Revision TKR Never give up, keep trying, don't settle - that's me, Bonnie

[DAJ]

SO so sorry to hear you lost your puppy dog. they are our guardian angels. I do hope youll soon be home from the hospital and your husband gives you lots of TLC. all the best for a quick recovery. D

 

[RunA42K]

Actually maryo52 we are not longer working on ROM, I have a specified list of things of what I can and can't do before revision. I am doing quad, hamstring, calves, upper body and core strengthening. No squatting, no kneeling (like I would kneel anyway!!) no bending further than what is comfortable for me which is probably 95 at best. No more than pushing 20 pounds and at no time lifting more than 50 pounds. So yes, my knee is getting a vacation!

My Mom does not live in Texas and I have not seen her for two years, she came here from Oregon in October 2011 to attend a Shipmates Reunion in Galveston for those who served on my Dad's Navy ship in WWII. It was the first time for her to go since my Dad passed away. I drove her to Galveston everyday while she was here at 6 months post op. I have not been home to Oregon for 3 years, because of my knee and my husbands illness, then moving and my knee again! I can fake feeling ok when she is here for a week, but after my surgery she will be at home and I can tell her I am doing ok so she won't worry about me.

As much as I don't want a revision and never ever dreamed that I'd be a candidate for one, I would just like to get it done and move on...Just like getting a TKR for the first time, as scared as one can be, you are ready because the quality of life is so bad before surgery.

 

[maryo52]

Sounds as if you're doing your best on all fronts. Growing up, I was led to believe that if you tried hard enough, all would turn out fine. But our knees seem bent (!) on teaching us otherwise at times.

Great that you're staying in shape and keeping a positive attitude. I remember how defeated I got when my knee wouldn't bend.

 

[RunA42K]

SO so sorry to hear you lost your puppy dog. they are our guardian angels. I do hope youll soon be home from the hospital and your husband gives you lots of TLC. all the best for a quick recovery. D

Thank you DAJ, That is one memory that came back up (although I have never forgotten) with the news of a revision. I have two dogs at home now, Gracie a 5 year old miniature Dachshund and Lucy an 8 year old Border Collie. They are both rescue dogs. I'm going to make my husband promise he will take extra good care of them while I am away and later at home recovering because I could not go through something like that again. I couldn't say it back on March 31, 2011 when I told about losing Molly, because it was so upsetting, but Molly fell into our swimming pool and drowned while I was getting ready to go to the hospital for my TKR. She was 14 years old and my baby, who never deserved to die that way.

 

[RunA42K]

maryo52, I have no choice but to keep a positive attitude. I've had too many disappointments in the last several years, and I just know that it will all be better...one day. I have to think this way or I'd be very depressed and defeated. By Spring time I will be riding my bicycle outside!!

 

[DAJ]

maryo52, I have no choice but to keep a positive attitude. I've had too many disappointments in the last several years, and I just know that it will all be better...one day. I have to think this way or I'd be very depressed and defeated. By Spring time I will be riding my bicycle outside!!

keep thinking positive so sorry you had to face that before your TKR heres to you and riding that bike soon

 

[PooShay]

Bonnie!!!!! I have been sleeping at night (so not on BS as I used to be before) and so, i've missed your whole saga as it was happening. I Just finished catching up with your thread (can't believe I'm still up). My goodness. Good thing you are tenacious. Get strong, and don't overdo while Mom's visiting. I've put your name on my Good Thoughts List, so I'll be thinking of you specifically everyday. Things will fall in place! Hugs.

 

[RunA42K]

Ahhh PooShay so nice to hear from you and thank you so much for taking time to catch up with me. Yes all I can do now is wait till December 2 , and hope that this is the last time and I can get past this finally. My goals are to be able to pedal a bike, and walk 10 miles or WALK a1/2 marathon if I so choose. But right now it is a quality of life issue. I cannot walk on grass, I cannot go down stairs (so thankful for my new one story house) each time I stand from a sitting position the weight bearing is so painful until I get moving or vise versa, If I sit and my leg is not far enough out in from of me ...very painful. Sometimes I just keep standing up.

You look so cute, I hope you are feeling great. I see you are wearing the Moving Comfort Urban Gym Capri...we sell the same at the store. Just like yours I hung them all morning on Thursday at work. I love those pants, I bought the black and heat heathered gray. When I had my first TKR I came home and it was April so we warmed up to summer all through recovery. This time very different, December and cold months coming. So instead of wearing jeans I'll be wearing pants like the MC Capri which will keep me warm and allow me to ice my knee effectively.

Please come back again, your posts are and always were so positive and uplifting! Yes, I won't over do when my Mom is here, she won't let me. I told her she could help me put on my right sock since that foot is getting hard to reach. She's going to go with me (and happy to) for my pre surgery blood work on November 18. She will be able to visualize where I am for surgery after she returns home!

Take care....and how are you????

 

[PooShay]

Well, here's to biking and walking in the new year! What caused the implants to go side to side anyway (sorry if you mentioned that before)?

I LOVE bright capris (and longer tights). Since my return to teaching, I have been wearing very bright colors to celebrate. Sort of lifts my spirits up.

I have been doing very well and keeping active, all the while minding my limitations. I'm able to teach Jazzercise (low impact. I pick the exercises carefully), walk 4 times a week and do yoga (with lots of modifications) 3 times a week. And don't forget hoop dancing.

