TKR Patience not my virtue
- Thread starter Canada35
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Thesoutherncook
post-grad
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2015
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- 75
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- Western North Carolina
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What a fun outing! Glad you were able to recover quickly. I have more aches and pains from my back, too. Must have some relation to gait....we'll get it all straightened out soon..intentional pun! 
5 month report: Sorry - may be boring but I want to record for next knee!
Not a lot of progress to report at 5 months
Have resumed doing most activities I was doing before RTKR. I can cook, clean, go to the theatre, attend hockey games ( in our rather cramped seats) drive, grocery shop and walk. However none of these come without issues!
Because I am a non bendy super stiff still at 5 months, I still have a great deal of stiffness and pain in my quad and behind my knee. After sitting for an hour or so, I am very stiff when I get up and it takes me several minutes and several steps to gain my balance. I do not use a cane anymore although I sometimes take it to the hockey games as there is a concrete hill I must ascend and descend to the parking lot. I use it too to fend off crowds during intermission!
I am still a dues paying member of the ODIC but now it is usually with complete understanding and acceptance of the causes and resulting consequences that must be paid!! I am not taking any drugs whatsoever except on these occasions when I may take a couple of ES Tylenol.
As far as stairs I can go up foot after foot but I still feel each step through my quad. Descending stairs is not quite as successful. It all depends on the height of the riser, how stiff my knee is and how tired I am. Some days or times I can manage it, others not. I still use the backward decent when I am in too much of a hurry to go toddler style.
I have lowered my exercise bike seat to normal height and can pedal quite well but have not yet added tension.
Sleeping is getting a slight bit better. Most nights I only use a small pillow between my knees or none at all. I am sleeping on my side most of the night and am now sleeping 5-6 hours with only 1 potty trip. I am taking 5 mg of melatonin about every third or fourth night. I am only waking in the night and staying awake for hours once in a while.
I still have a numb spot below my knee and a tender spot on the medial side of my knee ( I assume that is internal swelling) and I still have muscle spasms in my quad and hamstring as well as occasional zingers.
I have an upcoming visit with my OS in 1 month and I am hoping that my ADL's will help me lose the pain and stiffness in my quad before that! I am still icing and elevating most evenings before bed. And I am still rubbing the pixie dust from the red box between my eyes and on my knee @Pheebs52 even though patience is very slow in delivery!
I am not on BS much anymore as my real life is consuming much more of my time but will try and catch up on everyone's threads whenever I can. It is Thanksgiving this weekend here in Canada as well as the start of Octoberfest in Kitchener ( second biggest in the world....right after Munich) I have my pies baked, turkey and stuffing ready to go into the oven for the gang to come tomorrow, decorations are done and table is set so
"Ein Prosit"
Not a lot of progress to report at 5 months
Have resumed doing most activities I was doing before RTKR. I can cook, clean, go to the theatre, attend hockey games ( in our rather cramped seats) drive, grocery shop and walk. However none of these come without issues!
Because I am a non bendy super stiff still at 5 months, I still have a great deal of stiffness and pain in my quad and behind my knee. After sitting for an hour or so, I am very stiff when I get up and it takes me several minutes and several steps to gain my balance. I do not use a cane anymore although I sometimes take it to the hockey games as there is a concrete hill I must ascend and descend to the parking lot. I use it too to fend off crowds during intermission!
I am still a dues paying member of the ODIC but now it is usually with complete understanding and acceptance of the causes and resulting consequences that must be paid!! I am not taking any drugs whatsoever except on these occasions when I may take a couple of ES Tylenol.
As far as stairs I can go up foot after foot but I still feel each step through my quad. Descending stairs is not quite as successful. It all depends on the height of the riser, how stiff my knee is and how tired I am. Some days or times I can manage it, others not. I still use the backward decent when I am in too much of a hurry to go toddler style.
I have lowered my exercise bike seat to normal height and can pedal quite well but have not yet added tension.
Sleeping is getting a slight bit better. Most nights I only use a small pillow between my knees or none at all. I am sleeping on my side most of the night and am now sleeping 5-6 hours with only 1 potty trip. I am taking 5 mg of melatonin about every third or fourth night. I am only waking in the night and staying awake for hours once in a while.
I still have a numb spot below my knee and a tender spot on the medial side of my knee ( I assume that is internal swelling) and I still have muscle spasms in my quad and hamstring as well as occasional zingers.
I have an upcoming visit with my OS in 1 month and I am hoping that my ADL's will help me lose the pain and stiffness in my quad before that! I am still icing and elevating most evenings before bed. And I am still rubbing the pixie dust from the red box between my eyes and on my knee @Pheebs52 even though patience is very slow in delivery!
I am not on BS much anymore as my real life is consuming much more of my time but will try and catch up on everyone's threads whenever I can. It is Thanksgiving this weekend here in Canada as well as the start of Octoberfest in Kitchener ( second biggest in the world....right after Munich) I have my pies baked, turkey and stuffing ready to go into the oven for the gang to come tomorrow, decorations are done and table is set so
"Ein Prosit"
Polkadot
graduate
Prosit! That all sounds so very familiar! Am at 4 months (and a bit) post-op and at the same stage, though I do use my cane for walks that are more than 500m. I tire less that way. The stiff upon getting up after sitting down for more than an hour, oh yeah! felt that at the movies last weekend. ayayay...it took a while to feel "normal" again. I wrote up a mini status report on my thread.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
kmak81230
post-grad
Great report @Canada35 - and Happy Thanksgiving! Sounds like it will be a great family get together. My report would be nearly identical to yours, my surgery twin. I have experienced less stiffness in the morning and after long bouts of sitting in the last couple of days - hopefully it will be the same for you soon. We will have our 6 month OS visits around the same time as well. I am trying to be intentional with my extension without overdoing it. And of course I am still a nonbendy sweller.
