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TKR ROUND 2: MotownGirl made it to the other side

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referee54 said:
I had my knees done in November---I was back teaching in January (too early!), but when the great weather hit, I was pretty much ready to go!! I thought that having them done then was good---here in northern Ohio, the snow can keep you in at times, so the winter was a great time to recover---I would have lost my mind if I could not be active in the spring or summer.
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:iagree:
 
@TexasTee Austin is supposed to be a fantastic, young, hip, urban city! It is always profiled on those list for Great Places to Live. I would like to visit CA sometime, especially the northern area. I don't know much about San Diego except Scott Peterson killed his wife and unborn baby there. :(
 
I went to the gym today for the first time since 2012 (when all my orthopedic issues started). I was a good girl. :angel:
I did 30 minutes on a stationary bike at a slow, but firm, pace. I set it to "random" so the intensity would vary. If I found it to be too strong, I backed it down. No problems with my new knee but the other one complained loudly the entire time. I continued on because that knee is going to the medical waste yard pretty soon so what the heck, right?
After I drove to the 3 storage units we have (yes, three!) and sorted them out. I brought a lot of stuff home that really needed to go to Goodwill instead. (Did you know Goodwill offers a secure shredding service? Who knew?) And here I was paying to store receipts and other important files that went back to 1999! I am an idiot! :banghead:

Then I hit the grocery store. By the time I got home, I was ready to rest. I watched a 2-hour movie and got up and cooked dinner. I am tired tonight but I feel really good. We shall see how I feel tomorrow morning, though.
 
Hope you're no worse for wear today.
 
@kneeper Oh my goodness! I feel NOTHING - not an ache, not an ouch, nothing! I feel fantastic. My husband and I just came back from taking our beasts to the dog park - while there, I noticed no pain, but maybe some fluid accumulation on top right quadrant (if you are looking down from my point of view), but no pain. I walked that park like my knee has always been a part of me. I am so excited because, like we all know, the first few months are brutal. I am thrilled to be over the hump with the 1st knee but not looking forward to the 2nd. But, at least now I know, there is a true end in sight and not something others just tell you there is, LOL! I slept very good throughout the night, too. I don't want to jinx myself, but I may have turned that elusive corner.
 
Fantastic report!! I'll keep my fingers crossed that you've really turned the corner on knee #1 - if you're able to keep up with the cycling I'm sure that will do a world of good for #2. My OS told me that cycling would be the best possible thing to do to prepare for my surgery.

RE San Diego - doh! It's a beautiful city - such a shame that Killer Scott is all you know about it! I'd love to live there again but the traffic and the COL is so much worse than here, it's not likely - it works out pretty well to make nearly the same wage, pay half the price for COL and take a lot of fantastic vacations :)
 
@TexasTee Thank you! I am definitely going to bike again and if my husband won't inflate my tires, or pull my bike down from the ceiling where he has it hanging over my car (I am afraid I will drop it!), then I am going to join a cheap gym by tomorrow afternoon. At the dog park this afternoon, I asked him to please pull my bike down so I can use it. The problem is - we just moved and the garage is so packed with stuff that needs to be donated, sold, gifted, etc....I think that's why he's procrastinating because he knows I am 6 weeks out from my 2nd surgery.

I had no idea the COL could vary so much from city to city but I guess you are right...when I compare the cost of living in Miami versus Fort Myers, you are right. In fact, gas is quite a bit cheaper in the next County north of me.

How is your recovery going?
 
Yuck - moving is a nightmare, totally understand not wanting another thing underfoot. Maybe a cheap gym is the best bet?

My recovery is going great - had a little struggle at the beginning figuring out the meds but once that was sorted out it's been terrific...just need to cultivate a bit more patience for the healing process ;)
 
Week 22 Post Op Update (5 1/2 months)
Hi all - alright, here goes. My knee pain is predominately gone. It vanished all on its own about week 21. I heard that could happen but I did not expect it to happen to me. Good things like that usually happen to other people. I have a tiny pocket of swelling whose location varies, but nothing that is painful.

I still have that bruise from the surgery. They say it will go away eventually. Longest bruise I've ever had in my life! I walk pretty well. I don't think you could tell I've had a knee replacement. Oddly enough, the last few days my other bad knee has been behaving itself, too! BUT, I also have not been going up and down stairs like I used to have to do because we moved. Maybe that has helped?

I went to the gym recently and rode a stationary bike for 30 minutes with no after effects. My knee still clicks, sometimes more than other times. They say that is completely normal because I have a piece of machinery in my body and machines make noise. I guess, but I wished it didn't click.

I can stand long enough to make a labor intensive meal but I do look for a chair to sit on when I can. I still do not like getting in and out of booths. I am more comfortable at a high bar-type stool.

I haven't tried to kneel anymore. The first few times I did it, it was so uncomfortable and felt so foreign that I couldn't wait to get back on my feet.

I still have numbness on the front of my knee as well as the outside area. In fact, it's a weird sensation when shaving my legs. Like an out of body experience.

My other knee has a bony shape; and my new knee has this rounded shape. I like the bony shape better.

Went to dinner with friends the other night and was able to wear shoes with about a 2-3" heel. It's been SO LONG since I've done that! No problems there.

Haven't had any RX painkillers in such a long time, I don't even remember when. I did take some Tylenol & Ibuprofen the other day because I was doing too much at the storage units and I was achy.

