Travel after knee replacement

My experience is with my hips so it is not the same, but may be helpful none-the-less.
I had a double replacement the end of 2001. AT that time I gave in not because of pain but because my motion and abilities were severely diminished.This was with the older technique with the 12-inch incision, so my recovery time was longer. I as only 49 then, worked hard at my p.t., and after 7 weeks was able to take a 3+ mile walk at almost my regular pace. Within 4 months I had resumed my recreational bicycling. In fact I spent several years at over 8,000 miles per year. As far as traveling, we began touring in 2009, and it was not an impediment. Airports that still used metal detectors did pull me over for a wanding, as did federal buildings. The body scanners have no issue with the implants. Two years ago I has a double revision of both ball and joint pieces. This was almost minimal surgery, and inside two weeks I was taking long walks without any support and also driving. Other than being aware of it and knowing I should not take a hard fall, it has no effect on my activity.

My understanding is that there are differences with the knee because of what is cut, but with the newer non-invasive technique involving a small incision and not cutting any of the major muscles recovery should be very quick with much less pain. Your quality of life should be greatly improved.

I will be having knee replacement surgery in the fall and I have the same question. I am looking forward to reading the responses of those who have been there done that.

I had a left total knee replacement in 2001 - had gotten to where normally-active me was afraid to cross a street (might not make it across). Best decision I ever made, health-wise: it gave me back my life! And certainly made traveling fun again. I even took a motorcycling class in 2013! Had thought I’d need the right knee replaced, but so far it’s holding up just fine. I’m now almost 76 and notice some reduction in my traveling stamina, but that’s not knee-related. If your experience is anything like mine, you have good traveling days ahead!

Your questions would be best answered by your othroptdic and physical therapist. That said, you should be good to go by plus two months. At plus two months, you should continue working at regaining muscle strength and endurance.

While traveling (car or air) care needs to be taken to prevent/avoid blood clots. We were advised that long car travel was allowed afer 8 weeks but we needed to stop and walk about every hour or so. (Not allowed to be the car driver even for the left knee for the first 8 weeks because of delayed reflex concerns.)

Check with your Doc.

PS I would add that we have joined the crowd of saying, "wish we did it sooner". That said, a friend who had the first done 5 years ago was scheduled for the second. The second knee was canceled a week before surgury because the insurance company said it wasn't bad enough for them to pay.

Just adding a little more info. I'll be 64 next month. Both my knees seemingly suddenly went bad about three years ago. It wasn't really sudden, of course, just the arthritis finally hitting the tipping point. I've been getting shots similar to cortisone in both knees for the past two years, which were becoming less effective over time. I've also been taking more painkillers than I'd like. My doctors felt an arthroscopic "clean out" surgery probably wouldn't help much, so I met with a replacement specialist, who confirmed that was likely the best route for me. I dithered for a week or so, but what finally convinced me was the fact that the doctor said the implants are lasting around 30 years these days.

My surgery was "robot-assisted" and less invasive than prior techniques, though I've still got a pretty long incision. With the joint being totally replaced, cutting muscle is unavoidable, and restoring that strength and flexibility is the focus of the physical therapy I'm undergoing.

My son's getting married in Tacoma in October and we're looking at a trip next year to Scotland, where our youngest son plans to spend a semester at the University of Edinburgh, so I wanted to get this surgery out of the way and hope to be fully recovered for these trips. And, of course, I'll have to see how the left knee behaves once I'm past rehab on the right one.

Congrats on the new knee. The recovery time with knee replacements is longer than many other joints, but it will be worth it in the end. Just keep diligent with the physio. It really makes a difference in the outcome. True story: I had my right TKA a couple of months before my neighbor had his. I was fanatical about doing my exercises several times a day and going to physio. My neighbor quit doing them after a month or so.

It's now 3 years later. I've done long trips to New Zealand, Japan, and Europe since then and not only could I keep up with the others, I could do it pain free. I could tackle flights if stairs without a twinge. Before the surgery I'd have to sit and rest my knee after half a mile. After a day of walking I'd be in agony and the knee would be swollen. That's a thing of the past now. Ive also got a significantly better range of motion in the knee than I did pre op. Oh, and that neighbor who didn't do his exercises? Still walks with a limp, has trouble with stairs, and only has 100 degrees of flexion. Don't be that guy.

