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TKR Over doing or not doing enough?

Braunzie said:
I miss the days where I was in bed with my knee elevating and icing when I had plenty of time to keep up and in touch..
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Really???? Really!!!!! :heehee: As I have travelled with so many on this recovery road, it is absolutely fantastic to hear that we are getting on with our lives, at different rates for sure, but progress is being made..
 
I will be 4 months post-op in 9 days. And I am finally able to say that my knee is feeling normal, at least for hours at a time. I even forget about it at times. I am on vacation this week and next, which is helping tremendously, just getting away from it all. Here is a photo of my rehab playground. Best of all, the Gulf of Mexico water temperature is 81 degrees, so swimming and walking a lot. My knee can even handle some small waves. On Sunday, I am going to do a bike ride on a bike trail nearby.

@Braunzie @hawk2go I know what you both mean about life moving on. At one time, it felt like life was crashing in on me and I was only coping. Today, it feels more normal. I will never forget the support and guidance I received here, and I'm not ready to leave yet. Still having pain walking downstairs and until that is gone, I will have concerns.
[Bonesmart.org] Over doing or not doing enough?
 
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Florida is crazy warm this week, so great time to be at the beach. So happy for you that your knee is healing so well!
 
@Wanttobebiking - you are doing awesome! Hope you REALLY enjoy your vacation!!! Thanks for sharing the pic! :)

Downstairs is still hard for me too.. Upstairs is getting better. Can do the 1-2 step up (with no pain) as long as there is a rail.. but don't rely on it as much day by day.. Definitely seeing the progress.. Even downstairs is getting better, but I still don't want there to be another fire drill at work.. :heehee:
 
Braunzie said:
Downstairs is still hard for me too.. Upstairs is getting better. Can do the 1-2 step up (with no pain) as long as there is a rail.. but don't rely on it as much day by day.. Definitely seeing the progress.
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I am a day from 20 weeks and still have to actively think to go downstairs with both legs. I go upstairs most days without much thought and recently without having to hold the rail. I've even starting carrying things up and down. I know it will all come with time .... and patience.
 
hawk2go said:
I've even starting caryying things up and down. I know it will all come with time .... and patience.
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There are these little milestones that occur that help us celebrate another step toward the normalcy that we crave.

It is testing one's patience, but it will occur, and the steps will be "conquered." Mine took quite some time, too.
 
Today I am 4 months post-op on my LTKR. I am doing great, but I thought by 4 months I would be fully recovered. To celebrate we went out for stone crab tonight, the last day of my vacation. I have to say taking a vacation was the best thing for my knee. I walked the beach everyday, swam for a couple of hours every day, and I even got in a couple of bike rides. My knee feels much stronger, and I feel healthier. The bad news is I still cannot walk down stairs normally without pain, and I still have a persistent pocket of swelling. I am still icing once a day at least and I am on and off taking a cocktail of Aleve and extra-strength Tylenol, depending on my activity level. Emotionally, I am worried that my knee will not advance from its current state, but I know that is irrational. I restart PT this coming week to strengthen my knee and loosen my IT band so I can descend stairs without pain. My guess is I will be worried until I conquer this hurdle. :beg:
 
Happy Knee day to both of us!! I can't go down stairs yet. I also have problems going down inclines or ramps. I'm just starting to do that. My doctor had me stop PT all together. I have some swelling in my knee and behind it on my thigh. I have been slowly getting better on the 'downs'. I still use ice every evening for an hour or so. We will get there!!
 
I am now back in Minneapolis. When I was leaving the condo this morning, I fogot to go one-legged down the 9 steps to the street...and no pain, well very little pain. I had been doing stairs normally through pain and gritting my teeth but then reverted to the one-legged approach the last two weeks. Looking forward to strengthening my knee and leg in the weeks ahead.:happydance:
 
Inclines/ramps can be uncomfortable for a while.
 
I was speaking with someone last week and they asked what's harder going up the hill or down the hill, I have a choice when I catch my bus to work. Down the hill is harder because I feel like I have just a smidge less control. Likewise down the stairs is harder for the same reason. I find I know longer think about stairs in my home during the day (how many trips I've made, how many more trips I have to make, what I have to get from one level to the other, etc.), I just do them. I know I overdo it almost daily as work full time and then support my elderly Mom since I would rather take the "hit" than have her try to take care of some stuff.
 
