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Bilateral TKR Lene' two new knees

@lene'

Good for you. I won't even go to the mall with good knees!! I hope to make a trek to Letchworth to see the Genesee River in it's glory now that there is enough water!

I also start outpatient PT on Weds so we'll have to compare notes. I'm so glad that you are doing so well with your new knees!!! I have also been making a concerted effort to do heel-toe and it makes walking so much better. My right knee (tkr tba!) has been protesting much more lately, but hope to have it done in November! I wish I could have had bilateral like you did!

Snow in the forecast this week. I am so excited for snow!!

Jen
 
Just don't do anything that hurts or you think may hurt at PT. I tried squats because the PT gave me directions, one of them and I said, "no way, never happening again". They never asked me to do that again.
 
So I just got back from out patient PT, it was not too bad. PT says I have good strength, just need the bend, she only told me that my right leg I got to about 58 then she bent it to 85! And I said enough! I won't do pain...discomfort but no more pain. She said ok and that's the end of her pushing. Then she put me on a bike and I rocked peddles back and forth, only to discomfort no pain, it actually hurt my back more than my knees!
Then she gave me home exercises and we were done. I am back in my recliner now icing and elevating for the rest of the day! It was not bad except for her one push. I don't go back again until next Monday. Then twice a week after that. I will not push.
Other than PT I am getting along ok, nights are the worst, I fall asleep ok and get about 4-5 hours at once then no matter if I am in my recliner or my bed, I wake up really stiff and achy! Takes an hour to get comfortable again. I am also sleeping through my pain meds even if I set an alarm! Have to stop that! Also still having muscle spasms at night, annoying! GP uped my muscle relaxers to twice a day instead of only at night so maybe that will help. The sharp shooting pains in right leg are still there but seem to be getting less frequent! Whew!

@Jen-Letchworth is my Favorite, NY state park! I grew up only 15 miles from there, hubby and I go 2-3 times a year! In fact, my great, great grandmother knew and visited Mary Jemison! I have an old newspaper article about one of their visits!!

Tomorrow is first post op with OS, I will update after.

Blessings,
Lene'


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Today was my first appt with OS since my bilateral surgery. Today was 3 weeks. They took X-rays and said everything looked good. They said they saw a small piece of cement on the X-ray but nothing they would go back in for??? I asked "but what if it breaks off" and they just said that probably won't happen..!? Except I know someone it did happen too!
Sooo I guess I just live with it.
They were all amazed that I walked in with just my cane. And they were also impressed with how straight my legs are now. They will see me back in 6 weeks.
I can take the steri strips off the incisions and they said I can put lotion on them and massage it in. A few of the steristrips have come off by themselves and you can barely see the scars!! When I get them off I will try to post a picture.
They still want me to work on my ROM and extention but thought I am doing well for only 3 weeks. I am not so sure it is that great but I have learned from here that it will come.
It was a long day as I went to lunch with hubby, then to appt then to Sams club to pick up more pain meds! So was out and about for about 3 hours. Was happy to get back upstairs to ice and nap!
Still not doing well at night! Sleep then wake up and can't get comfortable. But the extra muscle relaxers have taken care of the spasms for now! Fingers crossed for better night tonight!
Blessings,
Lene'



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Your ROM must be fairly good to be able to walk just cane. 3 hours was a long time to be out at only three weeks. Hopefully you will get to be able to sleep better at night.
 
I know your surgeon said you could put lotion on your wound now, but it's safest to wait until it is completely healed, with no scabs or open areas. Putting lotions on before that, you run the risk of introducing infection. It's best to wait a little longer.
 
Great report! I'm so happy for you. Celle is so right about that lotion. My OS doesn't want me putting anything on my completely healed knee - he wants the scar to be tough, not softened by lotion. On my newer knee (16 days), he examined and reminded me 3 times not to put anything on it (I think he could read my mind and secret plan to dab a little neosporin on it!).

I hope you can rest and relax today. That was a big trip you made yesterday!


Shelia
RTKR - 8/23/16
LTKR - 10/11/16
 
Thanks all, I haven't even taken off the steri-strips yet. I can wait to put on lotion, the scars do not feel that tight.
No real problems with being out that long yesterday, but now I have a tight pain in the side to back of left leg. Really hurts if I turn my foot inward. OS pushed on my legs alittle yesterday so maybe it is residual from that. Gonna keep ice on it to see if I can get it better in the next couple days.
Lene'


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Your OS told you to remove the strips? Mine said let em fall off. Don't pull.
So I didn't and find dirty curled strips everywhere.
I too suffered from someone overflexing my leg
I objected and now work on flex by putting bad leg two stairs up and pushing gently on it. Not to a pain. Just so I feel the stretch on my now getting healed quad
Otherwise increased ROM for a minute results in two days of swelling for me
I'm not against PT but there is a limit as to the price for a temporary reward. Overall my exercises have been helpful. But I am always in charge of at home exercises. I learned
 
Yes, there is a difference of opinion about steristrips. Some surgeons say to leave them on until they fall off, others say it's OK to remove them after a while.
Personally, I'd remove them once they start to lift. They're only needed for a short time.

