TKR Hi! New to the group! TKR at 8 wks - I can't stop pushing<

[Roy Gardiner]

Hi Steve only just caught your thread

I would also appreciate those who hit six months to tell me where they were in terms of activity, mobility

Please take a look at my recovery thread from sig (below).

Strikes me you're doing pretty well!

I've had a run of 41 days hitting 10,000 steps or more and lots of stairs. I should take the advice of so many on here who say I should back off for a bit

If your knee swells or gets stiff, back off activity.

 

[SteveInDC!]

Hi Polkadot! Yes, sitting in an uncomfortable office chair can be troublesome. Sometimes, I get carried away and sit for two hours. I'll stand and be very stiff for my first few steps. My fitbit has a reminder that quietly buzzes me each hour to get up with reminders like 'take me for a walk, let's go for a stroll, etc and I have to take at least 250 steps to quiet it. Often I'll seize the opportunity to go walk around the block. A few of my colleagues have the adjustable stand up desks. I'm intrigued but haven't bitten yet. I'm not looking forward to a long drive. I might just leap out of the window!

 

[SteveInDC!]

Hello! TGIF! Apparently, I thought I would end my work week with a bang. I didn't ride my bike today because it was raining cats and dogs this morning. My way home was to catch the bus. They are supposed to come at 15 intervals, but it didn't. I started walking thinking to pick up the next one down the route. I kept looking back to see if there a bus while judging the distance to a posted bus stop. What I didn't see as I was looking back over my shoulder was the broken and tilted up slab in the concrete sidewalk that clipped my shoe.

I went down HARD onto the concrete.

Strangely enough, my immediate concern was that I might have broken my new phone while I was holding it, keeping close eye on the obviously unreliable bus tracker app. As I got up and took a few steps, I could feel that my knee was not feeling as good as just minutes before. I had rainy day sidewalk crud on my knee and pants leg. I suppose that if I had fallen on my good knee, it still would have hurt. Of course the bus came minutes later and I got on. Between taking my seat and the time I got off (15 minutes later), my knee was starting to throb and stiffen. I walked the 5 blocks to my house, never in real pain, but certainly discomfort.

I'm writing to the group just to talk about it. I know no one will give me a diagnosis, but certainly some have fallen. I really don't feel bad enough to go to a Hospital. My Doctor has long gone home, although it happened just 3 blocks from the hospital where my surgery was done!

I suppose writing this will be it's own therapy... Why, I feel a little better already! Looks like Ice and Advil for me tonight! Whoo Hooo!

Thanks for listening!

 

[Celle]

I'm sorry you had a fall, Steve.

The knee replacement hardware is pretty tough and it's unlikely that you have damaged it, but you will have some soft tissue bruising and soreness. Treat your poor knee to lots of extra rest, ice and elevation this weekend and let your surgeon know on Monday what happened and how you are feeling. He/she may want to see your knee, to check that it is all OK.

Of course, if your pain increases over the weekend or you become really concerned, go to the ED.

 

[kneeper]

Sorry about your fall. You're doing what I'd do.

 

[RICBAK1]

Hi I had tkr in 2012 and apart from ending up with 1 leg slightly longer due to knee being able to be straight now ,so took a little time to get pedal stroke right but now no bother riding bike unless really cold then knee seems to stiffen up but deep heat before ride sorts this out.In the summer I often go on 40 mile rides and I still swim a mile in baths weekly so having a knee replacement just means learning to live with it not just putting up with it like some do.

 

[kneeper]

How are you feeling this week, Steve?

 

[SteveInDC!]

Hi Kneeper, Thank you for checking in. I'm feeling well now. I'm sure I had some bruising which was causing the discomfort. But all is well. I hope you are having a great weekend!

 

[SteveInDC!]

Hi Rikbak1, I like your philosophy of 'just means learning to live with it not just putting up with it'

 

[Loriannie]

Hello, What a terrific amount of great advice on this site. Wonderful and compassionate people also!

I'm a cyclist who was bone on bone for far too long. The only relief I could find reliably was riding my bike! Often, the farther I went the better I felt. I went for a 30 mile ride two days before my surgery.

My legs and knees were strong , but I could not walk 2 blocks without dying to find a place to sit.

My home therapist at the end of my 4 visits said that I should be able to ride a bike within a few weeks since I already was climbing stairs with no assistance. You should have heard the scream!

If I would have read some of the sage advice on this site, I would have known better and what adjustments to make on my bike and when I should have gone for a short spin. At week 5, I decided I would push the seat way up on my wife's step through frame bike and I had a short, very satisfying ride. Her bike is very heavy and was difficult to try even a slight hill. I'm back at work now at my desk job (architect) and find it faster to take the stairs to meet on any of the 3 floors here. That's going very well. I had the crazy idea that I could start riding my own "mid-life-crisis bike" that is very light and fast. I made the adjustments and off I went for a great ride of 5 miles. slightly longer than the PT office's 10 minutes where I could cover 3 miles. SO I 've been riding my sporty bike to work. It's 3.5 miles with few hills each way. It doesn't hurt at all. Still less than walking a mile.

My question to you is 'am I setting myself up for some major problems?' I've got good ROM and I'm thinking the stronger I make my quads the better. Can anyone tell me of the doom that awaits me for doing so much? I still have pain at night and have generally poor sleep.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Thank you!

Wow! I am totally amazed at your recovery! I am a cyclist an had tkr November 21 2017.. got on the spin bike the other day , clipped in with my shoes and it hurt like crazy! I am still too chicken to get on my street bike yet!

Sent from my SM-T550 using Tapatalk

 

[RICBAK1]

Hi no do not think you are setting your self up for any problems ,your body will tell you if your doing to much.I ride my Giant Anyroad bike and only problems I have are when it gets cold then no matter what walking or riding knee does not like it,but when our summer comes I am on my bike most days up hill and down,and I live on a hill that is very steep has a hand rail to help you up but I can still ride up,at moment its my trainer that gets used usually 20 mile ride and knee feels great its when I do not use knee I sieze up so enjoy riding bike.