Bilateral TKR Two Knees, One Recovery

[vinny]

Hello @Parawheels I am a few days behind @Threads for my bilateral and a few months ahead of @Maggie94 ...your ROM will improve dramatically and you probably don't need to think of it right now as you have a lot of swelling that restricts your range........If you love your knees now wait a few months and see how much you enjoy them and the feeling of having your life back....like you I worship the ground my OS walks on for giving me this amazing recovery...Best wishes to you..

Vinny

 

[kneeper]

Congratulations! Don't worry about artificial deadlines for getting particular ROM. Just do the rest, ice, elevation and exercises (gentle) and listen to the knee and you'll be good.

 

[Parawheels]

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, Six days post surgery
The rehab facility is beautiful and after the first night here, i'm getting excellent care. My surgeon sent me here with orders for pain meds upon request, which I did not realize. I had a melt down the first night because the pain got ahead of the meds and after a pointed discussion with the head nurse, we got it straightened out. I was to be awakened to see if I wanted pain meds every four hours. They have been on top of that since then and there have been no problems.

About the ROM, I only took that as a number, I'm not married to it. My recovery is mine alone and if I'm at 90, then so be it. If not, as long as I'm progressing, I'm OK with that. My surgeon will go along with that, I'm sure, because we have seemed to have an understanding from the beginning that I will do fine in recovery at my speed. That being said, today I was at 90 (L) and 92 (R). PT is tough, but I feel better afterward. I was told my quads may be sore afterward, they aren't. My pistol left knee has come a long way as I learned to move it in a way not to exacerbate the pain. I'm fairly independent, dressing myself, including socks and shoes and getting around. The main problem has been the narcotics I was prescribed. They have done a number on my system and I've decided to stick with the tylenol and ibuprofen. Otherwise, I'm sick to my stomach and unable to eat.

My goal is to learn to walk properly with a proper bend and strengthen the muscles around my knee. I did steps today, albeit small ones. Tomorrow we're trying steeper ones that match those getting into my home.

Other things in my life are not improving. My sweet sister-in-law has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and my husband is experiencing what could be serious health problems. She and I talk every few days and it is bittersweet. She has a deep trust in God and has put this in His hands.

 

[Threads]

Great report about your recovery, so far. I had my meltdown in the hospital over meds, so a lot of us seem to have to go down that path. In my rehab hospital I had a doctor assigned to me during my stay there. Do you have one? If so, talk to her/him about your meds - maybe there is something else you can take that doesn't upset your stomach. I certainly needed more than Tylenol at your point in recovery. Maybe @Josephine could suggest something, but she is on the recovery road herself. You are right on when you say ROM is just a number. You are doing great there and your ROM will increase in due course - you are gently doing all the things that will make it happen.

I'm so sorry to hear about your sister-in-law and your husband. The best that you can do for them right now is to look after yourself so you can be there for them if and when it's needed.

Take care.

 

[Parawheels]

Two weeks and two days later.
I'm leaving the rehab facility tomorrow to go home. I had considered going home after the surgery and am so glad I changed my mind. Getting my pain meds in order and beginning rehab were foremost in my mind after surgery and I could not have done this at home. The oxycodone my surgeon prescribed was too strong, it only made me sick most of the time. The Physician Assistant here at rehab specializees in drugs and their interactions, and changed me to norco, instead, which has worked great for me. He also reworked medicines for my stomach, from pepcid to prylosec to offset the ecotrin prescribed by my surgeon. I also take ibuprofen three times a day. Except for before therapy in the morning, I've been able to get by with taking the norco at night, unless therapy or walking has been too strenuous.

As for rehab, today my ROM was 100 for both knees, and extension was 3 (L) and 6 (R). it has been an intense therapy, but I don't think I'd be able to walk around without a walker or cane if I had stayed at home. The therapy is rough but they don't allow the pain to be unbearable. I can walk pretty good distances around the facility, but because my left knee gave out a few times several days ago, I'm using the walker for longer walks and then the cane, or nothing in my room.

When I saw the surgeon yesterday, he was very impressed with the progress and the x-rays showed what he called perfect implants. They are mirror images of each other in the standing x-ray, and he just kept shaking his head at my walking, standing, and movement.

I expected a great deal more pain. I didn't expect that when I stood up that I would feel no pain and could just start out walking. I hadn't been able to do that for several years. The PT told me today that outpatient therapy will be more intense. I'm not sure what to expect, as this has seemed intense to me already. But I have a stationery bike at home, so will utilize that, and only have to come here two or three times a week.

In the meantime, my sweet husband learned today that he may have to begin dialysis in the near future. My knees seem so unimportant at that news, but I feel confident that if that day comes, I'm more ready, physically, to be there for him. At this point, I want to be able to remain hopeful and trust God in all things. There was a gospel singer here today and I listened to her for a while. A song she sang was 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus' and that's where I am today.

 

[vinny]

Hi @Parawheels certainly a mixed report with your great recovery and your Husbands potential diagnosis...faith will help you cope and you certainly seem to have strong belief....I wish you both good health..


Vinny

 

[Parawheels]

@vinny , thank you.

