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TKR Bionic knee #2 done 1-21-15
- Thread starter Awriterafoot
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Awriterafoot
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Ten days and my knee is very very cranky today! It started middle of the night when I got up to pee, and when I put weight on it, it screamed. Loudly! Took meds, grabbed lots of ice, and nestled in. As long as I'm not walking on it (even using walker), I feel okay, but it's really hurting when I step. Anyone else had this, starting to hurt more rather than less? My PT said it needs to be straighter, but also said to totally rest today, so I plan to. Just curious if anyone had this bout of more pain at this stage? Anything you did to alleviate it? I think I have just been using it too much. It's hard to rest so much for sooooooo long!
kaw205
graduate
I also woke up with a cranky knee today. I know it's the result of 4 days of aggressive PT. I cancelled today's session and spending the day getting pain under control.
I've been elevating, icing and using a TENS unit. Pain has gone from 6-7 to 3-4.
Hope your day is getting better!
BEST WISHES,
Karen
I've been elevating, icing and using a TENS unit. Pain has gone from 6-7 to 3-4.
Hope your day is getting better!
BEST WISHES,
Karen
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Awriterafoot
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kaw205
graduate
https://www.amazon.com/Roscoe-Medical-DT6070-Relief-System/dp/B00C4XU33A?tag=ate362da-20
It's electrical stimulation. I tried it for the first time today and seems to be helping.
I have the above model. I hook it up and clip it to my waistband. It's been running all day.
I agree that when it feels better we tend to overdo it.
I've gone to walking unassisted to using a walker, and now a cane.
Have to find a happy medium.
How was your day?
Karen
It's electrical stimulation. I tried it for the first time today and seems to be helping.
I have the above model. I hook it up and clip it to my waistband. It's been running all day.
I agree that when it feels better we tend to overdo it.
I've gone to walking unassisted to using a walker, and now a cane.
Have to find a happy medium.
How was your day?
Karen
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Awriterafoot
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That's terrific progress, Karen! I'm alternating between cane and walker, forbidding myself not to walk without one of them.
Good day today. I've gone back to a little more oxy and surprise! It makes me feel better.
I rested a lot today and finished reading a book, which made me feel like my brain is coming back. Tomorrow, we're going to try going out to breakfast--yay! Just to be out in the world will be such a treat.
Good day today. I've gone back to a little more oxy and surprise! It makes me feel better.
I rested a lot today and finished reading a book, which made me feel like my brain is coming back. Tomorrow, we're going to try going out to breakfast--yay! Just to be out in the world will be such a treat.
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Awriterafoot
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Whoo hoo--I went out to breakfast this morning and feel great. Had a good night's sleep, slept some on my side, which was such a relief and helped me sleep more deeply. Knee is really quiet and not at all swollen today.
We stopped at the grocery store on the way home. It might have been overdoing it a little, but my poor husband has been running around so much that I wanted to get at least one errand out of the way. So far, I'm feeling good, so crossing fingers.
Honestly, the big thing seems to be taking enough meds, regularly, before I get a bunch of breakthrough pain that is then very hard to get back under control. Mostly I can still do some mild work (emails and the like) and read, which makes me feel connected to myself and my world.
The BIG recognition I had this morning, however, is that I made it through the surgeries. Both of them! They are done, and the only way is up. It made me feel like a new person, like I'd reset the clock about 10 years, and now I have a second chance to enjoy life. I really didn't realize how much the pain and limitations of my arthritis had weighed on me until that very moment. I didn't know I was feeling so old until I felt new youth. It really is amazing and I'm so grateful that we live in a time when we can get a new joint rather than suffering for the rest of our lives with a wrecked one.
Barbara
We stopped at the grocery store on the way home. It might have been overdoing it a little, but my poor husband has been running around so much that I wanted to get at least one errand out of the way. So far, I'm feeling good, so crossing fingers.
Honestly, the big thing seems to be taking enough meds, regularly, before I get a bunch of breakthrough pain that is then very hard to get back under control. Mostly I can still do some mild work (emails and the like) and read, which makes me feel connected to myself and my world.