Yes, you'll likely set off the metal detectors at security check points. I just warn them before I go thru, get a quick wanding and pat down and I'm good to go. It's not an issue with body scanners.

PS I'm 66.

I will be 60 in a couple of months. I will have to have one too! I do two mono visc shots a year to get me by also.

I think you will be fine on the Scotland tour

Kim

I had both knees done 2 1/2 years ago, at age 52. At the surgeon's recommendation, they were done 6 weeks apart. Doing the second one so soon means that you don't baby that first one. I had a lot of pain before, and even worse than the pain was the instability. Just standing sometimes a knee would feel like it was going backwards. I had reduced my activity quite a bit. I'd really think about it if I needed to go upstairs or not.

The instability and pain during walking or standing are gone, and I have complete flexion and extension of both knees. I do have a small amount of pain on the top of each knee when I go up steps. But not much. And, bonus, my feet and back feel better, because I'm not walking crooked. I love my new knees.

I can't comfortably kneel. Too much pressure on the incision. So another bonus- an excuse not to weed the flower beds.

I tell people that you'll never have knees that are 100% as good as when you were 25. But 70-80% is pretty good. That physical therapy is very important. And with an actual therapist, not just at home. They'll make you do things that hurt at first but benefit you. Like pushing down on it so you get full extension. One therapist said that if all you're going to do after surgery is sit in a chair and take Vicodin, why have the surgery at all?

Less than 3 months after the final surgery, we went to New Orleans. It's a flat city and I had no problem walking around. I had a hotel room on the ground floor, and an aisle seat on the plane. It was fine. I took a TheraBand to work out any swelling after the flight. In fact, it has a permanent place in my suitcase now.

I'm a small business owner, and I went back to work part time 10 days after each surgery. I would not recommend that, but that's what needed done.

At airports I usually go through the scanner. Sometimes I have to wait for a woman to run it in case I need patted down. You might learn "new knees" in the local language. Or just point and they'll figure it out.

I'm always asking because I have a sports injury of some sort almost everywhere. Of the people I know, the hip replacement seems to be more consistently good. On knee replacements, some have told me they wish they had had their knee done years ago while others have said it's just as bad now as before. If I had to guess, rehab makes all the difference. Do exactly what your Dr./PT tells you to do at exactly the pace. Don't try to rush it or play volleyball/tennis because it seemed to be doing really well.

Good luck, I hope you have a great recovery. The ones who were happy with their knee replacements were really happy.

another bonus- an excuse not to weed the flower beds.

Karen: just in case you want to get back to gardening: I love spending time doing just that. One thing recommended to me that really worked was knee pads. The heavy duty type worn by contractors like flooring installers. Mine have gel on the inside and are really comfortable. Got them at Home Depot.

I had both my knees replaced 14 years ago and since then have made 15 trips to Europe and many hiking trips in the US. I have had no problems except setting off the alarms at the airport and anywhere else that has scanners. The best advice is to do the physical therapy as long as you need to.
If needed I would definitely do the replacements again.

Go and enjoy

CJean- I love to plan a garden, buy the plants, and even put them in the ground. Maintaining and weeding, not so much. So it's saving me money and the embarrassment of a disgraceful garden in August.

I'm 64 now, and had a partial knee replacement 9 years ago on one knee.
Right away I felt better, and still travel and walk a lot.
At this point in your recovery, you should be having physio 2 or 3 times a week, or have been given daily exercises to do.
I'm a retired nurse.
It's vital to do the exercises, as if not you will be back to your pre op state.
People who say they felt worse after joint replacement are more than likely the ones who did not do the exercises, because "it was painful".
The only thing I can't do is kneel , and I also stopped skiing.
Travel, though....never going to stop!

I will reiterate about the p.t. aspect. Recovery from any serious injury (and having a chunk of bone cut out and replaced is an "injury") is always going to be as good as the effort you put in to rehab. And this begins before the operation. Again, I know my experience is hips, but I advised several friends who needed hip replacements on the rehab and prep work to do before then, By working hard at the necessary exercises beginning at least a month beforehand they flew through their recoveries.

