Helen's Bilateral TKR

Helenbothknees

I simply cannot see what the great risk is with driving. When it comes to using muscles, I do far more when I'm walking, especially on uneven ground or going upstairs, which I can now do without crutches. My knees bend normally, well past a right angle, with no problem or pain at all. And I'm on exactly the same pain killers as I was before the op.

I've made a decsion. I see the physio on the 7th, which is less than a week away. I'll ask her what she thinks. Then I'll give it a go in the car park when it's empty. Then, if necessary, I'll phone the insurance company and/or my consultant's secretary.

I've heard of people who drove long before the six weeks was up. The trouble is, I've never heard of anyone doing it with TWO new knees. That's why I'm cautious.

And Linda, point most definitely taken, and you have my thoughts!

elainebadknee

Helen

There is no doubt about it you are healing well and doing very well so soon after this surgery. You are obviously a very fit active lady which is has served you well....You did post on 30th July however that you felt really tired and sore afterwards.
They do say 6 weeks after the operation and I would say that even thoughy you feel you could do the clutch and emergency stop you simply cant control who or what is out on the roads with you....I would err on the side of caution, possibly test yoursefl somewhere its quiet and not venture out on busy roads just yet.....
It is up to the advice of professionals and how you feel to but please take care....

Elainex

stickywicket

Helenbothknees wrote:

I simply cannot see what the great risk is with driving. When it comes to using muscles, I do far more when I'm walking, especially on uneven ground or going upstairs, which I can now do without crutches.

It's not just the muscles, Helen. There's a huge amount of soft tissue damage in there which takes far longer to heal than the scar on the outside. I think as long as you take proper advice, you'll be fine but make sure you listen to what they're really saying rather than just the bits you want to hear :roll:

pegleg

I also drive and have to get people to give me lifts but I was told at least 6 weeks before you can drive again , its to do with if you had to stop in an emergency and also I don't think an insurance company would even entertain it , so you would be driving uninsured ! . Must admit I'm in in rush to do anything , slow and steady , little and often was the advice given to me , its a major op remember

stickywicket

I think you have it spot on pegleg. It's the long term prospects that count not short term gain.

Helenbothknees

Hmmm....been doing some internet research on this...

It seems like the blanket six week ban for insurance purposes is an urban myth. What you can't do is drive against medical advice, or you won't be covered. I've been told nothing definite by the doctor...I didn't ask. Back to plan A - ask physio what she thinks, then ring consultant's secretary, then ring insurance broker to double check. I'm not doing anything I don't feel safe to do, and don't plan to. If it isn't what others feel safe doing, or think I should be safe doing, then I can't help that. The only thing I've been told officially is to listen to my own body, and I'm doing that. As for busy roads etc, this is a small village in the Peak District, and all I want to do is drive to a local, quiet market town. I avoid driving into Derby or driving at busy times anyway. And I don't feel up to long drives.

So, thanks for the advice, and I am taking it on board. I'm just not sure that I agree. But I asked, and thanks, and I'll think about it.....

Helenbothknees

Light relief update....

I tried to dig up potatoes today.....

Ok, now you've all picked yourselves up off the floor and stopped laughing, I'll tell you about it. Firstly, why did I do this? Well, the potatoes were my babies, and the first time I'd tried growing vegetables for years. We thought they might be ready, David wasn't quite sure how to dig them up, and I said I'd do one or two; how hard could it be?

Answer: very hard? Firstly, walk over uneven ground to back row of spuds, which look ready. Second, balance on one leg to put other one on fork in right position. Third, push down very hard on fork with leg. Next is the easy bit, turn over fork and soil, and hey, my back and arms work fine! Finally, bend over to search for tiny spuds, and don't fall over.

I did four of these plants, got a few spuds, then admitted defeat; I was shattered. But hey, it was fun, and I don't think it did me any lasting harm. David has threatened to tell the physio if I'm not good for the rest of the week, but I can live with that; I think she'll laugh too.

Ok, back to rest, exercise, gentle walk, rest, exercise......

SteveBurns

Hi all, my knee hurts now, had physio this morning and she really knows how to inflict pain

My bend was only 85 and that despite lots of hard work put in through the week.

The physio did lots of extremely painful pushing and bending and only improved me to 95 degrees.

She decided to book me in for a one to one with her next week the day before the New Knee clinic, not looking forward to either of them now.

It really took it out of me and I was really knackered when I got home, no good for anything :x

I see my consultant on Monday and will ask him about driving and he will see my poor range of movement.

