TKR Smarttoys recovery

[referee54]

Work is still a pain but I can work longer and faster before I start feeling sore and tired. Today I felt really good for the first 4 hours before I felt the need to slow down a little. I was almost working and walking around at my normal pre-surgery speed.

You are making great progress ---your life is normalizing!

My gym workouts have been going well. I still do 40 minutes of cardio split between bicycle and elliptical and lift weights 4-5 days a week. I am slowly building more strength in my leg. Some of the strengthening exercises are noticeably easier. Running is slowly getting easier to do also.

That is a great report!! Stamina is one of the last aspects to return, so you are getting there!

 

[smarttoys]

I planned on making monthly updates but I can't help myself so here is my 15 week or 3 1/2 month update.

My recovery still seems to be going well. Work gets easier and easier every week. I feel fortunate that I can be on my feet, working, walking, and pushing motorcycles all day and still feel pretty good by the end of the day. Last week my knee felt pretty good from Tuesday to Friday. By Saturday I was a little sore and tired. My normal work week is from Tuesday through Saturday.

I planned on taking it easy over the weekend but that never seems to happen. We had temperatures on the mid 50's on Saturday. When I got home from work I found my family washing my wife's vehicle so I joined in. After that we washed my truck. Then we walked to the park to play basketball. I didn't play too hard but I was still able to run after the ball here and there. It was fun. We went back to the park on Sunday morning and played basketball again. The kids wanted to go for a bicycle ride but I had already traded in my old bike and my new bike is still at the bike shop waiting to be assembled.

While we were at the park on Sunday an older gentleman was playing with his granddaughter and asked me about the shoes I was wearing. I was wearing my shoes that have the super thick cushioned soles. He asked me how I like them because he was thinking about getting a pair. He had a knee replacement and wanted something with more cushion. Of course that struck up a conversation about knee replacements because I told him I had one recently too and wanted the extra cushion in my shoes. It turns out that he went to the same OS that I did. His TKR surgery was about 6 years ago. He had to go back two years ago because his knee suddenly swelled and stiffened up. He went to the ER and they found that his knee joint had filled with blood and they used a needle to draw it off. I'm not sure exactly what was wrong but he went back to the OS who went back in and apparently repaired some soft tissue problem and put in a new spacer while he was in there. I didn't get the full story from the man but that was the gist of it.

Not much else to report. I'm still taking it fairly easy on the strengthening exercises for my left leg. I don't think I've gained any more flexion recently but I haven't really been working on it either. I'm still at around 0/130 which is fine with me right now.

Once we get rid of a bit more snow in my backyard I can start doing more agility training with the dogs. For now when I have time it's just basic training, walks, hikes, tug, fetch, and flirt pole. If you don't know what a flirt pole is, it's basically a large cat toy but for dogs. The one I use is a 6 foot horse lunge whip (6 foot pole with a 6 foot braided line) with a soft dog toy tied to the end. You basically drag and bounce the toy along the ground and the dog chases after it. My big dogs are crazy for it. It's a good way to give your dogs some intense exercise in a short period of time.

I hope everyone has a good and pain free day.

 

[susie09]

Hi John (@smarttoys) - I never realized that there was a name for that! I always used to tie toys to my lunge whip and let my dog chase it. She'd get a little too excited but she loved it. Eventually I figured out that she was just as happy to chase the whip with nothing tied on to it - more challenging to catch. Good thing though because I was grooming for my trainer at the time and it was really embarrassing to get out to a show, grab my lunge line and whip and discover that there was still a dog toy attached.

 

[Timetolive]

John, great to hear you are still doing well! What kind of job do you have? I have three brothers and when we were all home, we had a motorcycle. My oldest brother has a custom ordered Harley and always wanted to travel the U.S. Alas, his wife intervened - hahaha! She thinks driving from their home in Oregon back home to NC is not a smart idea.

Interesting about the lunge whip - I will see if I still have mine. Charlie might enjoy it! I had a Quarter Horse and a Tennessee Walking Horse. After my father lost his leg, we sold the horses since I was married and he couldn't ride anymore. I need to sell my saddle - just haven't been able to part with it.

Now, please tell me again what kind of shoes you have? I remember you bought your wife a pair also. Does she like hers as well?

