TKR My Journey as of 12/16/13 - Over 1 Year and Still Trying

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I am surprised that you can go down the stairs one step at a time but going up its two feet onto the same stair. Going down is supposed to be harder than going up. I don't have stairs at my house since we moved to a one story house around memorial day 2013, but my daughter has stairs in her house so when ever I go over there I practice on her stairs. I can go up with no hands holding the rail one foot onto each stair the normal way but when I come down I have to hold one and end up hiking my hip up because my knee is not bending enough going down. Agh...things simple things in life that so many take for granted.

p.s. wine for me...red and dry. When it is hot, I'll take Sangria by the pool.
 
Yey! See what you've done @Billy ? Apparently I have the happy hour thread! As that used to be one of my favorite hobbies, I'm good with that! Here's my disclaimer though - NO ALCOHOL WHILE TAKING PAIN MEDS! That being said, I'm with @Pumpkln on the dirty martini! :martini:

@RunA42K , I didn't even think about the different ROM requirements for going up or down stairs. I figured that going down was just more daunting as it's scarier and as @saltyal said, not many people are afraid of falling UP the stairs (although i've managed to do it). My TKR leg quads are still kinda craptastic, so I figure that's why I'm having issues going up the stairs as I should. I can do leg over leg, but it's certainly not pretty and I use more hip and arm to haul myself up. I know that you're in killer shape with being as active as you are, I hope to get back there one day.

@Nana moon 27 , thank you. It's hard for me to gauge how far/long I am actually walking/on my feet, since there is no conversion chart showing what 52 trips from the pantry to the stove equals in blocks. :heehee: Were you able to get any sleep last night? How are you feeling today? Uhm @susanne , no vodka for you yet! I didn't have a drink for over 2 months after my TKR and when I 'cheated' and had a silly beer while I was still on pain meds, it made me totally nauseous! :no-fin:

I had a very hard time getting comfortable again last night so around midnight I gave in a took a Tramadol and guess what? I actually slept! From about 12:30 - 7am! That's the longest stretch I've gotten in a looooong time!:yahoo:Der, guess instead of just tossing and turning, I should actually take 'real' pain pill instead of just Tylenol. I just never equate not being able to get comfortable with pain though. :headbang:

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!!
 
Hi @DogLoverx3 I got four hours straight sleep which is incredible for me. I counted now many times I went up and down stairs, so far. I've deliberately cut back in unnecessary trips. So far 8 times! I've walked round the corner shop with me eldest daughter, I used one cane for protection!!! Any way she's gone now. My youngest granddaughter is downstairs with his nibs and the elder one out with her friends from school, who all live locally to me. Very lucky for us both!!!

I'm so glad you got that sleep,sorted. Well worth a Tramadol if it does that for you. Like Joseohine always says stiffness is a form of pain, I think the Tramadol told you a story... I hope you have a great day today catch you later all my love Nana moon 27 xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox:puppysmooze:
 
@DogLoverx3 PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T push yourself on those stairs. I've been told it will come naturally. I'm begging you to please be careful because of what I have done to the muscle above my knee etc through them. I know you are a few weeks ahead of me but even so, please think about what you are doing xoxxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox :puppysmooze:
 
Hey Dogloverx3, thats what motivated me trash those Hydrocodones, I can't give up Happy Hour, and obviously not do both. Weather 60 today, Sunny, So I think I will go get the grill fired up and drink a cold one, get my mind off the peg leg, and have fun. "Enjoy Life Today, Who Knows About Tomorrow" Be careful on those steps I don't want any bad reports on you!! :)
 
PLEASE DON'T push yourself on those stairs. I've been told it will come naturally. I'm begging you to please be careful because of what I have done to the muscle above my knee etc through them
@Nana moon 27 ...What did you do to those muscles... I'm assuming your quads?... as I live in a 3 level house I've been doing stairs since day 3 post-op (used crutches for the first week or so then went to the cane for a couple of weeks) and I've found that whatever weight-bearing exercises I do that don't cause pain improve my strength and my ability to do more. But if you hurt yourself doing stairs, I wonder if maybe I dodged a bullet here?
Cheers, Al
 
Hi @saltyal you have been lucky. I used stairs from day 10 of op as I was I hospital for 9 days instead of 3 or 4 days. I had two falls and then developed a chest infection while I was in there.

What happened was last week the knee felt ok. Without even realising what I was doing, I went straight up the stairs leading with my operated leg and it was not until the point of no return, with the knee bent and all my weight on it, that the pain went straight through my knee and muscle above, I dodged back onto non op leg, said to myself ouch! I thought I was ok. The following morning I couldn't out my foot to the floor. It turns out i gave my self tendinitis and extreme muscle fatigue. So I've had to rest it, exercise it gently and not do too much. It's really got on my nerves now because all I want is some sort of normality. On top of which now I've ended up with a third chest infection (1st one in hospital after op!), and a second throat infection. But I'm still positive in my outlook, I know I won't be like this forever!! I have to be patient. I can do two feet to a stair but not one on one yet. It was that forgetting and trying to go upstairs in a normal manner one foot per stair that has messed me up!

