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TKR 2nd new knee, not the same as the first

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waitingtogarden said:
I am not sure...but ice bags are a great idea. Try icing the back of your knee too. I understand your eagerness to go! Perhaps some ACE bandages to hold your ice in place. I imagine that there may be some time that everyone will stand. Three weeks after surgery will be tough...I hope not too much.


Chris
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Chris,
Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to see if I can find a few smaller ice packs, the ones I have are 11 x 14 and they are quite heavy. I think one or two smaller ones would be better and I could put one in the front and one in the back. My husband also suggested that we go early to see if we could exchange our tickets for two in the handicapped section. My only concern there is I have no wheel chair, but Ithink they provide folding chairs for guests that accompany people in wheel chairs so we will ask for 2! That way I might actually be able to stretch out my leg too:dancy:
 
@Second Time Around Are you going to be using some form of assistive device, a cane. crutches or a walker? I strongly suggest you use something as people will take more notice of you to avoid bumping into you. I even did that in non-crowded situations out in public for several weeks until I was totally confident in my ability to keep my balance if bumped into.
 
Phil75070,
Yes, I will have my cane and my walker. My PT advised me to take the walker too as it would 'protect' me around the sides and the front. I was worried about being in a crowd with just the cane, but I think she had a good idea to have both.
 
I am happy to report I made it though the concert, Paul McCartney was wonderful! He performed in Albany, NY and this was his first concert in the US after getting ill. There was no way I was going to miss it! For anyone that has to attend an outing during the first weeks (my surgery was 18 days before the concert), I was able to get through it by doing the following:
1. Rested up all day - I iced and elevated up to the last minute before we went
2. Took 2 Tramadol instead of my usual 1 along with 1,000 mg tylenol
3. Brought and used the cane AND the walker. The walker did help to protect me, even when I was sitting down. I used as a fence around my leg. I also used it to elevate a few times!
4. Used ice while there
5. Iced, elevated and took meds on time as soon as I got home

I was exhausted from the whole evening, I walked so much getting around the arena to my seat. Unfortunately, the venue had only 1 elevator in the whole darn place and of course it was on the opposite side of where I needed to sit! My muscles were sore and tired from all of the walking (still today, 2 days later), but I did it!
 
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I saw my OS today for my first post-op. My surgery was exactly 3 weeks ago and I am happy to report he was pleased with my progress. He never measures my extension or flexion, he just asks me to straighten out my leg or bend my leg as it is hanging off the exam table. Today's comments were 'You're almost there" for extension and "Wow, you have much more bend than I expected". I have been cleared to drive and to go to the gym with a caution to not overdo (I did with the last knee so he just reminded me).

Other than a lot of sore muscles, I didn't have any complaints. He told me to rest, ice, use a heating pad on the muscles and call if I needed him for anything. He also told me over time to increase the ibuprofen and take with the tylenol and decrease the Tramadol but there wasn't any hurry.:happydance:
 
Help please!:gaah:I feel as if I have taken several steps backward the past few days. The beginning of last week I was doing really well with my PT, not overdoing and not in pain. After PT on Tuesday, I decided to visit the gym for the first time since the end of April, when I really started having tremendous pain which led me to the RTKR in June.

I tried to do just 5 minutes on the recumbent bike, the same five minutes I did yesterday at PT and was feeling a lot of discomfort. The bike seat wasn't any closer, but the angle seemed to be a bit different, so I stopped at 2 minutes. Whenever I use the bike, when I push the pedal around and over, I am starting to get the exact same pain I felt when I stood up 2 weeks ago without my cane. The pain is intense, quick like a knife on the inside of my knee in the front. There is still swelling there no matter how much I ice and elevate. The pain also happens as I apply pressure on the ball of my foot and push off if I am tired or have been on my feet for more than about 10 or 15 minutes.

