Bilateral TKR Oregon Mom's recovery journey

[Oregon mom]

You’re just not getting any better. We’re going to need a doctor’s note for you to stay in the first floor cafeteria

This is so hard! Really no one, NO ONE, can understand this but those who've experienced it. I'm amazed at how well my husband is doing with this. I feel so useless many days because it does feel like I'm not improving.
I was thinking about how crazy this is compared to my c section. I had a human being removed from the center of my body through an incision, and it was a cake walk compared to this.
The moderators mentioned that I really need to exercise my patience muscle...

 

[Oregon mom]

It's been so long since I posted, I'm not sure I'm doing this right!
I'm at 5 months BTKR. Mostly, things are progressing steadily. It's still very surreal to have fake knees. But I'm riding my bike again, going on walks.
But I don't feel like myself. My whole body feels different. I feel lower energy, when before I was go-go-go.
The biggest challenge I'm having is getting up from a sitting position and going down stairs. I get a tremendously unpleasant pain in the front of my knees. I have clearly lost quad strength, but when I try to strengthen them even gently, the pain down the front of my knees feels serious enough that I back off right away, so it's a vicious cycle of not improving.
The most demoralizing is that getting on and off a standard toilet is so hard and so painful for my knees. I'm still using a raised seat upstairs in our house, but I try to use the regular height downstairs and it is so hard. I can't shift my weight forward and get up with my quads and knees. I Adlai haven't figured out how to get into the floor without the aid of the couch. I can get back up by rolling onto my stomach and pushing up into a downward dog (which is awkward), but I'm frustrated that I can't just get down on the floor.
I wish I had some solutions.

 

[Jaycey]

@Oregon mom Still early days in a process that can take one year or more. Since you had bilateral - it may take longer. But all this will ease! Just give it a bit of time and lots of patience.

Sounds like you still have energy drain. Don't try and push through this. You can't fight it.

And all that strengthening can be your focus after those knees heal. For now, focus on staying pain free and slowly building up your activity level.

 

[Jockette]

I had the same issues as you, at 5 months, and I only had one partial.

Stop forcing your knees to do what they are not ready for. Get a raised toilet seat for the downstairs bathroom. I was using a raised seat for years before my replacement and I have no intention of getting rid of it, and I make no apologies for it.

I had a lot of improvement in my second year post op, and even some more in my third year. This recovery does take a very long time.

 

[FCBayern]

I know it doesn't feel like it at 5 months but you still are pretty early in recovery @Oregon mom. I saw a big change between 6 months and a year, and like Jockette my knee has continued to improve in my second year of healing, those things you are struggling with will come with time as your knees are ready for it.

 

[Oregon mom]

@JayCee @Jockette @FCBayern
Thank you SO much for the encouragement. I have heard that sometimes people even notice improvements past a year.
It's just so demoralizing to struggle with simple things like toilets and stairs for what seems like too long. The pain in the front of my knees seems like it's here to stay. I was warned by my surgeon and have read elsewhere that the front of knee pain can last forever. I've found myself thinking maybe I shouldn't have canceled PT.
I don't regret the surgeries.
I will be forever grateful to you Moderators.

 

[FCBayern]

Those pains may still fade with time @Oregon mom, I just read through my own recovery this morning and I had some things that still bothered me at close to a year that have since resolved. I'm in a much better place starting my third year of recovery than I was starting the second.

 

[Jockette]

One of the reasons you have that pain in the front of the knee is forcing yourself to get up from the toilet, and maybe other chairs. There should not be any shame in using a riser if that will help the pain, and that is an easy and inexpensive fix.

I had a really bad set back at 4 months, due to a weekend away visiting friends and I struggled the whole time with their low toilet and no “handrails” within reach. My ROM was pitiful by the time I got home. They also had stairs that took a major toll on me. It took a month to even begin to recover.

When I got home I ordered a portable riser from Amazon, so that would never happen again. Best $18 I ever spent! I even made a denim tote to carry it in, and no one ever asked what was in my tote!

At that point, at 5 months, my son got married. The wedding was 90 minutes from where I live and involved activities for 3 days in which I had limited opportunity to ice and elevate, and too much standing. I was back to square one.

 

[tinwoodwoman]

Hi Oregon Mom,

I'm new and about to get BTKR, so I came to your post-op thread to see how you are doing. OMG, do I ever relate to how you feel 5 months out. I'm a cyclist, too. Everyone said, oh, you will be out on the bike again in 2 weeks. Not! I had a hip replaced several years ago and couldn't believe how long it took to recover.I always tell everyone to give it a year and a half. There is nothing wrong with you if it takes that long. It is normal.

I just want to contribute something from my hip replacement that I haven't seen on your thread. When you fix a joint, it completely challenges every other muscle in your body that has been compensating for the pain and misalignment. Suddenly all those muscles are in shock and some are pretty weak. For me, that was the biggest problem. However, my body did eventually adjust - completely!

My one regret is that I did too much painful PT, started running around too soon, and was too anxious to resume my previous activities. I love that Bonesmart gives us advice to rest and allow the body to heal itself. This time around, I totally intend to do that!

 

[Goma]

My surgeon says recovery up to 18 months if that helps. I was really surprised he said that long but he's an excellent surgeon and he knows his stuff.

 

[DEL2021May-19]

One thing I discovered to help my up from the toilet is put your hand between your legs and push up off the toilet seat. Nice and sturdy and really helps. Wish I had figured that out even before my surgery. I did take my lifter off awhile ago, but this gives me the extra umph I need...and security.