Revision TKR ArmyVet's recovery thread<<

[ArmyVet]

@Josephine My problem is that this surgery was done as part of a military service connected disability. I don't believe I can say no to the Veterans Affairs Hospital. I am supposed to go to PT 3x a week for 6 weeks, and more if the doc says I need it. I will try and call the surgeon tomorrow and see if I can say no...

 

[Celle]

You can go to PT but still control what you do there. Just insist that you will not do anything that hurts your knee.

 

[Jockette]

Even if you have to go to PT 3X a week, you can try to control what you do there, like Celle said. Just nicely tell them that you’ve done enough reps, or that no, you don’t want to use a weight, or whatever fits.

And, you are in total control when you are home and the PT is not there. They can’t make you do anything at home.

I realize that the Bonesmart way is a bit radical to many of us, but in my opinion it makes much more sense than all this going overboard on the exercises we are told to do. Been there, done that!

 

[Josephine]

I don't believe I can say no to the Veterans Affairs Hospital.

If you read the link I left you about consent, you will notice that a lot of it is from the US because I was very careful to include both US and UK law - which are, in fact, very similar. Please read it. No-one has the right to dictate to you what you will or will not do.

 

[ArmyVet]

I am wondering if anyone has had this happen. I am (tomorrow) 4 weeks post op. I am having trouble with my calf muscle on the knee repair side. It feels like the muscle has ripped. I can't get comfortable, I can't stop it from hurting.. There is NO swelling, and I have a venous doppler scheduled first thing Tuesday morning, but the pain is the worst I've had as part of the surgery!! Doc told me to ice and elevate, but that does NOTHING.. what can I do???

 

[SusieShoes]

We’ve had people who have torn or strained muscles as a result of overdoing their PT or allowing PT to manually force their knee. That’s not to say this is what happened with your calf, but it is possible. Do you remember anything in particular that might have brought this on?

If your doctor told you to ice and elevate, that’s what you should be doing. If the pain gets worse, though, consider a visit to the ER.

 

[katchmo]

This is true in the US @Josephine EXCEPT in the military health care system. You don't have the same freedom there. If you wish to continue getting benefits, you must comply with treatment as prescribed.

However as @Jockette said there is still room for discussion with the therapist about what you do there. But you don't want to risk being labeled noncompliant or your benefits can be cancelled.

 

[sistersinhim]

Is your calf any better today?

 

[Josephine]

Perhaps you would tell me the site of your pain using this chart?

 

[ArmyVet]

Perhaps you would tell me the site of your pain using this chart?

D, RB3 and RB4... The very top of the calf muscle just after the knee bend..

and I had therapy today, and told them I would NOT let them press on my knee while my ankle was elevated again until I was ready.. That they had caused my pulled muscle, and it was inhibiting my recovery.

ps-- ultrasound results were NORMAL-- no clots found...

 

[Jockette]

and I had therapy today, and told them I would NOT let them press on my knee while my ankle was elevated again until I was ready.. That they had caused my pulled muscle, and it was inhibiting my recovery.

Good for you! What was their reaction?

 

[Marguette]

@Josephine My problem is that this surgery was done as part of a military service connected disability. I don't believe I can say no to the Veterans Affairs Hospital. I am supposed to go to PT 3x a week for 6 weeks, and more if the doc says I need it. I will try and call the surgeon tomorrow and see if I can say no...

Military culture definately makes things more challenging. You could possibly find articles that support the Bonesmart approach and provide it to your PT and tell them you want to try this approach. Often, if you can provide a rationale, they will accept it. Just a thought, maybe.

 

[Jockette]

Or show them the recovery guidelines and/or some if the articles from the library here.

 

[Josephine]

ultrasound results were NORMAL-- no clots found...

No surprise to me!

D, RB3 and RB4... The very top of the calf muscle just after the knee bend..

Nor this. I think you have Hamstring issues.

 

[kneeper]

Glad it's no clot and you are taking some control of your PT. I don't know about the military but I had pretty good luck just saying "that's enough of that one for today." And of course you're in control of how much and what you do at home. I sometimes did more at PT than I would do at home.

 

[ArmyVet]

So I had my 6 week post op visit with my surgeon. He is beyond happy with my recovery so far, and has agreed with me to stop regular pt, and is going to let me do the rest by myself. I start pool workouts next week. Since I wasn't on this forum much before my surgery, I will explain that as part of therapy in the 2 years prior to the surgery, I did pool therapy to get my leg ready for this replacement. I am now going to start what I USED to do previously, and do all my exercises in the pool instead of at a therapists office where they want to cause pain to make sure I get to 0 extension. I also want to share-- Since I was told by my primary care doc that she was sending me to Orthopedics to start the TKR process, which was 6 weeks prior to the actual surgery date-- I have now lost 35 pounds!!

I am looking forward to the rest of this recovery process, and I look forward to many painless years with my new knee!!!!

 

[sistersinhim]

Congrats on your lost weigh and your pt finished! Be careful in the pool. It is very easy to overdo in water. The water acts likes weight because of its resistance. Your after pain can be a lot. Try it for just a very few minutes at first and see how your knee reacts that night or the next day. My first time, I was four months out and all I did was to walk to the lap lane in the water and do a half of a lap. I was in pain for days afterwards. I waited another month and tried again slowly. That worked just fine that time!

 

[ArmyVet]

@Josephine , or anyone else who might be able to help:
Starting yesterday, I've had some serious pain on the lateral side of my new knee and it radiates down the front of the shin bone all the way down to my ankle. It is a good 9 on the 1-10 scale, and it doesn't matter whether I am sitting, laying, standing or walking. The pain is the same. Called my doc, and they can't get me in until Tuesday morning-and I don't know if I can stand this pain until then. I tried ice and heat, and neither has helped. I just don't know what to do-- this is the ONLY pain I have had in my new knee that's actually IN my knee, and I am miserable.. I will try ANYTHING at this point..

 

[Josephine]

From the description, I would imagine you have this Shin splints, shin pain, compartment syndrome. Best thing I can recommend is a chiropractor for some nice deep massage. Or you could try this yourself Acupressure massage

 

[kneeper]

You might have overdone something. It's easy to overdo in the pool.