TKR New Knee for Me

[Baystater]

Happy New Year Jenny! So nice to read your post and hear about your trip. And yes, we have snow! It snowed Thursday and Friday here and I think we have about a foot on the ground, plus sub zero temps. I can't remember the last time it was this cold - want to trade weather for a day or so? I think we are in for a long snowy winter here....bah humbug!

Our Christmas was nice, our daughter and youngest son were home so that was great. Our oldest son and his family couldn't be here since they live about 6 hours away and my daughter in law was days away from having the baby. I am happy to say we have another little grand daughter, Natalie Elizabeth born on December 28th. My husband and I drove down just in time to stay with the soon to be three year old while Mommy and Daddy were at the hospital and that was a lot of fun. She was very good but she kept us hopping! Good thing I have these new knees to keep up with her! Now that hubby is retired we'll make the trip down to see them all more often and help out when we can. My daughter in law is an ICU nurse and I think she plans to go back to work in a few months so I know they will take all the help they can get.

I will take a picture of the snow for you - hard to imagine the extreme opposite weather you and I are "enjoying"!

Heidi

 

[kimejen]

Hello my Bonesmart friends. 1 Year Kneeversary today. Amazing to think what was going on a year ago today. I am extremely happy with my knee. To take a step without pain is a wonderful thing. I have a clunk in my knee which I am learning to live with. I don't seem to notice it so much these days, so that's a good thing. I found Bonesmart before I had my operation, and it has been such a huge help to me. To experience the highs and lows with fellow Bonesmart friends was just the best. I can't thank you all enough for the friendship you gave me during recovering. I know one day I'll go through knee replacement again, as my left leg is heading the same way. Some days if I've done too much it hurts, but I don't have ongoing pain just yet so am grateful for that. But I know I'll have huge support at Bonesmart when I return. Heidi @Baystater - your one year anniversary is coming up in a couple of days, but you've got two kneeversaries to celebrate this year - like @Toothfairy . I hope life is treating you well and the grandbabies are thriving. Our Lilli is 8 months old now and just about to crawl. On all 4's and rocking and manages to get places somehow. Lovely watching her grow and the changes we see each time we see her. A BIG, BIG thank you to the Moderators who are here every single day for us. And thank you for such a wonderful site, the things I have learnt has been truly amazing. To all in the early stages of your journey, some days are really tough but go slowly, and follow the MANTRA to the letter and life is wonderful. The library is a wonderful place, I spent a lot of time there and it helped enormously. Good luck to all. Take care everyone. Jenny

 

[eaglesnest]

Hi Jenny, your post just popped up on my email, so glad you are recovering well, and hasn't 1 year gone so fast.
I'm doing pretty well also, my right knee is great, but left still complains if I do too much and doesn't like coming down steps, my life is back to normal, doing all that I was doing when my knees weren't bad, we do a lot of caravanning and throughly enjoying it.

I'm not quite 12 months, 1st May, my surgeon wants to see me in June with Xrays, but I think he will be very pleased, it hasn't been an easy journey but I guess any major surgery isn't. I agree with what you have said regarding BoneSmart, this website has been a godsend don't think I would have coped without it.

Your little Lilli must be a joy, our Harry has started Kindy this year, growing up so fast.

Lovely to hear from you
Take care with your other knee
Cheers
Lee

 

[gami]

Lovely to hear from you and to know all is well and life is getting better every day.

Hugs Gami

 

[kimejen]

Hi Lee @eaglesnest and @gami . So good to hear from my fellow Aussies. Lee I'm so glad to hear you're doing well. Having a BTKR would be difficult. I struggled with my one knee, so I can imagine the journey you had. Hubby and I went back to Tassie in October, to visit Port Arthur which we missed on our travels there in January 2013. It was just a long weekend. We loved it and so glad we went back. It was good to see life getting back to normal in Tassie and the countryside trying to recover from the fires. Gami, I visit your thread and see you're doing great. So good to see. Take care and thanks for stopping by. Keep on enjoying life with your new knees.

 

[referee54]

That is a great report!!! Congratulations on your Kneeversary! It is wonderful that you cam back and reported---those who are in the early days ---the "Dark Days of Recovery" need to read of the successes that await them. You have given them hope and now they know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that their decision will pay off!

