Bilateral knee surgery

Hi Jo-Ann

I had BITKR in Aug of this year. I am doing really well, back to work light duty at 4 weeks, full unrestricted duty at 12 weeks.

Going down steps is still a little painful for me as I had problems with my left knee lower hamstring. My left knee was bowed before the surgery and the surgery straigtened it out but the hamstring is having a hard time readjusting. I just finished my PT at the end of December and the last two months was devoted mostly to working on the hamstring. It is finally getting better. My therapist told me to try very hard to go down the steps with your feet pointing straight out. I know it is painful, it was for me, but you need to do this so the knee doesn't get accustomed to walking down stairs with your foot sideways. It will be harder to walk normally down stairs if you don't force yourself to walk with your feet straight.

It was been 5 months since my surgery and it is still a little painful walking down stairs. In fact that is the only thing that causes my knees pain. It IS getting better though. Just don't give up. I have heard and I tell everyone that it could take up to a year to 18 months for your knees to feel completely normal. That doesn't mean you can't still work, walk and do many of the things you want to do, just that you have to keep exercising ay least every other day and Ice your knees when ever you need to. The knees have had a very tramatic experience and it will take time to heal. And you will feel different things from different muscles at different times in your knees. That just means they are healing. Believe me it will get better.

If you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask. Being like you with two knees to contend with It is nice to be able to have someone with similar experience to ask question of. I didn't have that when I had mind done.

Good luck,

Nick