OP
OP
Larosser
member
Re: La's new knees (recovery diary) 28 days
So, four weeks ago today, I had bilateral TKR. I think it's worth taking stock of where I am right now.
What I can do:
I am walking around the house comfortably without support. When I go out, I take a cane, but it's not because I require it to move, it's more like a precaution against falling. My knees still feel a bit stiff and clumsy, and I am not sure I could recover my balance if I slipped or somthing, so I use the cane for that. I can pedal a stationary bike (no resistance) both forward and backward without discomfort. My ROM is from about 2 degrees extension to 100 degrees flexion. Yesterday, I was coming up the steps into my house and noticed that I was steping foot over foot instead of bridal style. I can walk a few blocks, or take a trip to the grocercy store. At the end I'm exhausted and want to ice my knees, but I don't have a lot of pain. Just today I managed to get up out of a chair with no hand assist for the first time. YAY!
Things I can't do (yet)
I still have some challenges getting up and down using my quads. I am not confident I could get up from a really low chair without some kind of support, and I am not at ALL convinced I could get up off the floor if I fell. I'm also not pleased with the idea of kneeling or pushing off on my knees. I've tried that on the bed a couple of times and it doesn't feel very good, so I put that in the "try later" bin. I am not ready to try to step over the side of my bathtub (it's 20 inches high) to stand in the shower, and I'm DEFINITELY not clear I could get back out if I sat down in the bathtub. (I'm very motivated to get past that, btw, I want a good long soak!)
Overall, I feel really good about the surgery. Compared to my "before" status, I have practically zero pain in my knees, and the pain in my quads is of a different sort - I can't really articulate it well, but it feels like the kind of pain that can heal and go away. My knees are also astonishingly stable compared to before the surgery. They never lock (which happened to me several times a week before) and they don't "waver" as I walk, so I don't have that fear of of them letting me down in the middle of a step. A few days ago, for the first time, I forgot to take my narco. It's like others have said - one day you just forget. And that's how you know it's time to cut back.
Bonesmart forum has been a real asset for me during my recovery, and I would absolutely recocommend this place to anyone having joint problems or surgery. I have benefitted so much from the good advice and support here! As I finish up my "four week retrospective", I'd like to share some the lessons that have been most helpful to me.
- Surgery isn't just a physical challlenge, it's a mental and emotional one as well. Don't expect to exit the operating room as your normal self with sore knees. You're going to be sleepy, and scatterbrained and not feel like doing much. Don't let that worry you. It's all good. What your body is doing is healing and it really doesn't need a lot of help from your brain. In fact, your brain can get in the way when you start fretting about how fast you "should" be progressing, or how much stuff is not getting done. Let all of that go.
- Think carefully about your diet (before surgery if you can) and avoid empty calories. There are a lot of things you'll need to eat - protien for muscle building, fresh fruits and veggies for vitamins, yoghurt and fiber for digestive health, but you may not be as hungry as usual due to anesthesia after effects, medications and inactivity. Make what you eat count.
- Embrace the nap! Healing requires lots of sleep, and chances are, you aren't going to lie down and get a good eight hours for a while. It's hard to find a comfy position, you may wake up for pain meds, you will tire out with effort and need a quick catnap - there are million reasons why your schedule is going to be a mess. Don't worry about it There will be time later to get back on a normal schedule. Rest whenever you're tired, and if that means taking a two hour nap several times a day, so be it.
For anyone who is thinking about undergoing a TKR, I'd say that if your knee pain is interfering with your daily activities, it's definitely worth a thought. In my case, the restrictions kind of crept up bit by bit, and I had to sort of step back to see how much I'd given up, not just in terms of athletics but in everyday activities. That's really what pushes me forward. It's not easy, it's not quick, but I can tell already that it's worth it.
Best
La
So, four weeks ago today, I had bilateral TKR. I think it's worth taking stock of where I am right now.
What I can do:
I am walking around the house comfortably without support. When I go out, I take a cane, but it's not because I require it to move, it's more like a precaution against falling. My knees still feel a bit stiff and clumsy, and I am not sure I could recover my balance if I slipped or somthing, so I use the cane for that. I can pedal a stationary bike (no resistance) both forward and backward without discomfort. My ROM is from about 2 degrees extension to 100 degrees flexion. Yesterday, I was coming up the steps into my house and noticed that I was steping foot over foot instead of bridal style. I can walk a few blocks, or take a trip to the grocercy store. At the end I'm exhausted and want to ice my knees, but I don't have a lot of pain. Just today I managed to get up out of a chair with no hand assist for the first time. YAY!
Things I can't do (yet)
I still have some challenges getting up and down using my quads. I am not confident I could get up from a really low chair without some kind of support, and I am not at ALL convinced I could get up off the floor if I fell. I'm also not pleased with the idea of kneeling or pushing off on my knees. I've tried that on the bed a couple of times and it doesn't feel very good, so I put that in the "try later" bin. I am not ready to try to step over the side of my bathtub (it's 20 inches high) to stand in the shower, and I'm DEFINITELY not clear I could get back out if I sat down in the bathtub. (I'm very motivated to get past that, btw, I want a good long soak!)
Overall, I feel really good about the surgery. Compared to my "before" status, I have practically zero pain in my knees, and the pain in my quads is of a different sort - I can't really articulate it well, but it feels like the kind of pain that can heal and go away. My knees are also astonishingly stable compared to before the surgery. They never lock (which happened to me several times a week before) and they don't "waver" as I walk, so I don't have that fear of of them letting me down in the middle of a step. A few days ago, for the first time, I forgot to take my narco. It's like others have said - one day you just forget. And that's how you know it's time to cut back.
Bonesmart forum has been a real asset for me during my recovery, and I would absolutely recocommend this place to anyone having joint problems or surgery. I have benefitted so much from the good advice and support here! As I finish up my "four week retrospective", I'd like to share some the lessons that have been most helpful to me.
- Surgery isn't just a physical challlenge, it's a mental and emotional one as well. Don't expect to exit the operating room as your normal self with sore knees. You're going to be sleepy, and scatterbrained and not feel like doing much. Don't let that worry you. It's all good. What your body is doing is healing and it really doesn't need a lot of help from your brain. In fact, your brain can get in the way when you start fretting about how fast you "should" be progressing, or how much stuff is not getting done. Let all of that go.
- Think carefully about your diet (before surgery if you can) and avoid empty calories. There are a lot of things you'll need to eat - protien for muscle building, fresh fruits and veggies for vitamins, yoghurt and fiber for digestive health, but you may not be as hungry as usual due to anesthesia after effects, medications and inactivity. Make what you eat count.
- Embrace the nap! Healing requires lots of sleep, and chances are, you aren't going to lie down and get a good eight hours for a while. It's hard to find a comfy position, you may wake up for pain meds, you will tire out with effort and need a quick catnap - there are million reasons why your schedule is going to be a mess. Don't worry about it There will be time later to get back on a normal schedule. Rest whenever you're tired, and if that means taking a two hour nap several times a day, so be it.
For anyone who is thinking about undergoing a TKR, I'd say that if your knee pain is interfering with your daily activities, it's definitely worth a thought. In my case, the restrictions kind of crept up bit by bit, and I had to sort of step back to see how much I'd given up, not just in terms of athletics but in everyday activities. That's really what pushes me forward. It's not easy, it's not quick, but I can tell already that it's worth it.
Best
La
United Kingdom
