TKR It's no piece of cake!

[referee54]

e stairs are no longer a challenge to go down: it's just a titch lumpy,

You're getting there!!! AWESOME!!!

and I sometimes take them two at a time going up, just because I can.

That is even better!!! HOORAH!!

Walking the dog a couple of times a day in the bush and on the beach is getting easier now too, so we're gradually ramping up the length of those walks to where some days I'm reading about 3 miles (comfortably) on my pedometer, and next day I rest a bit by cutting back to about 2 miles. ... and my energy levels are gradually getting back to normal so the blanket of fatigue descends less often now and when it comes it's much lighter than it was ....

It is great to see how well you are doing and how much you are enjoying life---and these activities turn into very enjoyable types of "PT"!!

Thank you so very much for the great post!!

 

[saltyal]

and these activities turn into very enjoyable types of "PT"!!

Thanks for those kind words Tim! ..... & absolutely what I'm doing is way more fun than PT, but I'm wondering if there might be some benefit in going back to the formal PT for a session or two...... I'm not usually one for second-guessing myself, but since my ROM has kind of leveled out it's hard to resist the medic's warnings like: "do it now or do it later when it's tougher"...........or should I just remain patient & keep on doing it my way?

 

[Josephine]

Yes, yes and again - YES! You're only 10 weeks out - still early days. In time - always in time - things will improve. Have you forgotten these articles we left you earlier on?
It's never too late to get more ROM!
It's Worth the Wait for ROM

 

[saltyal]

still early days. In time - always in time - things will improve. Have you forgotten these articles we left you earlier on?

Yep, I did "kind of" forget ... Thanks for keeping me on track.... I'll just keep having fun instead of PT!

 

[saltyal]

Okay... here's my 11 week report! .... I'm feeling like a whole person a lot more now, especially in the last 5 or 6 days.... before that it seemed like my knee was a dictator calling all the shots: "YOU WILL DO THIS NOW" and "YOU WILL STOP THAT NOW" .... But lately my left knee has come to realize that it's more fun to quit shouting and be a little more like it's introverted brother. So now instead of demanding this and that, it starts a dialogue like this.... Lefty says "We've been going for quite a long dog walk and I'm getting tired, so can we go home now?" Righty replies "Unless you're hurting, how about if we just rest up for a while here, and then push on a bit further, and stop twice on the way back?" .... so Lefty says "OK fine then" and we carry on! ... of course dog (Woodstock) likes whatever it takes to spend more time outside so it's a win-win situation.

The upshot of all this internal dialogue is I'm getting gradually out for longer and more difficult walks and feeling better for it... one of our daily walks is about a 3/4 mile loop in the woods across the road (we live in a temperate rainforest) and after a bit of a windstorm last night there was all kinds of tree litter and small branches here and there on our path through the bush. So I bent down & tossed aside the bigger branches, and kicked the smaller stuff off the trail... and at some point I realised I was using both feet to do the kicking ... I know I've got a few more months to go, but I can see the light!
I'm still icing after exercise, and taking about 3000 mg acetaminophen and 150 mg Arthrotec daily, mostly to manage my DDD.

One thing I'll have to ask my OS about when I see him on the 21st: there's a persistent dull ache (about a 1 or 2 sometimes) in the bottom/arch of my foot, a bit to the lateral side. I didn't have this ache pre-op, so I wonder if it's caused by the pounding in surgery...

 

[referee54]

But lately my left knee has come to realize that it's more fun to quit shouting and be a little more like it's introverted brother. So now instead of demanding this and that, it starts a dialogue like this..

It looks like they are learning how to play well with others! Excellent!!

efty says "We've been going for quite a long dog walk and I'm getting tired, so can we go home now?" Righty replies "Unless you're hurting, how about if we just rest up for a while here, and then push on a bit further, and stop twice on the way back?" .... so Lefty says "OK fine then" and we carry on! ... of course dog (Woodstock) likes whatever it takes to spend more time outside so it's a win-win situation.

