What a wonderful recovery you are having! 
TKR The adventure begins
- Thread starter Jajakio
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SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
Reading your post made me happy. You're happy with your knee, and that's what it's all about.
Yorkiegirl
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I’m a newbie - had my TKR on 3/20. Thank you for posting all about your great recovery! I love to read all the stories on here but it’s really great to read such an uplifting success story! Sometimes we forget that most people who haven’t had problems have just gone on with their life. It’s really good to read about one of them!
KarriB
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Very cool to hear how twins experienced TKR recoveries!
Jajakio
graduate
So here I am at 9 months. I went into this not really believing it would be a year long recovery. I was younger than some and a very determined person who was capable of pushing through pain. I'm competitive too. I was wrong.
It been a good journey overall but it's not over yet. I was in so much pain presurgery, I couldnt sleep at night and I couldnt get through a trip to Wal-Mart without quitting before I was done half the time. In 6 or 7 weeks after the surgery I was already even with how mobile I was presurgery. Oh, it was different in many ways; I had no trouble sitting at a desk all day presurgery and i couldn't sleep on my side until nearly 4 months and i was still icing a lot. But overall I was accomplishing about as much as I accomplished presurgery.
I went back to work a little by 5 weeks and was back to full time by 10 weeks. At 12 weeks I had felt like I was doing a normal load of work and other duties and could be on my feet for an hour, maybe 2. But there was still some pain and stiffness. Things just slowly keep getting better. It has only been the last month I have had entire days with absolutely no pain or stiffness. I still get an occasional twinge now and then but it may be a few days between one time and the next. My stamina keeps improving. I can walk for miles. But more important to me, I can do full 8 or 10 hours of the active portion of my job. I'm a real estate appraiser and presurgery I was usually taking my husband or 17 year old son on inspections. I'd often have to stop and rest midway through a job in spite of the help. Today I did 4 inspections in a row alone. I was out for about 7 hours walking, climbing stairs, climbing through bushes measuring, etc. I held up well, stopped at the grocery on the way home and am still feeling pretty energetic.
It been a good journey overall but it's not over yet. I was in so much pain presurgery, I couldnt sleep at night and I couldnt get through a trip to Wal-Mart without quitting before I was done half the time. In 6 or 7 weeks after the surgery I was already even with how mobile I was presurgery. Oh, it was different in many ways; I had no trouble sitting at a desk all day presurgery and i couldn't sleep on my side until nearly 4 months and i was still icing a lot. But overall I was accomplishing about as much as I accomplished presurgery.
I went back to work a little by 5 weeks and was back to full time by 10 weeks. At 12 weeks I had felt like I was doing a normal load of work and other duties and could be on my feet for an hour, maybe 2. But there was still some pain and stiffness. Things just slowly keep getting better. It has only been the last month I have had entire days with absolutely no pain or stiffness. I still get an occasional twinge now and then but it may be a few days between one time and the next. My stamina keeps improving. I can walk for miles. But more important to me, I can do full 8 or 10 hours of the active portion of my job. I'm a real estate appraiser and presurgery I was usually taking my husband or 17 year old son on inspections. I'd often have to stop and rest midway through a job in spite of the help. Today I did 4 inspections in a row alone. I was out for about 7 hours walking, climbing stairs, climbing through bushes measuring, etc. I held up well, stopped at the grocery on the way home and am still feeling pretty energetic.
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Jajakio
graduate
So the question is; when to do the other knee?
I was in so much pain and so debilitated with this knee I didn't feel like I had much choice. While my surgical knee was hurting to some degree for a good 4 to 5 years before surgery, my non operated knee started acting up only about 6 months before my surgery. But my first knee appointment 4 years ago showed both knees bone on bone in the xrays. Only the right one hurt at that time though.
I made a valiant attempt to get both knees done at the same time. I interviewed 3 different surgeons and got 3 different reasons why they would only do one knee at a time. The surgeon I chose said wait and see how bad the second knee was after I was carrying my weight evenly and not overcompensating for my bad right knee. But he also said he would do the second knee whenever I felt I was ready.
Well in the beginning , just after surgery, my non operated knee was good. Maybe limited activity, pain pills, a better gait helped. But while I am pretty active now , there are things the second knee is preventing me from doing. For one thing, I still can't do a good job of foot over foot going up or down stairs unless they are pretty low steps. It does hurt a little but mostly the non operated knee lacks strength to put all my weight on it for a normal foot over foot down stairs. The pain is there from time to time but isnt awful yet. I could probably live with that. It's the stiffness and lack of strength and knowing its only going to get worse. After all, it has been bone on bone for more than 4 years.
