TKR 12 weeks and Knee-Cation

[Josephine]

You know what? It really works!

 

[speedy2]

I think we should all go into production creating knock-out drops as it appears many of us need them!!!

It will be great when the rubber band tightness improves for us all as i'm sure this would help us to be more patient! Great to hear you are doing so well Lee, that's the sort of encouragement we need! My ROM never seems to improve.

cycling67 hope you're feeling ok? I expect you're looking forward to your concert - Stacie is right, our mental state is just as important as our knee. Mine's about all over the place at the moment. I think my husband thinks i've had a personality bypass

Not sure what i've done but managed to change the font etc without clicking on it and can't edit it so sorry for
that - now do you believe i'm a nutter???????????

Big hugs to you all
Speedy2

 

[rainbird]

I really have enjoyed reading this thread with all of you. I can relate to the rubber band tightness feeling. I call it the cement disc plastered on my knee. It is a constant reminder to me that my body is still not whole and that I have this foreign matter in me. This has been a very claustraphobic, existential experience for me and I will look into the tylenol. Never heard that before. I am up here at 4 in the morning and wonder when I should try to sleep again. I greatly appreciate all the words of honesty and wisdom. Thank you for helping me make it through another night in sleepless land.

 

[speedy2]

I think we all need to have a pajama party at least we could keep each other company. the nights can feel so long can't they?

Nice to meet you rainbird. Yes cement is a good way of explaining the feeling. I was rather hoping that this new knee and cement weighed at least 16lbs!! Unfortunately the physio said about 10 ozThis would at least help with the dieting! Hope you manage to get some more sleep. I also hope it helps to know that we are probably all awake with you!

 

[cycling67]

Lee: Welcome to this thread! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for your story it is wonderful to hear the success stories. I LOVE your quote of "I am right where my knee told me I should be". Excellent! I am working hard to keey my spirits up and you have helped me to do that today!

So the P!NK concert was postponed from tonight to October 29th. Turns out Pink is sick. Oh well, at least it didn't get cancelled. My 'evening out' will wait a couple of weeks for the concert and I will go to a movie instead.

personality bypass

Speedy2, this is hilarious! I think that it is expected to be up and down from day to day maybe even from hour to hour but as long as we continue to TRY and work towards being better all is well. Of course this is easier for me to say right now because I am feeling more UP today than down. I 150% understand the emotional roller coaster.

I call it the cement disc plastered on my knee

Hi Rainbird and so glad you have read and joined this thread. Love your analogy on a cement disc plastered on my knee. Well said. I totally get that claustriphobic feeling, it is strange to feel that way but I do. The best thing I can do when I start down this path is to get up and move as much as I can, stretch and breathe. As Speedy2 mentioned, sleep is certainly a challenge and sadly we can all relate. I can't wait until the morning after a great night of sleep, I will be SO grateful. Saying that sounds like i am not grateful now, actually I am grateful for SO many things, I even started a list where I write down what I am grateful for because even though this recovery is a TOTAL BUMMER, there is plenty to be thankful for. I see that you had your TKR on the 27th of August about 2 1/2 weeks after I had mine. How are you doing?

This will all end at some point we just need to stay the course.

 

[Josephine]

Can I just remind you all of this thread? "Tight band" feeling across the front of my knee
Sometimes it helps understanding that this tight band thing is all about.

 

[rainbird]

I am about 7 weeks out from the surgery now. I am at about 115 flexion and 1-2 extension. It's been a lot of work to get to where I am now. I like my pt a lot, though I am unsure if I am overdoing it. Since I signed on to this forum, I have cut back on the amount of home exercise I am doing. It doesn't seem to have helped with the sleep. The session with the pt was pretty intense today, so I can't seem to disable the pain with medication, somewhat with the ice; which I will keep doing. I'm so tired and sore and trapped and weary.

 

[speedy2]

Thank you Josephine. I had read this when i first joined the forum but I read so many articles it's easy to forget. The tight band has been much worse this week. As I originally said on my thread I have been on no pain meds but have today started to take Iboprofen. My only worry is, will this mask the pain resulting in me overdoing it? I ask this as this is exactly what I did do prior to having TKR which made the damage worse (according to my consultant) until the Iboprofen stopped working and i was unable to walk more than 20m. Sorry cycling67, don't want to take over your thread but thought this might be something we all could do with knowing as we have similar concerns.
Thanks
Speedy2

 

[maryo52]

Your numbers are good. You know what? If you did nothing for a few days -- took a "knee-cation" -- you would not lose one iota, and you might gain some rest, gain some pain relief, and gain a sense of well-being.

To anyone who wonders about overdoing it: I cannot remember instances of people underdoing it on this forum. If you're less than four months out, you're mainly healing. After the 4 or 6 month mark, if you find yourself living on the couch still, then perhaps you need to do more.

 

[cycling67]

I'm so tired and sore and trapped and weary.

