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TKR How long until you said "I'm glad I had the TKR"'

I have shared the message, not the actual post with my wife. As I may have mentioned she is a retired ICU nurse and I have heard they tend to 'go by the book'. Long ago she had a partial knee replacement and was back at work after four weeks. She thinks I am lagging.
Well, guess I better do some desultory exercises and take a walk so I can sleep tonight, lol.
Thanks for responding. It is good to hear other's experiences.
 
Here's my 4 month plus update - doing well

The good
- sleeping well. No pain meds, just tylenol occasionally and melatonin. I am grateful each morning and remember the excruciating first 8 weeks
- was able to get off floor with knee cushions as a test. Knelt briefly and got up. Knee was sore afterwards so won't push it. But good to know I could get up if I fall and not have to call the fire department as I live alone. Despite the hunky firemen-haha
- pool water walking and a few PT exercises a couple times a week work well for me. I am getting stronger. And the jacuzzi afterwards for heat and massage.
- I do get 7000-8000 steps a day with ADL and a few walks
- last couple of days my knee was feeling almost normal walking. My new normal that is. Still think about it too much.
- I still search for odd symptoms here for confirmation they are normal!

Challenging still
- can't do stairs normally, just a few shallow ones
- tried outdoor bike and felt too wobbly, pushing off with left knee was hard. I didn't feel like I could do a full revolution so stopped. I'll stick to indoor exercise bike and try again next month. This is the thing I still most want to do post LKTR so a bit disappointed but it will come.
- ROM doesn't seem like it has budged but I haven't measured since Feb. Will ask my chiropractor in next appointment. And keep reading slow ROM progress updates here.
- I did see neurologist and will get nerve study and back MRI in May to figure out the foot and leg neuropathy. This does impact my knee recovery and what I can do.
- I have learned I can't read too many revision or infection journeys here as they really scare me....once again I didn't really understand the full risks until I found Bonesmart. I'm still in the Hell No category for my right knee which thankfully is not bone on bone.

Thanks for reading. It helps me to process here. I wish everyone a good knee day!
 
I'm on month 5. Doing well overall and finally measured ROM again yesterday. It's still at 105 - same as 2/8/21. I am trying to be patient and not be discouraged AGAIN. Just searched for ROM and read slow progress posts again like one of the posts in link below. I just wish I could get to 110 or 115 but I am trying to focus on function and what I can do. I know, give it more time. @FCBayern said he gained some ROM in year 2 even.

I am wondering if there is anyone who stayed stuck at 105 without MUA? I seem to remember someone (Jaime)? What are you not able to do?

Wishing I could totally let go of ROM!

 
You just have to have patience and faith that your ROM will improve. I’m sure there are some people who’s ROM stayed at 105, but 5 months post op is way too early to fear that’s all you will get. My ROM was poor the whole first year, but improved quite a bit in my second year, and even in my third. Some of us just take longer than others. Looking back, I realize I wasted so much time and energy worrying about it. In fact, it made me kind of angry that my medical team had me so stressed out about it, when it eventually came out fine, when I healed.

At 5 months you are not even to the halfway point of complete healing, that can take a year or more.

An MUA is not a magic procedure to give you good ROM, or to speed up the healing process. If you don’t have an actual adhesion, any immediate gain from an MUA won’t last, because the real answer is time to heal. Most surgeons won’t do an MUA once you pass 90.
RIT387 said:
I'm on month 5. Doing well overall
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You are doing well. Try really hard to forget about the ROM and concentrate on the positives. Stressing out about it isn’t going to improve anything, and I know that from experience!
 
Did you have ROM of 110 to 115 before surgery? I had watched a YouTube by a PT that explained in a way that really stuck with me...someone starting yoga may not be able to do the poses but with continued stretching they will gradually improve their flexibility. I have read lots of stories here where MUA didn't really improve ROM. I am just trying to be patient, do my bending stretches and accept the gradual changes.
 
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RIT387 I have enjoyed reading about your journey, and you sound early on, like me 5 years ago when I so gratefully discovered these folks!

I am 5 years out from my LTKR and 4 days out from RTKR. I recall realizing at about 9 months after #1 that I no longer thought about the new knee, it just got me there! I was then able to be back at work moving seed bags, schlepping orders to customers cars, etc. (I own a wild bird food/products store.) But by about 6 months in with that knee, I would have said I was really glad I had had it done.

This new TKR will finally round out the pair, so for the first time in about 10 years, I’ll be free of the daily arthritis pain!
 
RIT387, another thought... I had these crazy, awful tingling, zingy sensations in my then-new knee after my LTKR in 2016. I went to a respected massage therapist who treats many post-ortho patients, and she used a magnesium gel on my leg where I was having those sensations. They felt like neural events, not really neuropathy, but quite similar in some respects. So, prior to this TKR, I got a bottle of the stuff in case I needed it. I have, and I didn’t use it today/yesterday, but perhaps should have?

