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1cruiselvr recovery diary

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I've got a confession to make. My PT told me I had to do a long list of exercises he gave me 2x a day. I promised I would. That was Friday...I didn't do them. Tomorrow I got back to PT and I know he's going to ask me if I did them and I'm afraid to say no, nothing, nada. He will be upset. But I just didn't feel motivated, I think it was the depression I've been dealing with, plus being sick of the discomfort and pain. If I find a comfy position, I don't want to give it up. So now as I lay in bed and write this, I am trying to decide, should I tell the truth or fib to my PT tomorrow? Bad me. Anyone else out there not do their exercises when they know they should? It will be 4 weeks Wednes since my surgery. Am I hurting my recovery by ignoring the exercises? They just remind me of pain and I tell myself later but later never comes.
 
Probably better to just tell the truth. He'll probably be able to tell you haven't been doing them. Just explain to him like you did here. What can he do? Fire you? You're the customer---means you're always right! He might scold you a little, but so what?

I was honest with my PT---I only did the exercises when she came to my house. I have a semi-invalid hubby and 2 cats. I was up and taking care of things here at home---I felt I was getting plenty of exercise. She never said a thing. And why should she, I am a grown woman and she wasn't my mother.

So stop fretting over it and get a good night's sleep and just do your best without hurting yourself tomorrow. Keep us posted. We care.
 
Lynne, I agree. Be honest, but preface it with the fact that the blues have kicked it and your motivation up & went!! Take care, let us know what happens!!
 
I'm with Judy. There have been times where I have not done my exercises because I've been busy keeping a home and felt I was having pain from overduing it. You are an adult, the PT is supposed to help you not judge you. Also, from what I've read here, if you do the PT, if you make any effort to exercise your knees you will eventually be in a better place. Don't beat yourself up, this isn't a test, it's RECOVERY! :scratch:
 
Thx everyone. I'm getting ready to go to PT now and I'm going to tell him the truth. I know he won't be happy but too bad is my attitude right now. Pain and this knee is ruling my life, not PT. I'm beginning to think the pain medication given to me, although strong, is not working for me. Another topic of discussion with my dr next week.
 
Lynne-

Balancing meds and PT is a true tight wire act. Just follow the advice here, go slow and don't have any expectations. At the end of week 6 on the LK and week 7 on the RK I found not worrying about the therapist, their expectations and my numbers has made this all tremendously easier. Eventually we'll get where we need or want to be in the mean time, you do what you can do. Today, my knees are filled with fluid. I drew a letter in my right knee 5 minutes ago, it's just beginning to fade. Such is life!
 
Lynne,
Tell your PT the truth, they gave you too much. Ask your PT to prioritize the the top 2 or 3 exercises to get you started. Then go from there.
No worries, everyone needs a day or two off.
My top 4 are ankle pumps, quad sets, glut sets, and heel slides, all can be done in bed.
 
Today marks 4 weeks since surgery. I have graduated to a cane around the house but was told by my PT that I should still use the walker when out in public until I get more stable with the cane. I like the cane so much better than the walker. Yesterday was a painful day. I took my pain medication but nothing was giving me relief. I would have paid a million dollars for a comfortable sitting or laying down position. Today seems better. But it's PT day so who knows how long that will last. PT is hard, especially that chair he puts me in that does the automatic flex. Friday is my last day for the blood thinner Coumadin. I wonder how soon after I'm done, can I start using a NSAID like Ibuprofen, Aleve, etc. I think adding it to my pain regime will help but I know that Coumadin stays in your system for awhile so I don't know if I need to wait a few days, a week, before starting a NSAID?
 
Lynne;
I think you can start anti-inflammatories as soon as you are off the blood thinner. They are helpful when added to your Opoids, but you must consider what they do to your stomach.
As far as PT goes, you definately need to re-evaluate what is nescessary and what you can drop. You shouldn't be in alot of pain with PT, though some discomfort is present.
I just did what I felt I needed to do, and my day to day activities made up for the rest.
I am 6 weeks out, and I use nothing in the house to walk, but outside I'm on crutches or 2 walking sticks.
Keep up the good fight!
Sandy
 
Hip pain after TKA

Anybody experience hip pain while recovering from a TKA? I'm 31 days from my surgery date and today I noticed bad pain in my hip that I can't seem to get rid of, no matter what I do. Is this related to my TKA or have I developed a new problem?
 
@1cruiselvr: Lynne.....I moved your latest post here to your recovery thread because it is actually a concern about your own individual recovery and part of your story. Actually, I think it would have gotten lost in the Social Forum and fits better here in the Post Op Forum.

Now....as for your question.....YES...it is fairly common to develop hip pain following a knee replacement. Your body alignment is balanced among both hips and knees. When one thing changes, the other three must adjust to compensate for that change. Your body had gotten out of alignment over time with your bad knee. Then suddenly with the surgery, you are back into "correct" alignment and your hip is just feeling the effect of that.

