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Bilateral TKR Marcy's bilateral TKR

I am almost 3 months and go back to work next week. One of my knees is great, the other has most of the issues you are having. I had bone on bone and know my gait was, and still is off. Sitting to standing is not pleasant, the good one is ok after a couple of steps but the bad knee I have pain below knee, inner and behind my knee and limp quite badly for a few minutes. I plan to bring this up with my pt today, he is not aggressive at all and still working more on rom than strengthening at this point.
My knees too get really tight after walking around for a while and feel like they won't bend, but do with a bit of assistance. I feel this is a bit of swelling in tissues and ligaments etc maybe. They are really stiff first thing in the morning (and during the night :( ) but I find using my mini pedaller for 10 minutes when I get up in the morning loosens them up a bit.
 
Did you hear me squeal? That's what I did when I read you're on a leg press machine! No weight or strength training until at least 4 months or later. That's what's causing your stiffness. I did use a leg press, but not until 4-5 months post op. Your knee and soft tissues need time to heal, they don't need training. I don't think a PT would put a newly broken leg on a leg press, he or she would give it time to heal. Concentrate walking heal-toe,taking longer strides and possibly using a cane or hiking sticks. I felt a cane helped me to focus on my gait instead of whether I was going to fall. Also, it's important to be wearing new shoes that don't have your old wear pattern in them. Wait until you're healed to work on strength at the gym. Take the week off from PT and see how the stiffness is.
 
So I've done this leg press before...PT actually has been building on a little weight! I feel like crying just typing this. I feel right sensation I swear at each area where my implants are inserted and I think between the leg press, the added pressure by using the silly rubber band thing my knees/both above my knee cap and just below it have been stressed beyond belief and that's the stress/stiff...of course, I took myself to the grocery store to shop for Easter dinner...we had just a small dinner for my immediate family of four, but I cooked everything and did most of the cleanup as well. I kept taking breaks to laydown to put my feet up and stretch my knees, but I am a mess right now. I just need everything to calm down and hopefully some of this will start to resolve.

I kept taking breaks to laydown to put my feet up and stretch my knees, but I am a mess right now. I just need everything to calm down and hopefully some of this will start to resolve.

Thanks for your feedback. I'm embarrassed I've overdone it.
 
Dont feel embarrassed, you were doing what you were told and didn't know you were hurting yourself. But don't do the leg presses or the bands. The bands are a form of resistance and will cause pain at this point also. Even though your incision is healed there's lots of healing still going on inside, that's why you have the pain you mentioned. You really don't need PT with a ROM of 125. You can always save your therapy days for later if you want to work on strength a few months from now. I had no pain working on strength when I was 4-5 months post op.

Even with biking on a recumbent bike it's important to keep the resistance at 0 until a few months from now. I hope you take a break from the PT because I believe you'll see a difference. This week let your knee rest and recuperate from Easter and PT.
 
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Thank you...

Even the inside of my calves feel 'tender' on the insides...I feel like I've stressed everything out and nothing feels 'good'. Not excruciating pain...knees/legs feel 'tired/tender/stiff. So, I am telling my husband about how I feel I am going to lay off of physical therapy... He has been extremely supportive through every step of this process, but, he does not understand that I have come so far with the work I have put in BUT it is time for me to let my legs/knees have a chance to rest and heal. His thought process was I should start taking my pain medication again so I could approach physical therapy, I am not going back on narcotics to get through physical therapy. Ridiculous.

I do have a recumbent bike and I am keeping it on zero tension, I am riding it very slowly just to loosen up my legs when they get very tight. It seems to help.

Thanks again!
 
You're welcome! Tell the husband there's no need for PT with a wonderful ROM of 125! You're saving $ and if you aren't paying for it you're saving sessions for another time. I ended up with Plantar Fascitis in my TKR foot and needed 6 weeks of PT to help with that. You never know when or what you'll need.

I feel pedaling was the best thing I did for my knee. I didn't do much walking, but I'm doing it now, 3 years later!
 
Just had a brutally honest conversation with my husband about what I've been feeling. Truth is, since surgery I have not had any time to just really rest and take care of healing new knees. Because I went to inpatient physical therapy and then came out and started right up again with outpatient PT, I have just been going and going and practicing at home because I keep wanting to do everything I can to have the best outcome. The world I come from is no pain no gain, but I can see this thought process is not appropriate for what I'm working toward. Going to change my pace for sure.

Thank you. Thanks for getting where I'm coming from.

Marcy
 
It's very hard when you come from a background of "No pain, no gain" and have a strong work ethic. You think that, by working hard at recovery, you will get a good result. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that after a knee replacement. By working hard, you are actually doing your wounded knee a disservice. What it needs most is time to rest and heal, with just a little, gentle exercise thrown into the mix.

I'm glad you've decided to slow down and give your knee a chance to heal on its own terms.

Here are a few articles that might help you:
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
TKR: work “smarter” and not “harder”
TKRs and our fast food society
TKR: Evidence shows that less really is more when it comes to exercising!
Knee recovery - Lose the Work Ethic!!
Life in the slow lane
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy


At the very least, you'll have a good long rest, if you read all these article at once! :heehee:
 
Hello all! It's been a bit since I checked in. Wow...what an amazing journey! Feb 21, 2017 I had my surgery. I have had my ups and downs but wow, my life is really showing steady signs of improvement. Anyone who might be reading this who is in the planning process...yes, it's all worth it. My memories of this process is more discomfort than crazy pain...i only needed pain meds for about 3.5 weeks and have been ok...use Tylenol when needed, ice is my friend...and I keep ice packs in my office freezer just in case!

