TKR 60 degrees ROM at 2 weeks. No progress at all :-( <

[sistersinhim]

It does get old. But, look at it as you working to heal your knee when you're sitting, elevating and icing. It what's best for it and for you in the long run!

 

[little red canoe]

More than 3 weeks just for the swelling to go down? Sheesh! Tomorrow will be 5 weeks post op. Man, at this rate it will be spring before I see 100 degrees ROM. I'm thankful this is the only health issue I'm dealing with but I'm still really tired of sitting with my leg elevated

It may not be.. Seems when you fight for something.. you are beating up your body.
When I had chemo I thought I should be fighting and exercising. I felt like **** and just curled into a ball. My onco said he was doing the best he could to almost kill me and just to go with the flow was enough to fight.. My strength and muscle tone would come back after he was done. Sure enough in April I was done and by July was able to paddle a 400 mile kayak trip in two weeks.
Chemo did teach me a little patience.. I have a Navajo horsehair turtle that reminds me of the virtues of patience. A Navajo woman sensed my impatience and gave it to me.
Spring will no doubt see you back doing anything you formerly did.. Have you always known or worried about your ROM prior to surgery?

 

[sistersinhim]

The ROM number isn't that important. As long as you can do the things you want to do, you are fine. PT are who's hung up on numbers. My OS never even checked my numbers and of course there was no therapist to tell him what they were. He just wanted to see how well I moved my knee. That's what he considered important. The longer PT can keep you there, the longer they can get paid. That is their main concern and forcing you to keep coming back to increase your ROM is something that will happen without them anyway. I and many others on here are proof of that!

 

[bertschb]

I've been to seven PT sessions in total starting at day 11 and the PT was only really aggressive on the last two visits last week.

I had a meniscus repair a year ago and my knee has been swollen ever since. That's why this swelling is so depressing. I haven't been dealing with it just since TKR 5 weeks ago. I've been dealing with it since November 2015. I really do wonder if it will ever go away. They drained fluid from my knee twice last spring. That helped for about 24-36 hours each time then it just swelled back up. I would think that since my joint is now artificial that it shouldn't get swollen once the muscles are healed.

I meet with my OS in 3 days for my second post op visit. I'm not going to like it if he mentions an MUA or says I need to return to PT. I won't do either one but it will still bother me. I'd love it if he would just tell me to ice, elevate and rest and everything will be fine!

 

[Pumpkin]

While it would be easier if your OS just said ice, elevate, and rest and everything will be fine!
Unlikely but sometimes that happens.
Listen to what your knee tells you, it sounds like you knee is telling you to ice, elevate, and rest, give me a chance to heal.
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?
TKR: Evidence shows that less really is more when it comes to exercising!
Let us know how Wednesday goes.

 

[Jamie]

I can sympathize with how you're feeling since you've had knee issues for so long. Sadly, this is a fairly common story. Some surgeons get pretty aggressive with knee arthroscopy and meniscus "cleanup." I had the same happen to me with my first knee. My surgeon who did the cleanup was so proud of all he'd done and how pretty the picture was of my knee. Unfortunately, his aggressive debridement inflamed my knee so bad that it was incredibly swollen and painful. In three short months all of my remaining cartilage was gone from it being so inflamed. It took a while for me to find a better surgeon and to wrap my head around the idea of a knee replacement, but in the end it all turned out just fine. But it sure required patience to deal with all of that and the long recovery of a TKR. I had some level of swelling in that knee for the better part of 9 months. I could still do things, of course, but the swelling would come and go.

I was much smarter three years later with my second knee and got it replaced before it became too bad. I believe that contributed to a much easier recovery the second time around.

Try to focus on the things that are better now that you've had your knee replaced. I know there are some! Write them down and look at the list. I really helps to compare from one week to the next (not day to day) because the progress can be slow sometimes. In a month, you'll see you have made progress....assuming that you do in fact allow your knee the rest and care its asking for. Remember, you had the joint replaced, but all the soft tissues are still there and that is what is inflamed and angry.

 

[little red canoe]

I'm going to join the "go with your gut feelings" choir. If ever I had followed all the doc's advice I would have had extra month of chemo suffering ( the bone pain was intense and the nausa and stoned feeling) plus I would have had exploratory surgery of something they found on a CT Scan that they insisted was an abscess and I was in dire straits if I ignored them.. Turned out it was nothing.. They said that I must have pain and fever and needed surgery now. I invited all of them to jump on my belly.. I think it was an air pocket that dissipated..
I also ended chemo a month early.. It turned out that six months of chemo was the institutional standard for that hospital. Others would not have done chemo at all for my stage. I was told first the cancer would return. Well some six checkups later I am still cancer free

And for the same reason now I am not buying into PT. Seven weeks of twice to five times a week PT is enough.. The healing has begun in earnest.. Now my knee is asking for the gym with no resistance and if it cries, would I please stop for today

Its true that journaling is therapy.. That is I think one of the main purposes of our own recovery threads.. So we can note from time to time what we are doing and keep track of our progress.

 

[sistersinhim]

You know your body better than anyone else and are listening to it. You go, girl! You've got this recovery!

