Revision TKR TKR revision

[agsmom]

Hi everyone, I have some questions today. Does anyone have experience with Intermittent Fasting? I did Intermittent Fasting last year to lose weight after having a thyroid ablation and gaining lots of weight. I love the lifestyle and would like to get back to it. I am hesitant to do it too soon as this was such a big surgery and I know I’m still healing. So I’m hoping for any insight and/or advice from anyone who has done Intermittent Fasting after revision TKR. Or, just plain nutrition advice for post TKR that I can use to figure it out. TIA!

Also, anyone have any thoughts on a timeline for weight bearing on the surgical leg? More info - I was unable to walk normally for almost seven months before the revision. I am interested in building the muscles that support weight bearing but don’t want to overdo it. When I try to put a lot of weight on the leg now, I have a good deal of pain. I’m not sure if I should slowly be trying to stand on it or if it’s too soon. I can’t currently lift my other leg and stand on the surgical leg. I’m walking more and more but still using the cane and have a significant limp without it.

Yesterday was nine weeks post surgery. Thanks for reading and I’d appreciate any responses.

 

[benne68]

nutrition advice for post TKR

Healing after major surgery demand a lot of our bodies and 2 months is probably a bit early to begin any type of calorie restriction. Here are a couple of articles, written by a nutrition advisor, that you might find helpful:

Healing Phases & Nutrition

Healing Phases and Nutrition No matter what part of the body is undergoing surgery, the internal process for healing is pretty much the same! Surgically "traumatized tissue" (skin, muscle, bones, cartilage, tendons, etc.) does not just magically heal; rather, the body has to rebuild and repair...

bonesmart.org

Bone health!

Bone Health Our skeleton may seem an inert structure, but it is an active organ, made up of tissue and cells in a continual state of activity throughout a lifetime. Bone tissue is comprised of a mixture of minerals deposited around a protein matrix, which together contribute to the strength and...

bonesmart.org

Also, on the subject of weight loss: Once you are walking more, you may find that you will drop weight without dietary changes. I have lost almost 5% of my body weight in 6 months without altering my diet -- just because I was taking a daily walk. After a year of little-to-no exercise (due to joint pain), just walking has made a huge difference in the calories I am burning.

 

[agsmom]

@benne68 thanks so much for the reply. I don’t want to lose weight so much as not gain, which is slowly starting to happen. I’m also interested in the healing aspects of Intermittent Fasting, in particular autophagy. However, I have the same concerns you do regarding it being too soon after surgery. I will read the articles, thanks for posting them.

 

[agsmom]

Any thoughts regarding weight bearing on revision TKR surgical leg? Someone, I think it was @thneed, mentioned her pt having her do the “stork” exercise. One of the admins said it was early for her to be doing that. I would like to know the timeline for full weight bearing expectations. As of now, it hurts quite a bit to bear a lot of weight on it so I know it’s not time yet. Just curious if I should be trying to build up to that or just not worry about it.

 

[thneed]

Mine isn't a revision, so it might be different. Another patient at my pt was able to stand for 20 seconds (or more) after only 2 weeks, and I'm only able to do that now at 12 weeks. I would definitely find out from your doctor or pt if that's okay for a revision. I don't know the answer to that.

And I'm glad you asked about the weight loss because I was wondering the same thing. I know I need to lose a bit to help my knees (should have done it before the surgery) but I also know how hard weight loss can be on your body. Combining it with surgery recovery might be too much. I have done IF in the past with some success, but it's been awhile so I don't remember much about my eating schedule, etc.

 

[agsmom]

@thneed thanks for the reply. I thought it was in your thread that I read about standing on the surgical leg. I still can’t do that without some support. I have experimented with it at home, with my hands on the counter. I can shift all the weight and lift my hands (most of the way up) but it’s painful. I guess I’m not ready yet. I’ve started doing some gradual weight bearing exercises at pt - on the reformer and the balance board. Patience in this as in all else!

 

[agsmom]

Today was an incredible day! At physical therapy, I walked without the cane and the limp was almost gone!!! Of course I cried many tears of joy. The whole clinic clapped for me. My physical therapist is incredible. If anyone reading this isn’t happy with their PT, please search for someone you like if you want to keep going to PT.

Back story, I brought in some baked goodies for the staff Monday as a thank you. I spoke to my therapist briefly. I told her I’m ready to walk without the cane but I can’t because of the limp. I asked her to help me figure out the next step in my recovery to get to the goal of walking unassisted. Today we chatted and she told me she had an idea. She used a theraband and wrapped it around my knee in a pattern that would support it without constriction. {We both think my issue is a combination of not walking properly for so long and partially a mental block- my brain doesn’t think my new knee can support me} It worked wonderfully! I will still have to use the cane some as I have a lot of weakness but now I can walk correctly while doing so.

For everyone out there still struggling, hang in there. Patience is so important in this long haul recovery.

Another update, the stem pain I experienced for so long in my tibia is almost completely gone. I’m so glad; that was no fun at all.

