Guest viewing is limited
Lounge Doctor

New Recovery Milestone

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jamie

Jamie

Staff member since Feb, 2009
Senior Administrator
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
74,795
Age
76
Location
Kansas
Gender
Female
Country
United States United States
OneStep Ambassador Icon
I'm a little over a year out from my RTKR and I just wanted to post that I am now noticing that I can get up and down even steep stairs with a lot more ease than even a month ago. Yesterday, I even came close to "skipping" donw them! Strange!!! I don't know why it's so much better....not like I've done any targeted exercise, but it is. Now if I could just lose that extra weight, maybe one day I really WILL skip down the stairs again.

I want those of you in recovery to know that when people tell you recovery can take a year or more....I guess COMPLETE recovery can take that long. But it does come. I am walking better than I have in years thanks to my new knee.
 
Jamie!
That is Wonderful! I'm so very happy for you! Isn't it amazing how recovery seem to just sneak up on us after a certain point? Seems like one day you are in too much pain to move very much at all...then before you know it you feel like skipping down stairs! WOW I am so totally impressed and excited for you! Way to go girl! HooRaaayyy for you!
Nancyo
 
Yep, Nancy.....that's how it was. I just suddenly noticed when going up and down the stairs at our lake cottage that ..... I really COULD do it easily.

This is my wish for EVERYONE here in our family.
 
Great news Jamie:-) My OS says it can take up to 2 years. Hope he's right as I still only have a ROM of about 105 after 14 months!! Don't get me wrong, I'm not really complaining as I am pain free in my right knee now. I still can't put my knee up on the other one to put my sock on though!!
 
Nursepair said:
Great news Jamie:-) My OS says it can take up to 2 years. Hope he's right as I still only have a ROM of about 105 after 14 months!! Don't get me wrong, I'm not really complaining as I am pain free in my right knee now. I still can't put my knee up on the other one to put my sock on though!!
Click to expand...

Boy, Sue....that would be frustrating. But maybe you will be like me and notice it just HAPPENED one day. I do still push my bend whenever I think about it...trying to get the max. And I think it has improved some too.

Now if I can just manage to get up and down off the ground or floor without looking like an idiot! That part is still pretty rough!
 
Jamie,
Congrats! Isn't it great to realize you can do something you could not do before? I too continue to work on my ROM. The best time is after a shower when I am drying off..... I put my foot up on the toilet seat and keeping my foot flat bend the knee as far forward as possible. Since I had BTKR I do each one! I find it very helpful. Maybe others will find this daily exercise helpful too!
Best,
Crystal
 
Hi Jamie - Thanks for reminding me that this will be a long process. Congratulations and my best to you. /Hope
 
Crystal,
Thank you for the wonderful idea!!! I have 7 weeks between my knees but I feel like my first knee needs to be worked more since it was manipulated when the 2nd knee was done. Thank you so much!!
^i^
 
Jamie,
I'm at 14 months post op and have discovered the same thing this last couple of months. This morning, I was down on the kitchen floor fixing a cabinet door...As my luck would have it, one of the screws rolled away when my assistant(my dog) pushed it with his nose..I found myself on all fours crawling to retrieve the screw...Didn't even think about the knee...I also seem to have more bend to the knee.
 
doug said:
Jamie,
I'm at 14 months post op and have discovered the same thing this last couple of months. This morning, I was down on the kitchen floor fixing a cabinet door...As my luck would have it, one of the screws rolled away when my assistant(my dog) pushed it with his nose..I found myself on all fours crawling to retrieve the screw...Didn't even think about the knee...I also seem to have more bend to the knee.
Click to expand...

Yeah....THAT'S the feeling! It's almost like you're getting a bonus when you thought everything was healed like it was gonna heal already. It certainly makes you feel great, doesn't it!!
 
It has really surprised...My O.S. had revised his recovery prediction from one year to
1 1/2 years. It really seems to be panning out. It will still let me know when I overdo it at the gym though. But then, that's why we have little pills!!
 
My knee is the same, Doug. I'm a few months behind you in recovery but at this stage (so far out), I think we are about at the same point. I have to watch my gym workouts too. But I still know it's good to work it....the muscles NEED that. And heaven knows that I keep hoping one of these days the scales will weight me a little lighter!

I am glad that you and some of the other folks who are more than a year out from their knee replacements have decided to stay on the forum. It helps to put recovery in REAL terms for those who are only a few months into it. We all expect to be completely back to normal way, way sooner than what really happens. They need to know they are normal and the aches and pains they feel are what everyone goes through....even for a year or year and a half!!!
 
Jamie, besides the friendships, helping the newbies is why I stayed.....I mean, dad gum, who wants to clean the kitchen all day!!!!
 
God bless you, Doug. You still know how to make me laugh!!!

And I COMPLETELY agree with you about helping the people facing joint surgery. It's the main reason I've enjoyed helping Jo out so much. What a neat opportunity this is to help others!!
 
Jamie you are always encouraging with your posts about your 1 year old knee. Funny it should take so long but I have read so much here that says it does.... Crystal -- the bend after the shower is a great idea. I do it now on the stairs -- same principal -- but my scar is still kinda stiff so after the shower is a great time! Thanks.
 
Backbay....I agree with you. I think Crystal had a great idea for a stretch time when you're all warm after the shower. Those stretches throughout the day and even in bed at night do wonders, in my opinion.
 
Hey fellow old timers....when you bend your knees back as far as you can, do you still get that familiar stretching pain as when you were initially recooperating or has it gone away? I'm now 9 and 18 months since surgery and wondering if that will always be there. Karen
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Active Antibacterial

Staff online

Members online

Total: 257 (members: 14, guests: 243)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom