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TKR Here goes knee #2 - looking for another success story

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well - here it is one day shy of 2 months since surgery - I have to say I am doing pretty good for the most part - although I did over do it the other day with riding stationary bike for 4 miles and then going on a 1 mile walk, coming and grooming my dogs (including baths) and doing laundry - Ummm - lets just say I learned my lesson there - a lot too much too soon HAHA - thankfully with icing, elevation and rest I am back to my normal state - unfortunately my left knee is severely painful most days (due for TKR in April) and that limits a lot of my rehab on my right knee - so when it is feeling less painful I tend to over do - lesson definitely learned there - my ROM has gone down some since I over did it but not concerned as I know as swelling decreases my ROM will increase - I still have no functional problem with going up/down stairs, riding the stationary bike or walking on my right knee so ROM has never been my focus - it is only a number and as long as I am functional in the things I do I just don't worry - I see my OS toward the end of Feb and he will probably measure me - last time I was somewhere around 120 or so flexion and 0 extension - My main focus right now is getting a little stronger so I can enjoy a trip to Hawaii mid March which will be about 15 weeks out from surgery....

I feel so fortunate as my recovery has really been uneventful and I am really hoping the left knee will be the same - but of course each knee is different - The really good thing is that by the time I head for Europe in March 2016 both my knees will be replaced and if everything goes ok with the left TKR I should be able to enjoy some beautiful walks in Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Croatia.
 
Great report. My surgery was 4 days after yours and you seem to have had a similarly uneventful recovery. Well done.
Although I still can't go down all stairs like a big girl yet - I'm OK on the ones where the steps are shallower but my ones at home are a bit steep yet. But it will come. I know what you mean about getting stronger, that's my main aim to build up strength and stamina. I'm hoping my other knee will last out a bit longer but you never know.

What fun your trip will be!
Best wishes
 
well - it is official - my left knee is scheduled for April 10, 2015 - I will be really glad to get that one done as it is really hampering my recovery on the right - Walking is extremely limited to maybe 20 minutes a day now as the pain from this left knee is just too much - I am continuing at the gym on the recumbent bike and doing upper body work and gentle quad exercises - but I have learned that it is so easy to overdo on the exercise before you even know it - so I am just taking my time and not pushing a lot - my ROM is still good at around 115-120 but I just don't worry about the numbers anymore - I am functional on my right knee - can go up/down stairs, stand for quite a while, do the bike and walking does not hurt at all on this knee - I hope my left knee recovery will be as good as this right one has been - but as we all know each knee is different -

Looking forward to trip to Hawaii in March before my left knee surgery -
 
:thumb:
 
@bottomshollow - Hi, I have noted in a lot of posts you have mentioned a Thread Tool - but after a lot of searching I never found this tool - on further research into the information area of Bonesmart I found that this tool is no longer available - could you remove this from your information as it is confusing to us newer members.

I am doing quite well - although now experiencing a little more pain superficially over my skin as the nerves reconnect. I will be seeing my surgeon on 2/23 for my 3 month visit and will make sure nothing is amiss - but it feels very superficial (although can be painful). At this visit we will be taking preliminary x-rays on my left knee for my upcoming TKR on that knee in April.

My life has pretty much returned to normal as far as my right knee is concerned and I am still doing the recumbent bike at the gym 3-4 times a week and trying to walk as much as I can with this bum left knee -

I am definitely looking forward to our trip to Hawaii mid March.
 
Actually, the Thread Tool option was gone for a while, but we brought it back so people could change their own thread titles if they wanted to. You'll find it in the upper right of the page. If you use a tablet or smartphone, things may be different, though. So you may need to go to a laptop of desktop to use the tool.
 
Just got back from 10 days in Hawaii - my replaced right knee did great - no pain at all and very little swelling and I did a lot of walking, stairs and swimming. Did not even need my ice packs that I brought for that knee - However, my left knee made walking and anything else pretty painful even using my cane - so in order to walk I developed a sort of straight leg gait on that side, which of course inflamed my calf and thigh muscles/tendons....but it was the only way I could walk - Despite that - it was a great vacation with beautiful weather and lots of whales - which is why we chose this time of year - even saw whales from our balcony at the resort without the use of binoculars - they were very close.

