TKR Nerdgrrl's knee recovery thread

[Timetolive]

This is so nice to read! I am very happy for your progress. Congratulations on a new life with new knees!

 

[newlybionic]

Wonderful report!!

 

[kneeper]

Great report! You are through the "dark days" and should continue to progress nicely--like you said though it is still important to pace yourself.

 

[nerdgrrl]

Well, as of today, I am officially three months out of surgery I celebrated by putting down moss-out and mole repellent in my yard! Well, the power was out at work, it wasn't raining, so I seized the opportunity. My house is on the side of a hill and the yard is sloped and quite uneven, so it was a good test of walking on uneven ground. The good news is I did it no problem. The slightly bad news is it's a little sore this evening. No worries, some ice and elevation should fix me right up.

I was also able to spend about 4 hours walking around Pike Place Market in Seattle on Sunday, with no problems. Totally amazing!

I still ice at night, and am still working on strength. I can tell my leg is getting stronger all the time, but it is still quite a bit weaker than the right leg. I am quite happy with the progress so far. I saw my OS a couple weeks ago and he was quite pleased with how everything looked. I will post the xray pics from my phone when I have the chance.

I hope all is well with you!

 

[Timetolive]

What a great feeling it must have been to have a "normal" day of activity! I am so happy for you. Do you have any swelling now? That seems to be a lingering problem for me - along with the place I injured at PT.

Thank you for posting on my page about your rescue dog. Charlie and the cat are getting better. Since the cat is almost the size of the dog, it was important for them to get along. They will now sit in the same room and actually sniff each other. Charlie shows his personality in very little bits. I look forward to him becoming a full fledged member of the family. He is certainly loved! My husband has made a lap dog out of him. Ha!

 

[sistersinhim]

@Timetolive, good morning. I have been very interested in your experience with your sweet beagle. Getting one is on my bucket list! I have loved them since I was a child. I live close to a major highway and will not get one until I can install a fence. How tall is yours and how much space did you fence for Charlie? Is it working? I also just read that you are still having problems with the injury from PT. I pray this heals quickly and completely for you. I can't understand how 'professionals' can be so ignorant! You would think that with as many TKRs being done and have been done that the therapists would be educated on the correct way to rehabilitate them. And it sounds like many OS are just as behind the times as the therapists are.

 

[Timetolive]

@sistersinhim, I am jumping over to your thread. I don't want to hijack nerdgirl's.

 

[sistersinhim]

Oops, I am sorry nerdgirl. I need to learn the rules!

 

[nerdgrrl]

No worries, @sistersinhim

 

[nerdgrrl]

Ha! Well, apparently I have been very busy and not posting my monthly milestones. So, I reached my 8 month anniversary a couple weeks ago. Things are going well, except for the lingering swelling. I have found wearing a light compression brace seems to be more effective than icing. My company has been going through a merger and I got a promotion, which are good, but the increased workload has really messed up my workout plans. I am struggling with getting regular exercise, and as a result, am still carrying my post-surgery 15 lb weight gain. Having all sorts of work travel and out of town visitors isn't helping on that front. I am off naproxen\ibuprofen, but am considering restarting for awhile to see if it calms down the swelling. It's not huge swelling, just enough to be achy.

Left side is still a bit weaker, but given that I have been favoring it for 30 years, I'm not surprised.

On the good news front: Walking on sidewalks, even hills, is not a problem. I don't even worry about it. I finally was able to go out on a hike on quite a rough trail a couple weeks ago. That's where I'm seeing that (1) I am more out of shape than I thought, and (2) I need to keep doing it so all of my little balancing muscles build some endurance. Biking is great, although I haven't yet challenged myself with huge hills.

All in all doing well. A bit slower than I had hoped, but not surprising given my lack of workout consistency in the last 3 months or so. I hope everyone else is doing well!

 

[newlybionic]

Congratulations on your promotion. You are doing very well. The swelling can last up to a year or so but it will slowly diminish. I'm sure you will be able to get some exercising time in but in the meantime try to walk as much as possible. I try to park my car as far away as I can from my work or stores so I know I get a few more steps in that way.