I am feeling so good now; I have resumed going out with friends, cleaning and organizing my home, and meeting former co-workers for lunch. I have even gone back into my sewing/embroidery room and begun to finish some projects I started so long ago. Slowly, I am regaining my life and I am really beginning to question the wisdom of disrupting it ALL AGAIN to have the stupid 2nd knee replaced this March. To me, it seems like my life went on hold back in 2012 with my first hip replacement. Then, the craziness with my back started, and it has been one surgery after another. It is only now, in February 2015, that I feel like the Robyn before 2012.

Robyn
 
Great recap! I'm so glad you're feeling well! I could easily understand being reluctant to do this again but once it's all finished you'll be good as new and ready to kick some booty! If you leave the bum knee you're still going to be held back from so many things...
 
Hi Robyn,
I just stopped by your thread to encourage you to get your bike out and see that I haven't been getting alerts.
So glad you tried the bike at the gym. I have an exercise bike, but much prefer getting out and riding around the neighborhood. My knees never complained! Once your bike is down from the ceiling (hint, hint, hubby) you'll be able to hop on and go for a ride without having to drive to the gym. Just 30 minutes a day will really help those quads and make your other knee feel better too!
Your week 22 update is awesome. Now you know what to look forward to after #2 is done. Keep an open mind regarding your recovery. #2 may be completely different.
It's a beautiful day here. Wish I could go for a bike ride. C'mon George!!! Let's get that bike down!!!:bicycle1:
Have a great day!
Karen
 
@kaw205 The bike is still hanging up...I haven't been on his butt about it because he's been busy with the other house that's still for sale and we've been motorhome shopping. I did do some squats in the kitchen this afternoon while on the phone waiting on hold. I held on to the counter of support. How are you?
 
I'm good. This morning while still in bed, Seamus decided it was time for me to get up and stepped right on my operated knee. Yikes!!! It only hurt a little while and no harm done, but scared the dickens out of me!
I have gotten into the bad habit of staying up late and sleeping in. I have to remind myself that I'm not retired...yet...
 
He promises to take my bike down today! WooHoo!!! :) @kaw205 My sleeping habits are still out of whack, plus I have the dogs waking me up around 5-6am everyday with their requests for breakfast and a trip outside to go potty. I sure wish I could change their body clocks but they are still on my work schedule. How many more weeks are you out of work for?
 
Post Op Update: Week 23:

Tomorrow marks my 23rd week post surgery. I am walking very well; in fact, my other bad knee is even behaving itself and I am now second guessing the wisdom of having it done. I am feeling so good with it and walking with both has improved immensely since I scheduled the surgery. What to do? I am sure ConforMIS is already in the process of manufacturing my knee. So if I cancel or postpone, what will happen? When I scheduled it, just a few weeks ago, I was in immense pain. But now everything has changed.

This past Friday night, we celebrated my friend's 50th birthday party @ a restaurant with a live band. She pulled me on to the dance floor with her and we danced to two high-spirited songs. I suffered no ill effects. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I felt a tiny ache, but by morning, the ache was gone.

Yesterday, we walked around an outside street festival and window-shopped and I held up very well. After about 20 minutes, we rested on a bench, and got up and walked around some more, but I have no swelling or pain today. We had dinner for St. Valentine's Day and sitting in the restaurant for that hour bothered me more than walking around did. I was stiff when we stood up to leave. My bad knee gave me a "jab" or two as we first starting walking but that may have been because we'd just gotten out of the car after an hour's ride down there.

Today, my husband PROMISES to pull my bike down once and for all.

Maybe everything has settled down because I've stopped having to go up & down stairs so many times a day?
 
Hi Robyn,
Sounds like your new knee is doing great. I don't know what to tell you about #2. What would happen if you cancelled a custom made knee? Just keep reminding yourself of the pain that made you decide to get the second one done and the bone on bone won't go away by itself.
Is the bike down?
I think my dogs wake up with the sun. I need to get back to my old sleeping habits.
I don't know when I'll go back to work. I see the doctor on March 4th (that will be 6 weeks post op) and I guess we'll see where I'm at.
I haven't been able to cut back on the pain meds yet. In fact, the pain has been worse since I finished my rx for gabapentin. I didn't realize it was helping until I stopped it. Will call and see if I can get a refill tomorrow.
Better get to bed. PT in the morning.....
 
MotownGirl66 said:
My bad knee gave me a "jab" or two as we first starting walking but that may have been because we'd just gotten out of the car after an hour's ride down there.

Maybe everything has settled down because I've stopped having to go up & down stairs so many times a day?
Click to expand...

Our sneaky knees seem to do that to us - we know we need a replacement, the date is set, and then the knee decides to stop hurting. It happened to me, too. I wondered if I really needed to get that knee done, but the surgeon said it was badly damaged when he saw it in theatre.

You know it needs to be done, so please don't cancel.
 
@Celle Exactly! The wondering if we are doing the right thing is awful. You are right; I am not going to cancel....I was in the grocery store today and it reintroduced itself to me with a sharp "zing". Dirty little dog!
 
Hi @MotownGirl66

I have really enjoyed reading your thread. I love how you've done a journal of your recovery. You've done oh so very well with your recovery. I'm glad you've decided to get the other one done. You deserve to be out of pain. You have done everything possible to get your knees in good strong condition. I am very familiar with the jab!!!

I was told last October that my other knee needed replacement as it was gone. However, after a very challenging recovery, with the first TKR, I burst into tears and said I couldn't face this all over again. Anyway the non TKR is getting to be a real nuisance, so when I saw the OS last month, I agreed to have it replaced. The x ray revealed it's gone bone on bone at the back. Some days I have no pain. Others it unbearable. This should take place within the next few months x

Once again, thank you for sharing your recovery.

Take care
Love Nana moon 27 x
 
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