The BIG recognition I had this morning, however, is that I made it through the surgeries. Both of them! They are done, and the only way is up. It made me feel like a new person, like I'd reset the clock about 10 years, and now I have a second chance to enjoy life. I really didn't realize how much the pain and limitations of my arthritis had weighed on me until that very moment. I didn't know I was feeling so old until I felt new youth. It really is amazing and I'm so grateful that we live in a time when we can get a new joint rather than suffering for the rest of our lives with a wrecked one.
Barbara
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Awriterafoot
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Well, after a very bad day yesterday, I got the staples out today and finally got a glimpse of the incision. It's much neater than the other and almost two inches shorter, so I guess that left knee was much messier than the right.
Very tired tonight though--PT and dr in one day. here's me crashing.
Very tired tonight though--PT and dr in one day. here's me crashing.
referee54
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Yep---you are in those early days of recovery---and your body is burning through a great deal of energy in recovery---and those two trips to the OS and PT will certainly do a number on you!
TexasTee
post-grad
Hi Barbara - congratulations on getting those staples out - I'm exactly one week behind you and simply cannot wait for that moment!!
I completely agree with you on the miracle of modern medicine that has provided us a new lease on life with a joint that functions without pain!! I have far too much to do to sit back and let life go by - yes, it's hard to be patient these few weeks but in the scheme of the next several years of being able to do what we want, it's nothing!
I completely agree with you on the miracle of modern medicine that has provided us a new lease on life with a joint that functions without pain!! I have far too much to do to sit back and let life go by - yes, it's hard to be patient these few weeks but in the scheme of the next several years of being able to do what we want, it's nothing!
kaw205
graduate
Hi Barbara,
Glad to hear you're doing well. How was your PT session?
I've learned the importance of pain management the hard way.
I'm back on track today and feel so much better. The pain is exhausting!
Best Regards,
Karen
Glad to hear you're doing well. How was your PT session?
I've learned the importance of pain management the hard way.
I'm back on track today and feel so much better. The pain is exhausting!
Best Regards,
Karen
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Awriterafoot
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Hey, @kaw205. The PT sessions this week have been good. He's focusing on getting my leg straighter (still only -9, which is not great, but last time was like this, too, and it's fine now). I made him back off leaning on my leg to straighten it, and agreed to do gentle stretching a few times a day with heel on a pillow and knee hanging, which is not exactly comfortable but not painful. How did your session go?
And so true on how exhausting the pain can be. If I'm ahead of it, I can function almost normally. If I slip behind, everything--my mood, my ability to cope with limitations, my outlook--falls apart.
And so true on how exhausting the pain can be. If I'm ahead of it, I can function almost normally. If I slip behind, everything--my mood, my ability to cope with limitations, my outlook--falls apart.
referee54
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That is great!!! Way to be proactive and take charge!!
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Awriterafoot
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In the Must Remember It Has Only Been Two Weeks category:
The big challenge with this knee is remembering not to push too hard. Everything is healing so much faster than my left knee that I will start doing a lot of stuff, then hit the wall and feel emotional and exhausted, and have to go to bed with ice and cups of herbal tea.
What I'm starting to get now are what I call the secondary aches. Right hip gets tired and irritated from my limping. Lower back aches from being in the same position too much, shin and ankle on the right are waking up and starting to ache a little, too. The hip is the one that's really bothering me. I guess it might be from the shift in my posture, too, since I had a big curve in the leg and now it's straight, so the hip is adjusting.
Anyone else dealt with this? What are you doing to make it feel better? I'm going to try some of my tai chi warm up exercises and next week will try to get to my massage therapist, but in the meantime, it bothers me quite a bit.
Barbara
The big challenge with this knee is remembering not to push too hard. Everything is healing so much faster than my left knee that I will start doing a lot of stuff, then hit the wall and feel emotional and exhausted, and have to go to bed with ice and cups of herbal tea.