#1---Dogs are an excellent part of the PT regimen---they add both fun and distraction to the real-life PT!
#2---I see your knees have been watching Let's Make a Deal! (You should begin to worry if they begin act like The Price is Right!)

The upshot of all this internal dialogue is I'm getting gradually out for longer and more difficult walks and feeling better for it... one of our daily walks is about a 3/4 mile loop in the woods across the road (we live in a temperate rainforest) and after a bit of a windstorm last night there was all kinds of tree litter and small branches here and there on our path through the bush. So I bent down & tossed aside the bigger branches, and kicked the smaller stuff off the trail... and at some point I realised I was using both feet to do the kicking ...

This is for real---you are moving in is a great directions, and everything is beginning to fall into place. As the lyrics in the Hoky Poky song go, "And That's What It Is All About!!"

I know I've got a few more months to go, but I can see the light!

Thank you so very much for the wonderful post!!! It is great to read of your progress, and it is even better for those who are currently struggling in the dark days of a TKR or a BTKR recovery---they need to read of the "light at the end of the tunnel"---and understand that your success will soon be their success, too---

Your report has inspired many!

 

[RunA42K]

Hi Saltyal, I don't know how I've missed your thread before but I just read through the entire thing, beginning to end. I did very much enjoy your story. I am glad that you are doing so well. I myself have pretty much been in outpatient Physical Therapy for over 3 years now, 4 surgeries, same knee in 3 years. I love going to Physical Therapy, I've been there so long they are like my family now. Everyone has a different story just like all PT's are different. Maybe had I had a bad experience I might be skeptical of going but I have nothing bad to report. When I had my original RTKR, it took 7 months but got my ROM to 135 degrees. It was never painful and aggressive just slow steady progress. Since you are seeing your OS on the 21st, you can ask his opinion on going back to PT if you are not sure. Maybe he can refer you to someone else who is not going to set you back.

 

[saltyal]

Holy Crow, Bonnie: 3+ years in PT would seem like a career to me ... but I'm glad it's been a positive experience for you, that's really the way it should be! And your 135° in 7 months sounds great as that's about the range of my good knee, so if I can get close to that on my own in the next few months I'll be as happy as the proverbial pig. I figure it's doable as I backed off a bit on the exercises last week and I'm now getting about 118° without pushing it and 125° when I almost-squat. And I have a hard time measuring extension but the back of my knee is getting closer to the floor, so it's happening too!
I've learned enough from this excellent forum to rely on my patience, so I guess for now I'll be like Frank Sinatra & "Do it My Way" ..... well really it's the BoneSmart way but I couldn't resist the little joke....
Cheers, Al

 

[saltyal]

So it's been nearly 13 weeks since I got my shiny new knee installed, and I've got to say I'm glad I had it done! ..... I can walk without a trace of a limp for a long way now in any kind of terrain without pain or discomfort, and for the first time in years I can sleep for up to7 hours at a stretch.... what's odd though is for some reason I can't lie on my left side (my preferred sleeping position) because my knee starts to ache and wakes me up. But that's my only complaint, so in the grand scheme of things I'm happy as the proverbial pig in doo-doo! And another positive thing is the feeling is starting to come back to the "D"-shaped numb area on the lateral side of my incision... at first it was numb nearly the whole lateral side of the incision and out 2-3 inches to the side, and now it's only the bottom half, out a couple of inches, and it feels like my pant leg is tickling the scar area when I walk.
I saw my OS (for another 3 minutes or so!) on the 21st .......... he did a very cursory examination & told me I'm "right on pace" and I'd continue to make small gains in ROM if I kept on with the PT.... I didn't get around to telling him I haven't been to PT since November, but I did reply that I can walk and hike comfortably in any kind of terrain now, to which he advised me "well don't overdo it!" ... That made me kind of laugh, because it was his and the PT's over-eager instructions in the early post-op period that stalled my recovery for a while... It wasn't until I started to work smarter not harder and follow the "no pain more gain" BoneSmart way that I found myself on the route to the happy place that I'm in today.

