TKR 8 Weeks Out

[lahoh01]

I don't believe I do alot during the day. I do work full time, but my job has me at my desk for the majority of the day. I try not to do alot of walking around.

 

[sistersinhim]

I bet that just might be your cause. Are you able to ice and elevate while at work? Our new knees don't like being down. And yours is still a baby, at only a little over 2 months old. I know it's recommended on here to not go back to work for at least 3 months. Try to get up and walk a little every hour or so. When you get back elevate and ice. It's worth a try for a few weeks at least. Is there anyway you can work part time for a couple of months? You aren't still taking PT, are you?

 

[liam2015]

i have those achey episodes also at night, as soon as i lay down in bed and also sitting, elevating and icing. the icing helps but at night i have to keep moving the ice pack around to different areas to get relief until i fall asleep; then 2 or 3 hours later, awake again...sigh. recently i've been falling back to sleep after 3 a.m. until 7, which has been nice. it doesn't hurt when i walk though. hopefully time and rest when you can will gradually diminish all those aches and pains.

 

[lahoh01]

Paula, no I stopped the PT a week or so ago. I went back to work after being off for 5 weeks. Went back for half days the first week then just about full days after that. I do go home at lunch and elevate and ice my leg each day. I also do take short walks during the day up the hall and back. I do keep reminding myself that it's only been two months.

 

[sistersinhim]

Is it possible to ice and elevate at work? Your knee is certainly not happy and it's showing you at night. That's when you really need to sleep, not be up 'fighting' with it! It is really young to be down so much. Even now, I still elevate whenever I can. It's good that you no longer go to pt. Working is enough pt for you!

 

[Celle]

I don't believe I do alot during the day. I do work full time, but my job has me at my desk for the majority of the day. I try not to do alot of walking around.

You did go back to work very early. We usually recommend 10-12 weeks off, and then a Phased return to work
and usually night pain is a result of doing too much for your knee during the daytime.

People with a desk job often think that it will be easier for them to go back to work a bit sooner, but don't forget that work itself isn't the whole story. YOU have to get ready for work and travel to and from work as well.
In addition, siting at a desk most of the time will make your knee stiff and probably more swollen.
You do need to get up and take a short walk every hour or so.

I'm glad you're making time in the middle of the day to elevate and ice your knee, though.

 

[lahoh01]

Update, tomorrow will be 12 weeks post op. I've been walking unassisted for 2 weeks now. Can go up and down stairs, slowly. For most part am feeling pretty good. Still have some night time jumpiness in my leg that is calmed with a little ice and sometimes an oxy. I had my check up with surgeon last week. He says all is looking great, have very good movement and flexibility. I told him that I had stopped the PT, and he said that was fine. Don't need to see him again for 3 months. Plus he gave me the green light to get back in my hot tub! So you know what I did this weekend! It felt fabulous!!

On a side note, my stepfather (70), had his TKR 4 weeks ago. His doctor had no PT for him during that time, just some minor at home exercises like knee slides and walking a bit and plenty of rest. Well, he had his one month check up last week and he needs NO PT! His flex and extension is excellent, no pain, and is already walking basically unassisted!

 

[sistersinhim]

There you go, again! PT is not needed after this surgery. Just normal daily living. Using our knees as we can.

 

[flyaway79]

I am 12 weeks today! My next surgery I am going to opt for no PT at all. I've learned a lot during my past 12 weeks and reading everything here.

I also take an oxy most nights to help my leg calm down after the days activities.

My 12 week appointment is tomorrow.

 

[lahoh01]

Good luck @flyaway79 ! I'm glad I'm not the only one with the late night leg jitters!! But seriously, enough already!

 

[flyaway79]

No kidding!

 

[Celle]

On a side note, my stepfather (70), had his TKR 4 weeks ago. His doctor had no PT for him during that time, just some minor at home exercises like knee slides and walking a bit and plenty of rest. Well, he had his one month check up last week and he needs NO PT! His flex and extension is excellent, no pain, and is already walking basically unassisted!