Thanks to all. I can attest that I’m totally a believer in doing the therapy. I knew full well going in that rehab would hurt and I was prepared for it. I’m going three times weekly, doing the exercises at home and being as active as tolerable. Hey, I just fixed a Saturday night washing machine crisis! 😁

I’m very glad to hear those with experience have continued to enjoy travel as much or more than before their surgeries. I’m hoping to be back in the saddle shortly.

My 72 yr. old husband is 6 years into his second replacement on the same knee. He opted for a hemi the first time around and it only lasted 8 years. We didn't do any pleasure travel for a year after the latest replacement, but he continued to fly regularly for work after 2 months. He wears compression socks and always has to go through the body scanner at the airport. We're back to traveling and he can walk most golf course. When we travel overseas, he carrys a cane with a seat because the standing can bother him. When I walk behind him, if he's wearing shorts, I can tell if the knee is swelling and that doesn't happen as much anymore.

I have had both of my knees replaced within the past year and a half, the first in January 2017 and the second the following October. I will agree with everyone so far that the pre-op and post-op physical therapy is key to a good recovery. In my experience, the pain and hard work pays off in the end. I know that may not be the case for everyone, but I've been fortunate with a good outcome. I will also say that while my first knee replacement and recovery went well, the second was even easier (although for others I hear the opposite was true). I think that was due to knowing what to expect and working with a different physical therapist who was a little more forward thinking with my exercise program. As others mentioned, the main limitation I now have is with kneeling. It isn't painful, just uncomfortable.

While we've not been back to Europe since I've had my knees replaced (going to Ireland in the Fall), I've been to outdoor concerts, museums, theme parks, festivals and done some short hikes all of which require walking and standing and have had no problems. All of these activities would have given me trouble in the past. I live in a very flat area of the country so I don't have much experience with hills though I suppose Ireland will be a good test of that. I've been through various security protocols and sometimes the metal detectors react and sometimes they don't. I just go into it expecting to be "wanded" and/or asked about it.

Finally, I also agree with what at least one other person has mentioned and that is the improvement in stability. In the years prior to my knee replacements I was finding myself becoming more and more tentative as I felt like either knee could go out at any moment. The improvement in stability was remarkable and has helped with navigation of stairs, curbs, and uneven terrain.

As you mention, your mileage may vary, and I hope you are able to enjoy a good outcome and an improvement in your quality of life. I know I did, and echoing others, I wish I had done it earlier.

I'd just like to add that if your doctor tells you that you need a joint replacement, but "You are too young, and let's just wait"; then you need a new doctor as fast as possible.
This is extremely outdated thinking, and shouldn't still be bandied about.
What do they think you are waiting for?!?!
You want to be more mobile NOW, not in 15 years after 15 more years of pain!
New strides are being made constantly with joint replacement, and you should not be told to wait, and get left behind and in pain.

I'd just like to add that if your doctor tells you that you need a joint replacement, but "You are too young, and let's just wait"; then you need a new doctor as fast as possible.
This is extremely outdated thinking, and shouldn't still be bandied about.
What do they think you are waiting for?!?!
You want to be more mobile NOW, not in 15 years after 15 more years of pain!
New strides are being made constantly with joint replacement, and you should not be told to wait, and get left behind and in pain.

Agreed. It was one thing when artificial knees were only good for 10 or 15 years and you'd likely face having to replace it again. But as I said earlier, when my doctor told me the implants are lasting 30 years now, it became close to a no-brainer.

I've taken a couple bad tumbles since my surgeries. Apparently they didn't fix clumsy. Once I parked my car, got out, and found that my feet were no longer under the rest of me. There was a parking bumper parallel to my car that I hadn't noticed. Down I went, right onto my 6 month old knees. I had a moment of panic, thinking I'd cracked them or torn things. But I had no problem at all, and no pain, aside from the gravel embedded in my skin. And, I could easily get UP, which had been difficult with the old knees.

Congratulations stoutfella. The Tacoma trip should be a good warm up for Edinburgh, as my gross generalization would be that U. S. Locations are more mobility prepared than
" the old world"
I went on a cruise w my mother after she got a new hip . She brought her quad cane along basically as security for long walks. When the announcement came for the life boat drill on the 1st day, she took off down the hall w her life jacket in one hand and her purse in the other. I said, what about yr cane? She said You bring it. :) may yr recovery go as well.

