Revision TKR Totally recovered at last!

[newlybionic]

I still think I'm 20 and can recuperate quickly. It's only when I look in the mirror (or my driver's license) I realize that I'll be 61 in a few weeks!!

 

[jmdearras]

I still think I'm 20 and can recuperate quickly. It's only when I look in the mirror (or my driver's license) I realize that I'll be 61 in a few weeks!!

It's quite possible! don't doubt it.

 

[Celle]

I seem to live with those unicorns. Stairs at 1 week, driving back to work at 2.

You're the exception though, @jmdearras ! It's good for people to know that a great recovery is possible, even if most of us take longer than you did.

 

[newlybionic]

I was driving at 2 weeks since I wasn't on any pain meds. We're you actually walking up and down steps like an adult? I could go up and down steps but it wasn't step over step. I was very sick and on my own at 2 weeks. I'm not sure what type of work you do but we're you doing everything for yourself? I was doing laundry, shopping and dragging the garbage out. Were you still taking pain medications? Were you cooking your own dinner? I think we have to look at the whole picture. @jmdearras If you were doing all that and working too I think you are the rare exception. I'm glad for you.

 

[Celle]

I can see why you're making slower progress now than you would like - even though, truly, your progress is quite normal.
You were doing so much at only 2 weeks after surgery that you and your poor knee didn't have the chance to get all the rest you both needed.

Sometimes that's unavoidable, but it's not the best start your knee could have had. Try to be patient with it now and give it all the time it needs.
Complete recovery from a knee replacement can take as long as a full year.

 

[truckinguy]

I'm moving better every day but I still have nagging pain at night that makes it hard to sleep. Is this normal? My health insurance plan limits my total PT visits to 20 and then I have to pay anymore out of pocket. I can't walk down stairs step over step yet. How will I know when I should stop going to PT? Is swimming a good exercise to increase range of motion? If anyone has these answers I would love to hear from you.

You have to work at it to do this I believe. I can walk down stairs without baby stepping now easy. I worked at it. I've talked to folks my age who had TKR and can't. They didn't try or work at it. Rest your knee when sore with ice and rest. Then go back to life.
I stopped therapy at 6 weeks due to insurance and that was fine. I continued to work the knee myself by just trying to do my normal everyday things in life I would or like to do. Lot's of walking,hiking on easy trails at first. I did things I thought would help my flex and extension. It takes a long time to heal..I thought my extension would never get straight again..etc. Like I said above it takes at least a year to get past most issues..but remember you will always know it's there.. that you had it done.

 

[newlybionic]

Thanks @truckinguy for the info. It has been very helpful hearing that it will continue to get better. I have also realized that I was so out of shape before the surgery due to my knees that I have to give that time too. I can see now that I am better off having my surgery. I've been working at going down the stairs. I have to remember that I haven't be able to do that for years so I need to relearn that.

 

[Pumpkin]

newlybionic,
For stairs, start with alternating steps the last few steps, increasing as you become more comfortable. Trying to go from the top can be daunting.

 

[PolarBear60]

I can do alternating steps but I mostly don't because of my non-TKR knee. I'm looking forward to doing stairs like a big kid after its done and had a couple weeks to recover.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005

 

[jmdearras]

I was step-over-step at a week. I was on tylenol then, until 4 weeks or so. I had 100 degrees of flexion the day of surgery, and kept it, that was quite lucky. My wife was back teaching school, I fixed my lunches the second week, she fixed dinner. I work in IT, desk job. I did not use any cane, etc, at work. Yesterday, I spent the day crawling under the house doing heat-pump maintenance. I have been quite blessed, recovery was not my doing.

 

[hawk2go]

It was about 6 or so weeks out I cried at therapy.

The frustration is deep felt and normal. I was lying on my back trying to do a simple heel slide when I realized how much pain I was in, how much pain I had been in, how this recovery was right on the heels of recovery from a fall and surgery on my other leg, how truly tired I was and I just bawled. Of course, my PTs thought they had hurt me or that the exercise had hurt me. We decided, to my delight, to remove lying down heel slides from my regimen from that day forward. I stopped PT on Sept 4. I was so happy to be able to live and plan my life without having to save energy for my PT sessions. I got so much more in.

Just the normal activities of your daily life, particularly walking, will be enough to continue your progress.