 

[kneeper]

Sounds like you're off to a great start

 

[skigirl]

So sorry to hear about your husband, but you are right, you will be in a good position to help him now

 

[Parawheels]

Does anyone else get emotional about all this? I mean, the first time I stood up after surgery I wanted to cry, not from pain, but because I could feel the difference right away in the strength of my new knees. When my surgeon viaited me at the hospital before discharging, I was in thankful tears again for all he'd done for me, he even hugged me because he was getting emotional. Then, at various times I've been close to tears because of some new progress and the reality that my life is changed and I don't have to be hampered physically because of knee pain. It happened again today. I got home from rehab yesterday and so had no physical therapy, nor did I do any exercises because the sheer effort in getting home, unpacking, and readjusting a few things at home was plenty enough effort. So today, I knew I had to get back at it. My sweet husband readjusted the seat on the stationery bike but I still couldn't manage the bend, so I rocked back and forth for five minutes and then was able to go full range of motion, and biked for 20 minutes. Then I got all emotional again, because, Sarah my PT at rehab, would encourage, educate, and encourage me again to keep trying and that's what I did and it has carried me through again. Maybe it's just the pain meds, and I'm okay with emotion, it's just not what I expected.

 

[Maggie94]

Congratulations on being home. Emotions all over the place are part of this journey - always have a tissue handy Take care of you and listen to your knees - cheers Maggie x

 

[kneeper]

I think it's a combination of things, including the pain meds, that can make us emotional at times.

 

[Parawheels]

I had some funny moments in the hospital. The day after surgery, I passed out a couple of times and the doctor determined that I had lost quite a lot of blood volume making my oxygen low and energy fragile. They increased the amount of fluids in my IV and put me on oxygen and I improved overnight. The nurse I had that night was Joel, a newlywed of two months who liked to tell corny jokes. Still somewhat weak, I was having trouble getting up from bed to go to the bathroom. He had me use his arm to pull myself up and in the extreme effort to get to my feet, I wet all over myself. I was so embarrassed but I told him what happened and he said not to worry about it, it would be okay.

Still embarrassed, I could take down my panties but could not remove them from my feet, so he helped and then held them there asking what he should do with them. "Throw them away, please". "Are you sure"? "Yes, Joel, I don't want them". I told him I would need clean ones and told him where to find them in my bag, even more embarrassed that someone would be going through my underthings. As I was sitting on the toilet in the bathroom, he was across my room and said, "how about these purple ones, are these alright?" I about laughed myself off the toilet, but told him those would be fine. I'm pretty sure he was making light of an embarrassing moment for me, and I thought it very sweet of him. And I can never wear those undergarments again without remembering this very fine nurse.

 

[Parawheels]

Three weeks and two days after surgery (Match 13, 2015)
My pain levels have been up and down this week. I overdid PT on Wednesday and I paid for it most of Wednesday night and Thursday. I think it was the leg lifts with 2-lb weights that did it. Next week, I will either do less of those or decrease to 1-lb weights. My PT is sensitive to my pain levels, but I know I tend to push where I ought not go. I've also been tired, to the point of taking naps. From all I've read here, that is normal, but again, it's hard for me to stay down.

I miss the long walks through the halls of the rehab facility, so I ventured outside yesterday as the weather was good. Today it's not looking too great, so I'm going to ask my sweet hubby to drive me to the Y and I can walk indoors. Yesterday, I had to forego the 30 minutes on the stationary bike because of pain, but already this morning, I feel like I'll be able to do that today. So, I hope I've learned the lesson - Don't overdo it!!!!

 

[kneeper]

Those little walks outside when the weather is good not only can help your knee but also your mood when you're feeling a little stir crazy. I'm glad you have taken some naps. Even just lying down for a little while is good.

 

[loslocos]

HEY glad to hear you are doing well, wish you could pm or email me, but I have not quite got this site figured out, I have so many question MD(GP) told me to get knees done, now, I just can't still rehabbing from wrist repair(fell on it twice since plated, shoulder repair, same falls there too, and Back fusion,fell on butt too, BUT I want to at some point go see your drs since they do Bilats, and VERY few do
sue

 

[Josephine]

@loslocos please don't encourage people to take discussion off the forum. We have a huge number of guests who come here regularly looking for information of all types.

 

[Maggie94]

hi @Parawheels how are things in your world? Just checking in on other bilateral girlies - hope all is good for you - Maggie x

 

[Jamie]

@Parawheels it's been a while since you posted. How are you doing? I'm assuming you are home by now and I hope recovery is a bit smoother for you.

 

[Parawheels]

My surgery was Feb. 18 and I've been home from the rehab facility for two weeks. I'm doing physical therapy two times a week and walking or using a stationary bike the other days at home. My ROM is 115/118 and flexion is 3/0 for R/L knees. My rght knee is nearly pain-free but sometimes feels stiff and my left knee still hurts when walking. Bicycling, repetitive motion doesn't hurt though so I try to do more of that, but I also need to walk, so it just takes some working through it, not overdoing, but also not neglecting movement. Around the house I walk
without a cane, but I use it when walking outside because of uneven surfaces.

I went to the pool Saturday and walked in the water and swam a little. But because I'm not ready to kick, the swimming was minimal. I didn't realize how much a workout it would be, so next time will only do 20 minutes instead of 40. I'm still learning that the knees are boss and it's going to take time to get back to an hour of swimming laps.

My pain levels are up and down, this morning I had some muscle pain from yesterday's water wotkout, but it felt much better as the day progressed. I still walk like a tin man sometimes and I mentioned to my PT that I was a little discouraged with that. But when she measured my motion and flexion and saw how good tuey were, she assured me I am progressing and reminded me it's only been just over four weeks since surgery.

I'm surprised at my energy levels also. Some days I want to nap and other days I want to go and go and those are the days I tend to overdo it. I'm trying to work on balancing that out. All in all, this recovery thing is as difficult as I knew it would be. It's never been easy for me to stay still and I feel like I'm being lazy if I'm not doing something productive. So it's important for me to remember that this recovery is a marathon, not a sprint!