TKR Joyfull61's Recovery Thread
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Joyfull61
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@sheliac Those stairs have been the most miserable part of recovery! I'm a frequent over doer which tends to keep my IT bands inflamed and going down stairs has been the most painful consequence.
From your signature, it looks like you're in the early days of recovery for both knees! Hang in there, and don't overdo it like me. That goes for therapy too. I never did any exercises at home and only went to outpatient PT twice a week. Three times a week was entirely too often. I did well early on and made great progress. Learning when my knees had had enough and needed rest was an important key to recovery.
From your signature, it looks like you're in the early days of recovery for both knees! Hang in there, and don't overdo it like me. That goes for therapy too. I never did any exercises at home and only went to outpatient PT twice a week. Three times a week was entirely too often. I did well early on and made great progress. Learning when my knees had had enough and needed rest was an important key to recovery.
Thanks, Joy. I will go easy on this knee. Just knowing another one is not right around the corner is a relief.
When the post op nurse called to check on me today she told me it was fine to scoot on my bottom down the stairs until I feel stronger! Can you imagine. I don't know how I'd get down there, much less get up.
Shelia
RTKR - 8/23/16
LTKR - 10/11/16
When the post op nurse called to check on me today she told me it was fine to scoot on my bottom down the stairs until I feel stronger! Can you imagine. I don't know how I'd get down there, much less get up.
Shelia
RTKR - 8/23/16
LTKR - 10/11/16
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Joyfull61
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referee54
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The first time I went down the steps to my basement after my BTKR, without any pain or holding onto the wall, I did not realize it until I went over to the dryer to get some clothes out of it. I stopped and it came to me that my knees simply did what they were supposed to do---pain-free. "Normal" simply means that you do not need to focus on it anymore!
It will happen, I promise you.
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Joyfull61
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@referee54 I told my husband that full healing for me will be when I longer think about my knees. I can't wait for that day!
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Joyfull61
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Joyfull61
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Hi all! I haven't been around for a few months - I guess that means everything is good.
Drum roll please...I'm getting ready to start running again! I'm 55 and thought, "why not?" By the time I wear out these implants, there may be some new procedure that won't make replacement so bad. And, my knees still get sore when I over-do it, so why not do what I enjoy if they're going to hurt anyway?
I'm going to break into it slowly doing walk-run intervals with a trusted coach. I'll brace the knees and ice them afterward and hope for the best. If it's too much after a few trys, I'll go back to just walking. I can walk five miles with no issues, so I'm hoping for the best. Wish me luck. It's okay to point and laugh and tell me I'm a fool too.
Drum roll please...I'm getting ready to start running again! I'm 55 and thought, "why not?" By the time I wear out these implants, there may be some new procedure that won't make replacement so bad. And, my knees still get sore when I over-do it, so why not do what I enjoy if they're going to hurt anyway?
I'm going to break into it slowly doing walk-run intervals with a trusted coach. I'll brace the knees and ice them afterward and hope for the best. If it's too much after a few trys, I'll go back to just walking. I can walk five miles with no issues, so I'm hoping for the best. Wish me luck. It's okay to point and laugh and tell me I'm a fool too.
jmdearras
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If running hurts, I'm not sure it's a good idea.
Joy, it's your choice, of course, but do be aware that running may wear down the plastic spacers between the metal implants in your knees, so that they have to be replaced prematurely.
Watch out for any signs that your knees are getting looser or unstable. If they do, go see your surgeon.
Watch out for any signs that your knees are getting looser or unstable. If they do, go see your surgeon.
jmdearras
graduate
The actual concern is that the impact of running will crack the plastic component.
Spacers can also get worn down, which is more likely to happen than for them to crack. If you're lucky, you can just have the spacer replaced - but that is still open surgery.
I did experience having a spacer crack and break, suddenly, after eleven years in a PKR. I had no previous warning, no signs of loosening, and I hadn't been running. I was just walking fast.
It was extremely painful and instantly crippling, because one part of the spacer shot out of my knee joint to the front and another part shot our backwards. I couldn't walk at all.