I have had both done, one in 2012, the other in 2015. I travel to Europe annually, and have never had a problem with either (particularly compared to the pain I had before). If you tell them as you walk up to the machines, you won't be directed through the metal detectors but through the full body scanner, which is no big deal. Some airports might also scan you secondarily. At two weeks out, you can't imagine how your life will change once you are healed. I often forget that I even had anything done. Contrary to what stoutfella said, cutting muscle is not unavoidable. My surgeon did not cut any muscle with either of mine. I was driving quickly (within three weeks). Everyone is different, every procedure is different, every doctor is different.

At two weeks out, you can't imagine how your life will change once you are healed. I often forget that I even had anything done. Contrary to what stoutfella said, cutting muscle is not unavoidable. My surgeon did not cut any muscle with either of mine. I was driving quickly (within three weeks). Everyone is different, every procedure is different, every doctor is different.

Nancy: Thanks for your testimonial. That's the sort of ultimate outcome I'm hoping for.

I'm doing much better at just over four weeks than when I wrote my initial post. Honestly, I was making an assumption about cutting the muscle. I see my surgeon in a couple more weeks and I'll ask for more info about exactly what he did.

Though I get impatient and bored with the recovery, I know I'm doing extremely well and will continue to be diligent with the rest of my therapy and beyond. I also was cleared to drive after just more than two weeks, as long as I'm not whacked out on pain meds. It's been nice to get some independence back and not have to rely on my son to drive me around. Though he'll never see this, I'm eternally grateful for his help. I can't imagine getting through the first couple of weeks without his assistance, both with the driving and helping with so many little favors and household tasks. He's a pretty good kid! :-)

RE: Contrary to what stoutfella said, cutting muscle is not unavoidable.

Here's our Orthopedic's web page: Total Knee Replacement video from Paragon Orthopedic Center
http://www.paragonorthopedic.com/total-knee-replacement.php

A total knee replacement, also known as total knee arthroplasty,
involves removing damaged portions of the knee, and capping the bony
surfaces with man-made prosthetic implants. A total knee replacement
repositions the knee into proper alignment and replicates the original
function, allowing for a near-normal range of motion. Common reasons
for undergoing a total knee replacement include severe pain,
stiffness, chronic inflammation or degeneration that limits everyday
activities; pain that interferes with sleep; and mild knee deformity
such as bowing inward (varus) or outward (valgus). Although knee
replacements provide excellent results and patient satisfaction, they
are typically reserved for patients who have exhausted other options
in order to minimize the need for future revision procedures to repair
or replace worn components.

The absolute key is the PT -- do it 120%. Our dil is a PT and she can tell who is doing the exercises and who is cheating. You don't have a choice and you need to be motivated. It will not be easy but the pay off is great.

Just thought I'd offer a quick update on my progress. I will hit the 8-week post-surgery mark tomorrow (as I write this).

I saw my surgeon again after six weeks. He's not a warm and fuzzy guy, but he was practically beaming at how well I was doing and the range of motion I had regained. Pulling and manipulating my leg, he was extremely pleased by how solid the joint was. In short, he was both congratulating me for putting in the work and, I think, himself for a job well-done.

All of this is not to say it's been easy. It has been anything but. However, with each passing week I grow a bit more confident that the final outcome will be a good one. While I still take a (fairly low-dose) pain pill or two most days, that's due as much to pain in the other knee as the new one. I've been bothered more by stiffness and swelling far more than actual pain in the new joint. The answer to that is simply time. I have to be patient as fluid, inflammation and stiffness resolve themselves, and patience isn't my strongest virtue right now.

I'm in the home stretch for physical therapy, with three more sessions over the next couple of weeks. Good therapists are clearly worth their weight in gold and I'm very, very happy with those I've been working with. They're always pushing me to do more while being totally positive and encouraging at every turn. And I think I've been a diligent patient. ;-)

I'm confident I'll be more than ready for the trip to my son's wedding in Tacoma in October. And I'm also pretty certain I'll then have the other knee replaced in November, looking ahead to a trip to Scotland and likely RS tour the following May.

Thanks again to everyone who's offered advice and encouragement here. Just as appreciated were the private messages from a couple of those who posted.

Once I get past all of this, I'm ever hopeful to keep on travelin' pain-free for years to come. Cheers!