My doc said I was just not ready yet and I have to be patient. Thank for your interest Al. Please stay in touch if you like x x x x
 
Doh! Brain strain! Yet more evidence that they removed part of my brain along with my knee .....
@DogLoverx3 - I have finally found your thread again. I thought you were hiding the pics of those dogs of yours, but thank goodness for a bit of elevation and a browse around BS - I've found you again and got myself up to date.

Since my instruction to do the stairs up and down, I have wimped out a bit on the down. It feels unpleasant to do and I am on a 'knee preservation exercise' as I see my OS on Monday and don't want to mess things up before then. Going up proves no probs, and so my compromise is to get down to where the stairs turn and just come down the last 4 properly. Your ability to do 'downstairs' easily, doesn't surprise me @DogLoverx3. You have got great bend in your knee and according to my Physio, its all about bend coming down and quad strength (which I have) going up.

As for improving gait - I was going to suggest we continued with the 'Happy Hour' suggestion. I think we think too much about how we are walking, so I suggest a few glasses to relax, forget all about it and we will all be walking around perfectly!

On that note, I am off. I hear the merry sound of wine bottles opening. I have left off the Tylenol today and haven't even noticed. Not that I am surprised as it never does anything for me anyway! So a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc is my reward.

X
 
I think we think too much about how we are walking

I sure agree with that!... my gait improved and limp disappeared when I had to stop thinking about it.... I started on little walks on the beach and short hikes in the bush with my dog about week 8, and the challenge of going over and around logs & rocks & stuff made me stop thinking about the heel-toe and extension movements and just relax and enjoy being out there!
 
So a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc is my reward.

I like your thought process :)
 
Goodness, I disappear for a day and everyone comes to visit! :happydance:I love that you all check in and make me smile!

@dogwheels , I'm SO glad that you found me again! I've missed you! You're right about the stairs, my quads are for shat (hee hee, UK - speak, wonder if it will auto-change it to some ridiculous word that doesn't fit) and that's why I have a hard time going up stairs. The only thing required to go down is bend and faith that you won't face plant! :whistle:Ooooh, I do hope you enjoyed your wine! I need to up my happy hours. I think you're all correct in that the amount that I worry about my knee, my swelling, my limping, etc... is in direct correlation to the lack of happy hours. I'll get right on that!:martini:

@Billy I hope you enjoyed your nice sunny day and cocktail! Or wine. Or whatever! I love your 'who knows what tomorrow may bring, so enjoy today' mentality. I have a hard time remembering that one. :doh:

@Nana moon 27 , uhm, 8 trips TOTAL on the stairs or 8 trips up AND 8 trips down? Either way, that's a lot of trips my sweet. I know it sucks to stare at the ceiling and be stuck on one floor (believe me, I know), but you have GOT to get yourself better! Your knee, your asthma, your throat, your chest infection.....everything is fighting against the other for the strength and ability to heal so you have to be extra careful (lazy). I want you to get back to your perky peppy smart alecky self! :friends:

@saltyal , I totally need to stop concentrating so hard on how to walk and just walk! I'm so impressed that you beach walking and trail walking at 8 weeks! I'm still not sure footed enough to try anything other than pavement or my back yard (which is small).

I've been off from PT for @10 days and when I start back on Tuesday, I will let him know that I really want to work on strengthening exercises as well as balance and gait ones. I don't want to do squats for heaven's sake as my knee hates those, but there's got to be other quad exercises other than the leg press that will help!

Okay all, grab your drinks .................. I got a house! :martini::dancy::martini: It is NONE of the 3 I was trying for. It just came on the market yesterday and by the time I got over to see it, the agent had told my realtor not to bother as he wasn't accepting any other offers! :shocked: Of course we ignored him and a huge cluster f* of circumstances followed, but I loved it, put in my offer and won!!! It's TINY, but has a fireplace (which I love, yes, even in AZ) and is cute as a button. I'm so very excited. One of the best parts is that the seller requested a long close of escrow, so I've got almost 2 months to get my poop in gear! :martini::martini: drinks on me!!
 
Woohoo way to go @DogLoverx3, congratulations that is great news! Sweetheart what is escrow (signs I'm a Brit) It sounds like a cross between escargot and crow but obviously not!!! The stairs have been twelve trips up and down so to you it's 24. It's so slow going up and down 2 feet per stair it's frustrating x x x :puppysmooze:
 
@saltyal is escrow a period of time for signing and moving into the house? I've been trying to work out this word x
 
:dancy:"Okay all, grab your drinks .................. I got a house!", I'm happy for you!!, sounds like a good reason to open a bottle of wine, time to hit the fridg. Talking about stairs, today up a step ladder to change out some lights on a vaulted ceiling, Yikes, Scared to Death, but survived without falling,so there is hope
 
Sorry Ann, yes, close of escrow is pretty much the transfer of possession! It's in a darling subdivision that although not gated, will feel very safe in. :)

don't get mad at me sweetie, but I totally reprimanded you for the insane number of trips up and downthe stairs you took today when you're sick and your knee is acting up :(
 
:shocked:OMG Billy! A step ladder?! Totally impressive! And scary!!
 
@DogLoverx3 I need reprimanding honestly. I am my own worst enemy ! I'm just soooo...well......frustrated doesn't even begin to describe how I feel right now x x @Billy ! A stepladder! yikes! that is frightening but omg so amazing. Fair play to you and here's me can't even do wretched stairs properly!!! Ha ha xxx
 
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