Guest viewing is limited
Lounge Doctor

6 weeks and fairly sad

Status
Not open for further replies.
hey Cotton i already posted but I do agree with the gym if you need to if you know all the exercises they did with you , you can do them yourself just an option because i think that was terrible......I did that just got all the info I needed.....and my ROM if anything is really good.......i hope he gets in some kind of trouble......deserves to be fired..........
 
I am in a similar situation, and all of these posts have helped me as well. My PT is a recent graduate who I think is trying to make herself look good by cranking on me to get that one more degree. I think they gave me to her because I am young (42) and thought I would be an easy first patient, but I have a history that no one cared to ask about and am "slow" in making progress. Honestly, I am in tears more often than not during therapy.

I had another bad day yesterday. Honestly I am about ready to quit. When I went in yesterday, I was hopeful because she told me that she doesn't think I'll need manipulation (she hinted on Monday that was the road I was headed down if I don't improve), but that if I want to get more bend I am going to have to work on it. (Um. Duh.) I am getting to 100 on my own at 8 weeks, which I know isn't great but it is steadily improving. She also said she wasn't going to push on me any more (she has been pushing on me hard during measurements to get extra degrees) because that doesn't give a true sense of what I am able to get on my own (again, duh.) BUT then she proceeded to sit on me as I was lying on my back and pull my knee up and down to "check my mobility" and convince herself that I have "more motion in there"...And then she had me roll over and she started to move my fibula around by digging her thumbs into me. OW! And THEN she wanted me to bend as much as possible while it was stiff and sore from her prodding and proceeded to go back on her word and pushed on me. I swear she is insane about getting that one more degree to put on her report, as if my progress (or lack thereof) is going to refelct poorly on her. I guess she has to show she is doing all she can do, but I think she's going about it all wrong. But she won't listen. I told her that I took this knee from being frozen at 45 degrees for several months after my car accident to being fully functional for 20+ years, including a ROM of over 130, but that it was a slow process and I'm willing to do that kind of work again. She said I can't do it slow this time, that every day that goes by that I don't get more bend means that I won't get more bend. I don't understand that. Eventually the swelling and pain will recede and I will be able to work even harder to stretch it out.

AND everytime she does things like she did today, I end up so sore and swollen for the rest of the day that I can't do any more exercises. And this morning I am still swollen and sore, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do with it in terms of bending today. ARRGGGHHH!! Also, I never see anyone else in there being pushed and pulled on to the point of tears. I have stopped even saying anything when she is hurting me because it doesn't do any good. I just breathe and cry and wait for it to be over. It makes me so demoralized. I am going to talk to my doctor's PA on Friday (OS is on vacation this month) and see if I can either go to a new clinic or be trusted to do the exercises on my own, because essentially I do more at home than I ever do in PT.

Whoops. Sorry. I didn't mean to vent there. But Cotton, you are not alone and we must stand up for ourselves. Solidarity!
 
Oh my
May I ask why so many think they have to suffer through therapy.
YOU DON'T!!!! You are paying their wages.

YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE PAIN TO GAIN rom.

Just tell the therapist to back off.
There is NO way I would allow that.

I am over 130 and I never had any pain with any of my therapist. home, aqua or land therapist.

Yes Solidarity you need to stand up and tell the therapist enough is enough.
 
Are you kidding me, Zen? It's physical THERAPY, NOT physical TORTURE! Go to the head of the PT place and tell them! They're supposed to HELP you and since you need a meeting of the minds, DO relay your complaints!!!! It's one thing to work hard, quite another to be in agony! ((:0)
 
The head of the place was the first person to put my knee on her shoulder, say RELAXRELAXRELAX and push, to show my PT what range I had "in there" that I was "muscle guarding" (when you tense up because it HURTS.) Things got better for a couple of weeks so I thought they realized that route wasn't helping, but the pushing is back now and I think I need a new clinic.
 
I would change PT clinics so fast their heads would spin around backwards. Do it, Zen....you've been tortured enough. And let them know WHY you're leaving and tell your doctor as well.
 
Hey Cotton just checking in on ya............hope you doing ok........)

Hi Hyper i agree I would change as well....shouldnt be like that.......hope you doing ok today...........)
 
Hey, I'm still hanging around. Guess I will look into a new PT tomorrow. Will probably show up for my appt tomorrow so I won't get charged...still have no idea or reason as to what occurred last week and it still has me quite troubled. I'll have spouse in tow...but hopefully that won't keep PT back from giving me some idea of what the heck reason he flipped out on me. I almost wish I had been wired last week or could be for tomorrow. I guess that puts me in the paranoid category! Thanks for asking Tex, and glad you are doing better yourself! I will keep up with my PT status when ya'll when I get it figured out. :sigh:
 
Talk to him Cotton. He needs a lesson! I had a much-belated "come to Jesus" meeting with my PT today and it went really well. We are now not focusing on the degrees but on the whole of my progress. I told her I want us to be on the same team but I want to be the captain, and she agreed. I am mad at myself for not speaking up sooner, but it's all a learning experience. Bottom line, we are one of many patients our PTs see, but our recovery is about our one and only body and we need to advocate for ourselves. If we only do as we are told and suffer silently, we are doing no one any favors.

