Bilateral TKR New member - Bilateral TKR February 2021

[Celle]

It's a good idea to replace shoes that have a tread pattern worn into them by your gait before surgery. After surgery, your gait will have altered and the old tread pattern can cause problems.

 

[NightQuilter]

Celle is absolutely correct! I have had a lot of success with Vionic shoes - great arch support and heel well. And they have "dude"-type slip ons as well. Also the New Balance 990s (made in USA) - they have an anti-roll feature to help balance and stability.

 

[MerlinWizard]

I don't worry about the tread pattern as much as I worry about the insoles and the boot. You will modify the tread pattern with a solid boot and good insoles - unless they are really really bad. Only my Dudes have had horribly modified soles but then again they are pretty soft. Which is why I only get a few years out of them and in this case, maybe until winter.

I typically wear sandals like I wear shorts, if it isn't -20, I am wearing shorts and I will wear sandals as long as there is no snow. So I replace my sandals every other year. Keens last a long long time.

But as my wife says, I wear my shoes way after they are of any value to my posture. I saw a podiatrist about 5 years or so ago and he told me he could fix my gait with inserts and to replace my shoes every 3-6 months. He wasn't wrong, I just don't replace my shoes that often. If my feet aren't sticking out a hole - I'm good =).

I just don't buy things. I probably bought 3 pairs of shoes in the last 8-10 years and now I bought 3 this year alone.

I will have to buy another pair of sneakers, but they will be of the cheaper variety to ram around in and wreck. I paid a pretty penny for the ones I have now for a reason, I always have one really good pair of sneakers.

Oh, and Church sneakers of course. I have found a line of Under Armor that look dressier for Church =).

 

[MerlinWizard]

I have to re-examine this shin thing. It's not the bone but the soft tissue.

It aches no matter what shoes I wear.

I am going to give it a few more days wearing my Dudes before I start over thinking it. I think I am still recovering from last week.

 

[NightQuilter]

Shin splints?? They can be very painful and, according to a "young" friend of mine, can result from improper foot angles - arch support, etc.

 

[MerlinWizard]

Shin splints?? They can be very painful and, according to a "young" friend of mine, can result from improper foot angles - arch support, etc.

No, these aren't shin splints. These are a muscle ache. Shin splints are sharp nerve like pain, these feel like deep tissue pain.

I don't think you're off the mark though. I think it's my legs going from one type of show to another and back again. Typically "new" shoes cause shin splints and my feet to ache. That isn't the experience this time. My feet were sore but not because of the shoes but because I was on them so long. On the plus side there, I can go longer and the foot pain isn't nearly what it used to be before surgery. I am guessing that will get better with time, at least that's the direction it's going.

There isn't a ton of muscle in your shins but what is there, if I press on it, I can definitely feel the muscle ache.

I tell you what, this journey isn't for a hypochondriac! I can just imagine someone who worries about every different pain having this surgery, it would drive them insane!

 

[NightQuilter]

I tell you what, this journey isn't for a hypochondriac! I can just imagine someone who worries about every different pain having this surgery, it would drive them insane!

True that!

 

[MerlinWizard]

Apparently I am a bonehead.

I went from shin pain to full on "what the heck were you thinking?" pain in a matter of one day.

It's been pretty hot here the last several days so I have spent more time in the pool. Saturday I did my exercises like I always do which went well, always a little pain after that but not long lasting and compared to what I was like before surgery, it's tantamount to a mosquito bite.

I had this bright idea to work on strength so I swam and kicked as hard as I could, I was feeling really good and it felt amazing. Until I woke up Sunday morning, still very sore today.

They don't call it a year long recovery for nothing - OUCH!

 

[Ghostpipe]

Same problem here! Walking is good, eh? Wrong!
I took up power walking this week, I have never been a stroller, and am fed up
with being slow. Want some fast twitch muscle back.
First session 20 mins walking flat out, which is about half my old speed. Ok next day, rested.
Saturday, another 20 mins. Sunday again, 1 minute slower to reach my half way point despite really going for it. Punished myself by doing an extra 10 minutes.
Today, gone back a couple of months. Sore, short shopping trip finished me off for the day.
We are the founding members of a new club, the Bonehead Club.

 

[Celle]

We are the founding members of a new club, the Bonehead Club.

Also full members of the ODIC (Over Did It Club).

Some extra icing and elevation should help.

 

[MerlinWizard]

We are the founding members of a new club, the Bonehead Club.

I completely agree.

I am so sore even today. Not that my knees have a lot to do with it really, just ever muscle in my legs. I even overdid it with my shoulders.

I guess I need to take the strengthening a bit more gingerly going forward. I feel like I did back in week 12!

I had the stairs mastered - now I hate them!

I have seriously done a lot of boneheaded things during my recovery but this one is way worse than my Manipulation Without Anesthesia.

On the plus side - my knee joints feel just great! Then again, they are metal and nylon/polyethylene.

I know this is a long journey. I know it's been a decade since I exercised freely without pain, I know the weight didn't come on over night - but man I thought I could muscle through this.

Not!

 

[Ghostpipe]

That’s great that it’s muscular, they’ll heal stronger than they were. Go, Merlin!
I’ve messed up my bones with the impact, and yes, the stairs are back to being akin to conquering Everest. (Now there’s a plan for next month’s exercise challenge). ROM and swelling ok, just every step a pain.
Meet you at the club again sometime soon.

 

[MerlinWizard]

Today things are much better. I am finding the MCL on my right knee must have been weak before surgery. Lots of pain associated with it.

