot while I brushed my teeth. I tried this morning, but I find that I cannot stay up while doing ANYTHING! But I think I’ll try just doing that After I have brushed & waterpikked. Also, I’ll try to resurrect some of the exercises my PT had me doing, like slow marching. Not sure how it got so bad, but hopefully, this will help. My husband found some 5-minute Tai-chi videos that we will try. I’m sure I can handle a 5-minute routine! ( my surgeon suggested trying Tai-chi for my balance).
One other thing did occur to me: I’d totally forgot that old nemesis for us all……. The ODIC! I often find myself going like a freight train, not slowing down. Could this be part of the problem? The cooler weather makes it possible for us to walk later in the day, so we’re going to try me sleeping til I naturally wake up. Since the days of my 6 am antibiotic infusions, my husband wakes up 5 or so. So he gets up, feeds the cat, reads a little, has a cup of coffee, then brings me a cup around 6:30 so we can beat the sun in our eyes when we walk. But maybe that little bit of extra sleep might help. Does this make sense to anyone else? I always enjoy learning any little tidbit of wisdom from my Bonesmart friends. So if anyone has any suggestions, I’d definitely appreciate them. Btw, I celebrated my 1 year anniversary from my TKR last Thursday. The cleanout surgery for the infection won’t be til November, and I do remember that as being a rough time - although most of the bad part is becoming a dim memory, but I remember how incredible the hospital staff was, and my Dr & his staff, kind and caring, & somehow, in the midst of a Covid surge here, taking excellent care of me, & everyone else there. I still look on that as a very positive experience.
Well I should consider getting our soup on for supper. Everyone have a lovely evening…. Getting chilly here, down to mid- high 30’s…. Looks like I will be bringing in some green tomatoes to finish ripening inside in the next few days……..
 
Happy no more OS appointments for 5 years to me! I had my 1 year checkup, a bit delayed, today. He hardly touched me but nodded when I bent and when I straightened. His PA wiggled the lower leg to check the side to side movement and noticed some low level clicking that she said was normal. It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Philly and I had company over yesterday. I did quite a bit of cleaning and also made a lasagna (tomorrow is manana - hahaha). After lunch, we walked in the park over hills and rocky trails for a while then listened to a live band singing jazz standards. I thanked my OS for helping me regain the quality in my life.
:walking:
 

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