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MUA 5 week failure<

Hi all, thanks for checking in on me. No real change to report. Almost at 7 months (tkr) & 4 months (mua) Feel like I am starting to learn how to walk with a bend and lift but some days it’s still a struggle. I am doing the best I can with what I got. I still do some exercises and learned that the only way I can sleep through the night is on my back, which hurts my back but at least I sleep :).
Our teachers are on strike so I have had a couple of days off and find myself jumping to do stuff. Have to keep sitting and remind myself not to overdo it. Thank you to all who comment with advice & well wishes. I appreciate them all.
@funkymuse how’s your recovery coming along? @hempsteadjb thanks for your encouragement, please keep me informed how you are. @DebCoz hang in there- I am learning it’s a long journey. Happy Sunday to you all
 
I so understand. I am now 8 weeks BTKR and only at 86 right knee and 80 left. Crying, depression , frustrated , feeling like you do a failure. The advice at bonesmart really helped me . As for exercises I have found heel slides on my bed or couch and putting my feet (toes in sneakers) against a wall while sitting in right height chair are giving me the best stretch plus bicycle . I can't get rotation yet but push pedals back and forth. I too was threatened at 2 weeks then 4 weeks with MUA but with icing alot and elevating and resting more I am very slowly getting more rom
But i have bad weeks where they just are so painful and won't bend. Patience everyone here told me. It is very rough I know but listen to what everyone is saying as I did and stop as much as you can freaking out about ROM and just do what you can
The exercises bonesmart recommends are great. My heart is with you. I know we will get there.
 
Gosh @Yerdua you are doing very well! I'd have dreamt of your flexion so early on. Keep on keeping on!
 
I think that some of us are just unlucky or something. I talk to a lot of people who have almost the same ROM as before the TKR and say that it's the best thing they ever did. My left knee was done on 12/15/2015 and I still can't bend it enough to ride my bicycle pain free. It just won't bend! I had a MUA and I had it scoped to remove scar tissue. Both procedures helped a lot, for a while. Then, slowly, the dreaded scar tissue came back. 2 different surgeons said that if they do any more surgery, it could come back worse. I just have to live with it, I guess. I wish I had my old, arthritic knee back! At least I could bend it and ride my bike pain free. I will NEVER have a TKR on my right knee. No matter what. It's just trading one pain for another, for me at least.
 
Hi brentsmith, I am sorry to hear this. I have just started doing stairs (8 weeks now) and I find it really is helping me . I still can't do a rotation on a bike. I have read accupuncture ( trigger point especially ) can help and diet.
The admins here have great advice maybe they can recommend something for you. For myself I think it is the muscle guarding that is restricting my rom. I am 86 right knee and 80 left knee. I hope you feel better soon . My prayers are with you. As for pain I am having a horrible time with it, especially at night. Tonight is a nightmare . Been up every hour. For some reason laying down which used to help me the most, is now giving me more pain, mainly at night . I guess we just have trouble and have to find alternative ways to deal with it . Good luck.
 
Thank you Yerdua! Prayers to you as well. Maybe you will have better luck than me. I hope so.
 
Well today is 8 months since Tkr and 5 months since mua... I went to see another Dr and he was wonderful. He took an X-ray of my knee and said everything looked good. Alittle h2o under the knee cap but other then that good. He thinks my body, never having any trauma before this, is just protecting my knee. He said I don’t need to work harder just keep working and hopefully it will loosen up alittle each day. I am just one of those people who is stuck. He said he has at least 10 others who for no reason are stuck. We will see how things go
 
I think his comment “don’t need to work harder” is true. Three years after my TKR I had a realization, if what I want my knee to do is walk, then why not train it by walking. In reality don’t care if it can do leg raises, push weights or any of the exercises my PTs advised, I want to walk without pain. So I began to slowly (and I mean slowly) build a walking regimen and I’ve never been happier with my TKR. Stop the exercises, just let your knee heal and walk consistently.
 
Pretty much doing the same as Karrie, and have been since I had the surgery. My goal is for my knees to do my everyday things and three exercises: walking, stairs, and swimming. So I walk, use stairs, and swim. :snork: My knees have gotten very good at all three and that pretty much got them to their current ROM.