Now am home and getting ready to have this left knee replaced on April 10th - can't wait and am hoping my recovery is as easy as the right one was - but of course no 2 knees are the same - so who knows...but I do know that ultimately it will be much better than it is now -
 
Sounds like Hawaii was a blast. Glad you had a great holiday.
Now for the next challenge. ...knee 2. Work on quads before op to help after. Take care. Maggie x

Maggie via Tapatalk
 
@Jamie Since I am going to have surgery Fri on my left knee I would like to change the title of my thread - I tried doing this from my laptop but I still do not see the Thread Toolbar - can you please change my thread to read - Here goes knee #2 - looking for another success story

Thank you
 
Best of luck and hope you have an easy recovery again and then you will have 2 shiny knees :-)


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Your title is changed and you're ready to go now. Best of luck to you and we'll be waiting to hear from you in recovery.
 
Thanks Jamie and Chereb - I have my house in order, groceries in the fridge and freezer, laundry and ironing done, house fencing up to keep my dogs away from me, so now all there is to do is WAIT until Fri - on Fri my surgery is not until 12:30 and I don't have any access to web until I get home (hopefully Sunday) - At least this time I know what to expect with the surgery routine - keep me in your thoughts
 
Heading to the hosp in about an hour for my new left knee - definitely not as nervous as I was for the right - just keeping my fingers crossed that I have another good recovery - I will check in once I am home and settled on Sunday

Lin
 
Good luck! Best wishes for an uneventful recovery!


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Hi all - got home from the hosp late yesterday afternoon - my day of surgery was very LONG because one of the cases before me proved to have lots of problems - so my actual surgery was not until 3 pm - and I did not get to my room until after 9 pm - so needless to say I was hungry - thank god I got some food that night as the next day the dreaded nausea and vomiting took hold - but by Sun it was gone - I had a great PT while in the hosp who had a great sense of humor and believed in doing work only until it was uncomfortable and no more - She measured my ROM on my previous knee and it was 0/128 so I was very happy with that. By the time I left the hosp on Sun my ROM on my new knee was 78/13 -- which considering I had a long compressive dressing on until just before she came is not bad. I can already tell today after my exercises that it has improved.

I spent the rest of the day and night after coming home elevating and icing and my swelling has already started to receed - pain control is great with just Norco and Tramadol - so I am hoping this recovery will continue down this road - so far it is matching the great recovery on my previous knee.

Today I am enjoying my first cup of coffee since before surgery - and I am in heaven - My home PT should be here tomorrow and I have requested the same one I had before as she was great. So the rest of the day will be just resting and icing and doing very minimal heel slides until I start my formal PT here at home.

I will check in again in a few days - Hope all the others who have had surgery around this time are doing well...
 
Glad your home and wishing you a speedy recovery


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First week down - I am doing well - a little more swelling than I would like but I know what to do about that - ICE, ELEVATE and repeat over and over....ROM is measured at 95/5 on Thurs and that is just great for me. I won't have another PT session for about 10 days as my PT is going on vacation and we both agreed that I know what to do and I did not want to "break in" another PT for just a couple of visits - I was fortunate to be able to request my same PT as I had last time so we both know each other and there is trust on both of our sides. This time around I am not sweating the small stuff and am a lot more relaxed and less frantic about sudden pains or xtra swelling - so from that standpoint this recovery is a lot easier - on both me and my dogs - they have a lot more freedom this time - although they still can't sit with me or sleep with me - but they are not totally fenced off from me 24/7.

Hope everyone is doing well in their recovery - this certainly is a slow process but I am keeping my eye on the prize - getting my life back - YEAH:loveshwr:
 
I am sure finding out that no 2 knees are alike - while I am still having what I consider an easy recovery, this left knee is giving me more trouble than the right did. I find that I have a constant ache in my entire left leg and sitting for more than about 35-45 min becomes slightly uncomfortable. On the right knee I had no such ache and had absolutely no trouble sitting for very long periods of time almost immediately after surgery. I am 12 days out from this TKR so I know it will slowly improve - really can't complain as I know so many others have had real pain and problems with their recovery journey and my recoveries seem to be pretty mild in comparison.

I am now using a heating pad on my upper thigh/hip area where my muscles are really tight and sore and using my ice on the lower thigh and knee area - that does seem to help. I am still taking my Norco 10/325 by the clock and will continue doing so as I don't know what this dull ache would turn into if I wasn't.

My ROM is coming along nicely and I have now transitioned to a cane from the walker. My gait is pretty normal and I can walk without a limp but my bend in the left knee is still tight and I feel using the cane is the wisest thing at this point.

Last night my dogs (mini schnauzers) were finally allowed back in bed with me and I am not sure who was happiest about that - them or me - it sure felt good to have them back - I have found my animals to be a great comforting force in my life and they have made the early weeks of recovery and being housebound bearable for me.

So that is about it for me right now - getting ready to see my GP for my after hospitalization checkup - then back home to my REST, ICE, ELEVATION routine.
 
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