Very worried about the required exercise/activity following TKR

Hi Jan. I was 64 when I had both knees replaced, March 2016. No one told me how much recovery time was involved or that strengthening the quadriceps was so important. You know now. My get were an issue for me. I was a walker, loved it until arthritis set in. My bone scan showed it in nearly every part of my body. Pool walking for 30 mins a day is a mighty exercise for us feet sufferers. So is upper body resistance exercise and what ever movement you can do. Even fidgiting in a chair for 15 mins 4 times a day uses energy. Just make up your mind if you want to put in the effort or not. What are your choices? Wheelchair, sticks, crutches or the chance of increased mobility anf some movement improvement. Only you can decide. I am glad after investing a year out of my busy life to recover and another 3 months to get used to a new way of walking. x

NOT my get. My feet.not anf but and. The auto correct drives me silly. Phone is hard to post from. Sorry, I am in Penang and no computer. x

When are you having it done?

Hi PenceJan!

I'm 56 and had right TKR 6 weeks ago. My mom is 83 and she's in much better physical condition than me, so I know what you mean about feeling older. I've also had 3 surgeries on my left foot/ankle between Sept 2015 and Sept 2016 for PTTD ("All American Surgery". Earlier in 2015 had total hysterectomy due to cancer, so pretty much for the past 2 years I've been very inactive. Like you, I used to enjoy walking, 3-5 miles most days. I've gained 50 pounds over the last couple years due to inactivity and bad eating habits. In Feb 2017 I was diagnosed with CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome) in my left foot, and I was very worried about how that would affect my knee replacement recovery. And yes, my quality of life was extremely poor. But the ony way it was going to improve was by getting my TKR surgery scheduled. 

I just took my first walk this past weekend (a very short one, just under half a mile) and indeed my foot pain was worse than the knee pain by the time I got back. I plan to very gradually add walking to my therapy but if the foot pain becomes an issue I'll have to try something else. If you have access to a bike, treadmill or pool I would say go for it! Any of those are as good or better than walking. I think the main thing is to keep as active as possible once you are at that point in your recovery. As far as getting the knee wet, I had a waterproof bandage completely covering the incision and was able to shower right away. But submerging in a tub or pool I was told 6 weeks.

We are rooting for you! Keep us posted as you recover. So many amazingly helpful people here with loads of advice and encouragement.

 

there are lots of exercises which you can do which will not require weight bearing on your feet. I do understand your concerns. I have osteochondritis in my nakles, and am supposed to do the minimum of walking so as not to exacerabate the problem, which is also rather painful.  But exercises to get your knee into shape can mostly be done lying in bed!  leg raises, pulling the heel towards you, lateral movement of the leg.  when sitting on the edge of the bed you can swing your leg up and down, exercising the knee.  When sitting, you can push the leg back to try to increase the bend. of course, it would be nice to be able to walk every day, but your condition . .mine too . .makes that really not possible, but it doesn't mean you can't have a successful TKR. Re getting it wet . . in my hospital, they showered me the day after the operation, using a long waterproof dressing on the knee . . It was no problem at all.  they removed it daily and doused it with disinfectant, and put on a new dressing.  Every hospital seems to have its own ideas though . . Swimming, once the wound is healed and not seeping at all . . not that long, but NO breast stroke, only up and down.  A static recumbent bike would be good, but not essential . . On a general note, make sure you have things in hand ready for the post op period. . .an over the toilet seat to make it higher, some really comfortable loose fitting trousers . . I found wool irritated, and in the end velvet was the most comfortable!  A cross body bag big enough to transport small things like books, pills et . . difficult when you are using crutches.  Plastic plates and glasses to avoid washing up.  Ready made meals in the freezer.  Some extra pillows . . useful for making a favourite chair higher, or to put betqween your knees in bed. . PAIN KILLERS discuss this with your surgeon BEFORE the op, and make sure he is going to give you adquate pain control for the first six weeks at least.  Mine only gave me paracetamol . . absolutely useless!  A trolley is useful for transporting a plate of food . . obviously depends on your house!  A comfortable pair of shoes a bit bigger than usual to cope with swelling.  Ice packs (very useful!)_ You'll be OK!!!