Bilateral TKR Second Year Progress

[mlwreader]

That is exactly what I did when my youngest started her family. I was able to convert my job to remote and then I was off from Tucson AZ to Rhode Island.

@SherrieT Wow that was quite a move from Arizona to Rhode Island. Good for you. Required a whole new wardrobe I bet! I have some college friends who live in RI and love it, weather and all. I keep up with them on Facebook.

A while back I read about a member that was moving at 6 months and she had been doing well, but all the trips up and down the stairs seemed to be a big part of what caused her a lot of pain and swelling.

@Jockette Good point about the stairs. Fortunately, although I live on the second floor, there is an elevator, and it is very close to my current apartment. The new place is on the ground floor. I plan to do the wheel chair thing at the airport. Not so much worried about John Wayne here in OC, but the Denver airport is huge. I will probably be staying with my kids for the first few days or possibly a week while I get settled, and they are living in a split level, and there are stairs there. But I won't be carrying stuff up and down because I won't be moving in with them. I haven't been able to visit them in over a year because of the knee issues. The last time I was there was Christmas 2016, and the guest room is down a flight of stairs, and oh my gosh did I suffer many painful trips up and down those stairs. And at that time only my right knee was bad, although the left was getting ready to blow, which it did in April last year.

Sounds like you like your over 55 place. I live currently in an over 62 place, and I don't like it. The apartment is gorgeous and comfortable, but most of the tenants seem to have nothing better to do than to get into arguments with each other, and when they are not busy doing that, they get up in everyone's business. I can't wait to get back into a community that has all ages of people, yes even children.

So good to hear your thoughts Sherrie T and Jockette. Yay its Friday! Have a good bonesmart week-end!

 

[Jockette]

I understand about the downstairs guest room, that’s how my daughter’s current and last house was, and no bathroom on that floor. Before surgery it was very painful to do the stairs, and now in recovery it’s still very difficult for me to do stairs. My house is one floor so I rarely have to do them so I haven’t mastered them.

We have some of those issues in our community, too, but we were able to make friends with a bunch who don’t to a lot of gossip or fighting. We have a fair sized bowling league in our community, so we do that and love it. We hadn’t bowled in years!

Best wishes to you in your move and I hope you find nice new friends. We found when we moved to Ohio, into a regular neighborhood, that we didn’t meet many neighbors, and people at church were nice and happy to meet us, but they were happy with their current network of friends and family and didn’t need any new friends.

In our current community the idea seems to be the more the merrier. We’ve been invited to everything! So we’re having a nice time.

 

[mlwreader]

We have some of those issues in our community, too, but we were able to make friends with a bunch who don’t to a lot of gossip or fighting. We have a fair sized bowling league in our community, so we do that and love it. We hadn’t bowled in years!

@Jockette Wonderfull that you have your husband, and that you have found an activity that lets you meet other people that you like. I have made friends in my current town through the exercise program at our gorgeous aquatics facility, but I haven't been able to go since before my surgery, because me knees hurt so badly and I was scared of my balance, and after my stitch issues have kept me away. The other place I made friends was through a book discussion group at my local library. I plan to explore both those options in Denver, although any pool exercise program will likely be indoors, especially in any non-summer month. - lol.

 

[mlwreader]

understand about the downstairs guest room, that’s how my daughter’s current and last house was, and no bathroom on that floor. Before surgery it was very painful to do the stairs, and now in recovery it’s still very difficult for me to do stairs. My house is one floor so I rarely have to do them so I haven’t mastered them.

Just wanted to comment on the stair issue. Although there is an elevator on my floor, there is a stairway that goes from the fitness room down into a lounge area right by the mailboxes where I live. The stairs are narrow enough that I can hold on to the bannister on each side. I have made it my business to tackle the stairs at least once a day, to try to get my strength back. I notice that my left knee has challenges going down, but righty does just fine going down. Going up it is reversed, left marches up with no problem, but righty has a little hitch in her gitalong. Not painful, I just notice that she isn't as strong as lefty going up. I can see so much improvement, as I only need to hang onto one bannister now instead of both. I love my new knees!!!!!

