My New Knees

[Bordercollie]

I just got out of a rehab facility after having my second (right) knee replacement surgery. Left knee is working very well. Everything went well and I am getting around with a walker and glad to be home. I should be walking with cane by Christmas and walking normally sometime next year. Hope to be back to active motorhoming, dog walking and model airplane flying again. Knee replacement surgery and rehab is no small thing, rehab takes a lot of painful bending and stretching at first, followed by outpatient therapy and home exercising and plenty of walking with a walker. It's worth it !!

[NamSniper]

I had my right knee replace in 2004. The best decision I could have made. Two months prior to the surgery, I did prehab by walking in a "stream" at my local rec center. Built up the muscles in both legs and made the rehab that much easier. VA did the surgery and rehab and everything went great. I told the doc I was concerned that I only had 135 degrees of motion. The doc laughed at me and said that was all I would ever have as there is a stop in the knee to keep it from dislocating. Six weeks after the surgery, I was back at work and doing normal chores at home. I even got rid of the riding lawn mower and went back to normal mowing. I was able to ride my motorcycle with no pain for the first time in years.

In July I had revision surgery on my left foot (VA again) to refuse the fusion that didn't take the first time. I was discharged from PT today. I am walking more or less normally with some minor discomfort still. I expect that to go away in the near future. With just buying our RV it has been quite an adventure moving around to check things out. At least we were able to get out camping twice prior to the surgery. My truck is a standard transmission and I had to wait for the doc to give me permission to drive it. Now that I am mostly healed, we will be headed to New Mexico to see the Grand Kids for Christmas in the RV. Should be an interesting trip.

[Thunder_Mountai]

Had my TKR on my left knee November 3, 2011. I immediately realized that I was in less pain than before the surgery. I was off all the big pharma pain meds by the third day. I sucked on some medical marijuana candy to sleep, but only did that for about 10 days. Used a walker for about ten days, then used my hiking poles for stability. At about two and half weeks I was walking 1 1/2 to two miles per day. I made PT my full time job.

I was dismissed from PT at seven weeks and dismissed by the doctor a few days later. I was hiking the Superstition Mountains/Wilderness at ten weeks.

[ronfisherman]

Moved from Class C.

[Bordercollie]

I hope to be able to kick start and ride my '48 Indian Chief m/c again. I am following instructions from therapists and having good results, thank God!!
I can't believe some have both knees replaced at the same time and are able to take care of themselves quickly. People seem to have different tolerances to pain during post surgery and rehab including use of "PCM" machines set for progressively more knee bend at barely tolerable pain level. I don't plan to be setting athletic records, etc., at age 78 and will settle for near normal walking ability and ability to enjoy my remaining life. Boy am I glad to be home. BTW, I have a great combo recumbent and upright exercise bike, Fit Nation Flex-Bike Ultra, that has magnetic resistance settings appropriate for post-knee replacement, quiet and compact. Bought from QVC for $200 recently, still available. Will switch to our large Life Fitness recumbent bike when able to pedal the thing. Hope this thread realistically encourages people contemplating knee replacement. Most seem to have good results and fairly quick recovery.

[DutchmenSport]

Desert Captain wrote:
...The new surgeon took one look and said: "That's got to come out, you either have an infection or you are seriously allergic to the knee they had put in.

... Turns out I am deathly allergic to Cobalt...

Wow! Now THAT's a story to behold! I suppose under your conditions, I can certainly see why the first go-round was not very successful. I do hope this one is much better.

I'm fortunate then, I suppose. I've had no problems, minimal pain, and a stubborn will to get back to normal.

FYI, Dr. did say the swelling in the knee (that tight feeling) and the heat in the knee would be there for up to a year. Next time I saw him, he said, possibly a year and a half. For me, it's not so much "pain", it's that tight feeling, that feels like I've got a bandage wrapped real tight around the knee. Although it is getting much better now, swelling has gone way, way down. But one thing I can't get use to is my new knee making that pop-pop sound every time I move move it. Dr. said that would eventually go away and nothing to worry about. It doesn't hurt, it's just a bit noisy.

Good luck on yours.

[Desert_Captain]

Dutchmen Sport;

Glad your knee replacement worked out but you offer some faulty advice...

Had my knee replacement 5 years ago, worked my butt off in rehab but it just got worse every day. Pain off the chart that no amount of meds could mitigate, swollen, warm to the touch. I spent 17 days in the hospital trying to get enough improvement to just go home and continue PT.

After 6 months I fired my surgeon {the overly pompous head of the orthopedic department... I won't say where} and sought a second opinion. The new surgeon took one look and said: "That's got to come out, you either have an infection or you are seriously allergic to the knee they had put in.

There went 6 months in hell down the toilet. Turns out I am deathly allergic to Cobalt, a significant ingredient in my Cobalt Chromium knee. Two months later they cut my leg off for the second time, a "revision" which is doctor speak for we didn't get it right the first time... this trip back to surgery bought me 14 days in the hospital.

The ceramic knee they used the second time works but the two surgeries left me with so much scar tissue it will never be fully functional. The point being before you let them put in a knee {or hip for that matter}, find out what they are putting in and make sure you are not allergic to it. Reactions like mine are rare but trust me, you do not want to be that guy.

My original surgeon kept telling me to "just keep doing your PT" insinuating I was the problem and not working hard enough. That jerk cost me a couple of years that frankly, I don't have to spare. Sometimes the problem isn't that the patient is not working hard enough and yes you can easily overdue your post-surgical physical therapy.