 

[smarttoys]

@susie09 my dogs also get super excited when I use the lunge whip but I don't think they would chase it without the toy on the end. Lily loves to rapidly squeak the squeaker in the toy after she catches it and Buddy tries to kill the toy after he catches it. Of course I can only play with them one at a time. I have rules they need to follow to play. I put the dog in a down stay and start moving the toy and when they make eye contact with me I release them with a "take it." Then they have to let go of it when I say "drop." Sometimes that's easier said than done. When Lily is all worked up it can be hard for her to drop the toy.

@Timetolive Janis, I'm a Harley mechanic. You can imagine how heavy some of the bikes can be to push around while recovering from a knee replacement. Fortunately moving the bikes around doesn't really bother my knee, not even pushing them on and off my bike lift. It's mostly just being on my feet all day that gets to me. That's getting easier each week. I don't have any problem getting on and off the bikes or riding them.

The shoe I was wearing was Hoka brand. They are expensive shoes but I was able to find some good deals on them around the end of the year. They may look a little funny because the soles are super thick but they are comfortable. I bought a pair of Brooks at the same time. I really like them, they are comfortable and supportive but not as cushy as the Hokas. My wife really likes the Hoka shoes I bought for her. She wears them every time she leaves the house now. I bought her a pair of the Skechers Go-walk 2 Super Sock slip on shoes (say that five times fast ) for house shoes.

 

[Joyfull61]

I love Hokas. I wore Mizunos for running, but as soon as I'm able to do some serious walking again, I'm getting some Hokas because of the thick cushioning.

 

[Timetolive]

Thanks John. I wear Brooks Ghosts - I bought a new pair after surgery since I figured my wear pattern would be different. I really like them also. I don't think the Hokas are much more than what I paid for my Brooks or some of my other good shoes. I had a bone spur removed on the bottom of my fifth metatarsal on the opposite foot of my TKR, that has come back, so those Hokas look great in the cushioning department!! My husband and I both have Skechers!

 

[kneeper]

You are recovering well. I sounds like you're listening to the knee and backing off when it tells you to.

 

[smarttoys]

Just giving a quick 4 1/2 month update. I don't have much new to say which is why I haven't been posting for a while. I've been visiting the forum almost daily just to keep up to date on everyone's progress.

The knee has been feeling pretty good lately. Work has gotten very busy and I'm on my feet 8-10 hours a day averaging between 15,000 and 20,000 steps a day so I'm still pretty sore by the end of the week. It's kind of a double edged sword. I'm feeling better so I do more, more work, and more play which makes my knee more sore. It's been like that since early on in recovery. It's hard to find a good balance between doing to much and resting enough. I try to get to the gym at least three days a week but sometimes it's tough trying to juggle work, wife, kids, and the dogs.

Now that the weather is getting nice between the random snow storms here lately I've been doing more agility training with my dog. I can run the course with him about as well as I could before my surgery so I'm happy with that. I have a couple competitions coming up in May and June.

I bought the kids a couple dirt bikes this spring which they love riding. I plan on taking the kids to ride some trails this spring and summer. I still have my motocross bike and all my gear from my racing days so I will have to get that out of storage. There are some nice knee braces on the market now for off road riding. I plan on getting a set for some extra protection. I wish they were available years ago.

I hope everyone has a pain free and drama free day.

 

[newlybionic]

Glad to hear you are able to do so much. It gives me hope that I'll be able to get back to my job that requires a lot of standing too. I'm sure your kids will love going with you out on their bikes once spring is here for good. I woke up to snow today after 70 degrees on Friday.

 

[smarttoys]

@newlybionic Marian, you've been doing well this time around. If your recovery stays on track I think you will do great when it's time to return to work and a normal active life.

 

[smarttoys]

I'm giving a quick 6 month update. The is a super busy time of year for me between work, home, and family. I'm on my feet 8-10 hours a day at work and then home to play with the kids and the dogs. I try to take the dogs for a walk most evenings. Weekends are just as busy spending time with the family and there is always some project to work on or yard work to do. Since I'm so busy with everyday life I only make it to the gym 2-3 days a week.

