Well, I knew it would happen and indeed it did!

Bones, joints and muscles
1

It snowed! I was just becoming a bit more confident. My PT actually gave me advice on how to shovel-bless his heart! I stopped him mid-sentence and said, "I am 58 years old, I have never shoveled and I can assure you I'm not going to start!" I felt so guilty afterwards, my husband and I bought a small snow blower! Even though I am not shoveling I am TERRIFIED OF SLIPPING AND FALLING!!! I even went on line and purchased something called YakTrax

Walk Traction Cleats for Walking on Snow and Ice. I hope they'll keep me from slipping and sliding. Anyone else feeling this way? I wish I had waited until spring...next knee!

2

Take great care to not slip Tammy! Could undo it all.

3

Just leave the snow or pay a neighborhood young person to do it, its really not worth the risk is it, stay on your feet and protect your body first and foremost, its not being silly its being safe

4

I am terrified of falling on ice.  In the room next to me at the hospital was a man wh slipped on a bit of ice we had the day before. He broke his femur and hip. His wife was a mess, terrified about caring for him. The hospital ( excelllent in Maryland)  had them set up with a rehab facility within hours of his surgery. Here in the States, Medicare will cover 21 days of rehab, but must be preceded by 3 day hospital stay. Our hospital made sure he was not discharged early and on third day he was taken by ambulance to rehab. So getting back to sliding on ice? You bed I am scared!  I am also going to Amazon to look for Yak Trax!  We had 2 inches of snow today and for the Washington DC area, that's the equivalent of a Midwest blizzard!

5

I live in the States, Minnesota, to be exact and we had snow an ice the other day. I stayed inside because I'm terrified of falling in fact the ice storm was on a Monday and I didn't move my car until Thursday and was still afraid I would fall. We will not have any chance of snow until maybe April. So be very careful out there.

6

Ellen,

I am in Dover, Delaware and yes it has been like a blizzard to us!!! I think it's healthy to be cautious around ice and snow! So glad to hear from others that they are feeling the same!

Tammy

7

Absolutely!!! Thanks for the vote of confidence!!!

8

Thanks Lesley! I'm feeling totally validated!!!

9

We live in the Snow Belt of NE Ohio. I've shoveled snow for years. Since my knee replacement surgeries my husband has been doing most of the shoveling. (Our neighbors gave him a real guilt trip when they saw ME out shoveling!)

I still shovel the snow. I also garden and rake leaves. I love been outside! I figure that I shoveled snow for YEARS while in pain. Now that both of my knees feel good (TKRs in June and October of 2015), I really don't mind shoveling.

Good boots with decent tread on the bottom work well for doing the driveway. If you feel like you are going to fall, go limp like a rag doll. Works good! (Learned this from many years walking our son and daughter-in-law's German Shepherd in big snow drifts--her favorite!)

I'm 65 and stubborn!

10

I love your response!!!

Was your first knee feeling good when you had the second TKR? I'm at 5 weeks post-op on my left knee and I know the right knee needs to be replaced, but I feel a little afraid and nervous. Maybe in another month or so I'll feel like I can go through this again. Thoughts or advice Cheryl?

11

Hi Tammy!

My first TKR felt better even on the day of surgery than that leg/knee had felt for FOUR YEARS! Of course I was on some pain medication and had a nerve block for about 24 hours, but honestly the pain was more from what I called "the steak knife in my thigh" ( AKA pain from the tourniquet used during my three hour surgery😲wink than any KNEE pain.

Prior to surgery I honestly had thought that AMPUTATION of my legs and learning how to use those amazing "Cheetah legs" used by several INCREDIBLY TALENTED Para Olympians who run marathons with assistance from those prosthetic limbs would be my best bet to eliminate my severe pain. My pain was that bad.

I also thought that I was going to have to continue the insurance dog and pony show with arthroscopic surgery as next on my agenda.

I nearly jumped up and down with JOY when my surgeon showed me my newest X-RAYS and told me I was a candidate for KNEE REPLACEMENTS!😁😊🤗☺🙆🙋💃

Surgery went well. As I said I had less pain after surgery and even in the coming days than I had prior to surgery.

Very soon, my non-surgical knee was beginning to hold me back! It was the sore loser at PT. It was the achy spoil sport when I was walking or sitting or doing ANYTHING.

On my one-month appointment to my surgeon, I asked when we could get # 2 KNEE scheduled. We scheduled it for about three months later. I COULDN'T WAIT!!! As my surgical knee got stronger and had no pain and my steak knife pain lessened, my swelling went down and I was coming along well ON MY LEFT SIDE. My right knee and whole right leg was BAD! Could not wait to get RIGHT KNEE fixed!

I expected my second surgery to be worse because my right knee was always my worst knee. Either way, I was READY!

I was THRILLED that not only was my second surgery EASIER than the first, BUT I could move my newly-operated-on-knee on knee all around in the recovery room! ( My crowning achievement the day after surgery with Knee #1 was moving MY TOES!)

I realize every person is different and every surgery is different. I pray often and honestly put myself in God's hands before I went into surgery. The calmness washed over me, and I felt very relaxed. Even the anesthesiologist commented that I didn't seem to need any medication for anxiety. I didn't. I was READY!

Sending prayers to you tonight for calm and strength and JOY for getting rid of pain!!!😊

12

Your words are an inspiration! Thank you!