 

[KarriB]

Just remember if it hurts it's no good and at 7 weeks will still need a good bit of ice and elevation. Have you figured out how to do it gracefully? My dad told the PT it was expensive and not full covered by his insurance. Be sure to tell them AFTER your session, not before.

 

[bertschb]

I had no problem telling the PT guy I was done. He was a really nice guy and I enjoyed chatting with him during my visits.

 

[bertschb]

5 week post op visit with OS update:

I saw my OS yesterday for my five week post op visit. It was a good visit! Not only did he not recommend an MUA, he also did not recommend any further PT. He said any PT that hurts is counter productive because it causes swelling. He eye balled my ROM at 90 degrees and said he likes to see 90 degrees at 6 weeks so I'm doing fine. I know my ROM is way worse than many other people have at this point in my recovery but it was nice to hear my surgeon say it was fine. So, I'm good to go. I still have a long road ahead before my swelling goes down and ROM goes up but I'm totally ready for it now! I'm retired and we'll be in Palm Springs tomorrow for the winter so we can actually get outside and walk every day without freezing and slipping on ice.

Thank you all again for your encouraging words during this ordeal. I did a lot of research about TKR surgery prior to my procedure but for whatever reason, I neglected to research the recovery period. Was not expecting this super slow recovery. I'm still surprised and pleased that I had no post surgical pain but the lack of ROM and tightness in my new knee caught me WAY off guard.

 

[PolarBear60]

Your ROM sounds fine for this point in your recovery. My OS says walking is the best thing I can do for my knee, so if you're able to wander Palm Springs at will, you're in a great place. That tightness will gradually disappear -- maybe up to a year later. Everyone's recovery is a little bit different, so try not to compare (it's hard not to) to anyone else. I was just thinking yesterday that no matter what I notice in either knee, it's night and day better than that awful pre-op pain.

 

[referee54]

I know my ROM is way worse than many other people have at this point in my recovery but it was nice to hear my surgeon say it was fine.

Please, do not compare yourself to others---we all are different, and our recovery is different and unique to ourselves---you are right where you should be, and you are dong fine!

Was not expecting this super slow recovery.

Join the club!! I believe that 99.999% of us were not prepared for what awaited us, but, in the end, when we are fully recovered, it is actually very much worth it.

 

[KarriB]

What a great OS you have! No pressure and no PT!

 

[little red canoe]

And you will be in your kayak after winter! I sense golf not too far away..

You will be in a great place to do some walking in Joshua Tree NP

 

[cait1981]

@bertschb, I also try not to compare myself to others but can't help notice you and I are both 5 weeks post op and I am stuck at 90 to 95 degrees myself - my ROM has barely changed since leaving hospital but I'm doing the same as you - that is no more PT, walking, ice and elevate. The swelling in my knee is constant and annoying but I'm just hoping it eases over the next 4 weeks before I return to work.the only other thing I'm doing daily is 5 or so minutes on the stationary peddler and gently flexing my quad muscle. I see my OS for the first post op appointment on 14th December and like you I'm hoping he is pleased with where I'm at. I will be watching your progress reports with interest

Thought I would add a pic of my swollen knee and scar :D

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[sistersinhim]

When your swelling goes down your ROM will increase.

 

[cait1981]

Hi @bertschb. How are you going with your recovery? Glad your OS visit went well - I see my OS later today and hoping he is pleased with my progress

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[bertschb]

Hi Cait1981

My recovery is unchanged from two weeks ago. ROM is around 90. Knee is just as swollen now as it was a few weeks ago. I saw my OS two weeks ago and won't see him again until April. Thanks for checking in and good luck with your appointment!

 

[Red's Mom]

Thanks for the lengthy reply Josephine! I really appreciate you taking the time to do that!

You mention soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness as signs of pain. I do have swelling and stiffness but I don't have burning, stabbing, throbbing or aching. I've never considered stiffness to be painful which is why I said my pain level is a 1. If I include stiffness as pain, my "pain" (stiffness) level would probably be a 5 or 6 depending on the time of day.

I absolutely agree that my swelling is what is restricting ROM. My knee is bent the majority of the time while on ice. I do try to sit in bed for a short time at least once a day to kind of stretch the muscles in the back of my leg. The assisted leg lift is where my wife helps me lift my leg off the bed while I'm laying on my back. My muscles are so weak that I can't really lift it by myself which I find astounding.

Because of all the great feedback on this forum I'm far more encouraged about a good recovery than I was initially. I think swelling is what is holding back my ROM more than anything. I had meniscus surgery a year ago and my knee has been swollen ever since. I even had fluid drained twice but that only helped for about 24 hours each time. My body seems to like to push fluid to my knee and I think it works overtime doing it! Once the swelling goes down things should improve dramatically.

I'm not worried about my ROM any more! I'm just going to kick back and relax and let my knee heal in whatever time frame it needs. Thank goodness I'm retired which makes kicking back and relaxing pretty easy.

Your on the right frame of mind now! Once the swelling subsides there is room for the ROM! Be patient with yourself!


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