successful Total knee replacement !!!

[BriarRose 432]

A dozen years since my sleeve. Maintaining my weight... I am now 67 years old. I have been bone on bone on both knees for years. I finally had the first knee replacement. Let me tell you.... this is no joke. I am very stoic and don't get crazy about anything. The level of pain in the first few weeks was epic. However the thing that has me totally entranced is that I am now in Physical Therapy doing my rehabilitation. And getting stronger for the second knee replacement that I will get in late Spring... After 4 grueling sessions; I am walking, moving well, and have almost 100% function in my surgical knee.

I can't get over the comments from the PT and surgeon - About how my "normal" weight allowed me to do so well. My weight is still high. I know that. But I am comfortable where I am, and this is where I have been for a few years, and is my lowest adult weight ever. HECK. NORMAL WEIGHT ? No one is commenting on me being super obese, or needing to lose weight. Instead the focus is on strength and eating well, and getting stronger .

What a huge difference.

[CelticSoul 17]

That is fantastic! Just imagine how well you will be doing after the second knee surgery. A normal weight... such a lovely sound to those words! It makes everything easier - the possibilities are endless!

[Arabesque 7,413]

How wonderful for you. And congratulations on maintaining your weight too - inspiring!

I remember my mum saying how horrendous the pain was with her knee reconstruction (she had both done at once - yikes). She was on opioids for ages & iced her knees three times a day for a couple of months. Hope your pain subsides soon & you have a speedy recovery.

[GreenTealael 25,430]

This is amazing news! How does it feel now compared to immediately post op? Do you feel like you are healing faster at your current weight? Speedy recovery

[BriarRose 432]

The first three weeks - I won't be coy here.... were really really hard. Having bones sawed off, and replaced and drilled into place is really painful; at any weight. However, once I got to being able to move around more - once the 34 staples were removed after just over 2 weeks; I was able to start moving around more. I totally gave up on the narcotics by the end of week two. I couldn't hold them down well, and the only thing I could eat was.... basically toast with a bit of jam. I finally at about the middle of week three could start walking a bit outside instead of around my dining room table - and progressed from taking 300 steps a day to over 1000 in that third week. At week 6 I am now able to walk for about 10 minutes with a cane, twice a day, and am able to take care of myself, the house, a flock of chickens (less any heavy lifting), the dog, parrot and reptiles.

I weigh basically almost half of what I did at my heaviest. With this surgery,.... right before it, I was very limited in my ability to walk. I had gained 8 pounds from my lowest. After surgery at week 2 I was up another few pounds - Surgeon told me this is normal from how much IV fluids I was getting to keep me going. I am frankly eating A LOT of healthy foods right now. On dr's and nutritionist suggestion to build back muscle, nerve and bone loss. I am told that in another couple weeks I will start to lose the weight again. I am not worried, and I can hang with the process. I am walking about 4,000 to 5000 steps a day - over what I should be for my age and where I am post op.