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TKR kmak's TKR recovery thread

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Oh my, I dunno which title I like best, lol! Perhaps we can have 3 t-Shirts made? Great choices, all! Perhaps I am most drawn to "Super Swellers," because I think it's important for all of us to actually be *super* at something by now, and, it rolls off the tongue more easily. But, they all have a certain cache, don't they? Thanks for those @Polkadot; brilliant!

@Canada35, book the date now for the "Wine, Whine and Dine," soiree. I'm sure the seats will fill up quickly, lol!
 
Ok then, so far, we have 4 *Super-Swellers* booked for the supremo, reclining seats at the Wine, Whine & Dine Soiree to be held on January 15th, 2018. An appropriate T-Shirt as discussed earlier will be required for entry. All other clothing and shoes is owner's choice. We will open the evening with a heartfelt rendition of "Knees Up Mother Brown," followed by more contemporary sounds for the remainder of the evening.
 
i came here to check on @kmak81230 and you're riding to work and spinning how many miles? I'm glad you decided not to go for the two for the price of one. Beatrice didn't cost me a penny but it was 5 months of :censored: I know I'm be glad but not totally there yet. I am glad I don't have to do it again next year tho so my heart is out to all of you doing it next year!

I miss all the fun posts and do try to get caught up every few days. @Pheebs52 put me down for a super sweller tshirt cause I'm still that! of course I won't miss the 9 month whine, wine and dine.
 
i'm in for the party. maybe @Polkadot can rent us a couple of those surrey bikes. i think my swelling is gradually subsiding. i mentioned it to melissa today and she said "yes your knee was one whole swollen knee and now there are pockets" lol! i'm still thinking of trying that exercise laying my legs flat against the wall, vertically of course. will let you know how it goes.
 
Oh yes @becticu, we'll be so glad to have you join us for whine, wine, & dine.

So glad to hear you are having some reduction in swelling @liam2015. It's nice to begin to see a few dimples in the knee. I have one currently. Let us know how the wall exercise goes. I like that one though I probably need to do it more regularly. When I first did it the nerve pain in my feet and ankles made it uncomfortable but now it feels pretty good. I generally do it after hiking.

My left glute is sore today - I was actually using it correctly at PT yesterday and not compensating during the crab walks and squats. Progress!
 
This Super Sweller is just swell at 20 weeks post-surgery. The photo shows my knee right after waking up this morning so you can see I am all swelling all the time and more or less throughout the day, depending on activity levels. Other than that - and the accompanying stiffness, the knee feels great. I am still doing about 45 minutes at spin class two times a week and now I can get 10 miles in at about half the resistance I was pedaling at prior to surgery. My upper body is hopefully getting a bit stronger with weights 3 x week and I am able to do 10# with the op leg on the leg press. Not pushing the weights yet and I mostly use the leg press for holding flexion but as I head to the end of 5 months I am working on strengthening both legs.

My folks were visiting this past week - both in their 80s and both having had TKRs on both legs. I am fortunate to still have them around and am noticing a bit of confusion and forgetfulness in my dad - which my mom confirmed. :cry:. I educated them on the less pain = more gain philosophy of TKR recovery which was a harder sell for my mom, who also pointed out my limping (usually after an hour or more of sitting playing cards :chinstroke:).

My official, unofficial flexion measurement this morning at the gym is about 115 (I brought my goniometer with me and asked one of the kinesiology students to measure in a couple of positions). Making progress slowly but surely which hopefully will be apparent at my next OS visit in about 6 weeks. [Bonesmart.org] kmak's TKR recovery thread
 
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:hi:good morning kmak81230 ~ function wise, you are doing amazing and it must feel good that your r.o.m. is improving. sorry about the swelling ~ i'm in the same boat, but it's getting better, just at a slower rate. now for a technical question: how do you take a photo of just your legs?

you are so fortunate to have both your parents around. good that it's just a "bit" of confusion and forgetfulness in your dad. happy you had a good visit. btw, i also limp for a few steps after sitting too long and getting up fast.
 
