TKR Put the right knee in...and then the left.
- Thread starter gertie
- Start date
United States
Pheebs52
big-cheese
Hello Gertie, I hope you have electricity out there? It sounds as though your knees are doing really well with your return to work and the addition of more fun activities. Kneerah! Is the sleeping still improved? Hope so!
OP
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gertie
post-grad
@Pheebs52 Sorry! I missed your post from Monday. We were lucky in my neighborhood and never lost power, although there were parts of Amherst that did. And how did you fare? Sleeping is mixed--certainly didn't sleep much the night of the storm!
November has begun with chilly, damp weather and my knees, especially Augie, are a bit cranky. Ah, well. This slightly increased stiffness might also be a response to multiple sit/stands yesterday doling out candy to the hordes of children that descend on my neighborhood on Halloween. Yikes! I finally turned out the front light at 8 and put my feet up (and tried to keep my hands out of the candy bowl).
Not much else to report from here. I ordered from Amazon a step with risers (to adjust the height)--should arrive Friday. I'm going to need to figure out exercise options for winter--I like to do my walks after work but once we're off daylight savings (this weekend) it will be dark then--and all too soon the streets will be icy. I go through this dithering every year at this time. Some years I join a gym for the winter months but it's hard to get myself there on cold icy nights and I'm not a morning person. Invest in a stationary bike? Boring to use but very handy to have.
November has begun with chilly, damp weather and my knees, especially Augie, are a bit cranky. Ah, well. This slightly increased stiffness might also be a response to multiple sit/stands yesterday doling out candy to the hordes of children that descend on my neighborhood on Halloween. Yikes! I finally turned out the front light at 8 and put my feet up (and tried to keep my hands out of the candy bowl).
Not much else to report from here. I ordered from Amazon a step with risers (to adjust the height)--should arrive Friday. I'm going to need to figure out exercise options for winter--I like to do my walks after work but once we're off daylight savings (this weekend) it will be dark then--and all too soon the streets will be icy. I go through this dithering every year at this time. Some years I join a gym for the winter months but it's hard to get myself there on cold icy nights and I'm not a morning person. Invest in a stationary bike? Boring to use but very handy to have.
OP
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gertie
post-grad
June is 19 weeks old (almost 5 months!) and Augie is 13. I was feeling moody yesterday, especially regarding my recovery. I spent almost 6 hours at the office and I felt achy and stiff the entire time--my desk chair, which used to be comfortable, is really uncomfortable these days, no matter how many adjustments I make to lumbar support, back angle, etc. I was grumbly all day, anxious that I wasn't making better progress, that I'll never regain leg strength, be able to get down low for gardening, climb stairs without hauling myself up via the railings, etc.
And then, for some reason, I thought to look at my posts from my hip replacement recovery, and voila, there was a post I wrote at the 4 1/2 month point that started out full of anxiety about what I couldn't do and was afraid I'd never do.
In the hip post I went on to review my progress as a way of shifting my mindset--so, here's my progress list for the knees:
--Work a full day and still have some energy for other events (especially if I work from home part or all of the day)
--Walk at least a mile, sometimes more, with minimal discomfort (none in June, minimal in Augie)
--Run errands and go for a walk and do some housework in the same day (in other words, live my life)
--Walk easily without a cane most of the time--only use the cane on longer walks and then mostly carry it
--Easily navigate low steps carrying heavy grocery bags
--Get up from armless chairs more easily than I could a couple of weeks ago--still need to push off with my hands on the seat but leg muscles are doing much more of the work
--Flexion, which has always been adequate to good, continues to improve.
A note about ROM: The PT who came to my house after each surgery was very concerned about flexion (extension has always been 0). She never touched me but she did verbally encourage me to gain increments in ROM in spite of some pain (try again, just a little bit more, you're almost there,...). She took seated measurements in mid-August, and pushing to point of mild pain, I got 120 in the June knee and 125 in Augie (my gumby knee).
Fast forward to the outpatient PT I first saw in mid-September. At my intake, she took supine measurements and encouraged me to stay in my comfort zone--in other words, no pushing, no pain. June was 108 and Augie was 115. This was fine with her (and with me). We decided to take a break for the month of October to give Augie a chance to grow up a bit and I just went back to her this week. She measured again, same routine, supine, stay in comfort zone, and Augie was now 125 and June was 118. A testament to the "just live your life and let time heal" approach. She was pleased--and said that as time goes on I'll most likely continue to gain some in June.
And then, for some reason, I thought to look at my posts from my hip replacement recovery, and voila, there was a post I wrote at the 4 1/2 month point that started out full of anxiety about what I couldn't do and was afraid I'd never do.
