TKR No Kneecap and a TKR Experience
- Thread starter sistersinhim
- Start date
Canada
Polkadot
graduate
It's good to get an answer, isn't it? That doesn't take care of the pain, though. I'll be sending good vacation vibes your way--hopefully, the ease of vacation will help you take the tendinitis in stride (ha!).
OP
OP
Thank you so much ladies. I'm so looking forward to riding my bike on the Va. Creeper Trail. It has wonderful reviews. We'll camp about 15 miles from it. I figured we ride 5 miles up and back one day and then 5 miles down and back up the next day. I would like to do more, but I'm afraid of overdoing and stressing my foot and ankle and my old knee. Besides riding, I really hope to hike some. That's where my foot will be a hold back. I love hiking in the woods and mountains, but am so afraid of every step now. Even just walking around the yard, I'm watching every where I put my feet. My freedom of my new knee is hindered because of my accident. One day, I pray, I'll get that freedom back again.
I'm keeping a close watch on Marie. She might put a wrench in my plans. If she comes over here, my left knee and my foot will give me a fit. Plus, I'll have to be home in case we lose power. I'll have to keep the generators running and my kitties taken care of.
I'm keeping a close watch on Marie. She might put a wrench in my plans. If she comes over here, my left knee and my foot will give me a fit. Plus, I'll have to be home in case we lose power. I'll have to keep the generators running and my kitties taken care of.
liam2015
post-grad
wishing you a wonderful vacation. just take it slowly and carefully walking through the forest trails and you'll be fine. the creeper trails sounds lovely ~ will have to look it up for future bike trips. good that you're pacing yourself and stick to your plan of not overdoing it.
OP
OP
I'm back and I am so proud of my new knee!!! I rode 34 miles in 2 days on my bike! The only problem it gave me was when I was going downhill for about 30 minutes straight and not pedaling. The knee didn't like that. I had to stop a couple of times to walk, but also took advantage of a good photo opportunity! Right before my tkr I couldn't even ride my bike one mile without pain. What a difference now! I love my new knee! God has blessed me so much with it!
Now, for some bad news. The ankle isn't reacting like I hope it would. After the first day of 17 miles of riding that night I had throbbing in the broken bones areas. The next day, the 17 mile ride left it sore, but not bad. The 3rd day of our trip was for hiking. That's a problem area. The ankle quickly became more painful. Thankfully, I had brought a brace with me, which helped some. If nothing else, it gave me more confidence in my walking! I ended up walking about 6.5 miles! About 3 of those were actual trail hikes over rocks and roots. The knee reacted great! But, the ankle fussed.
I have an appointment for a second opinion on my ankle break and healing this Tuesday. I will take all my old xrays with me. I can still see light colored tints where my breaks were/are. I want to see what's going on there. My OS sorta just blew me off. I think he thought I just wanted some Tramadol, which he wouldn't give me.
Now, for some bad news. The ankle isn't reacting like I hope it would. After the first day of 17 miles of riding that night I had throbbing in the broken bones areas. The next day, the 17 mile ride left it sore, but not bad. The 3rd day of our trip was for hiking. That's a problem area. The ankle quickly became more painful. Thankfully, I had brought a brace with me, which helped some. If nothing else, it gave me more confidence in my walking! I ended up walking about 6.5 miles! About 3 of those were actual trail hikes over rocks and roots. The knee reacted great! But, the ankle fussed.
I have an appointment for a second opinion on my ankle break and healing this Tuesday. I will take all my old xrays with me. I can still see light colored tints where my breaks were/are. I want to see what's going on there. My OS sorta just blew me off. I think he thought I just wanted some Tramadol, which he wouldn't give me.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
Hope your appointment tomorrow bears fruit, as in results. It's a shame you're still in so much pain at this point. Good news about the knee, though! The bike ride sounds amazing.
