Bilateral TKR On the other side now!!

[janway]

@Celle Yes! They do feel strange!! Good to know its part of the healing process.

 

[tjcteacher]

I just experienced that zinging yesterday-8 days out from BTKR-so weird-do the nerves reconnect?

 

[newlybionic]

The nerves do reconnect. Those zingers are so much fun especially when I get comfortable and I have just fallen asleep!

 

[janway]

Hi everyone, I'm in week 13 of my recovery from Bilateral knee surgery, and am concerned at the amount of pain I still have. When I get up in the morning, its painful to walk; whenever I sit for as short of a time as 20 minutes, I'm stiff and in pain. I still take hydrocodone 5/325. I did take a walk the other day, 1/3 mile. It wasn't too bad as I kept going, but as soon as I stopped and rested when I got home (and iced), it was flared up again.
I know we all heal at different rates, but should I be concerned about still having this much pain at week 13?
I also noticed my hip hurting. My right leg doesn't have the full extension and I believe it causes me to limp. I'm to go back to therapy next week to work on the extension.
Thank you for your help!

 

[tjcteacher]

You are way ahead of me so I don't have words of wisdom but I would think that the issue of the right leg is making you limp and causing hip pain. There may be some exercises the PT can give you to strengthen your hip too.

 

[Pumpkin]

You are still very early in this year long or more recovery, your knee is telling to to slow down.

I did take a walk the other day, 1/3 mile.

Since you flared after this walk, it is probably too much for your knees right now, try shorter walks so you do not irritate your knee.

I also noticed my hip hurting. My right leg doesn't have the full extension and I believe it causes me to limp.

Here is Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it , gentle stretching for you knee. Be sure the PT works with you on your gait, a heel to toe gait is important to increase your extension.
Most of us think we are further along that we really are, here is something @referee54 wrote.
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)

 

[janway]

@tjcteacher & @Pumpkln Thank you for your responses. I will ask PT tomorrow to also work with me on my gait, along with the extension. I appreciate the article and I started doing the 'foot on stool' one to help with my extension. referee54's article is right on the button. I continue to feel I should be much further along than my
'You are here". Just need more patience...

 

[referee54]

Many of us get a bit "antsy" and we feel pretty good---and believe that we are further along than we are. We have all become dues-paying members of the ODIC and have to learn that, in reality, the knees are not quite there yet. (In my case, there was a rather extensive learning curve...)

Just need more patience...

"Patience, Grasshopper, Patience!!!

 

[KayeKaye]

@janway , I am at week 14 now and I still have pretty much the same pain you do. I am stiff if I sit too long, my right leg hurts more than the left one. I can't walk a third mile so you are one up on me. I read others stories here and get quite jealous that they are in better shape than I am, their ROM is better, on and on. But I sat for 3 years doing practically nothing because of the pain. I hope it gets better sooner than later. I know it will, and it will for you too. Hang in there.

 

[janway]

@KayeKaye, We sound like twins!! My right leg is being a pain. Left leg is healing nicely. I know what you mean, I sometimes would think, "What's wrong with me? Other's on here are up and about so fast" But then I have to remember that everyone heals differently and at different times. I only did the 1/3 mile walk that one time. I realized I overdid it and haven't tried again. My right leg won't do the full extension and I find that frustrating. Do you have issues with standing for a period of time? I can't do it. My knees feel as if the have sandbags tied to them whenever I wait in a line or stand to cook etc.
I spent 3 years getting cortisone shots, and then jell injections and didn't do much of anything either. I couldn't walk very far, and I'd stay clear of anything that may have had even the slightest incline. I just was in too much pain. I'm hoping once the right leg is straight, some of these issues will go away.
Wondering, how do you get your stamina back after laying low for so long?

 

[KayeKaye]

@janway Yes we do sound like twins! I haven't really gotten my stamina back. Anything I do exhausts me. I can't stand for long periods of time, cooking is hard so I grab a stool and do as much as I can sitting down. Shopping is done only at the smallest stores and I am shot when I get in line and to the car. But I am so bored that I have do things. When I sit on the bed both of my legs are pretty flat, but like I said the right one hurts a lot more. The swim PT is very tiring, just getting there an getting into the pool is tiring. My knees feel like I am lugging around sandbags too, very good way to put it! I want to rest them to allow them to heal, and I do, but then I wonder if I should be doing more pt. Back and forth it goes. How much PT are you doing? Daily? Weekly?

I feel like I am going backwards, but I am doing much more than when I was going forward, so there is that.

 

[janway]

@KayeKaye , I just started back with PT in order to get the right knee flat. I think things will be a lot better when I can get this knee to fully extend and I can walk without the limp. Wish I knew when the heaviness in the knees will leave. Right now, I'm going 2x's a week for PT. I'm not sure if I should move it up to 3 or not.
I agree with you, shopping takes a toll on me! The stores are way too big, which makes for a lot of walking.
I had hoped to be further along than where I am right now. But, I guess we are still headed in the right direction!!

 

[Celle]

I would keep the PT sessions to 2x a week.

You can do things at home to help with extension, too.
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Don't do them until they hurt. Just work at it gently - little and often.
Extension often takes longer to achieve than flexion.

 

[tjcteacher]

I'm doing PT 2 x per week. But I can relate @KayeKaye -today was the last day of school here and I wanted to visit with my students for a bit-My new knees will be 4 weeks old on Tuesday. After students left for the day we had a baby shower for a teacher-by the time it was over I was over tired, shaky, and crying because I could not find my cell phone to call my husband to tell him to come get me That was from 10:30-1:00-I was done! Been in this recliner elevating with ice all afternoon. Yep @referee54 I think I'm further along in recovery than I am-read your article! But I'm so grateful and do not regret a bit doing both at the same time!

 

[janway]

@Celle, thank you for the Extension 'ways to improve'. I'm am now doing them a few times a day. I just realized that my steps are somewhat in between a 'shuffled and baby steps', not a 'normal' gait. I actually have to mindfully think to walk 'heel-toe-bend the knee' and now make the step a regular size. I can't wait until this just becomes automatic again.

 

[KayeKaye]

Sounds like you do want to do more than your knees want to do Me too.

 

[janway]

Recently, I'm having a problem with restless legs when I go to bed. I don't know what is causing it nor how to
stop it. Is it triggered by not walking enough during the day or walking too much, or something else. Very frustrating. Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[Pumpkin]

You are not alone, there is even an article in the library, Restless legs following knee replacement surgery .

Wondering, how do you get your stamina back after laying low for so long?

By pacing yourself, respecting your limits, increasing your activity slowly, your stamina will increase over time. Do too much and your body will slow you down.
Your body is still using lots of energy towards healing your BTKR's, patience.

 

[janway]

I have a (maybe silly) question...I'm now out to about week 16. I want to help with mowing the lawn and we have a riding mower. Do you think this would be ok to do? It's a bouncy ride, and I wasn't sure if that would do any harm/damage to my new knees.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

It's impact, like running, that can damage your knees. Sitting on a mower won't, but it might strain the soft tissues.

I wonder if I should be doing more pt.

I'm going 2x's a week for PT. I'm not sure if I should move it up to 3 or not.

I would keep the PT sessions to 2x a week.

IMO physical therapy should be gentle enough that you don't have to recover from it. Therefore you could do it every day. If you can't it's too challenging and probably not helpful.

You should do stretching every day until you have the ROM you want.