TKR Kiwicurls TKR 27 Feb 2024
- Thread starter kiwicurls
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5 weeks is still so early. Worrying about what is normal is really normal!
We all had different damage before our surgery and different residual weaknesses post op. I was convinced that my residual pain on stairs, was a sign that something was wrong and/or I should have had a full TKR instead of a partial. It did settle with healing and gently strengthening. It's about listening to your body and trying not to freak out when recovery is slow. I did seek reassurance from my doctor and pilates teacher at times though.
We all had different damage before our surgery and different residual weaknesses post op. I was convinced that my residual pain on stairs, was a sign that something was wrong and/or I should have had a full TKR instead of a partial. It did settle with healing and gently strengthening. It's about listening to your body and trying not to freak out when recovery is slow. I did seek reassurance from my doctor and pilates teacher at times though.
Week 5 contd
Last physio visit today. He watched me walk without aids and I wobbled all over the place. He said, if you fall I will catch you. Ha ha, I’m large and 170cm tall and he’s tiny. I’d like to see him catch me! Fortunately I didn’t fall down.
I am not ready to give up the walker, of course.
He thinks it’s a proprioception problem caused by the extensive surgery to my feet. This has affected the nerves in my feet badly.
He said my strength and ROM are excellent but my body needs longer; my balance needs to improve.
I agree: my foot issues are not helping! But he said I will get there and can phone him any time for advice. He has been a wonderful physio and I am grateful.
I am to walk around the kitchen holding onto the benches with one hand. This will help with balance, apparently. I do this when cooking anyway.
He suggested even when I feel confident without the walker, use a cane as a transition just to be on the safe side.
Thoughts, anyone?
Last physio visit today. He watched me walk without aids and I wobbled all over the place. He said, if you fall I will catch you. Ha ha, I’m large and 170cm tall and he’s tiny. I’d like to see him catch me! Fortunately I didn’t fall down.
I am not ready to give up the walker, of course.
He thinks it’s a proprioception problem caused by the extensive surgery to my feet. This has affected the nerves in my feet badly.
He said my strength and ROM are excellent but my body needs longer; my balance needs to improve.
I agree: my foot issues are not helping! But he said I will get there and can phone him any time for advice. He has been a wonderful physio and I am grateful.
I am to walk around the kitchen holding onto the benches with one hand. This will help with balance, apparently. I do this when cooking anyway.
He suggested even when I feel confident without the walker, use a cane as a transition just to be on the safe side.
Thoughts, anyone?
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He's absolutely right about trying the cane as an intermediate step.
Some folks don't adapt well to a cane.
I have used a hiking stick as a cane as needed for decades and love it!
Some folks don't adapt well to a cane.
I have used a hiking stick as a cane as needed for decades and love it!
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Your physio sounds great! Really thoughtful and giving you individual advice- not just pushing to overdo things, like some PT poor people experience here.
I used a single crutch and then a foldable walking stick for months after my operation. I found it incredibly helpful for confidence. I had had a few falls before my surgery which really upset me ( I broke a tooth in one). I think they were due to my leg being very twisted pre-op and also I never really adjusted to varifocal glasses.
The stick helped me to overcome my fear of falling outside. It was not helped by our area being very busy with commuters. I think your physios advice is good. You do need to be careful not to lean too much on the cane- but your physio can check your walking with it.
I eventually gave it up but it worked for me and gave me confidence to travel on trains/ buses again.
@EalingGran , that fall where you broke a tooth must have been horrible! Here’s hoping you never fall again.
I bought a quad stick but I lean too heavily on it and I feel at week 5 I am still better off using the walker because the pressure on my shoulders is more evenly distributed. However I do see the sense in transitioning even though I don’t like sticks. Having the four feet on it might help as the base will be steadier.
Just for a laugh:
It’s getting colder here and I put my wool blanket on the bed. It’s shedding and I looked up how to stop this annoying aspect of newish wool blankets.
The advice?
Lie it on a bed of snow and stomp on it.
I was very amused as I live in Australia. Never seen a flake of snow here in Sydney and never likely to so that idea won’t work.
Back to my knee… I can put a sock on without help now and I even managed to file my toenails! Ah, progress! My knee is still swollen and I ice several times a day. I had a haircut yesterday and had my leg down for two hours. I was fine. My son came to visit and turned pale on seeing my suture line. Just as well he’s not in the medical profession as he can’t stand anything like that.
Have a good weekend everyone.
I bought a quad stick but I lean too heavily on it and I feel at week 5 I am still better off using the walker because the pressure on my shoulders is more evenly distributed. However I do see the sense in transitioning even though I don’t like sticks. Having the four feet on it might help as the base will be steadier.
Just for a laugh:
It’s getting colder here and I put my wool blanket on the bed. It’s shedding and I looked up how to stop this annoying aspect of newish wool blankets.
The advice?
Lie it on a bed of snow and stomp on it.
I was very amused as I live in Australia. Never seen a flake of snow here in Sydney and never likely to so that idea won’t work.
Back to my knee… I can put a sock on without help now and I even managed to file my toenails! Ah, progress! My knee is still swollen and I ice several times a day. I had a haircut yesterday and had my leg down for two hours. I was fine. My son came to visit and turned pale on seeing my suture line. Just as well he’s not in the medical profession as he can’t stand anything like that.