I've spent a year reading threads and know it doesn't always go well. It also seems sometimes people who weren't debiliatingly bad off presurgery were the most frustrated with the long recovery process. Those of us who were hardly mobile didn't take long to see an improvement . I dread going through the whole surgery thing over again but I am also dreading going downhill slowly and getting to the point of nonfunctional again before I have the other knee done. Now that I've got mobility back, I hate to lose what I have.
So why not just wait until it gets worse? There's the whole insurance issue. We're self-employed and have the ACA insurance, also known as Obama care. I spent 2017 worrying if i would get my surgery before it got dismantled all together. I was fine, but every year the premiums go up and more importantly, so does the deductible. It was $2500 last year which was doable but it's much higher this year and likely to be higher still next year. And there is still the concern it may be dismantled at some point. If we didnt get a subsidy, the premiums woould be over $2000 a month for both of us. My husband turns 65 in 2019, so that may help when he's on Medicare but I've got over 6 years to reach that point and I don't think the knee will last that long.
Nobody knows what the future will bring but there is something to be said for doing it while I can. So far, the game plan is to lose more weight to see if that helps, see the surgeon for my year checkup in July and keep the option open of doing the other knee before 2018 is over.
I was in so much pain and so debilitated with this knee I didn't feel like I had much choice. While my surgical knee was hurting to some degree for a good 4 to 5 years before surgery, my non operated knee started acting up only about 6 months before my surgery. But my first knee appointment 4 years ago showed both knees bone on bone in the xrays. Only the right one hurt at that time though.
I made a valiant attempt to get both knees done at the same time. I interviewed 3 different surgeons and got 3 different reasons why they would only do one knee at a time. The surgeon I chose said wait and see how bad the second knee was after I was carrying my weight evenly and not overcompensating for my bad right knee. But he also said he would do the second knee whenever I felt I was ready.
Well in the beginning , just after surgery, my non operated knee was good. Maybe limited activity, pain pills, a better gait helped. But while I am pretty active now , there are things the second knee is preventing me from doing. For one thing, I still can't do a good job of foot over foot going up or down stairs unless they are pretty low steps. It does hurt a little but mostly the non operated knee lacks strength to put all my weight on it for a normal foot over foot down stairs. The pain is there from time to time but isnt awful yet. I could probably live with that. It's the stiffness and lack of strength and knowing its only going to get worse. After all, it has been bone on bone for more than 4 years.
I've spent a year reading threads and know it doesn't always go well. It also seems sometimes people who weren't debiliatingly bad off presurgery were the most frustrated with the long recovery process. Those of us who were hardly mobile didn't take long to see an improvement . I dread going through the whole surgery thing over again but I am also dreading going downhill slowly and getting to the point of nonfunctional again before I have the other knee done. Now that I've got mobility back, I hate to lose what I have.
So why not just wait until it gets worse? There's the whole insurance issue. We're self-employed and have the ACA insurance, also known as Obama care. I spent 2017 worrying if i would get my surgery before it got dismantled all together. I was fine, but every year the premiums go up and more importantly, so does the deductible. It was $2500 last year which was doable but it's much higher this year and likely to be higher still next year. And there is still the concern it may be dismantled at some point. If we didnt get a subsidy, the premiums woould be over $2000 a month for both of us. My husband turns 65 in 2019, so that may help when he's on Medicare but I've got over 6 years to reach that point and I don't think the knee will last that long.
Nobody knows what the future will bring but there is something to be said for doing it while I can. So far, the game plan is to lose more weight to see if that helps, see the surgeon for my year checkup in July and keep the option open of doing the other knee before 2018 is over.
KarriB
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When my OS told me I’d need 12 weeks away from teaching I thought I 8 weeks would be enough and that was what I told my supervisors. Guess what...I went back to my classroom at 12 weeks, part time. We live and learn, but I’m glad to read you’re doing so well!
KarriB
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When to have the other knee done is a very personal decision and insurance can be a big part of that. A friend had one knee done in the spring and the other right after Christmas so there wouldn’t be another deductible to meet.
I’ve also been working on losing weight to help with an easier recovery and it’s helped with pain in my natural knee too. Let us know what you decide.
I’ve also been working on losing weight to help with an easier recovery and it’s helped with pain in my natural knee too. Let us know what you decide.
mlwreader
senior
I was told by the PA on my first visit to my OS a couple years ago that I would know when I was ready to have the surgery. At the time it was my right knee that was the problem. She was a straight talking woman, much more so that her boss, my OS. She said there is no cure, the knee would get worse over time, they could give me shots to help, but no cure. When I had my surgery scheduled for the right knee, one fine day, my left knee, which still had some cartilage, blew up. I talk about this in my thread. I made the decision to get them both done, but the doc wouldn’t do it. I found another surgeon who would do both, and I was on.
