Bilateral TKR week 4

[AlaskaGrandy]

Here's a little update: Monday is week 9. My legs are feeling like two heavy logs today. I haven't done much activity, just ADL's around the house and watering my flowers. I feel restless with deep bone aches. One day I can feel like all is getting better, then the next I feel like rubbish! I think about each step I take. My whole life is consumed by my knees and caring for them. Patience for this LONG recovery is the hardest part. There, I vented.

 

[knit2tog]

Vent away! We understand where you are coming from. I love having a place where someone gets where I am. It definitely helps with my ability to cope.

 

[becticu]

Looks like I'm not the only one that can't sleep. When I think about it though we are in different time zones. It starts to get better soon around this time. I had about two good weeks before my second surgery and they were scheduled 10 1/2 weeks apart. This is such a roller coaster ride. A good day, a bad day. I remember praying please God just let me have two good days in a row. It will come. Until then, we will all hang in here together!

 

[Pheebs52]

It seems as though the only consistent thread of recovery is the zig-zag path of one step forward, two steps back. Sometimes it's just one step back, but it's all rather random and doesn't always correlate to what we've been doing. For instance, as @IowaNana stated yesterday, her knees don't really *like* anything for any length of time. Sitting, standing, walking, stretching, lying down are all good for a while, but then....not so good. Her knees are *fickle* and I suspect that applies to all of us. I know it does for me, though right now, my knee objects most to just standing still; no can do.

Personally, I think you've had marvelous progress! You're back at work, driving, riding your bike, gardening a bit, and....well, lots of other *normal* stuff. Just keep in mind that you haven't even completed the first trimester of this very l-e-n-g-t-h-y year long recovery, so from here, you can only improve. Not in a straight line, of course, just along that zig-zag path, but still, you are getting better every single day, even if you don't know it; hah!

 

[AlaskaGrandy]

Thanks so much gals! I needed the encouragement.

 

[janbgobh]

I have been slowly making my way through the recovery threads of active forum members. Congratulations on your smooth recovery! I think you (and all who have made the same decision) are incredibly brave for choosing a bilateral knee replacement. My surgeon said it was not an option for me as I have pulmonary problems. However, if the choice was offered to me I don't think I would have chosen it. Your return to work dilemma was of interest to me as I will be facing that decision soon.

Thank you and be well.

 

[AlaskaGrandy]

Thanks Jan. So far going back to work with a Phase in has be going very well. Yesterday was my first 10 hour day and I was able to pace myself without too much discomfort. I do take my share of Tylenol

 

[sistersinhim]

For being so early in your recovery, you are doing really well with your return to work. Just don't do much after you get back home. I am sure you'll be exhausted.

 

[SusieShoes]

You really are doing amazing with the work. I can't even imagine working for ten hours but hope someday to be up to such a schedule. Beware of the energy drain!

 

[flyaway79]

I may have already posted this but here it goes ...... This is my life in a nutshell right now.

 

[Celle]

I re-sized your image, @flyaway79 . It's a great illustration of recovery, but it was just a bit big.

 

[AlaskaGrandy]

Surprisingly I don't have an energy drain and never really did. I've always went to bed early and got at least 8 hours from day one. The best thing I have at work in my office is a couch, and boy do I use it. Between clients I elevate. At lunch I curl up and sleep for at least a half hour.
The other day at work, one of my doctor friends stopped me in the hall and told me I was no longer bow legged! Yes, my knees and calf's touch each other! I've been bow legged my entire life; so strange.

 

[becticu]

I'm glad your work phase in has gone well. I also appreciated your vent, we all vent. It helps knowing I'm not the only one that feels like that. That deep bone ache is so painful. It just grabs ahold and gets you! Some mornings I wake up and don't feel pain. I don't want to move because I know as soon as I move the pain starts! Eventually we will have more and good days in a row! To our Future!!

 

[AlaskaGrandy]

10 weeks down. Except for that tight feeling and stiffness after sitting for awhile, I'm doing well.
Shopping on my own
back to work
mowed my lawn for the first time last Friday and used my battery powered weed trimmer too! Loved it.
All housework
I cook, but really don't like being in the kitchen. (years of cooking for a large family and years of cooking for grandkids; tired of the kitchen)
Bike riding almost daily
I'm a homebody, so I don't like to travel much. The thought of flight travel at this stage of recovery sounds like a horrible idea. I do plan to visit my siblings in California next summer when I can actually walk the beach. This October I will have surgery to remove a right foot heal spur. I've had that agonizing spur for over a year, but decided to wait for surgery until after the knees. I have to wait 6 months past the knee surgery because the spur surgery requires it be non-weight bearing. It will seem like a piece of cake after my bilateral.

I'm very thankful to all my bonesmarties and their encouragement.

 

[knit2tog]

I love reading about how well you are doing.

 

[VW54]

I love reading about how well you are doing.

Me too. It is a brave move to do both knees at once!
I too look forward to a beach holiday and to walk for miles along the coast. My all time favourite thing to do.

 

[sistersinhim]

You are doing so good. I'm with you. The thought of standing in those airport lines gives me the heeby-jeebies! I'd rather camp any day close to home. It's good to get away, but nice to get back home, too.

I had a heel spur removed about 10 years ago. I was non weight-baring for only a week. How long will you be? It is very rough on a new knee.

 

[AlaskaGrandy]

Yes, I'm not looking forward to another surgery this year, but that heel spur has to go! I feel so fortunate that I live less than a mile from my wonderful hospital and surgeon. He's the same age of my oldest daughter. He is young enough to be up to date on all the latest technologies, yet old enough to have many successful surgeries under his belt. I stayed at the hospital 5 days then transferred to a rehab facility own by the hospital a block away. I was loaded into a handicap van and wheel-chaired into my own room with a full bath. I had a private room at the hospital too; talk about lucky! I was able to do PT at the rehab twice a day for an hour each for 7 days. By the time I went home I was using a walker for outside and no aides inside at 2 weeks out. My husband took 2 weeks off from work at that time and helped me with the things I could not do. I didn't know about Bonesmart until almost 4 weeks post op. I so wished I had known about all you dear sweet people sooner!!
I'm back to doing almost everything I did before surgery. I still cannot lift my leg over the middle bar on my two wheeled bike, but found a great 3-wheeled bike at a yard sale and have enjoyed riding it almost everyday.

Well, it' 7 am here in Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula, so off to the shower and to work by 7:30 for a long 10 hour day. Tomorrow is the 4th and I have the day off. Yah!

 

[kmak81230]

You are an inspiration! I am a little over two weeks behind you with my surgery - and am looking forward to being able to work a full day without discomfort. About 6 hours with a lunch break to ice and elevate is all I can handle now. Bravo on the bike - I need to look for a bike that I can get on safely - I am riding the stationary bike but long for a little more exciting scenery . Enjoy your day off!

 

[SusieShoes]

You're an inspiration to me, also. You have the bestest attitude, and are always looking ahead. That's so important in this surgery, because the right now is sometimes not a fun place to be, but knowing there's so much improvement lying ahead, around the corner... that really motivates us to keep on going. It sounds like you have the perfect setup, close to your doctor and hospital, and the PT also.

I love that you enjoy your bike so much!