@contentandwell I don't expect to get my new knee to 145! That's basically pushing up against your leg and buttocks completely. Alex told me the goal was 120-125 and anything extra was good but not necessary. @ellerbracke I almost made the mistake of getting the four-wheeled walker, especially when that urge was confirmed by reading on this man's very comprehensive site https://mykneereplacementrecovery.com/, which was so helpful in other ways. Fortunately I continued to look around and learned exactly why one needs the two-wheeled model, for the problem you describe. My surgeon had the correct kind of walker listed in the recovery materials he gave me, but there was no explanation as to why, so naturally I was thinking, how can I improve that? This tendency of over-thinking sometimes can come back to bite you! Watching me walk from the back with the walker, Alex corrected a slight turning in of the foot on the surgery knee, so now I am conscious of it and thinking of it as I move, walking slowly and trying to make sure my form is correct. Like you, I also am competitive, but that is offset by my strong aversion to pain and preference for gradual change (especially when pain is involved!). My experience in trying to hurry various physical processes along is that when it comes to the body, slow change is better than fast change, and sustaining proper form is always good. But next Tuesday I should have my numbers and can post them. I totally understand the urge to beat the numbers, which I have to fight against at the eye doctor's so that my prescription will be accurate. You are right that a good therapist will work with whatever personality quirks we have.

I have a very itchy rash on my upper thigh where the My-Q pain drip was inserted. It came out last Friday. I suspect the rash is from the tape that held it in place. I was surprised when I pulled it out - a long, thin, very stretchy piece of elastic with black nodes along the way. It stretched a lot when pulling and I was worried it could break and half of it stay in there, but that did not happen. Anyone else with this rash problem?

I can see some mild bruising on the back of my leg and it is still swollen. I hope that the swelling will start to go down soon. Maybe it has, I can't tell. If it does not seem to change soon I will start measuring and watch it.

For a laxative, I have switched from ducosate sodium to bisacodyl USP, and that solved the vomiting problem. I am able to have some bowel "movements" with the help of my toilet bidet seat. It is the kind with "endless water" (i.e. heats on the spot instead of having a tank) and very powerful. Outside of the knee surgery, this addition to our household has been most welcome. I tell everyone once you have one you will never want to go back. Anyone with any gastro issues should invest in one of these if at all possible.

I am posting a lot so that any future Mako patients will be able to read in detail about the process, the recovery, and so on. I was happy to have come across @debbraw and her story because it was the first detailed comparison (via experience) between traditional and Mako knee surgery that I had read. I really appreciate the feedback from all of you, it helps tremendously. Thanks for spending the time to read my posts and comment.