Knee Infection* A long journey with many bumps
- Thread starter zippy005
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Layla, thank you for your beautiful message. It brought me to tears. Some days, just hearing someone say you’re going to be OK would be all it would take for me to remember that I’ll get there and it will just take more time. Part of what I love about this community is that even the small things are celebrated as a win. So many physical therapists could be much more encouraging when working with patients who have layers of complications. And kindness goes such a long way. Especially when we’re feeling overwhelmed and swallowed up by fear. Thank you, Layla for your kindness and encouragement.Good Morning,
I am so sorry you're feeling alone during such a difficult time, beralc. Recovery from TKR, TKR Revision and MUA is already tough, and not having the support of your loved one makes it even harder. Please know that you're not alone here. There are many here who care about you and we're cheering you on as you heal. Your strength in facing these challenges on your own has been incredible and each step forward, no matter how insignificant it feels, shows your resilience. Give yourself lots of TLC, allow yourself rest and know that brighter days are ahead. Your are stronger than you think and you will get through this.
Sending you a warm hug and encouragement.
@beralc
I can’t wait for the sudden “burst” of success.
I do try to factor in the things I do around the house, grocery shopping and running errands, cooking, etc. I haven’t taken a single day off, though, where I don’t put in at least an hour or more with individual exercises. I can’t imagine skipping a day. So fearful of going backward.
I think we've all had that fear at some stage in this journey, But overdoing it can be just as couter-productive as doing nothing. And an hour a day -- in addition to your ADLs -- sounds like overdoing it.
My PT, who worked with me through both of my TKRs, recommended alternating between "exercise days" and "recovery days," when I would do ADLs, but otherwise take things easy. He reminded me that even top athletes give themselves "recovery days."
I know you've had a tough time with this knee. But try to give yourself the grace to back off a bit.
And we are here for you whenever you need a friend.
Sending hugs
I have a question. Is it normal 4.5 months post revision TKR, and 3 months post MUA to still need to do 30 mins. stretching, just to get to the starting point of the day before? It’s like one step forward, then one step back. Is anyone else so stiff each morning that it feels like you are regressing from day before? I thought after 4.5 months, I would be past this part. My ROM is 97 and extension is close to 0. I know my ROM still needs a lot of work and I put in at least an hour each day with focus on bending. Any feedback would be so helpful to me. Thank you.
Instead of stretching and working on your bend, why not just get up and do your daily activities without adding all the extra stuff. Working an hour a day on your bending is just keeping your knee inflamed. That is counterproductive to improving your bend. Why not try doing nothing extra for at least a month? I bet you will see improvement. Our members have found over and over again that this works for them.
Your ROM does not need a lot of work, what it needs is Time.
Regaining our ROM does not require forceful bending or painful exercises. That is counterproductive.
Regaining our ROM is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.
Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.
Our range of motion is right there all along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.
In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.
@zippy005 I am at 10 weeks and once I am up from bed and moving, the stiffness starts to creep in. I don't do any exercises first thing until, shower, breakfast, make bed then I do some stair lunges, the ice /elevate. I do some careful housework, coffee break, few more bends, sit to stand, ice/elevate. Probably repeat that 4 times in a day. Plenty of walking around apartment and I don't do any exercises after 4.00pm. Who knows what's right or wrong, just try not to beat ourselves up and fingers crossed xx
You know…In my heart, I know I need to cut back on the PT some, because I do this to myself in my own home gym. I’m always so worried that if I slow down, I will lose ground and I’ve worked very hard just to get my room to 97. But I think you’re right, I need to back off and let my leg rest more. When I am sitting at my desk, initially it’s stiff to bend my knee, but after 10 minutes or so, my knee does seem to stretch into its comfort bend without my forcing it to. I just let the self-doubting thoughts in, and guilt myself into doing more than my knee wants to do. I need to have faith in the process and thank you so much for reminding me that my knee will get better with time and some TLC.
You are right Jockette, I guess I let self-doubt overwhelm me at times. I want so badly to feel progress each week, and probably push too hard to reach the end goal. Having a knee revision and an MUA is so much harder to recover from than when I had my original TKR three years ago. I guess I need to stop comparing my results to Knee #1. What I have now, is so much different. and, I guess the good news is that I can do most normal activities now, other than foot over foot going downstairs. That one is still tough. Thank you for the reminders and encouragement. I love this recovery forum.
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Are you able to walk outside yet?
I found walking the best exercise for my new knee and being in the fresh air was good for my mood.
A good walk in the morning with a coffee out in a cafe at the half way point for a brief rest, then home for rest/ elevation/ice. Then a few gentle pilates style exercises in the afternoon before more rest/ ice. I used a rocking stool in the evening whilst watching TV.