OP
OP
Thank you, ladies. Finding out it's OK will take my concern away. If it's not OK, then I'll have to move on to the next decision. Right now, it doesn't hurt at all. Of course, I'm sitting down!
gertie
post-grad
@sistersinhim Good news about how well your knee held up on your trip. And I hope you get some clear answers about your ankle. It sounds like you're concerned that it hasn't fully healed. FYI, when I broke my ankle in 2011 I was told to expect it to take a year to completely recover (sound familiar???) and to expect about 5 days of working on muscle rebuilding for every day my ankle/foot/leg was immobilized. I went to Scotland about 4 months after the injury and was still having a lot of pain and swelling. I visited friends in DC about 9 months out and a day of sightseeing also resulted in some swelling/pain.
liam2015
post-grad
wowza sistersinhim ~ so you should be proud of your new knee. i am amazed at your bicycle riding and hiking but sorry about your ankle. i'm nowhere near being able to even ride a bike, let alone ride that far and downhill even though my surgery was before yours and no complications (breaking your ankle) like you had ~ can you tell i'm extremely impressed!
good luck with your ankle.
good luck with your ankle.
OP
OP
@liam2015, my tkr was in June 2016, so my new knee is over a year old. You will be able to bike that I did when your knee's all grown up, too! There is no way I could have done this if my surgery had been in June 2017! I've had to build up to this amount of riding, and the accident set me back for months, but I'm thrilled and thankful that I can finally ride my bike again!
@gertie, thank you for that information. Maybe what I'm experiencing is completely normal. I really dislike that our OSs don't tell us hardly anything. Mine just said it was all healed. Well, if so, it shouldn't still be hurting. Around it, I can understand, but not the bone itself! I'll let you all know what I find out tomorrow. I hope it's something to give me peace of mind and confidence.
@gertie, thank you for that information. Maybe what I'm experiencing is completely normal. I really dislike that our OSs don't tell us hardly anything. Mine just said it was all healed. Well, if so, it shouldn't still be hurting. Around it, I can understand, but not the bone itself! I'll let you all know what I find out tomorrow. I hope it's something to give me peace of mind and confidence.
I hope your appointment goes well, Paula. You'll let us now, I'm sure.
Ask lots of questions, so your OS has to communicate a bit more.
OP
OP
I really like my new OS, she actually talked it me! She took new xrays of my ankle and foot. One bone in my foot isn't quite healed and neither is my ankle. Along with that, I have tendonitis. She did say the ankle alignment looks good, so that's a good thing! I'm to wear my ankle brace when on my feet for a while. And to take PT for balance and gait. I go back to the OS in 6 weeks for a followup of xrays and if not healed then discuss what needs to be done. She wants me off of the Diclofenac. It slows down bone healing. I have a feeling I'll be begging for some Tramadol in a few weeks!
I will try PT for a few times, then do it myself.
I will try PT for a few times, then do it myself.
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I can't wait to hear how PT goes! Let us know what they want you to do. I know how you feel about PT so I know you'll only do what is best for you. Just curious as to what they will want you to do.
gertie
post-grad
I learned all about proprioception in PT for my ankle and am relearning it for the knees--disruption of the proprioceptors is part of what makes balance an issue post TKR (and post ankle injury). I found the balance work to be challenging but useful. I hope you find useful nuggets that you can build on at home.
OP
OP
My first appointment is Monday morning. I'll let you know how it goes. You know I'll do nothing that hurts! Especially, with broken bones!
debbyS
member
@sistersinhim, So glad you like your new OS. You deserve to have your questions answered.
I have taken meloxicam for years for my knees. My ankle OS said the same thing about it slowing down healing. So right now I have been just taking aspirin and it has been working so far.
Wish you luck in Pt.
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
I have taken meloxicam for years for my knees. My ankle OS said the same thing about it slowing down healing. So right now I have been just taking aspirin and it has been working so far.
Wish you luck in Pt.
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
OP
OP
Thank you, @debbyS. I'm taking a Turmeric/Curcumin blended herbs pill that are a natural inflammatory. But, it doesn't work nearly as well as Diclofenac. I've been on some kind of prescription for inflammation for over 20 years. It's going to be rough getting off of it. When I did before the surgery, I found I ached almost all over. I will increase the herbs and hope that helps. Why didn't my previous OS tell me to get off the Diclofenac so my bones would heal better? He has seen the last of me!
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OP
OP
@Josephine, about 2 weeks ago I developed a walking pain, with swelling on my tkr knee. It is the back of the knee, areas D RB1 and RB2. It has not gone away in these two weeks and the discomfort increases the more I walk. Do you have any idea what it is and what I should do? I've never had this before. I am aware at times of a hyper-extension if I'm not careful. The left knee will also hyper-extend at times. Could this be a consequence of having no kneecaps?
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
It makes sense your lack of kneecaps might present issues most of the rest of us might never see. I hope Josephine can give you an idea what this might be. 
