Great point! Congrats on a good checkup.
PKR 4 months post TKR, 1 year post PKR
- Thread starter hbacres
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hbacres
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Hi Everyone and Happy New Year!
Just wanted to write an update 7 weeks after my TKR on the right knee. I am doing well.. I had PT today and got to 129 degrees easily and can get to 0 but it doesn't stay at 0 when released. I am getting around really well and I am probably doing more than I should be.... I am generally doing most of my chores daily including going to the barn to care for livestock.. carrying hot water buckets and shoveling manure along with the household chores. I am able to drive, at least in our little town. I am down to going to PT just once a week. I occasionally take 2.5 mg of Oxycodone after I have over done it.. but for the most part I am only on Tylenol and Etodolac. I am in a much better place mentally than I was say two weeks ago. I am still icing and elevating, but not as much as I was. I still do not really get a decent night's sleep... I hope that comes soon. I am having some tendonitis at the top of the back of my calf, my PT says it is coming from my hamstring. She is keeping and eye on it and told me that I need to figure out what I am doing that is causing that irritation. Other than that, I am pleased with my bend and my straight and starting to feel happy that I went through the whole knee ordeal. Those first 4 weeks are a real trial to get through, but I feel I am heading good direction now.
Just wanted to write an update 7 weeks after my TKR on the right knee. I am doing well.. I had PT today and got to 129 degrees easily and can get to 0 but it doesn't stay at 0 when released. I am getting around really well and I am probably doing more than I should be.... I am generally doing most of my chores daily including going to the barn to care for livestock.. carrying hot water buckets and shoveling manure along with the household chores. I am able to drive, at least in our little town. I am down to going to PT just once a week. I occasionally take 2.5 mg of Oxycodone after I have over done it.. but for the most part I am only on Tylenol and Etodolac. I am in a much better place mentally than I was say two weeks ago. I am still icing and elevating, but not as much as I was. I still do not really get a decent night's sleep... I hope that comes soon. I am having some tendonitis at the top of the back of my calf, my PT says it is coming from my hamstring. She is keeping and eye on it and told me that I need to figure out what I am doing that is causing that irritation. Other than that, I am pleased with my bend and my straight and starting to feel happy that I went through the whole knee ordeal. Those first 4 weeks are a real trial to get through, but I feel I am heading good direction now.
Great to hear things are improving. It is very helpful for people to hear those good reports as you start emerging from the "dark days" of early recovery.
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hbacres
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Well.. just a guess here.. but I think that maybe 2 hours of ditch digging in the rain, ice, slush is not an approved physical therapy exercise.... but my barn was flooding and I am the only one home. I am thinking I will be paying for this for the next several days.... gonna finish up the rest of my animal chores and then hit the recliner with some ice and elevation and hope to get it under control quickly!
appaloosa girl
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hbacres
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It has been 8 weeks since my RTKR and one year since my LPKR. So, I thought I should update on both. My LPKR is doing awesome. We got off to a rocky start but now we get along just fine. I was held back over the summer by my right knee needing surgery, not by my partial replacement. I am very glad that I went through that first surgery. My PKR is a little grumpy right now, because it has been pulling more of the weight since Sept or actually before Sept. It has a bit of that tight feeling, but not bad.
Now for my 8 week update. I went to PT today and did very well. I got to 120 with my own leg muscles and the PT got me to 130.. it was tight.. but not painful and I am having a much easier time getting to 0. The only reason I am still in PT is that I am having some trouble with my hamstring, which has been weak and painful since surgery. I think it is getting better as my PT has stopped all exercises that make it unhappy and has me gently stretching. After PT I had my first trip to the big city by myself. I needed to take my cat to the vet and while in town I needed to stock up on feed for animals and us people. It is an hour drive each way and then much walking.... I did great. I thought I would have trouble having just left from PT and my knee ached a little bit now and then, but held up well. I was actually pushing my cart through Costco and realized I had no limp and no pain and I was passing people left and right... what a new experience!
So.. has it been a bit rough? Yes. Are the first 2 to 4 weeks difficult with both pain and emotion? Yes. Has it been worth it to go through twice? Yes... at least so far it has been worth it.
Meds right now are Tylenol and Etodolac.
Now for my 8 week update. I went to PT today and did very well. I got to 120 with my own leg muscles and the PT got me to 130.. it was tight.. but not painful and I am having a much easier time getting to 0. The only reason I am still in PT is that I am having some trouble with my hamstring, which has been weak and painful since surgery. I think it is getting better as my PT has stopped all exercises that make it unhappy and has me gently stretching. After PT I had my first trip to the big city by myself. I needed to take my cat to the vet and while in town I needed to stock up on feed for animals and us people. It is an hour drive each way and then much walking.... I did great. I thought I would have trouble having just left from PT and my knee ached a little bit now and then, but held up well. I was actually pushing my cart through Costco and realized I had no limp and no pain and I was passing people left and right... what a new experience!
So.. has it been a bit rough? Yes. Are the first 2 to 4 weeks difficult with both pain and emotion? Yes. Has it been worth it to go through twice? Yes... at least so far it has been worth it.
Meds right now are Tylenol and Etodolac.
