TKR Carole’s recovery thread

[Tykey]

Carole, do you remember one of my first posts to you said that your optimistic and cheerful posts encouraged me in the start of my journey?

My turn now

 

[Carole4815]

Thank you, Tykey!! You are encouraging me too, now.

 

[Tykey]

Right! First step in the patented Tykey cheering up program, as approved by Dr Phil:

1.Never been known to fail, make some of this with custard

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/jam_roly_poly_36901

2.Walk away from any rehab for a little while, relax smile, and get your mojo back.

 

[Carole4815]

Sounds like a great 2-step plan! I talked to my sweetie about everything tonight, and he agrees that I should probably call and cancel any more appointments with that rehab. He is probably angrier than even you or me about it, because he saw what it did to me.

I am already working on getting my mojo back. I thought a nice start to that might be sleeping in my own bed tonight instead of my recliner, for the first time since surgery. So, I moved whatever I thought I'd need or want into my bedroom, lay down with my feet up on my Lounge Doctor wedge pillow, and ah!! That felt good, and it felt good psychologically to be back in my very own bed. But then I wanted to move my Lounge Doctor out of the way, roll over onto my side and fall asleep. No knee pain from doing that (surgical leg on top), but even though I have always been a side sleeper, I am not used to it any more! I couldn't sleep like that so I moved everything back here to my recliner. Oh well. Maybe I'll start with brief rests or naps in there during the daytime.

 

[Tykey]

Well done, Carole, a good decision

 

[luvcats]

don't hate me but I must guiltily admit that I was one of the lucky few who never really had truly horrific pain.

I could never hate you! But I might whisper and point behind your back

I told them they were increasing the difficulty too fast for me to be able to do it and they refused to back off.

I'd be spitting tacks if I had a setback to wheel chair! I hope today you'll be on the phone with a number of people about that. I'm terribly angry on your behalf. I'm glad you've decided to cancel those appointments. I think discomfort is normal and expected when you start a new workout under the best of circumstances, but pain is a whole different thing. And rolling around on the floor because someone is not properly trained on the equipment is utterly unreasonable.

I'm glad you're moving on with positivity. I'll try to catch up.

Trying out your bed for the first time since surgery sounds like a great way to move on. It's been so long for me I'm not sure I'll remember how to sleep on my side either, although I was trying it before Newbie came along. July just isn't having it yet. I like your idea of trying out with naps. It gives you a happy goal to work towards!

 

[sistersinhim]

The head PT lady said that the only way they would back off on the workouts is if I did PT exercises at home and then I wouldn't have to do them at the facility.

You know, this statement says it all. They are treating you like their employee instead of their employer! You are the boss, not that head PT person. Their attitude stinks and shows they don't care about the individual, just the results that facility can achieve no matter what it does to the patient.

Good for you cancelling the next two appointments. If you really want PT, find a different place that knows how to rehab a joint replacement. Your current one obviously does not know how!

 

[Tykey]

I've just been doing the stretching exercises which my PT asked for. That's the one where I sit with my feet on the floor, hook the good ankle over the bad one and force it back until I can only just tolerate it. Hold 15 secs then release.
It hurt, but the key element is that I had control, and not someone else "who knows best"
Which made me think its worth asking if you have set yourself an exercise program, so you can tick them off as you do them. The Only benefit I can see from going to a PT is that the exercises get done (but badly)
It will help if you rigged up a simple method of measuring ROM at home, so you can show yourself the progress you will certainly make.

 

[Jockette]

shows they don't care about the individual, just the results that facility can achieve no matter what it does to the patient.

They should care when the results are that the patient can’t even walk out after the session. This is not a positive result.

I've just been doing the stretching exercises which my PT asked for. That's the one where I sit with my feet on the floor, hook the good ankle over the bad one and force it back until I can only just tolerate it. Hold 15 secs then release.

I’m sorry to disagree with you here, Tykey, but forcing a stretch like this is not in your best interest. I was told to do something similar, but using a sheet to pull my foot towards me while laying on the bed. Yes, I had full control, but it was a bad thing for me to do. I despised that exercise and I will never do that again.

 

[Tykey]

Jockette, I'm sure Carole will decide on the exercises which are best for her. I'm finding this exercise excellent, but we are all different.
My post wasn't saying she should do this particular exercise, but whatever exercise she chooses, she will be in control.

