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TKR Released!

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Hi Roger,
Funny you should ask! It was getting better, and then did an about-face yesterday, and hurts today. I neglected to ice and elevate yesterday, and did sone work that tested it a little and went for a short walk. Its time to stretch it out again now...esp the it band. Ho I am still hit or miss. I may try a brace until my strength is normal again. When I ice with the cryocuff it supports it to my liking and reduces the loose clicking, which I am convinced is not good for the surrounding tissues. Like it might cause tendonitis, I am thinking?

Dont like being on the vicodin still. I need to be more focused on work and getting things done, as I am self employed and I dont get paid unless I produce.

I agree that, usually, walking distances are vastly improved, when the leg is feeling good. Glad your travels are going well. Les keep in touch!

Bob
 
wow this is such an uplifting thread! it is great to read about such a awesome recovery! I am having LTKR oct 9th just a few weeks away. It sure helps to read good news :) waiting for this surgery is so stressful can't wait for it to be over. Thanks for the great updates
 
Bob,
Thanks for the update. Well, maybe it will be 1 step backwards yesterday, followed by 2 steps forward today! You never can tell. These recoveries are really a long, strange trip, indeed :)

The brace works well for me, but I do want to discontinue using it at some point. It's a Futuro type, with an opening for the kneecap. I know CVS has them:
Futuro Knee Brace
I take it off when I get home from work, unless I am doing some work in the yard. I found that my knee tires much less quickly with it on. The main reason, though, is to get some compression onto the area of the quads tendon, which is still a little puffy and inflamed. The rest of the knee looks fine. The outline of the kneecap is even starting to show! As far as the clicking, the brace doesn't seem to reduce the clicking. In my case, at least, I don't have any pain with the clicking, and it doesn't seem to be irritating any of the tissues. From what you describe, I think the brace may help you.

My tendonitis was purely from overuse of the knee in PT, in my opinion. My quads appear to be super sensitive, so I guess I will just have to baby them. Fortunately, all the muscle pain is now gone, so I'm pretty sure it was a mild case. I'm not sure if what you describe can cause tendonitis. Tendonitis is generally from overuse, or repetitive strains. It sounds like it probably could cause it if you do alot of walking. The symptoms are inflammation, and a burning sensation in the area.

With the brace, I can do long walks through the airports, with surprisingly little negative effects. But I'm careful not to take too long a stride or walk too fast. I've done that before, and I started getting hamstring and thigh muscle pain. Slow and steady works best!
I also noticed that the clicking is reduced when my leg is less swollen, like when I wake up in the morning. I think it may indeed be related to the amount of fluid in the knee. Someone had mentioned this on the "clicking" thread :-)

Take care, and talk to you soon!

Roger
 
Ah now, I'm female, 15 years older than you and not sporty but I am a very active person and I live in the UK, have 5 grandchildren, I also do Uni courses. I have a DePuy PFC CR Sigma Fixed bearing prosthesis.....my chosen surgeon, in whom I have great faith, fits these exclusively.
I've had a pretty standard recovery although I had a lot of pain issues for 5 weeks or so, also had other issues, I had a pacemaker fitted 10 weeks post TKR.
I have some clicking of my knee......lying sideways either side I can feel/hear movement when raising/lowering the knee, it's not painful, more of a party trick to remind me it's a prosthesis. My surgeon could hear it on Wed at my 3 month post op....he said it's nothing at all to be worried about.
I do have quite a bit of swelling in the joint that he thought would go down eventually. I'm not as busy as you, retired, one day's activity means 2 days of elevate, rest and ice, but hey ho, no grinding arthritis pain and moving forward.
Oddly I can do stairs down easily but not up, was always so.
I'm really happy with my new joint.
Sue.
 
hey there 50yrold I see the IT band is still causing you some grief.:sigh: me too! I agree with Roger. I started wearing the same style brace when I go for my walks and it helps a great deal. I can walk for much longer distances with it. I checked with my OS before trying it and he had no problem with it at this stage of recovery. He wouldn't let anyone use one early in recovery and he also stressed I was not to use it all the time. Only use it during long walks. I'm obeying and I can say the muscle and ligament discomfort is decreasing. Still massaging the IT band but it seems to be relaxing.
I have little or no pain in my knees. I still get "Zaps" which I assume is caused by nerves and some aching in the evenings but I'm so much better than before surgery. Still taking it slow and elevating but life is getting back to normal and I feel much better than I have for the last two years.
Your buddy
Wanda
 
My way,
Wanda,
Just for the record, my OS also OK'd the use of the brace, mainly for the compression needed on the inflammed quads. He didn't mention when to stop using it, though, but I'm assuming once I feel I don't need it. I spend a good deal of time with it off, to "test" it.
I agree with you on the outcome. My worst day now is better than my best day with the bone-on-bone arthritis. I had horrible pain before the TKR.

Roger
 
50yrold, I haven't been quite the happy camper you've been, but I am finally glad I had the surgery--in Jan. 2012. I did decide to work part time because by the end of the day my knee was too swollen and painful to keep teaching full time. One of the maintainance guys at school, a sweetheart who always checks how I'm doing, says that it's probably because I'm walking on concrete all day. Hmmm. But part time, while longer than I'm paid for, is much better than the hours I was standing, teaching, not able to exercise and ice my knee.

