TKR Round Two: Bring It On!

[Mumu]

Now ten weeks out, this week has marked the biggest improvement yet. Sometimes I feel I am almost walking normally. Monday I was shocked to see I did 10,000 steps. Still have some pain, but it's more like "discomfort," totally different than grinding arthritic pain. Occasionally I fall back into limp mode, still takes concentration to walk normally. School is going well, I was not worn out this week. One more PT session; I actually feel it's a waste of time at this point, but will keep my appointment. I don't hear any clicking noises, I am actually unaware of any hardware! When I took back on this summer of recovery I cannot believe how far I have progressed! Again, I have appreciated all the encouragement from this board as it has kept my whining in-real-life to a minimum!

 

[liam2015]

fantastic report. happy you are recovering so well and managing fine back to work/school.

 

[kmak81230]

Wow! I'm so happy for you mumu. Fantastic report - glad to hear you are doing so well with work, walking, and everything! Hope you continue to progress.

 

[JJ65]

@Mumu love hearing about how people are doing so well after TKR . You are an inspiration 10,000 steps is fantastic !!! Enjoy your school year.

 

[Mumu]

Funny story.... I have been using a Cold Rush machine, borrowed from a friend who also had knee surgery. I went on Amazon to buy a new pad/ Velcro straps so I could return it in perfect condition. The diagram of the knee pad did not look right. Turns out that we both had been using the shoulder pad, LOL. Worked great!

 

[Mumu]

Just passed week #13. Gait much improved, but cannot yet walk too fast. Still fairly swollen, but scar now even fainter. I have been icing after school most days, I don't think my flexion is much past 115 yet. Taking Motrin 3 x a day, sleeping better, done with PT, yay! Went beach camping in San Diego last weekend, the uneven surfaces were tough, not ready for roughing it yet apparently! Last night I went on a semi-challenging outing to see Hamilton! We used crowded public transportation, schlepped up and down many stairs, and sat in a theater seat for almost 3 hours. By bedtime, I had racked almost 13,000 steps. Waaaaaaay too much, apparently, because I have been pretty worn out today; I am going to scale back for a few days. However, any discomfort is just a drop in the bucket compared to the pain of arthritis. Hope everyone is doing A-OK!

 

[SusieShoes]

You might pay for that wonderful outing in the morning, but it sounds like it was worth it. Good for you getting out and having fun. And you're wise to have a plan for babying your knee should that be needed. You're so right about the discomfort being so much less than the old arthritis pain!

 

[Mumu]

Today is my four month anniversary! Got a thumbs up from my OS, even though I am still experiencing some moderate pain when I walk too much. (In the course of a normal workday day I can easily do 10,000 steps.)

Last weekend I babysat my 2 year old granddaughter for 48 hours, it was like having a demanding, yet cheerful wrecking crew in residence. This stint nearly slayed me, alas.

I have the nagging concern that by four months out I should be footloose and carefree, able to bound up stairs, yet I still feel somewhat sore and gimpy. Please tell me this is normal!

Hope everyone is on the mend!

 

[Celle]

I have the nagging concern that by four months out I should be footloose and carefree, able to bound up stairs, yet I still feel somewhat sore and gimpy. Please tell me this is normal!

Yes, I'm afraid it is normal.

Complete recovery takes as long as a full year, so you're only about a third of the way there. Although everything looks healed on the outside, there is still healing going on under the surface. All your soft tissues are still healing and adapting to the new hardware inside your knee.

When you think about it, those two bits of metal in your leg are really big foreign bodies that your system has to get used to.

You may not be taking giant strides forward now, but you will still notice little improvements for a long time yet.
Hang in there - it's all worth it in the end!

 

[liam2015]

yes i believe it is normal, just by reading everyone's posts, that we aren't quite footloose and carefree bounding up stairs at 4 months post op. you babysat your 2 y.o. g.d. for 48 hours ~ now that is a big accomplishment! you have fantastic stamina with all you do.

