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TKR New Year, New Knee - Jan. 3, 2017<

Thanks, @phrog it’s not always easy to relax and not worry and let time do it’s thing! I’m trying!
 
OOPS! @jaschembra - I wanted to comment on the pain issue - phantom pain? He really said that? Sigh. As if we all sit around letting our imaginations create the pain we feel. When I told my OS at 7 months that I had this surgery so I could get down on the floor to play with my grandson, he said, "You can do that." I said, "It hurts when I get on the floor." He just smiled indulgently. Well, that took care of it! I appreciate you mentioning the Boswellia - I've been debating starting Tumeric and will do a little more research on both.
 
@phrog I really missed my turmeric when I had to stop it before surgery, so I know it was doing something. Just recently, my chiropractor mentioned the Boswellia and I’ve been checking it out. I’m surprised I wasn’t already on it. I want to stay away from the NSAIDS or my prescription of Meloxicam. Yep, if he says phantom pain again, I’m going to say then how do you treat that! I couldn’t find anything about that on the internet except for after loss of limb - unless you consider our knees coming out as loss of limb - I guess so. My OS has taken X-rays on 3 visits post op. Although 1 of those was the right knee and the left just happened to be in the picture so we talked about it too.
 
Let me know if you try Boswellia and how it does for you. I have had a toothache in a tooth that has been pulled months or even years before! But, phantom pains on the knee. I don't buy that! Besides, our after surgery pain is different than our arthritic pain. I remember the day when the doctors told us girls that monthly pain was all in our heads. Yeah, right! Ha, ha.
 
@sistersinhim I will let you know. I ordered some after quite a bit of research for the best % of ingredient, etc. Supposed to arrive on Thur.

Gave in to my plan of not taking any pain reliever after the 3rd day. Took 2 Arthritis tylenol and 2 ibuprofen last night and must have slept like a log. My husband said the really loud booms at midnight last about 5 minutes and I never heard anything! :)

Here's to a brand new year. One good thing - at this point in time, at least I'm not staring at a TKR in 3 days like I was last year lol. On the other hand, I wish I was doing the right knee this week because that would mean my left knee was doing well! :) Oh well, we can't have everything the way we want it.
 
I also slept through the coming in of the new year, too. If there were booms, I didn't hear a thing. New Year's Eve used to be a big deal for me. Not now.

I'm hoping your knees will be good to you in this year!
 
@sistersinhim My TKR knee actually looks really good when comparing it to my natural knee. If that's all you did was look at my knee and watch my stride, you would think I'm 100%. (and @KarriB on the size factor) I think the OS sees it and that's his first thought....She's fine. I sure hope he seriously gives me some insight to make me feel good about the level of pain I have.

Someone else has told me to get a Sedementation Rate (SED?) test to give me some insight to inflammation in my body. I think I'll have my yearly check up a bit early this year.
I'm going to ask him about a bone scan as well.
Any other tests?

I'm a bit anxious or nervous about my visit, but it's a good thing. Hopefully, once again, X-rays will put my mind at ease. Going without any pain med is definitely not working for me. I had to take 2 arthritis tylenol last night as I just got tired of it and wanted to make sure I slept.
 
I hope your visit goes well, but also that your surgeon listens to you —really listens— and you get some kind of plan for your knee. It’s bothered you for long enough, and you’ve been ever so patient and determined to get better. Looking good is not the same as being good. And by that I mean your knee. It’s just not being good to you.
 
I hope you get some resolution to your pain. I know you have been doing everything possible to make it right. Good luck.
 
@jascembra - Did you go to your one-year review with your surgeon today? If so, what did he say? All good things, I hope!
 
@KarriB Only when standing and walking. Anything weight bearing. Even swimming today, I could feel the band, but that’s not the discomfort I feel when standing and walking.

@Knees4Me no, it’s tomorrow
Happy 1 Year Anniversary my BS knee-twin!! I know we could be happier. :gaah:
But I am grateful for what I have
 
I, too, thought the appointment was today, even though you did say the 4th!

Picture us in the room with you for support! That’s what I did at my 7 month check that I was so afraid to go to!
 
Let us know how the appt goes. I had pain when walking or standing until I began walking regularly. I didn’t ask the dr about it because I figured it was due to the 2 surgeries, infection or my weight. But once I started walking in short increments (10-15 minutes 2x a day), adding just 5 minutes a week. I can walk a few miles a day now with no pain. Standing isn’t a big problem anymore either. A year ago I had to sit sporadically while mall shopping, now I go to the mall to get some walking in! I do think I needed to slowly build the muscles around my TKR. It still bothers me to walk on a treadmill though. My TKR felt tight when swimming for a few months. It was weird because both my knees clicked when I swam, but only one hurt, my natural one.

I’ll be curious what your OS says with your TKR being cementless.
 
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@KarriB That's good to hear because I know it took you longer than the magic 6 months or the 2nd in line magic of 1 year! :)
 
I'm not there either, and don't know if I'll ever be. Maybe there are some of us that will take a lot longer to get painfree. Or maybe even never painfree. As long as we are better and can do things we couldn't do, is what counts.
 
1 Year OS Appointment from an optimistic person :yay:

My appointment was very good because the heart of the matter - the prosthetic - is all good and solid!

- My 1 year X-rays look very good, exactly like he wants to see.
- He said my ROM is better than the average TKR person (that made me feel great - toot toot!). My knee was so well behaved while I was there - it looked great and he bent and strengthened it with no issues. It glided like a well oiled machine!
- In all the pain/sore spots I showed him - He feels my issues are still soft tissue related and I should continue increasing my strength in the leg with everyday life and exercise and it will just take time. I still believe this too, even though it feels like it's been forever!
- I asked if any gym equipment should NOT be used: The leg extension. I knew that or had heard that before and I haven't used one for years.
- I also asked, besides walking, what exercise would he recommend daily: Stationary biking. Yep, I do that too. :) He said the elliptical would help strengthen my hamstring - The is one of my weak areas and feels strange when using it. He said the hamstring is usually the last area to strengthen.

Regarding the pain - we are trying something... He said sometimes the pain nerve can become so "used" that it doesn't take much of anything to "set it off" and that if it can be "reset" we can calm it down. So he put me on Gabapentin. I had read, prior to my knee replacement, that some people have pain for so long that after their TKR, they continue to have pain. Wouldn't this be magical if it takes away that chronic pain. He said after the pain is gone, I can eventually ease off the medicine . He had put me on Gabapentin for the 1st month following my surgery which is why I think I didn't have any of the leg twitching, etc. that a lot of people spoke of on BS.

He said, "we'll get there" and that's when my eyes let out some water... and I said, "it's such a long recovery and can get depressing"... but then I was laughing moments later. :)
He said to let him know in a month how I'm feeling.
 
Your OS sounds like an angel! How wonderfully understanding he is! He listened intently to you and really cares! I really hope the Gabapentin works for you!
 
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