Bilateral TKR BTKR Week 14

[Jorettathom]

Hi everyone, I got the staples removed on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013. Knees felt a lil funny but I survived. I am doing great ROM of is good according to the PT left knee 93 and right 96. Over all I am doing good. Thanks everyone.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

One thing I hope I don't get hooked on the pain meds.

You won't; you are taking them for the correct reason, pain control.

ROM in left leg is 81 and right is 85. The PT said, that is good. But my legs feel tight, I continue to do my ankle pumps thru out the day and I walk, exercise, elevate, and ice but legs still feel tight.

They will for a while. There's not much room in there, a little fluid blows them up like balloons.

You may well feel lethargic (the body taking over to get that healing done) and/or a bit miserable, depressed maybe. Don't worry, all this will pass. It's all gain now; even if it's four steps forward, three back or even sometimes three forward and four back, the forward will outnumber the backward!

Just relax, take it easy, let your body do it's work. Watch telly, stuff like that.

 

[leejaa]

Sounds like you are doing great. You will like not having the staples pulling on your skin as you gain more motion - it is a wonderful thing and another step in the process of recovery

Have a great day. Lee

 

[kneeper]

Yay--staples out! One milestone down!

 

[chestnc]

I bet with the staples out you will start to get more ROM. Skin will be able to stretch more and you will feel better. Good for you and keep up the great improvement!! So glad you are doing well.

 

[Jorettathom]

Sounds like you are doing great. You will like not having the staples pulling on your skin as you gain more motion - it is a wonderful thing and another step in the process of recovery

Have a great day. Lee

Thanks Lee

 

[Jorettathom]

I bet with the staples out you will start to get more ROM. Skin will be able to stretch more and you will feel better. Good for you and keep up the great improvement!! So glad you are doing well.

Thanks Chestnc

 

[MissJ]

Hi
First, congratulations on successful surgery! Woohoo!

As for the moods: I echo what everyone else has said. For the first 4-5 months I could feel ecstatic and strong in the morning and weepy and depressed by noon...then somewhere in the middle by evening. In those first weeks, the pain meds and your body's depleted resources don't leave much reserve for buoying up those scared, nervous, or just plain tired thoughts. Then as the months begin to pass comes the conviction (always false) that somehow your own recovery is "behind the curve" when really, the curve is individual to each person. I had many days where I'd post my progress on Bonesmart, then see a post by someone who could walk a mile at 3 months when I could limp to the mailbox and back - instant depression.

In the long view, all will be well. I am 8 months out and am not Wonder Woman. I still ice occasionally; my knees are strong but not fully healed. STILL. I am living life much more fully now than I was a year ago, and I *can* walk that mile, even if it took me a little longer to get to that point.

One of the biggest struggles of BTKR for many of us is to not mentally "push" our own recovery.

Take care!
j

 

[Jorettathom]

Week 11 post op surgery, I started back to work today and everything is going well. However, knees are still little tight, the ROM is at 108 left knee and 110 right knee. I am walking good, still need to improve and sleeping a little better at night.

 

[Josephine]

And are you still taking your pain meds, elevating and icing as much as you can?

 

[Jorettathom]

I am still taking pain maybe once a day however; I am still elevating and icing as much as possible.

 

[chestnc]

Wow, sounds like you are doing what you need to do to heal. Great!! And your requirement for pain medication has decreased considerable. But if you need pain medication please don't hesitate. Take care of yourself.

 

[Jorettathom]

Wow, sounds like you are doing what you need to do to heal. Great!! And your requirement for pain medication has decreased considerable. But if you need pain medication please don't hesitate. Take care of yourself.

Thanks, I am doing good other than the tightness in the knees.

 

[Jorettathom]

Hi everyone, I will finish therapy on Friday 02/28/2014. ROM is at 110, the doc wanted ROM at 120, but if I keep working at I will get there.

 

[Jorettathom]

I don't know why home therapy is different from out patient therapy. I got much better ROM from home therapy after the first month. Being going to out patient therapy for 2 months and just getting to 110 ROM.

 

[Josephine]

the doc wanted ROM at 120, but if I keep working at I will get there.

I don't know why home therapy is different from out patient therapy. I got much better ROM from home therapy after the first month. Being going to out patient therapy for 2 months and just getting to 110 ROM.

Because it's actually nothing to do with therapy - it's to do with TIME! I did almost no PT after my knee yet I got a pretty good outcome in the end. In my experience, much of this 'therapy' does more to hinder ROM than improve it and the research agrees!

 

[Jorettathom]

I feel the same way, my knees hurt so bad after therapy than before. I go twice a week and both days they hurt so badly. The days I don't have therapy I am fine.

 

[referee54]

Because it's actually nothing to do with therapy - it's to do with TIME! I did almost no PT after my knee yet I got a pretty good outcome in the end. In my experience, much of this 'therapy' does more to hinder ROM than improve it and the research agrees!

Josephine has the best advice here---time is ultimately what allows your knees to heal---if you are working your knees to hard---this idea of hard work has to be disposed of---if you work too hard, your knees will hurt and you will lengthen the amount of time that it takes to fully recover.

Keep the knees happy and keep the exercises gentle and to the point of discomfort only---if you are in that much pain after PT, you are doing way too much, and you are hindering your recovery.

 

[referee54]

Hi everyone, I will finish therapy on Friday 02/28/2014. ROM is at 110, the doc wanted ROM at 120, but if I keep working at I will get there.

Do not work at it---just take things as they come---just remember that a TKR or a BTKR recovery can take upwards to a year to be fully complete---so while it seems like it has been long enough, you may have a ways to go.

Take it easy, and keep icing and elevating as needed---and understand that it is not about the work that will get your ROM back---time and just normal activities---your life---will allow that to happen.

Focus on being patient and let the ROM come to you---you will get it---all in due time.

 

[Jorettathom]

Josephine has the best advice here---time is ultimately what allows your knees to heal---if you are working your knees to hard---this idea of hard work has to be disposed of---if you work too hard, your knees will hurt and you will lengthen the amount of time that it takes to fully recover.

Keep the knees happy and keep the exercises gentle and to the point of discomfort only---if you are in that much pain after PT, you are doing way too much, and you are hindering your recovery.