TKR 10 week check up

[Kansas Teacher]

@naynay30 yrs. , I'm so glad to hear things are looking up! I am only 2 weeks behind you so hope to have a similar experience. My doctor won't let me take anti-inflammatories for 4 weeks but that will be up this Friday so I am hopeful it will get my swelling down somewhat too.

 

[Pumpkin]

naynay30yrs,

I really think docs should advise us of what a long recovery this is !

I think they are hoping we will recover in a more timely manner. Most of us take longer. Don't forget very few OS's have actually had a TKR.
The tight rubber band feeling should dissipate over time, be patient, TKR recovery can take a year or longer.

 

[Spencieca]

I'm at 14 weeks and still have the tight band feeling but little pain unless I try to bend it past 90. I too was very impatient at 5 weeks, part of the process..it does get better but the only way for you to believe that is through your own experience.. Just try to remember that it is extremely hard to damage the implant and takes a LONG time for the nerves and tissues to heal..

 

[naynay30 yrs.]

My PT therapist told me when he taught the knee class we have to take before surgery they would b brutally honest about surgery recovery time ect. Kaisers knee replacements dropped 22% so that had to stop telling them!!

 

[Jamie]

It's all in how you tell someone about the recovery. I suppose a surgeon, especially if he has not been through recovery himself, could be a bit clinical and abrupt in describing what goes on. But we believe explaining the reality that it can be a rather long process sometimes accompanied by fatigue, sleeplessness and varying discomfort levels does not scare people away. It just helps them prepare. The most important factor to tell people is that most of the discomfort can be dealt with if pain is properly managed and one doesn't overdo their activity or exercise to the point of irritating tender knee tissues.

It certainly does no good to tell a patient that they'll bounce back in a few weeks and then have the reality of recovery hit them after surgery!

 

[Josephine]

Have a ice machine which gets so cold sometimes have to stop

Two points here:
1. do you have a cloth between your skin and the ice wrap? That's essential
2. isn't there a control on the machine where you can change the temperature?

I really think docs should advise us of what a long recovery this is !

I couldn't agree more!

 

[naynay30 yrs.]

Almost 6 wks post surgery and knee still won't bend when I walk unless I push it. "Heel toe bend"! I can ride the bike, mo problem, ROM was 110 last time messured but knee still swollen and stiff. I walk like a peg leg unless I really work to bend the knee. Backed off the pt some. Focusing more on elevating icing rest and meds. But I ride the bike 3 times a day for 15/20 min do lite stretchs and walk around house. Even went out and trimmed a few things in yard yesterday! I'm terrified of doc having to do a manipulation! No guarantees and will set back recovery!

 

[Pumpkin]

naynay30 yrs,
110 degrees of flexion at 6 weeks is great! There is no reason for your OS to suggest a MUA with your ROM.
Looking at your activity level, you are probably doing too much too early and your knee is responding by with swelling and stiffness. Swelling and stiffness is also a form of pain and needs to be medicated.
Suggest you cut back on the exercise bike for now, and let your knee heal.

 

[Celle]

Your ROM is just fine for 6 weeks out. With 110, it's most unlikely that you will need a MUA.
I'm glad you've cut back on some of the exercise, but I think you still need to cut back some more. Once a day for riding the bike is enough, for example.

This really is a recovery where Less is More - you can't make your knee bend further or faster by exercising it a lot. That could even slow down your progress. At this stage in your recovery, you still need more rest (preferably with leg elevated and iced) than exercise.

 

[referee54]

You are making great progress! You are doing jut fine!!

I merged your two recovery threads---our forum guidelines dictate that there be only one recovery thread, that way, we can best keep track of where you are in your recovery, how you are doing, and what issues you may have had or are having.

It makes it so much easier on the forum members so we do not have to bounce back and forth between threads.

 

[Poppet]

Hi @naynay30 yrs. - I thought you might like to get a snapshot of where you are in the medically acknowledged healing phases.

The following is a link to an article which provides the science regarding the healing process beneath and around the implant and the approximate timeframes for our bodies healing phases and processes.

Healing Phases & Nutrition

Nutrition plays a huge part in surgical recovery, in fact it is one of the 'forgotten topics' of recovery..

This second link is to other nutritional articles which you may find interesting, including one relating to bone health.

Nutritional advice for pre op and recovery

This third link refers to my ongoing research..

nutritional-snippets-did-you-know

Feel free to tag me if you have any questions regarding nutrition.

However, I would appreciate if you (or any other member) do not request advice regards supplements as I would be breaking the Common Law Act (under which I am governed) to prescribe outside of my practice, especially via the Internet.

 

[Josephine]

ROM was 110 last time measured but knee still swollen and stiff. I walk like a peg leg unless I really work to bend the knee.

