TKR ~ I'm back again ~

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amberpep

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Hi everyone. Well, I haven't been writing, but I've been checking on you all now and then. This month (May) it is 2 years since I had my RTKR. (I THINK it's 2 years .... time goes so fast)

Both of my knees hurt when I stand up from a sitting position. The right one, which had the TKR, I think is quad weakness. I have exercises to do and I must admit I have not been very faithful at them. The left one is apparently hurting because for several years before I had the right knee done, the left one was carrying the whole brunt of the walking, running, and all other things I do.

They don't just hurt a little bit, it's quite painful. The first few steps are horrid, but then once I'm going they're both fine.

I know I have to do the quad exercises and I can understand that for the right knee but the left too? So far, there's been no surgery on that one.

I'd appreciate any input you could give me. Many thanks.
abby
 
Have you ever had an Xray or MRI of the left knee? I had issues with my right knee ever since I was 18 and always said my left knee was fine. Then one day last summer I was sitting on the floor playing with my grand daughter and I went to stand up when I felt a true knife twist pain. I iced it, took ibuprofen, and figured I'd just pulled a muscle. A week later it was still so painful so I went to my OS with whom I was already talking RTKR. He sent me for an MRI and I did have torn cartilage (which resulted in a menisectomy last fall) but worse, it showed pretty severe bone on bone arthritis. So as you say all these years the left one did the lion's share of the work and evidently it took it's toll. My RTKR is already a big improvement, but those quad muscles are really important. Maybe you could benefit from a few sessions of PT. Also ride a stationary bike?
 
Hi Baystater .... I appreciate you're responding. No, I have not had an MRI on my left knee because up until the passed year, I guess all the focus was on my right knee. It's been about a year that the left one has really been hurting. I think what I'll do is faithfully do the quad exercises for awhile, and if there is no improvement within a reasonable time, I'll see my doctor. If the left one needs to be done, then so be it. I suspect in time it will, but whether it's sooner or later, I don't know.
I wonder how common this is? I was doing great with my RTKR and now both knees are giving me fits.
Thanks again,
abby
 
Hi Abby, I had my RTRK 6 months after you and like you my left knee is playing up. I don't think its uncommon for the other one to need doing as well. I have injured my left multiple times but never needed surgery. Last injury was 3 years ago and MRI was done then. OS said surgery wouldn't help and yes TKR was looming but a number of years after my right. My guess is I might get another year out of it.
 
Before you go to the lengths (and expense) of an MRI scan, a simple xray will tell a doctor about 99% of what he needs to know.
 
Another thing to take into consideration is that before your TKR you were probably on pain meds, and post TKR the same for some time. Now that you're probably using a lot less pain medication, you're feeling your other knee's issues. The other knee may have been getting progressively worse while your focus has been on the TKR knee but was masked by pre-op and post-op pain and pain meds.
This is something I'm dealing with but in other areas of my body - arthritis in my feet and apparently TMD in my jaw causing neck & shoulder pain, among other things. But I'm trying to make sure of what the cause is and trying alternative treatments before resorting to daily pain meds again as I did with my arthritic knees pre-TKRs.
As Josephine said, a simple Xray can determine if your other knee has deteriorated. If so, it may now be putting a lot of pressure on your TKR knee/leg causing pain in both.
Best of luck to you and I hope you find an answer soon.
 
Actually, before my TKR, I tried to take very little Advil or Aspirin. Afterwards the doctor gave me a 60 bottle tablet of Vicodin. I think total I took about 10 of them. I just worry about things like that, so I take as few as possible. I'd definitely see my doctor and see what he suggests - probably an x-ray - he also told me last time I saw him a year ago that the left knee is more than likely going to cause some problems since it's taken the entire force of the work for so long. I've been doing the quad exercises now and we'll see how that goes. Right now when I try to get up from a chair or sofa, those first few steps are horrible, but then I get going and am fine.
Thanks to all of you and it's good to be back with friends who "get it."
abby
 
Hi all .... I was interested to see Josephine's Cycling group ..... shortly after I moved into my condo - about 8 years ago, I purchased a new bike because I love bike riding, and I know it's great exercise. The Board of our Condo Assoc. told me they were going to put bike racks at each building. Well, for awhile, I kept it in the back of my car, waiting for the rack. I'd even bought a cover for it so I could lock it to the rack in the rain.
Well, a few years ago they told me "they had decided not to do that." I can't tell you how disappointed I was ....I love bike riding and I couldn't continue to put it in my car - it was far too heavy. Also, I knew it would be really good for me after my surgery.
So, last week, I sold my essentially brand new bike. I was really disappointed, and angry.
abby
 
I am sorry to hear about the bike! I also love to ride. Do you have a corner for a stationery bike? I ride mine about 30 to 40 minutes every day and I think it is really good for my knees.
 
I've got an exercise bike ...and it makes a lovely decoration these days!
It was well used to start with and I keep thinking I will get on that but after 10 mins I'm bored!
I wish I could be bothered......
 
I'll chime in. I had my left knee replaced 2 1/2 years ago after having had 2 scopes of it. It bothered me for years on and off while the right knee never really gave me any trouble.

I knew I had arthritis in the right knee as well as the left but it just didn't behave as badly as the left did. I figured I would have about 5 years in between replacements well it ended up being almost 2 to the day. After the left knee healed the right knee was taking the brunt of the weight to compensate for the pain. I had had an occasional cortisore injection and also had the Euflexa series of 3 injections and they really didn't work. After I lost my job this past November I immediately decided it was time to get the right knee done while I had insurance and I knew I would be out of work over the winter because companies really slow down over the holidays, etc. I'm so glad I made that decision because the doctor said the knee was really bad and that he wasn't surprised that the injections didn't work.

Well it's been nearly 6 months and I have 2 new knees and both are doing beautifully.

The moral of the story is that you can have the same condition in both knees but for some reason one acts up and the other doesn't until it is put to the test.

Aileen
 
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