 

[Carole4815]

I just called the PT center and withdrew from PT entirely, cancelling all future appointments with them. I told the person on the phone, "no hard feelings; I just am not physically capable of doing the level of PT that they are requiring" and that we are all better off if I look elsewhere for PT. Yesterday's incident wasn't the fault of the person on the phone, so I didn't see any point in being nasty about it to her.

I checked the website of my OS's orthopedic group online, and yes, this PT center is part of that group. So, I imagine word will get back to him immediately if not sooner. But after sleeping on it, I decided that avoiding the type of physical harm that I suffered yesterday, is so important to me that I would be stupid not to withdraw from their PT. I need to respect my own health and well being enough to not go back there.

For now, I will not look for another PT group and I will try to recover as much as I can from yesterday's "therapy" before my OS appointment next week. If I can go sailing in to my OS appointment, strong and walking well, he may decide that I was about done with PT anyway.

I also rescheduled an appointment with my PCP next week, to clear out my calendar completely. Now it will be easier to chill out and regroup.

 

[Jockette]

So, I imagine word will get back to him immediately if not sooner.

They may not even inform him. I’m sure they have better things to do than tattle on us, even though they often threaten to.

I hope you can have a calmer day today as you try to put this incident behind you, though I know from experience it’s easier said than done.

 

[Carole4815]

As for exercises, well, I think that first I need to
(1) determine what improvements I personally want to see (such as being able to straighten that knee a bit more).
(2) figure out what exercises might encourage those improvements.
(3) And finally if (not when) I start these exercises, they need to be at a level of difficulty that is so low that there is no question I can do them without disabling myself and very gradually work up to more difficulty at a rate I can handle.

I haven't decided yet but I am leaning towards just living my life and letting time do its magic for a while. I have had 3 PT sessions per week since the day of my surgery and I'm about "PT'd out" so to speak.

 

[Carole4815]

They may not even inform him. I’m sure they have better things to do than tattle on us, even though they often threaten to.

That would be great if they just didn't tell him. I'd love to have a month or more without PT to see what I end up being able to do.

 

[judgar]

Just let nature take its course. You will be in great shape before you know it. That’s what iam doing. I did in home therapy. Now iam done. So he told me just do some exercises every day like stretching and take short walks. And he said you will be fine. So that’s what iam doing

 

[Carole4815]

Just let nature take its course. You will be in great shape before you know it. That’s what iam doing. I did in home therapy. Now iam done. So he told me just do some exercises every day like stretching and take short walks. And he said you will be fine. So that’s what iam doing

What terrific advice - - - I think this approach would be perfect for me, well, especially some short daily walks.

 

[sistersinhim]

Here are some extension info from our library: https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/extension-how-to-estimate-it-and-ways-to-improve-it.9529/

My extension came in slower than my bend. To work on that, I just walked with longer strides, heal to toe. Doing this every time I could remember to, helped get my leg straight. It wasn't over night though, small improvements around weekly.

 

[cleartoday]

Carol I think you did the right thing by canceling your PT. Hopefully you can talk to your surgeon and he can help you make the best decision for your recovery.
I am at at 8 weeks and my pt is pretty aggressive. But I am handling it well. There is a lady going thru therapy at the same location who is at 14 weeks. Her recovery is not nearly as far along as mine. There’s a night and day difference in what they are having her do and what I do. I think she is happy with them.
I’ll post up my results with dr on my recovery page later today.

 

[Carole4815]

Cleartoday, I wish my PT place allowed for individual differences like that. No matter where we start out, with encouragement and slow increases that we can handle, it's amazing what any individual can do. It is incredible to me that any PT or trainer would not already know that. This is something any weight lifter knows (that used to be my favorite gym activity for years).

One thing I really resent is that I had a great attitude towards exercising and towards PT, and instead of encouraging me they put me in an impossible situation where there was no other possible outcome except for me to be a total failure. This can be done with anybody, whether their initial level of capability is low or high.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Carole, know that you are not a failure. You are a champ in my book. Your PT and the facility are the failures here-and they failed you big time! Take some time to recover, both mentally and physically, before even considering looking for another place. Then, if you decide to find a new place, know that you are still the boss, and they must follow your lead on what they can, and cannot, do or say to you. I would still mention this to your OS, and if he seems open to the complaint and willing to address the problem, great. If not, then it's his problem, not yours after that point. You will have done what you needed to to keep it from happening to another patient, plus hopefully, the facility will be forced to change their ways as a result. Whatever the outcome, the good news is they can never again harm you!