TKR beth1954's Recovery Thread

[Mazza]

That's such poor patient care; I find it almost barbaric to ignore a person's call for assistance. Over here that GP would probably be pulled up to face a board of enquiry!!
How are you feeling physically today? Are you walking any better?

 

[beth1954]

I have found that not getting calls back is just standard practice for some doctor's offices. Always angers me. Then by the time they actually call me I'm all worked up into a rage and I say things I wouldn't normally say.
I called back again and the lady ( a message taker basically) looked in the computer and saw that I had called twice this week. She put me on hold and went to find the nurse!
The nurse said she would send in the FMLA paperwork with a return to work date of 27Jan2014 and then also I can work 1/2 days for my first two weeks back if I want. She also said she would contact the physical therapy facility to get that set up.
So I hope that is all set up now.

 

[beth1954]

I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and in my hurry (it was rather urgent) I over-flexed my knee and it hurt so bad I thought I was going to faint. Needless to say it's swollen up today!!
I'm still not in a good place emotionally.
My daughter will be here this afternoon and will stay until Sunday afternoon so I'm really looking forward to that.

 

[DogLoverx3]

I'm so sorry you hurt yourself last night Beth. I know how overwhelming all of this can seem. The pain, the pain meds, the trouble sleeping, the helpless feeling all mixed with the looming knowledge that you need to go back to work. Easier said than done, I know, but try not to let it get you down. This is ALL a means to an end and while it's very difficult to see and acknowledge the little victories that we have every day, just know that things will get better. I'm very glad that your daughter is coming to stay with you this weekend! Please let her spoil you and take good care of yourself!

 

[kneeper]

Well, give the knee some extra love today--ice and elevate and let your daughter help out. We've all done that sort of thing. Hope you have a great visit with your daughter.

 

[Josephine]

The nurse said she would send in the FMLA paperwork with a return to work date of 27Jan2014 and then also I can work ½ days for my first two weeks back if I want.

Well, phew! I'm so pleased you got that at least! I always require my client's employees to not return before 12 weeks and even then it's on a Phased return to work. But as Mazza said, we tend to be fortunate in regulations regarding that in the UK.

 

[beth1954]

Yes, I'm rather pleased with that too!

So.......now I am about 5½ weeks out. I am still swollen. Still very stiff. Probably not more than 75-82 degrees flexion. Probably at 0 extension though. I still shouldn't be worried?

I know there are people much farther out from surgery than I am that are having a tough time with flexion too. I am just so tired of the stiffness. I am not pushing myself with the flexion. I still do gentle stretches while sitting down.

I pull my foot back, and then I lean forward to get more of a stretch. I count to 20. I pull it back a little bit more (if I can) and then I count to 20 again. When I stand up, I do a flexion type stretch as I'm standing also. Only I pull my foot back and touch my toes to the floor which bends my knee. Sometimes I start to squat just a tiny bit to make it more of a stretch. It feels like it "pulls" in a little different way, so I guess that is good. It's not painful, just the discomfort of the "pull." If I do that a few times before I start walking, I feel that my knee is a little bit "looser" than if I don't do that.

Today I went to the grocery store with my daughter. She dropped me off at the door. I walked in using my cane. I rode an electrical cart around in the store. Then we went to eat lunch together and then back home. We were probably out for about 2 hours. Maybe a little bit more. I was very tired when I got home and ready for a nap, but I recuperated.

I feel like my knee isn't swelling up quite as badly. When I first got up this morning, I felt a little bit more like myself. Can't explain it, just felt a little better overall. But it still seems like one step forward and 3 steps back! One of these days I'm going to turn that proverbial "corner!"

 

[DogLoverx3]

Congrats on your outing today! 2 Hours is a long time and I'm proud of you! I haven't had the guts to go anywhere other than PT or a very quick trip to the store. I'm glad you felt better this morning. I totally understand the 1 step forward, 3 steps back frustration, but know that eventually those numbers will reverse.
l

 

[Josephine]

You ARE turning a corner but it's not a sharp 90 degree corner but a great big ol' curved one!

