TKR The Long and Winding Road...To Recovery

[greatlakes]

Sounds as though you are recovering well. Two blocks is pretty darn good! Several of us had to deal with health crises of parents during our early recovery. It's not easy! Hang in there, and remember that if you're going to be able to help them, you need to take care of yourself too at this stage.

 

[birdinger]

I think I overdid the "exercises" today. Have had an achy pain on the outside of my knee...seems like along a tendon. I guess it was one of those "I want to hurry things along" days...doesn't work that way, does it?

 

[mamazipp]

Nope. The knee doth not like to hurry. You are still so early into recovery. No wonder your knee is achy after exercise. Have a day of rest.

 

[greatlakes]

Might be overdoing, might be the knee just decided to get achy. It's hard not to overdo, because there are no absolute rules for what overdoing is! I pushed my pool time longer because the knee seemed to like walking and exercising in the pool, now just have to wait and see if that was overdoing, or appropriate increase in activity. As @mamazipp says, you are still so early, and might want to err on the side of caution for a couple more weeks. I'm over six weeks now, so figure I can more safely test a few boundaries.

 

[Floridagal]

Goodness I couldn't walk that far until my healing was almost two months out. You are doing fantastic but probably a little too much. I hope your mom sees your recovery and does better.

 

[birdinger]

@Floridagal I think that you, @mamazipp and @greatlakes are correct. I may be doing a little much right now. I eased off, rested, iced and elevated today and felt better. Thanks to all of you for your wisdom. I love all the support and encouragement found on this forum.

 

[birdinger]

Haven't posted on my thread for a while although I have been reading everyone's and posting a little on other threads. I thought it was time for an update. I am four weeks post op today and generally doing pretty well. I need to watch certain pitfalls like comparing myself to others and overdoing. My sister had a RTKR in Minneapolis last Thursday and a good friend from church had a RTKR last Tuesday. Sooooo there's a healthy sibling rivalry (I'm older). I'm using a walking stick and most days walk about a half mile. Need to work on my gait but walking is feeling better each day. Flexion/extension is at 100/0 which I think is good but PTs always want more. The tightness in my knee is slowly decreasing but remains my biggest challenge. I continue to ice and elevate.
I've gone to church, a restaurant, visited my 99 year old mother in assisted living, did a tiny bit of shopping and got a hair cut. Feels good to get back to normal a little at a time. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories!

 

[Celle]

You're doing great!
100/0 is fantastic for only a month after surgery.

Your activity is about right, but beware of doing too much.

 

[birdinger]

Thanks, @Celle! I'll definitely be careful not to overdo.

 

[KarriB]

Finding balance can be difficult, but once you have a balance and listen to your knee it gets a bit easier. I totally get comparing though! My dad had TWO uneventful, easy recoveries. One just three months before my very eventful recovery.

 

[sheliac]

Sounds like you are doing GREAT. Walking 1/2 mile is something I aspire to.

I'm smiling about your 99 year old mom. How wonderful that she is in assisted living and not skilled nursing at that age. And very blessed to have you for a daughter.


Shelia
RTKR - 8/23/16
LTKR - 10/11/16

 

[birdinger]

Wondering when people started to drive again post RTKR. I know you need to be off pain meds and that everyone is different but was just curious as to others' experience.

@KarriB I find it hard not to compare sometimes, especially when the one you're comparing to is your sibling. Ha! Working on it.

@sheliac Thanks, Sheila. It's difficult now as she has taken a downhill turn and is not able to do as much "assisting". We're hoping she can stay in assisted living a bit longer as she loves the facility/staff. I've drawn much inspiration from your posts and am in awe of your giving spirit, especially the time you spend outside the U.S. I also identify with your tendency to take things "up a notch", i.e. worrying about infection, as I do the very same thing. Happy healing.

 

[mamazipp]

Hi Ruth
You are doing so well for 4weeks. Don't feel rushed to do more in your "competition". I could not walk any distance at 4weeks except around the house, and certainly not .5 of a mile. I was pretty housebound except for rides to PT.
My recovery was complicated by nerve pain down the outer side of my knee, making everything later for me. Thus I didn't drive for almost 3 months. My car is low and difficult for me to get into. I think others drive earlier. When I finally could drive tho, I felt a great sense of FREEDOM.
Your ROM is good and you're slowly regaining strength and mobility. Don't let PT push you any faster.

 

[FlaGranny]

With my first knee I drove at 3 weeks when I hadn't taken any pain meds. With the second knee, it was the right, I still don't think my leg is strong enough at 4-1/2 weeks.

 

[birdinger]

@FlaGranny we had our right knee surgery one day apart. Mine was on Sept 27. I've been thinking about driving but I also have been questioning my strength. Driving is such a symbol of freedom but I don't want to rush things! You've had really good recoveries and I've enjoyed reading your thread.

 

[birdinger]

@mamazipp Thanks for the encouragement and the wise advice about not letting PT push me. Sometimes I focus on how far I have to go instead of how far I've come!
How is the CPAP coming?

 

[mamazipp]

@birdinger the CPAP is definitely a work in progress, just like our knees.
Tonight I'm trying a new setting, still auto but something higher to start and closer to my top pressure. A narrower auto but higher start. Some nights better than others.

Good to remember how far you've come. You'll reach your destination but you can't control when......

 

[birdinger]

Brief update. Almost six weeks post surgery. Flexion/extension = 112/0. I'm driving but not too far yet...just around town, walk a mile a day outside, still in PT twice a week, can do forward revolutions on a stationary bike, shopping, light housework. I still use my walking stick out in public but not around the house. All in all I'm pleased but still have pain and am now nursing a flare up in IT band.
Hope you are all getting out and enjoying this beautiful fall.

 

[Celle]

You're doing great. Progress from now on will be slow and steady.
Here's an article about IT band problems:
ITB (ilio-tibial band) issues and treatments

 

[PolarBear60]

Great update, Ruth. You are doing well. Your question about driving is moot now, but I drove at two weeks with my left knee and three weeks with my right. The right knee was definitely slower to adjust to driving again, so the first several weeks on that went much more slowly for me.