Rainbird: I am SO sorry that you felt like this after a therapy session. I totally and 100% get that feeling. As Mary said, you really are doing GREAT with those numbers!!!! Take it easy on yourself and do something for YOU. Take a brief walk or a drive, whatever you need to 'fill your bucket'. I feel that if we are drained emotionally it is hard, if not impossible, to do the necessary work on our knees. I am learning, just recently, that I not only need to do therapy on my knee but also on my mental and emotional states.

No apology necessary Speedy2. Great question and certainly one we could all learn from.

Thank you Mary that you for your time frame of 4 months. I know this number likely varies from one person to another but having a least a "time frame" of healing is helpful. From Articles and my PA I know that Soft tissue, bones, muscles, etc... all heal at different rates but I find this helpful. I often find myself saying: "Good grief Brenda it has been 10 weeks I should be so much better now." In reality though it has only been 10 weeks and I am still healing so I need to stay working but be conscience of what and how much I do.

 

[maryo52]

Officially the healing is one year, and that accounts for 90% of it. But I'm about to celebrate 3 years and I have noticed improvement in the last few months. For instance, I started being able to dash out of the garden and up a flight of stairs to answer the phone.

 

[cycling67]

Thanks Mary, good point and reminding of the 1 year. Celebrating 3 years is awesome!!! I hope one day to use the word 'dash' when describing anything about me.

 

[Josephine]

today started to take Iboprofen. My only worry is, will this mask the pain resulting in me overdoing it?. I ask this as this is exactly what I did do prior to having TKR which made the damage worse

This is different. The pain is from a different source. In this case, you are not battling an uncontrollable pain from arthritis but controllable pain from the surgery. By blocking the nerve signals with pain meds you can be more active and get more rest which wasn't possible pre-op. Yes you can overdo it if you feel freedom from pain but that doesn't mean you have to be in pain when you're not doing anything or not doing much!

And btw, I would strongly recommend you use Tylenol 1,000mg up to 4 times a day instead of ibuprofen. It's a much more effective pain killer, gram for gram about 40% stronger, and doesn't have the potential for harmful side effects that NSAIDs do. Read this NSAIDs, acetaminophen (Tylenol, paracetamol) differences and dangers.

 

[rainbird]

Thank you for all the support and suggestions. I was up until 3:30 and then slept until 1:30. I don't like this schedule, but have to live with it until I can figure it out or it shifts some how. I am going to take a "knee-cation" today and see how things go. Maybe even treat myself to something yummy. Your support means so much to me right now since you know what I am going through. Healing on so many levels.

 

[Josephine]

you know what I am going through

That, me dearie, is a certainty! And soon to go through it again, I expect.

 

[speedy2]

Thanks so much for that information Josephine. I'm off to the chemist shortly.

 

[speedy2]

rainbird, glad you managed to get some sleep, even if you seem to be on UK time instead of your own. I know exactly what you are going through as unfortunately it seems to be part of the cause however, knowing this doesn't make it any easier but may give you some comfort.
Take care

 

[cycling67]

Hi All!!!

Rainbird: Keep hanging in there! You are doing great. Guaranteed you are with a forum made up of people who 'totally get it' which in itself helps. However I cerntainly understand it doesn't take it all away.

I have another question for the group that I am hoping you can help me with. I am still struggling with LOTS of hamstring pain/discomfort/cramping/tightness when working on flexion. It is preventing me from getting better flexion I think. When in PT or doing my stretches at home I get to a point where my hamstring (I think bicep femoris) "grabs me". I feel it on the lateral (outside) posterior part right above and below my knee. I have tried heat, ice, stretching, time, stim at the PT, ultrasound at the PT, ibuprofen and herbal muscle relaxers. Does anyone else have this? Is this just a matter of time when it settles down? Also I think it has gotten a bit worse now that I am trying to walk a bit more. And walking a bit more is NOT A LOT. I am talking like a single block a day.

Thoughts????

Jo: Can you help me with this question and also change the title of the thread to "11 weeks and hamstring issues"?

 

[kneeper]

Hmm, it sounds like you are doing the right things. Are you starting off really gently and then gradually trying for more bend? I found I had to gradually "loosen up"

 

[cycling67]

Jo or other moderator: Can you help me change the title of the thread to "11 weeks and hamstring issues"?

Thank you so much!

Morning Kneeper: Yup, I start out every morning with very slow gentle stretching to "warm up". I often do this by using the bike. Muscle pain/discomfort has been my nemisis during this TKR recovery. Thank you so much for your reply.

I am still struggling with LOTS of hamstring pain/discomfort/cramping/tightness when working on flexion. It is preventing me from getting better flexion I think. When in PT or doing my stretches at home I get to a point where my hamstring (I think bicep femoris) "grabs me". I feel it on the lateral (outside) posterior part right above and below my knee. I have tried heat, ice, stretching, time, stim at the PT, ultrasound at the PT, ibuprofen and herbal muscle relaxers. Does anyone else have this? Is this just a matter of time when it settles down? Also I think it has gotten a bit worse now that I am trying to walk a bit more. And walking a bit more is NOT A LOT. I am talking like a single block a day.

Is there anyone else out there who is having this hamstring issue?