Anyway, I stopped using the bike and moved to do leg presses. The plates/weights are definitely not the same as the machine in PT, so I just used it at 10 as I didn't want to overdo. No pain with this machine as I am flat footed when I press instead of rolling off of the ball of my foot. I did some upper body exercises and again tried the bike, which still hurt, so I stopped an went home. That was it for me for the day, I did not really do anything else after driving home except put my feet up, ice and rest. I was feeling the pain in that part of my knee for the rest of the day and all night. :bawl:

The next day I returned to PT, feeling somewhat better and again tried the bike with the same results. Every time I push the pedal over, the intense pain returns, once I am off the ball of my foot, the pain in my knee subsides. I competed the five minutes going as SLOWLY as I possibly could, to limit the revolutions. My PT thinks I might have bursitis there? I really don't know what that is or what to do to help it. I completed a few other exercises (one for getting the last degree or two in my extension, leg presses and I practiced walking up a small step with my new knee. I could not walk down so we just walked up one step the 'regular' way with my cane and holding on to a piece of equipment and walked back down it the way I have been doing it since the TKR (bad leg first with cane, holding on).

By the time I hit Friday and had PT for my third time, I was in so much pain, I did no bike, had to stop every other exercise about 1/3 of the way through; this thing on my knee is killing me again. What is happening to me? When the PT and I looked at the area, you could literally see it throbbing. I left after about 25 minutes, feeling defeated and in more pain.

I have done nothing all weekend; I dialed everything back to what i was doing the first week I came home. I don't have PT again until Tuesday and I have not been back to the gym since last Wednesday(the only time I went). I am at a loss as to what to do now. Even when I am icing and elevating (l have been doing it all weekend), the darn thing is giving me these stabbing pains and I am not applying ANY pressure through my foot or even standing and walking. The other thing I notice is that area, no matter how much I ice, doesn't get as cold as any other area. I can ice for 45 minutes and it's still warm there.:scratch:

The area is still swollen and the shooting pain jumps up to about a 7 every time it happens. I am still taking all of my same meds and have even increased the amount of Tramadol so I am now taking it 4 times a day ( I was down to just two times) with my 1,000 mg of Tylenol. I am even taking some ibuprofen too as I don't know what else to do.
 
I think the best thing for you right now would be to slow down! After reading thru your thread I think you have done too much too soon. That is just my opinion. Remember to treat your knee like it is recovering from an injury. Right now I think you would benefit by taking a week off from any PT and ice and elevate as much as you can. Remember the slower and more gentler your recovery the better your knee will respond. Take care and let us know how you are doing!
 
@Jozilla, I have really tried to slow down since last week, I have not been to the gym or PT, I have pretty much been a hermit and iced and elevated for four straight days now and the pain and swelling is subsiding only minimally. I am a mess emotionally too; can't seem to stop crying all day. It's not like me to be so down in the dumps, I am usually a positive person and have a pretty hefty tolerance for pain. It seems to have left me with this 2nd knee, everything is so totally different than the first one.:cry:

I have only done some gentle stretching twice a day, not even any PT exercises. I do walk around the house a few times a day and other than showering, that's about it.

My husband made me an appointment to see his chiropractor on Wednesday. My PT told me he thinks my gait issues are coming from lower back/hip issues, so I am going to try to help at least the sciatica I am experiencing. Who knows, maybe it's all connected.

I will see how I feel tomorrow with PT this week and if I am capable.
 
After 4 days of rest, ice and elevation, I returned to PT today. No one ever pushes me to do something that is painful there so I felt safe. After some heat to loosen me up, I was comfortable doing the bike (6 minutes), leg presses, and two new exercises were added to help work on my calf and hamstrings. Success! :yes: I didn't feel any pain and there was no discomfort. Now I am taking the rest of the day off as I tend to overdo when I am feeling good.

I won't be going back to the gym for a few more weeks, there isn't any reason to when I have PT 3 times a week. I guess I just need reminding every few days to be kind to myself.
 
@Lovestoread , thank you for the words of encouragement. I have been trying to cut back on everything, I am in no rush to return to work this time as I was one of many people that lost their jobs earlier this year at the bank I worked at. If I was still working, my short term disability would have required me to return to work today, 4 weeks after surgery. Thinking back to my first TKR, I have absolutely no idea how I did it!:what:

Today I went to the Chiropractor for the first time to see if he could help with the sciatica problems that have flared up since my surgery. My PT thought my issues might be with my lower back and/or hip but it turns out the chiropractor says I have piriformis syndrome. This irritates the sciatic nerve as it passes right through the piriformis muscle in your buttocks. I had the same problems when I had my other knee replaced 2 years ago but never sought treatment. It took about 9 months for it to subside back then and I just didn't want to spend this time in pain from that, I have enough pain with my knee to worry about!