I was lucky as my husband was prepared to do pretty much all of the household chores for a considerable period. I found standing for things like food prep one of the hardest activities for many months.
Try not to be hard on yourself. Pushing and forcing your knee is really counterproductive.
I think there are some very athletic types here who have a tendency to push beyond pain as this is something they have always done in training. It really isn't a good idea.
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Speaking as one who recovered from numerous martial arts injuries years before navigating both TKRs in one year…
We can’t WORK into range of motion.
We have to RELAX and ease into it with gentle stretching.
This is in addition to reducing activities that create more swelling.
It’s crucial to alternate lesser activity days (none of the formal exercises, a less challenging walk in terms of time or distance) with more active days. The body must have its cellular recovery time.
My knees really liked taking walks. Loosened them up. A few minutes of gardening when weather permits - I used to set a timer.
For flexion: A few very slow heel slides kept within your comfort range and in time with your deep breathing. Then go just over the line, deep breathing into discomfort but never into pain.
I found the problem with PT was doing two days worth of exercise in a single 50 minute session. Our healing bodies do better, for those of us who do choose to exercise, if each set is kept to a low number of reps AND no more than one set in a session. For example at home I did no more than 10 of the very slow heel slides in the morning and then did them again in the late afternoon. At a PT session it’s perfectly acceptable to say “just the one set today, thank you!”
We can’t WORK into range of motion.
We have to RELAX and ease into it with gentle stretching.
This is in addition to reducing activities that create more swelling.
It’s crucial to alternate lesser activity days (none of the formal exercises, a less challenging walk in terms of time or distance) with more active days. The body must have its cellular recovery time.
My knees really liked taking walks. Loosened them up. A few minutes of gardening when weather permits - I used to set a timer.
For flexion: A few very slow heel slides kept within your comfort range and in time with your deep breathing. Then go just over the line, deep breathing into discomfort but never into pain.
I found the problem with PT was doing two days worth of exercise in a single 50 minute session. Our healing bodies do better, for those of us who do choose to exercise, if each set is kept to a low number of reps AND no more than one set in a session. For example at home I did no more than 10 of the very slow heel slides in the morning and then did them again in the late afternoon. At a PT session it’s perfectly acceptable to say “just the one set today, thank you!”
well, in the Midwest, we’ve had a ridiculous amount of snow. This morning, temps were -4. High today is 12. I think walking outside, or even in a shopping mall might really help me to build my stamina back. Thanks for the nudge.
All really great suggestions. I need to use moderation and reset my expectations for a while. And I do need to remember that pushing my own knee into submission has resulted in some counterproductive results which then disappoint and frustrate me. A vicious cycle. So, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m going to do adjust my PT and see how things go.
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@zippy005 ….Look at that list of procedures your knee has been through in less than a year. That’s a lot of trauma to recover from, so give your knee some grace and let it heal before you hit the home gym (or the public one! 
) That stiffness you’re feeling in the morning is your knee’s way of telling you to slow down and not try to push yourself to be normal. Your body is in charge and it will improve on its own timeline. If you do choose to slow down and just do normal activities for a few weeks, I’m betting you’ll notice a positive difference.
If you have an exercise bike, that’s the best thing you can use to counter that morning stiffness in a gentle way. Just be sure to temper the time on your rides and no resistance on the pedals right now. If you don’t have a bike, some gentle bends and stretches should loosen things up.
) That stiffness you’re feeling in the morning is your knee’s way of telling you to slow down and not try to push yourself to be normal. Your body is in charge and it will improve on its own timeline. If you do choose to slow down and just do normal activities for a few weeks, I’m betting you’ll notice a positive difference. If you have an exercise bike, that’s the best thing you can use to counter that morning stiffness in a gentle way. Just be sure to temper the time on your rides and no resistance on the pedals right now. If you don’t have a bike, some gentle bends and stretches should loosen things up.
@Jamie, I do have a recumbent bike, a treadmill and a knee press in my home gym. I do try to use all three pieces of equipment 3 to 4 times per week. I managed to walk two levels of our local mall from front to back yesterday and it’s the most I’ve walked in the seven months since my ordeal began. I had to stop a couple of times for a two minute breather and then I was back to walking again. This felt like a big accomplishment for me. And when I see that my knee seems particularly swollen with any discomfort, I don’t push through my normal stretching exercises until I’ve had a chance to elevate ice and bring some swelling down. What I’ve learned is that when the leg is swollen, I’m not going to make much progress. Thanks for your suggestions.
