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TKR Tennis Nut's Recovery Thread

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Tennis Nut
What kind of bike are you getting. I'm looking as well. I am currently riding a Mtn bike with road tires and it is a bit heavy but good exercise. I have found biking a lot easier on the knee than hiking. The hiking is however gradually getting better and we are going to the Mtns for a week Monday so I will be able to try and see if I have progressed on the hiking front. I actually am looking forward to hiking which has not been the case for 6 or 7 years. Also I have finished PT but am still doing the exercises hoping to get the left leg strengthened so I don't favor it when standing up. Every week there are a few ups and downs but the trend is up.
 
Gee kneeper
You've really had a battle with joint pain and I see you have fibro as well. I don't know why the docs don't prep people better. I also believe that you had dealt tons of pain which gave you an edge for recovery attitude. i had dealt with pain as an athlete too and trying to play in pain. Which was stupid but I did it. I through away my big unloader brace after I had surgery as an act of saying to the world " I'm gonna make it"! It gave me 3+ extra years of tennis without a replacement but not much was working any more. Acupuncture kept me going to. Have you tried acupuncture for you fibro? Seems to help many people but go only to a doctor of oriental medicine. The chiropractors who do it aren't qualified. But the real Chinese acupuncturists have I think 8 years of study. I found one in Mobile AL. Couldn't understand a word she said but she helped me.
 
kneeper
Tennis Nut

Kneeper, Sorry if I sound like an old grump, but the forum is open for all to read. It just made me feel a bit of a failure given that I am 24 weeks and it feels like the hardest part is definitely not over for me, and 2nd TKR is coming up fast.
Best to ignore me. After all, if I choose to compare my progress with others I only have myself to blame if I don't measure up. As tennis nut says best get a dog.

Tennis nut, Thanks for your good wishes. Some days are just that much harder than others. Carol
 
patient 99

Don't get that dog just yet. Wait till the other knee is done first. Just gives you something cuddly and loving to help you. I swear by my dogs as being the best therapists in the world! And gripe if you like. As I said, this is one hard assed surgery. Best way I have of putting it. It's also very frustratingsome days. Hang in there!!!
 
patbike

Just picked it up today. Came in late yesterday. Ordered a Scott Metrix 20, which is just perfect for me. I can pick it up with one hand. I was gonna spend $$$$$$ putting towable rack on my Expedition. Now, I can just toss it, gently of course, into the cargo area. There's another Metrix that was more expensive than mine, but didn't really seem to offer much more so got the 20. I wanted the Canondale Quick 2 but it was sold out all over the US in my size (M) and I didn't want to wait till late Sept. to Oct. to get oneof the 2014's. And this one is good looking too. Love the white. Comes in carbon color too. White has more visibility. I liked the Metrix series and the Quicks because they have straight handlebars. Can't do that bent over thing anymore and really don't want to. Bothers my neck a bit. If you can go see a Scott do so. I was suprised how much I liked it. Always have favored Canondales but the Scott's are great.

Great to hear you are doing so well. Eliptical and bike are both easier on my knee than walking. You've done so well and I think you may be extra tough too to be doing all that hiking. I will be doing a little hiking in late Oct. when we head to NM. Will be in Santa Fe and Ojo Caliente and will visit pueblos, etc. Keep on doing great Pat. You've been one of my inspirations in the forum!!!! Mary Frances
[Bonesmart.org] Tennis Nut's Recovery Thread
 
patbike

It weighs 21.6 lbs. about like my purse! lOL. The fork is carbon and It's really light and I'm not used to that feel yet. I'm going to have to change the saddle (like arock) and the pedals. I sure don't want to cleat in or use clips due to fear of falling over after the TKR, but these pedals are too small. I don't feel secure on them so will add wider platform pedal. Looked at Ergon pedals. They make a hybrid bike platform pedal that's supposed to be good.
 
In case you are thinking about knee scrapes.
My wife said she wanted me to wear these G-Form knee pads for at least a year. Just in case. I thought they would bother me at first but they are so light that I don't even notice them. Plus on cool mornings they are warm.

[Bonesmart.org] Tennis Nut's Recovery Thread

I tried others but they felt restrictive. These are not at all. They are not cheap about $50. My bike weighs 36 - 38 pounds- ugg. It really is a MT bike with skinny tires but ok for now. I have never tried toe clips but I might some day when I get a road bike. I am a little nervous about falling with them.
 
patbike

I guess you've been riding a lot. Me, not so much. Wrecked on Labor Day and I've kinda lost my nerve right now. I didn't hurt my knee but it did get sore. I'm still sore a lot and not satisfied with my ROM. Called my dr's office and they will call back tomorrow and maybe have me go in. In work on ROM everyday but I can't tell any difference. I'm still stiff too. Last time I was checked it was 120-122 and I'm not sure it's any better. How is your ROM and has it continued to improve? Hope you are having fun biking. Hope I can soon too.
 
Tennis Nut
I have not measured my ROM officially for about 4 or 5 weeks. I think it is improving very very slowly.
It was around 125 (in flexion) I think when last measured. My extension is easily at zero or perhaps a little past zero which is good as my other leg goes past zero to negative 3 degrees. I have been riding with groups and yesterday went about 40 miles and tomorrow I hope to go on a 60 mile group ride. The 60 is unusual as most of my group rides are around 30-40. I still have intermittent discomfort and twinges( like when I get into a car) but it continues to improve with an occasional minorrecurrence. Nothing that stops activity but just mabey a new discomfort or sensitivity. The general trend is definitely positive. I think the riding helps but I think the healing back to normal just takes much more time then we would like it to.
 
I did get a call from my OS's nurse today and they think I'm overdoing things. I got their message after playing a little tennis this am and biking yesterday. He thinks the over working is keeping me sore and stiffer. Guess I have to rethink the daily stretching and all them things I do. They said every 2-3 days was plenty.
 
I found walking and hiking caused more soreness than hiking. I think tennis might be harder than riding as well. In my case the trend is very gradual improvement
and I wouldn't be surprised if it takes 9 months or a year before I have zero negative sensations in my knee.

It may have to do with th fact that the supportive tissues and ligaments etc are having to learn how to re-model themselves and learn how to operate with a knee and leg that is straight and doesn't limp around whn walking. Also I am working daily on getting the muscles in my quad back to normal now that I can stand on it properly.
 
I do think biking is the thing for rebuilding the quad. Squats and lunges and stepups and step downs. It's just a tedious process and my OS always said it would take up to a year to feel like the knee was really "mine" again. I'm looking forward to that. I agree about the walking making it hurt worse. Hurts more than the bike or elliptical or even some light tennis. There's something about pouring all your weight down walking.
 
I forgot to mention that for the first two weeks of September I did no biking or hiking. Non intentional but the fammily was busy with other activities and there was no time. The point is that I don't think letting my knee "rest"
for two weeks made any noticable difference.
 
Over on the biking forum someone pointed out that biking won't increase your quad strength/size unless you are in a very low gear under a lot of strain like going op hill. So you will probably have to rely on the squats/knee bends.
 
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