 

[hhilltop]

Jenny, I too am glad that your post came up in my email today. I have shared reports of Bonesmart with many - some considering surgery, some for family members, to those in the medical world and those in the PT world.

Where my mother lives they have a boot camp for knee and hip replacements and everyone gets acquainted and then the PT is set up so people can meet and interact. Not so for me in rural Vermont. Besides when you start having to need an MUA and fight against aggressive scar tissue, there's fewer people who have been there and done that. In my opinion Bonesmart draws us lucky one percent patients together when we might never have found each other otherwise. Bonesmart's library was a GREAT resource. Bonesmart's people networking is what the doctor didn't order, but what the patient TRULY needs. Thanks Bonesmart and all who create this healing, encouraging environment!

Congrats on your Kneeversary, Jenny - may you have many more! I've been getting hyaluronic acid gel injections in my other knee. It has taken the edge off the pains. Unlike cortisone injections I'm under the impression that I can continue this regimen as needed. I'm not at all eager to have it also replaced. I guess it is a common after effect having the other knee say "Me, too." Guess that's why the do a lot of double knees.

I don't have grandbabies, yet - just great nieces - 7 and just one great nephew with one more soon to come. The closest is 500 miles away, so Facebook gives me my baby connections. Oh, how they love to post their pictures.

 

[kneeper]

Great report--happy knee-versary!

 

[Baystater]

Jenny, so nice to read your post! I can't believe it has been a year already since we got our "new knees" (and a good year at that!) I agree, this forum was such a godsend when I found it just before my surgery and it really helped calm my fears chatting with others who had been through it or were going through it at the same time. Then even beyond the knee surgery to just chat about life in general, I always tell my husband my BS friends are my modern day pen pals I am so happy with both knees, it still amazes me that I can get out and walk and not have any pain. My right knee does have some scar tissue which makes a creepy noise at times and does cause a little discomfort when I go to stand up. My OS said it is easily taken care of with arthroscopic surgery but honestly another surgery is the last thing I feel like doing! I'll see how it is this summer - if it causes problems getting out of my kayak I will have it taken care of. The left knee doesn't seem to have any issues.

I'll bet Lily is adorable! Our Haley is now 3 and baby sister Natalie is 3 months. I wish they lived closer but we go see them fairly often. We are in the process of moving up to the lake so that is keeping us busy right now. I had forgotten how much I hate moving! I have nightmares about boxes ....I don't know how we accumulated so much STUFF!

Is it fall there? Last time we chatted you were having such hot weather. We have had a really cold snowy winter in New England so hot weather sounds nice at the moment.
Heidi

 

[kimejen]

Hi Heidi @Baystater - So good to hear from you again. Happy 1st leg kneeversary for tomorrow (29th). Glad to hear your knees are doing well, except for that bit of scar tissue giving you a little bit of a pronlem. It might sort itself out when you start getting in and out of the kyak in the summer. Like you say, the last thing you want to think about is another op. So the move is finally happening. How wonderful to be moving to the lake. It is amazing how much we accumulate over time. We've still got some of the kids (our grown adults) things in the top of cupboards - honestly is anyone going to rollerblade again!!!! We do have some huge clean ups from time to time but somehow we still have rollerblades, board games etc. Maybe it's the memories. You'd be looking forward to settling there soon especially now your summer is on the way and your kyak awaits. Yes we are in what you call Fall here. Not the sort of fall you experience. That photo you posted one time was just beautiful. We have had the driest summer in 26 yrs and a few days ago the heavens opened and we have, to this morning, had 123mm (nearly 5inch) of lovely soaking rain. We certainly needed it. The Kookaburras must be happy as there's a few of them having a laugh outside, sitting on the powerlines; in fact there's a lot of bird song this morning. Everyone is happy for the rain! It was very quiet yesterday, the poor things would have been drenched. Thank you for posting that beautiful snow picture, breathtakingly beautiful. Good to hear Natalie is doing well. Are you closer or further from them when you're at the lake? How's Chowda going? I think Tiny misses the days his mum was lying about, he lying beside her while she tapped away to her bonesmart friends. Anyway, enough from me. Take care and happy moving.