TKR The Recovery Journey Begins: Second TKR

[Josephine]

I have decided to stop all my exercises for a week

A week won't be anywhere near enough but you should stop them all together. And don't plan on doing any for your second knee. There are many of us on here that never did any exercises at all and yet had really good outcomes. I recommend you read my recovery thread to see how little exercising I did for either knee! Knee recoveries UK style Parts I & II (Josephine)

My question is about walking. Should I continue to walk a mile 2-3 Can week as I have been, cut it back, or stop until my knee feels better?

I don't quite understand what "a mile 2-3 Can week" means - not at all! But I suggest that one mile (one half there and one half back) is quite sufficient for the time being, until this pain settles down. After that you can begin to slowly increase the distance. What ever you do, don't rush it!

 

[Iloved3]

I have gone 4 days now without the exercising or walking just to give things a rest. I plan to start doing some walking again, maybe Saturday. I think I will just start with half mile and see how it goes. Thanks for everyone's input! Second knee is just around the corner!

 

[Celle]

I'd be inclined to wait a little longer before starting to walk again.

It can take as long as 2-3 weeks for an upset knee to settle down.

 

[Josephine]

I have gone 4 days now without the exercising or walking just to give things a rest.

4 days? I should try it for 4 weeks before you start doing things again. Nothing happens that quickly

 

[Iloved3]

It has been 2 weeks since I first posted. I have not done any exercises or long walks for two weeks. I have increased my icing and elevation and I am beginning to see less swelling and tightness. I appreciate everyone's input.

My next knee is just two weeks away and I am becoming nervous about doing it all again. I thought after going through it once, I would be ready for the second one, but I am having anxiety. I learned a lot during the first one, but really dreading the second.

I find I am not dreading the pain, but the white compression hose, not driving (this one is my driving leg), not sleeping (have finally gotten back to good sleep), using narcotics which make me feel bad, although necessary for the pain (I felt horrible for 5 days after stopping the narcs), not being independent and having to depend on others for ADLs, etc.

I will be glad when all this is over and I have new knees!

 

[Pumpkin]

Iloved3,
Happy to hear your left knee you are seeing less swelling and tightness.

I hated the compression hose and took them off as soon as I got home, not driving, no sleep, and side effects from narcotics seem to go along with the early days after surgery.
It is hard allow others to to help in the early days, Nurturing mother: how to let go and accept help .

Got back and read the post op guidelines I left for you in post number eight, to help you prepare for your upcoming
RTKR.

Hopefully your recovery will go smoother with a less aggressive approach to your recovery.

 

[Iloved3]

My mother died from a clot in her leg that became a pulmonary embolism, so my doctor was very concerned that I wear the compression hose and take Eliquis anticoagulant for a full six weeks. Being the good patient, I did just that! June and July are a bad time to wear full leg compression hose. Ugh!

 

[Pk4tmjsd]

Hi Iloved3 - Read your thread - I replaced the right knee March 28; left knee June 6 of this year. I was more than ready to have each knee replaced. I found that having the first knee under my belt helped me when I went in for the second surgery. No two knee replacements are alike; I had an understanding of what the hospital protocols were and I had an understanding of their expectations before I could go home. I also had a "routine" at home that worked for me the first time around.

As for the TED compression stockings - could not agree with you more. Best wishes to you for your second TKR.

 

[OJ2]

I can totally understand how you feel. At 5 weeks, I am SO ready for this recovery to be over, and I would have a very hard time having the other knee done now. You are brave and strong, and I wish you the best.

 

[SusieShoes]

Everything you're feeling... yes, oh yes... those first weeks of recovery are a tangle of unpleasant things. The drugs. The difficulty getting to the bathroom. The difficulty GOING to the bathroom. Loss of appetite. Boredom. Lots of boredom. Just plain feeling sick and off and... who in their right mind would want to go through all that again? And yet we do, because the end result is so worth it.

Maybe (even probably) you will be one of the many people for whom that second knee, and recovery, is easier. You know what to expect (see above) but you also know what to do. You have the inside scoop on how to recover, and you can put your plan in place from the very first hour. You will be ahead of this game.

I'm so sorry about your mom. That's a good reason for your doctor to order the compression stockings. I agree, they're unpleasant to wear, especially in hot weather. On the plus side, for your second knee the weather should be cooler.

 

[Pumpkin]

Given your family history you will need to wear the TEDs. Glad this surgery will be during cooler weather.
Best thing you can do is be up and around walking in your home, through out the day.

 

[Josephine]

I find I am not dreading the pain but the white compression hose, not driving, not sleeping, using narcotics which make me feel bad,, not being independent and having to depend on others for ADLs, etc.

Well you know, there is always a price to pay for these miracles of science and these things are the price. I'd like to suggest that instead of being negative about them, try to see them in a positive way that this is the short-term price you pay for a life long, pain free knee!