I think just living and using your knees in the ways you want to use them helps get the ROM you need. It might take a while, because nothing happens overnight, but little by little still gets you there!
 
sounds like you found a good and understanding surgeon and that's something that he admitted he had 10 other patients that were "stuck" for no apparent reason. i'd like to believe that "stuck" is temporary. i really only had 3 goals which took 7 months to accomplish the last one: walk my dog, go up and down stairs alternate feet and ride my bike without pain. there are other things i cannot do yet such as kneeling on the replacement knee and sitting cross legged like i used to do in yoga.

i'm happy for you that you seem to have found some comfort in knowing your replacement is technically okay and you can relax about working too hard in bending your knee, but doing everyday activities at your own pace, like the others that commented above.:flwrysmile:
 
As I sit here tonight, two weeks from my one year mark (tkr surgery) I can’t believe the journey I have gone through. I am still bending around only 90 degrees, lots of muscle tightening and constant discomfort. I have learned to adjust my life around my new limitations and realize this may be as far as I ever get. It makes me sad but I realize it could be worse :)
I have always appreciated all the people who have encouraged me on this journey and I hope in some way I have inspired others. God only gives us what he thinks we can handle and I have learned that this was my slow down and enjoy life moment. I still exercise and hope for even the smallest changes but I have accepted it is what it is :)
 
Thank goodness things do get better. Just takes lots of patience:) :-) (:
 
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Hi Robin, I’m sorry you are still in the same place. For what it’s worth, I’m still having issues, too. I did get most of my ROM back, but I can’t put any weight on my knee when it’s bent, it’s very painful to go down stairs foot over foot. Sometimes I can go up foot over foot, but I need a cane and a railing or railings on both sides of me to do it.

I’m a bowler and I can’t do my pre surgery approach to the line because that involves bending my knee and putting weight on it. Now I just carry the ball to the line and throw bending at the waist. The result is much slower ball speeds and much lower scores. Some of my scores have been so low it’s embarrassing. Only one person in my league has commented (twice) on why don’t I bowl like I used to. His wife had a total 4 weeks after me, same surgeon, same hospital and he doesn’t understand why I haven’t recovered as good as she is. :doh: To be honest, I don’t either!

So, I do have some improvements since the day of surgery but a lot less function than before surgery.

I had a second opinion at 15 months and was told my X-ray looks fine and not everyone gets a good outcome, doing it over can make you worse, and some people’s bodies just don’t like the implant. No further tests were ordered to see what the problem might be.

I have several other issues with the knee. It’s been 18 months and I’m losing hope that those issues will get better.
 
My heart goes out to you @Robinmhs88 - I was just thinking of you yesterday and hoping to see an email from you and so today I was pleasantly surprised but also saddened by your post. Your post also made me sad @Jockette - so many struggles when the promise of freedom was so big before we all went in. I know many get total freedom and I hope I do someday. I plan to post at my year coming up next month but I too am struggling with several issues but I'm not going to my OS about it. I'll get another doctor if I need to after my year is up. I wish you both the very best and I do hope that things improve. Many on the board say they continue to improve for years and I wish that for everyone that has had issues including me. much love...
 
It’s frustrating to not get the results we hope for. Have you looked into getting another second opinion, @Robinmhs88? I know you saw the one doctor other than your original surgeon. Now that more time has passed, with so little improvement, it might be good to have another look.

You have such a determined, positive attitude toward your situation. It’s true your knee will continue to heal and you may see some improvement. The question of whether you are happy with where your knee is, only you can decide. I hope you see more relief from that muscle tightening and discomfort. :console2:
 
I continued to gain flexibility after the one year mark. It was around 20 months when I noticed I could squat in the water. I wasn’t doing any exercises at that point Beyond lap swimming and biking with no resistance, just living my life. Biking with no resistance did help keep my knee loose.
 
KarriB said:
I continued to gain flexibility after the one year mark
Click to expand...
I have, too, in spite of all my other issues. My flex now is much better than at my one year check up. My whole leg is much more relaxed now at 18 months. My only “exercises” are activities of daily living and bowling once or twice a week.
 
Hello everyone, it is good to know that I am not alone with the ups and downs of recovery. I had my total knee replacement (right knee) july 2, 2018. I finished physical therapy two weeks ago and will be going for my three month ortho check up the 27th. I was doing really well until a trip to the store with my mom Monday. First time without a rider cart and not using the cane for ssupport but the shopping cart instead. Now the pain is back sleeping is gone again and the knee is giving out on me again. The knee is also turning black and blue when I walk or shower. Back to being worried again. @Jockette I am so sorry to hear you are not doing so well. Maybe my personal expectations are just too high. I hope for aqua therapy soon. It is much easier and hopefully will move things along.
 
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