@hawk2go I think we are at the stage where it is harder and harder to say, no. Life moves on and we have people who depend on us. Yesterday, I went for a long bike ride and my knee was sore. I wondered if I should stop, and I said, "What the heck, I can rest tomorrow." I have a desk job. I'm glad I kept going as it was probably my last bike ride of the year. And today my knee is okay, a little sore, but no additional swelling.

This stair thing is really a mystery to me, but I am ready to solve it. I think I have walked downstairs so weird for so long that trying to do it right is taxing all my muscles, tendons, and ligaments. I think I remember my PT telling me to touch my heel to the lower step first. I can only do it if I touch my toe first and do a weird twist with my hip. I see my PT tomorrow and I am counting down the hours. I have lots of steps everywhere (home, gym, events, out-of-the-office interviews) that I have to negotiate. And I am so, so tired of doing them one-legged. My husband has not complained once about toting the laundry up and down a flight of steps for the past four months. I think I am actually going to love relieving him of that job once the "stair pain" goes away. It is still at about 6-8.

Thanks for the encouragement!
 
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Wanttobebiking said:
Today I am 4 months post-op on my LTKR. I am doing great, but I thought by 4 months I would be fully recovered.... :beg:
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That discomfort going down steps, the persistent swelling- been there, done it. I hate to tell you, but full recovery is going to take a year no matter what you do. You should start having better days by about six months. Using the joint helps, but rest is also necessary. Time and patience!
 
On one level I know that but on another level--especially as the month anniversaries come and go--I worry that my last couple of issues will never resolve. At 4 months--even though I am doing well--I still can't say I am glad I had this surgery. I get glimpses of it but they fade pretty quickly.
 
Hi @Wanttobebiking I want to go biking, hiking and kayaking! When did you start using a stationary cycle and then outside riding? I won't be outside riding for a long time because of the season but look forward to riding my spinning cycle. I have videos taken from the cyclist's point of view in places like Hawaii, Yellowstone, and the Swiss Alps so hopefully that will keep me satisfied. I get my 2nd knee done in 3 weeks so I doubt I will get to do much until that one is well on the recovery path, but in the meantime, I'm trying to keep my impatience in check by reading recovery stories like your's.

E
 
The first time around I honestly believed I'd be all recovered by six weeks- what a let down that was. Some of us, for whatever reason, suffer a stronger inflammatory response after TKR. But try not to worry- by 11 months post op even slow healer me was walking properly downstairs without holding on for dear life, hiking, and biking road & mountain. The only thing that stopped me was my other knee- it gave out. :sigh: With my new TKR knee I get doubts and concerns, but they're not as severe or scary as the first time around, and I feel more realistic about my eventual recovery. This time I don't hesitate to tell friends, and even strangers (when they ask) that recovery from this BEAR of a surgery takes a full year. It sounds like you are right on track!
 
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Thanks @Clipless that helps. I just got back from the gym. I tried the stationary bike and my knee said enough already. Then I walked the track, but again my knee said hold up so I am opting for a glass of wine, a movie, and a little icing tonight!

Hi there @kayak59! Thanks for dropping by. I started the stationary bike in PT and made my first revolution sometime during week 2 post-op. I thought I would be riding my road bike at 6 weeks, but it was 8 weeks before I had the courage to mount the bike and ride. At that time, my bike seemed gigantic in my mind, and getting on it seemed a big obstacle. I bought a used trainer and hooked up my bike, which put the size of my bike into perspective. I practiced getting on and off it for a week, before I made the big scary move. My first outdoor ride was a mile and I was winded after doing nothing for 2 months. I still struggle with stamina. I see you are only a couple of weeks out. The first two weeks for me were the toughest. Weeks 3 and 4 were not so great either, but then everything started to improve. I am very active now but still have quite a bit of heeling to do and some things, like curling, are still scary for me, but I do them anyway. My goal is to have a full and active revovery. BTW, I love kayaking in calm water, particularly if it is warm. :)
 
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