 

[Jennszoo]

Yeah, the driving was my biggest fear w the second knee. I had such weakness with my first surgery, I couldn't independently lift it for almost 2 months and I was afraid of the same on the right leg. But my muscles were so much stronger on the right side after surgery, so I was physically Able to safely drive short distances at a month out. It was painful for about another 4-5 weeks though. I just sucked it up bc I have a kid in a private school that needed to get there. But you may not be grounded for a super long time.

 

[Iloved3]

Thank you, everyone, for your kind words and empathy. I really am looking forward to getting this second knee done so I can actually be out of pain and start living again!

Knowing what to expect in the hospital and once I get home should make things easier in the long run.

I had a memory pop up on FaceBook of a vacation with my girlfriends a year ago. It was a great time, but I was in constant pain and could not go everywhere they did (walking and up steps). I had forgotten how much pain I was in.

Pk4tmjsd, how are your knees doing now? I hope your are able to do all the things you couldn't before your surgeries!

OJ2, thanks for the kind words. I found that things started getting a lot better at about week 6, so hang in there!

SusieShoes, thank you for relating to my dread of the first few weeks of recovery. I feel like people keep telling me that my feelings are wrong and I should not feel that way, I should just be positive! It is nice to talk to someone who can really relate. I am really a pretty positive person and I find when I am having negative feelings it helps to talk about them and get through them. Your understanding is invaluable! I know I will get through this and the reward at the end will be great!! And you are right, the compression stockings will be so much more bearable in October than they were in June!

Jennszoo, thanks for the insight about driving. I had my bad knee done first and it had been babied for several years. I think my right leg is probably stronger so maybe I won't have to give up driving for so long! That thought really cheered me up!

Thanks again, everyone! Two weeks from now I will be up walking with my walker, starting the healing!

I know this will all be worth it in the end!

 

[SusieShoes]

You will be up on your walker wondering why in the name of all that is holy you agreed to do this again. It's kind of like having a baby, but the knee grows up much faster. And then you have two good knees and things will look pretty good!

 

[Polkadot]

Find a photo of that outing with your girlfriends last year, print it out, and put it somewhere you can see it during the early days of your 2nd recovery. Better yet, talk to those girlfriends about doing another outing, and schedule it for when you can really kick up your heels! You've already gone through this once, so you can be realistic about the timeline...something to look forward to, YES!

 

[gertie]

@Iloved3 Just catching up with your thread and see that you are about to have your second TKR just a few months after the first. I did mine 6 weeks apart this summer. As other responders have said, the good news is that you know the drill and have the gear (I pushed my walker aside after #1 but didn't put it away)--and once you get through this recovery, you're done! However, it can also be daunting to return to early recovery just when you're starting to feel better from the first op. I've found the support on here to be invaluable, especially on those low days when recovery is just dragging along--as well as the cheers when things take a leap forward. I love Polkadot's idea of posting a picture of an outing to aspire to.

Re: driving--my first TKR was for my right leg. I began driving at about 4 weeks out and probably could have started a bit sooner--I thought it would be longer, but the leg was strong from the beginning so once I was off pain meds, I was golden.

 

[Iloved3]

SusieShoes, TKR being like having a baby is a great analogy. Soon after labor and delivery are over, you forget all about the pain and focus on the wonder of the new baby. Looking forward to focusing on the wonder of two pain free knees!

Polkadot, the picture is a great idea! We have talked about doing the same trip again but I was just not up to it. Now we can start planning!

Gertie, you are right on target - I am feeling so much better, and now I am going back to ground zero with pain and discomfort! Seems rather masochistic!

I will be continuing with posting on here to help get through the rough times! Thanks for the support!

 

[gertie]

Seems rather masochistic!

Ha! Indeed it might seem masochistic. But most people I know kept commenting on how brave I was--didn't always feel that way but it's a nice way to think of ourselves as we go into this--brave, strong, resolute. Doesn't mean we don't feel down at times but we move on through.

 

[Pheebs52]

@Iloved3, everything you dread about repeating the process is valid; everything! All those little miseries add up and make the first month or so incredibly challenging. To choose a staged approach to knees is brave. It requires *True Grit* to knowingly place yourself in that circumstance again, just when you're beginning to feel human. However, the good news is, you do know how to *play.* You have all your necessary stuff, your friends here at Bonesmart who will hold your hand and make you laugh as need be, and the promise of a much brighter future with two great knees. @Polkadot's photo idea is brilliant and as always, @SusieShoes advice is spot-on. @gertie is a now successful *Stager* as are several others here, so you're in great company! @Jennszoo is basically "Wonder Woman," and gives us all something to aspire to.

Most stagers feel they have a very prolonged recovery for darn good reason, but, at the end? Two good knees; woot!

Like you, I also kneed another knee, but for a variety of solid reasons, I must put it off as long as possible. Part of me would love to just jump in and do it tomorrow, but the other, stronger part tells me to get a full year of recovery under my belt if possible. So, when I am going in for mine next year, you'll be enjoying that fabulous vacation with girlfriends, lol.