My tibialis anterior muscle, the one that runs closest to the tibia bone in the center of my leg, just to the right of the boney ridge (right leg) has these odd sensations, and I can’t yet reach the incision area, as the dressing still covers it, but below it, through the ankle and across my foot, these sensations occur. It aches, and feels as if my muscle and tendon for that muscle have been stressed/worn out from overuse. They haven’t really, but stressed they have been! So in the morning before going to PT, I’ll apply the magnesium gel to help quiet the sensations like I have the past few days. My bottle is really too large and I won’t use it all, but maybe over time it will pay fir itself in worry and pain! I posted a link to the stuff a couple of days ago, but it’s by Ancient Minerals.. might be worth a try? Wish I could drop some off for you to try!
 
Jockette said:
You just have to have patience and faith that your ROM will improve. I’m sure there are some people who’s ROM stayed at 105, but 5 months post op is way too early to fear that’s all you will get. My ROM was poor the whole first year, but improved quite a bit in my second year, and even in my third. Some of us just take longer than others. Looking back, I realize I wasted so much time and energy worrying about it. In fact, it made me kind of angry that my medical team had me so stressed out about it, when it eventually came out fine, when I healed.

At 5 months you are not even to the halfway point of complete healing, that can take a year or more.

An MUA is not a magic procedure to give you good ROM, or to speed up the healing process. If you don’t have an actual adhesion, any immediate gain from an MUA won’t last, because the real answer is time to heal. Most surgeons won’t do an MUA once you pass 90.
RIT387 said:
I'm on month 5. Doing well overall
Click to expand...
You are doing well. Try really hard to forget about the ROM and concentrate on the positives. Stressing out about it isn’t going to improve anything, and I know that from experience!
Click to expand...
Thank you @Jockette. It was your journey that I was remembering....your words were so helpful....."have faith! Some of us just take longer." I took a screenshot to read when I start worrying again. The medical team did implant into my head!
 
Interesting comparison to yoga which I can relate to. I also did not get a ROM measurement in the 6 months before LKTR so dont have a baseline. Just from a prior year. Another good point along with MUA doesn't always improve it!

Will keep doing what I am doing. Just did some gentle pool exercises and water walking. Ahhhhhh
 
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@BBCG Thank you! It is so helpful to read each other's journeys. I wish you an easy recovery on #2. Yes, getting back to normal living and not thinking about knees would be lovely!

I will try some magnesium gel for both knee and feet. Good reminder as I had read about it. I am going through the diagnostic process with a neurologist and hope to know more by end of month. It now seems to be a separate issue from TKR.

Be well and thank you for sharing!
 
I just realized I received a MAA today, not a MUA. "Manual Attitude Adjustment!" Hahaha.

Thank you to all the forum advisors who keep reminding some of us more than thers that we are still early in our recoveries. And to members for sharing their recovery journeys. You aid my mental health and keep my medical costs down!

I'll be back next month for my six month MAA.
 
Well, here's my almost 7 month update. Overall doing well, progress each month, and can do most of the stuff in my life again. I still get zingers and weird pains and get fatigued/sore with more than 1 mile walks. I still ice every day as it feels good and to to help with inflammation. But, now all the reminders here about patience, time, trust, and continuing a gentle of approach really sunk in.

My exciting LTKR update today is on my ROM. I went from 60-80-92-100-105 by week 7 where it sat until June. I had quit PT in early February and have been working on it myself with pool water walking, walks, slow exercise bike, and basic PT exercises in addition to daily activities. I started some new PT/Pilates and was measured again to today . I am now at 120! I couldn't believe it. Happy dance. All with the Bonesmart way and saying NO to MUA. More recovery to continue.

I will also share a brief update on my neuropathy in case anyone ever searches for it here. Mine really had flared from the knee replacement surgery and another major surgery I had last year. So I do recommend meeting with a neurologist and getting nerve studies and a lumbar MRI done. I now know I have both back and nerve damage that were likely there and progressing on their own and perhaps the surgeries exacerbated? I won't know for sure the exact cause. My Neurologist did say neuropathy after knee replacement surgery is common even in feet. I'm taking some new supplements for nerve pain to manage and exercise (not ready for medications).

So, I am now doing some more gentle PT / Pilates to work on back, balance, and nerve regeneration hopefully. My left thigh/glute muscles are weak too from the LKTR. When I met with the new PT person I most definitely explained I want a slow gentle approach and I will stop and will not push through the pain. She agreed unlike my OS and previous PT person! I'm cautiously optimistic that my core lumber area will get stronger which will also help my knee recovery and the ability to walk longer distances and feel steady enough to ride my outdoor bike again this Fall.

Keep on gently, sharing, and living the sage advice here as will I. Thank you all.
 