 

[sistersinhim]

What an upbeat, positive post! It is so hard to unlearn the way we walked for years. Your therapist is doing a great job listening to you and really hearing you! That is so important in any recovery. Also, great news about no more shin pain. I suffered from shin splints for a while after my surgery. The way I was walking was changed and affected more than just my knee.

 

[agsmom]

Thanks! You’re right, unlearning an improper gait is so hard!! I still have a long haul to get to full recovery but I’m now seeing it on the horizon. For so long I was just discouraged and couldn’t see much other than frustration on the horizon.

 

[agsmom]

Hi all, my husband and I went to visit our daughter last week. The visit involved an hour car ride, 2 1/2 hour plane ride and then a two hour car ride each way. I did well with the visit over all but now I’m dealing with a sore knee that’s swollen a little and has decreased range of motion. I also had a nasty GI bug during the trip. The day after we got home, I had a pretty intense PT session. I don’t know if it’s the trip and PT combined or just the PT or just the trip. Anyone else experience this type of issue at 12-13 weeks post revision TKR?

I know I need to back off the activity for a bit. Any advice on how much to back off? I haven’t done any exercises or stretching since last Thursday’s PT session. My knee has just been too uncomfortable. However, I’ve still done regular ADLs and have had to go grocery shopping and such. Should I go back to doing very little for a few days?

Also, decided to stop nsaids sometime last week. Only Tylenol for pain. I had been talking 200 mg Celebrex a day. Could the lack of nsaids be contributing to the swelling since they’re so anti inflammatory? There’s not a lot of pain, just that associated with stiffness.

 

[agsmom]

Hello everyone,

I haven’t posted in a while so thought today would be a good day to do that. I’m at 14 1/2 weeks and things continue to improve. I was so discouraged early on but everyone here who shared advice and experiences was right; time heals and be patient.

This week I’ve been able to continue walking without the cane for longer periods of time. The pain has decreased significantly and is almost gone. I can stand on the surgical leg for a short time while lifting the other leg. I did have to resume the Celebrex as it helps a lot with swelling and discomfort.

I hope you are all continuing to heal and progress in recovery!

 

[benne68]

Thanks so much for the update, @agsmom. I'm glad to read that you are noticing improvements.
Yes, this is a long show recovery that takes time. As someone once told me, our patience muscle is the one that requires the most exercise.

Hope your recovery continues to go well.

 

[thneed]

So glad to hear you are doing well! Most importantly, that you have very little pain. Standing on that one leg on its own is a bit scary, I still am not good with that on my first leg and it's been about 4 months. And you're right, time and patience is definitely the key. It's not an easy lesson to learn sometimes, lol.

 

[Susie-Q]

I'm sorry no one answered your questions from a couple of weeks ago. It was likely a combination of the trip and the PT that caused the setback. It sounds like you are doing well though now and that was only a small blip in your recovery. Glad your pain is almost gone!

Good luck in the rest of your recovery!

 

[agsmom]

@Susie-Q thanks for acknowledging my previous post. I thought no one had any answers so no one replied I think you’re right, a combination of both. I see a definite pattern in that it swells and gets sore anytime I over do it in any way. I’m hoping that starts to slow down a bit as I get further along in recovery. For now, trying not to overdo it but that’s so hard!

 

[Susie-Q]

Oh, it definitely will slow down. I'm a little over a year into my last recovery and I am thankful to say I don't even think about my knee much anymore! It's just my knee and it's working like it's supposed to.

 

[agsmom]

I can’t wait for that day to come! I just keep reminding myself that I’m only 15 1/2 weeks out. Seems like a long time but it’s not far into this recovery.

 

[agsmom]

Hi everyone, haven’t posted much lately so thought I’d give an update. Things are going well with the new knee. I find that I forget where my cane is at least a couple times a day, yay! I do still need it but I’m not as reliant on it as I was. The swelling continues to decrease and the new knee looks a lot more like the other knee than it has since last December. I do still struggle with stiffness after standing or sitting for any length of time. I’m not noticing much visible swelling, just the internal that leads to stiffness. If I overdo it, I will get external swelling. Not much change in range of motion but what I do have seems to be easier to achieve if that makes sense.

I’m having an issue that I would like to know if anyone else has experienced. When I’m walking, especially downhill but not exclusively, my knee isn’t moving smoothly. It seems to have a hitch. I do think this is probably normal and will work itself out. If anyone here has experienced this, please let me know how long it lasted. Is there anything I can do to help this along?

Another thing that’s happening is that my other knee is getting a little sore at times. It’s feeling the brunt of all the extra work I think.

I hope everyone reading this is having a good day and that your new knees are doing exceptionally well!

 

[agsmom]

One more thing, anyone have a recommendation for sunscreen for the scar? I’m going on vacation this week and I’ll need to protect the scar. TIA!

 

[Flashlight]

CeraVe 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50. Have a great time!