Parawheels
junior member
Happy six weeks anniversary to Lefty and Righty! And to more freedom to walk and bicycle and all the things I want to do. This new lease on life is an amazing gift for which I am grateful to God.
Bilateral TKR Two Knees, One Recovery
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Maggie94
post-grad
happy anniversary to your brats from my brats... how are you going @Parawheels
Parawheels
junior member
Had my final post-op check today and my surgeon is very pleased with the knees, as I am, also. At my Tuesday PT my ROM numbers were 120 for both knees and 0 for extension. The surgeon says the funny gait of lifting my hip and swinging out the foot are normal at this time for a knee that was in bad shape before the surgery. In a bilateral, he said that the worst knee before surgery is usually the greater problem after surgery. And he also said that sleep difficulties are also normal at this time. So, everything seems on schedule and I guess I'll keep on doing what I'm doing.
Maggie94
post-grad
That's great @Parawheels. You are definitely acing your recovety. Well done. Maggie x
Maggie via Tapatalk
Maggie via Tapatalk
Parawheels
junior member
I'm eight weeks out from surgery. Since Sunday night, I've slept pretty well only needing pain meds either before sleep or upon waking in the morning. During the day, because I've been more active, ibuprofen has worked pretty well for pain. I seem to have less pain at night if I sleep on my back, which I don't like very much but it pays off if I can get a full night's sleep. I still have some obstacles to overcome before I feel like I can get back to work.
I'm working on geting up from low surfaces, i.e., the toilet without having to push off with my arms. It's painful because my muscles are still weak, but the more I do it, the better it is. I just tell my husband to ignore any outbursts he hears from the bathroom, LOL!
I continue to work on my gait, I'm still having pain in my left knee that causes me to throw out my left foot. Even though my ROM has been 120 for weeks, for some reason, it just hurtsat the bend. But I'm working and concentrating to get it right.
Stairs are still difficult, especially going down. My PT says to do them the right way, not to compensate, so that I don't get into bad habits, same as with my gait.
Finally, it's still difficult to stay in one position for any length of time, for example, I can sit for about a half hour, then I've got to get up and walk. That's not a big deal problem because I can get up as I need to at work.
I'm pleased with my recovery and feel like I've turned a major corner this week. Hopefully, I'll be ready by May 18 to be back in the office. I may miss my afternoon nap, though! !!
I'm working on geting up from low surfaces, i.e., the toilet without having to push off with my arms. It's painful because my muscles are still weak, but the more I do it, the better it is. I just tell my husband to ignore any outbursts he hears from the bathroom, LOL!
I continue to work on my gait, I'm still having pain in my left knee that causes me to throw out my left foot. Even though my ROM has been 120 for weeks, for some reason, it just hurtsat the bend. But I'm working and concentrating to get it right.
Stairs are still difficult, especially going down. My PT says to do them the right way, not to compensate, so that I don't get into bad habits, same as with my gait.
Finally, it's still difficult to stay in one position for any length of time, for example, I can sit for about a half hour, then I've got to get up and walk. That's not a big deal problem because I can get up as I need to at work.
I'm pleased with my recovery and feel like I've turned a major corner this week. Hopefully, I'll be ready by May 18 to be back in the office. I may miss my afternoon nap, though! !!
Thanks for letting me know. Sometimes we don't catch that members end up with multiple recovery threads. So I have now merged the two threads and all your recovery posts and comments are in one place. If you want to change the thread title at any time, you can do so by using the thread tools link at the top of the page. Or....if you prefer, just post what you want the new title to be and one of the staff will change it for you. Sorry for any confusion!!!
Parawheels
junior member
I'm four months and one day from surgery. I've been back to work since May 18. On May 3 I was lifting a planter and experienced pain on my left side. That began a week and a half of not being able to sit up, nausea, and the worst pain I've ever had, and three ER visits before finally being diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. That was so discouraging because my recovery was going so well. It's still disheartening because I'm afraid to do too much that will exacerbate it. Walking seems to be the best thing for me and stationary biking also helps. I love to swim, but I was doing exercises in the pool and I think that makes the pain worse. I'm taking 600 mg of ibuprofen as needed and that helps. If it's really bad, I have stronger meds and a muscle relaxer. Hopefully, I can get past this and heal, I don't want more surgery!
As for my knees, if I do the walking and biking, I'm okay. There are days that they feel like cement blocks, but they are still better than pre-op. I've heard here and talked with others that it takes at least a year for the knees to feel 'normal'. So, I guess I'm still on track. My co-workers are marvelous and were happy to have me back and I'm glad to be working again.
I feel like I need a kick in the seat of the pants to really get going, sometimes, as I have a lot on my plate helping my mom out and work and also exercise! Anyway, this isn't whining, because I really do feel blessed to be where I'm at. Have a great day everyone!
As for my knees, if I do the walking and biking, I'm okay. There are days that they feel like cement blocks, but they are still better than pre-op. I've heard here and talked with others that it takes at least a year for the knees to feel 'normal'. So, I guess I'm still on track. My co-workers are marvelous and were happy to have me back and I'm glad to be working again.