Makes sense I guess since your bones and muscles will remodel based upon how bad they were before surgery.

I used to have a hard and cracked heels, particularly my left one. It was so bad that
I had my wife take a belt sander to them - and even that didn't help all that much (I was too chicken to go with 60 grit sandpaper and had her use 80 and 100). Even my pinkey toe on the left foot was beginning to turn sideways because of how I much I walked on the outside of my feet. Amazingly, the hard and cracked heels has started to dissipate and has nearly disappeared. I even have a lot less pressure on my pinkey toe, in fact, none and I can see it again!

I did have a podiatrist look at my feet years ago and offer inserts, tried them but the made my knees hurt (surprise). I was also told to stop wearing sandals and flat bottom shows like my Dudes. That lasted about a month, yes I am a bonehead.

It's amazing the little things you notice when things are lined up the way God intended them to be. I was never bowlegged until my knees completely failed but I have always worn out the outsides of my shoes so I am pretty sure I was born with legs that weren't quite lined up to begin with.

My right one still gives me fits. It's the one that's the most sore but before surgery it was the one that was bothering me the most. Previously it was my left left that was bothering me the most for years so I would put all my weight on that one when I stood and the right one got worse picking up the slack for the left one when ambulating. I am actively working on changing my behavior when standing to make sure I favor the right leg or just stand on both legs. I can stand for hours though, I haven't been able to do that in at least a decade or more.

 

[MerlinWizard]

It's been a rough few weeks here.

I thought I was feeling a lot better so I went in the pool and exercised fairly hard. Frog hops, light swimming, kneeling, etc. Stuff I typically do in the pool. I didn't kick hard this time though!

I have also been actively working on ROM and Flexion when I am sedentary, more than I had been anyway.

I don't think there is anything "wrong" but it sure feels like a big step backwards in what amounts to nearly 6 months out.

I am trying to focus on my strength now and see if I can't help the situation by non-impact exercising which of course will bring on a different level of soreness.

 

[Ghostpipe]

You can’t win. My biggest disappointment at present is how little I can do, over what I want to do, without upsetting the darned things. My legs are like spaghetti with a couple of grapefruit half way down. I really want to rectify this, but any meaningful activity and I’m back with my legs in the air and the ice. Like you, I am sick of making myself hurt, and finding it very hard to be patient.

 

[MerlinWizard]

You can’t win. My biggest disappointment at present is how little I can do, over what I want to do, without upsetting the darned things. My legs are like spaghetti with a couple of grapefruit half way down. I really want to rectify this, but any meaningful activity and I’m back with my legs in the air and the ice. Like you, I am sick of making myself hurt, and finding it very hard to be patient.

The patience isn't so much a problem, I "get it". But I thought I was heading out of the woods in that regard. Edema is pretty funny stuff. We went out to eat a week or so ago and I got home and my wife says "why is there a dent in your knee?". Sure enough, there was a dent in my leg from having my knee up against the seat of another chair I never even felt. It came back of course but I'd never had that problem before surgery so I guess that should tell me I am still swollen and working my way back.

There is an old Scottish comedy TV show called "Still Game" that I find hilarious. In one of the episodes, one of the oldest members pushed his thumb into his shin and created a dent and he says "See that, that should spring back!" as they were talking about getting older. That's the first thing that came to my mind =).

Yesterday I ran into the trailer hitch on the truck and for a split second I didn't realize I did because it didn't hurt. Before surgery I would have been down for a few days in pain. Kind of scarey knowing that there are some things I just can't feel anymore! I now know what my wife goes through with her prosthetic leg. She kicks me and steps on my toes all of the time and has no idea she did it.

I wonder if that's on purpose?

 

[NightQuilter]

Love your theorizing about your bride's intentions! Yes, the edema will eventually work its way through. I am a big advocate of lymphatic massage (or shiatsu) from someone trained in it. They work from your feet up to get the lymph to move through the tight knee area and start to drain from your system. Other than basic surgical swelling, by 3 weeks after each knee my swelling was minimal with that treatment. My OS, surprised at how little swelling I had at the 3 week check-up on each knee, started prescribing it.

 

[MerlinWizard]

Last night I was doing some DIY and I was up and down a ladder, on my knees (for about 3 seconds until I just laid down!) and what not. I could barely move before I went to bed. I struggled to sleep, every muscle in my legs was singing.

Today I broke out the compression socks AND sleeves and I feel brand new.

This is one of those bonehead moments I am so found of creating.

My wife made a comment a few weeks back about how long I was going to wear the compression socks. I don't think she finds them very attractive when going out to stores in shorts. In fact, I think she's embarrassed by me (but I do that on purpose anyway so what's the deal here?).

So long story short, I haven't been wearing any compression anything very often. Definitely not the knee compression sleeves and the socks about once a week.

I guess even at almost 6 months out, I still need them. Well, if I want to feel good every day anyway!

My wife hasn't come around to the idea but I am going to wear them from now on as long as I have to.

 

[Ghostpipe]

You’re in for a kicking and toe crunching then.

 

[MerlinWizard]

It's been an interesting few weeks.

As I approach week 26/6 months next week, the past 3 weeks have been seemingly a regression.

I am sore, swollen and extremely frustrated.

I rode the bike for about 10 minutes this morning and I was pleased at how that went. My ROM is being prevented from the swelling. I have gone back to wearing compression socks and sleeves on and off over the past few days but I haven't gotten any icing in.

I am starting to wonder if something else unrelated to my knees is going on. I've been pretty tired the past week specifically and it's been really hard to get to sleep.