What I'm starting to get now are what I call the secondary aches. Right hip gets tired and irritated from my limping. Lower back aches from being in the same position too much, shin and ankle on the right are waking up and starting to ache a little, too. The hip is the one that's really bothering me. I guess it might be from the shift in my posture, too, since I had a big curve in the leg and now it's straight, so the hip is adjusting.
Anyone else dealt with this? What are you doing to make it feel better? I'm going to try some of my tai chi warm up exercises and next week will try to get to my massage therapist, but in the meantime, it bothers me quite a bit.
Barbara
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Awriterafoot
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It felt so great. My surgeon also uses a thick, waterproof bandage that was starting to be so irritating. Just getting all the adhesive off helps. Freedom!
TexasTee
post-grad
I have the same dressing I think. It's great that I can bathe so bless it for that but I'm very ready to be rid of all of it!
I have also been getting aches and pains that have nothing to do with my knee and everything to do with sitting all the time! Hips/lower back and glutes. I've been doing modified yoga breathing and simple stretches followed by using the foam roller in front of the fire place...as long as the dogs are asleep or outside it works pretty well, less helpful if I'm caught on the floor and they decide to help!! Luckily I've had no issues getting on and off the floor but it sounds like I got lucky in that so you'll probably want to make sure someone is around to bail you out if you try it.
Adorable dog with you in your pic - you said 5? what others do you have?
I have also been getting aches and pains that have nothing to do with my knee and everything to do with sitting all the time! Hips/lower back and glutes. I've been doing modified yoga breathing and simple stretches followed by using the foam roller in front of the fire place...as long as the dogs are asleep or outside it works pretty well, less helpful if I'm caught on the floor and they decide to help!! Luckily I've had no issues getting on and off the floor but it sounds like I got lucky in that so you'll probably want to make sure someone is around to bail you out if you try it.
Adorable dog with you in your pic - you said 5? what others do you have?
janmont
member
My glute and hips hurt too. I think it is from keeping my leg straight most of the time. My pt told me to do hip flexion exercises. At home, I do them standing at the counter and swing my hip out to the side and back down. In pt, I lie on the table, on my side with my legs stacked and raise my leg being carefull not to tilt to the front or back too much. I also do glute squeezes. Not being able to move much is depressing. Sometimes the glutes hurt more than the knee. Not even the pain meds make it better.
Texas T I can't beleive you can get in the floor, good for you.
Texas T I can't beleive you can get in the floor, good for you.
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Awriterafoot
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@janmont, I forgot those hip exercises. Will try them today. I did the tai chi warmup and it helped (there are some hip focus exercises there, and a general focus on releasing tension). I'm sure a lot of it is muscles getting used to the new setup.
How are you doing?
@TexasTee, I got down on the floor earlier this week looking for one of my cats. I got down there and thought, "Uh oh." It would be okay if the other knee wasn't still in the healing phase, but it's tender to kneel on it, and I haven't done it much. But there I was, so I grabbed a pillow and knelt on it with the recent TKR left knee and managed to get up. Not going to do that again for awhile! I'm very impressed that you can get down on the floor and get back up again without too much trouble.
Animals: the dog in the picture and four cats, which was sort of more than we wanted, but there they are. All of them are rescues and bring lots of amusement, since I work at home.
How are you doing?
@TexasTee, I got down on the floor earlier this week looking for one of my cats. I got down there and thought, "Uh oh." It would be okay if the other knee wasn't still in the healing phase, but it's tender to kneel on it, and I haven't done it much. But there I was, so I grabbed a pillow and knelt on it with the recent TKR left knee and managed to get up. Not going to do that again for awhile!
I'm very impressed that you can get down on the floor and get back up again without too much trouble.Animals: the dog in the picture and four cats, which was sort of more than we wanted, but there they are. All of them are rescues and bring lots of amusement, since I work at home.
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Awriterafoot
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Minor setback yesterday--pulled off a sock (!) and somehow tweaked the back of my knee. It was very irritated and sore overnight but seems mostly okay today. It's a lot more swollen than it has been and I'm icing and plan to take it very easy today. Trying to think of some kind of treat for the Friday night doldrums, when I will want a glass of wine and a sense of celebrating the end of the week. Not sure what?
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