TKR -- Jackie's Excellent Camping Adventure ... And Yoga too

[Guest guest]

My TKRs were March 19 2009 (right) and September 1 2009 (left). Here is my

latest success story.

I returned last Tuesday from a delightful 2 weeks on Maui. The first week I

spent camping at the YMCA camp on Kaenae Peninsula, officially the rainy

side of the island. And rain it did. Every day. In bucketfuls. Before

the trip, I was concerned about how I would get in and out of my small tent,

since kneeling was usually involved. So I practiced kneeling before I left

and was able to do so for short periods on a bed or soft material. While I

was not the most graceful camper I was able to get in and out of the tent

with a small amount of dignity intact. My days were full ‹ 2 drum classes,

drumming for dance class, taking the dance warm up, doing yoga at the end of

the day, walking up (and down) a hill between to the dining room many times

a day. I also took a longer walk down to the beautiful ocean the one day we

had a period of sunshine. This involved walking on uneven lava flow to get

my feet in the beautiful healing waters.

The next week I went to the sunny side where I met up with my sister. We

walked on the beach a few miles, swam and floated in the water, and did some

touristy things.

Back home, I am returning to my gym regime -- bicycle, elliptical, and

weight machines. Since the yoga had been so good for me at camp, and the

woman who does massage for me had been urging me, I added in a yoga class.

Getting up and down is still a challenge; I have to make some adjustments

(child pose is not for me so the teacher gave me an alternative), and the

knees are doing some new things that they aren¹t initially happy with. But

I can work through all this and find that the yoga is helping with my

overall sense of strength and well-being. I have arthritis in my back and

neck which got me to the yoga and it is helping that.

I can¹t tell you how great it is to return to my normal life. I don¹t want

to mislead you ‹ I don¹t yet have the stamina and strength I had before the

surgeries and my knees did complain some. But l could not have done these

things without the knee replacements.

I know that it is scary to look at surgery. I really urge those who like

are experiencing fear and dread to keep on getting information about

the reality of these surgeries and to look beyond the initial surgery and

rehab to the miracle of standing straight and tall and moving without pain.

It is important to be realistic and acknowledge and minimize potential

problems; but also to know that complications are the exception.

It is also useful to know that even when the surgeries go well, as mine did,

the rehab is hard work, painful, and boring. And it takes a long time for

some of us. This is a major surgery and recovery takes time and hard work.

My doctor ‹ and my sister who had bilateral TKR 4 years ago ‹ say I should

expect it to take a year to 18 months before I am really recovered. At a

year on the first knee and 7 months on the second I feel well on my way. I

still have some limitations and some pain but can see my way to that ending.

And, oh my, it is rewarding.

Peace,

Jackie

Ps I highly recommend the book Total Knee Replacement and Rehabilitation:

The Knee Owner's Manual by M.D. J. Brugioni and Jeff Falkel Ph.D.

P.T. (Paperback - July 26, 2004) It¹s available from the Publisher

(hunterhouse.com), which gives a 25% discount and free shipping for online

orders. The authors are a little over the top on some of the exercises but

there¹s a ton of information and advice there. One of the authors is an OS

who had TKR and the other is a physical therapist so they¹ve got real

experience there.