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

[Celle]

Hi Bonnie,
I've been away for a few days, too, so I missed your posts.

What an excellent report from your surgeon! Keep up the good work - which means doing just at little, and not too much.

I'm delighted things are gong so well for you.

Caryl

 

[RunA42K]

@Oldie the bigger spacer for me was to tighten up the ligaments that were not tight enough. They said my implant was not loose, just sloppy platform.

I had used nearly two boxes of Glad Press N Seal for showering, today was the first day I did NOT have to wrap my knee up in plastic. Freedom....

 

[kneeper]

Plastic free shower!

 

[RunA42K]

I had my very first outpatient Physical Therapy today. It went great. My ROM was 105! My therapist is the same one I've worked with for the last 3 years, he was very careful to tell me to take it easy, don't push too hard that this is a marathon, not a sprint! My extension does need some work but already improved during the time I was there today. My therapist says he is not worried at all about ROM or extension, saying we'll get there, no worries. It was just such a nice refreshing change to see some progress already after such a long time with no results. Today I am 3 weeks post op. My husband drove me there and dropped me off, my daughter came to pick me up and from there we went to two stores together. I was fine, but did tire at the grocery store (2nd stop) and was ready to put my feet up. Came home and did just that, feet up with ice pack. My original TKR, it was one month before I went to the grocery store for a short trip and I was miserable. I am still just so amazed how well my recovery is going this time, it's a night and day difference.

We went to my work Christmas party last night. A 60 mile drive round trip, we were there about 2.5 hours. I got so many hugs and well wishes, it made me feel so good. Back home and I iced my knee before bedtime and was ready for my first day of PT today. Life is good!

 

[referee54]

t went great. My ROM was 105! My therapist is the same one I've worked with for the last 3 years, he was very careful to tell me to take it easy, don't push too hard that this is a marathon, not a sprint!

That is great news---it is wonderful that your PT and you have worked very successfully before, so there is rapport there as well as the ever-so-important team work!

You know the routine---patience, time, etc---you are doing everything correctly!

We went to my work Christmas party last night. A 60 mile drive round trip, we were there about 2.5 hours. I got so many hugs and well wishes, it made me feel so good. Back home and I iced my knee before bedtime and was ready for my first day of PT today. Life is good!

A very Merry Christmas to you! WOW---60-mile drives and then the party!! That is awesome!!!

Please keep these great posts coming!

 

[turtle68]

Bonnie, what a fantastic report. Your ROM is wonderful and your extension will no doubt come. At what stage did your ROM decline after your original TKR. I was just curious because I have the loose PCL but my ROM is still good, extension not as good. I am glad that you were able to go back to your PT who you know so well.

Dorothy

 

[RunA42K]

@turtle68 Hi Dorothy, with my first TKR it took 7 months but I got my ROM up to 135 on a good day. On a stiffer/swollen day I'd be at 130. Both numbers being excellent. At about 7.5 months post op I fell over on my bike twice (same day) with my TKR foot clipped into the pedal. That brought on swelling/stiffness. For one month I was not able to do the things in PT I had been doing leading up to the 135 ROM. I saw the OS and he said no worries, it's all soft tissue that is irritated, the knee is fine. So eventually that calmed down but I was closer to 122 so I worked to get my ROM back, but I never did. By February which was about 10 months post op I started to walk with a limp, full weight bearing upon standing from sitting was very painful. By March my ROM was 110. even though I had been working to get it back. I'd get to maybe 117 (with pain) but could never keep it. So for For about 1.5 years I kept going back to OS complaining of pain and loss of ROM. You know the rest of the story, he just dismissed all my concerns and would tell me to go to Physical Therapy. So I found Dr. Lintner who scoped out all the scar tissue that my original OS would not even consider me having, "highly unlikely" he would always tell me. So from Dr. Lintner, he referred me to Dr. Incavo since Dr. Lintner was not a TKR doc and Dr. Incavo was. So here I am 3 weeks post op from Revision, ROM 105 already and feeling great!

 

[maryo52]

- sigh - Wish it was me and so happy for you. I'll go back for more opinion later on this winter. I think the moral of the story which we could mention more often on here is if you're experiencing problems with a TKR, get a really good surgeon. I am so amazed at how good your knee looks. Mine not only continues to be larger (3 years!) but it's got an odd shape.

 

[spinfanatic]

Maryo is absolutely spot on. Your amazing story is so encouraging and helpful! I am 15 months out and live with a chronically angry knee. In the New Year I will start the process of interviewing revision specialists and learn what my options are. I am very lucky to be in the New York area and part of the great Cornell/HSS system. Merry Christmas and please keep updating us on your progress. Thank you Bonnie. Cheers!

 

[amab]

Merry Christmas!!!!!

You are making tremendous progress!!!! Congratulations for doing so well.....a brave journey!!!

:xmas-merry:

 

[patbike]

Bonnie, do you think the falling from the bike caused your new knee to have a "sloppy platform" or is that the way it was installed. Also was it the sloppy platform that caused your problems? Or something else?
I bike a lot but haven't bought the clip in pedals although I do wear bike sandals with extra stiff soles that have the place to add the clip. I am beginning to think that at my age it is not worth trying to learn how to clip in and out.
I don't think it would make all that much difference in my riding.

I have followed your remarkable story for the last 8 months and wish you the best.