Go slow. Take something for the discomfort. And remember.....you are only ONE MONTH out from your surgery. That's very, very early. You can expect to get all sorts of odd pains that come and go as you complete the healing process.
 
oh sorry, Jamie. Thx for the info on hip pain in relation to TKA. I was thinking maybe I'm walking funny on my TKA leg and that's causing the hip pain. Boy, if it's not one thing, it's another.......right now I'd give a million dollars if I could find a comfortable sleeping position. I don't think there is one.
 
Well, it could be a gait issues also if you are limping at all. You need to be sure to use the right walking aid for where you are in recovery. If you limp with a cane, you can try crutches. If you limp with crutches then you need to still be on the walker. You need the right support for each stage of recovery!
 
I'm thinking it's a gait issue as well. Today it seems to be better. I'm still struggling with pain management. I want to start a NSAID but don't know how long after dropping Coumadin I can start. I did some internet searching and learned that there is some belief that NSAID use after TKA can impair bone growth. So now I don't know what to do. Guess I will wait until Thurs when I see my OS and ask his opinion. I was really looking forward to taking it for better pain management. I don't like being on the hydrocodone, it fogs my mind and makes me feel like a big couch pain blob. :th_heehee:
Jamie or Josephine....have you heard of NSAID use after TKA impairing bone growth?:what:
As a footnote, today is a better day so far. Boy, you aren't kidding when you say this recovery process is a roller coaster ride.
 
Lynne, NSAIDs are more for inflamation than for pain. Tylenol is much better for the pain part--i.e., the BoneSmart cocktail, a combo of both.

You can take 2 500mg Tylenol and 4 200mg ibuprofen together 4 times in a 24 hour period. This is a safe doseage and doesn't impair your liver. And if you're not on a blood thinner, you should be able to take this now.

But you are only about 4 weeks post-op and it may much too early to give up the pain killers. Maybe your OS could give you a different one from what you've been taking and don't like the side effects from.

You're just at the beginning of a long recovery period. If you don't control the pain properly, it's just going to seem longer.

Take care of yourself. Keep us posted. We care.
 
Hi Judy....my thought process was since inflammation causes pain, taking a NSAID to reduce inflammation would therefore assist with pain management. The pain med given by my OS is a combination of hydrocodone and Acetametaphin so I don't want to take Tylenol on top of that. I am so grateful for this website. It's invaluable to me. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have this wonderful group of people to turn to when the hr gets dark. Thx!
 
Today is my OS appt. PT measured me yesterday and although my ROM is good, over 100, my flex is horrible - 15. PT says I might need to get some kind of knee brace that puts constant pressure on the knee to straighten it. ?? Anyway, I guess my OS will read his PT report today and decide what needs to be done about my bad flex. My PT says some folks are good at ROM, some at flex and in rare cases, good at both. Guess I'm the flex flunky. I am going to ask my dr for more pain meds and maybe something to help me sleep. I am so tired of not getting a decent night's rest. Anyway, things are progressing slowly for me. I think if I had better flex, I would walk better. I will discuss with dr and let you know what he says.
 
Lynne, it's your flexion (100) that is good. It's your extension (15) which needs work.

You can sit in a chair and prop your heel on anything that is slightly higher and you will feel the muscles being pulled down. This is rather uncomfortable. You don't have to do it for long periods of time--just do it often for a little while all day long.

You don't want to force the leg straight---your knee will rebel---swell and cause you pain. And you have plenty of time to work this out--after all you're just a little more than a month post op.

Remember---TIME & PATIENCE---TIME & PATIENCE---TIME & PATIENCE. Your knee WILL get there---but at its pace not yours or your OSs.

Keep us posted. We care.
 
Judy....oops....thx for the correction. My dr. was so nice to me. Said he could tell I was working hard and he was proud of me. Told me a few exercises to work on my extension and I go back in 2 weeks to see if I've improved. If not, he's talking MUA. Dr. says I should not feel like I failed or did something wrong, just some folks can get their on their own and others need the MUA. 6-8 weeks after surgery is when they like to do the MUA, getting the best results from it. So I will continue with PT, the extension exercises and keep my fingers crossed that I don't need the MUA. Also, he was very understanding about my need for more pain medication and even gave me an Rx for sleep medication so I can get a good night's rest. He said until I can get my extension better, I won't be able to sleep well. Oh in addition, he gave me an Rx for Voltaren. I am looking forward to a good sleep tonight. Also for some reason, he sent me for a vascular ultrasound to rule out DVT. The tech said everything looked good, which was a relief. I feel so much better, after the kind words and understanding of my OS. Today was a tiring but good day!
 
How wonderful that you have such a patient oriented OS who took the time with you and understood whats going on with you and gave you all those scripts to help you. Some folks here could sure use him in place of their doc.

Bet you are pooped---rest, elevate,and ice. And have a good night' s sleep.
 
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