Another chap at the session today told me he saw his consultant yesterday who told him he has a month to get his bend improved - if not he will get booked in for a day on the knee bending machine :shock:

I'm just over 5 weeks post op.

elnafinn

Hi Helenbothknees

I believe you are right on the ruling of 6 weeks not driving post op TKRs. I also believe that it is the consultant that should let you know if you are well enough to commence driving. I would not have thought a physio or consultant's secretary would wish to commit themselves on such a decision. Some patients do return to driving earlier than the 6 weeks but it is still the surgeon that makes the decision. You should be able to confidently perform an emergency stop. You may drive down quiet, country lanes but an emergency stop may still have to be undertaken.
Better safe than sorry is a good motto especially after bilateral TKRs.

Elna x

Helenbothknees

Elna, good advice; thank you.

Steve, I don't know if this will help, but it might be worth a try....

As I may have mentioned, I've done yoga for over 20 years. Contrary to what many people believe, most stretching in yoga is quite passive, ie you don't force things, but relax and allow your own body weight to do the stretching. After the op, I incorporated these principles into my exercises. After practising bending each knee in the usual way, which I usually do lying flat on the bed, I pull the leg upwards with my arms, bending it at the hip joint, as far as it will comfortably go. I then bend the knee as far as it wants to go, take deep breaths and relax, and let the weight of the leg gradually increase the bend. I hold it for a few seconds, then relax, then repeat. I do it about five times. It hurts in the beginning, but not nearly as much as forcing it. You also don't get all the tension caused by forcing your muscles to do what they don't want to do, and you don't tense up because you're expecting pain. It works for me; I can now bend my knee right back.

I should emphasise that I'm not a physio, and not even a yoga teacher. However, this is harmless as you're not forcing anything - and it seems to work. Your choice.....

dreamdaisy

Hello, how are things this morning? I hope you have survived the spud lifting! I've been wondering if this bi-lateral op is your first experience of major surgery? DD

stickywicket

Helen, you have me in new territory here. Usually, I bang on about the value of exercise but I find myself, like DD, wondering if you have any experience of major surgery. Let me just tell you a cautionary tale and then I'll shut up.

We have a friend. He plays golf with Mr SW, he's in his early 70s, ex-PE teacher, fit as a butcher's dog all his life. He recently had to have a hernia repaired with keyhole surgery. He was soon back on the golf course twice a week, swimming twice a week and walking everywhere. Pretty soon after that he was double digging a trench for his potatoes in soft ground. As a result, he is now, once again, reduced to meeting his golfing mates just for a coffee after they've finished playing as he awaits another hernia repair. Same place but this time they'll have to open him up and the recovery will be much longer?

'Nuff said?

elnafinn

I went to the allotment with hubby a few weeks after my TKR - do not know exactly how many weeks post op it was - unless I look in my diary. It was March/April time. The walk is 5 minutes up the road which was fine, had done that many times since the op. Getting into the allotment area and then walking on the uneven dug over ground (as you also mentioned), I found not a good idea and when I saw that there was not really anything I could do, I wandered back home and on the way chatted with another allotmenteer who was gobsmacked that I had even contemplated attempting to do something there! I was not using a crutch as had "thrown them away" quite early on post op. I most definitely knew my limitations because the last thing I wished to do was to fall which was my main worry.

I wish you well, but I do feel that you are trying to run before you can walk and it may well be ok in your instance but I think I am probably right in saying that for most post knee op patients we are of the opinion you are going ahead way too fast

I did yoga for years too at classes and home and later on only at home. My daughter when young used to copy some of the poses. Now I do an hours stretching exercises instead most days.

Elna x

SteveBurns

Helen I always say "you don't know what you don't know" and now I find out that I was doing yoga without knowing it

The exercise you describe is one I thought I had invented a few weeks ago, I do it exactly as you describe and it does seem to work, the way you let the weight of the foot do the work.

I'm very sore today after the exercises yesterday too sore to try anything today in fact.

Have a good weekend you all and thanks again Helen

Helenbothknees

Thanks, everyone, and warnings noted. But I'm fine. Really! I don't feel as though I'm pushing myself. I know what that feels like, as if I do, my knees swell up and I'm back to feet up and ice. They seem to be getting better. The pain is lessening. I'm less tired. I'm doing what I feel is easily within my capabilities...OK potato digging might have been a bit much, but I only did it for a few minutes, and it's hardly akin to double digging.

I could be wrong, but before the op, the docs all impressed on me to keep active. Since then, everyone seems to be happy with my progress. I'm not going back to anything like as active as I was before the op; this sort of thing is nothing for me, and how you were beforehand must make a difference.

But thank you all, and I'll be careful.

Steve, glad the exercise worked. Any similar ones you can invent can only do good, I think. I'm not a great believer in this forcing stuff. How come physios are allowed to force things to the point of severe pain, but anything we do might be overdoing it. It's our bodies, and we know how to listen to them.

lindalegs

I'm sorry if you might be getting fed up of us all harping on at you Helen but you have to remember that your new knees have to last you for many years and these are such early days. You have to give your soft tissue and nerves chance to heal and this does take time.

