Chuckanuts Total Knee Replacement story

[W2R]

So this is the day I have been waiting for - 10 weeks of suffering and limited activity, tens of thousands of dollars spent, and my knee is now about the same overall as it was the day before surgery.

There is one big difference between the before-and-after knees. The before knee was going downhill at a steady if not increasing pace and there was no hope that would change. The after knee is slowly getting better, and there is much hope that will continue for a year or two more.

And don't forget that Total Knee Replacement surgery has a 1-2 year recovery period, so the best is yet to come.

I keep telling myself this too, even on the bad days when I wonder if I am nuttier than a fruitcake to still be considering the same surgery on the other knee.

 

[scrinch]

10 weeks post surgery
......
So this is the day I have been waiting for - 10 weeks of suffering and limited activity, tens of thousands of dollars spent, and my knee is now about the same overall as it was the day before surgery.

There is one big difference between the before-and-after knees. The before knee was going downhill at a steady if not increasing pace and there was no hope that would change. The after knee is slowly getting better, and there is much hope that will continue for a year or two more.

Congratulations, it sounds like your recovery is right on track. There's that hump that you just got over where you've broken even, and then not far after comes the "wow, I'm much more mobile than I was 6 months ago" stage, and then finally the "not thinking about it much any more" stage. You WILL make it through those stages, and a year after the surgery you'll be asking yourself what all that TKR fuss was about last year.

Gold leader, stay on target!

 

[Dreamer]

I was 400 miles away from home for 10 weeks this summer watching my grandkids. I was them gone for 10 days on a cruise. I am starting to catch up on some of the posts.

Chuckanut and W2R, I am glad to hear that you are both doing well after your TKRs. Thank you for sharing your TKR information.

 

[gwix98]

10 weeks post surgery

When I lived in So. Cal I went to Las Vegas a few times. I have always lost money there. Odd since most of the people I know who went their regularly always managed to ‘break even’. I guess the casinos are subsidizing the fun of their customers. What a great group of business owners! To bad they didn't like me as much as all those other people.

I have been hesitant to say this because there is so much unwarranted hype around knee replacement surgery and the supposed ease and quickness of recovery. But, I think I have reached the Breakeven Point. IOW, overall my knee is no worse off today that it was the day before the surgery.

I can do stairs OK, even carrying lightweight objects up and down. I can’t run up and down yet. Walking 1-2 miles is quite doable, though the knee will swell up and be sore. But, the soreness is not nearly as bad as it was three weeks ago. I can peddle my stationary bike with the seat actually lower than I normally would like, though I really feel it in the quads and assorted tissue surrounding the knee. They still don’t want to effortlessly stretch back and forth while I peddle.

However, none of the bad consequences of working the knee are as bad as the consequences I had working the pre-surgery knee. The only advantage the pre-surgery knee still has is that when I woke up first thing in the morning, it was usually ready to go – no pain, no swelling, and no stiffness. Of course, as I used the knee, that all came in huge amounts later in the day.

So this is the day I have been waiting for - 10 weeks of suffering and limited activity, tens of thousands of dollars spent, and my knee is now about the same overall as it was the day before surgery.

There is one big difference between the before-and-after knees. The before knee was going downhill at a steady if not increasing pace and there was no hope that would change. The after knee is slowly getting better, and there is much hope that will continue for a year or two more.

I enjoyed your detailed info on your TKR. I’ve been about a month ahead of you and it’s interesting to hear the milestones. I’m at a little over 11 weeks.
The one thing I found most helpful in the recovery was/is daily use of the recumbent bike. It has helped keep the knee flexible, less painful and has improved my ROM (flexion). I left therapy two weeks ago at about 118 degrees.
I also struggle somewhat with swelling but find the bike even helps with that.
Thanks for sharing your journey!

 

[Chuckanut]

I’m at a little over 11 weeks.
The one thing I found most helpful in the recovery was/is daily use of the recumbent bike. It has helped keep the knee flexible, less painful and has improved my ROM (flexion). I left therapy two weeks ago at about 118 degrees.
I also struggle somewhat with swelling but find the bike even helps with that.
Thanks for sharing your journey!

