Bilateral TKR Nothing is Going to Stop Me Now!
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@ljrfrm - but I took Saturday off and my knees were the worse for it yesterday! No excuse today. It's a Provincial holiday here so the pool was closed for aquafit. Guess I could have gone anyway, but it probably was crowded with out of school kids. Back on Wednesday. I have a new exercise that I need to do on the stairs - guess I'll go and do that, then my floor ones!
ljrfrm
graduate
Well, if you ever take a day off, definitely make sure to still stretch! Do what I say, not what I do, right? I'm taking today off so really need to stretch and get the blood flowing at least.
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3 Month Report
3 months ago now, I was being prepped for surgery - the time has flown!
Before surgery:
I couldn't stand for any length of time, maybe 10 minutes, I couldn't walk very far and hubby dropped me off close to our destination and then parked the car. I couldn't do so many things that made life interesting, like walking through a garden, on a beach, in a gallery or museum without my first thought being - where can I sit? I was able to go to my Aquafit class almost up until surgery which gave me the exercise I needed but in the buoyancy of shoulder deep water.
Now - at 3 months after BTKR:
Pain is pretty well history - I take Tylenol once, maybe twice a day.
ROM is 127 in both knees and extension in my left is 0°and in my right is about 3°
I sleep through the night, sleeping on my sides and only wake up from RLS which is not surgery related.
I've spent 3 hours walking around a mall with our granddaughter while she shopped - forgetting my cane in one store and then stood for 2 hours at her soccer game the next day.
My stamina is slowly coming back and so is my brain ;-)
I do a series of exercises in a leisure pool, up to 3 times a week and "try" to do other exercises at home, on the floor - the other days.
I go to out-patient PT at the rehab hospital I was in.
I'm still working on going up and down the stairs one step at a time.
The strength in my legs still needs a fair amount of work, it's particularly important so I can climb up into our van. I have done it and can drive again.
I find myself still using my hands to push up from a sitting position, so another reason to get my strength back in my legs.
There is still work to be done on areas of flexibility, for instance - it still a bit of a challenge putting a sock on my right foot.
I still have a nerve issue on my top left thigh and still only wear yoga pants - jeans and other stiffer fabrics annoy the nerve.
I've had regular acupuncture from my naturopath prior to and following surgery, and I personally feel it has helped me. It's not for everyone.
On the whole, I'm very pleased with the progress I've made in 3 months. I'm very thankful for having spent 4 weeks in our wonderfully supportive rehab hospital and for the support from the whole BoneSmart team, someone was always there - even in the middle of the night! A number of special BoneSmarties have helped me along the way - particularly @ljrfrm who has walked this path before me, and has always been there to guide me.
I'll be back with a six month report - I'm looking forward to seeing how I've improved from this point, just prior to heading to the beach and my dream of being able to walk it as long and as far as I want.
3 months ago now, I was being prepped for surgery - the time has flown!
Before surgery:
I couldn't stand for any length of time, maybe 10 minutes, I couldn't walk very far and hubby dropped me off close to our destination and then parked the car. I couldn't do so many things that made life interesting, like walking through a garden, on a beach, in a gallery or museum without my first thought being - where can I sit? I was able to go to my Aquafit class almost up until surgery which gave me the exercise I needed but in the buoyancy of shoulder deep water.
Now - at 3 months after BTKR:
Pain is pretty well history - I take Tylenol once, maybe twice a day.
ROM is 127 in both knees and extension in my left is 0°and in my right is about 3°
I sleep through the night, sleeping on my sides and only wake up from RLS which is not surgery related.
I've spent 3 hours walking around a mall with our granddaughter while she shopped - forgetting my cane in one store and then stood for 2 hours at her soccer game the next day.
My stamina is slowly coming back and so is my brain ;-)
I do a series of exercises in a leisure pool, up to 3 times a week and "try" to do other exercises at home, on the floor - the other days.
I go to out-patient PT at the rehab hospital I was in.
I'm still working on going up and down the stairs one step at a time.