In the hip post I went on to review my progress as a way of shifting my mindset--so, here's my progress list for the knees:
--Work a full day and still have some energy for other events (especially if I work from home part or all of the day)
--Walk at least a mile, sometimes more, with minimal discomfort (none in June, minimal in Augie)
--Run errands and go for a walk and do some housework in the same day (in other words, live my life)
--Walk easily without a cane most of the time--only use the cane on longer walks and then mostly carry it
--Easily navigate low steps carrying heavy grocery bags
--Get up from armless chairs more easily than I could a couple of weeks ago--still need to push off with my hands on the seat but leg muscles are doing much more of the work
--Flexion, which has always been adequate to good, continues to improve.
A note about ROM: The PT who came to my house after each surgery was very concerned about flexion (extension has always been 0). She never touched me but she did verbally encourage me to gain increments in ROM in spite of some pain (try again, just a little bit more, you're almost there,...). She took seated measurements in mid-August, and pushing to point of mild pain, I got 120 in the June knee and 125 in Augie (my gumby knee).
Fast forward to the outpatient PT I first saw in mid-September. At my intake, she took supine measurements and encouraged me to stay in my comfort zone--in other words, no pushing, no pain. June was 108 and Augie was 115. This was fine with her (and with me). We decided to take a break for the month of October to give Augie a chance to grow up a bit and I just went back to her this week. She measured again, same routine, supine, stay in comfort zone, and Augie was now 125 and June was 118. A testament to the "just live your life and let time heal" approach. She was pleased--and said that as time goes on I'll most likely continue to gain some in June.
What a reasonable PT you had this last time. And she's right, you will continue to improve as times go on.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
A little reflection really puts it all in perspective, doesn’t it? I love that you are recovering while getting on completely with your life. Work, play, and everything in between. Your PT sounds like a keeper, too! 
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gertie
post-grad
@sistersinhim I do like this woman. Very sensible approach to things. Low key. Come in once a week. Do basic, functional stuff at home. She does a lot of work with joint replacement patients and seems to know her stuff.
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gertie
post-grad
I agree! Early on, when I told her about the in-home PT wanting me to keep bending even though it hurt, she said that numbers gotten that way were not a realistic assessment of functional ROM--because in real life use, I'm most likely not going to use my leg in a way that brings pain if I can avoid it.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
Not only that, you’re not going to ask the person next to you to help you next time you need to bend your knee. I don’t know anyone who walks around with a knee-bending assistant.
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gertie
post-grad
@SusieShoes To be fair, she never physically pushed on me so no assistance other than my own grit and her verbal cheerleading. It was more the expectation that it was OK for this effort to hurt that Jen, the current PT, was questioning.
I like your Jen-the-current-PT!
She's one of the PTs who are worth hanging on to. So very sensible!
She's one of the PTs who are worth hanging on to. So very sensible!
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gertie
post-grad
But there sure have been times when such a person would come in handy (thinking of times a car parked really close to mine and I had to bend those knees to get in--ouch!)
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gertie
post-grad
I agree that Jen is a good find. But I'm not surprised. I know that some folks on here have had bad experiences with PT but I've seen PTs intermittently throughout my adult life for joint problems and low back issues and most of the time have found PT to be helpful and the few times that weren't helpful were not in fact harmful--they just didn't make much difference in the situation and I looked for another solution to the problem.
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gertie
post-grad
Right knee (June) 21 weeks, so a little over 5 months old; left knee (Augie) at 15 weeks so approaching 4 months
Progress feels slow at this point (and Jen, the PT, noted that most patients say that at this point in recovery but reassured me that she sees progress). I'm mostly just living my life, going to work, seeing friends, grocery shopping, doing housework--but not with complete ease. There are still hesitations and limitations and questions. How many stairs will I have to deal with? Will there be a railing? How low is the toilet? And this is clearly because I had 2 replacements close together. If June were my only recovery I think I"d find it easier to navigate the world at this point.
I have long stretches where June feels like an almost normal knee. There continues to be some stiffness and slight soreness when I've been in one position for a while (getting out of the car or up from my desk) but it quickly goes away. There's still a slight numb spot on the outer edge and a small pocket of swelling there at the end of the day (the OS said that might linger for quite a while) but overall June is doing well.
Augie takes longer to loosen up after being in one position but eventually things ease up. But Augie is the knee that complains and lets me know I've stepped into the ODIC.
PT continues to focus on function, which is good. I bought a step with adjustable height (like you'd use for step aerobics) since I don't have stairs at my house and I use it at the 6 inch height to strengthen June and she's happy with that. Augie protests a bit at 6 inches but does well on the 4 inch step out front of my house so I try to remember to use Augie exclusively when I'm entering the house (which is hard to do--I've gotten in the habit of leading with June).
The upcoming weekend is filled with "normal" events. I'm taking a vacation day today. Meeting a friend for lunch and then going to a concert tonight and another one tomorrow afternoon followed by dinner out with friends. A fair amount of standing in line, sitting with feet down, walking around. We'll see how Augie and June do! Tonight's event is a birthday treat for a friend so I'll definitely do that but if knees are tender tomorrow I can back out of all or part of the events.