As far as exercise goes, the sensible option is to remember that none of it should hurt, either at the time, or later.
 
Hello bonesmarties, I had a couple victories today, first hubby got called out on a job and couldn't get back home to feed the dogs this morning so I went downstairs by myself, got the dogs food ready, drove the car out to the kennel, let dogs out, fed them drove back to house back upstairs to ice! Victory! Other than tired I was none the worse for wear!
Also when I came back upstairs, I did the last two steps up like normal! Of course I am using my cane and handrail but couldn't believe I could do it!
I also have been able to roll over on my side in bed. It is still not comfortable to sleep that way but a few days ago I couldn't even get rolled over.. I will take the small victories every day!!
Now if I could just get comfortable at night so I could sleep longer than an hour or two, that would be a big victory!! Sigh....
Anyway glad I could share that, I am 3 weeks 4 days from surgery...
Blessings,
Lene'





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It sounds as if you are doing very well, Lene. Going down to feed the dogs was quite an achievement. Did it give you a boost in confidence, to know that you can do that? I bet it did. :yes!: :yay:

Rolling over in bed is great, too. One more little step on the road to recovery. :thumb:

The sleep issues will sort themselves out eventually. It's a pity this takes so long, but rest assured that it's a problem many of us have had, and it does improve as time passes.
 
How great! I'm so happy for you because these small victories are important and help you over that hump in this roller coaster ride of a recovery.
 
Hooray, Lene! Your feeding the dogs adventure sounds challenging and how cool it was do-able! But then, if no one tells you you can't do something, like lots of us, I bet you just get 'er done! It sounds as if your leg is recovering well, and it's just that the internal healing needs are still manifesting in sleep issues, maybe? I also had sleep troubles but long ago, when it has occurred in the past, I learned to get up and read, or knit, or research a topic of interest, etc! I made good use of the awake time and built in rest time elsewhere in my day. I was fortunate that this idea usually worked...or my kitty would come in and want snuggles!
So glad you're improving so nicely and well!
 
So today is 4 weeks from surgery. Had my first PT on Monday, it wasn't too bad, mostly just stretching cal muscles and quads. Did the bike forwards and backward for 15 min. Was able to do full revolution but it did feel stretched! No real pain just uncomfortable.
The bummer was yesterday, everything tightens right up. Did icing and elevating but could not sleep AGAIN! Only sleeping two hours at a time. Can't get comfortable in recliner or bed! Was supposed to go back to PT today but rescheduled for tomorrow. PT seems to loosen things up then next day all tight again! One step forward and two.back! Frustrating. Frustrating !frustrating!


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Yay @lene' !

All those little steps add up though! I'm seven weeks today and I feel really great! Not perfect, but as I get further out, I notice changes that make me feel encouraged!
I too like PT, other than the fact that I sweat so much from nerves and I can only go once a week because it's too expensive. I think it's a necessary step to help us get back our knees! I hope you continue to get better! I'm so jealous that you aren't facing another replacement! :)

Jen
 
So, it does kinda sound like the amount you did at PT might have made the next day worse, perhaps? I found that to be true for me, also, especially early on... I spaced apart PT sessions, more than they wanted, like you when it was causing me too much pain the next day, too. And, overdoing it, even if you don't really think it was "that" much, can cause sleep problems I've learned too! Take it maybe a bit slower, and I hope your sleep improves a lot soon! I'm jealous of your flexion, too! I'm just now getting to 90 degrees at almost 4 months!
 
Often the results of overdoing at PT are felt the next day and even worse, the next night. i enjoyed getting out to PT, but be careful to not overdo things. See if you can detect what cause the problem and don't do those exercises again. I will say, 15 minutes on the bike is a lot at this point. I started out at 5 and never did more than 10 even on my last day of PT.
 
Hi all, going back to PT this afternoon. I will try to take it eAsy. Another small victory was I slept in my bed, on my SIDE for four hours last night. Knees were tight this morning, but that was the best sleep I have had yet!!


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