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TKR Joyfull61's Recovery Thread

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:wowspring::wowspring:

I woke up this morning and went in the kitchen to make coffee and realized that I had NO PAIN in either knee, no stiffness, or no tightness. I was stunned. It felt fabulous.

Of course, it didn't last long and the tight feeling came back. It's minimal though. I know I still have a lot of roller coaster ups and downs coming, but just for a couple of minutes I could see the light at the end of the road and it was magnificent.
 
I feel like a sneak...I cancelled my PT session for this afternoon. I had too much work to do and couldn't fit it in. At least I won't be dog tired and will have the energy to cook dinner. I'm always totally drained afterward and am totally useless!
 
:hiking:I got booted from PT today!!!!! I'll miss my therapist...she is young, sweet, and really good at her job.

I still have some work to do on extension. My quads are ready for some strengthening, and I need to build stamina to do the things I want to do. Before my knees failed me last year, I was a runner and usually did a 5K race every month, I've done several half-marathons, etc. I miss that a lot. I won't be running, but I need to get my walking pace to the point where I can still do races. I also love hiking...hard hiking. It may take a while, but I'll get there.
 
Wow, 5 k race/month? That's impressive! It's been so long I forget what running feels like. I love hiking, though. Today I hiked 3 miles total, no pain. And it was steep, too! Just 4 weeks ago I attempted a much easier trail and ended up in a world of hurt, had to bail. Do you have trekking poles?

It's sounds like you are listening to your knee, which is actually very important. I also "knew" when my knees were ready for strengthening, but exactly what I knew and how I knew it would be difficult to put into words. Do you know what I mean?
 
I think I do know what you mean. I'm almost nine weeks out and I know that's still early, but my knees feel strong and stable. My balance is excellent. I think it's time to start working on setting stronger. I'm not going to do anything crazy because I know the soft tissues take a long time to heal and I don't want to slow down the healing process.

I'm part of a large running group so there's always some thing going on, especially in the spring. I really love hiking though. My favorite hike was a couple of years ago in the Great Smoky Mountains. Mt. LeConte is fabulous. There is a lodge at the top where you can spend the night. No electricity and no bathrooms in the cabins. It's fabulous. You hike up, have dinner, crash, have breakfast, and head back down the mountain. The route we took was a seven hour hike up, six down. My trekking poles saved my fanny on more than one occasion. It's my goal to climb Mt. LeConte again in 2017. I think it'll take me that long to get back in shape. Oy.
 
Question...

My left knee (partial on August 30, 2015), specifically the quad area just above and on the outside of the knee hurts. I think I've probably aggravated it since I've depended on my left leg while getting my new right knee rehabbed. Does this sound reasonable? The implant feels stable and strong. It's just the stupid quad. At this point, my left knee hurts more than the newer right knee.

Is it better to lay off of everything and let it rest and heal, or should I be trying to strengthen it?
 
I'm no expert, but the safest bet is to rest it a while. My first TKR flared and protested a bit while I was recovering my second.
 
I agree with Clipless. Rest and let it heal.
 
My husband just told me I need to limit myself to one activity a day. It seems he is in agreement with you guys!

I met my running friends, (including my husband) for a late breakfast after their 12 mile training run. I stopped for groceries on my way home, unloaded them, and put them away. I am SO done for the day and now have my legs elevated. I'd planned to go for a walk this afternoon since the weather is so nice, but I think I've done enough.

A nap is in order. :alarm:
 
Yep, that was your event of the day. A nap sounds good. :thumb:

Oh, and you have plenty of time to work on strengthening. Based on my experience with "lefty" I think waiting to do much on that front until around 3 months makes sense. Work on it very incrementally.
 
I'm nine weeks out from RTKR and am feeling great for the most part and I think things are definitely headed in the right direction. I also know that I'm going to have one or two bad days a week when one or both knees ache and swell. I know my quads are going to scream when I've been in one position for too long, and I know my right leg IT band will continue giving me fits.

My biggest success for the day is that I went down to the basement and ironed my clothes for work. My house is approximately 100 years old and the steps to the basement are deeper than standard stairs. There are no handrails either. The good news is that my implants feel strong - it's just my stupid quads that scream on the descent. But, I did it! It's the first time I've been in the basement since mid-November.

Little victories eventually add up to big ones. :chuckmarch:
 
Wow--stairs without handrails.
 
No handrails - I use a cane for the trip down. Going up, I don't use the cane but I keep it with me just in case.

Yesterday was my first day with nothing for pain other than Tylenol. Last night, nothing but Tylenol. I didn't get much sleep and couldn't seem to get comfortable even though I didn't feel any pain. I'm thinking I still need something stronger than Tylenol at night. I'm going to need lots of coffee to stay awake today.
 
:bawl:Just an FYI. Do not wear high'ish heels 9/10 weeks from TKR. Just don't. :bawl:

I had a meeting yesterday and the nice flats I typically wear just wouldn't work with my suit. I slapped on a pair of heels (only two inches). I didn't do a lot of walking, but I guess I did enough. By the time I went to bed, my knees were screaming at me. I slept with my polar ice gizmo last night and all is back to normal today, but dang my legs were in agony last night.
 
Joyfull61 said:
Just an FYI. Do not wear high'ish heels 9/10 weeks from TKR. Just don't.
Click to expand...
True enough, every time I tried even a slightly different rise in my shoe, my knees and my right ankle complain. Recently, I've been able to switch into snow or fashion low heeled boots but have to be careful not to wear them 2 days in a row.
 
Joyfull61 said:
I had a meeting yesterday and the nice flats I typically wear just wouldn't work with my suit. I slapped on a pair of heels (only two inches). I didn't do a lot of walking, but I guess I did enough.
Click to expand...
down the road, so to speak, this won't be an issue. right now, though, your legs are still adjusting to the new knee and the mechanics that go along with it. The heels temporarily threw them off a bit.
 
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