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TKR Lovetoread's Recovery Thread---She is home already!

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@Travlingirl04 I do remember you from last summer! So good to hear that your are doing well! I can just imagine the walking involved with a trade show! Doesn't it just amaze you how different a year makes? Sometimes even at the grocery store it will suddenly occur to me that I'm walking through the store and I'm not in pain. It seemed like I was in pain forever, and it really limited me. I have to say I am so glad it is behind me and I can get on with my life. Good luck at the gym, even if it's not Jillian Michaels! :) I was a gym life in my past life, and I'm getting back there slowly but surely….and it feels so good!
 
Your story sounds a lot like mine! Had left tkr on 1/15 and right on 2/12. I also would often hear from people I didn't know "oh, you're fast walking lady!"! I'm sure they wondered where I had gone these past 5 years! I can't wait to walk my route again! My left knee is fantastic 5 weeks out and righty is coming along very nicely! I can't wait for this long, hard winter to be over! I'm so excited to get "me" back!! Thanks for posting!
 
@mimi53, like you, I sure missed my walking! It got to be painful even to go to the grocery store. Hopefully this weather will start to get nicer, here in Chicago we've already had over 60" of snow this winter and we're due for some more on Monday. It's also supposed to get down near zero again next week. Ugh! Good luck to you with your recovery! Sure sounds like you're doing great!
 
WOW! I'm sitting here today, just amazed that it was one year ago today that I had my first knee replacement! I was in a room by now and the PT was soon to arrive. I went up and down a full flight of stairs, walked up and down the hall with a cane and the PT. Surgery was at 8:30 in the morning and I was out of there by 1:00. I know the type of surgery I had isn't for everyone, but my surgeon was the one who perfected the "outpatient" TKR and I couldn't be happier about the way I had it done. (In fact, former president George Bush just had an out-patient PKR with my doctor at the end of May.) I had my second knee done six weeks later and have gotten my life back! I can do pretty much anything I want to do….in fact, I don't think I can think of anything I haven't been able to do that I wanted to. My only problem is kneeling, and being a Catholic that spends a lot of time on her knees in church, that's my only issue. I told my husband we just might have to change religions.:heehee: I work in a school and am on my feet all day. Two years ago, I was contemplating retirement because I was in so much pain. This past school year was a "test" to see how I was doing. I don't know if I should be happy or sad that I decided I have at least 5 more pain-free years ahead of me!

Anyway, for those of you who are in the thinking stages of TKR, have one (or two!) scheduled, or have just had surgery, I'm here to tell you…..better days are ahead! As just about everyone here says, it was the best thing I ever did! I can't thank everyone here enough for all the support, information and good wishes over the past year!:thankyou:
 
Happy kneeversary! I'm a teacher and my first kneeversary is about a month away. What a huge difference it has made at school and in life! Like you, I thought I was going to have to retire early, and also like you, I've decided that the kids and my school are stuck with me for a while yet. :rofsign:Congratulations to you and enjoy your summer!​
 
Thanks! It really is incredible the difference TKR can make in your life, isn't it? It's almost like I have forgotten what the pain was like in the year or so before I had the surgery. I'm also thankful that I though to investigate a little further when I had a doctor tell me three years ago that I would have to wait until I was 65. I think if I had listened to him I would be practically house-bound by now and getting no enjoyment out of life.
 
Hi Jean, I just read your post and I am still shaking my head at how great you did! I was just reading a piece on Yahoo about former President George W Bush and it mentioned he had a knee replacement recently and I immediately wondered where he went. You have answered that question and it makes sense he would go there. I am sure someone scouted out the best surgeons in the country for him.

I celebrated the one-year anniversary last week of my left TKR. I am doing well but have not had as easy a recovery as you. The extra four weeks of PT in May for the hamstring tendonitis definitely helped. I have such respect for the knowledge physical therapists have. Looking back, I realize that my young surgeon has not had as many surgeries under his belt as yours and maybe that mattered. I don't know. I am walking fine and now can do stairs going up pretty well. Coming down is still slow and cumbersome.
As I read the posts of some of our members anticipating surgery soon, I realize what a journey it has been. This board was tremendously helpful to me every step of the way. I wish orthopedic surgeons would recommend it to perspective patients. You can read up on a lot of things, but it is so much more helpful to communicate with people who had the experience of a knee replacement.

I see my orthopedic surgeon July 21 for my one-year appointment. It will interesting to see what he has to say!
 