@kmak81230, that's a really *swell* photo! However, I do see some *pockets* as @Liam refers to them. I call mine craters, but hey, it's just semantics.

Huge kudos on the 115 flexion!

Oh, and thanks to *Mom* for letting you know you limp. I'm certain you weren't aware of that, lol. Sorry to hear your Dad is a bit confused though; aargggh!
 
Kathleen how awesome is it that you still have both of your parents? Very lucky!
You are making great progress my surgery twin and we are at about the same point in our flexion. I feel like this will get even better as time goes on. I quit going to PT after my last OS visit on Aug 10 and have just been doing ADL's and riding my exercise bike. No other exercises per se other than the ottoman stretch for extension. My upper body strength sucks and I am flabby but then again I never was buff so why would I expect to get that way now? I am at peace with where I am now and hopefully will eventually lose the IT band pain and the stiffness and continue to gain ROM but I will just take life on as I once knew it. I am functioning fairly well at most things.
 
I also wondered how you managed that swell photo? I don't see a phone, so perhaps you had an assistant?
 
BTW my OS did say my op knee would always be a little bigger than my non op knee until I get the matching pair!
 
Thanks for the note @liam2015. I am so fortunate to still have my folks around in relatively good health - the altitude is tough on them when they visit (I live at 7700') so they had not been out to Colorado since 2007. I usually go to Michigan to visit them but did not get there this summer. We had a great time. This morning I used my cell phone for the pic - I just bent over and put the phone upside down and took the pic -- I did have to take a few before I got one that turned out as my fingers or hand kept getting in the way. :heehee:
 
Good report, @kmak81230, and those knees are beautiful! Yes, there is swelling, but it won't last forever. It's probably related to your activity level including the exercising and working. Those things aren't causing you much discomfort, and that's great.

I'm glad you mentioned the leg press for "holding flexion." I think that's another reason why I've liked it. I can see the bend right in front of me, the weight helps me flex as far as I can, and I can adjust the seat for more bend if I want to challenge myself.

Funny thing happened at PT, and you were the catalyst: I was on an exercise bike the other day, and across the way, a very tall man was walking backward on an inclined treadmill. He caught my attention because of your trial with that, so at first I was watching his feet. At some point, though, I looked "up," and he was a well-known superstar from the NBA! He saw me looking at him and winked at me, then put his finger to his lips. With all the high-level gyms and clinics associated with our Big Ten university, I was puzzled about why he was at my little PT facility on the other side of town. Later, he stopped by when I was doing the leg press and said, "Don't tell. I'm here for a funeral but you didn't see me." When I left, there was an Escalade in the parking lot with a driver inside. I'm a big basketball fan, and he is one of my favorite players to watch. So thanks, Kathleen!

I'm sorry to hear about your dad's forgetfulness and confusion. My dad passed away at 83, still as sharp as a tack; however, my mom, at 89 now, is starting to show those signs. It's especially unnerving to me because she has always been a highly-intellectual person who has had an iron grasp on things like politics, religion, philosophy, current events, etc. I had to smile (wryly) at your report of your mom pointing out your limping after "educating" her. My mom issues those little messages (I hear, "Try harder!") each time I talk to her on the phone.
 
No big tricks with the photo @Pheebs52 -- I am not that talented. I just bent over and held the phone away from my legs and after several trials got a decent pic. Oh @Canada35 that is depressing to hear that I will eventually have two, matching fatter legs. :loll:I was hoping for slender and sexy :yes:
 
Kathleen, I don't think I'd function too well at 7700 feet, so huge kudos to both your parents in managing that feat! I'm so glad you had a good visit with them!

@Canada35, harumph! My OS said much the same regarding the knee shape/size, even once the swelling goes away. However, cosmetics won't inspire me to rush into the "Matched Set," yet....:groan:
 
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