TKR Left leg amputee, right leg new knee

Bob_notts

new member
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
15
Age
71
Location
Nottingham
Country
United Kingdom United Kingdom
Gender
Male
Hi folks, I am new to the forum living in the UK in Robin Hood county. I am a left leg below knee amputee of 50 years now and 10 weeks post op with TKR in my right and ONLY leg. I have had 3 surgeries on my left leg ending with my amputation and 6 surgeries on my right leg culminating in my knee being replaced.

My amputation was a result of being knocked off my motorcycle when I was 16 by a 30 ton lorry and as I recovered and got back to being "me" I thought if I have now got back to what I was before is it possible to reach even further? So I did all sorts of crazy stuff which made me become a risk taker and as a result I did not take much care of myself.

Unfortunately this lead to being run over at work by a 7 ton fork lift truck which resulted in 3 surgeries and being in a wheelchair for a year. Arthritis kicked in so the surgeon suggested cycling which was awesome till seven years later when I was knocked off my mountain bike and blew my PCL in my knee again and had 2 more surgeries.

I was in my late 30s then and was told I would be unemployable by my early 50s.

Err they where wrong lol.

I worked till 65 and had my knee eventually replaced last November at 66 years old :)
Life is now good again, I am reasonably pain free and have 130 degrees knee movement which is more than before my new knee


#amputee
 
Hi and Welcome to Bonesmart!

Wow, you sure have been through a lot, but you seem to have come through it and accomplished much in spite of everything. And a positive attitude, too.

A friend of mine had a motorcycle accident when he was about 50, he broke everything on one side, from his ribs to his foot. I don’t even know how many surgeries it took to put him back together. He managed to come back like you did. I know it was tough for him and I’m sure you had many tough times also.

Best wishes as you continue to heal from your knee replacement.

I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines that every new member gets. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Knee Recovery: Guidelines

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now; they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?

Energy drain for TKRs

Elevation is the key

Ice to control pain and swelling

Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery

Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only
ONE Recovery Thread.
This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
@Bobnotts, welcome to Bonesmart! You are amazing to have snapped back from all you have been through! Would you please give us the dates of your surgeries so we can add them to your surgery. Everyone would like to know when all this happened to you!
 
Admin can you do me a favour please and edit my header to read "Left leg amputee, right leg new knee"

Thank you, it seems I have gone past the time period where I can edit it
 
Update. Well I am 13 weeks post op now and doing well, one more trip to physio and I am discharged from there. I now have 135 degree knee bend but still lacking strength and stamina which I really need as an amputee but physio has cleared me to go back to the gym now to try and build my budgie legs back up again. Also retrieved my mountain bike from the garden shed so need to get back on that again too. Onwards and upwards hey
 
Your bend is fantastic. Start slow when you work out at the gym. It's really easy to over do. You don't want to slow your recovery down, you're doing so good now!
 
Hi gang.

I am nearly 15 weeks post op now and doing great and walking normal eventually lol. However isn't it easy at this stage to get too confident and when busy forget you had surgery? We had a gardener come in today to tidy up our garden and I went to pick up the dogwood trimmings to bag them up and drag to my car, so now I have pain where I seem to have strained an hamstring behind my new knee. Ah well it's pain meds and rest for a few days now I suppose, still it is better than before my op

Take care. Bob.
 
It's amazing how quickly our knees rebel when we do too much! This is a slow and easy recovery.
 
Oh yes, it's all too easy to overdo it. I bent down like that way too early and suffered for it, have been doing hamstring stretches since and can now bend down comfortably. It sounds as if you're doing very well after all you've been through. Take care though!
 
Hi folks, update time again.

Nearly 7 months post op now and wish I had had this surgery years ago. I think there is usually only one time each day I might think about my new knee and that's first thing in the morning when I put my sock on lol. I am back at the gym again now and can single leg press with the new knee 80kg/176lbs for 3 sets of 20, going out in my kayak is easier now too as I have more knee bend now than I had pre op so getting in and out is easier (apart from falling in last time out)

I am seeing the surgeon again next month so hoping he is as pleased with my progress as I am, I know most of us get great recoveries but with me being an amputee on the other leg it's an even bigger deal for me.
 
Wow, you're doing amazingly well. Good for you. I can only begin to imagine how thrilled you must be with your recovery after all you've been through.
 
Wow, amazing - and I'm complaining about a few zingers.
 
Great to hear positives down the road of recovery. I assume bob you are retired now, so can enjoy even more of those outdoor pursuits you clearly love. I cant wait to get on a bike and go cycling with my hubby...before my tkr he was talking about getting an electric bike for me, but I hope that it will not be necessary for many years to come now.
 
Great report!:friends:
 
Great to hear positives down the road of recovery. I assume bob you are retired now, so can enjoy even more of those outdoor pursuits you clearly love. I cant wait to get on a bike and go cycling with my hubby...before my tkr he was talking about getting an electric bike for me, but I hope that it will not be necessary for many years to come now.

Hi Lisa. Yes I am retired 2 years now and loving it. It means I live my life without a schedule and do what I want when I want. I have bought myself a mountain bike but rarely used it yet as I get bored on my own, it's different when out in my kayak as I go with my oldest friend. You keep peddling and forget the leccie bike
 
I am seeing the surgeon again next month so hoping he is as pleased with my progress as I am
You are really the only one you have to please. It sounds like you are doing super.
 
Holiday update June 2019

Update time again folks. We are on holiday in Wales in our touring caravan with two Labradors that need walking. So today we headed into town along the sea front to get lunch and of course ice cream with our two labs and decided not to take my walking stick, when I checked online maps later I had walked 3.8 miles which I was very pleased with but then added on the three walks they have had for their toilet duties, this takes me in total to 5.6 miles today. To say I am pleased is an understatement at age 67 with a replacement knee on one side and a prosthetic leg on the other. I really should have had my knee replaced years ago
 
What a great and uplifting post. You are an amazing man!
 
That's fantastic. Dog walking, Welsh holiday and ice cream sounds good on its own, but to be able to walk those distances as well - you're an inspiration. What a terrific attitude you have.
 

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