And I'm grateful for the advice and the wisdom I keep finding here while I read so many of your stories.... thanks for keeping me on track!
Cheers,
Al

 

[Josephine]

Love the denouement to your surgeon's comment about not overdoing it! Well done you!

I can't lie on my left side (my preferred sleeping position) because my knee starts to ache and wakes me up

That's not an uncommon occurrence. Remember that you are only 10 weeks out which means you are still in a fledging state. You may find this discomfort lasts for another few months before it finally dissipates altogether. Mine last a full year.

 

[saltyal]

Well after reporting just last Saturday I couldn't sleep on my "new knee" side, guess what position I happily woke up in! .... BTW, I attribute part of my new comfort zone to the fact that I've really cut back on knee-specific exercises... I still do a couple of stair lunges 3 or 4 times a day, and hamstring stretches on the same frequency, but otherwise I'm just on the exercycle for about 15 minutes and that's it..... My main exercise is out hiking with the dog in the bush and on the beach a couple of times a day, (about 1 1/2 miles each) and nowadays puttering about in the garden. For me this kind of exercise routine is way more fun than the formal stuff, and I'm convinced it works more muscle groups and pushes ROM in a more natural way. And it makes my whole body feeling a bit tired by the end of the day, so I'm sleeping better too.... Next step: riding on my "real" bicycle.... it's pretty hilly around here so I've been holding off
Cheers, Al

 

[Pjmc]

@saltyal Thank you so much for the going upstairs backwards idea. I did it today , steps have been discouraging to me .but I was able to do them backwards without as much effort . Please keep these great tips coming . I need all the helpful advice I am able to obtain .

 

[saltyal]

SSHHHH! .... don't let anyone else know we walk upstairs backwards or they'll be coming after us with soothing words and funny jackets with really long arms! .... my wife sure looked at me oddly when she spotted me doing that, but when she tried it she was impressed how easily it works the quads but feels good at the same time.
Cheers, Al

 

[Pjmc]

@saltyal I have a big smile I have been practicing going up the steps backwards . Today I tried going down them backwards yesI have a sturdy railing to hold onto . It worked. One foot one step at a time . So I got on the ever use bike pedaled a full rotation backwards for first time and almost fainted when I was able to go forward also . You have helped my mood my leg my life thank you @saltyal and thanks to God better days ahead .

 

[saltyal]

Aw, shucks..... it's a real pleasure to be in a position to "pay forward" some of the support and advice I've enjoyed on this excellent forum ..... and you know, I never thought of or heard of trying to go down backwards so now you've found a good exercise of your own to pass along ..... And that's really super about being able to rotate on your exercycle! .... you probably already know that it's a lot easier to get started by pointing your toes for the first minute or two, and that you don't really need any speed or resistance in the early days of doing it; just going around for a while is enough to get the juices flowing and warm up that nice new knee!
Cheers, Al

 

[saltyal]

