TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

[bertschb]

Day 8 update-

Swelling is still far less than last time but that hasn't translated into improved ROM which seems odd. With my 1st TKR, it took four months for me to get to 90 degrees ROM. I'm hoping I get to 90 percent faster with this knee but I'm prepared if that doesn't happen. I haven't really measured mine yet but it's lousy.

My first follow up appointment is Monday. I hope I don't hear "PT" at that appointment.

 

[Jaycey]

I haven't really measured mine yet but it's lousy.

Only 8 days out @bertschb ! Give that poor, traumatised knee a break. You'll get more ROM when that knee is ready. You might not see any swelling. But there is plenty of soft tissue trauma trying to recover.

 

[Pumpkin]

I get to 90 degrees faster with this knee but I'm prepared if that doesn't happen.

When your knee is ready in its own good time, your ROM will be there, as demonstrated by your left knee.
Patience.

 

[Sisterpat]

Ah, TIME, TIME is your best friend! The healing process cannot be rushed!

 

[bertschb]

Oh, I'm not complaining about the lack of ROM. I just thought with the significantly reduced swelling that it would be slightly better with this knee. As I said, I know more than most folks how long it can take ROM to return and I was prepared for this long before I scheduled this surgery. I documented my ROM progress last time. Four months to get to 90 degrees. Seven months to get to 120 degrees.

I'm still lying around all day with my Lounge Doctor Pillow and ice machine. Walking around is slightly easier now than last week. But, standing up still brings a flood of pressure pain. Yowza!!!!!! I think that only lasted a few days last time.

Sure glad I'm retired. I can't imagine what it would be like trying to recover if you had a job that required mobility (e.g. construction). I will lie around here for however long it takes but if I had a job to return to that required heavy use of my knee....not good.

 

[Sisterpat]

“Four months to get to 90 degrees. Seven months to get to 120 degrees.”
That information should be very helpful and hopeful to the many of us who are concerned about ROM and the “window of opportunity “! Thanks for this, Brian!

 

[BBCG]

And that ROM is similar to my knee #1 numbers, maybe a month ahead, last time... but it’s useful to know that it can take far longer than they pretend is realistic!

 

[Roy Gardiner]

many of us who are concerned about ROM and the “window of opportunity “

Do not be concerned. There is no 'window of opportunity'.

 

[bertschb]

Day 13 update:

Swelling is still far less than TKR #1. ROM is very slightly better at this point. I think I'm maybe at 65-70 degrees? I'm using an app I found for my phone. Not sure how accurate it is. I was able to start walking without crutches today for the first time. The knee is pretty unstable but pain is fine.

I saw my PA yesterday for my first follow up appointment. He said it looks fine but was expecting 90 degrees ROM. I told him I was expecting 60 He said something about hoping I was at 90 by my next follow up with the surgeon in three weeks or we would be talking PT. I told him I wouldn't be doing PT regardless.

Anyway, the knee looks great (relatively speaking). Pain is manageable. ROM sucks (which I expected). But overall, I feel fine with my recovery to this point. I expected super slow progress and that's exactly what I'm getting. My wife and I have been through this before and it's no big deal. We both know this will be behind us in a few months and look forward to two strong knees so I can get back to biking, hiking and skiing.

 

[Celle]

Good answers to the PA, @bertschb . He still has a lot to learn.

 

[Sisterpat]

You are a hero to all BoneSmarties!

 

[BBCG]

Good for you, to stand up for your new baby knee! They do seem to all think they know all the rules we must follow, eh!! I know my OS will expect me to be at 120 degrees in early June at my 6 week appointment but it’ll be the same as last time: no MUA because we both know I’ll heal just fine, as I strongly bend the other one!!

 

[bertschb]

So I started walking without crutches two days ago. My knee felt a little unstable but not too bad. Today as I was doing one of my short walks my knee felt like it snapped back. It probably only went to zero or whatever but it felt like it bent way back. Not pleasant at all! I don't recall my other knee feeling this unstable while walking at 2 weeks but that was 5 years ago so my memory is a little fuzzy.

How did you guys do at 2 weeks post-op? Was walking unassisted easy?

 

[Jockette]

How did you guys do at 2 weeks post-op? Was walking unassisted easy?

Only occasionally. I actually used my cane outside my home longer than some others. I felt very unbalanced for quite a while.

 

[liam2015]

I remember my son taking me to my family dr. at 3 weeks post op with my walker. I got so fed up with it, that I ended up carrying it down the long corridor to dr. office and walking without assistance after that. It was 4 years ago ~ I may have had some weird sensations but I don't remember now.

Hope your knee feels okay today.

 

[BBCG]

Outside of the house, I’m two-crutching it still! Unless there’s a reason to only use one... like when getting the mail. Around the house I’m sometimes walking across the kitchen with no cane or crutch, but VERY carefully! I’m about at 4 weeks, and was using two crutches until week 2. I’ve tried using my cane, but I’ve had some shoulder issues with my left shoulder so relying only on it feels unsteady to me.

I have had that snap back feeling too, and it scares me, but today my PT asked me to focus on loosening the back of my knee more than the front. I use a soft, 5” diam. roller so she said roll the back of my thighs and calves with that a couple of times a day, to help release the fascia back there.

There are regular routines I do that are part of a system, so let me know if you want more info..

 

[Celle]

So I started walking without crutches two days ago. My knee felt a little unstable but not too bad. Today as I was doing one of my short walks my knee felt like it snapped back. It probably only went to zero or whatever but it felt like it bent way back. Not pleasant at all! I don't recall my other knee feeling this unstable while walking at 2 weeks but that was 5 years ago so my memory is a little fuzzy.

At only 2 weeks post-op and feeling a bit unstable, you still need crutches or a stick, @bertschb . It's too soon for you to be walking unassisted. Your soft tissues haven't recovered enough yet to give your new knee joint the support it needs.

 

[ihavetwins]

@bertschb your post was very timely. I was literally sitting here with my ice machine and wondering if I’d be better off skipping outpatient PT on this second knee. I’m not scheduled to go in until early June but, like you, I think my ROM will come (and go) with time, depending on my activity level.

I’d be interested to hear from others who have skipped formal PT. Thanks for your post!

 

[BBCG]

Hi IHaveTwins, I bet the moderators will help you get your own thread set up soon, because there are a bunch of people here who did not do PT, or did it only after nearly two months of self-regulated recovery exercise or stretching exercise! In my case, you can read back because I have had to set strict limits with PTs here in Oregon. Haha: my quads are pretty darn string so one PT tried to sneak in a push and I out in my brakes! But, in reality, I should not need to be hyper-alert for sneakiness, fer gosh sakes!

 

[bertschb]

It's too soon for you to be walking unassisted. Your soft tissues haven't recovered enough yet to give your new knee joint the support it needs.

Thanks for this. I am noticing that every couple of days the soft tissues around my knee feel different. Slightly stronger and slightly more stable. I've really been focusing on letting my knee bend backwards a bit during my walking strides. It's not a normal stride but it seems to help stretch things a bit. ROM seems unchanged from the day of surgery.

I'm glad I have this second TKR behind me because now that I'm remembering how long the recovery is, I probably would have postponed it again. My back hurts worse than my knee from sitting around all day doing nothing. Time to get up and do my 5 minute walk...