Well STOP 'really working' to bend your knee! It's the constant pushing on it that's causing the stiffness. Just leave it alone and let it rest and heal. Quit all the exercises - yes ALL of them and just take gentle walks for things you need to do and would usually do. And while you are resting, elevating and icing, I recommend you my recovery threads to see how little exercising I did!
First knee. Knee recovery - UK style
Second knee. Josephine's knee story and progress where I did even less!

 

[naynay30 yrs.]

Thanx Ladies!
I have backed off exercise.
I'm icing and elevating a lot.
Leg is hurting more today than usual.
I wanted to ask about the coloring of my leg.

 

[naynay30 yrs.]

the calf and knee are still darker looking like it's still bruised inside.
Foot is still lite purple.
Any of you !

 

[Katnicb0620]

I really think docs should advise us of what a long recovery this is !
Thanks for your help!

I agree 100% with this statement. But I guess if they told us how painful it is and that we'd probably be crying more we'd never do it lol

I'll be 4 weeks out tomorrow and I still have a significant amount of pain so feel lucky that you don't! Swelling is still a problem, especially since starting back to work. Hang in there and don't be in such a hurry. It's a marathon not a sprint! Good luck!



Krista
LTKR: 4/30/15
RTKR: Scheduled for 7/2/15

 

[sharalder]

@naynay30 yrs. I had may surgery on 4/13, the same week as you and I am having the same issues. You are right about the docs not being very clear about recovery, but I think everyone is different. Mine said I should be back to work in 4 to 6 weeks. 6 weeks was Monday and I can't imagine trying to sit at my desk for 8 hours a day. I told him that last week and he said don't worry he would extend my disability paperwork a few more weeks. All he had to say was that "these knees take time". It is just so boring being patient! But we have to be possitive and I am sure you will be ready to help with that new grand baby. Congratulations!

 

[Kansas Teacher]

Frankly, I wonder if there actually is any way to prepare someone for this! I feel my OS tried to and looked me in the eye and said, "It is going to be a very very difficult painful 6 weeks or so and you are going to wonder why you did this." At the time, I smiled and told him I understood.

But, did I really? The cumulative effects of near-constant pain, lack of sleep and isolation just slam you -- not to mention any non-surgery related things that pop up such as work stressors for those of you who work, weather for those of us who seem to have gone weeks without sunshine, etc. So yes, I'm not surprised by it but I would be lying or delusional to say I think anything he could have said would have really prepared me.

Having said that, we all will move forward and just need to keep on keeping on!

Roxie

 

[naynay30 yrs.]

6 wks. I'm really concerned about my stiff still swollen knee!
Although not as swollen as last week it won't bend on its own when I walk with cane or walker unless I consciously make it bend. I can ride the bike slow but find pushing seat up a little bit more weekly. Haven't seen PT in a week cause I wanted to back off after hearing from all of you and focus on test ice and elevating. I'm totally freaked out about having to have manipulation which doesn't always sound successful. Afraid I'll never have my life back!

 

[Josephine]

Leg is hurting more today than usual.

Are you taking pan meds properly? This is the key. Wnhat are you taking, how much and how often?

I wanted to ask about the coloring of my leg.

Bruising is very common and of no importance whatsoever. Have a look at some of these! Bruising after surgery

pushing seat up a little bit more weekly

Pushing it UP? You should start with it at the highest and then slowly lower it from week 8 or whenever you're feeling great improvement.

I'm totally freaked out about having to have manipulation which doesn't always sound successful.

Well you're in a critical stage right now: feeling more vulnerable and sensitive, everything worries you and to cap it off, you're slap bang in the middle of the 'angry tissue' stage. Just try to hang on that from here on, things will s-l-o-w-l-y get better. Remember the tortoise and the hare!

Afraid I'll never have my life back!

Yes, we all felt that. I remember it well. So you're not alone there. Be assured you will be, though. Let me tell you something my surgeon said to me before the op: he said 'at six weeks you will totally hate me and wonder why you ever had this done"! He was right! He also never sees patients at 6 weeks as they're always feeling miserable and hopeless and there's nothing he can do for them as he knows this is a phase they have to go through. So he sees them at 12 weeks by which time they are happy and full of smiles which is also corrrect!

 

[kneeper]

Sometimes gains in bend are not at a steady pace. You can hit plateaus. I know I did.

I know you said earlier the pain wasn't too bad but your leg was stiff. For me, the pain was mostly in the form of stiffness-- Which meds helped with. Do you still take pain meds or at least tylenol throughout the day?

I also noticed that the knee would feel stiff even with minimal activity some days--in a delayed action way.
Also, some days were more painful for no apparent reason.
The rollercoaster of recovery, we call it. Hang in there.