That is great to hear! For your Scotland tour, I'd advise preparing by doing a lot of stairs and hills. In general it's rated as moderate for activity but Edinburgh has hills and steps as do all the castles!

If you don't live in an area where you can do hills outside, I'd put that on the list of things to talk over with your PT before your last visit. Tell them you plan to visit Scotland and need suggestions for gaining stability on stairs and cobblestones!

I don't have knee issues but I use a BOSU (piece of equipment that can be worked BOth Sides Up) to work on foot strength and stability for my trips to cobblestone-y places! They may or may not recommend that to you!

Glad your recovering !. I broke down and went to another dr for a 4th opinion on my L Knee. I made it thru my RS Scotland trip April-2018. I have been getting those monovisc (sp) shots. But now it has worn off and my next shot is August (only 6 month apart). Even tho I am younger that most folks (60 next month), my knees are full of arthritis, torn meniscus and no ACL. Well I am set up for knee replacement 8-27. It should be a nice time frame for me (hopefully ) for my next 2 RS tour in May (London and France). Right now, my knees hurt everyday. Aarrggh.

So glad to hear your rehab is going so well. And a well-deserved pat on the back for being so diligent with your exercises. It's a very long road for knee replacements, but SO worth it in the end. I'm 2 years post op, and the only time I even think of my new knee is when I set off the metal detectors at the airport.

Glad your recovering !. I broke down and went to another dr for a 4th opinion on my L Knee. I made it thru my RS Scotland trip April-2018. I have been getting those monovisc (sp) shots. But now it has worn off and my next shot is August (only 6 month apart). Even tho I am younger that most folks (60 next month), my knees are full of arthritis, torn meniscus and no ACL. Well I am set up for knee replacement 8-27. It should be a nice time frame for me (hopefully ) for my next 2 RS tour in May (London and France). Right now, my knees hurt everyday. Aarrggh.

Kim: I'm 64, so not much older than you, and I've been battling the knee pain for about three years. The arthritis has been the killer, but I also have various tears and other damage. While not bone-on-bone yet, the cartilage was (is) deteriorating.

I've been getting shots of kenalog (similar to cortisone) every three months. I tried one of the viscous treatments and, sadly, it was totally ineffective for me. I got a much-needed kenalog shot in my left one only a couple of weeks ago and it's already starting to wear off, though at least the knee doesn't ache constantly (which I'm sure you're all too familiar with).

In the way of encouragement that you're making the right choice:

-- We went to a movie the week before I got the last shot, and within 30 minutes of sitting, my left knee was throbbing miserably (I'm sure you know all about that one, as well). Meanwhile, the new right knee was fine.

-- At the gym recently, I tried out my favorite elliptical machine for the first time since surgery. The motion felt a little weird with the new right knee, though not painful. However, on every cycle, I had a sharp, stabbing pain in the joint of the left knee.

Best of luck with your surgery and let us know how you do.

Stoutfella-Thank you for starting this thread! I too am in need of a double knee replacement. I have severe arthritis in both knees and the only way I survive my trips to Europe is with Cortisone injections given about a week before the trip, this allows me to walk (reasonable request right?). I take heavy duty anti-inflammatories daily just to keep the pain to a minimum. The Cortisone has stopped working and I am now getting Euflexxa shots (series of 3 injections, one a week) which I can get 2x a year. Knee replacement sounds so scary and I am only 52! I have actually gotten stuck in the middle of the street unable to move, thinking, do I crawl? Do I wave cars to go around me? Fortunately no cars came and I was able to limp across after about 3 min, tears streaming down my face from the pain and frustration at the situation. I can't stand for long periods (walking tours were you stop and listen are becoming something I don't think I can do anymore). All the comments are very encouraging and right now I am working on losing some weight to make my recovery easier. I can no longer Zumba or take long walks. I can only walk about a mile before my knees are in extreme pain or start locking, then I come home and ice both knees so I can function for the rest of the day. During our trip to Europe last year I really do not know how I did it, maybe it was because I was exercising daily with all the walking and that helped, we did stop and rest often (I think we did four Spritz/beer stops a day!) but I really am go-go-go on trips.

