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TKR VW's new joint venture

I think I will only be checking in to the forum on a weekly basis due to many reasons. Most of which have to do with our new family situation. I see that is what commonly happens in this forum at around the 3 or 4 month mark.
Likely will let you all know what rehab doc says next week and then what OS says at next appointment, the week after?.
(^I wrote the same on pheebs' thread)
kneerah! everyone!
 
@VW54, you still have plenty of time to strengthen those hamstrings, so think positive and do the exercises, eh? I'm hopeful your clonking will disappear. Your day certainly did sound like a mixed-bag, probably one you could have done without, lol. I think 55 revolutions per minute on the bike is fabulous! Besides, who cares about a number like that? Only someone trying to enter the Tour de France!

Oh, you have my sympathy on the situation with MIL; egads! Perhaps she feels using a walker might make her look geriatric? Could be.....:) :-) (: That said, I think Susie's idea to dress it up *might* appeal to her. It's worth a shot!

Try to get the 24 hour heart monitoring test done soon. Just get it behind you so you can relax. I've had them more than once and it's no big deal. Basically, after knee replacement, not much is, right?

Hang in there!
 
Sending you good wishes as you and your family navigate these transitions. Always tough when decisions involve in laws as you don't want to butt in too much and also want to support your spouse. Glad you are having some follow-up cardiac tests to rule out any issues and glad the PT listened to you regarding the clonking.
 
Hello all, reporting in (briefly<?) after a week AND the end of my out-patient 6 week long rehab. :yay:
it is week 14 post op
There was the obligatory check by the in-house doctor. TG not the nutty doc, but the other one who supervises the tests that the health insurance services want done, mainly to compare this new form of out-patient to their decade long in-patient rehab forms. He was very nice.
So I did really well with the steps and the 2 km. walk (on a tread mill, at a good pace) also on the "get up quickly without holding on, walk 10 meters, sit down again" test. All showed improvement as did the muscle strength tests done with some weird apparatus whereby I had to push against this thingamajig and it somehow measures local muscle strength. Doc tested non-upgraded knee muscles vs upgraded knee muscles. Afterwards both knees hurt a bit. I will be getting the final report including what the various physiotherapists wrote about me (and my attitude?) during training units. Measured flexion on the table and it was 100, he measured again in a crouch position and it was 120. So I feel OK and it is only a number.
It'll come in the mail next week probably.
Today DH asked wryly what I will be doing with "all the free time now that rehab is over" He got the look,:wink: and then I replied, keeping my countenance: There is so much to do, haven't you noticed all what has gone undone around here?. He:" erm, yes "
Besides playing catch-up on so many things, there's all the mini-trips we postponed for now. (post re-hab when supposedly I would be as good as new, which I am not, TYVM.) That too takes planning and coordinating. I then mentioned caring for his mother, and how that too would cut into our "free time". He:"oh ja, ja..."
sometimes I wonder who this man is... :snork:

My knee still has the tight band feeling -though a tiny bit less, but it gets very bad or tighter when I walk a lot or have been on my feet a lot. It sometimes wakes me up when I turn around in bed. It hurts at around the 12th step after climbing (12 out of 15)
Heard from my OS (via return e-mail) and he wants to see me only in October. He wrote I should be more patient and do exercises I learned at rehab every day. :whistle: Said also he hoped clonking would diminish or disappear. (He knows how much it bothers me.) I should wear an elastic support when biking and if I plan to walk long distances. He thinks that'll help me ignore the clonking:what::skep:
And so now I'll go see what everyone else is up to and until next week or the one after...:flwrysmile:
 
I think it sound like you're doing just fine and recovering on schedule. I still have the tightness/stiffness in the joint itself after sitting for a while, or when getting up in the morning. It gets less and less, but it's still there, and I don't think that's unusual from what I've read here.

Lots of people swear by an elastic support sleeve for sleeping or for exercise. You've probably seen them mentioned in the recovery threads. If it would help you feel better about the clonking (has it gotten any better?) that might be worth a try.

And it definitely seems like your life is getting back to a new normal! Hope caring for your MIL will be easy and not add stress to your life. We're just waiting for the call to move my FIL into a skilled care facility. Sad, but necessary.
 
Hello. Signing in after 20 days absent from forum. @Pheebs52 wrote a pm to ask how I was. Thanks!. I guess as expected.
Almost 4th month post op (that would be in 3 days) so it is 17 weeks post op today.

