Re: Learning to Walk Again After TKR

June 30, 2006

Sherrie & Deb,

It's a really slow process, I think. I could more or less walk

after 2 months, but it wasn't normal walking. My OS kept

telling me that it could take as much as a year to recover

completely; it's now 7 1/2 months & I can still see things

changing.

In May I was still very cautious about stepping off a curb or

walking down a slope, because I felt like I was falling. During

a trip to visit our son's family in England I began to lose that

unbalanced sensation...maybe it was because he lives in a hilly

area & I was getting more practice! Now I feel confident &

safe.

Walking on the flat is sometimes good, sometimes painful. If I

want to go at a normal speed I have to use my cane. I have pain

in my hip on the operated leg, plus a second painful knee &

ankle damage on the other leg. So I'm worse off than some of

you, better off than others, I imagine. We went to London a

couple of times & I was able to walk for sight-seeing, so I was

delighted.

My son walked behind me a few times & said that I do not limp.

I'm bending the new knee & walking pretty correctly, I guess.

Still am somewhat weak going upstairs: I have to force the

operated leg to straighten & left me each time. But 3 months

ago I couldn't even feel any response in those muscles when I

tried, so I had to drag myself up by the railing! Little by

little does the trick, I guess.

I hope you both can be patient and determined. I know it's not

so easy if you have to work--I'm retired & can give myself

plenty of time for recovery. Good luck!

Barbara in MI

You can look at some of the sights in Barcelona & see me if you

go to www.ward88.com/Barca (I'm the white-haired goofy-looking

person with a straw hat. Double-click the 1st thumbnail to open

a slideshow.

Barbara Ward

Macomb County, Michigan

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