The big test is Thanksgiving next week. I go to a friend's house--have done so for many years. I've already told her I might bring my raised toilet seat with me since she only has low toilets. I might also not stay for the whole event if knees get tired of socializing.
I continue to look for knee friendly ways to get aerobic exercise now that it's dark after work. I wrote about this in an earlier post. Despite best intentions I have a hard time getting myself to a gym (pool, bike) when it's dark and cold. So far my best bet is a low impact aerobic routine, on video, from a local senior center--very gentle routine. When I'm at a good fitness level, it's much too easy but right now, it gets me moving with minimal knee stress.
Progress feels slow at this point (and Jen, the PT, noted that most patients say that at this point in recovery but reassured me that she sees progress). I'm mostly just living my life, going to work, seeing friends, grocery shopping, doing housework--but not with complete ease. There are still hesitations and limitations and questions. How many stairs will I have to deal with? Will there be a railing? How low is the toilet? And this is clearly because I had 2 replacements close together. If June were my only recovery I think I"d find it easier to navigate the world at this point.
I have long stretches where June feels like an almost normal knee. There continues to be some stiffness and slight soreness when I've been in one position for a while (getting out of the car or up from my desk) but it quickly goes away. There's still a slight numb spot on the outer edge and a small pocket of swelling there at the end of the day (the OS said that might linger for quite a while) but overall June is doing well.
Augie takes longer to loosen up after being in one position but eventually things ease up. But Augie is the knee that complains and lets me know I've stepped into the ODIC.
PT continues to focus on function, which is good. I bought a step with adjustable height (like you'd use for step aerobics) since I don't have stairs at my house and I use it at the 6 inch height to strengthen June and she's happy with that. Augie protests a bit at 6 inches but does well on the 4 inch step out front of my house so I try to remember to use Augie exclusively when I'm entering the house (which is hard to do--I've gotten in the habit of leading with June).
The upcoming weekend is filled with "normal" events. I'm taking a vacation day today. Meeting a friend for lunch and then going to a concert tonight and another one tomorrow afternoon followed by dinner out with friends. A fair amount of standing in line, sitting with feet down, walking around. We'll see how Augie and June do! Tonight's event is a birthday treat for a friend so I'll definitely do that but if knees are tender tomorrow I can back out of all or part of the events.
The big test is Thanksgiving next week. I go to a friend's house--have done so for many years. I've already told her I might bring my raised toilet seat with me since she only has low toilets. I might also not stay for the whole event if knees get tired of socializing.
I continue to look for knee friendly ways to get aerobic exercise now that it's dark after work. I wrote about this in an earlier post. Despite best intentions I have a hard time getting myself to a gym (pool, bike) when it's dark and cold. So far my best bet is a low impact aerobic routine, on video, from a local senior center--very gentle routine. When I'm at a good fitness level, it's much too easy but right now, it gets me moving with minimal knee stress.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
I think any exercise routine you enjoy and which doesn’t overstress your knees —causing setbacks that don’t help fitness much at all— is a good thing. Before surgery and before my arthritis was horrible, I enjoyed doing Wi-Fit. There was this walking program where you walked in place and got to explore the virtual world. It was lots of fun and I did it several times a week, just for fun but also to exercise. The only downside was it tracked my weight, and there was a little anime character that came out every time I turned on the Wi-Fit and mocked me and called my character obese. I really hate programs with a mean sense of humor.
I think you’ve talked about your video workout before. It sounds fun!
I think you’ve talked about your video workout before. It sounds fun!
phrog
senior
@SusieShoes - the WiiFit character is just plain rude. She always tells me that I haven't been there in a while. She doesn't like my weight either - so I try to skip the weigh in screen. My bathroom scale doesn't talk back to me.
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gertie
post-grad
I probably haven't mentioned this specific one since I just rediscovered it! I wish I thought it was fun! But I have a hard time thinking of any of the winter exercise options as fun--sort of like taking vitamin pills--good for me but definitely not chocolate cake! A nice walk in the woods on a clear fall day is fun; 30 minutes on the stationary bike or marching around my living room is ...well, it's exercise.
phrog
senior
![[Bonesmart.org] Put the right knee in...and then the left.](https://data.bonesmart.org/attachments/53/53299-aac5698fea3b3a41005b0bd10ecc5b5b.jpg?hash=qsVpj-o7Ok)
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gertie
post-grad
kmak81230
post-grad
I'll bet you'll start to turn a corner really soon gertie. I did so around 5.5 months and most of the time feel like I have an almost normal knee. Today it feels more swollen and stiff but we had a big weather change, so who knows. I also used to use the Wii Fit - just got back to it and was reminded that I hadn't been there in over 200 days - annoying. I enjoy the yoga posing as well as the walking and stepping - my leg doesn't really like standing for some of the poses but I put up with it to work on my balance. That is a lovely view @phrog!
