1 month post TKR

Today i'm 4 weeks out from my total knee replacement and things are going well! In the past week I've been able to ride the stationary bike without any problems and yesterday I actually went out for a 30 minute ride on my road bike! I can also go up and down stairs like normal people do! Don't get me wrong it's not like it has been a walk in the park so far! I still have trouble sleeping at night as my knee tends to throb during the night. And if I'm up on it for too long or over work my physical therapy it gets sore and swells up a bit. The hard work is paying off though! My range of motion is getting more and more and I'm able to walk faster and farther now. I really feel the pool therapy has helped me a lot in getting my range of motion back! Hopefully I will continue to get stronger and stronger each week! Have a great day all! :-)

First day of PT (post hospital stay)

Without doubt the most difficult part of a total knee replacement is physical therapy! Being able to straighten and bend your knee is what it's all about! With my first TKR getting it to bend was the easier part and straightening really took a lot of hard painful work, this time it seems to be the exact opposite! I have my same therapist (Renae) from before and she expects a lot but that's good! I'm already at 4-5 degrees straightening but have quite a ways to go on the bending. I have to remember it's only been 8 days since surgery, I need to keep working hard and to have patience! Tomorrow I'm off to pool therapy. I love it and it's amazing how much more you can move things while in the water! :-)

Home from the hospital

Hi everyone!

Jilly picked me up yesterday afternoon from St. Davids Hospital, it was so nice to get home and see my furry critters! My surgery last Wednesday Sept. 29th went great! I can't say enough good things about my doctor, Dr. Matthew Heinrich and the entire nursing crew at St. Davids Hospital, it is second to none! I was in the hospital for 5 days but those first couple of days I don't remember a whole lot! They had me up and moving on Thursday morning, needless to say I was pretty unsteady on my walker but doing the rehabbing is the most important part of this whole process! Jilly would stop by on her way to and from work for a visit, it was something I always looked forward to! Friday, Saturday, and then again on Monday I had pool therapy, it's amazing how much better you can bend in the water! By Sunday I was able to straighten my leg out almost completely which was way better then when I had my first TKR done. That was something I had really struggled with! I was able to bend it to about 112 degrees so that's not to bad this early after surgery but I still have a long ways to go! My knee is very sore but not anymore then I expected it to be. The key is to keep on top of the pain level with the meds and ice and that seems to help! It's so good to be home! First out-patient rehab tomorrow morning. I will have my same therapist I had last time (Renae), she worked me hard but that's good! Until next time, have a great day!

Dick :-)