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Bilateral TKR July 1 LHop - Bilateral TKR Recovery Thread

Next time you go out try asking for a booth and prop your leg up beside you on the bench. I found I was able to visit restaurants and not be too uncomfortable as my leg wasn't hanging down.
 
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It will all be better once I can sleep on my belly.........
 
I know what you mean. I don't sleep on my tummy much but when I have to I really need to! It took me about 5 months with my first knee but colour me most surprised when I was able to do it in my fourth week! :yes!:
 
I'm a side sleeper, but by week 3 I had figured out a way to swing my left leg over my RTKR. It would give me a few hours at a time. Then when I had the immbolizer, I still swung my left leg over it! Where there's a will, there's a way!
 
:swoon:Whew! I thought I was alone! My whole body jerks lately! Oh the little joys and surprises of post TKR!

Lovestoread said:
@LHop, although I didn't have them, I have often read here of people that have those jerking spasms. So no, I'm sure nothing is wrong. Hopefully someone will come on give an explanation of them. The toilet riser and ice machine were my favorite recovery aids as well! Hang in there...it does get better!


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The little jerking and tingling sensations went on for a year. I'd be teaching and get that electric tingle and my leg would move/jerk seemingly on its own! I'd let out a little squeal which my students thought was hysterical!
 
Josephine said:
I know what you mean. I don't sleep on my tummy much but when I have to I really need to! It took me about 5 months with my first knee but colour me most surprised when I was able to do it in my fourth week! :yes!:
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I managed to sleep on my stomach at eight months pregnant. Don't ask me how but I did it. Docs couldn't believe it. So I contorted myself a week after TKR surgery to sleep on my stomach with my right leg turned to the side and knee on a pillow. It worked but when I woke up I paid for it!!! Back to the recliner.
 
@CCinPA do you ride a bike that the one in your avatar? Is it hard to move on hills. I'm seriously thinking of getting one myself.

BTW, you don't need to quote posts to reply to them. Just scoot down to the bottom on the page where your avatar is showing and that's where you will find the message box. Just get typing in there!
 
Hi Josephine!
The trike in my avatar is a "get well" gift from my awesome husband. The week before surgery I sent him a text, joking, with a picture of a pink one. I said "ooh! I want this!" (It's pink, my fave color.) So two days after surgery he was gone all morning, I had no idea where he was, very unlike him. He always wakes me to tell me. Well turns out he was in the garage for 3 hours putting the trike together! I haven't tried it yet but maybe this weekend. He's a cyclist so we'll make some pair riding around!
 
I have been experimenting with trying to sleep on my side. One of my hindrances is that I sleep with my polar ice packs on so it constricts my movements. So far I haven't found a way to sleep on my side for more than 20-30 minutes before something starts to hurt. This morning it was my hip. I vow to keep on trying though! As @kerrib said, where there is a will, there is a way!

I have ended my time with in-home PT and will have to start outpatient PT. Not looking forward to it as I had a great relationship with my in-home guy. I'm doing pretty well as my ROM is over 100 in both knees. I have been walking most days in addition to my exercises I do on my own. There is a rebellious part of me that thinks if I don't like the outpatient place I might just chuck it and do it on my own. On the other hand, I'm not terribly self disciplined and I may end up hurting myself more in the long run.
 
@LHop I felt exactly the same way about outpatient PT. AND then I went yesterday and was pleasantly surprised and happy there. So maybe you will be too. I hope you have the same experience. And remember this is not a race it is a marathon and some times it seems like some one is ahead and we all take turns being in the lead!!! I don't even think about short term goals..... I think about "in one month" or in three months" where will i be in..... day by day it changes up and down but we will get there!!
 
An update on me: I started my outpatient PT on Tuesday. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but it was mostly an evaluation. It was highly recommended that I get a stationary bike for home to help with my recovery. So, I posted a message on FB to see if any of my peeps had one they weren't using and would like to loan me, and lo and behold I have one being dropped off tomorrow. Yay! I also found that ROM isn't really improving like I would like to see (It's approx 95), however I feel much stronger and steadier on my feet. I have been walking every day. Not a long distance, between 1/2 mile and 3/4 mile, but I am building speed according to my husband's app.

I started sleeping without the ice therapy on and it has given me the ability to sleep on my side. I wake up a little more stiff and need to put ice on in the morning, but I feel like I'm sleeping a little better. I was told the frequency of my ice therapy wasn't really necessary, it doesn't hurt, but at this point in my recovery I don't need to ice as often/much.

I also contacted my GP in order to switch my pain management (i.e. prescriptions) over to her. I'm a little disappointed in the outcome here. I have been taking 20 mg Oxycodone. I asked, in a message because I can't talk with anyone live unless I make an appointment, to switch over to 5 mg with the option of taking more if needed. I was told the option for two if needed should only be for a week and then I should only take 5 mg. every 6 hours. Okay....I'm willing to try this, but they only gave me 30 pills. I guess I won't get my knickers in a twist until I see how it do, but this doesn't sound like they want to manage my pain. They just want to control my prescriptions.

Today was a banner day for me for activity! I went to PT and WHOOPS, got my appointment wrong, its' for tomorrow. So I took my daughter and her fiance out for lunch, then, after coming home and cat napping, Miranda and I went for a pedicure, then my walk. That's more than "One and Done", yay me!
 
Well done you! That's anice positive day for you.
LHop said:
I also found that ROM isn't really improving like I would like to see (It's approx 95)
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Actually, that's not too bad for 5 weeks out. Don't go mad with exercising and spoil it now!
LHop said:
Not a long distance, between ½ mile and ¾ mile, but I am building speed according to my husband's app.
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That's quite enough for 5 weeks, in fact it would be a good achievement for 10 weeks. Read this again Activity progression for TKRs.
 
If you still have 20mgs left, try cutting them in half if you want to cut back a bit. A friend had a "pill cutter?" that made it easier. This was my OS's recommendation instead of giving me a new script. Seems you like a had good day though!
 
I've been thinking about going for a pedicure - I wasn't sure that it would be comfortable, sitting in the chair, having them move my legs around - but it didn't bother you? I would really like to do that. I was going to go before surgery, and was disappointed to learn that I couldn't have anything on my toenails because it would interfere with the monitoring.
 
I went for pedicures a month after both times. It was heaven! They obviously notice the scars so they are gentle and it was really relaxing. Just make sure your incisions are well healed.
 
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