Thanks for all the feedback and support from all for my struggle. I may still struggle but I am sure as heck not going to do it silently any more!

Go get him Cotton!
 
You guys have inspired me to offer prayers of thanksgiving for the wonderful PT who works with me. I have been in PT for various reasons for the better part of the last three years and the couple of times she felt she might have been too rigorous caused her to agonize over how I might be doing until she checked me out on the next visit. Your PT should be one of your very dearest friends during your recovery.
 
Jill and Cotton -- you are so right about reading your PTs the riot act! When I was getting PT my guy said over and over that kind of heavy-handed (literally) pushing and pulling just doesn't work. Yes - getting ROM immediately after the TKR hurts because you do have to push through a barrier. But my PT was gentle about it -- gently pushed my leg down etc. Firmly but gently. It hurt for a minute but was OK after. You should be swollen and really sore after.
There are tons and tons of really good PTs out there. Get one who cares about you. The "best friend" comment is so true. You want someone who is leading you forward-- and each of us responds differently so each needs a different kind of encouragement. I chose my PT before my TKR based on a friend's recommendation and it worked out very well but if it hadn't I would have been out of there so fast you wouldn't have been able to see me :)
It helps to have someone else keeping you moving ahead with the exercises. You'll do better with a good PT than at home because as you get stronger someone who knows what he/she is doing has to keep challenging you with more stress on the muscles etc. It's really important and unless you are a gym rat and have always done a lot of exercising -- don't try to go it alone at home if you don't have to (as in insurance won't pay for more PT). and if that happens -- get to a good gym -- set yourself up with a personal trainer for a few times and work out with a friend so you can encourage each other.
You should NEVER have to cry over PT. It shouldn't be THAT painful!!!
Stephani
 
Pat29627 said:
Hi Cotton, how'd it go with the PT today?

Pat
Click to expand...

Spouse went with me, as planned... regular PT guy was not there.

Worked with the new guy. He seems a little stretched but is nice. Anyway, just woke up now from being flat on my back. He had me on my stomach bending my legs and did some deep tissue massage on my knees. My knee or leg is popping and I could hardly get to the restroom this morning.

I need more pain relief than hydrocodone that I already had to take more often than prescribed, well just one, before I could finally get a stretch of sleep. So here we go again. Not sure what to do. Will Dr. office give me something inbetween Percoset and Hydroc because I tell them I am sore today? Ugh.

This may be one of those 'why did I do this" days.:sct:

Thanks for asking btw. : )
 
Aw see I dont think it should be that way now it will take a few days to get over this...........Take it easy today.............I would call and explain to him about PT i think they understand.......PT remember pain and torture...........i hope you feel better do you try advil or something with it.........but i would still call............
 
Advil, Aspirin and Aleve...I can match that arrow and pop the cap in the dark! LOL
 
Cotton, it is farily common to have a little pain the next day after a PT session. But if it is bothering you, have the therapist scale it back even more. Also, give either your surgeon or family doctor a call to talk about pain meds. Usually the dosage on hydrocodone allows 1-2 pills for a single dose. Maybe you need to take 2 pills now and then. It is important to get your pain under control. A switch to a different medication may work. When I took hydrocodone, I ended up switching to Darvoset after a month or so...and that worked. Just keep trying to get it worked out and don't give up!
 
Thanks Jamie. Knees seem unusually heavy or something today. Hard to describe. Anyway, I am icing. I will probably have to bring up the pain pill issue (needing something more or switching) because I will run out if I double up. Thanks for your advice.
 
I'm sorry you're having so much pain. Be sure to call the doctor's office a few days before running out because sometimes it takes them a while to get back to you. If it's one of the really strong painkillers, you'll have to go pick up the Rx at the office, or I guess they could mail it....they can't call it in to the pharmacy.

Pat
 
Yes, Pat's absolutely right. Don't wait until the last minute to contact the doctor....you could find yourself without any meds if you do!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Active Antibacterial

Staff online

  • Jamie
    Jamie
    Staff member since Feb, 2009
  • RunA42K
    RunA42K
    Prior staff member rejoined March 22, 2025
  • djklaugh
    djklaugh
    Staff member since December 30, 2020

Members online

Total: 146 (members: 8, guests: 138)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom