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Bilateral TKR Michael Reed's Recovery

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Michael,
I lost the immobilizers at about a week out, with the okay of my PT, just could not get any rest with them on they drove me crazy. I had very good extension by then.
As for your other question, I too only had numbness on the outer side of my knee, I just assumed it was from some nerve thingy there that was messed with.
 
Debbie_joints said:
I am wondering for you guys that have both knees done and graduate from walker to cane, which side do you use the cane on? I mean you usually have to use the cane on the opposite side of the operated knee, but when you have them both done, how do you do it?
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I just went with what felt comfortable. Since I am left handed, I ended up using my left hand for the cane.
 
Michael Reed said:
OK, quick question that I am sure the answer is somewhere but I don't really want to look for it so I will ask.

I still don't have feelings on the outsides of my knees. I get an itch sensation but whenever I run my nails over those areas I can't feel a thing. I'm guessing this is normal so my question is how long should I expect this to last and when should I start regaining those nerve endings?
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I have the same numbness on the lateral aspect of both knees. The OS said it was to be expected and would last about a year. Feels awful when shaving that area. Nice that's one thing you don't need to deal with. Lol.
 
They told me everyone has that spot of numbness. It has to do with the pattern of blood flow.
 
I just want it to be known. That on August 21st at 1am I am declaring that I hate my therapist. My muscles have been screaming for mercy since I left therapy today. Good thing is my knees aren't hurting, just every muscle from my glutes to my calves.
 
You awake too Michael? Ugh, almost 1:30 here (central time zone) and I was acting pretty cocky that things were really sailing along. No my PT guy didn't do anything to hurt me, that I know of, but told me I was really doing well. Well, I went to bed and about 3 1/2 hours latter I wake up and my knee is screaming at me. So walked around a little bit and moved out to the recliner. You take care Michael. How often do you have physical therapy? Maybe need to cut back for a couple days.
 
Yeah, still awake which is kinda normal for me. My PT isn't pushing me any harder just adding some more exercises that are working some muscles that I haven't really worked in a while. Right now I do 3 sessions a week, Monday/Tuesday/Thursday. I don't think that I need to cut back on visits. It just hurts a bit more today cause we started the one leg calf raise and now my calves are screaming.
 
Michael Reed said:
Yeah, still awake which is kinda normal for me. My PT isn't pushing me any harder just adding some more exercises that are working some muscles that I haven't really worked in a while. Right now I do 3 sessions a week, Monday/Tuesday/Thursday. I don't think that I need to cut back on visits. It just hurts a bit more today cause we started the one leg calf raise and now my calves are screaming.
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I had that too. Its worth working through since its breaking through all your compensating mechanisms. I posted in my recovery thread that PT was like... oh heck, here's what I wrote:
  • As for the goal of PT, at the basis for it is the concept that their is an ideal human form and each part has an ideal way of moving. As we deviate from that ideal we create stresses. But the human body copes remarkably with stresses, and develops coping mechanisms. But the coping mechanisms are just workarounds for a body that isn't working as designed.

    For example, imagine since childhood you wore your right shoe on your left foot and vice versa. You learned to adapt, your friends accepted your odd habit, and your girlfriend thought it cute and married you anyway. But you discovered your foot pain, which you've lived with for years, was getting worse. You saw a podiatrist who told you to put the right shoe on the right foot and the left on the left. Even though you would now be correct, you would be in pain, and probably severe pain, while the body adjusts. But when you were done, you will feel better since you would be functioning closer to the hypothetical ideal. So it is with PT. And especially MY PT, since I spent years developing coping mechanisms.

    You now know what its like to walk in my shoes. And on the right feet. :)    ​
 
I'm still counting weeks. Tomorrow is 12 weeks. Three months (june 4-sept 4) will be 13 weeks and a day. Maybe once I hit the three month mark, it will be three months and one week, three and a half months, another week and a half to four months... I haven't counted days for a long time, though. At your stage I think I was saying four weeks last Monday or five weeks next Monday. You know we are doing pretty well in our recoveries to be giving this subject any thought!
 
Maybe you stop counting when you actually stop thinking about your knees at all and stop talking about them and stop being reminded of them by others. I have to really stop and think about how long since my hip, and as I've said before, if it weren't for the forum I wouldn't be thinking about it at all. I don't think about it, don't talk about it except here, and folks around me have pretty much forgotten I had it done and never ask any more.
 
Hmm. I'm not sure I'll ever stop marking anniversaries, even if I stop counting at some point. December 22 of this year will be the seventh anniversary of the day I turned my life around by losing weight (I was over 400 pounds); I suspect I'll mark March 8 each year as the day I got my legs back.

BTW I hit month six this coming week. :happydance:
 
I would immagine that the nerve branch on the outside is larger. When it is damaged by the 1. tourniquet 2. Manipulation and stretching 3. Cutting that is required the territory it covered would be more significantly impacted and more area would feel numb. You could google nerve dermatomes to see the general skin distribution areas for each major nerve branch to see if my hunch is true. ChrisO
 
I never had immobilizes, is the reason you are in them to help keep your legs straight? ChrisO
 
ChrisO said:
I never had immobilizes, is the reason you are in them to help keep your legs straight? ChrisO
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Yeah, to keep them straight while sleeping. I usually only get 4 hours of sleep in them before I wake and rip them off cause I am cramping up. I see my OS in a week and a half and hope he tells me I can sell them on ebay at that point.
 
Janet2012 said:
I'm still counting weeks. Tomorrow is 12 weeks. Three months (june 4-sept 4) will be 13 weeks and a day. Maybe once I hit the three month mark, it will be three months and one week, three and a half months, another week and a half to four months... I haven't counted days for a long time, though. At your stage I think I was saying four weeks last Monday or five weeks next Monday. You know we are doing pretty well in our recoveries to be giving this subject any thought!
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I'm definitely doing the four weeks on Wednesday since line. And I agree, the fact that I am even thinking this way shows just how well things are actually going for me.

bottomshollow said:
Maybe you stop counting when you actually stop thinking about your knees at all and stop talking about them and stop being reminded of them by others. I have to really stop and think about how long since my hip, and as I've said before, if it weren't for the forum I wouldn't be thinking about it at all. I don't think about it, don't talk about it except here, and folks around me have pretty much forgotten I had it done and never ask any more.
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That may be the case, and I can't wait to get to that day that it's just an afterthought.

TheHistorian said:
Hmm. I'm not sure I'll ever stop marking anniversaries, even if I stop counting at some point. December 22 of this year will be the seventh anniversary of the day I turned my life around by losing weight (I was over 400 pounds); I suspect I'll mark March 8 each year as the day I got my legs back.

BTW I hit month six this coming week. :happydance:
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I think I will be the same way, marking the year anniversary of when I got my legs back. Congrats on 6 months, keep going strong.
 
I noted every week for quite a period, every Tuesday thinking "this time that Tues I was ....."!! :snork:
 
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