I went back to work full time may 8 (11 weeks post surgery) and yes I was tired the first couple of weeks...but it was doable for me. My PT is over...am steadily feeling improvement and my everyday movement continues to get better and better. I am finding myself feeling emotional as I have flashbacks to times when things were harder and painful and now I'm doing things more easily without the pain. Still finding my way. Went away for a girls weekend last week...the car ride stiffened my knees, but all was ok. Walked the beach...ahhhhhmazing.

Patience...I continue to have patience with the tenderness/tightness I feel in the back of my calves at times...and in the crease of the back of my knees at times. I realize my discomforts and the tightness/slight swelling are normal and I honor it all and tend to myself always when I need to focus on me. My ankles swell a bit now, where they never did before...honoring that too!

Looking forward to the end of the school year...I have 12 more days of work and then I have almost 8 weeks off. I'll be taking it easy, but getting a bit more exercise...and spending time with my family.

Really starting to enjoy life again. I honestly had lost touch with the ordinary things over the years I struggled with the bone on bone pain! I'm smiling again...laughing more...living with pain honestly sucks!

Wishing everyone happiness. Talk again soon!!
 
MCS1267,
Great to hear you are doing very well, and honoring your recovery. Happy you are able to live and fully enjoy your life, because yes, living with pain is no fun!
 
What a great check in! I hope your summer is fabulous!
 
You are an inspiration to all those coming up behind you. Thanks for checking in and letting them know that this surgery has a good outcome!
 
17 weeks post surgery...

Time flies when you're having fun!?? I can't believe what a difference life is like from 6 weeks ago. I still get stuff when I sit for a while...still have mild swelling...the crease in the back if my leg is still where I get some tightness sometimes, but the constant tight, restricted swollen feeling I once had is gone. The stiffness works itself out...the little aches aren't disabling like bone on bone knees!

Went back to work at 11 weeks post surgery full-time. I work in an elementary school and I am now on summer vacation for about eight weeks. I am looking forward to hanging out with my boys, but finding ways to relax my knees more than I have in the last eight or so weeks.

Tomorrow, we are going to an amusement park and a year ago I would have been struggling with the idea of what it would feel like to walk through the park. While I will need to rest a bit here and there, I'm not afraid of the walk through the park! Actually looking forward to it. Last year, I did it and hated every step.

So happy I took the plunge to better my life...I know my stiffness and little aches will continue to work themselves out over time...I'm definitely becoming a person who is saying I'm so glad I had the surgery! If you're reading and awaiting surgery... After surgery, take it one day at a time...there will be days where you think to yourself why did I do this? I will tell you the reason you did it is because your life will absolutely change for the better. You will be able to be active again, you will be able to find joy in movement and will no longer grimace with every step you take. It's all worth it!!!

Be well...and be good!

xo
 
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Anyone else emotional? Or is it just me???

It's will be 20 weeks tomorrow since my bilateral knee replacement. Life is moving forward and there are lots of firsts (ie...taking a power walk for exercise, going to fireworks for 4th of July, stepping in the sand and just going to the beach!)...I find myself having flashbacks to what it felt like doing these things...and how much better I feel. No major limitations doing what I want...but, I fall apart with feelings of happiness and I literally cry because I am so emotional (in a good way!). Does this happen to you???

❤️
 
Reading your updates makes me so happy! I want to cry in happiness for you. You're where I want to be, a trailblazer... a beacon!
 
Hello everyone!

Laying awake in the middle of the night, just because...reading about everyone's journey toward recovery. Love reading the progress reports and wish everyone at all the different stages of this process patience and good things ahead.

Surgery was feb 21...returned to work at 11 weeks to full time admin job...I've been on summer vacation since June and return to work on Tuesday. So much has changed since 8 weeks ago. When I left school I was still pretty tired from all I'd been through...my stamina has greatly improved. I remember feeling discomfort when I'd go to stand from a seated position...that's a thing of the past. The speed and confidence I've gained in walking is 'normal'. I'm realizing that all of a sudden I'm not as fixated on my knees (I'm 25 weeks out). I still am a bit stiff after sitting for a while, but only for my first couple of steps. It's all good. My minor swelling gets iced and I still elevate/ice here and there...but not too much anymore.

Bilateral knee replacement sounded so scary when it was recommended. I whole-heartedly am so happy I did them together. My knees used to hurt so badly pre-surgery. Now, no pain.

Today as we wrap up vacation I went on go karts, bumper boats and I did my first ever zip line! Fun. I was missing out on fun before the surgery for sure.

So grateful. (Oh...I can clean an entire floor of my house at a time now too...not that exciting, but I can do it).

One step at a time...it's the best thing I could've done!!!

Best,
Marcy
 
So good to hear things have continued to improve for you, Marcy! As a teacher I had a lot of up/down activity from numerous chairs, they all were bothersome, annoying and a bit painful that first year. But what a great vacation you're having! Isn't it great to get back to life!?
 
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