Stoutfella,

Knee replacements are good and life can continue as before. I've had both knees replaced and both hips. My knees were replaced 17 years ago when I was 48 and my hips 4 and 6 years ago. My wife and I have been on 5 RS tours and I have not been hampered at all. In fact I would have been unable to take his tours prior to my knee replacements. As far as airports, most have full body scanners which eliminates the hand wands. The only issue I have with my replacements at all is that I am bothered with a museum pace. Long periods of standing bother me. I have no issues walking long distances or walking fast. Just look for a bench or wall to lean on while in the museums. Knee replacements are more difficult than the hips and make sure you do your physical therapy. I was in Hawaii 3 weeks after my first hip replacement. We are planning our 6th RS tour. I am happy to offer any advice if necessary.
Keep on Traveling

Thanks Stoutfella for your kind words. I had to work all week with our store event. 60 hours of standing and walking and helping our customers. My legs/knees were barking at me at the end of the day.

Glad this will be done next month. Ready to start feeling better.

Will let you know how it goes!

Thanks for checking in Stoutfella. I am encouraged by your progress and hope to do as well with my surgery in October.

Stoutfella- just checking I on you to see how you are doing. I reread most of these replies. It sure was reassuring I am doing the right thing. Liked someone’s comments about dr saying your to young etc. that was my first dr. Monday is the day.

Mary- hope you do well on yours in October

Kim

Stoutfella- just checking I on you to see how you are doing. I reread most of these replies. It sure was reassuring I am doing the right thing. Liked someone’s comments about dr saying your to young etc. that was my first dr. Monday is the day.
Mary- hope you do well on yours in October
Kim

Hi Kim. I'm continuing to do well, though I confess I've had to be a little more realistic in my expectations. Despite what anyone said, I figured I'd be good as new after two or three months. But the therapists and doctors have said it can take as long as nine to 12 months to truly feel normal again. I still think I'll beat that. I'm just shy of four months now and have been playing golf for several weeks, mowing grass, doing household chores, walking, etc.

I continue to work at my exercise routine, including leg presses and other weight training to build strength back. I can do most everything I want or need to do at this point, but still have good days and bad. The bad is mostly stiffness in the new knee and a hard-to-describe feeling of weirdness, for lack of a better word. I'm assured that will all pass and I still expect to have an excellent ultimate outcome.

It's still a bit hard going up and down stairs normally and I can't trundle up and down steep inclines very quickly or confidently yet. But I'm getting there. Despite my occasional impatience and frustration, I realize every week or two that I'm better than I was a week or two ago.

All this to say that you need to be realistic about your recovery time and, as so many others here have counseled, you must keep up with your therapy and exercise long after the surgery. I still expect to be fine on my upcoming trip to Seattle in October and remain confident that I'll only continue to improve. I'm confident enough that I've scheduled the other knee replacement for early November -- Election Day, in fact. I'm expecting to be able to handle our planned Scotland trip next April/May. And I'm looking forward to many years of pain-free walking once this is all over with.

My very best wishes to you (and Mary) on your upcoming surgery. The procedure is quick, but the recovery is a long process. Just stick with everything you need to do and don't let the tough days get you down.

Cheers!

Stoutfella, thanks for the update. All of us in the Bad Joints Club appreciate the honest information. I am so glad you are seeing progress. Hope it continues and that thinking about dancing at that wedding is a strong light at the end of the recovery tunnel for you.

All of us in the Bad Joints Club ...

TravelingMom: We should get patches made. :-)

Joint replacements are certainly a subject close to so many travelers. My wife had a knee go out on her earlier this year, we had already scheduled a trip to France, England and Ireland. We were fortunate that I am very mobile and.strong enough to push her wheelchair and tow a carryon bag through airports. She was treated so well and we went to the first of every line.
Upon our return, my wife was scheduled for a knee replacement. Her ortho. surgeon performs 3-4 knee replacements two days a week and he is exceptional.
On our follow-up visit this week, my wife asked why she is.still hurting @ 3 months so bad? He said it really takes 6 months to appreciably get over such a major reconstruction.
And he told her she will eventually have the other knee replaced--as he gave her an injection in it.
All we have to say is when you are miserable, it is time to solve the problem. And don't think you can be back to normal in 2 months. Although you have the desire to but the road slow down and take it easy. Your desired location will be there in a year.
My wife says her wheelchair trip went so smooth that she might make it a permanent part of travel. I don't think so. But 2019 will be an off travel year for us. We might go to Montreal by auto and pretend it is Paris.