People in RL also ask me how I am doing. I often hesitate: how much do I tell, how much do they want to know? how much do they care? (Is it merely a polite question?)
I can tell you here though: I am still not happy with my upgraded knee. It does not bend smoothly. IOW it still clonks with (almost) every step and at times it hurts even at rest. It swells up less, so that's a positive. But my ankle swells up almost every evening.
There's some saying I picked up somewhere and don't know how much truth there is to it, but supposedly if it still hurts at rest, then op was done too soon. But I did both scales and it was high time, so I will ignore the saying.
I wrote to tell my OS this, about the op knee still clonking, he said I am still too impatient.
I still have the very tight band or grip/clamp feeling and it is easier to ignore than the clonking. I rarely use the sleeve, unless I know ahead of time that I'll be walking more than 500 meters. I carry it in my bag now.

I have not been "doing the exercises" recommended by rehab physiotherapists on a regular basis. Mostly just when I feel like it. Biking on my stationary bike is also infrequent. There's so much other stuff to do (mostly housework) and catch up with and places to go ad infinitum. And now that I can concentrate on reading, I am back to reading books and scientific journals.
Then there's the upcoming 6 week trip (to So Am) to plan and research for and brush up my Spanish...and there's my MIL to comfort with frequent calls, and repeated reminders. Poor soul, she often forgets she has called to ask me X Y or Z.
Everything takes time, and it takes longer than it used to, as you all know.

I've been catching up with other medical appointments too. My BP is too high. :bolt:( but only when measured by a doctor; at home it is within range, sort of) My skin has suspicious spots etc

My DH often drives me to OR fetches me from the metro station when I have to run errands. I haven't been driving too much. Now that he's retired, he likes to drive where he can and so we combine trips. But driving poses no problems now, although I did notice after 30 min of city driving my op knee ( left) wants a rest from the clutch maneuvers. I've told DH our next car, if any, must be an automatic.

My other knee is doing OK. I can now stand for about 1 hour with little trouble, (had to wait around for someone last week) but I do take every opportunity to sit when available. I take my cane when I go outdoors, too many dogs about, and it gets me a seat on the underground. :-)
We've been on several outings and that's included walking on difficult uneven terrain and sometimes doing lots of steps to see the sights. Have taken ice packs with me to put on after. But that too is less frequently.

Have appointment with OS in 4 weeks time. The final letter from the rehab place arrived last week and basically they write that I made progress. (duh)

Will now go have a look what others have been up to and how they are doing. Ta-:wave:ta for now!
 
How wonderful to hear from you! It sounds to me that you're doing well, including your knee. You have a lot of company in the impatient department. By this time in recovery, the rest of your body is feeling all gung-ho but your knee is still telling you, "Hey, I'm still healing." Some knees are more vocal about it than others. You're very active -- yay for you! -- and that unfortunately can cause swelling and pain. That you don't need to ice as much says you're on the right track.
 
Good to hear from you @VW54! You are at a similar place as many of us -- many big milestones have been accomplished and we are not there yet- still achy and sore when we do too much, tightness due to swelling that has not abated, us slow benders have not yet achieved our desired flexion and extension, and we don't see much improvement from week to week or even month to month. Still clicking, clonking, and/or crunching. Still stiff after a night of mostly good sleeping or after sitting for too long. ANEX - almost normal except for (fill in the blank). For me it is feeling the stiffness literally with every step - whether on a walk or going up and down stairs - that keeps me from feeling like I am so glad to have done this -- or heaven forbid - that I had done it sooner as many report. If you need a new shiny box of patience I'm sure @Pheebs52 will be glad to send one soon. Cheers!:martini:
 
@VW54, there you are! You've been missed, GF! Can I just copy and paste what @kmak81230 stated? I certainly can and wish to reiterate, you're in good company! Most of us between 4-6 months (not all, but a lot) seem to feel pretty much as you do. Speaking strictly for myself, I kneed to ice less but am still prone to swelling at days' end. I spin the exercise bike for 5-15 minutes a day, depending on how my knee feels. I walk the dogs now, usually between 20-30 minutes a day, again, depending on how I feel. My knee is stiff/swollen no matter what I do or don't do, and others are as well, so we've started a new social thread called the "Super-Swellers,". Please, feel free to join us, even if it's just your ankle that's swelling; hah!