Jean, I am so impressed at your recovery--I stayed that first night in the hospital, but actually the nurses hindered my recovery by not waking me up for my pain meds. i would have been better off at home!! My kids live in Evanston, we will have to have lunch when I get to Chicago again. My daughter lives in Lincoln Park.
 
Joyce, so happy to hear from you, but sure wish your knee wasn't still bothering you….even if it's only on the stairs! (sorry I didn't reply sooner….we were up at our place in Minnesota and I spent the week in my pedal kayak out every day, over an hour each day….haven't been able to do that in a couple of years!) Funny you should mention George Bush…it was on the news today that he had a PTKR on his other knee on Saturday and went home to Texas today. Six weeks apart, just like me! It hardly seems possible that it's been a year, doesn't it? And you're right, it helps so much to ask questions of and hear stories from people that have actually gone through the experience. How is your husband doing? Hopefully he recovered fully and was able to finish out the school year with no problems….
 
@skigirl, sometimes it is nice to just be home in your own bed, in charge of your meds, ice, etc, isn't it? I consider myself very lucky to have found a doctor to do the surgery the way he did. I know it's not the norm, but I couldn't have asked for a better outcome! My husband, kids and I all went to school in Evanston (Northwestern) and still are season-ticket holders for football, so we spend a lot of time there in the fall, especially. Our daughter lives on the north side, but works in downtown Evanston. Our son and daughter-in-law live in Lincoln Park. right near North and Clybourn…in the heart of everything. They are thrilled to be near everything, but I'm not sure I could live somewhere like that. I'm out in the southwest suburbs and am happy to be here! Let me know when you're in town…I'd love to meet up. In June I met two other south-suburban Bonesmarties at a local Starbucks. It was so fun to finally meet them in person after "talking" to them for so long here!
 
I will do that for sure!! It is fun to see Bonesmarties in the flesh. My daughter lives on N. Bissel---I can hear the ell all night when i am there!!! But, they are used to it. I love Evanston--my son lives on Payne.
 
NO WAY!! My son and his wife are on Bissell! I think the El is about 5 feet from the back of their place, but you really can't hear it. I'm going to PM you with his address….I don't think I should put it on the site. I'm not sure where Payne is, but in my college days I was on Chicago Ave., Sherman Ave, and Ridge. My daughter works right in downtown Evanston on Davis St.
 
A year ago, right about this time, I was heading to the hospital for my second TKR! The first one had been six weeks earlier. I have such a hard time believing it's been a year and harder yet believing how much better off I am! I scarcely give my knees a thought any more. I'm back to doing everything I once did….walking 4-5 miles, spending an hour or two in my pedal kayak, being on my feet all day working in a school, even going to the grocery store without dreading the pain that went along with it. So thankful that surgeries such as this are possible today! I'm also grateful that I was one of the success stories with very easy recoveries compared to some I read about here on the forum. To those struggling with their recoveries, I just want to say "hang in there!" It truly does get better!
 
That us a great update and very inspiring to me. I am hoping my second knee goes as well as my first too! You have done so well and I am glad after a year your life is good!
 
Great report, good to read a success story.


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Jean, it is so good to hear how well you are doing! If you remember, I had my knee done about the same time as you had your first one done. While, I have not done as well as you, I do think I am making good progress. We just returned from a 700 mile trip to Tennessee and my knee was fine. I even did stairs fairly easy although that is still a work in progress! I really thought being cramped up in the car was going to result in nighttime pain, but it didn't! Victory! Thanks for sharing your experience.
 
Joyce, you have had such a hard time....I'm so glad things seem to be getting better for you. I know what you mean about long car rides! I got to dread our trips to MN. It's a 560 mike drive and I could barely move when we got there. This summer is so much better! I remember stairs were rough for you, so that is really good news! From reading all of the posts here over the last year, some have it much harder than others, and you seemed to be one of them unfortunately. It sounds like you are really just about there! Keep in touch!


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Hi Lovestoread....I, too, am astonished at your exceptional story! I love to read too, and hope that the meds post LTKR on 21 October are not so heavy that I do have time to catch up on my own reading activities, on which I've slacked of late. I do have a question for you, which is, did you have any valgus/knock knee deformity as a result of your arthritis (assuming that's why you had the surgery)? Also, we are close to same age, so I'm benchmarking a bit. I am not obese, but considered overweight per BMI (28.8) after having lost considerable weight through healthy diet and regular exercise. I'm less concerned about pain than I am about the risk of "foot drop", peroneal nerve damage that could occur from stretching the nerve to correct the valgus. Any data points from your own experience in this regard would be helpful. Thanks in advance!
 
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