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hbacres
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I thought I might graduate out of PT today... but I did not. I am having a weird pain behind my knee when the PT puts her hands there during bending.. she is not sure where it is coming from and she is only lightly touching me there. It also occurs when I do the butt kick type things, but it is getting better. There is swelling back there and I have tended to swell behind my knee in this whole process. She is wanting to keep an eye on that for a little longer.. so I am still going once a week. I did over do it once again last weekend with barn cleaning and goat hoof trimming... paid for it with two days in the recliner with my ice. My ROM is zero and an easy 120 and 130 with help. It has remained the same for several weeks now. That seems to be enough ROM to keep me comfortable at this point and there is still swelling behind the knee... so I expect that my ROM will improve once I get rid of that swelling. I also am getting twinges on the lateral side of my calf, the PT said that is common as there is a nerve that runs there that often gets upset and it should go away with time. My quad this TKR side is much smaller than the bulkier one on the other side. The PT wants me to start working on some muscle building on that side as long as it doesn't hurt. I am still pleased that I had the surgery, I wish I slept better.. but I have never been a good sleeper. I do get tired and I do get achy....but I realize I must take care of myself now so I will be better later. 
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hbacres
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So, I am 10 weeks out from my total knee and I graduated out of PT today!!!! My ROM is 0 and 130. I still need to continue my exercises and I have some weakness pushing my leg back as in butt kicks. I have been over doing it a bit routinely ... for the past two days I have been climbing over rocks and logs and on uneven ground looking for one of our cats who is missing. I am currently iced and elevated as I am paying for all those miles... about 4 miles yesterday according to my activity tracker. Some nights I need 2.5 mg of oxycodone, but not every night. I am still getting a little depressed....but some of that is life in general.. and winter time and being a bit isolated since I work at home and I am not out and about as much as normal. Just wanted to check in and update my recovery... hope everyone else is doing well.. I keep checking in on you all everyday. Now if my cat would just come home..........
referee54
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Congratulations!!! That is awesome!!
That is great news!!! Your recovery is going great---I am sure that you will continue to gain muscle strength in the quads and in the hamstrings, remember---life is also PT and exercises!
That is great news!!! Your recovery is going great---I am sure that you will continue to gain muscle strength in the quads and in the hamstrings, remember---life is also PT and exercises!
Sleeping was still a problem fro me at this time, too---not pain, per se, but I just could not get comfortable.
SuperSnapper
post-grad
@hbacres just read your lovely reports. I was especially interested in your PKR . Sounds like you are really pleased with how it has performed since your other knee was replaced. I had a PKR on 25th November and will need my other knee doing eventually but not soon. I'm pleased with my PKR, it feels like my knee but doesn't hurt like the old knee did! I'm glad I had it done.
Your ROM sounds great . Sorry to hear you are a bit down though. The winter does that to me too and I think of it as being in semi hibernation! I can't wait for the spring! It's been cold and icy here for the last week and I'm still a bit nervous about taking myself out walking when the pavements are slippy. I expect as I get more confident, I'll be fine.
If my geography of the US serves me right, Idaho will be pretty cold too at this time of year.
Just think how great you'll be doing by the time spring comes around.
Your ROM sounds great . Sorry to hear you are a bit down though. The winter does that to me too and I think of it as being in semi hibernation! I can't wait for the spring! It's been cold and icy here for the last week and I'm still a bit nervous about taking myself out walking when the pavements are slippy. I expect as I get more confident, I'll be fine.
If my geography of the US serves me right, Idaho will be pretty cold too at this time of year.
Just think how great you'll be doing by the time spring comes around.
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hbacres
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Thanks guys, I am pretty pleased with how this has all gone... now that I am out of the thick of it. @SuperSnapper I am very happy with my PKR, it has been feeling great. The other knee is what was holding me back all summer. The PKR is a little tender still from taking the brunt of work here since surgery, but I expect it will calm down soon. I am hoping it lasts a good, long time!
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hbacres
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Well.. I am having a pretty significant set back. I am 11 weeks.... go in for my 12 week check up next week. I have been getting increasing amounts of pain where my quad comes in under my scar, pain on the lateral side of my knee, the back of my knee and down my calf. I have been pretending I am completely normal and doing all my stuff... from carrying my 18 pound doxy dog up the stairs, hauling buckets of hot water to the barn, moving manure, and hiking around looking for my lost cat. I finally decided last night that I am doing too much... if it hurts, I should stop. So, I took a half of an oxy and got in my recliner with my ice and I am feeling better this morning... I just need to remember what got things stirred up in the first place. I seem to do this if I have the flu or anything too... I just keep going and it takes me longer to get better. So, I am gonna rest and see what happens....
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hbacres
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@Jamie Yes, it helps when I rest. I saw my OS for my 3 month release appointment and he agreed that I was probably doing too much but as long as I rested and let my knee catch back up and feel better, before I forget and do it again, that I would be ok. He said that the problem comes when people over do it and never let the knee catch up and just do it over and over again... every day. So, at this point I feel like I am doing really well and just have to remind myself that it is gonna take a year.. till then... I have to back off and ice/elevate as needed. I was released from the surgeon and do not have to go back for a year, unless I need him sooner. My husband and my friends are impressed, they can't keep up with me shopping anymore and I don't have a limp at all when I am zipping around. Sitting in one place too long, like the car or the movies, is still a problem.
Bravo for you!!! I think you are using exactly the right approach. Your surgeon is a smart cookie. I'm glad to hear you are now a "shopping zipper"!!! This is the kind of success we love to read about. Give an update now and then when you can. It's always good to know how you're doing. Believe it or not....people really benefit from reading things like this. It helps them understand their recovery better.
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