Meganw wrote:This is a wonderful discussion! I am a bushwalking physio (with knee feeling the effects of past injury and surgery as i get older). I have bushwalking patients who are dealing with the same. Some of them are terrified of having a TKR if conservative management ceases to be sufficient. This conversation is so useful, thoughtful and supportive.
Hi Megan, Great to have a qualified physio on here, especially a bushwalking focused one! My own physio is excellent but I have to explain my activities to him in some detail, as bushwalking isn't his thing.
That said I had a final follow up with him on Saturday. We had discussed doing that on my last visit in July, purpose to check post 12 months progress and to give me some tools for ongoing self management.
He was really pleased with strength and how much further I can straighten and bend my operated leg since the last visit. Now up to me how much further I want to push things, but we worked on modifying and adding some exercises, such as introducing one legged chair squats. A bit more cycling recommended - I tend to be a fair weather cyclist and need to toughen up to less than ideal conditions a bit more. But less is also more; don't overdo things, have intervals of rest, and work on strengthening the other leg as well, so the operated one doesn't become overdeveloped causing an imbalance. Yes I also pushed on with conservative treatment much longer than I should have. I was initially apprehensive, but I knew that a TKR was the solution and became very keen on getting it done once I was committed. In an earlier post I mentioned a (non-bushwalking) friend of mine facing a bilateral TKR. He was absolutely terrified at the prospect. Very pleasing that he is now about 3 months post op and doing really well; his early recovery has been possibly even better than mine was, which I think is inspirational for someone getting both knees done.
