3rd Year Anniversary - LTKR Hi Everyone!
My update is just about a repeat of my 2nd year anniversary update.
This past year knocked me down a notch when I took the spill from my horse in June. I still thank God my knee was spared any damage. Heck, I'm thankful a lot of me was spared.
What I recently had to deal with was apparently a small tear of my hamstring, near where it attaches below the knee. Of course, it was on my TKR (inside area). That has taken the last 8 weeks or so to get better and I'm just starting to strengthen the hamstring again. When I went to my OS for Orthovisc injections into the right knee, I asked for a cortisone shot in the left "bursa" - near where that hamstring attached. Of course he said it would get worse before it got better for about 5 days and he was spot on.
The scar tissue inside is still bothersome. The scar tissue creates the inflammation I feel daily when I'm walking or standing and the inflammation sits in my Bakers cyst. I have less range of motion than with my right, natural knee.
I am still active and can get around well. I have tight/sore calves everyday and again, it has to do with the hamstrings (both legs), and I feel my legs are kept quite stretched during my 3 day/week gym visits. I believe it's my whole stance that creates the soreness. Recently, my chiropractor has ordered "stabilizer" orthotics that I'm going to try out. Maybe I'll be quite surprised and find out my knees aren't the culprits in this story.
I can't say my TKR feels better than my natural knee all the time, but there are definitely times when it does! And I know the TKR joint is stronger than my arthritic natural knee.
Life goes on and I'm grateful for my health.