 

[Yorkshiregal54]

Well done x

 

[tek'smom]

I am sorry you are so stressed. Paying for PT is a pain. My experience has been that the outpatient physical therapists are actually much better than the two that came to my house. Outpatient PT can be almost "fun" if there are other people there in the same boat as you. If you don't like the facility the doctor's office chooses, you can change it. They can switch the prescription, just like a pharmacy.

 

[beth1954]

Since I'm not an active person in my "normal" life I don't really like that "gym" atmosphere. I prefer a therapist who is rather soft spoken and not too gung ho. I'm pretty nervous about it still!
Oh Lord. I just called the rehab place because I thought I would have heard from them already. They never received the orders from my doctor!!! I talked to them last week on Thursday. I called the doc back and they said they sent the orders electronically. I gave them the fax # so I hope it gets through by fax. I don't really even want to go but I would like to see what they say and get a feel of what it will be like there. Now I've got myself all worked up again.

 

[Josephine]

Calm down, dear! It's only PT. What does it matter if you have to wait a few more days?

 

[bottomshollow]

Like Jo says, @beth1954, it's just PT. And as long as you're moving around taking care of yourself at home and doing little things here and there, there's really nothing to worry about. You may actually be better off starting later rather than sooner.

Calm down and take care. We care.

 

[kneeper]

Yes, not a big deal if the pt is delayed a couple of days. On the other hand it was good you checked on the order so they can get organized.

 

[beth1954]

I am walking so stiff-legged. I barely bend my surgical knee. I have been trying to, but with not much luck. I am still doing gentle stretches while sitting, but I am probably around 75-80 degrees flexion at most. I know that isn't all that bad.......
What bothers me is when I'm sitting and I do gentle stretches, it pulls "inside." When I'm standing, and I try to bend my knee (by lifting my heel) it feels like it is my skin stretching. It feels like it is going to tear apart. I felt it to see if my skin felt really tight (which I would have guessed because of the swelling).....the skin doesn't feel that tight so it must be inside that feels like it is going to tear apart. Once again, I don't really feel like that is going to happen, but that terrible stretching, tearing, tight feeling is the worst. Not that much pain, just a horrible feeling. I'll be really glad to find out tomorrow morning what the physical therapist has to say about all this, and what their "philosophy" is about rehab on a knee that has been replaced. I seem to be able to tolerate less and less pain as I get older. I'm going to let them know that. (I have to tell them......I can't just think about telling them. I always sound like I'm so tough but then when it comes right down to it, I don't usually tell them what I need to.)

 

[DogLoverx3]

All part of the wonderful world of healing. I'm just a week behind you in recovery and I have those same feelings. Everything will loosen up and enable a better bend in due time. I would suggest, when your knee is feeling very tight, don't try to exercise or work it out. Just put it up, ice it and rest. We all heal at different paces. I'm on the slower end I think. Try to concentrate on the good aspects instead of the bad (I need to follow my own advice). Try not to worry about the tightness and the ROM. Be glad you don't have pain! And yes, absolutely talk to your PT about what your thoughts are and make sure he/she gives you the answers you want..... Keep up the good work and take it easy on yourself!

 

[Jamie]

Remember that you have swelling inside your knee. That is the tightness you're feeling. Once you get on top of the swelling, those feeling will lessen. Just be sure your therapist doesn't think you should "work hard" to get rid of the tightness. That won't do at all!!!

 

[Josephine]

but that terrible stretching, tearing, tight feeling is the worst. Not that much pain, just a horrible feeling

That's the kind of thing your should push through to a certain extent.

 

[beth1954]

I met my physical therapist today. I liked her a lot. I told her how anxious I am and she said there would be no surprises like at PT for my right knee when the PT tech just pushed my leg down (MUA w/o the benefit of the "UA").
I believe her. I hope she doesn't let me down. My flexion was at 60 while laying on my back. My extension was at 5 which surprised me. I thought it would have been at 0 still. We did a few things but nothing extreme. I told her about that feeling of something tearing. She felt up and down my incision and said that it was rather hard toward the top of the incision and she is afraid it is starting to adhere a bit. She massaged it and also would press on it while moving her finger down the incision. It was a bit painful but I think it needed to be done. I think this is the part that you (Josephine) said to push through to an extent. So I have to also work on that at home. She said not to press too hard though. She measured me again before I left and my flexion was 70. I go in 3 times a week for awhile.