 

[Mumu]

6 month update!!! I mostly walk without a limp, yay! Still some numbness and minor pain; I find Motrin more helpful than Tylenol these days. I am back to sleeping like a champ! Took my first post-surgery plane ride in November, no problems in navigating airport security (I just pointed to my knee and they immediately sent me through the scatter machine.) Did a very fast, 24 hour turnaround 800 mile Thanksgiving drive with ease.

I am sooooooo happy that the pre-surgery pain in my non-surgical knee has almost disappeared; doc says I may be able to put off RTKR for few years instead of doing it again June, like i was planning. I have already decided to ditch PT altogether next time, I am pretty much convinced it’s not necessary! I just cringe when I read peoples’ experiences aggressive therapists.

Hope everyone is on the mend, and in the holiday swing of things!

Sent from my iPad

 

[Celle]

It's good to read such a great update! :santaclap:

Have a Happy Christmas! :treestar: :merry christmas:

 

[SusieShoes]

Thanks for letting us know how you’re doing, Mumu. Sounds like your holiday is going to be merry with your new knee! :reindeer::tree lights:

 

[sistersinhim]

What a wonderful post! Your outcome is what this surgery is all about! You are proof that doing it nice and easy is the best way to recover! Great job!

 

[funkymuse]

Hello @Mumu - I just read through your entire thread an what an inspiration it is!!! I love the gentle recovery you are doing and it gives me hope!!!! Thanks for your posts!

 

[Mumu]

8 months since LTKR! Most days i do not even think about my new knee, discomfort is down to about a “1.” No swelling, plus my leg is so straight now! My right knee, which was almost as painful as the left pre-surgery, does not hurt at all. In April I need to decide whether or not to use my summer “window of opportunity” to get a new right knee, or to postpone the inevitable. To those of you in the early-days trenches: look ahead a few months, the ordeal is certainly worth the payoff!

 

[4quilts]

Thank you for your update. It is so encouraging. I am 4 months out from RTKR and 2 months from MUA. Still dealing with stiff knee; tight band; some pain; and taking stairs up with the good, down with the operated knee. I am looking forward to the payoff in the months ahead.

 

[Mumu]

Ok, people! I think I need a pep talk. I am 10 months out from successful LTKR. Feel good, walking 4-5 miles a day. OS has always told me right knee was just as bad as left ( but he didn’t want to do bilateral last year.). X-rays last week confirmed bone-on-bone in old knee, leg is starting to look slightly deformed, BUT I HAVE NO PAIN! Surgery date is set on the most optimal date for me (last day of school), pre-op appts set. My new knee hurts slightly, I am wondering if the old knee is now causing imbalance/gait problems. OS recommends “sucking it up” and get new knee now, otherwise he will probably have to shore it up with cortisone during the school year. I am not sure why I am on the fence about this, but the lack of pain is giving me doubts!

 

[newlybionic]

If your knee is bone on bone eventually you will need surgery. It may be best to choose the optimum date for your surgery now rather than wait for pain which might go from 0 to 10 in a big hurry and hit you when you are not ready for the surgery. (like during the school year) It's a hard choice to make as to when the time is right so if you have the 'most optimal date', I say for it.

 

[Celle]

OS recommends “sucking it up” and get new knee now, otherwise he will probably have to shore it up with cortisone during the school year. I am not sure why I am on the fence about this, but the lack of pain is giving me doubts!

I know just how you feel.
When my second knee needed replacing, as soon as I got a surgery date the knee stopped hurting and I wondered if I was going into surgery too soon.
However, my surgeon told me that, in theatre, the knee was "good and ready for replacement" and I would inevitably have started having more pain if I had deferred the surgery.

Once your knee is bone on bone, it isn't going to get better. I think your surgeon has given you good advice.
Go ahead and get the knee replaced, at a time that seems convenient for your commitments, rather than suffering pain through a school year.