You're doing marvellously well and you know your own body but please don't keep pushing them into 'swelling up' because when they do that your body is telling you to rest them. You don't want to undo the work the surgeon's done and revisions can be quite difficult to get over.

Maybe your should ring your physio and/or surgeon and see what they think and possibly let us know what they say. Hopefully we're all being over cautious

Luv,

Helenbothknees

Legs, I have asked the surgeon and physio numerous times, and they simply say to not overdo things, but not under-do them either. If you overdo things your knees will swell up, in which case put them up and use ice. They didn't sound too bothered about this. They were far, far more concerned that I wouldn't do enough! Other than that they said to listen to my body.

What mainly makes them swell up is using the stairs, and I can't help that; I live in a house with stairs! Also going for walks, even if only a few minutes, and one physio said to take walks, the other said around the house was probably enough.

Sorry, but I'm feeling got at and I'm going to leave these forums for a bit.....

marrianne

Hi Helen Steve Julia ,and everyone hope you are copeing well ,you seem to be ,Helen hope you have a good weekend and come back soon ,its just concern from people who have already been there ,I think I am the opposite of you not lazy exactly just cannot stand any extra pain ,also a bit fed up with one upstairs toilet house like a building site and despite reasurrances that my wound is very nice and clean etc etc I think it looks awful Marrianne

lindalegs

Helenbothknees wrote:

Legs, I have asked the surgeon and physio numerous times, and they simply say to not overdo things, but not under-do them either. If you overdo things your knees will swell up, in which case put them up and use ice. They didn't sound too bothered about this. They were far, far more concerned that I wouldn't do enough! Other than that they said to listen to my body.

What mainly makes them swell up is using the stairs, and I can't help that; I live in a house with stairs! Also going for walks, even if only a few minutes, and one physio said to take walks, the other said around the house was probably enough.

Sorry, but I'm feeling got at and I'm going to leave these forums for a bit.....

I'm sorry Helen. I didn't mean to upset you I'm just concerned that's all. I, too, live in a house so I know stairs are unavoidable. :roll:

As long as the surgeon and physio are fine with all that you're doing that's good enough for me. I really am so pleased you're making such good progress and hope that you don't leave the forums. :shock:

I only had your best interests at heart and being a bi-lateral girl myself I know how hard it is.

Luv from Legs who's eating humble pie

stickywicket

I do hope you don’t leave us, Helen, but I know that all of us counselling caution have had knee surgery, most of us have had two TKRs, and Legs and I have had 3 each so we do know what we’re talking about. My first TKR lasted 27 years, its mate is still there at 31 and my 3 year old baby revision is the best of the lot. I must have done something right.

I think, post op, there are possibly more people who don’t exercise enough than who overdo things but neither tactic is ideal. I’ve always been told that frequent exercises (quads mainly) are the important thing: walking less so.

All we can do on here is share our own experiences. Despite 51 years of arthritis, I have learned a great deal from others on these forums and had wonderful support from them. I think you’ll be missing out if you leave us now.

diamond

Helen don't leave the forum people are only trying to help you some of us have been there and know that setbacks can occur.In a ideal world we would all love to get on with our lives and get back out there doing what we want to do but for some it is not possible.Glad you are on the road to recovery just try to take things at a more relaxed pace.

dreamdaisy

I live in a house that has three floors. I slept in the ground floor dining room for a good while (on four occasions) as we have a ground floor bathroom.

You're feeling 'got at'? Far from it, elna, sticky, legs ets are knee replacement veterans, I've been left with a scar that looks like a replacement which wasn't and I am sick and tired of explaining to people who don't read my notes that I haven't had one. You've had done what I need to be done yet I still have a long wait. You've had done what many on here are longing to receive. We are not being deliberately negative, we are trying to help you see that this 'down time' and break from your active life is a necessity. It's your choice not to accept it but I for one will be very hard-pushed to offer empathy if it all goes mammaries-upwards. I sincerely hope it doesn't. DD

elainebadknee

Helen

Dont leave the forum, nobody from what I can see is "getting at you", far from it, just trying to offer bits of advice etc...They simply dont want to read about you having a setback on here which is id say supportive....Some struggle, some dont after surgery and we compare on here to enlighten others, let them know the unknown, another side to the coin....
Thats said its completely upto you and you do strike me as someone who sticks to what they feel is right very vehemently.....
Take care whatever you do...

Elainex

SteveBurns

Hi all clinic appointment this morning and permission to drive and remove the DVT stocking

I have a painful tendon attached to the knee cap and tibia when I try to bend the knee but told to keep up the exercises and physio appointments.

Further appointment in six weeks.

diamond

What a relief Steve when you don't need to wear those stockings.Glad you have all clear to drive now.You seem to be doing well at recovering,so pleased for you.