Signs of improvement after all this time

blueknees

I had my TKR in June last year, almost 12 months ago, and have really suffered great pain and difficulty right through - up until the last week or so when things have really settled down and the pain has eased up.

My walking is good, a little further each day without pain but great stiffness after.

I got my bike out this afternoon and rode up the road - the first time for more than two years. It hurt a bit and I had to raise the saddle to its full height and had my heel on the pedal but I managed to ride it.

This could help those of you struggling with pain and discomfort following TKR - my condition has improved when I did not think it ever would.

toady

That must be a very good feeling after nearly a year - hard to keep positive for that long & have faith that better times are coming. Sounds like a well-earned payoff of your patience. I miss my bike no end, have a ride up the road for me, will ya? 8)

dreamdaisy

Hurrah! Having followed various people's progress in my time on here I've learned that some have to persevere for far longer (and far harder) than others but you are getting there - and that matters. I am very pleased for you and I hope that things continue to improve. DD

lizzy100

yay, glad its getting better.

blueknees

toady you will be with me all the way up the road tomorrow, in spirit at least

DD thank you for your support

stickywicket

Well done, blueknees! That's a great milestone passed. I'm sure things will continue to improve a little at a time.

blueknees

Does anyone know if I can damage my new knee by kicking a football?

That is what I was doing yesterday, with my son.

I was unsure about it and worried every time I kicked the ball but it felt fine and no problems afterward. (Stiffness of course but that is expected).

I was on my bike again today, only a couple of miles but its further than I've cycled for years.

chookgate

Thank you Blueknees for post this, it gives me great hope! I've had two TKR's and the first one is no trouble at all, the second one gives me quite a lot of pain still and stiffness (after 6 months), your post suggests I should believe the doctor who says improvement will continue over 12 months.

toady

blueknees wrote:

toady you will be with me all the way up the road tomorrow, in spirit at least

Yay very nice it was too, thank you, especially in the sunshine, just like old times
..impressed that you're doing a couple of miles, I sort of imagined a quick run to the end of the road & back (depends how long your road is obviously) so 2 miles is great! Hope you're doing ok and finding out what it will let you get away with, distance-wise, & football kicking etc, & keep up the good work. Well done.

blueknees

Cheers Toady I paid £35 for my bike to be serviced, new chain and cables etc.

Just hold on tight next time eh I wouldn't want to lose you

dreamdaisy

When you say kicking a football are we talking about huge wallops in the park or a gentle tap-around in the back garden? If it felt OK at the time but sore after well, I would have thought that was par for the course, but at the sign of any twinge then it might be best to stop the activity that's caused it. At long last you are beginning to get back to 'normality' - I hope it proves worth the wait you have endured. Good luck. DD

blueknees

DD my son wants to be a goalkeeper and I used to train a boys team with some success.

Some of the training involves me simply dropping the ball from my hands and kicking it at him while he practices his catching skills. :P

No pain while kicking and no reaction afterwards

I just wonder of the metal prosthesis can be dislodged by the action of kicking a ball

frogmorton

Blueknees

Thanks for posting this because it's true recovery can take so much longer than we realise.

After my back op the damaged nerves continued to heal for at least 2 yEARS!!! So you might yet get ballet dancing

love

Toni xxx

Helenbothknees

blueknees, I can't be certain if kicking a ball would be a problem, but I sincerely doubt it. I was told it's only continuous high impact activities such as running, squash etc which are forbidden.

Having fallen heavily on my knees, I asked the physio if that was a problem. She said they're designed to take that sort of impact, because...people do it all the time. Sounds like more impact than kicking a ball to me.

blueknees

Helen falling on the knees is different to kicking a ball but both would prove one way or another, in my opinion.

You mention squash - I was under the impression that playing squash would be ok after 2 years ?

dreamdaisy

There is a difference between your old, home-grown knee and your new metal one. Yes, it's strong and yes, it allows for a great degree of movement and flexibility but, as HBK points out, it may not react that well to repeated high-impact stress and twisting. Squash? I frequently play but my version is getting through narrow doorways with the rollator. DD

stickywicket

Please check before you try squash :shock: It's very high impact and very twisty.

chookgate

I think any activity where it is really easy to twist or wrench the knee is not a good idea. eg Ice skating isn't high impact, but it's easy to slip and jar the knees (and easy to fall over!)

blueknees

Dreamdaisy thank you for the chuckle