2 YEARS POST BTKR

Yes, its been two years since I had my bilateral TKR, 14 April to be exact.  Actually, I have never been so excited about anniversaries but this is a special one for me.  Its so personal, its part of my body and it has given me my life back.  So I try not to take things for granted and be grateful everyday for my pain free knees.  Some people told me that after a few years out of TKR, they have already forgotten about it.  But for me, I still have vivid memories of the events leading up to my surgery and the recovery itself.  Perhaps with all the research that I am doing and the constant observation of my knees, its hard for me to forget.  In fact, I don't want to forget and I want to learn more about it.  I have never been so passionate about anything but this TKR experience has certainly stirred up some serious interest in me.  And looking at the bright side, it has become a blessing for me because I have made some positive changes in my life. 

 


Its interesting that I still experienced improvements in my knees even in the last few months.   In January 2012, I went to Bangkok, Thailand for a holiday and that was about nine months after my bilateral TKR.  At that time, I walked a lot but my knees felt quite stiff and tight.  In Bangkok, the most convenient way to travel is by tut-tuts (see picture on the left). It is a really cool way to travel and we loved it. However, I struggled to climb into the tut-tut because it was quite high and my knees could not bend so much.  So the driver had to stop at the curb by the road side just like the picture shown here so that its easier for me to climb in.  As for getting out of the tut-tut, I had to literally slide myself out on my butt.  It was quite embarrassing actually.

Now fast forward another year in January 2013, I went there again for another holiday and this time, I could feel the difference.  The stiffness was reduced even after the long walks and I could climb in and out of the tut-tut much more easily.  So that was a pleasant surprise for me.  In fact, I was so grateful that I could go shopping for hours everyday that I was there without any pain and that also means that I could go anywhere to enjoy the food and the sights.



The other thing I noticed recently is that I could get out of the back seat of a car much more easily than before.  You see, I have no problem getting out of cars from the front seat because it is much more spacious and I usually drive myself.  However, sometimes when I sit in the back of someone else's car, I always struggled to get out from the car as the space is much more constrained and my knees could not bend as much.  But I noticed recently that it is easier to get out from the back seat because my knees could bend more which means that my range of motion has improved.  Each time an improvement like this took place, my mind will be conscious of it and I will be smiling away as if I am congratulating myself for another milestone achievement.

I also noticed that the clunking sensation (i.e. the friction between metal and plastic) has reduced.  Actually, when I walk, it feels quite natural now in the knees.  Its only when I bend my knees or climb staircase that I could feel the tightness and the clunking.  For a long time after TKR, I did not feel comfortable wearing heels so I would wear flats most of the time.  Now, I feel comfortable wearing a two inch heels but I prefer them to be platform heels instead of stilletos.



Of course, I still have stiffness after prolonged walking, sitting and standing but it has reduced.  I am happy to see this slight improvement because realistically, I know that the stiffness may not completely heal due to damage of muscles and ligaments caused by the progression of OA.  Even the tight band feeling is still there but it has improved.  I have been diligently doing my deep tissue massage on a daily basis and about three times a week, I will practise my improvised method of kneeling and walking as described in my post on Massage for stiffness and tightness.  Since then, I can now kneel on the pad and walk a little back and forth without any support.  I can't do it for very long though as it is painful but I know that it will get better in time.  Already it has helped me to overcome my fears of kneeling especially when I get up from the floor.

On the health front, my regular consumption of green smoothies and alkaline diet (see posts on green smoothies and pH balance) has proven to be very effective.  And I am glad to see quite a lot of interest from readers lately on these two topics.  Overall, I feel so much healthier with more energy and vitality.  My immune system has improved tremendously and as a result, I am saving on medical costs.  These days, I am doing more indoor walking exercises with a DVD program which progresses to light jogging and prancing and some core exercises with light weights.

Recently, I started to go back to Batu Caves for exercise (haven't been there for a few years).  Batu Caves is a sacred place for the Hindus in Malaysia.  It consist of three main caves and a number of smaller ones.  The caves are made of limestone and there is a long staircase of 272 steps to reach the entrance of the cave (see picture on the left).  I went there twice and the first time was about a month ago.  At that time, I could only climb up once and my legs were already wobbly and I was huffing and puffing away. The second time I went there, I did a lot better.  I was able to climb up twice i.e. a total of 544 steps!  Its another milestone achivement for me and you know what? The knees felt great. Actually, before my bilateral TKR, I could also climb up twice but after that, my knees would be so sore, stiff and painful.  The big difference now is that I do not have to take pain killers and use medicated plasters for the knees.  Now my goal is to get fitter and be able to climb up three times, hopefully.  After learning that more activities is okay for the implants (see Exercise post TKR), I do not worry anymore about it while exercising as long as I know that I am not overdoing anything.

Another interesting thing which I did recently was going bowling with my children and their partners and it was so much fun.  It felt good being able to bowl and thereafter, did not have to suffer from stiffness, soreness and pain in the knees.  In fact, I felt so energetic and was standing up most of the time.  My highest score was 114 out of three games which was not  bad considering that I haven't bowled for so many years.  Well, I can certainly see more bowling activities in the future for me.

So after two years, do I have any complaints?  Absolutely not. In fact, I am happy to report that after so long, improvements can still happen.  I believe that its due to being physically active with daily activities,  regular exercise and massage. Would there be more improvements? I don't know but I recently had two similar dreams that I was squatting down all the way and sorting out some books at the bottom of the shelf.  Then I woke up and for a moment, I was confused.  I thought to myself - am I able to squat down all the way now?  Then I realised that it was just a dream.  Is this some kind of a sign?   I really don't know and  I don't expect any miracle to happen soon. Anyway, what's important is that my overall function is not impaired and I am able to lead an active lifestyle   In fact, I feel that this experience with TKR is a blessing for me because I have learnt so much about arthritis, diets and health in general and I will be sharing more on this with you.  So watch out for it!

Bangkok Intl Airport