My progress has been steady by doing normal real life activities and my ROM has just a little ways to go to normal (judging from the other knee). I found what everyone here says to be true when the healing progressed and the swelling decreased, the functionality of the new knee improved.

Hang in there. The road is long but the bionic knee is so much better than that bone on bone grinder.

I seem to live with those unicorns.

yes JM, unicorns indeed. I follow you and constantly marvel at your progress and wish my care team did not use you as the prime example of TKR recovery, haha. A bit of the normal bell curve reality would have been better for me to prepare for what I encountered. Tell me about the miracles, the tragedies and the average and let me prepare myself appropriately.

 

[newlybionic]

My therapist keep reminding me that it was hurt 40 years ago and you can't fix that on a few months. I've started doing just the last 2 steps going down. Maybe 3 this week!! My other knee is starting to bother me more. I don't know what to do with that one yet! I'll be talking with doctor in a couple of months and I'll see what my options are then.

 

[Celle]

You have to work at it to do this I believe. I can walk down stairs without baby stepping now easy. I worked at it. I've talked to folks my age who had TKR and can't. They didn't try or work at it. Rest your knee when sore with ice and rest. Then go back to life.

You really don't have to work at it. All it takes is time, and trying now and then.

Going downstairs is harder on a new knee than going upstairs. That's because you first need enough bend. Then you need to have regained enough strength to do what amounts to a one-legged squat, for stepping down - but don't practice one-legged squats. Finally, your balance needs to be good.

All this will come, in time, as your knee recovers.

 

[Clipless]

Your therapist is wise and spot on!!! While I am happy for the fast recoverers, I relate better to my fellow slow-recoverers. After my first (left) TKR I didn't descend stairs foot-over-foot for a long time. At 10 months post I was finally working on descending foot-over-foot without holding the handrail the entire time. By that point, however, my failing and unstable right knee was also a factor, as perhaps yours is for you.

 

[newlybionic]

I went to therapy today but had to take it easy because my other knee was complaining!! I don't thank everyone for their input. I'm almost ready to say I'm glad I had surgery. I now wish I had both done at the same time. At this point I am gun shy of another surgery due to my problems with taking pain meds and this time I would also have no one available to be with me for any amount of time.

 

[Celle]

My therapist keeps reminding me that it was hurt 40 years ago and you can't fix that in a few months.

Your therapist is quite right. You can't fix long-term problems in just a few weeks.
So, it looks as if you could be having a slower recovery than you would like, but that's OK. Do you remember the story of the race between the tortoise and the hare? The tortoise won that race, because he kept on going. So, if you're going to have a tortoise-like recovery, so be it. You'll get there in the end!

I've started doing just the last 2 steps going down. Maybe 3 this week!!

That's progress! And it's a very sensible approach.

 

[Josephine]

My therapist suggested to me to make sure that when I am laying down or sitting that my left leg should be straight and to not let my foot to turn outwards.

That's a myth! You can lie with your knee bent but not too much. Look here - an article from the recovery set you were left earlier! - Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key. It gives you all the do's and dont's of elevating!

How will I know when I should stop going to PT?

Any time you like petal! I did absolutely NO PT or exercising whatsoever! I recommend you read my recovery threads to see how little exercising I did!
First knee. Knee recovery - UK style
Second knee. Josephine's 2nd knee story - short version where I did even less!

You have to work at it to do this I believe.

Another myth which I am working hard to bust. All you need is the BoneSmart mantra: rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds! As I said previously, I did no exercising whatsoever and my ROM was 135/0 at 6 weeks.

 

[newlybionic]

On the back side of my knee on the right it feels like a knot or swelling. I didn't notice this until the end of last week. When I try to bend my knee it actually is limited because it is hitting against it. The therapists are not really to answer why this is happening. Does anyone know what it is? It's not swelling, no hematoma is present and it's only on that side of my knee. I'm just baffled. Anyone else experience this?

 

[Poz222]

Yes... I have the same thing! It is a ball and is painful to rub. My pt has been doing massage sessions on it and said it is a juncture where the tendons and muscles meet up. He said I have some adhesions there and does the most painful massage to break it up. I am frustrated cause it hurts and is affecting my rom!

 

[newlybionic]

I went to therapy today. A third therapist looked at it and tried massage. I had tried that already and I iced it too. They tried stretching it. The measured my ROM and I actually lost 10 degrees. I'm thinking of going back to the doctor so they could look at it.