The niggling things? In the years I kidded myself that my knees would NOT get worse, my muscles tightened and hips hurt because of the valgus. So I STILL have work to do as far as stretching. Hip flexors are very tight still. ROM today was 127 in L knee and 123 in R knee, but it's all good enough for what I want to do. And the scars are still U.G.L.Y.!!! A little henna once in a while make them "interesting". Still lots of numbness in the legs, but it doesn't hurt.

The best part of this whole thing is that I can go up and down the stairs with regular people!!! No pain. Hopefully, that will happen for you too very very soon.

And I just saw the info about Molly. So sorry.

Hugs!

 

[RunA42K]

PooShay, I have no idea why my implant moves side to side. I think it has always been that way because never have I been without pain on the medial side of my right knee. It has Always felt bruised in there, and I will many times get sharp pains if I move my leg (not on ourpose) in a certain way. I had been going back to my OS for 11/2 years telling of pain, stiffness and loss of ROM. He never took me seriously, always telling me that scar tissue was " highly unlikely." So I found a new doctor who surgically removed massive scar tissue. From that OS (who does not do TKR's), he gave me three names of TRK doctors to follow up with. After reading up on all of them I choose Dr. Incavo. Now that I have a doctor who takes me seriously and my knee was no longer full of scar tissue, it freed it up to show how the components moved around inside. He said my TKR was "sloppy and loose" not loose in the bone but the parts moved too much side to side and not enough back and forward. He also said he never liked the kind of knee I have saying that he's seen problems with it. So most likely I will not have an answer as to "why the sloppiness" until they open it up and see it. I've told my husband that I want him to ask the Doctor, WHY when he comes to talk to him after surgery. I have gone for so long thinking that maybe I should have been working harder, but it was not me at all.

 

[Pumpkin]

I have gone for so long thinking that maybe I should have been working harder, but it was not me at all.

So often is it not us, and no one will listen.
Wishing you a wonderful visit with your Mom, and an uneventful revision.

 

[RunA42K]

Pumpkln, over the last couple of years I've read about others trying to get answers, looking for help and just brushed off like they are an inconvenience. I never imagined I'd be one of them. My husband kept saying something is not right, he also thought my first doctor was a jerk. I just kept holding out hope that if I just worked a little harder I'd be ok. There does come a time when you have to realize it is not you and find others who are willing to listen.

Thanks for the good wishes with my Mom's visit. At 90 years old, she gets around better than I do!

 

[bottomshollow]

Bonnie, I am so happy that you have finally found an answer and the solution is on the horizon. Now you can put all that baggage behind you and just look forward. Your Mom sounds delightful--so relax and enjoy your visit.

Keep us up to date 'cause you know we care about you and are wishing you all the best of everything!

 

[RunA42K]

I met a woman today, she was younger than me but much heavier with a TKR which was one year old. After talking a bit I asked her about her ROM and OMG...she grabbed her knee and was able to bend it to her chest. She was able to do it with both legs, then could just bend back and forth. I was jealous...but happy for her. It made me think that if this is possible for me with a revision, then it will be worth all the pain which lies ahead!! I can say now that I am excited about my revision, I want a knee that bends and does not hurt!!

 

[Josephine]

I know - isn't it awesome when people can do that!

 

[maryo52]

Talking about unreal bends post-TKR . . . well bending has not been my forte, but I surprised myself when I semi-squatted to go pee in the bushes today. Who knew what a thrill this would be.

I did want to comment that I think it's common for orthos to be negative about implants they themselves do not use. But it sounds as if you have a great surgeon and, best of all, being taken seriously.

 

[RunA42K]

maryo52 I also think that any surgeon does not want to consider that the TKR that 'they' put in and the knee 'they' used could not be right. All I ever heard was "that is highly unlikely" and "do more Physical Therapy" I wonder if somehow he will ever know that I had scar tissue removal surgery and now a coming revision on December 2.

Fun little surprise for you with your ROM. I understand about the bushes...as a long distance runner, some times on a 15, 18, 20 mile training run, nature was the only way to relieve one's self. Funny, I never thought of that requiring ROM until now it's been so long that I was long distance running!

I am wondering if it is a problem breaking learned habits acquired with a bad knee, such as walking with a limp, dragging the leg so to speak, or swing the leg out instead of trying to bend while walking. Sitting down whether it be on a chair or on the toilet without having the bad leg extended. I have a very unique way of getting down on the floor and back up again. I don't think I could do this up and down from the floor without the upper body strength I've built. Going down is extending both arms as though I was going into a cart wheel/hand stand then gently lowering myself to the ground with my bad leg extended straight and turning my body while going down so I end up sitting straight legs on the floor. Going up is both hands/arms extended like a push up, good knee bent, turning self to facing down, bad knee straight and I just walk it up backwards. Yesterday I was told I looked like a gymnast! Hahaha far from it!!! I ought to have a video taken of me!!

 

[maryo52]

It would be fun for all of us to post videos of getting on the ground and then up again. I warn people around me that they are about to witness a comical scene.

 

[Pumpkin]

Videos of us getting up and off the floor will show the never ending creativity of Bonesmarties, figuring out how to do it just right.

 

[busylizzie]

I too have developed a technique for getting up and down off the floor especially to play with the grandkids. I can't kneel on either knee. I can only manage it once or possibly twice a day. It wears me out. The last part going down ends up with a little bump to the floor for the last few centimetres. Both rely on upper body strength which some days is better than others. Getting up is like a gymnastics move and pushing backwards with my arms with straight legs split open until I can balance. It is hard to describe. I used to be a gymnastic coach many years ago . Another way is to shuffle on the floor until I reach a low piece of furniture and then do a sort of backwards press up to end up sitting on it. The last few months it has got increasingly harder to do.