The thing is, before surgery I was crippled, on a walker, and nearly housebound. Also discussed in my thread. I hear what you are saying with the dilemma you have - it sounds like you have your life back, and you are asking yourself, if it ain’t broke why fix it. I feel for you also re the insurance issue. When I was your age it was pre-Obama care and insurance for me alone was in the $1000 a month range, and I was self employed.
I don’t have any answers but I did want to chime in with an understanding of where you are coming from. You are able to work and function - fabulous at 9mos out. Could you start a savings plan to cover the deductibles? Put x amount aside every month? And just keep doing what you are doing? Just a thought.
Anyway, please keep posting about your wonderful recovery. I am two months behind you and love reading good stuff like yours.
The thing is, before surgery I was crippled, on a walker, and nearly housebound. Also discussed in my thread. I hear what you are saying with the dilemma you have - it sounds like you have your life back, and you are asking yourself, if it ain’t broke why fix it. I feel for you also re the insurance issue. When I was your age it was pre-Obama care and insurance for me alone was in the $1000 a month range, and I was self employed.
I don’t have any answers but I did want to chime in with an understanding of where you are coming from. You are able to work and function - fabulous at 9mos out. Could you start a savings plan to cover the deductibles? Put x amount aside every month? And just keep doing what you are doing? Just a thought.
Anyway, please keep posting about your wonderful recovery. I am two months behind you and love reading good stuff like yours.
I can only relate my husband’s experience, he had his knees done 7 years apart by choice. In his situation, exercises, strengthening kept him going until it finally broke down. I hope you find a workable solution to your health insurance. Two working knees is the ultimate goal.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
Your game plan is sensible. Weight loss might help your knee, and is a healthy goal in any event. Of course, in the long run, no matter what you do, your knee will just reach the point where it too needs surgery. If you have the means this year, getting it done in 2018 makes sense.
You know what you’re in for, at least. You know that you will get through surgery and have two working knees. Not everyone has an excellent outcome, you’ve read enough to know this, but most people do recover well and you know how to make the most of your recovery.
You know what you’re in for, at least. You know that you will get through surgery and have two working knees. Not everyone has an excellent outcome, you’ve read enough to know this, but most people do recover well and you know how to make the most of your recovery.
Jajakio
graduate
Thanks all. I guess at this point I should be happy for a very successful surgery and decent mobility. If I knew it wouldn't get any worse, I could probably live with this. But, of course, that's unlikely. Bone on bone isn't going away. I'm a poor candidate for the stem cell stuff (too old, too fat, and probably progressed too far) even if(?)it might work for some people. I'm positve a second knee is somewhere down the road for me. Surgeon tells me it isnt" if " it's when.
Has anybody else had their done before it got really bad, and did they wish they had waited? That sounds dumb but i guess if they had problems, they might have been sorry they did it before it was absoltely necessary. I'm half afraid of jinxing things if I do it before I'm non functional. That also sounds dumb in print. I've never been very good about just letting things take their course. I'm assuming most of us were pretty bad off before we did this. In retrospect, I should have had the surgery at least a year earlier, maybe 2. But like many of us, I was afraid of a bad outcome and needed time to wrap myself around the idea. Also to lose some weight.
Yes, I have a much better idea of what I'm in for the second time around. Which is both good and bad. I am less terrified of a bad outcome but have a much better understanding of how long the recovery really is. I'm going to put it on the back burner for now and concentrate on losing weight before I have my year check up in July.
Thanks all.
Has anybody else had their done before it got really bad, and did they wish they had waited? That sounds dumb but i guess if they had problems, they might have been sorry they did it before it was absoltely necessary. I'm half afraid of jinxing things if I do it before I'm non functional. That also sounds dumb in print. I've never been very good about just letting things take their course. I'm assuming most of us were pretty bad off before we did this. In retrospect, I should have had the surgery at least a year earlier, maybe 2. But like many of us, I was afraid of a bad outcome and needed time to wrap myself around the idea. Also to lose some weight.
Yes, I have a much better idea of what I'm in for the second time around. Which is both good and bad. I am less terrified of a bad outcome but have a much better understanding of how long the recovery really is. I'm going to put it on the back burner for now and concentrate on losing weight before I have my year check up in July.
Thanks all.
Me!
