TKR Jodingers recovery thread<

[Jodingers]

@sistersinhim Thank u! It's little victories isn't it? Most of the time I wonder if if I'll ever walk normally again, I was a semi professional dancer right up until my knee made it completely impossible and it's alien to be so incapacitated, I so hope to be able to dance again in future.

 

[sistersinhim]

I used to dance. I was no where near semipro, just dancing for fun. I look forward to the days when I will do it again! The occasion just hasn't arisen yet. I do have some Richard Simmons DVDs I could dance to! You will be able dance again before you know it!

 

[Jodingers]

Dancing is all about how much u enjoy it , not about how good u are at it, watching someone dancing + living in tbe moment is the most enjoyable of all.
I'm 4 weeks now and tho I try not to compare (honest!) I read that others seem to be able to walk much more easily than I can, around 15 mins is way enough for me , my knee gets so tight. I try to walk just a few yards more every few days. I know we're all different + I don't want to overdo it again. Can I fast forward in time please?!

 

[FCBayern]

Can I fast forward in time please?!

Yes please! My wife and I had been taking Ballroom dancing lessons and really enjoying it until the knee just wouldn't support it. I know she is looking forward to the day we can start again.

 

[jboles]

@Jodingers don’t get discouraged. I’m 2 days ahead of you and I have the same question-will I ever be able to walk normally again? When I’m walking with my walker I have a perfect smooth gait. I limp with my cane! I don’t limp if I use 2 canes. PT says my leg just isn’t strong enough yet, but I give out so easily, how do you build endurance.

 

[Jodingers]

@jboles I was a ballroom/latin champion in my late teens, it's so beautiful. I know one day we'll both be able to dance again .

@jboles I know, it's just so frustrating! Once I get my knee moving I can walk really smoothly, I take a stick out to steady me but I just can't tolerate it for long. Once I get back from my (short!) walk I go on my exercise bike for a few mins. I'm going to increase tbe time on my bike gradually. Baby steps eh?

 

[Jockette]

how do you build endurance.

You build endurance by healing.

I’ll give you and @Jodingers my cookie analogy:

Recently I compared this recovery to baking cookies. My chocolate chip cookies take 12 minutes to completely bake. If I take them out earlier, at 2 minutes, 4, 8 or whatever, they will only be partially baked, and not all that tasty, because they’re not done yet.

The same is true of our knee at 2 months, or 3 months, etc. It needs time to finish healing.

 

[Irish471]

@Jodingers and @jboles , I have been reading a book about tkr and there is a chapter entitled Will I Ever Be Normal Again?

It talks about endurance and the advice is to time your walks and gradually increase by a minute or so as you feel your stamina increase. Working on balance helps us to walk normally again. I want to know how/when my speed of walking will increase. I am not used to walking so slowly, concentrating on every step I take.

 

[FCBayern]

Walking slow sucks, but it's the only way I can walk with a normal gait. I don't know how much is recovery and how much is I limped for years and I need to learn how to walk normally again.

 

[Lindylee]

I think it was around 6 weeks I felt I was walking more normally and gradually built up to 30 minutes and walking faster over the following 4 weeks. For the past 2 weeks I've had a lot of back pain and I can't seem to get past the 30 minutes, which is frustrating. We do ballroom and Latin dancing (not very well, but we enjoy it) and I did manage a couple of waltzes 2 weeks ago before our dance class broke up for Easter and aim to get back into it slowly starting this week (hopefully). We have a dance to go to on Saturday, but I don't think I'll be doing anything too energetic just yet.

It must be frustrating for you Jodinger. I hope you are able to get back to it before too long

 

[Jockette]

Walking speed increases with time healing. Mine did.

 

[Jodingers]

Thank you guys, all of what u say resonates and I know it's time + patience.
I have been slightly increasing my distance every few days, just by another 100 yards or so, any more and I worry I'll set myself back.
I had a night out with fellow dancers last night + it really helped my spirits to feel part of them again. My partner is a wonderful dancer + I've encouraged him to go without me, it has felt a little isolating at times! I can't wait until I can move + glow again, I don't know if I'll be able to dance at the same level as before, but just to enjoy dancing again will be enough.
I do walk slowly but straight, I concentrate on my posture + my footwork, like u guys have experienced I've limped along for a long time, I've had a bursa on my opposite hip for nearly 2 years, I can already feel my bones + muscles recognising a corrected gait!
It's good to be reminded that there is light at the end of the tunnel and I need to keep moving patiently forward.
It's been a beautiful hot easter here in the UK, hope wherever u are you've enjoyed the holiday.

 

[Jodingers]

Just a quick question, any suggestions for reducing the sensitivity of my wound? It's fully healed but I can't stand clothes rubbing against it, feels so wrong! I wrap in cling film overnight which is great and I'm massaging it a couple of times a day to desensitive it but I still need to roll up my trouser leg.
Anyone had luck with any other remedies or do I just need to be more patient (again....) !!

 

[Irish471]

@Jodingers , mine is still sensitive, too. Is yours fully healed yet? Mine is still a little red and my last scab just fell off, so I wondered, too, if it still needs time to heal some more or if my nerves just need to calm down? I haven’t found anything that works either. I have been wearing lightweight cotton pants. I couldn’t imagine wearing anything heavier than that right now. Hopefully someone has advice we can both use

 

[Jodingers]

@Irish471 it's still pink/red but all the scabs have gone so I class that as fully healed although I know there will still be lots of healing still going on underneath. I massage it with my Olay face cream!!! I'm not sure about using bio oil just yet ..... Fingers crossed there's a nice remedy because I don't think I've been very good at being patient!

 

[Bionic]

I had my op before both of you and my scar is still sensitive. I noticed that physio touch it at every opportunity to try to de-sensitise it. They told me to rub it lightly with kitchen paper, sponge, towel etc and said all these different things will help.
That said, its pouring with rain here but I am wearing shorts because they aren't long enough to rub the area.

 

[Irish471]

@Jodingers , Oil of Olay... no doubt your wound will look beautiful

 

[Jodingers]

@Irish471 ha ha, hasn't worked on my face yet!!!
@Bionic I have gently rubbed it with kitchen towel, I'll try some of the other stuff u suggest.
It's pouring it down here too.. I managed a little walk outside this morning before the heavens opened, it'll have to be the exercise bike now. I find that sooooo boring tho, my tactic at the mo is to put on my ipod + cycle to a track or 2, current fav is Killers Mr Brightside!

 

[Jodingers]

Now..... no laughing ok? I've just had a rare spontaneous moment of inspiration! I thought could I find something a bit softer, breathable, more flexible than cling film that would be tolerable to wear in the daytime, especially if I was going out. Save on surreptitious glances from strangers at one trouser leg rolled up!
So.... I've ordered a size small anti chafing thigh band off ebay... if it works I'm going to come on here + market them! I'll post the result once they arrive

 

[Jodingers]

Well, I haven't received the chub rub band yet, can't update on that , but wanted to see if anyone has experienced the same weird effect I've had for the past few days. I keep getting a really hot feeling in my big toe (same side as tkr ) as though I've dipped it in really hot water. My toe looks perfectly normal, no redness or heat to touch and the sensation isn't painful but really weird!
I'm guessing it's to do with nerve endings in some way? Anyone else?