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Bilateral TKR No Longer an April Fool

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:wow: That's absolutely great. I didn't think that would ever be possible. I can get down about half of that, but now I have something to really work toward.

I ended PT today on a good note. My ROM is now L 138 and R 135, so I think ultimately the squat will be doable. I'm still not quite fully extended. Something else to work on.
 
@Wednesdday
Your ROMs are terrific! :happydance::yay::dancy:

Don't rush into the squats yet - there's still lots of healing to be done.
 
Thank you. I will check it out on Amazon-my go-to store.

Laura, I will look for you after your surgery, and I send my very best wishes for a problem-free recovery. I'm sure you can't wait until it's over, but know that your decision to go bilateral is a good one. It's not as difficult as many think.
 
Still doing well and happy to have ended PT. Still very tired though. Does this go away eventually or am I doing something wrong?
 
Yes it goes away, but you need to rest to heal, don't forget to listen to your body.:D

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Laura I am just about 2 wks post BTKR, for all the hard work it is well worth it. Just think we do not have to go through it again. We won't have bone on bone pain anymore. Our life is taking a turn for the better. Best of Irish luck, and hugs:D

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It finally happened!!! Two good night's sleep in a row. I'm so psyched. :spin:
 
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Wow and what a difference it makes. Well done!:D

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The title of this thread is "beginning week five," but this is my eight week update. I can't believe the weeks have passed so quickly. :) I remember well the nights I woke up crying, the exhaustion after PT, the nausea and the constipation. Things are so much better now.

Just a few weeks ago, I couldn't imagine where I would be today. I stopped PT last week with a ROM of 138 and 135 and an extension of 1 and 2. No more PT, so no more measurements, and that works for me. I think the numbers are less important than what you can do with your new knees. I'm at the point now at which I can do much of what I did before surgery--cooking, cleaning, taking the dogs out, shopping, doing the laundry, etc. I'm still a bit more tired than I used to be, but even that is getting better.

Nausea and constipation are totally gone so I'm back to eating normally--maybe a bit too normally if I want to lose some weight, and I do. No pain in the knees but aches in the legs persist. I don't have swelling after activity, but there is still a small swollen area on the right knee that I've had since surgery. I suspect there's still a lot of healing going on there.

Sleep is much better. For the past three or four nights I've awaken once or twice but easily went back to sleep. This has made so much difference for me. Before, I found myself exhausted by 7:00 pm; now I can go to sleep at an adult hour, a good thing because I have an evening wedding to go to in a few weeks.

What has really been great is the medication schedule. I'm on Tramadol and Tylenol. The past two nights, I took the medication at 6:00 pm and again at 11:00 pm, and the great news is that I didn't need to take the medication again until the morning and probably could have waited even longer. :yahoo:

I am seeing progress every day, and there haven't been many setbacks, so I count myself as one of the lucky ones.

This is my note of encouragement to all of you just beginning the recovery process and those who are soon scheduled for surgery. It's not an easy process but it DOES get better. For some it will take a little longer, and some will feel better more quickly, but it will happen for all of you.
 
I can hardly believe that tomorrow is June 1. That means I will have completed two months post surgery, and they have been two months of learning and making adjustments. I thought I'd share some of what I learned:

1. Don't become over-confident. I learned that just last night when I neglected to take my nighttime meds and paid for it. As we begin to feel better, it's sometimes hard to remember that we are still in the healing process. I won't forget that any time soon.

2. ROM is just a number. I was so focused on improving ROM and extension, that I couldn't wait for the PT to take my measurements so I could see how much I had improved. I stopped PT two weeks ago and don't see my OS for a good ten months, so there's no one around to measure, AND it doesn't matter. I can move my legs to do just about all the things I want to do, and that is so much more important than any number.

3. Doing the normal everyday things, having sufficient rest, and taking care of your new baby (in my case, babies) by elevating and icing is more important than any exercise the PT can recommend. When I stopped PT two weeks ago, they made me promise I would continue the exercises. Since I am the original couch potato and have a total aversion to exercise, I lied and said yes. My only exercise since is a few stretches and bends before I get out of bed in the morning, and that seems to be enough. My legs get a thorough workout when I do all the household and social things I am now able to do.