Pheebs52
big-cheese
Happy Thanksgiving and Oktoberfest @Canada35! I think I'll just copy and paste your 5 month report in 2 weeks, with your permission, of course, hah! I no longer have the quad pain, (dunno why, but yay) but I am most definitely still a card-carrying Stiff! I still bring the cane on outdoor walks because I think it looks dashing flung over my shoulder. Oh, and it has also come in handy on some steep hills and big staircases. 
I'm right there with you on the numb spot and sore spot on the medial side, so, you are not alone. Like you, I still ice it all, but kneed it much less than a month or two ago. Mostly, it's a nighttime thing for me now.
Are you deliberately practicing going down the stairs each day or just using them in an as needed fashion? Just curious. Are you stretching that quad as much as you can without pain? I find the bike gives me the best quad stretch and after that, the stairs are much easier.
I'm so happy to hear your sleeping has improved! Whoohoo! And not a moment too soon, eh?
As for the Patience, perhaps a large economy sized box would be helpful? Just let me know, eh? Remember, no one ever said you'd be ready for the Olympics at 5 months post-op....no one. I think it's marvelous that you are doing all the *real-life* things you are now doing, and that can only improve with time.
I think I'll just copy and paste your 5 month report in 2 weeks, with your permission, of course, hah! I no longer have the quad pain, (dunno why, but yay) but I am most definitely still a card-carrying Stiff! I still bring the cane on outdoor walks because I think it looks dashing flung over my shoulder. Oh, and it has also come in handy on some steep hills and big staircases. I'm right there with you on the numb spot and sore spot on the medial side, so, you are not alone. Like you, I still ice it all, but kneed it much less than a month or two ago. Mostly, it's a nighttime thing for me now.
Are you deliberately practicing going down the stairs each day or just using them in an as needed fashion? Just curious. Are you stretching that quad as much as you can without pain? I find the bike gives me the best quad stretch and after that, the stairs are much easier.
I'm so happy to hear your sleeping has improved! Whoohoo! And not a moment too soon, eh?
As for the Patience, perhaps a large economy sized box would be helpful? Just let me know, eh? Remember, no one ever said you'd be ready for the Olympics at 5 months post-op....no one. I think it's marvelous that you are doing all the *real-life* things you are now doing, and that can only improve with time.
Well my granddaughter's commencement is done and Nellie held up well. First there was a climb up two sets of steep stairs, a 2 hour sit in grandstand seating, the descent of the stairs and then a reception which was all standing. I can feel a tightness but no real pain. I'm sure a little elevation and ice will make everything ok by tomorrow!
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You really aced this event 
liam2015
post-grad
what a lovely photo Canada35 and one of many milestones and accomplishments in your granddaughter's life. glad you were able to withstand all that climbing, sitting and standing, even if you have to take it easy tomorrow.
phrog
senior
What a great picture. Events like this are why we go bionic. I'm so glad you were able to see your granddaughter graduate. And hooray for having just a little tightness and not much pain. 
Congratulations to your granddaughter and to you for your successful outing.
Congratulations to your granddaughter and to you for your successful outing.
Polkadot
graduate
Congratulations on your granddaughter's graduation, and on conquering all those stairs without lasting effects! You look beautiful and happy! Cute granddaughter, too! And is that handsome man your DH?
Thesoutherncook
post-grad
- Joined
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- 1,285
- Age
- 75
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- Western North Carolina
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- Female
- Country
- United States
Congratulations on both the graduation AND making it through the festivities! What a sweet family!
That's what we expect to hear - your knee is getting better and you are picking up your normal life again. That's what this surgery is all about - giving you back your normal life.
That's what this surgery is for...getting our lives back to normal! Enjoy your time away from us. We'll know you are doing great!
kmak81230
post-grad
Congrats to your granddaughter on her outstanding accomplishments. Thanks for sharing the nice photo - you all look terrific! Glad to hear you are doing so well! It is nice to be getting back to our regular routines.
Ok I admit it. I caved! I ordered a goniometer off Amazon so I could measure ROM. I have been curious to see if I have had any progression by the numbers. I know I have much better functionality now but when I do "throne slides" it doesn't seem like there is much difference.
I now have my upright exercise bike seat set at a normal height and can pedal easily with only a slight quad/ hamstring stretch. I can go up the stairs foot over foot again with a slight quad stretch and am working on daily coming down the stairs foot over foot. It still is somewhat painful behind the knee and in the hamstring but it IS getting better every day.
So once it arrives I will let you know if numbers and function have much/ any to do with each other lol!
I now have my upright exercise bike seat set at a normal height and can pedal easily with only a slight quad/ hamstring stretch. I can go up the stairs foot over foot again with a slight quad stretch and am working on daily coming down the stairs foot over foot. It still is somewhat painful behind the knee and in the hamstring but it IS getting better every day.
So once it arrives I will let you know if numbers and function have much/ any to do with each other lol!