I feel like I need a kick in the seat of the pants to really get going, sometimes, as I have a lot on my plate helping my mom out and work and also exercise! Anyway, this isn't whining, because I really do feel blessed to be where I'm at. Have a great day everyone!
wberry
Sr Bonesmartie
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Parawheels:
I am so sorry you have had this come upon you. Where your degenerative disc are is important. I was diagnosed with the same back 10 years ago. Mine was premature due to an injury from a fall. I spent a year an a half going through various therapy. Finally the Neurosurgeon who was working with me offered the option to remove and fuse the bad sections. This was a big step, fortunately I had spent a lot of time researching and checking him out as a surgeon before I started seeing him. His reputation and past patients had nothing but praise for his abilities and their outcomes following their surgery. My problem was i not only had pain, but I was loosing the use of my arms and hands. In addition I would have pain flashes and mini seizures that would immobilize me if I turned or did something the wrong way. My DDD had started compressing my nerves as they exited my spine. That compressing either hurt like crazy or made me week in the muscles they controlled. My doctor told me the nerves are like water hoses, if you squeeze them off they get restricted, thus the symptoms I had. What clinched the decision for surgery was the prospect that if the pip stayed pinched to long, even reliving it, it might not open back up. So I had my C3 through C5 fused, when I woke from the surgery the surgeon asked me the squeeze his hand, I was scared because I knew how week I had become over the years. But to my amazement I had full force back. I couldn't check my neck movements because i was locked in a J-collar. After that it was 3 months off work to include 6 weeks at the start when i was not allowed to ride in a vehicle, use stairs or anything that might cause me to fall. After therapy for my neck, i found I no longer had the seizures, the impingement was gone. Today, I simply do some stretches every morning to keep mobility, but I haven't had any of the prior DDD issues since.
I home my story gives you some hope.
Wberry
I am so sorry you have had this come upon you. Where your degenerative disc are is important. I was diagnosed with the same back 10 years ago. Mine was premature due to an injury from a fall. I spent a year an a half going through various therapy. Finally the Neurosurgeon who was working with me offered the option to remove and fuse the bad sections. This was a big step, fortunately I had spent a lot of time researching and checking him out as a surgeon before I started seeing him. His reputation and past patients had nothing but praise for his abilities and their outcomes following their surgery. My problem was i not only had pain, but I was loosing the use of my arms and hands. In addition I would have pain flashes and mini seizures that would immobilize me if I turned or did something the wrong way. My DDD had started compressing my nerves as they exited my spine. That compressing either hurt like crazy or made me week in the muscles they controlled. My doctor told me the nerves are like water hoses, if you squeeze them off they get restricted, thus the symptoms I had. What clinched the decision for surgery was the prospect that if the pip stayed pinched to long, even reliving it, it might not open back up. So I had my C3 through C5 fused, when I woke from the surgery the surgeon asked me the squeeze his hand, I was scared because I knew how week I had become over the years. But to my amazement I had full force back. I couldn't check my neck movements because i was locked in a J-collar. After that it was 3 months off work to include 6 weeks at the start when i was not allowed to ride in a vehicle, use stairs or anything that might cause me to fall. After therapy for my neck, i found I no longer had the seizures, the impingement was gone. Today, I simply do some stretches every morning to keep mobility, but I haven't had any of the prior DDD issues since.
I home my story gives you some hope.
Wberry
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skigirl
Former BoneSmart staff member
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It is so disappointing to find a new health problem, just when you have solved another one. I have recently been dealing with lung disease and I am not a happy camper either. I feel like how can I do this again? I actually looked at property in Portland last night!!! Nice city, by the way!!
I try to take each day as it comes, try not to think too much of the future. I found that simple walking in the pool helped me a lot. I would walk forwards across the pool, backwards and sidewards for 40 min or so. I was in chest deep water.
I try to take each day as it comes, try not to think too much of the future. I found that simple walking in the pool helped me a lot. I would walk forwards across the pool, backwards and sidewards for 40 min or so. I was in chest deep water.
wberry
Sr Bonesmartie
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Agreed, for me, the warm pool therapy and traction therapy provided relief. But it was only temporary.
I would recommend exhausting such options first. DDD happens to everyone over time, so there are braces, therapies, event strengthening exercises that will help provide relief. What i did was a last resort.
I would recommend exhausting such options first. DDD happens to everyone over time, so there are braces, therapies, event strengthening exercises that will help provide relief. What i did was a last resort.
Parawheels
junior member
@wberry and @skigirl, wow the problems you both have/are having remind me that troubles come and I need to remember that they are for a season and sometimes you have to slow down be, thankful where you're at, and take it one day at a time. Thank you for the encouragement. The back pain is right below my waist towards the left side. At first I was concerned I had a serious kidney infection, because that's where the most pain was. But after that was ruled out the first doctor called it muscle pain. After a week of agony, I went back to the ER and they did an MRI (after giving me some serious pain meds) and found the disc problem. The pain doesn't necessarily go down into my legs, for which I'm grateful. But it's bad enough at times that I cannot sit up, but not nearly as bad as at first. @wberry, you talked of walking in water, I've been doing squats in the shallow end, swimming laps, doing bicycles moves, and then holding the side on the deep end and lifting my legs to the chest. Kind of like what you might do on the floor, but without the struggles to get up and down on these knees. I work out for about an hour, doing more laps than anything. But I think it's too much, because the next days, I'm in a lot of pain. Honestly, walking seems to be the best thing for me. It doesn't hurt to stand and walk and my knees get a workout, too. I've tried walking in water and it's so boring, I have to swim! Thanks again for the encouragement.
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