Your father's surgeon has the same protocol as my surgeon does. No PT at all for a month, and then only a little PT, if necessary. I also did no PT after my last TKR - my knees are great.

 

[KarriB]

I'm curious as to which hospital your stepfather was at? We've heard from a member that Mayo Clinic no longer prescribes PT and my mother's friend who went there also had no PT prescribed for her TKR.

 

[lahoh01]

I'm curious as to which hospital your stepfather was at? We've heard from a member that Mayo Clinic no longer prescribes PT and my mother's friend who went there also had no PT prescribed for her TKR.

He was at a local hospital in Concord, New Hampshire.

 

[lahoh01]

I'm now just over 3 months post op. I'm happy to say that most of my jumpy, restless leg night issues are subsiding now. I get them every now and then, but usually a 15-20 minute ice pack will shut it down. I'm easily going up and down stairs, not at breakneck speed yet. My knee still feels clunky, like it is encased in cement. I'm hoping that over time that feeling will subside. It's also starting to look more normal. I do still have a little ways to go with the strength of my quad, but by taking the 3 flights of stairs to my office each day it is helping. Along with doing some squats multiple times a day. Definitely feeling better about the surgery now. It was a rough start though. So for any of you that are just beginning this process, hang in there.

 

[liam2015]

you're doing great ~ wowza ~ 3 flights of stairs to your office. thanks for the encouragement ~ i'm one of those with a very slowly improving r.o.m.

 

[lahoh01]

It's been a while since I have posted. I am now 22 weeks post-op. About a month ago I began experiencing issues with my right foot. It did not seem to be getting the message to move when I was walking and I also had some pressure feeling down the right side of my shin. After discussing with a colleague who suggested I might have a pinched nerve I decided to visit my ortho. She concurred that I might indeed have a pinched nerve and prescribed a steriod to help with the swelling as well as some physical therapy to try to relieve it. The steriod helped initially, and the PT helps on and off. But it seems I keep getting various pinched nerves. Some are down my lower leg, others are behind the knee causing my knee to give out at times. I'm continuing at this time with the PT. A next step would be to have an EMG. Has anyone else experienced these issues? I've also been having pain just above my kneecap when I walk up stairs. I've also noticed that my new kneecap is slightly lower than my other kneecap. There has been swelling just above the new kneecap for some time. I'm wondering if it is due to the kneecap being too low.

 

[surgchic17]

So many of us on this site never took PT or did exercises after this surgery. We didn't just lay around, though. We used our knees in our daily living activities. I've had 11 knee surgeries without taking PT. My body knows how to rehab itself. The first few weeks I did only what I had to do. And since I'm divorced, that was taking care of all my needs except for trips to the store, which a friend did.

I stuck to the activity guide the best I could, those some times I'd have to do more. But, then I'd would do one thing, then ice and elevate for at least twice as long as that activity took. I slept with an ice machine going and elevated toes above my nose most nights those first few months.

If you cut way back on your PT and exercises and ice and elevate at least an hour at a time numerous times a day, you will find yourself in much less pain and with less swelling.

How was your recovery with the patellectomy?

 

[lahoh01]

I didn't have a patellectomy, I really meant when they put my kneecap back on after the TKR it seems to be lower. Sorry for the confusion.
I haven't been in PT since late May early June. I only recently went back due to the pinched nerve.

 

[flyaway79]

We had our surgeries on the same day. I was told that my kneecap naturally sits lower than normal. I too still have most of my swelling above my knee. I still get the tight band feeling around the whole knee area all the time. The swelling definitely goes up and down based on my activity level. I don't know if any of this has to do with my low knee cap issue.

I am noticing now the more I walk I can feel my quad muscles working more. They kind of "pulse" a little when I am done with a walk. I'm taking that as a good sign that the quads are getting worked more now instead of just the knee. Who knows??