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TKR Swelling Frustrations

Happy Three Month Anniversary, MichiganGal!
Go slow now, to go fast later. You'll get there!
A great week to you. :wave:
@MichiganGal
 
Thank you - I have been out of touch for a few days. At the lake and internet is awful up there.

Still making progress. At the lake we have a guest area that has at least 20 steps to get up to - this weekend I was able to walk up those steps without stopping and not doing them one at a time! :dancy: I felt it but I was still able to do more later in the day.

Progress but slow and I am getting better at accepting that reality for me.
 
Awesome! :yes!:
Slowly but surely you'll get there. I hope you had a relaxing time at the lake.
Happy Thursday!
@MichiganGal
 
I am finding that bike riding is very stressful on my knee. I do want to do a few minutes of stationary bike most days for a brief flexion exercise. If I ride outside, even on my electric bike, my knee gets sore. Hiking and stairs work fine.
 
@skiforever Yes, there's definitely a difference between the easy stationary bike and actual bike riding. Your baby knee is probably just telling you it's too soon yet.

Happy 3 months Kneeaversary, @MichiganGal ! Doing those steps with each leg is a major accomplishment! Congrats! :yay:
 
Good Morning - Swelling is better than before and I have learned to manage it and listen to my knee. My new question is about shoes. I have noticed that I am trying to wear shoes that I wore before the surgery and it feels so different. My favorite shoe before surgery was Dansko clogs. I tried them on this morning and it put the weirdest pressure on the front of my knee. Have any of you noticed needing to change the type of shoes after surgery? Since surgery my choice for shoes has been tennis shoes. Thanks for the input.
 
Great news that the swelling has improved, MichiganGal! The clogs may become comfortable again, after a time, then again, maybe not. The wrong shoes can affect how your knee moves. Consider shoes that are comfortable, light-weight, flexible and offer a good measure of support. Many do choose athletic shoes as I believe you mentioned you're currently favoring. We suggest replacing your most worn shoes, as they do have your pre-op wear pattern.

Many brands of athletic shoes come in slip-on options nowadays. A few of the brands we used to read about here were Kizik's and Hoka's, but it seems many other more affordable brands have added them to their collections. I am certain you will receive some recommendations of brands other members feel are tried and true.

Good luck in your search and if you find something you love, please share it here for the benefit of those following behind you. Happy Tuesday! I hope its a good one! :)
@MichiganGal
 
Here is a link on Shoes for Recovery from the Social / Community area of the forum. I haven't checked it out lately, but it may contain some ideas.
Shoes for Recovery
 
Yes yes yes!!!! I'm in double trouble :loll:because my January straightened new knee threw everything off (the L TKA, among other things, put a new corn/callous under my R foot, next to the old one), and now my June straightened new knee has changed it all again!
I'm living in my most recently bought minimalist shoes or an old pair with lightweight OTC inserts in them; had to discard older shoes with well worn toes impressions on the insoles.
 
Not cheap but my minimalist shoes are from Vibram, the company whose outer soles are on most brands of shoes and who pioneered minimal shoes with their ungainly but comfortable "five fingers" - they make a second type of shoe called Furoshiki that is made of flexible fabric with outer velcro wraps based on their namesake, Japanese wrapping fabric. I have significant bunions and these are really comfortable.
 
I did have issues with certain shoes after surgery. Anything that didn’t stay locked in securely enough (including my beloved Birkenstock sandals and clogs) were a no-no. Ankle boots for some reason were unbearable. No heels of any kind for me, not even a knee inch or two. I found socks and tying laces too much to bother with, so my go-to was slip on Sanuks. They are flat, light, easy to slip on, and don’t flop. They even make some fleece lined ones for chilly weather.
 
Also, I concur with @mendogal RE minimalist shoes! Once I started walking longer distances and wanted to wear sneakers, I wore the New Balance Minimus or Xero trail runners. Also flat and light and have room for your toes to splay so your feet are stable and your knees don’t have to work harder to balance you.

Around the house I like the Minnetonka moccasin style slippers (:
 
Since your knee has been fixed and straightened, I would definitely invest in some new shoes! You are most likely walking differently than before and the wear on the bottom of those old shoes will try and put you back into your old way of walking. Time to get some new shoes that support the new you!

I've had luck with ABEO, Orthofeet, Hoka and Taos. I also wear orthotics (ironically I had to get new ones about a year after my 2nd TKR, probably also related.....) and these brands are good at accommodating my new orthotics or in the case of sandals, have good arch support on their own.

Good luck! :flwrysmile:
 
Almost everybody has to get new shoes after a knee replacement. We are walking differently now. We girls love to get new shoes and this is a very good reason!
 
Thank you everyone. That is what I was thinking. One good thing I have noticed is that my bunion on the opposite foot does not hurt as much and I developed a ganglion cyst on the top of my right foot before the right knee replacement and that isn't causing me as many issues. So those are positives. Now I get to listen to my husband pick on me for buying more new shoes. :heehee:
 
Hi MichiganGal :wave:
Hope you found some comfy new shoes. If you did…please share for the benefit of others.
Happy Four Month Anniversary! A great rest of the week to you. :)
@MichiganGal
 
Hello Everyone - I did find some new comfy shoes from Dansko. They have a new slip on with a strap around the back of the ankle - so comfy. Then of course I bought a new pair of tennis shoes from them. Great support and they really last.
My 4-month appointment went great - doctor said x-rays looked good, he liked my range of motion, said that swelling will continue (no time frame) and told me to keep putting the miles on the knee. So, I am still walking - trying to do 10 to 15 minutes walks twice a day at work and then a good 30-minute walk at home with the dog. Plus I have tried my sitting yoga and that felt great - so going to incorporate that into my healing process. Thank you for all of the encouragement during this process.
 
Wonderful update, MichiganGal! Thanks for taking the time to share your progress here.
There is a thread in the Community Area that discusses shoes for recovery. If you ever feel like mentioning your shoe selections (link in blue) it may be of benefit to others. Truly, no pressure though. :friends:
Shoes for Recovery
Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the rest of the Autumn season!
@MichiganGal
 
@MichiganGal I am a recovering hippie! I saw your thread when I searched shoes. I shave been looking at the Dansko clogs. I have high arches and cannot wear their closed shoes. How do they run in your opinion? Are you wearing with socks? I am still dealing with post op swelling and need something that has a little room built into the fit. I want support/comfort and style for work wear. Thanks!

@Layla thanks for sharing the shoe link!

Edited to add these are the ones I saw.
 
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The shoes run true to fit - I always wear a medium weight sock with the shoes. They are my favorite and give great support
 
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