Bilateral TKR High Stepper's Recovery

By and large I'm very happy with my recovery. I haven't had any significant problems. I notice what feels like a weakness when I stand up primarily in my quads. I'm sure this will continue to get better. Has anyone else noticed this too? Any tricks to help speed things up?
 
Just keep doing it; your legs perhaps got weaker pre-surgery because of avoiding pain. Just don't do so much that your knees swell, of course.
 
My quads are weak as well. I really notice it when I go up and down the stairs, which means I try to only do that once a day.
Do you ride a bicycle? The PT just started me doing some gentle squats were I hold a pole for balance and sort of almost sit on a chair without going all the way to seated. Then I stand back up. I'm supposed to keep my navel pointed at the opposite wall and a strait back, weight on my heels. Concentrating on this usually cracks me up. I'm trying to be patient and not sweat it. There's really no problem with having weak quads just now right? I do hope they are stronger this summer so I can be more active.
 
It will likely take some time.
 
By and large I'm doing well. I'm curious how long others have found it takes to be comfortable standing for periods of time. The best way I can describe the feeling is a dull ache just below my knees especially on the outside. It's not severe, it's just uncomfortable.
 
I am six weeks into my recovery and chomping at the bit. I climbed the thirteen very steep stairs to our second story, where my sewing room is located, to make a flower for a baby beanie that I had crocheted. I stood for about an hour to complete the project and secure it to the beanie. I now have two very angry knees. Both knees ache and are pink and warm. Icing should help. One hour put me over the threshold.


BTKR -12/28/2015
 
STanding without aching or discomfort or stiffness can take several months. But gradually you should see improvement.
 
I'm six months into my recovery. it has been going well. I still have a feeling of weakness in my quads. I guess I should do some strength building leg exercises.
 
You can do strength building at the 6 month mark. My PTs worked on strength at 4 months.
 
I'm checking in to update my recovery. I had both knees replaced in December 2015. I am very happy I had both done at the same time. There was never a point that I regretted having both replaced simultaneously. I'm very pleased with how my recovery has gone. An important point I want to make is, don't expect to feel fully recovered too quickly. It takes time for the deep tissues in the knees to heal after the surgery. No matter how you sugarcoat it, it's a very invasive procedure and the healing process will take some time. This isn't the weekend facelift type of operation. Until I was past the one year point, my knees felt sensitive and weak if I was on my feet too long. If I had to rate how I'm doing at the fifteen month point I would say I'm at the 95% point. Just allow yourself time to heal and guard your expectations so you don't feel disappointed if things don't progress at the rate you would like. It's wonderful to no longer have the pain of arthritis.
 
Great advice! It does take a while and lots of patience!
 
Happy to hear you are doing well, thanks for stopping by, providing support, and sharing your recovery success.
 
Thank you for the encouragement @High Stepper! Some days I feel like I've taken 3 steps forward then all of a sudden 5 steps backwards. I'm looking forward to the steady days ahead!!


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
:yes!:Great report! Thank you very much for the update. It is very good for those going through surgery now to hear the positive stories of successful TKRs.
 
Things are still going well. I have been thinking about going to a gym to use some of the exercise machines. Any advice on the best ones to use and the ones to avoid?
 

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