TKR 3-17 RTKR and Totally "On Course"

[Phil75070]

Your ability to balance is different with your eyes closed?

Absolutely! I can't stand on one leg for any length of time with my eyes closed. I need to have a "spot" I stare at. Maybe its just me and the way my body works.

 

[kneeper]

Me too. I'm impressed how well you balance with your eyes open. With my preop knee I don't do so well...

 

[Phil75070]

I went for my 6 week checkup this morning. Strictly a ROM and strength evaluation. Asking me to bend and extend my knee on my own we got 121 flexion and 11 extension, which he got to 3 when he pushed down on my knee (I experienced no pain when he did so). He said I was right where he would expect me to be at this point. I do need to work on the extension by strengthening the quad muscle but if I didn't get another degree of bend I would still be fine.

Still can't play golf. He wants me to hold off until at least June and wants to see me before then. His concern at this point is getting in and out of sand traps and possibly slipping and falling on slopes or wet grass due to dew if playing early in the morning.

He emphasized again that elbow, shoulder and even hip surgery are nowhere near as difficult to recover from as a TKR. We discussed options for my left knee and I told him I would like to see if it won't hold up at least through September so I could get my golf in during prime golf weather and he said that even then my right knee would still be healing. He puts total recovery from a TKR at one year. He did indicate that a cortisone injection in my left knee to help bridge the gap until we do that knee would certainly be in order.

All in all, a positive report.

 

[Celle]

That all sounds good, Phil.

Did you get the web site for home exercises to help with extension - I posted it on another thread. Here it is again:
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/extension-exercises-for-improvement.9529/

 

[Yorkimom]

Hi Phil, your post regarding your extension caught my eye as I had trouble with extension when I had my TRKR back in December 2012. My PT told me reaching 0 "would be my Mt. Everest". With lots of work I finally got down to 2 by the time my sessions were over (insurance only allowed 24). I also remember my OS telling me to really work on it because after 6 weeks you won't go much farther. I found that to be wrong. Three months after surgery I started back working out with my trainer at the gym and didn't think about extension anymore as my PT was over. Well guess what......after a couple more months one day while on the floor doing an exercise I realized that my leg was completely extended. So don't worry about getting to that magical number. Your knee will get there when it's good and ready.
Also I looked at the link that Josephine sent you with exercises to help with extension. I did all those exercises on my own and they really do help. Another one I did was lay on the floor and put my heel up on an ottoman and let my leg relax and all the weight go in my heel. I can still remember how I hated that exercise, but it worked!!
Good luck in getting back to golf. Luckily with having my surgery in December I was fully ready to golf by golf season in April. I'm holding off for my next surgery for the left knee until the end of September so I can get in most of this year's season too.

 

[Phil75070]

@Celle Yes, other than lying on the bed on my stomach those are exercises that I do along with a couple of others meant to strengthen the quad. It is that muscle that apparently is key in extension.

 

[Celle]

Hamstring stretches help too! You can't straighten your leg if the muscles and tendons at the back of it are tight.

 

[Phil75070]

It has been a really good day today! First, at PT, my therapist massaged the heck out of two little sutures that were poking through my scar. They had been very aggravating whenever a pant leg happened to rub against them. As he massaged them they fell out/off. What a relief! They looked like little white pieces of string poking through.

We tried something different with extension, having me lay on my stomach with both of my legs hanging off the table. Then using weights around the ankle on my surgical leg we actually got it to straighten as much as my other, non-operative leg! Of course, I can't get the leg that straight on my own yet but at least I know that getting full extension is definitely within reach as the quad strengthens and the hamstring stretches!

Finally, I had lunch with two of my buddies I had not seen since before the surgery. So I had to fill them in on everything leading up to and since my TKR. We then talked about their trip the Augusta for the Masters (they had tickets for Wednesday's practice round) and their subsequent golf trip to Myrtle Beach and Pinehurst for a few rounds of golf before heading back. They said there aren't any words to describe the beauty and perfection of August National. Oh, one of my friends had an egg salad sandwich, chips and a soda, and his wife had their famous pimento cheese sandwich and a beer and the tab came to $8.50! You can't get a single beer for that price at Cowboy's stadium!

I can't wait to get back out on the course again myself but it looks like June is the earliest for me as OS is really concerned about the possibility of my falling due to possible dew on the ground or falling going up and down slopes. Oh, well. I guess I can start swinging a club and maybe chip and putt for the next several weeks. That will have to hold me over.

After spending approximately 90 minutes sitting while eating and shooting the breeze my knee felt a little stiff when I first stood up but not really as bad as I had expected. I have been fortunate in not experiencing any major setbacks as each day is at least as good as the day before, and I am seeing improvement, no matter how small, on most days!

Best wishes to all for quick, painless recoveries and a speedy return to normal activities!

Phil

 

[bottomshollow]

@Phil75070, super update. So good to hear that you're doing so well and things are continuing to improve each day.

You'll be out on the course before you know it. I would think that if you wear golf shoes with cleats that slipping and falling would be greatly reduced. Just my humble opinion.