I'm sure your doc is correct in that we all need to be more patient. :whistle: It might be a virtue, but it isn't especially rewarding, is it? Therefore, I eat ice cream, (just 1x per week) chocolate ( a bit each day) and indulge in a glass of the grape most evenings, lol.

I don't do any home PT moves, so can't blame you a bit for dropping those physio exercises.:heehee: My knee *clonks* once in a while, clicks more often, but thankfully doesn't crunch! Of course, the natural one does, but we won't speak of that!:yikes: Frankly, given how busy you are, especially with caring for MIL, I can't even see where you could fit them in anyway.

Your upcoming trip to SA sounds very exciting! We'll all want to see lots of pictures and hear all about your favorite sights and experiences! It sounds like you've been doing a lot of walking outdoors with DH and of course, lots of stairs at the Metro, so you should be in fine shape to enjoy your vacation. And hey, they have ice in SA, so you'll be covered. Cheers!:cheers:
 
Oh @VW54 we have missed your posts! I will echo what Kmak and Pheebs said.Your trip sounds amazing! I am looking forward to hearing all about it.
 
:snork: great name for a thread! will check it out.

Will also update as much as possible. (will aim for weekly):yes: I need motivating conversation exchanges.
 
I have missed your posts @VW54! Your trip sounds wonderful. Here is to living life!


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Hello bonesmarties!
Just checking in briefly. "Life is what happens when you're busy making plans?"
For sure! I was hoping to check in last week, but my free time is less and will probably be this way for quite some time.
My android 5yr old samsung smart phone died on me and I am now using my DHs old sony and it has taken time( lots of it !) to get used to it on top of all other things, having to transfer my numbers over. TG most were written on paper.
Dear people, do write your numbers down somewhere, bc the phone providers cannot always transfer info.

Knee wise: "eh"
I am not walking as much as I ought to be at this stage, or when comparing myself with others on this board. But am sure busy at home lots of getting up and down, bending down etc. I notice that when I do walk more than 1 km, the grip/clamp gets a lot worse :sigh: and as before, my ankle swells up (awful) every evening.

Have an (pre-trip/ 4 and a half month post op check-up) appointment with OS for the 17th, so am curious what he will notice. I bet he'll tell me I need guided PT.

Clonking and clicking still with me.:skep: I have found a way to distract myself when walking to and from underground: I listen to a comedy podcast. :yes: Otherwise, it remains as annoying as before, despite my hamstring exercises. The worst part is that my knee (often suddenly) hurts even when it is still, whether sitting or elevated. :sad: Oh and cramps in my op leg sometimes wake me up. ugh. That's a new thing.:umm:

Haven't used stationery bike at all last week: Too much to do and no motivation:bored: when there was a lull. Maybe I am incorrigible that way. :dubious:

an aside Q: I am still taking condrosulf for all the other osteoarthritis prone areas of my (aging) body. Has anyone who also takes it, noticed any improvement or anything else? My other -non-op- knee seems to be Ok; Except after climbing lots of steps.
 
VW54 said:
There's some saying I picked up somewhere and don't know how much truth there is to it, but supposedly if it still hurts at rest, then op was done too soon. But I did both scales and it was high time, so I will ignore the saying.
Click to expand...
I've never heard that before and I don't believe it. It's normal to still feel some pain at your stage of recovery.
VW54 said:
I wrote to tell my OS this, about the op knee still clonking, he said I am still too impatient.
I still have the very tight band or grip/clamp feeling and it is easier to ignore than the clonking.
Click to expand...
Your surgeon is right. Remember that complete recovery takes as long as a full year, so you are really only about a third of the way there.

Both the tight band and the clunking should eventually go away - although I must tell you that my right knee continued to clunk for almost 5 years, although the frequency slowly declined.

Overall, it sounds as if you're doing very well. Your everyday life should be your exercise now.
 
At 6+ months is still have the clicking (when going up and down stairs and riding bike) and the tight band feeling. I don't feel much "clonking" but it still doesn't feel like my knee is part of my body.

I can do everything I want to but with some discomfort for some things. My main goal was to not have to wear a brace or wrap for everyday walking without pain and that goal has been achieved. I'm trusting the rest will come as time goes by.
 
I'm 16 months and mine still clunks some. Don't worry about it. It's not causing any harm. Some of clunk, some of us don't. Some with two tkrs have one that clunks and one that doesn't. Who knows why.
 
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