My daughter and I have two dog agility competitions coming up soon so we have been working on training Buddy and trying to keep our handling skills sharp. Overall I can do most things that I want to do but my knee is still healing and still gets a bit swollen and sore here and there. It's hard to find down time to rest my knee when it does get sore. Hopefully it will all be good when I hit the one year mark.​

 

[referee54]

Overall my I can do most things that I want to do but my knee is still healing and still gets a bit swollen and sore here and there. It's hard to find down time to rest my knee when it does get sore. Hopefully it will all be good when I hit the one year mark.

That is a great report---and you are doing fine for six months!!!

I was at 80%-85% at six months---and it was not until eight months until I was at 90%-95%---and I continued to gain ROM well after a year post-BTKR.

Keep sending these reports back---and keep on keepin' on!!

 

[smarttoys]

Thanks Tim.

Running is also slowly getting easier to do. I need to run for agility training and competitions. So in addition to that I have also been doing a little running with high cushioned running shoes making laps around my yard. I don't do it every day and for less than a mile.

 

[Timetolive]

John, great to hear you are doing so good! I continue to have swelling also at 6 months. I was fitted with a mid-thigh light compression stocking and it is making all the difference in the world for me. I can walk and be on my feet without getting that tight swollen feeling and discomfort. If you are interested in getting one, go get fitted by a professional - this fits NOTHING like that dreaded TED hose after surgery. No rolling or slipping. Your recovery is an inspiration to so many. Thank you for sharing it.

I am starting basic level obedience classes with Charlie. He has really come out of his shyness and fear. He will have an occasional day here and there where he is afraid of his shadow, but thanks to you and others for the encouragement to keep going with him. I am hoping the socialization of the class will help him also. AND give me some tips for handling his "beagleness"! Hahahaha! Did your daughter get her own dog or will she be showing Buddy also? This facility I am going to trains in agility and scent trials also. My husband and I think if we can get Charlie certified, he would make an EXCELLENT therapy dog. I have never seen such a lovable dog that lets you do whatever with him. The cat can jump over him, grab him, box him, do everything trying to get him to play, and he just stands there. He loves his toys though! They have to all be in his bed with him.

 

[newlybionic]

That's a great report! It's wonderful to hear how well you are doing. I'm glad you're able to have so much fun with your family and your dog.

 

[smarttoys]

Janis, I never really thought about wearing a compression stocking but it may be a good idea for when I'm on my feet a lot like at work. Maybe not every day but here and there. I had read that you got fitted for one and it was working well for you.

I'm glad Charlie is doing well. I hope you both have fun at classes. My daughter did not get her own dog yet so she will be running Buddy. I really enjoy working with her and Buddy when we are training. Each agility trial is two days long. She will run him one day and I will run him the other day. We will be competing two weekends in a row.

 

[kneeper]

As you noted, even at 6 months you often have to give the knee a break if you overdo, but you're doing great.
Thanks for the update.

 

[smarttoys]

I completed the first day of this weekend's agility competition. My daughter will run Buddy all day tomorrow.

Things went well. Buddy and I had five qualifying runs out of a possible six. Three 1st place finishes and two 2nd place finishes. The event that we did not qualify in had a super hard course and none of the other dogs in my class qualified either so I didn't feel too bad. Overall I am happy with how the day went and my knee behaved pretty well. It was a little sore here and there throughout the day but not too bad. I am roughly 6 months out now there is a huge difference between how my knee feels now compared to how it felt when I competed last January at only 2 months out. Instead of hop, skipping, and jumping around the course like I did then, now I can actually run the course normally.

Apparently there are a lot of other agility competitors that have had knee replacements. I met three today. I asked them some questions about their recoveries. Two women had both there knees done and were running around the course well. Mainly I wanted to know if it took them a full year to recover completely. Basically they said it was closer to two years or more before they felt like they didn't have to think about their knees every day. Of course everyone wants a fast recovery but it gives me hope that even though my knee is feeling pretty good right now and I can do most things I want to do there is still a lot of room for improvement another 6 months to 2 years down the road.

 

[newlybionic]

It's great to hear how well you are doing. I hope your daughter does well tomorrow. I can't wait to get that point when I can move a bit easier and play outside with my three dogs. I wish you many blue ribbons in your next agility events.