I like my new knees,I like my new knees...

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JenniferG

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I'm working on embracing them. (Not literally, I'd need another surgery to be able to do that.) Is it a stage? I FEEL them working. i'll be 8 weeks Tuesday. The swelling is much less, really only some in one knee. So I think I am aware of their existence more. I don't see them, but my knees feel hard to touch. I know that they are good & buried under skin, tissue, fat, muscles & tendons, but when I bend my knees I feel the mechanics. no click or klunk. And I have the sensation of my knee pressing up against something even though it's not. No pain involved. I thinking that my muscles & bones are attaching to the prostetics and "becoming one". Hopefully when that is done all this awareness will go. Anyone?
 
Jen
I am 5 months 2 weeks post op. The only reminder I have is my scar on most days. Today is not a good day for me but I havent had a bad day in almost 3 weeks! I felt the same thing about the same period in my recovery. That does go away. I am glad you are loving your new knees!

Debbi
 
See, June that is exactly what I thought (hoped) and why i put it out there. I figured someone further out than me would say yeah normal and goes away. Thank you, thank you. I can stand it if I know it is a stage and a natural part of this healing process. What a wonderful forum we have. I figure this forum has saved my doctor's office hours of man time not having to take all my concern phone calls. June I hope tomorrow is not so bad.
 
Oh I see! This is like a kind of mantra - repeat it often enough and you start believing it! To me, you seem to be doing very well.

What was that comment I made a while back "just your knee getting to know the new stuff" or words to that effect. Adjustment time, that's all. Just relax and let it happen.
 
Thanks Josephine. I do remember you saying that. Just when it comes time that it is YOUR own knees, you need to hear it again. :) See me relaxing......
 
I've got to keep all this in my brain, because as I was attempting to do a little clean-up in the yeard today (pre-op), my only mantra was ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, with every step.
Sharon
 
After walking more than 10 miiles in the past two days over uneven ground carrying all my hunting gear, I can tell you that I rarely even remembered the TKR. It gets better, but I do remember feeling as you describe, Jen. I think you are totally normal. I don't even think about my TKR most days, unless I twist unexpectedly or have to get up from a chair or toilet that is low. The getting up from something low is when I feel that sensation again. I hope that will improve. I'm at 21 weeks PO at this point. And it is hard to even keep track of the weeks PO now - which I think is fantastic.
 
Yes Skeet you know that you are mentally & physically "moving on" when you stop being able to immediately recall the numbers/dates. Least that has been my experience with other things. Not yet with the knees, but some day.
 
It's not quite up to skeet's feat but yesterday I looked for something in a lower cabinet
like I haven't for years. I used to have this squatting motion where I would keep my
bad knee straight behind me and lower myself on my good knee. Yesterday I put the
TKR knee out in front and bent it over 90 while I kneeled on my non-op knee.
I'll be squatting in a few weeks!!
 
Squatting is my next goal. I seem to need it and still have resistance. Doug had some good squatting exercises on one of these threads. Ed, how are you on stairs? Do you hae the same "thing in my knee" sensation?
 
In addition to the chair squats I had described, I was just thinking that for starters, you could stand next to the end of a sturdy couch and squat until your butt touches the arm of the couch. Depending on your height, and the height of the couch arm, you could get a 20-30 degree squat going. It would be a good starter for the quad strength.
Proper squat form is to have your feet just past shoulder width apart. Keep your back straight and inhale as you go down. Exhale as you push up. Look slightly up. Definately don't keep looking down at your feet. It can throw you off balance or make you strain your back. I recommend doing 8reps three times for starters.
I went to my O.S. today and at 4 months, he still wants me to limit "repetitive" squatting to a 45-55 degree bend.
 
Thanks Doug, that sounds doable. Quad strength is what I need to get better with stairs and chairs (I know it rhymes). I have alot already as evidenced by rapid recovery with a bi-lat, but more will = less pain on stairs/chairs. I'm all for less pain...
 
I actually can go up stairs like a real person now. Last week every step
hurt along the front under the knee cap. PT guy said I wasn't hurtting
anything so keep doing them. This week it doesn't hurt but I have obviously
less strength in the TKR leg. Right leg pops right up a stair, left is push push push
made it.

Going down stairs correctly is something I couldn't do preop. Now I can do
it but I'm a bit unsteady and afraid. So I only do them on the bottom few steps
and only with a railing. That's what I'm working on now.

I figure I pay PT all this money to strengthen my quads and I can do it
on my own walking up stairs.
 
I think that is the pain I've got, just obviously both knees. That may have me lagging a bit too, not a "good" leg to count on. I think I have a hard time on my stairs at home All mental i think. When I'm going up and I'm out in the world, I'm quicker doing it the old wrong way, so I have to fight that urge to just get it done. Top of the stairs going down is definitely more intimdating than the last 3 or 4. I'm just not trusting my right leg, worse of the 2, the one that was straight for the last 3-4 years. My PT said the increased quad strength will help it hurt less. 6 Of one half dozen of the other I suppose. Some day I'll "accidentally" just go, one over the other and no cane. I can sense it.
 
I actually can go up stairs like a real person now. Last week every step
hurt along the front under the knee cap. PT guy said I wasn't hurtting
anything so keep doing them. This week it doesn't hurt but I have obviously
less strength in the TKR leg. Right leg pops right up a stair, left is push push push
made it.

Going down stairs correctly is something I couldn't do preop. Now I can do
it but I'm a bit unsteady and afraid. So I only do them on the bottom few steps
and only with a railing. That's what I'm working on now.

I figure I pay PT all this money to strengthen my quads and I can do it
on my own walking up stairs.

Good for you ED. I still can't walk up stairs without swinging my hip out a bit on the TKR side. I definately can't do down the proper way. I am 18 weeks Wednesday, see my surgeon tomorrow to see if I have to have the MUA. Still only have 94 ROM
 
JenniferG: did you ever think we're joined at the knee?

Yes sir! Or at least one of them... We have the same surgery date (You know that) so we are probably similar in stage of recovery and dare i say you seem a little analytical which a, well let me think about this... You get my point. And to boot, Ed was my father's name.

And Ed, HAPPY 8 WEEKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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