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TKR Recovering & Getting Ready for #2

Hi everyone, A snow trip sounds wonderful--up at the mountains. Happily nothing down here at sea level on Puget Sound. We snowshoe these days instead of ski and love it.
Nightquilter, related to the how-to a taking a whole coordinated step. I am working on that and when it all comes together, such delight! Will be three weeks in 2 days. Walked into the library without my cane and one-at-a-time up some stairs. Tah-dah, drum roll.
NICE painting Anevilweasil. Randi has done a collage painting of our little black dog, Rosey (Greer). Exceedingly gentle and joyous.
I am doing a better of job of being a patient and allowing myself to be taken care of. Still have to work on Direct Requests--getting to the point quickly--as opposed to: "Would it be possible to...., When you get up...., If you are going...." Never too old to learn new things.
We are off on the annual Where Shall We Travel To Next discussions. After these surgeries everything sounds inviting. A road trip say, for weeks, maybe months, across Canada, from coast to coast, maybe snorkeling in Hawaii. A bike trip through Holland. Reality does set in, but the dreaming is most pleasant until spring arrives.
ruffian
 
Hey Ruffian - isn't it exciting when you realized you can walk up stairs one at a time!! [insert emoticon here of happy face at drum set!! lol] [Bonesmart.org] Recovering & Getting Ready for #2 That was such a huge high for me. While I can do the same going downstairs, L or R are sometimes cranky, so I am not always as graceful! My PT said to be sure to engage the glutes (she is all for "engaged glutes" - they make for nice tight buns) and by so doing, work on keeping the knees firmly in lne with the hips and ankles going down. Don't know if I am the only one, but my knees sometimes wobble a bit going downstairs - especially when tired. Wobbly knees are glute-unengaged knees.

Are you guys really snow-shoing now - so soon after knees? It seems that would be an extreme-knee sport. I am with you on trying to learn direct requests - I hate to be "a bother" - so I am always "woudl you minding" or "if you get a chancing." Glad you are becoming a better patient. Randi - time fore a report card on her yet?!

The snorkeling in Hawaii raises an interesting question - how soon after knee surgery can one scuba dive? I love doing it, and while I know it would have to be a boat dive for now (not enough strength to carry my gear...) - didn't know if there was any research/experience out there on the impact of the deep water pressure on the carpentry we've had done on the knees?!
 
Hope you don't mind, Lynn, that I inserted your smiling drummer. I just couldn't resist. :heehee:
 
I've been to 40 feet scuba diving, and would love to do it again! They laugh at me when I go to Hawaii because I've never gotten certified, but have been through the "visitor's course" so many times they just let me go with the more experienced divers now. I just don't know if new knees will react to the pressure. The hips seemed to do fine (not so much my ears....)
 
I think the knees would be fine. The old knees were a bit of a problem for swimming. Lindsay and I went on a fabulous kayak/snorkel trip in Belize. We would snorkel in open water and then have to get back in the boat. That was a challenge! For one thing you'd have to kick with all you might to get enough lift to get out of The water. But it was so fun! I tried "snuba"on that trip which is a "Sea Hunt" experience tethered to the surface by a 25 foot air hose. I found out I am VERY buoyant (ie fat, I guess). I'd like to try scuba. By the way, we are not snowshoeing this winter. I probably could but not Lindsay. I still get pretty wiped out with exercise. I hope you're feeling better at 8 weeks.
 
Hello All - "I'm baaaaccckkkk!" :kittykiss: Been caught up in a maelstrom of deadlines and events the last two weeks. Exhausting :mcoffee: , challenging :headbang: , and for the moment, over :happydance: . "Oh, what a relief it is!" So, I'm on the eve of 17 weeks and 10 weeks for the kids. Successfully weaning off meds (thank you BoneSmart!!) - taking my time. Now at 7.5/325 hydrocodone about every 6 hours and none from about midnight to 10 am. Next week we'll drop it to 5 mg.

No real change in the scars or, frankly the knees. I'm at about 130 degrees flex and -1 on extension on both, so all of PT is focused on strengthening, stretching, and turning on my glutes (apparently after the hips 10 years ago, they shut off and I adpted other ways for walking)!? But my PT is awesome. Unfortunately, the knees are still very cranky and it just gets frustrating they aren't improving more quickly. On the great side, I am always delighted when I glance down and see both feet are under my knees rather than out to the side and the pain is not arthritis pain but recovery!!

Have missed keeping up with you all and hope everyone is improving as well!!
 
Lynn, you're doing great! I'm coming up on 9 months, so don't fret on your progress, there is a lot of great stuff coming your way my friend! You are right at the stage where strengthening is key! You will start to build muscle again, which will allow you to climb stairs again without pain! I wish you the best my friend! :thumb:
 
Welcome back. Missed you. My knees don't hurt unless I exercise! Then they get sore, so...maybe that's part of why your knees crank at you. You are doing the right thing though. Strength is key. You are doing great and with two new knees, no less. It's a freakin' miracle!
 
OK - time for some great progress/news! Accomplished some relatively hard work over the weekend. We're selling my daughter's townhouse so she and I went up there on Saturday to clean house. Up and down the steps at least 15 times, carrying stuff, loading a lot into trash bins. Not comfortable, but definitely survived and not too much pain the next day! Glutes definitely activated (owww!) and hips cried a bit on the drive back to LA. But today all was well. THEN, went to PT today and we realized that my poor, shortened IT bands which have been giving me so much trouble for the past 18 and 11 weeks (when they were stretched back out when OS straightened my legs) - no problem today!! Milestones are terrific - glad I could finally share some to go with all of yours!
 
Well done Lynn, it's great to be able to do the things we have taken for granted for so long without pain! We love to go antiquing and spent the day Saturday walking around Littleton, NH going up and down stairs at the shops finding treasures as we went along. My knee held up well and it was my husband who called an end to the day with a sore back. Usually it's me, so it felt good to have more gas in the tank!

Keep up the good work, you are doing great!

Dawn
 
Every one is doing so well....:yay: It is nice to know the adjustment to resuming my life will get easier with time. Having just returned to work. I have to get used to being on my feet all day again. Boy, my dogs were barking :groan: when I got home but my new knee was good! I wish my OS would have done both like you got yours done, Lynn, but he said no at the time. I am on the waiting list and by this time next year I will be all good like you! Keep up the good work!:yahoo:
 
Wow, it's so great to read all of this good news! I'm feeling a bit discouraged with knee#1, and nervously waiting to do Knee#2 in just a few weeks. Oh, I can't wait until I can post some GOOD news, too!! I sure look forward to that day!

Congratulations, and may those knees just keep getting better and better!!:happydance:
 
Dewey.... No worries... the landmarks will happen.... they may be small ones at first but when you have two or three in a short period of time it will make you feel wonderful! Remember to keep track of those little things They will help you when you have an off day!:ok:
 
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