The strength in my legs still needs a fair amount of work, it's particularly important so I can climb up into our van. I have done it and can drive again.
I find myself still using my hands to push up from a sitting position, so another reason to get my strength back in my legs.
There is still work to be done on areas of flexibility, for instance - it still a bit of a challenge putting a sock on my right foot.
I still have a nerve issue on my top left thigh and still only wear yoga pants - jeans and other stiffer fabrics annoy the nerve.
I've had regular acupuncture from my naturopath prior to and following surgery, and I personally feel it has helped me. It's not for everyone.
On the whole, I'm very pleased with the progress I've made in 3 months. I'm very thankful for having spent 4 weeks in our wonderfully supportive rehab hospital and for the support from the whole BoneSmart team, someone was always there - even in the middle of the night! A number of special BoneSmarties have helped me along the way - particularly @ljrfrm who has walked this path before me, and has always been there to guide me.
I'll be back with a six month report - I'm looking forward to seeing how I've improved from this point, just prior to heading to the beach and my dream of being able to walk it as long and as far as I want.
What a great report! 
You're welcome, Sandra. I had so much help from the staff here when I had my knee replacements. I'm glad to be able to pay it back and do the same for other people now.
ljrfrm
graduate
@Threads What a great three month update - you've worked so hard first preparing for the surgery and then during your recovery. You deserve every bit of success you are finding!! Keep up the work and your strength will only get better! While I'm nowhere near an expert, and have had many of my own ups and downs, I'm so glad that I was able to play a part in your recovery! Someday when I visit Vancouver, we will party with our new knees!
PuppyLove
graduate
You sound great- Thanks for the update!
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Thanks, Chris! @PuppyLove - I just read on @ljrfrm's thread that you are back at work, part time. That's great, considering what you've been through in the last year. BTW - I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up and I'm retired 
I've already got a long list of things I want to do in my next life, let alone this one. However, it's a good feeling to know that I can do some of the things I want now in this life. Maybe not hang gliding or jumping out of an airplane, though. You've got lots of time to find and follow your dream!
I've already got a long list of things I want to do in my next life, let alone this one. However, it's a good feeling to know that I can do some of the things I want now in this life. Maybe not hang gliding or jumping out of an airplane, though. You've got lots of time to find and follow your dream! 
meewee
junior member
Wow, I need to find a place to get some water exercise! Thanks for listing your exercises. It sounds wonderful and effective. I'll only be able to go after work or on the weekend, but I am determined to find a place close to home. There are a couple of rec centers nearby and I'm going to check them out. I have a recumbent bike at home and so far I only last about 15 minutes with my current ROM, but having it in front of the TV makes it more enjoyable.
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@meewee - I have a recumbent bike in the basement, and can lean my iPad up on it to watch Netflix. However, I find that getting into the pool and doing my series of exercises, really helps me. The series I do are mostly the ones given to me by my PT in rehab to do at home, but I just do them in the water - adding the walking.
I tend to ignore the bike - being in the basement with no natural light. I will use it this weekend, because I won't be in the pool again until Monday. Hope you find a pool with an area of waist deep water you can work in.
I tend to ignore the bike - being in the basement with no natural light. I will use it this weekend, because I won't be in the pool again until Monday. Hope you find a pool with an area of waist deep water you can work in.
SuperSnapper
post-grad
I loved reading your report! What great progress you have made. It will be really good to see where you are with recovery at 6 months.
You've been a great support to me, so many, many thanks for all the mails.
Sending you an enormous congratulatory hug via the Polar route and wishing you lots of excellent photo opps.
Mary x
You've been a great support to me, so many, many thanks for all the mails.
Sending you an enormous congratulatory hug via the Polar route and wishing you lots of excellent photo opps.
