9 Weeks Post OP

[hollyhobble]

New to the forum here - enjoying seeing that there are many in the same boat as I am. I had bilateral knee replacement on May 13 - about 9 weeks ago - and am feeling that progress is much slower than I wished for! I guess I was naive! I am able to walk well without any assistance except for using a cane when going up and down the stairs. I am still terribly stiff and have a long way to go before I will be able to get into a bathtub or squat or anything like that. I am taking Vicodin only before PT (twice a week) and occasionally to try to help be get comfortable for sleeping. I ice regularly and try my best to do the exercises but still am hobbling around! How long does it usually take before the stiffness subsides? My surgeon is not concerned about my flexion but having the thereapist concentrate on extension and getting those legs straight. They are pretty good but the exercises to straighten them further are excruiating!! I spend several minutes each session on the bicycle which also starts out an 11 on the pain scale, but gradually gets better. Then the whole next day after PT is what I call a "Bad Day". Am I about normal for 9 weeks? I'm not regretting my decision to have them done both at the same time but sometimes it is very difficult to remain optimistic and to continue to cooperate with my very strict phyiscal therapist!

 

[1jt@atime]

Welcome Holly! Progress always seems slower then you imagine going into this. It doesn't matter how often you hear it's going to be slow, our brains just seem to refuse to believe it. But, here we are! It sounds you are doing great for 9 weeks. My first knee replacement was last fall and I would say it took 4-5 months to get it back to what feels like normal. I still get some stiffness in it but nothing terrible. We just had a round of thunderstorms roll through and I definitely felt that! Strange how that works, but it does....

Do work on that extension no matter how much it hurts. My first knee ended up with a -15 and I found that I had to use the quad muscles to just stand. It was very difficult to stand in line for any length of time. I had my second knee replaced a month ago and my surgeon did a manipulation on the first and got it to about-5 and I can get it to 0 if I really push. It seems so much better all around. I think a good extension is definitely more important then a perfect flexion. I know it sure is painful though. Keep working at it!
Karen

 

[referee54]

I had a BTKR back in November of '07. It is a slow process---but yo have to remind yourslef that you had cutting, sawing, drilling, gluing, and healing to take place---not to mention that the replaement are really set until about eight weeks. Remember also that your knees did not get this way over ngiht, so it will take a while and hard work to defeat arthritis.

Ride the bike! Ride the bike! Ride the bike! Ice and Ice and Ice.. Recovery and rehab is a rollercoaster---you will have hills and valleys---just take everything in stride.

I have umpired baseball for 35 years now---and I am back umping again...but remember---baseball is a game where you can't get too up nor too down. TKR is just like that, too.

Go into battle everyday and wage war against what arthritis did to you. The usrgery, as we all have all found out, is the easy part. Do not woory about what tomorrow will bring---just as they do in AA---you need to take this recovery "one day at a time."

Stiffness took quite some time for me to go away---three-four months, actually, but then, my PT saidn that the only normal thing about TKR recovery is that nothing is normal.

Work hard, ride the bike, do your exercises...ice, ice , and ice---and remember, with this kind of pain, yo are winning the battle and reclaiming your life.

Tim C.

 

[NJW]

Welcome Holly! I had bilateral knee replacement 5 weeks ago. As bad as my knees were, I had remained pretty active right up until surgery. I think that has helped in my recovery. Fortunately I've been able to straighten both knees to zero for several weeks now and my ROM is at about 125. I did 5 days of inpatient therapy at a major hospital. Had OT and PT twice daily and I think that was instrumental in my progress. I now do outpatient 3 times a week. I like the bike but my favorite machine is the recumbent stepper. They've really upped my resistance and my thigh muscles are getting really strong. My knees are terribly stiff, especially after sitting awhile and first thing in the morning. Sleep is still a tough one. Took up residence in the guest bedroom but will try the master bedroom tonight with my husband. If he kicks me in the knee, I'm out of there!! Everyone heals at their own pace. I get discouraged just thinking about how much longer I have to go. But I too am glad that I did both knees. I no longer walk like a penguin. My friends and family don't grimace when they watch me walk anymore. I don't care how long it takes to recover to 100%. I made the right choice and I'm sure you did too. Patience and keep a positive attitude!

Nancy

 

[Simon]

Welcome

I had bilateral knees on June 3rd. The right one was the worse one and my physical therapist is also working hard on the extension. We started at -12 and now are at -7. I find this good progress as before surgery this knee had a 10 degree flexion contracture to start with. The left one is almost at zero.

