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Bilateral TKR Journey Continuing June 4th, 2012

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It's great how well you're doing, long may it continue :happydance:
 
I had my two week post op visit with my OS today, which was in fact 17 days. Words running around the office were "Amazing, outstanding, beautiful, star and poster child"! I do believe they were impressed when I walked in unaided for my xrays. I heard the surgeon say he should have charged me more. They said I'm doing everything right and they couldn't ask for more. I credit the 17 months before surgery that I spent physically preparing (spurred by my sons wedding in November), a good job done by the surgeon, and a good job done by me since surgery, for which I gave credit to BoneSmart! I'm pleased as punch so far, and I want to share my progress with newbies, especially. That said, there is a hesitation in that if I am doing much better than average, which is what they told me, I don't want others to feel that if they are not in the same place in the same time frame, that they are behind. Virtually everyone gets there at Their point in time, and that is what really matters. And knock on wood, I could be one that is bemoaning adhesions later on! But for now, I am so happy I had this done, and that I had both done at the same time! I start PT next week. Hope my song doesn't change! (After my big day out and all my walking and showing off, I am stiff and achy, elevating and icing...)
 
:) Janet,

I am so pleased to hear of the great report! You are wonderful and so inspiring. :)
 
Great report Janet! Awesome progress for going forward in your recovery! :cheers: I go to my OS tomorrow and if I'm doing half as good as you I would consider it an accomplishment! Way to go girl! :thumb: Now you can rest up for tomorrow is another day! :sleep:
 
Interesting. At my two week visit, my surgeon didn't encourage me walking unaided yet. He said if I should have a misstep or step down wrong it would be good to have the support until my muscles are more healed.

Are you walking without a limp? Did you have a limp prior to surgery?

I had a very bad limp for many years and by using the forearm crutches, I am concentrating when I walk to break the habit of the bad limp. Heel toe, heel toe, no limp, no limp. So far so good except that my physical therapist says my steps are too large, I need to take smaller steps.
 
Elisea, I use the forearm crutches for walking through the house and used them going from the car up to his office just for that reason. But walking around the room I don't, they are more in the way than helpful. I guess I did have a limp before. I could walk without a limp, but with effort and more pain. I have a good gait now. I spent the last year walking in the pool with a very deliberate heel toe gait and exaggerated full ROM step. It was wonderful to do that in the water without pain!
 
Janet, glad that you're able to enjoy your deck, and the view from your deck and bedroom. It's soooo nice to be home in your own bed. :sleep: I used my cane when going out -- for stability. Also my outpatient PT suggested that using it for awhile when walking anywhere away from home would improve walking more normally -- rather than the compensation (conscious or not) before the surgery. It IS good also for warding off cats or dogs in the house. Our friend's cat pretty much seems to know that my knee is off-limits, but one of their 2 dogs is a different matter. She (the over-eager dog) pretty much minds me though -- which is good.

Sometimes it depends on the day and how your knees feel. Also I've noticed that with the energy drain, it's good to have the cane for stability later in the afternoon and evening.

Meanwhile, you're doing great ! :yay:
 
Janet2012 said:
Elisea, I use the forearm crutches for walking through the house and used them going from the car up to his office just for that reason. But walking around the room I don't, they are more in the way than helpful. I guess I did have a limp before. I could walk without a limp, but with effort and more pain. I have a good gait now. I spent the last year walking in the pool with a very deliberate heel toe gait and exaggerated full ROM step. It was wonderful to do that in the water without pain!
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Ah, ok. I didn’t understand when I read it that you meant not using them within the room. Thought you meant that you were no longer needing any walking aid. The one is impressive, the other I would be worried for you.


And I am impressed you are driving already. I am driving but not strong enough yet to tackle walking all over a store, it is too tiring. Fortunately I have nice neighbors that will pick me up what I need.
 
1ELISEA said:
Ah, ok. I didn’t understand when I read it that you meant not using them within the room. Thought you meant that you were no longer needing any walking aid. The one is impressive, the other I would be worried for you.

And I am impressed you are driving already. I am driving but not strong enough yet to tackle walking all over a store, it is too tiring. Fortunately I have nice neighbors that will pick me up what I need.
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?? I'm not driving, heaven forbid! Perhaps my mention From The Car... That was with hubby dropping me off at the door. I forgot to ask him about driving, but I'm not ready physically, plus I'm still on all the drugs. I seem to be becoming acclimated to them now. Other than a late afternoon nap, I'm not feeling sleepy or groggy. Maybe in a couple more weeks. We'll see.
 