I had a partial because my arthritis was just in the kneecap. I wish I had waited until I needed a total, but I thought the amount of pain I had was a lot. It turns out, in my case, I didn’t know how good I had it! But then, I wasn’t told much about totals because it wasn’t recommended. I was also told practically nothing about recovery. What a shock it was.
I am not happy with my outcome but not in any hurry to do this again. I have more discomfort and limitations now than I did before surgery. I was told I was not bone on bone before.
Live and learn, I guess. While it might not be the best thing to do, I will hold out as long as I can before doing this again, either as a revision or the other knee. My other knee hurt almost as bad as the one they did, but it’s been 98% fine since my surgery a year ago.
Polkadot
graduate
It's great to hear that you can handle grueling days of inspections with aplomb! I could have written this, as it's my story, too (grrr!):
...while I am pretty active now , there are things the second knee is preventing me from doing. For one thing, I still can't do a good job of foot over foot going up or down stairs unless they are pretty low steps. It does hurt a little but mostly the non operated knee lacks strength to put all my weight on it for a normal foot over foot down stairs. The pain is there from time to time but isnt awful yet. I could probably live with that. It's the stiffness and lack of strength and knowing its only going to get worse.
Then I read this:
In retrospect, I should have had the surgery at least a year earlier, maybe 2. But like many of us, I was afraid of a bad outcome...
It sounds like this time around, you are approaching things more head-on, but I suggest that you think about the fear lurking behind the logic. Sometimes we know what we want to do, but the fear monster makes us delay. I'm not suggesting that you move up your time table; just that this complex issue of when to get the second knee done is sometimes messed up by fear, and then we find ourselves eventually writing something like your second statement. (Hmmm, I think I'm talking to myself here, as well...)
...while I am pretty active now , there are things the second knee is preventing me from doing. For one thing, I still can't do a good job of foot over foot going up or down stairs unless they are pretty low steps. It does hurt a little but mostly the non operated knee lacks strength to put all my weight on it for a normal foot over foot down stairs. The pain is there from time to time but isnt awful yet. I could probably live with that. It's the stiffness and lack of strength and knowing its only going to get worse.
Then I read this:
In retrospect, I should have had the surgery at least a year earlier, maybe 2. But like many of us, I was afraid of a bad outcome...
It sounds like this time around, you are approaching things more head-on, but I suggest that you think about the fear lurking behind the logic. Sometimes we know what we want to do, but the fear monster makes us delay. I'm not suggesting that you move up your time table; just that this complex issue of when to get the second knee done is sometimes messed up by fear, and then we find ourselves eventually writing something like your second statement. (Hmmm, I think I'm talking to myself here, as well...)
HoneyB
senior
I went into my first TKR with two identically bad knees. My surgeon talked me out of doing both at the same time. I also thought that if I didn't like the outcome of the first, I could pick a different surgeon for the second. Now 7 weeks post-op, I'm planning the second one in May. I didn't remember how bad the non-surgical knee hurt until I stopped taking pain meds from my TKR and the other knee said, "Hello! Remember me?" I dread starting over again, but I've decided I'd rather keep trudging through while I'm already on this mission. Maybe my rehab of my first TKR will benefit from the meds and rehab of the next one. I really dread prolonging the "no sleep" part of this. Ugh.
I made the mistake of waiting too long before having my first knee replacement. That made for a longer and more difficult recovery.
When my second knee was clinically ready for replacement, I had it done as soon as possible. At the time, I did wonder if I was having it done too soon, but my surgeon told me that, at surgery, it was truly ready for replacement.
Because I went into that surgery with my muscles and tendons in a good condition, I did have an easier recovery. I don't regret at all having that second knee done.
Jajakio
graduate
A week short of 10 months since surgery
What a wonderful weekend!
It used to be an anniversary tradition for us take a weekend out in the woods hiking trails. Last year our anniversary was a couple of months presurgery and my knee was so rough we didn't even try. The year before that had been short hobble of less than a quarter mile and a fair amount of pain.
This last weekend we decided to try a waterfall trip. Tennessee and Kentucky have so many waterfalls we haven't seen quarter of them. It was a perfect spring day; mid to high 60s and sunny. We planned to start with a fairly short 1.6 mile trail . It sounded good until I got to the trailhead. Tennessee marks trails easy, moderate or strenuous. Of course, this was a strenuous and we had never hiked this area before to know how bad it was. I decided to go ahead anyway and at least see what it was like. I made it all the way out ( 1.6 miles) and back (another 1.6 miles )past three waterfalls. A few climb- around- the- rock spots and some uneven steps but I did well. I was using both knees but noticed the new knee taking the lead more than once. Beautiful waterfalls, lots of wildflowers, deep woods.
