TKR 4th week major backslide?<

Oh yeah, it's not just the knee involved in this recovery, it's the whole body. Did you try icing?
 
No, it settled down mostly once I got up and showered.

I got a call from the PT, who threatened me that I'd have to get a MUA if I didn't come back. Thanks to this forum, I laughed at her. The last time I was there was on 9/10/2018 and I was 120/+3. Ridiculous.
 
When ROM like that you certainly are doing something right and don't need PT!
 
11 weeks out for first knee, 7 weeks for 2nd. Can't imagine having a good recovery without PT. That said, I do believe we have to be responsible for our recovery and not let PT's do more than we can do with minimal pain. I'm 135 ROM on both knees and doing strength training 3 times a week with PT. Good luck to all!
 
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@ladygolfer, it sounds like you are having an exceptional recovery. Most people can't even begin to do strength training before 3-4 months out. Their tissues are still way to traumatized from the surgery and need to heal more. You are definitely the rare one! Just be sure to let your knees always be in control. It's very easy to injure such new knees. There are a lot of tissue inside there that has to heal yet.
 
I did end up trying stationary bike - figured I'd give it just a few minutes for some circulation. Well, i HAD to stop at a few minutes whether I wanted to or not, got rough really quick

these bad days stacking up are really hitting my mood, it dove off a cliff last night
 
Slow and easy gets this race won! The more you try to speed it up, the more you slow it down!
 
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Good for you! I loved that post - she deserved to be laughed at!
 
So another follow up with surgeon today. He was very happy with ROM and my strength of resistance against him pulling/pushing on leg. He did not like that it was so swollen again, aspirated 110cc this time, sending it to lab again.

I've actually worked up to a comfortable 10 minutes on stationary bicycle. Time on feet is still limited, still very easy to over do it with household life. Surgeon thinks this is way too little and wants me to go to a new physical therapist, to start pushing its limits...

I asked what exercises were going to get it happier with extended weight bearing, and was told that getting the muscles stronger will support it better while on it. Confusing since at the start of the appointment, he was very happy with the strength!
 
@NavyGunns Was that the Watkins Glen State Park in New York state? If so, I went hiking there back in 1997. It's a beautiful place to hike!! I live about 2 hours or so east of there.
 
@plaidwndr You are doing well for less than 2 months after surgery. A comfortable 10 minutes on the bike is great.
He did not like that it was so swollen again, aspirated 110cc this time, sending it to lab again.
If you still have enough swelling that he was concerned then you don’t need more exercises or strength training yet, you still have a lot of healing to do first.

Some surgeons are very impatient about recovery.
 
@KitKat64, yes it was. I grew up in Horseheads. Was back visiting family who live in the Erin / Breesport area. Felt good about hiking the gorge at barely 8-9 wks, but did pay for it afterwards.
 
@NavyGunns I used to have friends in the Ithaca/Horseheads area. Good for you that you were able to hike the gorge!! I did it before I had bad knees!! It's an absolutely beautiful area!!
 
@KitKat64, my wife and I had many dates (picnics and hikes) there when we were teenagers. We get back about every 2 years to visit her brothers. Love the area. Haven’t lived there since I graduated college (almost 40 yrs ago).
 
@NavyGunns I haven't been there since 1997. I used to travel through Ithaca/Horseheads on my way to/from college in Indiana, but that was back in the 80s. Did you ever go to Painted Post? One of my college friends was from there. I always thought that was a funny name for a town, lol!!
 
Getting back on topic,

@plaidwndr I hope today has gone better for you.
 
all the swelling they removed was back before the end of Monday

I cycled 12 minutes today, started to get just a hint of sore in a spot by the end. It feels like a ligament or something on pops back and forth over something, same as it does walking. Right side of right knee, on the femur, or what used to be femur there and maybe isn't now..
 
More swelling and now a bit of pain - time to ease back the exercises.

You're doing so well for this early in recovery - a great ROM and acceptable strength. That's enough for now. You'll gradually regain more strength as time passes.

In spite of what your surgeon said, there's no need to rush. This is a year-long recovery and you're not even two months into it. You're already ahead of the game.

Internally, your knee and soft tissues are still healing. Give them time to do just that.
 
Surgeon thinks this is way too little and wants me to go to a new physical therapist, to start pushing its limits...
I don't agree with him! That is not the way to improve.
I cycled 12 minutes today, started to get just a hint of sore in a spot by the end.
What did I just say?
 

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