Several people have mentioned this in older posts and it is one of the main exercises I do at home and it has helped. It was also one the physical therapist started me on. Lie on your stomach with your knee clear of the bed. If you can tolerate it, use an ankle weight and start with it close to the knee and then as things get better move it down the leg towards the ankle. The closer to the ankle you get it the more pull you will have. Once you are comfortable with a weight and you have it down to the ankle, increase the weight a bit and start close to the knee again.

Don't forget the ice afterwards. I am looking forward to being able to stand for more than 10 minutes.

It is frustrating but as all of us are doing are exercises every day we are looking ahead.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

Simon

 

[hollyhobble]

Thanks for so much good information already! I needed to know that I'm doing the right thing - up to a point - and need to get a even a little more serious than I have been. Seems that some days, all I do is stretch and ice! Spending the entire summer thus far repairing my knees. But at no point have I regretted (even though there are times of tears and frustration) having the surgery. I will continue to work hard and "enjoy" my therapy sessions. Fortunately, after the "torture" portion, I do have the pool therapy which feels wonderful and has been helping with my stride. For years, I have been doing the little old "Tim Conway Shuffle" so have truly forgotten how to walk and have to concentrate heavily on moving my feet heel and toe. So though I have a ways to go, I will learn to be patient and not expect overnight miracles. It's already a miracle that I have the new knees and that I am walking without too much difficulty and hopefully don't look tooooo goofy when I do walk. Hey I'm learning. Thanks to everyone for their help already.
"Holly"

 

[Josephine]

Well, I think you're doing amazingly well for 9 weeks! Amazing! Don't forget to take care of you amongst all this.

 

[JackieS]

My LTKR was a day after your BTKR (May 14). Just today at PT I had pain when first starting up on the bike. It wasn't until about the 10th rotation that it subsided. My one knee gets stiff, especially in the morning when I get out of bed. Thankfully extension has been good from the start, but I still go through agony forcing the bend (which actually isn't bad numbers-wise right now). Due to a DVT my PT started off slow so I had to play catch up.

I can't imagine having both knees done at once. Kudos to your courage and, to me, it sounds like you're on your way.

--Jackie

 

[Rowdy66]

I Still Think You Guys Are Under-medicated, But I Know Many Of You Are Not Comfortable Taking More And Worry About Addiction. One Of The Exercises That Got My Leg Straight, Especially The Left One Which Was Much Worse Than The Right, Was To Press Down As Hard As I Could Without Causing Excruciating Pain On The Knee Itself. After About A Week I Was Able To Do This Without Pain And Very Quickly My Legs Were Straight. What A Releif After Two Years Of Looking Like I Was Raised On A Horse I Was So Bowlegged. I Was Embarrassed To Walk In Front Of People Other Than Family As I Felt I Looked Like I Was 90 Doing The Crabwalk. Anyway Perhaps That Will Help You. I Know The First Time My Os Pressed Down On My Knee I Let A Word I Doubt He Had Heard From An Old Lady In A While. Lol. Rowdy

 

[Josephine]

I wouldn't say that, Rowdy - some of the language I heard from LOLs in recovery was richer by far than any the 'with-it' street kids could conjure up!


(LOLs = little old ladies)

 

[Doug]

Rowdy, once when the therapist pushed my leg down I actually grabbed him by the collar and shoved him away. The move was accompanied by several of those words that provide a clearer understanding of his status on this earth.

 

[hollyhobble]

Hi -
I know exactly what you mean about the bike. I actually cried and said "I CANNOT DO THIS" to my therapist at first but after the first 8 or so rounds, it did get better. Still not comfortable and I had trouble keeping my butt on the bike seat so was a little sore in places I don't normally even know about, but it did get better and I will tough it out. Fortunately for me, I have a tough therapist who promises not to take my abuse seriously. He knows I am not going to like everything he puts me through and therefore at times will not consider him my favorite person, but he is doing good things for me. I am glad to hear from so many that I seem to be on track. I had a friend who had one knee replaced, came home from the hospital in 2 days with no pain pills and a walker and within 30 days was riding an elephant in Thailand! Now I think SHE is unusual but I had hoped to be a little bit more like her.

As to why I had both done at the same time, a lot was for financial reasons and also I am not that keen on going through the process twice. I really don't believe I wouldn't be having just as many frustrations with a single knee and now soon with hard work and encouragement, I will be through with hobbly knees! Thanks for writing.

 

[hollyhobble]

I haven't gotten that physical, but I have used some sort of cussing at him. Being a proper lady, the last time all I could manage was popping up really quickly and groaning a loud "Uffda!!" Yep, I'm a Norwegian from Minnesota.....