Hi Janet, glad you are doing so well:yay: . I am a week or so behind you and doing quite well also. My at home PT lady showed me how to sleep on my side also, but have not tried it yet. I still have swelling in my leg and ankle so I keep my leg elevated as much as possibl . I made a wrong step getting up from the chair and it was painful in the knee so I am still holding on to the walker for balance. PT said I was doing great just needed to get more strength before walking unaided. Way to go Sunbeams:egypdance: .
 
Congrats. Sounds like you had a very good pre op schedule for preparing for surgery. "17 months before surgery that I spent physically preparing" I would love to find your schedule of workouts. I am in the recliner and doing as much as I can, leg lifts, ankle pumps, quad tightening, and they really make me tired. Walking in the pool sounds good, though last time I tried I could barely make it from the car to the pool, ha ha.
 
Great, Janet. I'm also doing well at 4 months. And I'm totally thrilled that the knees don't show in the "hold up" machine at the airports. I feel Wonderful!
 
Such an inspiring report Janet, very well done you. It's nice to get praise from those 'official' persons .... my Physio also said "they should have used you to make the 'post-op' video", but also, like you, I wouldn't want everyone to think that they have to be/will be at this stage in just under 3 weeks. We are very fortunate. Don't know about you but I have lovely people saying prayers for me all over the world - sure makes a difference :angel:
 
Hi, Janet sounds like you are doing brilliantly. Indeed you say "(After my big day out and all my walking and showing off, I am stiff and achy, elevating and icing...)" but you don't mention swelling, that's great. If you are still stiff today, but no extra swelling, then you have found your limit, I'd suggest don't do any more than that for the time being. If you do have swelling, then doing less is the answer.

I am starting to forget; that's good. I had to check my own diary to see that it was 25 days before I went for an unaided walk outside the house just for the doing of it. 200 yards. So, again, it looks like you're doing 1st rate, good stuff.
 
Janet, that's great you are doing so well. Keep it up!
 
I think it's great that so many here are having such good experiences, perhaps in fair part because they found Bonesmart, and it's great that people pending surgery or going through it have a wide spectrum of experiences to read about that all fall into the diverse range of normal, and those that have problems outside the norm and get through that as well.

Roy, I haven't had any lower leg or ankle swelling at all, keeping those legs elevated most of the time. I have little visible swelling around the knees, though more on one than the other, but know much of the stiffness comes from swelling in the joint. The least swollen one is the one that bends the least, and I think I heard the OS say while I was in a drugged semi coma that he only got 90 degrees in the OR. Not sure if that was real, or why that would have been, and I forgot to ask about that yeasterday, but I'll wait until I've had PT and see him in six weeks before I make assumptions that there is going to be a problem down the line. It's near 90 now and the other is over 100 with 0 extension on both.

Kaye, I went to a private trainer at her home for six months to try to build some strength without worsening the knees at the begining of last year. I could just feel myself atrophying from inactivity, trying to save my knees. My son was getting married on the private beach at the estate we rented for the wedding in November, and there were 76 steps down to the beach, so that was my concern. They ended up moving the ceremony to the deck overlooking the bay, so I never had to do those steps! Whew! After the six months, I switched to pool therapy, walking in the water an hour a day for 3-4 days a week, and I did that until May. Then I went to PT for 4 weeks before surgery for strengthening. I'll go back to the pool after our August vacation. It's closed for renovations until then. Anything you can do before surgery will help you afterwards!

It was a problem to find a pool I could walk to from the parking lot, and was only able to do it after I got a handicap placard. Still, I dreaded the walk every day. I ended up at a pool at the Community College, where by registering for a once a week class, I was able to go to the Open Lap swim time for free. I didn't actually go to the class. They reserve one lane for walking and stretching. It will be so much easier to walk down the hall to the pool now!
 
Janet, It seems all your prep work paid off in the long run and that is a BIG plus! You lucked out in a few instances where you didn't have to use it like all those steps at your sons wedding, however it came in handle for the big bang which is right now in your healing process! Yea for you! it's a win, win!:cheers:
 
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