 

[RunA42K]

@patbike I don't think it was was falling off my bike. The 3 doctors I have seen, the 1st TKR doc, the scar tissue doc and my revision doc all are aware of that fall as I've certainly gone over my history with them. None of them were concerned about it saying that it would take a major trauma to hurt the knee. I was never without pain on the medial side of my knee, never without that tight stiffness (like a metal clamp around the knee). I had that before I fell on the bike. The ligament instability was on the medial side of my knee. It's like the knee was continually inflamed which made the scar tissue grow and gradually took my ROM with it. It was only after my knee was free of scar tissue instead of being all bound up tight with it that it was easy for my revisionist to determine the loose/sloppy movement.

I drove myself to Physical Therapy today. First time to drive in 25 days. Yesterday I walked on grass. Geese what a difference. First TKR I didn't drive for just over a month, was painful and I used a cane. It took me 6 weeks the first TKR before I could walk on grass. Yesterday I walked on grass at just 23 days. I am still so amazed how so much better this revision is than the first TKR!

 

[artlady]

Hi Bonnie,
have had some trouble finding out how to reply until I linked with facebook. I had BTKR 4 days apart am walking and even driving some about 7 weeks out, using cane, still hydrocodone about 7 mg each 4 hours but am so stiff sometimes it feel like I lose ROM...Phys. Ther. DR said I didn't need outpatient phys. ther. and have done the excercises religiously..very stiff in the AM. Drove pretty much over Christmas...still icing and use some heat once in a while...should I stop that?

 

[LaPaz]

Bonnie what good news you have and it sounds to me like a success story. Looks to me like your surgery was pretty major so it is great to hear how good your feeling about the new knee and your ROM. Like everyone has recommended, take it easy as there is no getting around the amount of time it takes for the healing. Having two revisions now on the same knee I know that so well.

 

[RunA42K]

@LaPaz Hi Nancy!!! Nice to hear from you again . Yes I am doing really really good compared to the first TKR, there is just no comparison at all. One of the best things to happen was we moved to a new one story house the end of May 2013, that has helped so much. My husband takes very good care of me, he won't let me do too much. I start feeling like I should be helping around the house more and he tells me to go rest! We need a few things from the grocery store, he says give me a list. I say (last night), maybe I can go with you...he says "no, I don't want you walking around the grocery store." All day long he asks me, what do you need, what can I get for you, what can I do for you. So tight now it looks like I'll go to Physical Therapy twice a week and be at home resting!!

One thing I have noticed is that at night I am slightly aware that I keep bending and straightening my TKR leg. I guess I do this a lot in my sleep because by 6:30 am I felt like my knee was sore/tired. Is this something that anyone else has experienced? Maybe it's just my sub conscience way of try to get comfortable?

 

[turtle68]

Hi Bonnie,

Just checking in to see how you're doing. Hope you had a great Christmas and and that your recovery is progressing well. Wishing you a healthy, happy, and pain free 2014 with great Rom.

Hugs, Dorothy

 

[RunA42K]

Thank you Dorothy @turtle68

Well today I am 4 weeks post op, time sure does fly by...

I went to Physical Therapy today. I was disappointed that my ROM was only 100. A week ago it was 105 :-( I've been resting lots and icing too, but today I woke up with a sore knee, feeling like under the knee cap area. I am slightly aware that I keep bending my knee while I am sleeping, I wondering if I am making my knee sore because of that. Next Physical Therapy is Thursday so I hope I can do better, my therapist said...it's only been 4 weeks! That is true but I don't like going backwards...

Something else that has been bothering me is pain in my shin, a deep achy pain, more so on weight bearing. Does anyone think this is because of the long stem in my shin with the revision hardware? I hope that goes away soon.

Oh and today I picked up a refill of pain pills RX of Norco. I didn't need them yet and I may not, but after learning that my Doc does not usually continue refilling pain pills after one month, I thought I should get them while I could. Now I have '78' 10mg Hydocodone 325mg Tylenol. I'd rather have them and not need them rather than not have them and need them!

 

[patbike]

I moved my knee around a lot at night for about 2 months (I had three or four pillows to help position it). But I don't think it was more sore in the morning than the night before. I do recall that any extra movement in the early weeks would cause some swelling and warmth and in the case of walking say for 10 - 15 minutes down the street it would feel a little sore. All this gradually diminished to the point where after 6 months I hardly notice it. I saw my surgeon 2 weeks ago and asked about the minor warmth I still feel and he said it is normal and will continue to diminish.

 

[bottomshollow]

Hope you and yours have had a wonderful Christmas holiday with lots of family fellowship and sharing of gifts and lots of good food to eat.


I’ll be looking for you at the BoneSmart annual New Year’s Party. It’s been a very eventful year for most of us---and will be a very eventful year coming up for others of us looking forward to surgery in the new year.


Remember to bring food and drink to share---and pictures are always appreciated and loads of fun to share.


SEE YOU AT THE PARTY!!!!!

bottomshollow

 

[RunA42K]

@patbike What is your ROM now? Are you almost 7 months? By 7 months the first time I was at 135. I thought about going back through my thread to see where I was at 4 weeks. I am sure it was not even 100, I was a slow starter. More than anything I want to ride my bikes. At Christmas we gave 3 new bikes to 3 grown children. They were very surprised and happy. Now I just want to be able to ride with them.

As far as heat coming from the knee, I sure do have that. I had been told before that, that was the healing going on/inflammation. But as far as that goes I always had heat with the scar tissue too, so in that regard it had to be inflammation.

Maybe I should take two pain pills before I sleep and maybe won't be so restless so I'll stop moving my legs around. I don't know...i do it in my sleep anyway.