Have a good weekend everyone.
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Re any kind of cane or stick: it's not safe to make the transition from the walker to any one-sided support until you're not really engaging your arms for support anymore.
A cane doesn't bear a lot of weight without you significantly skewing your structure. Think of it as more of steadying device that, used on the side opposite surgery, gives just a little assist as you shift weight.
A cane doesn't bear a lot of weight without you significantly skewing your structure. Think of it as more of steadying device that, used on the side opposite surgery, gives just a little assist as you shift weight.
I just had a thought:
I have absolutely no idea about the degree of flexion/extension I ended up with in the knee which was replaced two years ago. All I know is the knee is fantastic and I can do everything I want to.
Maybe we shouldn’t get so obsessed with numbers!
I have absolutely no idea about the degree of flexion/extension I ended up with in the knee which was replaced two years ago. All I know is the knee is fantastic and I can do everything I want to.
Maybe we shouldn’t get so obsessed with numbers!
Week 6
Tomorrow will be six weeks since surgery.
I had a frustrating morning as the hospital doctor who wrote out the request form for my six week xray forgot to sign it. I only realised on the way to the xray place as I’d brought the form home from hospital and put it aside without checking it.I had to find a medical centre and ask a doctor for another one, which meant an hours wait.
Finally had the xray so it’s all ready for my visit on Friday with the surgeon.
I will be out every day this week but that’s good, I think. Finally get to meet my Probus friends for lunch on Wednesday and really looking forward to it. Unfortunately there’s one grumpy old lady who attends and before my op she had the cheek to tell me my surgeon was terrible and I’d be lucky to make it out alive! I wonder what she will say when I walk in alive and well? Aren’t there some weird people around?
I can get in and out of the car without problems now. Yay! Pain is tolerable but still taking the odd tapentadol and paracetamol.
Tomorrow will be six weeks since surgery.
I had a frustrating morning as the hospital doctor who wrote out the request form for my six week xray forgot to sign it. I only realised on the way to the xray place as I’d brought the form home from hospital and put it aside without checking it.I had to find a medical centre and ask a doctor for another one, which meant an hours wait.
Finally had the xray so it’s all ready for my visit on Friday with the surgeon.
I will be out every day this week but that’s good, I think. Finally get to meet my Probus friends for lunch on Wednesday and really looking forward to it. Unfortunately there’s one grumpy old lady who attends and before my op she had the cheek to tell me my surgeon was terrible and I’d be lucky to make it out alive! I wonder what she will say when I walk in alive and well? Aren’t there some weird people around?
I can get in and out of the car without problems now. Yay! Pain is tolerable but still taking the odd tapentadol and paracetamol.
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Agree. There are some people who just seem to want to drag us down. Maybe they aren't very happy themselves.
Best avoided or at least ignored when we are a bit fragile post-op though.
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Happy Six Week Anniversary, kiwicurls!
That's to bad about the mix up with the missing signature and all of the extra time it took. I hope you have a good visit with your surgeon on Friday.
Would love to see you make a grand entrance on Wednesday and say "Ta-da, here I am alive and well, I survived my surgery and lived to tell about it" (said as you dramatically wink and flash your pearly whites at Probus's Debbie Downer of the group)
Yay for the progress you're making. I hope you have a great week and keep in touch!
@kiwicurls
That's to bad about the mix up with the missing signature and all of the extra time it took. I hope you have a good visit with your surgeon on Friday.
Would love to see you make a grand entrance on Wednesday and say "Ta-da, here I am alive and well, I survived my surgery and lived to tell about it" (said as you dramatically wink and flash your pearly whites at Probus's Debbie Downer of the group)
Yay for the progress you're making. I hope you have a great week and keep in touch!
@kiwicurls
Geeze, @kiwicurls ,,,, with “friends” like that gal in your group, who needs enemies? I like Layla’s suggestion about greeting her when you see her next. She should be speechless.
It sounds like you are doing just great. It’s easy to forget what we went through in a previous surgery plus you really can’t compare one to another anyway. Just focus on how things are improving week to week.
It sounds like you are doing just great. It’s easy to forget what we went through in a previous surgery plus you really can’t compare one to another anyway. Just focus on how things are improving week to week.
I love all the responses re the grumpy lady! Fortunately it’s a big group and everyone else is great. When she said this to me I just shook my head and laughed then turned and spoke to someone else. I am old enough to never waste time on people like that but it will give me pleasure to walk in tomorrow looking reasonably well. I intend to wear my new denim chambray dress. A new dress always cheers me up.
My sleep is still very patchy but I think the shoulders are more bothersome than the knee to be honest.
Another milestone: I walked from bedroom to bathroom without the walker. I forgot to use it. Perhaps not a good idea as husband says I lurch like a drunk! Nice. I am back to doing all cooking now and I made the beds too. So exciting!
My sleep is still very patchy but I think the shoulders are more bothersome than the knee to be honest.
Another milestone: I walked from bedroom to bathroom without the walker. I forgot to use it. Perhaps not a good idea as husband says I lurch like a drunk! Nice. I am back to doing all cooking now and I made the beds too. So exciting!
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