The most important thing I learned is that no matter how bad I felt on any given day, things do get better and ultimately the good days outnumber the bad ones. I am at the point at which I can almost forget the sleepless nights, stomach and intestinal discomfort, and inability to do even the simplest things. I'm trying not to forget, though, because when I remember those early days, it makes me thankful for all the progress I have made and all the things I can do now.

And I thank all the good people on Bonesmart for their support and helpful advice.
 
I got a call today for a substitute assignment later this week, and I accepted it. I'm so looking forward to seeing some of my favorite students before they graduate later this month, and I'm so thankful that I feel well enough to do this.

I feel so great about this. :egypdance:

By the way check out my new avatar. I just completed it for my soon-to-arrive granddaughter. Today is definitely a banner day.
 
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Changed my avatar back to the original--our dog Wednesday who we adopted and lost last year. :sad:

I decided that I felt well enough to accept a few of the substitute assignments in June, and today was my first day back. I'm so happy with how well everything has gone. It's a great feeling to be able to do the things you did before surgery, and I love that I can go up and down the stairs in this multi-level building quite easily and without pain. Just about two months ago I was convinced it would never happen.

It's going to be a great summer.
 
I think (hope) I've turned the corner. I slept from 9:30 pm to 5:30 am--no waking for meds or bathroom. Maybe it was the day at work yesterday, but I feel great.

I'm now about ten weeks from my surgery. Before the surgery, I thought I'd feel great after a week or two. After the surgery, I wondered if I would ever feel great again:).

A word to the newbies. Don't get discouraged. It gets better every day. :flwrysmile:
 
Hi @Wednesday - how are you doing? Your posts are very inspiring!

How has work been? What grades are you teaching? Do you have a favourite subject to teach? I have always respected teachers (well all of my adult life anyway). I could not teach or be a daycare provider. I love my children but to spend days and months with other people's kids s just not for me. You are a saint. When do classes finish in New Jersey?

My middle boy is in grade 9 and has his first exam tomorrow. He has been very good about studying so I am not worried. My youngest is in grade 7 and is finished on the 26th of June. It will be crazy having everyone home in July. My oldest boy has not found a summer job yet and my husband drives a school bus so it will be a full house all summer.

Hope all is well!
 
Thanks for all the good wishes. I am a retired English teacher. Now I substitute occasionally at the local high school. Classes finish late this year, sometime next week I believe. High school kids are great, and it was so nice to see them again. I really missed them.

I'm doing really well, and I hope that everyone who goes through this surgery has as easy a time as I've had. I can't believe I just wrote that and actually meant it. :) For a few weeks after the surgery, I thought I had made a terrible mistake, but everything is so much better now.

This week we are dog sitting for our granddog , a beautiful, sweet Bernese Mountain dog who brings our dog total to three (ours are a husky and a lab mix). So this morning we loaded the dogs into the car and drove to the state park where we took to the trails. We walked for about two miles, and when we returned to the car, I realized that I had no pain. Before the surgery, I lagged behind my husband and turned back early because the walk was so hard on my knees.

I am approaching the three month mark in just a few weeks, but already I feel comfortable with my new knees. I'm sleeping well and in any position I choose; I'm walking easily and am pain free; and for the past few days I've been able to get by on only Tylenol for the tired, achy feeling that is still with me.

I still have a long way to go, but the journey is no longer all that difficult. I'm one of the lucky ones, but I think my recovery is not all that unusual. Best wishes on your upcoming surgery, Lisa. By September, you'll be looking back on all of this with a smile. Laura, it won't be long before you are where I am. Keep the faith. :SUNsmile:
 
Two miles! I am so impressed! Thanks for sharing your good news. Keep on keeping on!
 
@Wednesday, I sure hope I feel that good 3 months after my right TKR. You should be really proud about your two mile walk! That is impressive.

Happy to hear that you enjoy teaching as much as you do. Kids need teachers that teach for the love of it. Unfortunately, I find a lot of teachers are not natural at it and many do it for the summers and holidays off. I still remember my favourite teachers through the years. They made an impact on me. I always did better when I liked the teacher. Except Math. Always hated my Math teachers no matter what. :)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
 
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