I had to travel home on crutches or in a wheelchair, from Canada to New Zealand. I had been on holiday in Canada.
My PKR had to be revised to a TKR. One piece of spacer was retrieved, but the other part is still buried deep in tissues at the back of my knee. I was on crutches for a total of four months, thanks to that spacer breaking.
I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
I did experience having a spacer crack and break, suddenly, after eleven years in a PKR. I had no previous warning, no signs of loosening, and I hadn't been running. I was just walking fast.
It was extremely painful and instantly crippling, because one part of the spacer shot out of my knee joint to the front and another part shot our backwards. I couldn't walk at all.
I had to travel home on crutches or in a wheelchair, from Canada to New Zealand. I had been on holiday in Canada.
My PKR had to be revised to a TKR. One piece of spacer was retrieved, but the other part is still buried deep in tissues at the back of my knee. I was on crutches for a total of four months, thanks to that spacer breaking.
I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
jmdearras
graduate
I don't have a spacer! 
But I can still damage the lower.
But I can still damage the lower.
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Joyfull61
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@Celle That sounds horrible! I'm going into it with my eyes wide open and with the expectation that if I can't run, I'll just try to improve my walking speed. I will definitely be careful and won't continue if I have any swelling or soreness that lingers. My husband and most all of my friends are either distance runners or tri-athletes, so it's something I'm surrounded with every single day and truly miss. I've also coached more Couch to 5K training groups than I can count - I miss that more than anything.
Worse comes to worse, I'll just start doing more 5K races that are walker friendly. I can do that with ease, no pain, and with a slow but decent pace. I was the designated last place finisher for a couple of races this past fall - yes, it's actually a real thing! I start with the back of the pack and walk. By halfway through the race, I always catch up with a few people. There are always injured runners walking or people who think they can finish a race but really can't even walk the race comfortably. I cheer those people on...talk to them, encourage them, and get the very last straggler across the finish line.
Worse comes to worse, I'll just start doing more 5K races that are walker friendly. I can do that with ease, no pain, and with a slow but decent pace. I was the designated last place finisher for a couple of races this past fall - yes, it's actually a real thing! I start with the back of the pack and walk. By halfway through the race, I always catch up with a few people. There are always injured runners walking or people who think they can finish a race but really can't even walk the race comfortably. I cheer those people on...talk to them, encourage them, and get the very last straggler across the finish line.
That's a very sensible approach, Joy. I wish you all the best.
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Joyfull61
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Running update: So far, so good.
I'm slower than a turtle, but there has been no extra pain or swelling. If anything, my knees feel better. At this point, my asthma is giving me far more trouble than my knees. They're a little stiff when I first start but that goes away quickly. So far I'm only running for one minute at a time (I alternate that with three minutes of walking). It's so much less painful than before I had to stop a couple of years ago.
I'm slower than a turtle, but there has been no extra pain or swelling. If anything, my knees feel better. At this point, my asthma is giving me far more trouble than my knees. They're a little stiff when I first start but that goes away quickly. So far I'm only running for one minute at a time (I alternate that with three minutes of walking). It's so much less painful than before I had to stop a couple of years ago.
Yippee! You go, girl!
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Joyfull61
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It's been a few weeks since I said I was running again. Well, it hasn't killed me yet! However (drum roll please), I'm back in PT for my sciatic nerve. I discovered that it's bad when your foot goes numb while running or walking fast. PT for the lower back is AWESOME. I was expecting to be tortured, but no...I get a lovely (if rough) massage and then I do some stretching and exercises to strengthen my lower back and core. Apparently, sciatica is very painful. Pain is relative. TKR is very painful - sciatica is just a literal pain in the fanny.
I'm running just a little tonight (mostly walking) for the first time in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed for no numb limbs. My first official post surgery race is in three weeks. It's only a 5K race so the distance is no problem - I just don't want to be the last finisher.
I'm running just a little tonight (mostly walking) for the first time in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed for no numb limbs. My first official post surgery race is in three weeks. It's only a 5K race so the distance is no problem - I just don't want to be the last finisher.
Best wishes for your run tonight. Continue to monitor your knee and only do what keeps it happy.
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