TKR caaot My TKR is tomorrow morning

[Suz]

Sounds like you are coming right along using your cane so soon in your recovery! Yay You-!!

Hoping tomorrow is a great post-op visit for you. My OS has his patients wear those stockings until their 6wk post-op appointment. Whew- I made it through 4wks wearing them!

Looking forward to hearing how your recovery is doing as you feel up to posting!

 

[Caaot]

Thank you for the encouragement!

 

[Caaot]

Good day all!
Had my 2 week post op yesterday. My x-rays looked great, very relieved to see it for myself. Down to 1compression stocking and will use more PRN to check swelling. YEAH!!!
As time goes on realizing that as I balance the excellent advice and experience offered here with the PT in moderation I am feeling confident and quite encouraged.
Thank you all.
Still dealing with pain swings but doing what I can with rest, elevate,ice and med schedule. Expecting it to continue to decrease.
Still working to ask for help and for what I need. doing pretty well with it. Helpful to read about about post op blues. Get weepy at times and sometimes less patient than normally am. Sharing with family that it's part of process and not to take personally.
Waiting for PT arrival. Look forward to walking outside.
Wishing all of you a pleasant weekend!
Cindy

 

[Josephine]

@Caaot, I have merged your multiple threads as per this request One thread for your recovery please?

It is so much easier to be able to help you and give you the advice you need when we are able to easily see when your surgery was, what other issues you may have had, and what has been going on in your recovery just by looking at one thread instead of bouncing back and forth between two or more other threads.

We also have help articles here, you know! In here How To Use This Forum (it's in the "Help & Info" tab across the top of the page).
The article you want is this one How can I find my threads and posts?

 

[Josephine]

have reduced my PT regimen from 3 to 1x daily. Therapist unaware, but I am continuing to proceed at an "excellent pace", according to them.

Well doesn't that just go to show! My gran always said "what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over" and she was dead right! I never considered it to be anyone else's business what I did or didn't do for therapy. When I went for my 6 week review, the nurse asked me - quite sternly as we knew each other well! - if I was doing my exercises as instructed, I just smiled at her and left it at that. She heaved an impatient sigh but was wise enough not to pursue the matter!

Still wearing those stockings during day

I actually ditched mine at 3 days with the first knee as they were only knee high and far too small. I didn't like the deep blue bruise they caused so I took them off. My surgeon visited me that day and they were laying quite conspicuously on the foot of me bed. He looked at them but said nothing! The second time around they gave me full length ones which actually fitted properly and wer surprisingly comfortable so I wore them for that reason only. I've never believed they actually do anything, an opinion supported by this research TEDs Negative Research: Lancet 27th May 2009

 

[skigirl]

I did find the ted hose to be useful at about 3 weeks, when I was working on getting rid of the swelling. I also had full length ones--but it is hard to get a good fit. Mine were so baggy that the elastic fell down over the knee!!!

 

[Caaot]

Thank you Josephine for the "merger". Will go in and follow the protocol as outlined.

 

[PolarBear60]

I spread a few exercises out throughout the day based upon what my knee seems to want. My activities of daily living give me plenty of exercise. Right now, at five days post-op, my quads are quite sore. I'm trying to loosen them up, so throughout the day I do a quad set here and there as well as a heel slide now and again. It's fun to watch it improve a little more each day. It's such a relief to have the pain diminish, too. I'll do a light massage on them as well.

I requested the same home health PT person as I had last year. She's tough, but she won't ask me to do anything I can't do, and she does glorious massage work that really helps get things working again. She only asked me to do three simple exercises, and I spread them throughout the day here and there.

Always listen to your knees. If you do, you'll find yourself instinctively doing the exercises you need most at the time.


Jean

RTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 June 2016
LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005

 

[Pumpkin]

@Caaot,
I have copied part of your post from BenU's thread.

"I still experience a fair amount of pain especially after PT exercize and at night. Is it reasonable to ask for a new prescription for pain meds before I start PT?"

You should not experience any additional pain after PT, you need to tell them to stop pushing you so hard. Let them know you will tolerate only mild discomfort.
TKR: Evidence shows that less really is more when it comes to exercising!
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

You do not need additional pain medications for PT, pain is what tells you to slow down, and stop.
Go back and read the recovery articles posted for you earlier in your thread.

Suggest you slow down and let your knee heal, you do not want to set back the great recovery you are experiencing.

 

[Floridagal]

I was also told to do my PT exercises 2 to 3 times a day. I do them once and feel that is sufficient. The PT's think I am a compliant patient and I don't correct that view. I really believe the BS message that less is better in the early stages of healing. It just makes sense to let the tissues heal and not to torture them which only causes them to swell. I plan to do more as time (and healing) moves on. You are doing great.

 

[Caaot]

Thanks all for your input. I have new script for pain meds. Also plan to request massage a part of PT. At my final home session given one. Incredibly helpful. Is this a something my spouse or I can do safely? Could use this daily for stiffness\ swelling. Any instructions available for this?
Thanks, Cindy