Still, as you can see, this summer I canoed, swam, kayaked and climbed two mountains. That's the reason I had the knee replaced and now I'm glad I did. This isn't over yet, but I'm okay with that. And it sounds like you'll keep exercising, icing and elevating and be out doing what you want to do in no time.
 
50yrold take care of yourself and keep the ice and elevation going. You don't want an ODIC card.:heehee: I also use an elastic type knee brace during the day while at work. I feel better when I have it on at work. I don't even limp while wearing it. :)

Take care :flwrysmile:
 
juniper I really don't know the brand name of the brace but it is one I bought from Wal Mart in the pharmacy section. Nothing fancy or expensive. I think I paid about $5 for it. It makes me feel better even if it really doesn't actually do anything.


Sent from my presidential platinum ODIC iPhone using BoneSmart®
 
I agree, DS. Even the TED stockings seemed to give me some knee stability, and I wore them for that as much as the edema. Now that the edema is gone, I am not wearing them. I am noticing a reduction over the last week in the clicking and "looseness" that was disconcerting. In fact, this week, I returned from a short trip away that required over 9 hrs driving each way, and sitting 10 hrs in a classroom (with standing breaks), and the knee actually felt better afterward, although a little stiff. Maybe a little stiff is not so bad. It doesn't hurt, and seems to keep the knee held together.

I do have a neoprene brace to wear that straps on with Velcro, rather than going on like a stocking. I may get it out and try it again if the knee loosens up uncomfortably again.

Hope everyone is taking good care of themselves!
 
Hi All,

Okay...I must say this site has really helped alleviate anxiety about what is "normal" vs. what I would be freaking out about if we didn't have this forum to share experiences.

I've shared my ups and downs throughout my 13 weeks postop, and I really appreciate the caring community here. I wish I could afford more time to help others through their post op concerns.

That said, I think I've turned a positive corner that I'd like to share. My propensity, as I suspect may occur with others, is to come here when there is a concern, and report or share that concern. I'd like to share what I consider a success.

Since I returned from a 3 day trip back east a week ago, I've had the most normal time since my surgery. In fact, I'm back at work going full blast (and then some...busy, busy, busy!) and hardly think about my knee at all. I've gotten used to the clicks, and have grown comfortable and confident navigating my walk despite them. I also have, suddenly, as if miraculously, found myself able to walk down stairs without pain. My gait doing such is still not 100% confident, but it probably should be; the remaining "guarding" is probably in my head. I've had to break out in a trot on a few occasions, mostly loose-dog related, and its been fine.

Finally, there is really now pain from using my knee over the last week. Sure, I've worn myself out, but along with the rest of me, so that's normal.

I still have minimal discomfort sleeping as I'm a tosser and turner, and still need a cushion between my knees when I sleep on my side. Loss of that and/or blanket has sent me to the spare room, so I have complete control of the blankets, and don't wake my wife. I still take a low dose hydrocodone once or twice a night when I wake up like that.

Anyway, I am no longer telling people who ask me if I'm glad I did it that the "jury is out". My answer is a definite "yes".

Thanks again to all who post here to help us sojourners feel "okay" about our progress, no matter what speed that progress is!
 
I just read back, and somehow seem to have missed some mid Sept posts from Dabber, Juniper and knees. Thanks for contributing to the thread! Dabber, I think you may be one of two folks on the forum with the same knee mfg as I. Thanks for the insights. juniper, your post is very hopeful, as I would love to get back to a life as active as you describe. Thanks.
 
I just had my last scheduled OS visit since my right knee was replaced on July 2, 2013. Yea!

I still have some swelling, and some slowly-abating pain in certain positions due to scarring, I can say that that over the last 3.75 months (and, yes, if you've followed my thread, I realize my timing is way off on some posts...probably thanks to Percocet or vicodin), I am now realizing more days that are better than pre-surgery than not. And that's a good thing. I've come to realize that recovery is a journey, and I will likely most appreciate the surgery in a year or so. But, I already appreciate it adequately.

So...keep your chin up, and keep the faith. Things can and will get better as time progresses. And the day that you go to bed and realize you didn't think about your knee all day will be a huge triumph.

With this post, I will sign off Bonesmart. But, I'd like to thank everyone who contributes and keeps us sane, and feeling "normal" during this stage of our lives. Good luck and blessings to each of you as you recover completely!

Bob
 
Thank you for the great update and a look into the future. Best of luck and continued healing for you.
 
Bob......I hope you don't feel like you must leave BoneSmart just because you are doing better in your recovery. You know, we LOVE to have our members pop back in now and then to update us on all they are doing. So, please post every now and then if you can....even if it's just to say you're GREAT!!!
 
Bob,
That's great news that your OS released you, and that you are doing well. Isn't it great when our knees heal to the point that we feel it is better than pre-op? You're right, it is quite a journey, and the hardest part for all of us is the realization that it will take some time to get there.
Please update us once in a while, since it would be great to hear from you. I've really enjoyed our exchanges here on BS!

Take care,
Roger
 
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