+1 on the biking. It has really helped do away with that feeling that I have a big, strong rubber band wrapped around the knee joint. It also has helped with flexion.

 

[Chuckanut]

Part 22 – Laughing in the face of stairs

11 weeks since surgery.

[FONT=&quot]I am at about 115 degrees of flexion and seem to be very slowly picking up a degree every few weeks. I am working hard to get at least 10 more degrees, but it is tough. I’ve never been very flexible. Swelling is still present but it is way down. The morning stiffness in the knee joint seems to be a thing of the past. The surgical knee still runs warm to the touch. Thankfully, the ice water cooling machine is getting a much-deserved rest.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I can now carry things up and down stairs without much of a problem and I can do it using the railing if I must. But 95% of the times I still use the railing for safety’s sake. And, I will continue to do that the rest of my life. Falling is not an option. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I attended a street fair yesterday. I was on my feet for 2-3 hours at the fair, walking, standing, and stepping over obstacles. No problem at all with the knee joint. I did find the muscles in both legs were sorer than expected at the end of the day. No doubt this is the result of two months of not doing much walking and biking. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I want to try a 2-3 mile hike on dirt trails at the local state park in the next week if the weather cooperates. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]There is not much else to report. [/FONT]

 

[W2R]

What an encouraging report! You are improving so fast, and doing wonderfully. I am really happy for you.

I am doing much better now too as I approach the seven week mark on Tuesday. I am seeing my surgeon for a regular follow-up tomorrow so I'll post more specifics after I hear what he has to say.

 

[Chuckanut]

I am doing much better now too as I approach the seven week mark on Tuesday. .

I found the 8-9 week mark to be a significant turning point in my ability to function more normally. Of course, all of this if very individual. And, I am nowhere near 100% healed.

 

[W2R]

I found the 8-9 week mark to be a significant turning point in my ability to function more normally. Of course, all of this if very individual. And, I am nowhere near 100% healed.

Great! It's nice to hear that the 8-9 week mark may have some nice surprises in store for me.

And you may not be near 100% healed, but it sounds like you are well "over the hump" and making great progress on your way to 100%.

 

[Chuckanut]

Part 23 – Free at last!

Part 23 – Free at last!

It’s been three months since the surgery. I saw the doctor and he was very pleased with my progress. My extension is in the area of 0-2 degrees so I have a nice straight leg. My flexion is about 120 degrees and he thinks with a bit more work I can get it to 125 degrees. The better news is that he thinks I can do it on my own. No need for more PT appointments. I had a good therapist and there is not doubt she helped me. But, from here on I should be able to do it myself with some biking and simple knee stretching exercises. Also, he sees no need for more follow up appointments to check on the healing progress. I am so glad to be past these seemingly interminable appointments.

I did a three mile hike up and down hills last week. Yea! I can ride my bike but the knee is still not ready for a long ride of much over a mile. And the knee is still a bit stiff. But, the thick rubber band around the joint feeling is gone. I am thankful for that. The surgical knee still runs warm. At the surface the skin of the surgical knee feels like a warm baby bottle compared to the cool temps of the non surgical knee.

My biggest problem besides getting my biking knee in shape is rebuilding strength in my legs. Two months of doing little took a toll on their physical strength.

Healing is still taking place. I can irritate it if I push it to hard, it needs to bend a bit more, and pedaling my bike still feels like I am stretching it into uncomfortable territory. So I am not ‘healed’ by any means. That will take another nine months or so. On a cellular level, I understand that complete healing takes a full two years!

My bad knee has become my good knee. That is very good indeed.

 

[omni550]

Wow! That's GREAT news, Chuckanut!

omni

 

[SumDay]

Good for you! I've followed your progress, as we had our knee replacements at about the same time. Sounds like we're at about the same place now.

I used to think I could fry an egg on my new knee, but that heat has decreased drastically. Interesting how that works, isn't it?