Thanks, Kim. Wishing you the best as well.

Stoutfella, I am glad you are doing so well. I went for a preop class this week and was told at 90 days you are at 90%. That seems to be the case. It took another friend to the fourth month mark to do stairs. Thanks for your postings.

I thought I'd share my experience from this past weekend as another update to my progress after knee replacement May 8.

My wife and I were in southern Illinois to see old friends and decided to do a little hiking in a state park. This was my first try at any kind of trail hiking since my surgery. Most of my walking has been on fairly level pavement and a few hills on the golf course.

We set out on a 1.5-mile, marked trail, which was rated as "moderate" in difficulty. It was pretty uphill to start, and I handled that fairly well, with just a little discomfort. Some sections were also fairly steep downhill, which is still a little more difficult for me. I had to pick my way through some rocky, downhill descents. My wife held her breath a bit on those sections, but I was very careful, watched every step and managed fine. When we got to the end of the trail, we elected to reverse course and go back the way we came. And that's when the fun started!

Somehow, we very quickly got off the trail and became disoriented. We knew we were never very far from anything, but every direction we headed seemed to lead to one impasse or another, and not a trail in sight anywhere. This went on for a good hour or so. The terrain we were traversing was far more challenging than I had planned on that day. It certainly wasn't the Appalachian Trail, but it was way more rocky, steep ground and obstacles than I'd signed up for.

Eventually, my wife spotted a car flashing by on a park road in the distance through some trees, and we headed that way. Finally, we were out of the woods! We got our bearings and walked another mile or so on the roads back to our car.

During all of this, my new knee mostly felt fine. I could feel a little stress climbing up and down, but walking that last mile back to the car felt easy and almost normal. I was pretty sore that night, but I felt this had been a great test for the knee, and it passed with flying colors.

The right knee should be totally healed by our Scotland tour next year. I'm having the left one done in November and if it feels as good next April/May as the right one feels now after four months, I'm going to be in great shape for Scotland.

I hope Mary from Reno (who has surgery scheduled soon) and Kim from Oklahoma (who just had hers done) take some encouragement from this recovery tale. The rehab is a long, tough haul, but I'm not regretting it at all and feeling even more confident about having the other knee done.

Thank you, Kelly, for all your encouragement. It is very much appreciated.

Stoutfella - that is awesome news. Probably a bit uneasy not knowing your whereabouts. Don’t blame your wife for felling a little nervous but glad y’all over came!

8 my 8 days post surgery. My hospital is pretty much on doing new things! Forgot to mention I am zip tied! Lol.

I thought Monday was a down day but I gave muttled thru! My pt said I am doing great. Yes yes yes everyone do exercises ice and torture machine if your doctor prescribes one. Three weeks of doing this will help later down the road! Pain level is 2.5/ /3.5 doing my stuff after pill kicks in it relieves some pain. Had to take a stroll around my house yesterday cause I got tired of lying in bed/recliner. Still hard to sleep at night. But I can report that I know I will survive!

Mary - will be thinking of you in November. Please keep us informed

PS - still no 2019 RS tour catalog yet in my mailbox

My 2019 tour book came today. I tour (Freudian slip-tore) out pages and put in 2 piles: short list and would like to do list. Six in the first pile, seven in the second pile. Hmmm...that will last me until I am 66 years old....unless I start doing 2 per year?

Oh, more on topic, I got my very first steroid injection in my left knee today. Both knees lit up with arthritis (not as young as I thought) and I will need an MRI for possible meniscus tear. Oh well, just as long as that injection gets me through Italy in 2 weeks. That and a bottle of ibuprofen.

Best wishes for all of our knee recoveries.

Just an update. I had my tkr on Tuesday and am now home. The first two days were a bit rocky with the nausea and some pain. I am happy to report that the nausea is now gone and the pain is at a very low level. Now the rehab begins. I am keeping my next year’s travel in mind as a motivation to do those exercises.

Yeah - Mary

Me too. Working hard on rehab seeing myself walk up those steps at Mont St Michel. Pt said with my hard work, it should not be an issue. This is my third week post surgery. Dr appt is next Wednesday

Good luck!

Kim