Mary x
PuppyLove
graduate
I am back working on a very part-time basis, like one or two days a week. I've done ok except for when I sat on the floor with a toddler. My knees were complaining a bit. I'm trying out shift work in patient's homes and I don't think its for me. I'm going to try to get a job doing skilled nursing visits- moving around more should be better for my knees and provide my brain with more stimulation. I'd rather remain a stay at home mom, but those darn bills keep popping up! I had good intentions of doing water exercise but getting out to a rec center requires more motivation than I have. Maybe I'll psych myself up for it...
ljrfrm
graduate
@PuppyLove Water workouts definitely take a lot of commitment. I keep wimping out because it's so cold! (and seems like it takes more time!). @Threads shows it definitely pays off though - hoping I can eventually add it to my exercise routine!
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@PuppyLove - what @ljrfrm didn't say is the way I've got my water exercises set up, is that I do them before I know what's happening to me. Being retired, I have the luxury of sleeping in until 7:00, out the door at 7:30 and in the pool by 8:00 - before I really wake up. We are very lucky to be very close to our pool and that the Aquafit class that my hubby is going to while I do my exercises, starts at 8:00. I spent 45 minutes at it this morning but pulled a muscle in my left thigh.
How did you get down on the floor to sit with the pre-schooler? Did you see the "graceful" way that another BoneSmartie posted via a YouTube video? It certainly isn't "attractive" but it works without getting your knees involved.
When Mom was in independant living, she was under the care of our local Health Department and she was assigned a nurse that monitored her. Is that the kind of situation your thinking of?
How did you get down on the floor to sit with the pre-schooler? Did you see the "graceful" way that another BoneSmartie posted via a YouTube video? It certainly isn't "attractive" but it works without getting your knees involved.
When Mom was in independant living, she was under the care of our local Health Department and she was assigned a nurse that monitored her. Is that the kind of situation your thinking of?
ljrfrm
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@ljrfrm - I'll send some spring your way, OK? I couldn't believe my eyes today when I saw a couple of cherry trees with pink buds on them! Our winter was so mild, there was hardly any snow on the ski mountains near the city. We count on a good mountain snow pack to fill our reservoirs during the melt in the spring. Summer will be interesting this year.
Today I took the Skytrain (overhead and underground subway) downtown, and then took two buses to reach my friend's apartment. It was quite the journey to and fro but was very happy to be picked up and dropped off at out closest Skytrain Station.
Hope you enjoyed your long weekend, you'll make it to the pool someday soon. My muscles are still telling me I overdid it in the pool yesterday morning. I guess I'll work out the knots in the pool tomorrow morning ;-)
Today I took the Skytrain (overhead and underground subway) downtown, and then took two buses to reach my friend's apartment. It was quite the journey to and fro but was very happy to be picked up and dropped off at out closest Skytrain Station.
Hope you enjoyed your long weekend, you'll make it to the pool someday soon. My muscles are still telling me I overdid it in the pool yesterday morning. I guess I'll work out the knots in the pool tomorrow morning ;-)
ljrfrm
graduate
I love it when the Cherry Tree blossoms come out - a sure sign of spring! It's 3 degrees here now, but I know that this too shall pass! Sounds like an adventure visiting your friend - but a great workout to get your stamina back. I walked for 30 min on Monday and biked for 25 min and worked with my trainer yesterday - and I don't feel any more swollen or stiffer than before. Maybe I'm on an upswing? Hope so.........
I peeked in at the pool yesterday and all the lanes were filled with swimmers. If I go, I'll have to find a good time that I'm not in the way. When I sent before I was off work and the pool is empty during the day - it tends to get crowded after work. Maybe in the middle of the day on the weekend would work. The kids pool was empty but might be too shallow. It only goes up to 3 feet I think. How deep do you do your exercises in? I think I usually was in about 4 feet or so - which allowed me to be deep enough to stay warm and make walking a good workout.
I peeked in at the pool yesterday and all the lanes were filled with swimmers. If I go, I'll have to find a good time that I'm not in the way. When I sent before I was off work and the pool is empty during the day - it tends to get crowded after work. Maybe in the middle of the day on the weekend would work. The kids pool was empty but might be too shallow. It only goes up to 3 feet I think. How deep do you do your exercises in? I think I usually was in about 4 feet or so - which allowed me to be deep enough to stay warm and make walking a good workout.
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