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Rit, what an encouraging report! You are helping many members to have hope when things seem dark, especially the ROM frustration. You are a shining example of the BoneSmart success! I’m hopeful that your neuropathy problem will also be relieved.
 
Thank you for this post, I really needed to see this! Just as Sisterpat said, you have given me some hope. I have been in a bit of a funk about my lack of ROM progress, and I have a post-op follow-up with my surgeon at the end of the week that I'm stressed out about. I know he'll not be happy with my progress because at just 10 days after my surgery he wanted me to have extension of zero and flexion of more than 90deg. So here I am weeks later still not at zero, and maybe 90 flexion if I'm warmed up and really push it. I saw that you cancelled one of your follow-up appointments... I've been seriously considering doing that.

I have also not scheduled another PT session. My last one was a week and a half ago. So I know the surgeon won't like my ROM and will equate that with my lack of PT.

BUT - I walked around the block today, and I'm feeling pretty good. So I've stressing more about what the surgeon will say than I am about my actual ROM. I feel so much better seeing your update on your ROM. THANK YOU!!!
 
Honestly, I am 5 weeks out and the pain from the TRKR is still quite a bit more painful than my arthritic knee. Probably because I was bone on bone on the side of my knee and I was also knocked kneed. One good thing from the surgery is my leg is much straighter know and my back pain has improved quite a bit! My PT is good with the massages and is very knowledgeable but he does push me for that better reading for ROM and Extension. I am usually around 120 when I walk in and my extension is about a 2 but he always pushes me to be 125 for ROM and 0 for extension before I leave.
 
Giant, you will be fine! Don’t be intimidated by your OS. Just quietly and confidently explain that you are happy with your progress and are continuing to work on it on your own timetable. It’s your knee and you have to call the shots. Just smile and yes him to death if he argues with you.
Smokey, your PT should not be allowed to push your knee just to get some mythical number! It is counterproductive to your healing. Standup for your rights.
 
I don't see my OS until 6 weeks. Two weeks seems way too early to me--my knee is still swollen. I'm also doing my PT online 2x per week through the hospital. It's Physio who monitors how I am doing, how much pain I am in and if I should be taking more meds. I don't know if they even know about this site, but with my first knee they did tell me to back off at one point. Having to challenge or even ignore my OS would add a whole different level of stress to the recovery.
 
GiantFinnegan said:
Thank you for this post, I really needed to see this! Just as Sisterpat said, you have given me some hope. I have been in a bit of a funk about my lack of ROM progress, and I have a post-op follow-up with my surgeon at the end of the week that I'm stressed out about. I know he'll not be happy with my progress because at just 10 days after my surgery he wanted me to have extension of zero and flexion of more than 90deg. So here I am weeks later still not at zero, and maybe 90 flexion if I'm warmed up and really push it. I saw that you cancelled one of your follow-up appointments... I've been seriously considering doing that.

I have also not scheduled another PT session. My last one was a week and a half ago. So I know the surgeon won't like my ROM and will equate that with my lack of PT.

BUT - I walked around the block today, and I'm feeling pretty good. So I've stressing more about what the surgeon will say than I am about my actual ROM. I feel so much better seeing your update on your ROM. THANK YOU!!!
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@GiantFinnegan Walking around the block is great progress! I hear you. I was in a funk too. My OS and PT messed with my head and I felt like I was failing and had to have the MUA at first. I kept coming back here for reassurance to keep going and also Bonesmart gave me the courage to just stop PT and cancel my 3-month OS follow up. Best thing I ever did for my mental health. I just kept going slowly and I was fully expecting my ROM to take a year or two even from some experiences here.

I so have learned to listen to my body and my mind and spirit for my own healing. I think the key is to just slowly keep moving and think about things from a functional perspective am I be able to do x. I did see small progress each month.

I almost told this new PT person no I don't want her to measure my ROM as I thought it could mess with my head again! But, I now have other body functional goals that I'm working through. And of course I'm sore from my PT session yesterday including my left knee. I did last but it still was a bit too much so rest day today.

Keep posting and sharing. We all get it.
 
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smokey1 said:
Honestly, I am 5 weeks out and the pain from the TRKR is still quite a bit more painful than my arthritic knee. Probably because I was bone on bone on the side of my knee and I was also knocked kneed. One good thing from the surgery is my leg is much straighter know and my back pain has improved quite a bit! My PT is good with the massages and is very knowledgeable but he does push me for that better reading for ROM and Extension. I am usually around 120 when I walk in and my extension is about a 2 but he always pushes me to be 125 for ROM and 0 for extension before I leave.
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@smokey1 Yes, the pain and recovery was much more than I expected! My before was not was bad as many here. It sounds like you are making good progress though for 5 weeks! Keep going slowly and listening to your body as will I. My knee is aching today from my PT session yesterday.
 
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