I feel like I'm getting my life back.

 

[Chuckanut]

I used to think I could fry an egg on my new knee, but that heat has decreased drastically. Interesting how that works, isn't it?
.

My knee is more like a food warmer these days. I am back to frying my eggs using a pan on the stove. Also, the color is back to normal, instead of the reddish tint it had for a few months.

 

[Walt34]

Thank you so much for posting about your progress with the new knee. I find all of these TKR threads very interesting since I'm probably going to have one in the future.

 

[Moemg]

You are doing great !

 

[W2R]

Bravo!!!

Your improvement in the past few weeks has gone from good to utterly phenomenal! Congratulations.

 

[pacergal]

Great to hear!

 

[Chuckanut]

Part 24 – Memory Loss!!!!

14 weeks since the surgery.

I have discovered a side effect of the surgery – loss of memory. When I got this morning I had a number of things I wanted to get done early today. I set about doing them, toting this, moving that, going up and down the stairs. After about an hour I suddenly realized that I had forgot about my surgical knee. I just didn’t think about it.

Later I was walking, dodging other people's carts at the local Super Market, wondering why some people leave there carts sideways dead center in the aisle when they stop, and why others can't read the sign that says 15 items or less. Loading the car I suddenly remembered my surgical knee. Darn, twice in one day!

Either my mind is going to heck a lot earlier than I had hoped, or the knee is doing rather well.

 

[aja8888]

14 weeks since the surgery.

I have discovered a side effect of the surgery – loss of memory. When I got this morning I had a number of things I wanted to get done early today. I set about doing them, toting this, moving that, going up and down the stairs. After about an hour I suddenly realized that I had forgot about my surgical knee. I just didn’t think about it.

Later I was walking, dodging other people's carts at the local Super Market, wondering why some people leave there carts sideways dead center in the aisle when they stop, and why others can't read the sign that says 15 items or less. Loading the car I suddenly remembered my surgical knee. Darn, twice in one day!

Either my mind is going to heck a lot earlier than I had hoped, or the knee is doing rather well.

Great progress!

After 10 years, 11 1/2 months, I have totally forgotten I have an artificial left hip. Your knee will see the same fate.

 

[SumDay]

I have this too, and I'm at 15 weeks post-op. DH was watching me calculate the tip at a restaurant, which now takes me an eternity. Thinking (and math) is hard.

On the bright side, I am less stressed about all the things I have to do because I can't remember most of them. The collective wisdom of the online knee replacement group I'm in seem to blame it on the anesthesia. It left me with a couple of other issues, so I'll have to agree with them. I just hope it all passes. Scares me to think what I'd be like after knee #2.

 

[MBAustin]

Either my mind is going to heck a lot earlier than I had hoped, or the knee is doing rather well.

I think you have the very best kind of memory loss! Congratulations!

 

[W2R]

Terrific!

 

[Ronstar]

Great progress, Chuckanut!

 

[Bamaman]

14 weeks since the surgery.

I have discovered a side effect of the surgery – loss of memory. When I got this morning I had a number of things I wanted to get done early today. I set about doing them, toting this, moving that, going up and down the stairs. After about an hour I suddenly realized that I had forgot about my surgical knee. I just didn’t think about it.

Later I was walking, dodging other people's carts at the local Super Market, wondering why some people leave there carts sideways dead center in the aisle when they stop, and why others can't read the sign that says 15 items or less. Loading the car I suddenly remembered my surgical knee. Darn, twice in one day!

Either my mind is going to heck a lot earlier than I had hoped, or the knee is doing rather well.

Congratulations on your knee doing so well. Just don't start jumping off walls or putting extreme pressure on that knee.

My wife is doing great after her knee replacement 16 months ago. But she still misses me pushing her in her wheelchair through airports on our vacations.

 

[Chuckanut]

Thanks to my knee replacement I no longer need to use my coffee cup warmer. I balance the cup on my surgical knee which runs noticeably warmer than my other knee. And it’s always with me.