TKR Aug 20 hard work.
- Thread starter judgar
- Start date
United States
My doctor said to try and desensitize it by drifting a hand towel over it as much as I could stand it. I couldn't stand it much, but it did work. Or maybe it just got better on its own.
Carole4815
graduate
Sounds like an excellent checkup, and that ROM sounds pretty comfortable to me!!!
My TKR was just a week before yours, and I had my checkup last Monday. In my case, he didn't actually measure ROM, but instead just gently pushed my knee into flexing and extension manually, and evaluated what he saw subjectively. He wants me to do one gentle exercise for extension. I go back in two months.
I am still icing off and on daily, too, although this week my swelling seems to be less than before.
My surgeon always pushed my knee to a painful place to get the highest number. At my 4 month check he was not satisfied with the number and did it again. 
That was the last time I allowed him to touch me.
My next check ups were at 7 months and 12 months and I told him I’d bend it myself. He liked us laying on the exam table which gave him easy access to his patient’s leg so he could bend it.
At those last two appointments I stayed in the chair. I haven’t gone back since.
That was the last time I allowed him to touch me.My next check ups were at 7 months and 12 months and I told him I’d bend it myself. He liked us laying on the exam table which gave him easy access to his patient’s leg so he could bend it.
At those last two appointments I stayed in the chair. I haven’t gone back since.
Carole4815
graduate
Just to sit on my bed, with my leg out in front of me, and then push the back of my knee gently down onto the bedspread (just with the muscles of my knee, not my hand). He didn't say how long to hold it or how many times to do it each day, but he wanted me to do that exercise once a day.
I had a very bad experience with overly aggressive PT at his PT facility earlier that week, and he knew it. I quit PT because of that. So, he probably had that in mind.
I doubt I will ever see a ROM of 113, but also I doubt I will ever care.
I mean really; all I want to do is walk through a grocery store or down the street, and whatever ROM I have is good enough for that.
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Carole4815
graduate
That's what I did too. For flexion I just slid my foot as far under my chair as it would *comfortably* go. I was wrong in my previous post where I said he pushed it gently; now that I think of it, he didn't even touch me for flexion. For extension he lifted my foot for me but did not push down on my knee or do anything forceful (and I didn't do much either).
Praise God my OS never touched my knee. All he did was hold my foot up to see my extension. Then he put it down very gently. I sat in the chair each time.
Next visit, take control and tell him that you will move your leg yourself. What's he going to do, fire you?! You are the employer and the boss of your knee. Baby that thing.
Next visit, take control and tell him that you will move your leg yourself. What's he going to do, fire you?! You are the employer and the boss of your knee. Baby that thing.
When I had to wear long pants I wrapped my leg with an ace bandage. This kept the pant's leg from rubbing the scar. That sensitivity of yours should go away in a few weeks or so.
Pattikakes
junior member
Just wanted to say that I'm so thankful I can read these posts from those of you that have had your surgery around the same time as mine and realize that we all go through a lot recovering from this surgery. My recovery hit a bump in the road and now I have to have an outpatient procedure next week to clean out a small portion of the wound and re-stitch. Seems I had an internal stitch not dissolving properly and caused an abscess. Now, incision hurts all over again after OS probed around in there yesterday to remove the stitch. But, it all will be worth it in the end to get our lives back.
luvcats
post-grad
I had a terrible time with the glue. I had it slopped all over me and it caused a really, really annoying amount of skin irritation. Once it's off, your skin should recover very quickly.
I’m going to tell you what I told Looloo earlier this afternoon:This recovery takes and average of a year, which is 52 weeks. You are 7 weeks. You have lots more healing to do.
Recently I compared this recovery to baking cookies. My chocolate chip cookies take 12 minutes to completely bake. If I take them out earlier, at 2 minutes, 4, 8 or whatever, they will only be partially baked, and not all that tasty, because they’re not done yet.
The same is true of our knee at 2 months, or 3 months, etc. It needs time to finish healing.
Try not to let it get you down, we all felt like you do.
luvcats
post-grad
This is brilliant. I am now going to tell Beloved that I am a cookie. We need the laugh.
