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TKR Hawkie's Sunbeam Journey

No PT, I see my PA, physician assistant for a cortico shot in the non-surgical knee.
 
Let me know what he/she says if you ask about the steps. I get a Synvisc shot in my non-TKR knee in 3 weeks! Good luck with the cortisone shot. :scaredycat:
 
I forgot to ask about the stairs because the visit was super quick. I got there at 8 and was out by 8:30. Synvisc never worked for either knee. The cortisone has historically kept the right knee at bay, but I was limping a bit today, so I may be nearing the end. Usually it's as good as new a few days after the injection.
 
Shoot! Hope the limp is temporary and the cortisone continues to work. Neither one works too good for me, but snynvisc works longer. Stairs seem to be improving for me with these new exercises.
 
Hi! I have 1 month until my baby is a year old. Most days I am fine doing what I want to do. Some days I am tired and some days one or both knees are a bit tender usually after a ton of activity. I sleep and wake up without pain. I no longer have that stooped over start as the knees become lubricated, I just get up from any seat and walk. My bend and flex are fine. El Jefe still complains a bit when I descend stairs but the pain does not linger and it is only the surgical knee when it is bearing my full weight just before the right foot touches down and only on steps of a certain length or height. Kneeling is still weird. I have increased my daily stationary cycling and the length of my walks, without concern for incline or decline.

All in all, most days I just go about my day infrequently thinking about my knee in the abstract because there is no reason for me to think about it actively. I am still reluctant to consider the right TKR.
 
That's a great report. :happydance::yay: :yes!:
Good to hear that, at almost a year later, your knee is close to 100%.
 
Hawk, nice to hear from you!

I could have basically posted the same report--down to the last line: I am still reluctant to consider the right TKR.

I was in Europe last week and there are stairs everywhere. Approaching a stair case was really the only time I thought about my knee in Europe, but that was multiple times a day.

Sometimes my knee is pain free descending stairs, and sometimes I still have a twinge of pain. Good to hear I am not alone in this, but I cannot wait for the day when we both don't have to even think about stairs.

Great report! And nice to hear from you! Your little granddaughter is getting big!
 
Thank you for this great report! At almost seven months, I am looking forward to that magical one year anniversary and it is good to know what to expect!
 
I have to get the right knee done but am really afraid of all the possibilities. 2015 was such a tough recovery, I am just a bit gun shy. The "what if" fairy is very generously sprinkling me with all of the things that can go wrong this time. Plus I am just tired after a long year of challenges - the fall and ankle/leg break, being non-weight bearing on the right leg for 2 full months and having to rely on a badly deteriorated left knee, the left TKR and recovery, interrupting my recovery to "rescue" Mom, integrating her into our home, closing her NYC apartment where she had 30 years to accumulate stuff. I'll be going through stuff until the end of the year although we finally closed her place and moved her stuff last weekend. There are so many blessings on the flip side of those challenges that I won't complain, all in all there has been good revealed. But I really am just tired and afraid of what can go wrong to extend the next recovery. I also wanted to give my personal care team a bit of a break. Right now my plan is to schedule the right TKR in early 2017. I'm just trying to balance between taking 3 years out of my life to recovery from TKRs or shortening that window by going in sometime this fall.

Funny I have talked others off the ledge of fear but when I find myself on that same ledge, I got nothing to say to myself.

edit to say: weird to post this after having such an upbeat post last week. I'm still feeling good about El Jefe's recovery just brought back to reality by the thought of the right failing. Oh well, my year is coming up and I'll talk to the doctor about it then.
 
You know so much more now about having a TKR. You know what caused you problems and what went well. I know it's a hard decision. I'm sure you will make the right one for you.
 
I really know how you feel, cuz once you did one, it's hard to schedule the other! My first one was harder than my second, and I wanted to not do it at all, but circumstances forced me to get it done, and it has been almost a year now, and I feel normal! No more of that awful pain, and I can do stairs like a I use too, and the only thing I do complain about is when I am over tired and have been on my feet, my knees feel swollen. Or I feel that tight band around them!!
I am glad I have that behind me, the recovery process seemed quicker the second time around, and maybe because I knew what to expect?? You will know when it is the right time for you, and you will be happy with your decision! Good luck to you!!
 
My 2nd knee was so much easier than my 1st knee. I had better pain control and much more confidence about what I could or should not do. I was more relaxed about everything. You will know when the time is right and you will do well.


RTKR January 6 2016
LTKR March 23 2016

Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Thanks everyone! I do know more don't I? I definitely know enough to stay clear of the ODIC. I am considering a new position and think that will be the deciding factor.
 
My 1 year check up went very well
me (looking at the xray): wow that looks good, hunh?
doc (looking at the xray): yeah, very nice - then she forced bending, straightening, wiggling, etc.
me: so when do I see you again
doc: next year
me: very cool, then I said "can I get a hell yeah"​
The last part was just in my head, leftover from a good trip to Nashville. The left knee is in great shape. There remains some tightness under certain exaggerated activities. Doc said to keep an eye on it and contact them if it doesn't seem to be getting progressively better.

As to the right knee, who is not yet the boss of me - it is in better shape than last time we checked. Arthritis seems to be just on the medial side. Weird because when I did the pre-op for the left, the GP said the right seemed as bad as the left but he guessed the left was giving me more trouble. So I also did the Oxford Knee Score for the right knee before I went to the doctor and realized, that I am not very impaired functionally. There is some consistent pain but not enough to medicate daily. I take 1 aleve twice a week if that. I do get some buckling when I do lateral moves but also not consistent, so I'll wear a brace for a bit and do some strengthening. All in all, we decided to continue non-surgical therapies until I say "uncle" and give in. I'm definitely torn between recovery from surgery now or later. Is it better to get it over with or hold out for as long as I can? What's good is that this truly seems elective right now. I say that because I was taken aback when a nurse in the hospital referred to my TKA as elective surgery, though I now know it to be true. Through the heavy hospital drugs I thought, "yeah I elected not to be debilitated by pain and grossly reduced function anymore, I elected to resume my life". It's all good.
 
Wonderful 1 year report! I'm glad you are doing so well. My other knee was complaining a bit a couple of days ago and I threatened it with a TKR and it decided to cooperate and calm down! I think it needs a good talking too!:rotfl:
 
@newlybionic that talking to you suggested to me worked wonders! It has behaved wonderfully! @hawk2go, keeps yours in line, too! One of these surgeries is enough for a lifetime.
 
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