Revision TKR Lovetocookandsew’s long road to recovery

[lovetocookandsew]

@Cementless It's a procedure they also use to stabilize the femur when someone breaks their femur. I think it may also be called, or be similar to, ORIF, but am not positive.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

This really sucks.....I'm in less pain these days, so am moving around and doing more. But, moving around more causes more swelling, which in turn causes more pain.............grrrrrrrrrrrrr. Talk about "danged if I do, danged if I don't"!

 

[Jockette]

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I’m sure you feel as if you’ve been in recovery forever.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I’m sure you feel as if you’ve been in recovery forever.

And a day.................

This picture I just took is the story of my life and frankly, I'm tired of it!

 

[Cementless]

@lovetocookandsew, do you mind refreshing my memory as to why your femur needed stabilizing in the first place. This is such a radical surgery. How did you finally decide to do it and is it the same OS that did the revision?

 

[lovetocookandsew]

When you have a revision, they need to put in longer posts in your femur and tibia. They have to drill into the bone to make room for the posts, and your bone then needs to remodel around the posts. Most people's bone remodels quickly, some take a little longer, but basically everyone's bones do what they're supposed to. A teeny percentage of people's bones don't remodel, and I fell into that group.

My bone and the post kept clashing, which caused sudden sharp pains, and constant other pain. Bone is soft and can move, whereas the post is solid, so when I moved, the bones would hit the tip of the posts and cause excruciating pain. The procedure helps stabilize the bone with the post somehow, and stops that pain. It's a major surgery, not a bit of it easy, but it seems to have worked, so will be worth it in the end.

I decided to do it to give myself a chance to take back my life and stop living with the pain. It took me a long time to agree to it, but eventually I decided the risk was worth it. I used the same surgeon-he's an amazing surgeon and it was entirely my own crazy body that caused this problem, nothing to do with the surgeon.

 

[FCBayern]

Kim,

I really hope this procedure works out for you. The kindness and support you offer here while in your own pain is amazing and appreciated. Hopefully this is your LAST recovery.

Joe

 

[Cococay]

I had no idea that it was so complicated. That sounds excruciating! I really really am hoping this surgery ends up stopping those problems. You have been through so much!

 

[Pumpkin]

but it seems to have worked, so will be worth it in the end.

Excellent news, for continued healing and getting your life back.

 

[Layla]

Thankfully you’ve made it this far. You’re on the upside with hopefully only brighter days ahead.
Have a nice Sunday, Kim

 

[Cementless]

@lovetocookandsew, thanks for the detailed explanation of the need for a strut graft procedure. You do sound like you are really making progress! Vacuuming always bothers my knee revision and I am 28 + months out. I am still having issues with my revision but there is NO WAY I would ever consider another surgery!!! I had a virtual visit on 2/09/2021 with my OS that did my revision on 10/03/2018. We came to the conclusion after x-rays/CT scans that the reason my knee cap always hurts is because, he left the TKR patella button in place during the revision because it tracked well. He and I both think my issue is an allergic reaction to the (nickel) posts holding the patella button in place. I wear a knee brace to keep it stable at times and take Celebrex or ES Tylenol to control pain issues. What a bummer!!! He said if he took the patella button out, he would have had to remove more bone....that would cause more issues.
I am losing faith in doctors (OS)!

 

[Celle]

He and I both think my issue is an allergic reaction to the (nickle) in the patella button.

I believe the patellar button is made of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, not metal.

 

[Cementless]

@Celle, you may be correct but the posts used to hold the press-fit patella button in place most likely had nickel in them. The first OS did not use any cement, thus my name: cementless. My revision OS said he is not a fan of press-fit implants.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I saw my surgeon for my three month post-op visit today. He said I'm doing much better, and noticed that I'm walking fairly briskly. Although my flex is only around 90 due to all the continued swelling, which bites, my extension is really good. I am beginning to fear the swelling once again won't go away, but still have a little hope that it will.

I drove myself there and back; it was about a 40 minute drive each way, and I had no extra pain as a result. I'm walking totally without any assistive devices at all and I don't limp anymore except when I've been on my feet a lot and the swelling hits. My upper thigh pain is basically gone, but the lower tibial pain is still around. We're both hopeful it's just from healing and not the same issue as before, but time will tell. I still can't sit in a chair without discomfort, but at least the discomfort goes away now when I get up.

We had to go back to IKEA Sunday to get the rest of our order that finally came in, and I walked unassisted all around that massive store, plus manuevered around the crowds of people. (note to self-do not go there on a weekend!) Granted, I came home and hit the ice machine, but I did it! Just 10-ish days before I had to alternate between a wheelchair and leaning on a cart to get through the store, so this is a great step forward.

I always seem to be very sloooooooow on the first leg of recovery, then when my body finally decides to get over the first hurdle, I progress in leaps and bounds! (figuratively that is, I really can't leap nor bound ) Anyway, things are looking up and I'm beginning to get back to my old routines, albeit carefully so as to not set my leg off.

 

[Pumpkin]

Kim,
Happy to hear you had a good report from your surgeon, and that you can see just how much better you are doing all the time.
Hoping that tibial component settles down soon, and you can get on with your life.

 

[newlybionic]

Glad to hear how well you are doing. Navigating your way through IKEA is very challenging even without having a surgery.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Navigating your way through IKEA is very challenging even without having a surgery.

Isn't that the truth. But I like a lot of their stuff so must suffer the stress once in a while.

What really bites is today we found out from the guy who will be setting up our installation that the four cabinets we bought for the uppers in the laundry room won't fit as they need a little space on either side to account for the fact that walls are never perfectly straight. I had asked the girl helping us which sizes to buy, and went with her suggestion, which turned out to be wrong. She's new so it was an honest mistake, and one she won't make again.

Anyway, it means tomorrow morning we have to walk through IKEA again to return one cabinet and buy a matching cabinet that's not quite as wide so they can fit them all in, then come home and put the cabinet parts in the house, then in the afternoon we have our grandson's 5th b-day party to drive to and attend. I will definitely be stuck in the ODIC tomorrow night!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I'm almost 5 months out and have been doing much better. I've had a little setback the last couple of days, but hopefully that'll resolve soon and I can get on with things. The surgery in the femur has been a total success and has stopped the tip pain completely. The tibial repair doesn't seem to have worked, but since I'm still healing I'm hoping the pain there is from the surgery and just needs time to heal fully. It's not a horrible pain, more of an ache when I walk, but it's still annoying.

I'm able to do a lot more, although I still have some limitations. Those are mostly due to the fact that my knee and the surrounding area is still really swollen, which not only limits some activities, it also limits the time and distance I can be on it before it gets tight and starts to ache. We don't know if the swelling will ever recede, but my OS seems to be doubtful at this point.

The great news is that awful tip pain on my femur is gone, and for that I am very thankful!

 

[NightQuilter]

Its good to hear from you Kim and know you are feeling some significant improvement. That you feel the tibia is not improving as the femur must certainly be frustrating; I hope it does improve for you! Hopefully they will find a good solution for you.

 

[Cementless]

@lovetocookandsew, thanks for the update. Please post more when you feel like it.