TKR 19 Dec. 2014: santa brings me a new knee

[Maggie94]

Hi @trypops thanks for your daily log. I'm so glad you are progressing well and sharing your lessons of missed meds and over doing it. I believe it can't be said to often. I hope it has registered with me sufficiently that I don't do the same. Having said that it appears to me that, reading the threads, everyone has to learn these lessons the hard way.
Keep posting, stay strong. Maggie x

 

[Sudibar]

Thanks for your great updates. Having bilateral 15th Jan, and this helps lift my spirits.

 

[treypops]

@Sudibar

Unfortunately, I can't offer much advice with regards to a BTKR; that would be for someone like @referee54. That said, I am very glad to help in any way. I have found that the experience, while challenging, doesn't quite rise to the level I expected it to be at this point.

 

[skigirl]

Don't worry about getting off the percoset. Your doc will offer a "step down" drug shortly---I had percoset then hydrocodone and finally Tramadol. It worked fine and kept me pain free during recovery.

 

[Angel1978]

Glad to hear you're still progressing so well. Merry Christmas! [emoji1]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hi all. Being nosy I'm pep threads checking on everyone. And saying prayers for successful recovery. Xxx


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[treypops]

Day 11...

Today has been an incredible milestone day for me. 11 days after surgery, I walked a half mile today, and I drove.

I had my OS follow up appointment this morning, which I went to on my own power - no walker or crutches. He removed some sutures, had me do a couple of exercises, and took some xrays of the joint. He asked me how walking felt for me and asked if I wanted to walk the half mile track across the hall. I agreed and did it without any trouble.

I had a ride to the OS, but I decided I wanted to drive to the drug store to get my prescription filled. I also stopped off at the tax assessor's office to drop of paperwork for my handicapped placard. So, I drove to those places on my own, and walked without assistance.

After I got home, I had an in-home therapy session. I could do all the exercises except the hamstring curls (they felt like my incision wanted to rip open). She measured my flexion at 95 degrees. Extension was at 10 today, but the therapist can get to zero passively. Those measurements were after my activity at the dr's office, so I'm sure I had some swelling that limited me a little.

All in all, a very exciting day for me today. I thought I would share.

 

[skigirl]

awesome, I hope this keeps up.

 

[Maggie94]

that is fantastic @treypops Not to rain on your parade - please don't get too confident and overdo it - slow & steady Cheers Maggie x

 

[Holly]

That is fantastic, what a day for you, your recovery is going so well. I also feel great, no real pain, icing and elevating all the time. What do you mean when you say compression, is it just a stocking you wear or something else. Do you find the CPM machine of use, my only real problem now is the stiffness in the bend, my extension is excellent, was thinking of organising a CPM machine to help with my ROM. I am using an exercise bike but only rocking back and forth, cannot make the turn yet.

Again, what a fantastic day for you.

Holly

 

[skigirl]

@Holly to get more bend, you can sit in a rocking chair and allow the knee to bend gently as you rock, You can get a kids's skateboard and push your foot in and out with it. I found it easier to bend my knee in the warm pool. After 90 degrees a CPM is really worthless---you would be better off walking.

 

[treypops]

@Holly yes, any type of compression works. I am wearing a TED stocking a lot of the time. Elevation drains fluid, and compression pushes fluid out.

My OS told me today that he's just not concerned with flexion. Extension is the most important part, and the fact that my therapist can get me to zero bend is a good thing - it shows that the joint is good.

I use the CPM machine every day. I really do think it helps loosen things up, particularly before therapy. You really have to resist the urge to crank it up....I just keep it on a conservative setting, like 80 or 90, and let it run. It also helps on nights like last night, where I just couldn't get comfortable. I put my leg in the CPM and moved it up to about 40 - perfect, comfortable bend, and it allowed me to get comfortable and sleep for a while.

 

[Holly]

Thank you to both of you for the advice, I have a rocking chair at home and will try it out today, must see if one of the grand kids have a skateboard.

I will check out the CPM machine today also, I am just not getting that 90 deg bend, the pressure is more in my thigh and stops me bending, will also check out the TED stockings.

I have full extension so the joint must be good and sleeping like a baby, really need to work on the bend now as it is affecting me when I walk cannot get that smooth walk inclined to limp.