 

[Jockette]

Wonderful that you had that indoor stairway with 2 handrails you could reach. If I had that I would have worked on it, too!

I’m also sure that having a bilateral makes you do stairs, since both have had surgery. It’s easier to baby the one replacement if we don’t like how it feels to do something. But I rarely have a flight of stairs to do anywhere so who knows when I will get comfortable with it.

And I do not love my new knee yet, I’m sorry to say.

 

[mlwreader]

And I do not love my new knee yet, I’m sorry to say.

Aww so sorry @Jockette. For what it's worth I didn't love mine a whole lot up until about six weeks ago either. Hang in there darlin'. Sending a hug.

 

[Jockette]

Thanks for the hug, it’s been a long 10 months!

 

[mlwreader]

Hi everyone: I still have swelling and some discomfort, especially in my left knee, at almost 5 months out. The swelling is on the outer part of the knee. And the discomfort comes as a smallish little painful jolt if I move the left leg to the side or swing my legs off the couch, for example, if I've been stretched out. I am pretty sure it began about a week ago at the end of a week of tutoring where I had been sitting at my desk for tutoring sessions for a total of 14 hours that week, plus sitting other places in between. I still experience slight zingers from time to time as well. I wonder if others have discomfort and swelling at five months. I know I am not even half way through my first year, I just want to make sure I'm doing things right.

Also I experience the feeling of a band on the knees when I stand up from a sitting position. That I have seen other talk of, and I suspect it will dissipate as the months go by. It's not the uncomfortable at all.

When I am working, I make sure to stand up and walk a bit between students, and always end the day with elevating and icing.

Also, I have a question. I am going to be moving next month, and I will be staying at my kids' house for about a week while we wait for my things to arrive. I want to order something for me to use while at their house to elevate my legs, because I suspect I will possibly be having some swelling and discomfort from the work of the move, and then the travel to their house by air. What is the item that people have talked about on bonesmart that they ordered from amazon for elevating the leg?What is it called? Is there something for two legs as I had a btkr? I am worried about being at their house and being really uncomfortable and not having the proper pillow set up to elevate adequately and thought I would purchase that "whatever it is" only I need the name of it to order it. Thanks so much.

 

[Jockette]

A lot of members have The Lounge Doctor from Amazon. Most liked it, some did not, but that would happen with any product.

I looked at it recently and they make a wide version that is 24” wide.

I did not have it because my hospital sent an elevating wedge home with me that I’ve been very comfortable with. However, mine is wearing out, so I looked at The Longe Doctor for the future. I liked the wide option because I like both legs up, which is currently tricky on my single leg wedge, but I manage!

 

[mlwreader]

@Jockette Thank you so much! The Lounge Doctor - I could not remember that name. I will look for the wide version. I will just feel so much better if I know that is waiting for me for when I get to my kids' house after that trip.

Do you, or does anyone else know how to arrange for transport from bag check to the gate at the airport?

 

[Jockette]

I have never done that but my aunt gets a wheel chair all the time. I think maybe she mentions it when she buys her ticket? I don’t know.

I do know that when we picked her up the wheel chair person took her all the way to our car in the parking garage. We thought we would meet her at the baggage and take it from there. I was impressed with the service. This last time we met her at the curb since they stay with her until she reaches the car picking her up.

 

[Jockette]

Oh, and when she arrives at the airport and does the outside check in, she gets the wheelchair right there. She’s 94 and travels all the time!

 

[MSgirl]

@mlwreader, I bought the Lounge Doctor pillow after all the comments on Bonesmart. There has hardly been a time I have used it (which is every time I sit) that I don't think it is the best money I have spent on this recovery. Much better than the pillows I used the first time. There is a little hump that my knees fit on that gives great support with no pressure. I did try it in bed and at this time, prefer using it with and sleeping on the recliner, maybe because that's where I'm sleeping the best right now. Prices are all over the place online. I found that Ames Walker has the best price, $89.95. And if you go to Retailmenot, there is a coupon for free shipping. Hope this helps!

 

[mlwreader]

Thanks @MSgirl I did a little online research last night and came up with the Ames Walker as the best option before reading your post, in conjunction with @Jockette who mentioned the extra wide model. So I thank you both for the input. Very helpful. I put it on my Amazon wish list and want to alert my kids that it is coming before I actually order it. Will do all that today.

I hope everyone has a marvelous day!!!!!

 

[mlwreader]

I think I found a solution for the discomfort from sitting at my desk during tutoring. I moved to the couch and propped my left leg, and applied ice, and was able to put my laptop on a tv tray so I could bring up my Skype and conduct the tutoring that way. It worked really well, and I don't have the zingers and discomfort I was experiencing tonight. And none of my students even seemed to notice I was on my couch. So its all good.

And @Jockette my son called the airline and got me set up with a wheelchair for the airport run. Both here and in my arrival city.

I hope everyone had a good day.

 

[MSgirl]

That sounds a lot more comfortable. I'm glad you found a new way to work. And good news about the airport. A friend of mine who had a TKR went to Disneyworld. She got one of the riding carts and was moved to the front of every line. She said she might just do it every time she goes back! Hopefully it will work that way for you at your airports.

 

[mlwreader]

She got one of the riding carts and was moved to the front of every line. She said she might just do it every time she goes back! Hopefully it will work that way for you at your airports.

I was thinking back on how reluctant I was to get this kind of help before my surgery. I think I was shy and embarrassed to be seen in a wheel chair. So I sucked it up and walked to the gate in the busy and huge Denver airport in December, 2016. Oh that was so painful. And then after I arrived home in Orange County, the walk from the gate to the baggage area and then to the curb - I can remember how it felt right now. Bone on bone pain all the way.

Fast forward to now, and I have absolutely no qualms about asking for the wheel chair. After that surgery in September, the pain, the pt, all of it, and I might add after reading so much great advice here on bonesmart, I will gladly ride the wheel chair, right to the front of the line!!!! Bring it. I have earned it. And I'm not willing to bring on a set back in my recovery and walk more than I can comfortably do, just because of shyness or some kind of pride. I think all my pride went with my old knees during my surgery.

 

[MSgirl]

You go, girl!

 

[SherrieT]

@mlwreader - I'm bilateral too but only about 6 days out. I got 2 of the Milliard Foam Leg Elevator Cushions from Amazon. I have 1 for each leg. I swear these cushions have contributed so much to me being able to sleep at night on my side. Even with my big legs I have enough room to turn to the side with them. I don't have to have an extra pillow between my legs. It seems clumsy at first but I soon got the hang of it. A smaller person could try it with one of them and a pillow as cushion between their legs. They even fit in my recliner. I line them up across the end of the recliner, turn my back to it and kind of just lean back into it. They raise up (because I'm sitting on the ends of them) and then I pull the lever of the recliner to bring the foot rest (with the cushions on it) up. Does that make sense? It puts them at the right place with the end of the cushions wedged right up to the end of my butt cheeks and my legs in the perfect spot in the cushions. It's kind of hard to describe.

 

[mlwreader]

@SherrieT Isn't it amazing how clever and creative we become after having btkr's? I mean, they must put something in the implants that makes us smarter and think outside the box in our recovery. I am winking here, but seriously, I get what you are describing and it sounds awesome. Good for you! I wasn't able to sleep on my side up until probably six weeks ago. It was about that time that I noticed a real upward tick in improvement in my overall well being and ability to navigate on my new knees. I began sleeping better at night and just generally felt better, and had more energy during the day.

I presently have a system rigged up with a couple of regular pillows and a "slant pillow", which is a holdover from my acid reflux days. Now I use the slant pillow on top of two regular pillows and have created the perfect (for me) method of elevating. The problem is I am moving next month and not taking very much with me, so I want to have a set up ready for me when I arrive in my new city where I will be staying with my children while I wait for my things to arrive. So I am purchasing the Lounge Doctor, extra wide, and having it delivered to my son's house so it will be ready and waiting for me. I am concerned that all the activities of moving will set me back somewhat, and I want to have everything in place at my son's so I can rest and recover.

I check in with bonesmart almost every night, and I plan to look for your recovery thread @Sherrie. Looking forward to getting to know you better, and thanks for sharing your invention for sleeping on your side and also for using your recliner.