Following TKR you will have lots of serious pain and need to put in the time doing your physical therapy but overdoing it is not a good way to go. There might just be a very good reason you are not making the progress someone else thinks you should.

:S

[tenbear]

I have had both of my knees replaced several years ago. They were replaced, different years, in the late summer. I was back to skiing that fall with no missed days. Best thing I ever did, well, one of the best things. They are are still going strong after about 15 years.

Hope yours do as well.

[DutchmenSport]

I had mine done on July 31 this year. (right knee). I went totally overboard, stretching and doing things that should have been impossible. I was mowing the grass on my John Deere 5 days after surgery, doing laundry, house keeping, and lots and lots of self-exercise that would blow some folks away. At 8 days, I was driving the car again. Actually, the truck. Although higher, it was easier getting the leg in the door.

Beginning of the 2nd week we were camping again. We bought a 3 wheeled (tricycle) and I peddled like there was no tomorrow. At the State Park we were at, I went to the kids playground, and climbed up and down steps, ladders, and walking on railroad tie borders to work on my balance.

The 3rd week, I realized I was walking with a limp. I was completely away from the walker (scared my wife to death), but I started using a cane, only to teach myself not to limp and walk straight.

In the 4th week after surgery, I was splitting fire wood again. (Log splitter), and that was probably one of the best things I could have done. It made me squat, over and over, stretching those tight muscles.

In the 5th week, I returned to work, and later wished I'd taken another week and gone camping (I was getting paid to be off). But I was too antsey to get back to work.

At 6 weeks, the Dr. was a little concerned I was over-doing it, and suggested i quit the deep knee bend exercises, and let the muscles heal up a bit. I did for a while, but now at 3 months, I'm doing everything I can to squat again. I can also crawl on the knee, as I've done some improvement insulation under the floor of the house, crawling around in the house crawl space.

I used the swing on the front porch to rock, rock, rock, moving that knee, forcing it to bend ever so much a little more.

Today, I'm still working on bending that knee to a full weight squat on that knee. I'm not quite there yet. At night, I bend my knee as far as I can, wrap a belt around my calf and thigh, and pull the belt as tight as I can and hold it there as long as I can possibly stand it.

Over-indulging? You bet! But I can do anything again I could do before, and actually better now ... and it's just been 3 months.

Hey man! Push yourself.. I mean HARD!

The doctor told me (several times), there is nothing I can do to hurt the knee. The artificial knee is in place and there to stay. It's not going anywhere. The "pain" you feel is all muscle. So work those muscles.

I found, that if you move your leg and it causes pain ... simply hold the leg in that position for about a minute and the pain will stop. Then move it again. Where it hurts, hold it for another minute, until it stops. If the leg hurts, that's where you need to hold tension on those muscles! Stretching them, and over a very short time, they'll be back to (almost) normal.

Now, don't get me wrong. Daytime is wonderful! I can walk now with no limp, it feel GOOD to walk again. But I also feel like my leg needs to be in constant motion. So, even at work, my leg is always moving at my desk. It just feels good.

At night is when I feel IT! But after you get off those blood thinners, the 325 mg aspirin will cut right through any muscle aches I have. Every day, it gets better and better.

So, the secret is ... DON'T LISTEN TO EVERYONE TELLING YOU TO TAKE IT EASY! Just the opposite. Let your own pain be your guide. If it hurts ... do it! You aren't going to hurt anything. Your muscles will not break, and the knee and bone is as good as ever now.

My philosophy was (and still is) .. "Pain is my friend." Pain tell me where I need to work which muscle, until the pain goes away.

Once I started working a spot that hurt, it usually took 3 days for it to stop the aching. But that mean, working that one muscle over and over. Then the 4th day... gone! Now focus on another spot that hurts.

If you do this, you'll be on your way LONG before before Christmas! I made up my mind I was getting my life back to it's normal routine. It took about 3 days to figure that out. So, anything I did before the surgery, I was just to dang stupid to stop doing it.

You can do it too.... Good luck!

[ksg5000]

Keep up the good work - everyone I know that went through the process had pain etc but in hindsight wondered why they didn't do it sooner.

[Dick_B]

My Wife only had one knee replaced two years ago but this year we have, once again, bicycled more than 2000 miles.

[OH48Lt]

Had both knees replaced, one last December and the other 4 weeks ago today. Same surgeon, same replacement, same hospital, same PT place. World of difference in how they healed. First knee I was on a walker for 14 days, cane for another 8 days, lots of pain. It worked out OK though, happy with it. The one 4 weeks ago is coming along much better and faster. On a walker for 6 days, cane for another 6 days, not nearly as much pain. Only 2 more PT sessions since I hit over 120 degrees of flexibility a couple of visits ago. Then its off to the YMCA gym 2x a week for the rest of my life, to maintain my range of motion and strength. Those that do not do proper PT, and do not do some type of regular physical activity for the knees after PT, will never have as good a result as those that keep at it.

First time my legs have been straight for 30+ years. The left one was out 13 degrees, the right one 8 degrees. Just the way they wore through the decades.

[2oldman]

The folks in Disabilities section might want to know about this.

[gbopp]

I guess we all heal at a different rate. I had a TKR seven years ago.
Four weeks after surgery I was running my snowblower..

Hang in there and do your excercises. I hope you're back to normal quickly.
And, yes it is worth it. 🙂