Here's my life-is-good-17-week report! .... Some of you might recall from my OP that I came home from hospital with a fairly aggressive set of exercises to do on my own with instructions to "bear weight as tolerated" ....my only formal PT sessions were 5 of them in the 2-week period after I had my staples out last mid-November, and I quit professional PT when I found that with all the push and pain I had no net improvement in ROM since release from the hospital 4 weeks earlier. I just took up the "no pain more gain" BoneSmart method and have done it on my own since then. My strength and endurance are still improving a wee bit at a time, to the point where after a good hike in the bush Woodstock (4 1/2 year old Boxer/Bullmastiff mix) is sometimes more tired than I am! ...Of course he does about double the mileage that I do but I figure that's only fair 'cause he has twice as many legs ... going by my pedometer I'm getting 3 1/2 miles on a slow day & over 5 on a "push" day so I'm happy with that. Along with the improvement in my leg's strength I'm feeling a lot more confidence in the new knee so I can comfortably do some little vaults over fallen logs and hops across slippery rocks and stuff like that; things I haven't done with any confidence for years!
Of course after these little adventures or just being up and about for a few hours my knee is a little swollen again and needs to be up with an ice pack for a while but I suppose I should expect that for a few more months?.... for example this morning I shovelled snow for a couple of hours and now (it's noon-ish here) I'm eyeballing my flexion at about 115 with a titch of swelling and discomfort where ordinarily it hangs around 125, and nearly 135 when I squat.
The knee is still a bit stiff when I get up in the morning and it doesn't like sitting for extended periods either, so I ride my exercycle while having my coffee in the mornings to loosen up, and I regularly have to get up from the recliner & walk around a bit in the evenings... but we're all better off when we keep moving anyways eh?... isn't that why they keep telling us to "use it or lose it" ?
So If I keep on with my routine of ordinary daily activities augmented with stretches and a few minutes on the exercycle I hope to eventually come to the point where I can do the more difficult stuff without the swelling afterwards. Meanwhile, it's such a great feeling to have a stable knee again without that fierce bone-on-bone pain that was cramping my style!
Cheers, Al

 

[icep707]

Congratulations Salty Al, I will try to follow your recovery program minus the first 5 weeks. Im still in the infant stage, day 15 . Inhome PT has been easy but im scheduled for OPT for 6 weeks x2 starting Monday. Im nervous yet excited. Obviously I wont be pushed to pain , no matter what. And will look forward to stretching on a bicycle. I have one of those exercise ball. 26 inch. They are priceless !! Are you back to work ??? Thanks

 

[saltyal]

I think a lot of folks have really good results from their PT so for that reason I think you're right to look forward to it.... so long as you do it the BoneSmart way! ... and yeah, the exercise ball is wonderful; with a little imagination you can invent some exercises/stretches of your own.... if it doesn't hurt, do it! .... Re the job, I'm still on leave so that's easy on the bones but over the last year or so the arthritis in my lower back (DDD) has gotten worse so it looks like I'll be pulling the pin this summer: I'll be 65 then so I really should let some young person have my job anyways.

 

[icep707]

Thanks Al , for your imput . I confused your age with # of posts. If you want a good read, check out my thread, its honest and humorous and has a barrage of constipation talk. Caution ! Best of luck to you and enjoy your retirement. Sounds like you live in a gorgeous area , beach etc. ?

 

[referee54]

think a lot of folks have really good results from their PT so for that reason I think you're right to look forward to it.... so long as you do it the BoneSmart way!

I really did look forward to my PT---twice a week, normally on a Tuesday and a Thursday. It was a positive, uplifting experience, and, as an athlete, I had a chance to work gently and carefully toward my own recovery---to take part in it. It was my "ownership" that was important.

My PT's were very careful to make sure that I did not over do things, and I quickly also learned that I needed to "keep the knees happy."

I did a wide variety of exercises---they had lots of "toys" there---and it helped me immensely.

One exercise in particular was standing on a BOSU Ball and tossing a medicine ball from the center, from the right, and from the left at a toss-back net.

I also believe one of the very valid reasons that I looked forward to POT was that it was such a positive, enriching atmosphere, and they dealt tremendously well with my frustrations oof the length of my BTKR recovery. the did not push me, and, at times, they had to hold me back.

PT can be very beneficial to one's recovery as long as the PT's understand and implement the Bonesmart Mantra (not necessarily by name, but by philosophy.)

I was never tremendous sore after my PT's---discomfort,but nothing really past that, and the "tired" feeling that I had was a "good" kind of tired---a sense of accomplishment. It is also important to note that I wanted to get back onto the baseball diamond and call balls and strikes, so some of the exercises were "sport-specific."

I did really enjoy PT, but I realized that they reigned me in early and I learned my limits a la the Bonesmart Mantra.

Obviously I wont be pushed to pain , no matter what.

My PT's never made me hurt; never, ever. Please be strong and do not let them cajole you, push you, or threaten you with that "window of opportunity."