I was trying to make it feel better by applying a heating pad to my buttocks and side of my hip every time I iced and elevated my knee. He said that probably made it worse and I should apply ice or nothing. He showed me how to use a foam roller on the area and I have done that already twice today and then iced and it is feeling better. I was also given some stretches that should help. Now that I know what to do, I think I can keep the pain to a manageable discomfort.

It's amazing how other parts of your body go a bit haywire when you have had a TKR!
 
@Second Time Around Sounds like you have a habbit of overdoing it. Seems to be a common thing, but it causes problems. Don't know why you would do the gym so early along with PT. Hope you find a good balance for yourself. Give yourself time to heal.
 
@Second Time Around, glad you were able to get it sorted out. I have heard that piriformis syndrome is very painful. Let's hope that ice, rest and that foam roller help. I've used the foam roller on my IT band and let me tell you, that isn't fun! Good luck….let us know how you're doing.
 
@tiredwife - you are absolutely right, I am trying to do all of the things I did in the same time frame as I did with the first TKR, only everything is different about this recovery. With my first TKR two years ago, I was so much further ahead than I am now, that is what I find so frustrating (and why my thread says 2nd knee not the same as the first!). With the last knee I went to the gym on alternate days just to ride the recumbent bike but that is just too much this time.

The pain and swelling is a humbling reminder that I am not in charge, my knee is! Having this forum is such a blessing, I have learned so much reading about everyone's journey and it's been so helpful to get feedback.
 
Hi Hope you are doing well. I had a lot of pain behind my knee when in the hospital. I asked the nurses to put my ice packs on the back of my knee as the front of my knee really never hurt. It always felt like a bad cramp made it hard to get comfortable and almost like something was put back wrong. I really had no pain in the hospital other then that spot and they were surprised at how little I used the morphine pump that they put in. This changed after I got home and then the pain was unbelievable. Wish I could have brought the pump home with me really needed it then. Hoping they are taking good care of you and that things get easier. Such a major surgery. Now things are so much better happy I had it done but at the time had second thoughts. Wishing you the best Holly
 
@tiredwife, thanks for the encouragement, it is most appreciated. I do hope your husband's RTKR and his recovery have smooth sailing in August. Tell him to rest up as much as he can, and strengthen his immunity until then. I am just starting to get some restful sleep this past week and I feel it is helping me recover. :sleeep:

Your husband is so lucky to have your support as a caregiver, that is a tough job! I am also very lucky to have my husband taking care of me, he has been getting up early to walk the dog and make me breakfast before he leaves for work. Until this week, he also came home at lunch to care for the dog and check in on me. He is just beginning to have knee problems in one knee so it's possible I will become the caregiver when he has knee surgery some day.
 
@lavender, how long did it take before that spot behind your knee started to feel better? I have a spot on the front, medial side that is an 'owwwieeee' (as my kids used to say when they were young). It's a bit better this week than last week, but even touching that area is SO sensitive. I use vitamin E oil twice a day to massage the entire knee area and that one spot makes me cringe when I touch it. My PT keeps referring to it as potential bursitis.

Did you finally get the meds figured out after you were home? I am weaning myself off of the Tramadol now so that at some point I will just be on Tylenol and ibuprofen as I was prior to surgery. I am only taking the Tramadol on an 'as needed' basis now in stead of on a strict schedule.

I am also starting to get some of the feeling back on the outside of my knee and found I have a a pain spot there that I couldn't feel before that screams at me every time I practice heel to toe walking. It feels like something is pulling my knee cap over to the outside when I pick up my foot. I am hoping it's just some internal stitches that haven't dissolved. I had a few that ended up working their way to the surface over time with my last knee and the nurse had to pull out.

Thanks for your post Holly!
Linda
 
@Second Time Around Hope your painful spot is easing up. Seems like everyone ends up with at least one spot that is slower healing, my husbands is just above the kneecap and a little to the left. Probably the cut muscle. Hope you have a great day.
 
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