Take care and keep us posted. e care.

 

[referee54]

that is indeed a wonderful update!

I can't wait to get back out on the course again myself but it looks like June is the earliest for me as OS is really concerned about the possibility of my falling due to possible dew on the ground or falling going up and down slopes.

I guess it is right to error on the side of caution---now, that dew and slippery wet stuff does not bother me much.

You'll be out on the course before you know it. I would think that if you wear golf shoes with cleats that slipping and falling would be greatly reduced. Just my humble opinion.

I agree---gold shoes should help you out, and I have no doubt that, when you get out there, you will be enjoying it more than you can imagine.

Oh, well. I guess I can start swinging a club and maybe chip and putt for the next several weeks. That will have to hold me over.

Can yo get to the local driving range? That way, yo can loosen up and get to work on the mechanics again. (And begin to enjoy it so much more!)

 

[Phil75070]

@bottomshollow All of the courses around here have banned the old "metal spikes" and if you wear spikes at all they have to be "soft spikes" which are OK but don't provide the same traction or stability. A lot of the "old guys" I play with just wear tennis shoes which wouldn't do at all.

@referee54 I belong to a semi-private course (open to the public but offers memberships that have certain privileges). Currently I am on a medical leave so my dues have been suspended but I have belonged there long enough and know management such that I don't think they would give me any grief about putting, chipping or hitting some balls on the range. Doing that maybe a couple of times per week while waiting for formal approval to go play is certainly the plan.

 

[konati]

Great report. So many people complain on this site mostly about PT. Yes it hurts but it helps. I can deal with pain it's the end result I care about. 2 months out for me leg extension is almost there. Like yourself PT can flatten it but later in the day I get that 2 finger space back
back. Not a golfer but a cyclist and so happy to be back on the road on my bike. Good luck with your golf game




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[referee54]

Golf and I do not get along. I make the movie, "Caddy Shack" look like a drama. I get too frustrated and have not play a round in at least ten years.

I applaud your zeal for the game and know that you will be enjoying more in a short time!

 

[Phil75070]

@konati Are you anything like one of my golf buddies? He, too, is also a cyclist. He says he averages about 125 miles per week and also goes on these week long or longer rides. I think he is planning on joining a cross country ride next year that goes from San Diego to somewhere in Florida. BTW he is 70 and almost died a few years ago from a ruptured appendix!


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[Phil75070]

Another PT session today. Went through all of the exercises in the first 35 minutes or so. The balance of the time was spent on massage and stretching although he did one thing that was very different.

While laying on my stomach he did (if I recall correctly) what he referred to as "dry needle" therapy. Kind of like acupuncture but I had the sense the needles were thicker. The idea is to get the knots out of the hamstring and calf somewhat painful and the needles are not left in like you would expect with acupuncture. Anybody else familiar with this therapy?

Again, flexing is not an issue and the extension improves by a few degrees each session. I've given up the use of the cane and concentrate on walking heel to toe and straightening my leg as I push off.

Although I am not cleared to "play" golf due to the fear of my falling due to uneven ground, going up and down slopes, slipping on wet/dew covered areas, etc I have gone out to the club and chipped, putted and even hit a few balls on the range. The knee feels great, very stable, though it appears I may have to learn a different swing with this new knee if I expect to get back to my pre-op game.


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[icep707]

Keep up the great work , just to show how everyone recovers differently, my extension never was a issue however my flexion is alittle behind. Though I should be incredibly happy with 120 , id like to get to 135 atleast. Once again . You are doing so well . Best wishes. Iceman

 

[Celle]

Another good report, @Phil75070

Stretching those tight hamstrings has got to help. I don't like needles much, so I'd be a bit cautious about those needles your PT used. But maybe that's just me! I know that acupuncture was a spectacular failure for me, so I'm probably biased.

 

[Phil75070]

Strangest feeling this morning that I have had so far on this process. I role up feeling initially like the remaining swelling had decreased dramatically only to have it return to what has been its normal level for the last 10 days or so.

The strange part was my quad, just above the knee, suddenly and painfully tightening like a rock. It wasn't really a cramp though over time it has gotten better. I suspect things like this are not unusual as one travels down this long road.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there. May your knees be particularly kind to you on "your" day!



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[Phil75070]

I went for my usual PT session this morning. That cramp or extreme tightness in my quad has continued since Sunday so the first thing I did was mention it to my PT. He said it is not uncommon, which was a relief. So we started with extensive massage and the needles again to break up the knots and it did feel much better allowing me to complete my full range of exercises.

At the end of the session we measured my ROM and I was 125 on flexion and I can now straighten my leg on my own to 5*! That number was 15* at my last checkup with my OS on 4/29. With just a little non-painful pressure we got it to 0* easily. I would love to get to 0* on my own by my next check up on the 29th! Wish me luck!

 

[Jozilla]

What great results! I know we are not supposed to think about the numbers but yours are great. I am sure you will be to 0 in no time. Congrats!