No stiffness, no pain at all in the new knee. Very little pain in the non surgical knee. I was a bit out of shape -who am I kidding, I was huffing and puffing - but no knee pain. Another more level hike in the afternoon and no swelling or pain at all even the next day.
I cant tell you how encouraging it was to get to do things i havent been able to do in years. This is why we do this. And, if we are very lucky, we get our life back.
What a wonderful weekend!
It used to be an anniversary tradition for us take a weekend out in the woods hiking trails. Last year our anniversary was a couple of months presurgery and my knee was so rough we didn't even try. The year before that had been short hobble of less than a quarter mile and a fair amount of pain.
This last weekend we decided to try a waterfall trip. Tennessee and Kentucky have so many waterfalls we haven't seen quarter of them. It was a perfect spring day; mid to high 60s and sunny. We planned to start with a fairly short 1.6 mile trail . It sounded good until I got to the trailhead. Tennessee marks trails easy, moderate or strenuous. Of course, this was a strenuous and we had never hiked this area before to know how bad it was. I decided to go ahead anyway and at least see what it was like. I made it all the way out ( 1.6 miles) and back (another 1.6 miles )past three waterfalls. A few climb- around- the- rock spots and some uneven steps but I did well. I was using both knees but noticed the new knee taking the lead more than once. Beautiful waterfalls, lots of wildflowers, deep woods.
No stiffness, no pain at all in the new knee. Very little pain in the non surgical knee. I was a bit out of shape -who am I kidding, I was huffing and puffing - but no knee pain. Another more level hike in the afternoon and no swelling or pain at all even the next day.
I cant tell you how encouraging it was to get to do things i havent been able to do in years. This is why we do this. And, if we are very lucky, we get our life back.
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That is so awesome! I am envious as my recovery has not progressed to the point that I could do a trail like that!
I used to live in northeast Ohio where there are many metro parks and a surprising amount of waterfalls there, and in the 7 years we lived there we did venture out to some of them, they are beautiful . I can picture what you just described.
I now live in the flat state of Delaware and I miss the lovely hills and woods of Ohio. The ocean, an hour away, is nice, but I miss the Ohio scenery.
I used to live in northeast Ohio where there are many metro parks and a surprising amount of waterfalls there, and in the 7 years we lived there we did venture out to some of them, they are beautiful . I can picture what you just described.
I now live in the flat state of Delaware and I miss the lovely hills and woods of Ohio. The ocean, an hour away, is nice, but I miss the Ohio scenery.
Jajakio
graduate
@Jockette I feel for you. No one could have told me ahead of time what a long hard slog the last year was going to be. I know I'm luckier than some and I'm grateful every day.
So two steps forward and one step back. After that lovely weekend, Monday was brutal. That was my inspection day and i ended up with two very difficult properties that made me very aware of my limitations. A missing front step on a poor condition repossessed property way out in the country. And, of course, I hadn't packed the ladder. I had looked it up before i left the office and as a it was a small one story home and looked easy. So there i was trying to decide how to get up 3 feet high to the porch. Hemmed and hawed and slid onto the porch on my stomach, sat up and pulled myself up holding onto to the damaged screen door. I'm still can't kneel on concrete. The second house was bad too. Right behind the house was a long steep slope covered with huge pointy rocks to control erosion (they call them rip_rap here) too steep to climb down those big sharp scary rocks, fences on both sides, no way around. I had to be at the bottom of the slope to get pictures of the back of the house. I ended up bringing my 17 year old son back with me after school and made him climb down the hill for pictures. I managed but it makes me realized I am a long way from normal.
So two steps forward and one step back. After that lovely weekend, Monday was brutal. That was my inspection day and i ended up with two very difficult properties that made me very aware of my limitations. A missing front step on a poor condition repossessed property way out in the country. And, of course, I hadn't packed the ladder. I had looked it up before i left the office and as a it was a small one story home and looked easy. So there i was trying to decide how to get up 3 feet high to the porch. Hemmed and hawed and slid onto the porch on my stomach, sat up and pulled myself up holding onto to the damaged screen door. I'm still can't kneel on concrete. The second house was bad too. Right behind the house was a long steep slope covered with huge pointy rocks to control erosion (they call them rip_rap here) too steep to climb down those big sharp scary rocks, fences on both sides, no way around. I had to be at the bottom of the slope to get pictures of the back of the house. I ended up bringing my 17 year old son back with me after school and made him climb down the hill for pictures. I managed but it makes me realized I am a long way from normal.