Holly

 

[Maggie94]

hi@holly & @treypops I have also heard of using a bottle - like a wine bottle - to roll back and forth under your foot/feet to flex the knee - Maggie

 

[skigirl]

I have read of many people who like the CPM---different strokes for different folks!! Here are my problems with the thing. One---it walks---so, since my husband is tall and we don't have a footboard at the end of my bed---it just walked off the bed--once we me attached!!! So, I had to lie on a mat on the floor with the thing braced against a wall. Then my back began to kill me. I had to use it after an OATS procedure and was supposed to use it for six hours a day. I could sometimes manage one!! I have never had a back ache before--it was just the wrong angle for me---I have pretty short legs.

In the hospital, I just refused to be in it for anytime at all. I had to climb over it to go to the bathroom though which led to some interesting postions!!

@Holly, I also found that compression stockings helped as @treypops said, they help to remove the swelling which is probably what is holding you back in the rom. Why not spend a day in bed with your knee propped up

Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain
Using ice

and then put on ted hose first thing in the morning on the next day. I did that for a weekend when I had overdone it and it brought me right back to where I had been before I tried to kill myself!!!! You are both at zero extension, which is awesome, since your quad does not fire until you are at zero. My quad felt like it was shortened and I had to do a lot of stretching before I began pt.

 

[Holly]

Thanks Maggie about the tip for the wine bottle, will try that, feel like I need to drink the bottle of wine first ha ha, and then work on my rom.

Ah thanks skigirl, great information I have not yet got to the stage of killing myself but I am sure it will come. I am on day 15 and went to the supermarket today with my husband, I used the shopping trolley as my crutch and walked up and down the aisles, got home and unpacked the groceries and by that time my leg was screaming at me to sit down and ice. So now ice and elevation for the night, even though the bend is difficult I am still delighted with my progress, feeling very strong.

Will try the compression socks and will rest tomorrow.

Thanks again. Holly

 

[Holly]

Think I am taking over Treypops forum, sorry, will get back to Holly's Journey, but best of luck with your recovery, looking forward to following your progress.

Holly

 

[Maggie94]

he he @Holly I agree you definitely need to drink the wine to get the empty bottles to roll - Cheers
Maggie

 

[treypops]

@Holly, it's all good. My recovery is looking to be pretty non-eventful anyway, and I love having more discussions about everyone else's experiences.

After my exciting day yesterday, there have been no ill after-effects today. My knee feels great, I am walking around the house, and I'm doing what I want to do. I had in-home PT this morning and we got to 98 degrees ROM and zero bend.

Because things seem to be going so well, we did some free squats in PT today. If you told me the day before my surgery that I would be doing free squats after two weeks I would've called you crazy, and probably would've questioned the logic of my PT. But, since we're doing well, she asked if I wanted to try it, and I said sure. We ended up doing three sets of ten.

My key to success so far has been simple: manage swelling. I do everything I possibly can - hyper-elevation, compression socks, and tons of ice, to minimize the swelling. Not only does it reduce pain and increase ROM, but lack of swelling also allows your muscles to engage quicker, which helps you move around better. Unable to do leg lifts? Swelling is probably prohibiting your quads from firing. Can't get extension below ten degrees? Most likely swelling. My ROM is pretty decent now, but the only reason it isn't more is due to swelling, and I can feel it when I'm at maximum flex. Those of you struggling with these things - I challenge you to just take a couple of days off from everything, get some TED stockings, elevate that leg and ice it like crazy. All day long. I bet you will see fairly quick results.

The only truly frustrating thing about my recovery is that I just can't seem to get comfortable when I want to go to sleep. I move around all different angles, use pillows in creative ways, but I just can't figure it out. If I could crack that nut, I don't think I'd have anything to complain about.

 

[treypops]

@skigirl You had an OATS procedure done? I was supposed to have that done but when the dr went in, he found that the lesion was too large for OATS to work, so he went with microfracture, even though he told me that the success rate for microfracture in lesions larger than 8MM is very low. 14 months later, here I am with a new knee!

 

[treypops]

Some pics:

Day after surgery:

The Day after Christmas:

Today: