TKR Success story

[Mrty2019]

Better day today with everyone‘s encouragement. I have reset my recovery time line. Planning to do something every other day sounds about right. This morning my husband and I had a short walk in our local park which always lifts my spirits. My other plan is to do some tidying up and prepare dinner.

 

[Macknit]

I'm glad to hear you are having a good day! Be so kind to yourself during this recovery from the heart and body transition you are journeying with!

I have started a new strategy in PT, just one day per week and every 3rd time is a massage instead!!! At home I do the recumbent bike just for short stints and all my exercises are the passive ones my last day at PT was the only day that the assistant tried to get me to move from 112 ROM to 115... "NO!" I told him it is stuck. I've worked with him forever on back exercises, etc. and he apologized.... However my knee did wake me up at 4:00 this AM

Have a great rest of today!!

 

[Jaycey]

Better day today with everyone‘s encouragement.

Good to read this! Getting out - even just briefly - can really lift the spirits. All the little successes add up! Well done!

 

[Mrty2019]

After my sad post, I read the link on post surgery depression and blues. I read thru it several times actually. I think everything just hit me. Plus my 94 year old father in law died a month ago. He wasn’t well, but we weren’t expecting it in the middle of everything. Lots of work for my husband to see about things.

Understanding this post surgical depression helped me a lot and am much better now. Booked a cruise for next fall to give us something to look forward to. Hope my right knee can hold off for a while. Thanks for everyone’s support.

 

[Jockette]

I’m glad you’re feeling better and understand more of what you’re going through. This recovery is tough enough under the best of circumstances, without additional emotional circumstances. I’m sorry about your father in law.

 

[Mrty2019]

After reading everyone’s stories, I am better informed when I need right knee done. I hope it holds on for a while. I know my OS probably wanted to talk about it at my 6 week appointment, but I can’t think about that now. No PT next knee!

Based on the X-ray, I hope I have some time. Comments welcome.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Hope my right knee can hold off for a while

Hugely tough though it is, I'd think about getting it done ASAP if you need it. Then your full recovery can start.

 

[Mrty2019]

Here is the problem. My right knee is fine and has no pain. However, my left knee was fine one day this past April and then I couldn’t walk. No warning. I don’t know if this sudden blow out is common. I am concerned my right knee will do the same thing.

 

[Carole4815]

After reading everyone’s stories, I am better informed when I need right knee done. I hope it holds on for a while. I know my OS probably wanted to talk about it at my 6 week appointment, but I can’t think about that now.

My OS did bring up my other knee at my 6 week appointment. I told him that I wanted to tentatively put off that surgery until March or April, and discuss it with him in November when I have a better idea of how my old knee is doing with the help of my new knee. He thought that was fine. Hopefully your OS won't push for an immediate decision on when to have your second TKR.

You're so right that it is impossible to predict whether it will blow out suddenly or slowly. Either way it could take some time to schedule that surgery. Like a previous post suggested, it might be more convenient to get it done before your trip. If you don't, and if it blows out suddenly during your trip, then you might need to use a cane or a walker to finish the trip. Still, you strike me as a strong person who would still enjoy the trip despite such an obstacle.

 

[Jockette]

My right knee is fine and has no pain.

There is no guarantee that this knee will suddenly have a problem like your left knee did, though I understand your concern that it might. I would be very surprised if your surgeon would do a TKR on a knee before it’s needed.

 

[Mrty2019]

I am positive my surgeon wouldn’t replace my knee before needed nor would I allow it. After spending months in a wheelchair due to my sudden right knee blowout, I can’t help being concerned my other knee will follow.

 

[Macknit]

I understand your concern about a parallel mishap! I had a similar situation with my R knee. It wasn't quite a blow out, but it started swelling and hurting, I had the long acting cortisone shot and then spent 3 months with a brace and limping until I could have the surgery done. I had a surprise spinal surgery that moved the knee out 2 months. 2019 was a very interesting year for me! Unfortunately, none of us can foresee these crazy body failures !!

 

[Mrty2019]

Thanks for understanding my concern.

 

[Macknit]

I was heading to work and never finished my thought!! Sorry....

As far as your concerns, I do the exact same thing....my husband is great at pointing out to me that if X happens, I absolutely, with authority, say that Y will result.

So I've been predicting that my L knee will need the surgery around January 2021 (14 months, and just about when I plan to retire!) I may do that, but I do have a history of being a bit accurate....So that is why I understand your concern

 

[Mrty2019]

Can someone please change the title of my post to “Recovering Nicely”. I know some have good PT experiences and some of mine was. I was upset when I chose that title.

Tomorrow is 11 weeks PO and my new joint feels more like it is part of me and I am getting back to my pre-injury and TKR life.

When I lie flat in bed, my surgical knee won’t go as flat as my other knee yet. I can slide fingers under my knee. I know Josephine has descriptions of extension measurements without a goniometer so I might be 5 degrees??

I read on one of the postings to take a longer stride when walking to improve extension and that has helped and makes my gait more normal.

Is there generally a weight limit on lifting with a new knee? I carried the groceries in this week, but the bags weren’t completely full And felt ok.

Anyway my knee does nearly everything I ask of it. I walk 1/2 miles several times a week sitting on a bench at the halfway point. By spring I would like to be able to do a 3 mile walk. Plan to start aqua classes again this week. OS said to wait a while before I resume aqua Zumba which is strenuous.

Still don’t feel I have returned to my normal energy level, but improving.

Thanks to all the good information here.

 

[Jockette]

You are coming along well. I don’t know if a weight limit, but trying to carry something to test it out is fine. Give it some time, a day or 2, before you try a heavier bag and see how it goes. If you notice specific discomfort, then you’re not quite ready. Try again in a week or so. I found it took me many months to carry heavier things, like just a laundry basket!

I will ask a moderator to change your title for you.

 

[Mrty2019]

Laundry baskets are the worst. I drag them when I have to or just carry a few clothes at a time. Thanks.

 

[Carole4815]

I don't know what the weight limit might be, but I suspect it may be pretty individual. In my case, my new knee is stronger than my old one when I am lifting. I didn't ask my surgeon or PT about it, though. I like Jockette's answer of giving it time to see how it went, before trying something heavier, and so on.

I have a laundry cart that I use for my laundry. That works well, but if you don't have one handy then I really like your idea of just carrying a few clothes at a time, maybe in a pillowcase.

 

[luvcats]

Another friend of mine somewhere else posted this morning about grief and I thought of you. She is my age and in good health, but she posted about how physically and emotionally exhausting grief is. And she isn't dealing with surgical recovery. So keep being kind to yourself.

Laundry baskets are the worst.

I find that hubands are excellent basket-movers. lol. It's been so long since I could manage stairs properly. I get everything ready and leave the basket at the bedroom door. He carries it downstairs to the washer. I do the laundry and leave the basket in the walkway, and then he carries it back up stairs. Someday I suppose I'll have to go back to carrying it by myself, but not any time soon.

I'm just a week behind you on my second knee and just last week I carried in one load of grocery bags. That went ok, but I'm still not ready for multiple trips carrying bags.

 

[Mrty2019]

Maybe the grief explains why I can’t seem to want to read or knit or quilt. Just can’t stick with anything right now.