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MUA CATSMUM's new road to recovery

I agree, sitting makes mine the most stiff. It's one reason that for me the CPM machine helps, moves it and keeps it warm and limber but without weight bearing. I only very slowly increase range on the machine.


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No Physio or massage today as knee is too tight. Seeing the OS on Tuesday so I'll just have to wait and see what he says about it. Hopefully, there will be a simple explanation to why my knee is so stiff!
 
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Just got back from seeing my OS. I've been told that I've been overdoing things and need to be reined in a little. Also said that l need anti-inflammatories and need to ice in the evening. He said he could do a manipulation but wasn't keen as its still healing! Said the static bike was good to get the knee moving properly.
Only problem is that l can't get an appointment to speak to a GP until 4 March to get something stronger than ibuprofen!! OS also said to go back if it wasn't improving after trying all these things out. He said the Joint itself is fine, but is just taking longer to heal.
Said l was overdoing things in terms of going to work and sitting for hours with the knee bent! He said that was what he believed caused the problem.
He did say about manipulation and left it up to me, but l wasn't that happy about having it done at this stage.
Going to have a go on the static bike to try and get the knee moving again.
He wasn't concerned about the crepitus or tightness at this stage of recovery and said that he wanted to wait until the next scheduled appointment to see how things were then. If no improvement before that, l'm to go back.
Feel a little happier knowing that it's nothing serious but little hacked off that my boss has really been part and parcel of this problem together with the time it's taking to recover.
He did mention that my knee wasn't this stiff when l saw him in December and l said that's because l wasn't fully back to work which is what l am now - that's when he mentioned reining me back in!
 
Sitting is very hard for me also. It is hard to elevate when you sit at a desk. I just try to get up every hour and take a little walk. I hope you feel better!
 
@Timetolive It is very hard to elevate, my chair is quite high as it's an orthopaedic one for back and neck problems, unfortunately, the contraception l use ( a box turned on its end with a cushion on it) is lower than the chair seat which is as low as l can get it!. I do get up regularly and have a little wander but find my knee stiffens up. Hopefully, the static bike will help to loosen it up.
 
Glad that he has put your mind at rest that there isn't anything wrong with the joint. I am going to start putting my leg on 2 boxes at work to ice & elevate it will bring it up to a better height & i will move my screen to the side of my desk see if that helps me. I think us office workers are having the same problem sitting too long with the leg down in one place.
 
@suemegane I don't have enough room under my desk to get 2 boxes, bit of a squeeze with the one, lol. Let's hope our knees start to respond soon. It's also nice to hear I'm not the only one with problems sitting at work and also to read some of the ways you guys are trying to elevate etc. Very useful info.
 
CATSMUM said:
Just got back from seeing my OS. I've been told that I've been overdoing things and need to be reined in a little. Also said that l need anti-inflammatories and need to ice in the evening. He said he could do a manipulation but wasn't keen as its still healing! Said the static bike was good to get the knee moving properly.
Only problem is that l can't get an appointment to speak to a GP until 4 March to get something stronger than ibuprofen!! OS also said to go back if it wasn't improving after trying all these things out. He said the Joint itself is fine, but is just taking longer to heal.
Said l was overdoing things in terms of going to work and sitting for hours with the knee bent! He said that was what he believed caused the problem.
. . . . .
Feel a little happier knowing that it's nothing serious but little hacked off that my boss has really been part and parcel of this problem together with the time it's taking to recover.
He did mention that my knee wasn't this stiff when l saw him in December and l said that's because l wasn't fully back to work which is what l am now - that's when he mentioned reining me back in!
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I agree with your OS. It's obvious that sitting for long periods at work is what's irritating your knee. On work days, try to just come home and then elevate and ice.

Ibuprofen is plenty strong enough for an anti-inflammatory. It's better, if you can, to rely on rest, ice and elevation to reduce the inflammation. There are dangers associated with taking ant-inflammatories, so try not to rely on them for long. In any case, if an alternative anti-inflammatory seemed appropriate, why didn't the OS prescribe it, instead of your having to go back to your GP?
 
@Celle The OS told me he'd write to my GP and recommend the anti-inflammatories. Trying to get an appointment to see a GP to discuss what the way forward should be.
 
That was going to be my question by @Celle asked it. Your OS can write you a Rx for an anti-inflammatory. That's what my surgeon did. I'd call his office tomorrow and ask if he can call in a Rx for you at the pharmacy.
 
Had a good Physio and massage session today. Didn't do too much and we are going to take things slowly. Will need to see how the knee holds up over the next few days and that it doesn't revert back to the stiffness l had earlier this week.
 
Just seen the letter from my OS to my GP, looks like my flexion has decreased from 110 to 95 since December. He supports me WFH and actually states that it will be beneficial for me to do this as l will be able to get up and exercise at intervals. If my knee continues to be stiff, he will consider a MUA at my annual review or before hand if my knee worsens over the next weeks.
 
@CATSMUM If the OS has written to your GP about another anti inflammatory, you shouldn't need to see him. Could you either ask the Secretary if he could leave you a prescription for it, or ask to see any of the other doctors in the practice. This is what we normally do, all letters will have been filed or put onto the computer, so any Doctor should be able to access it. I rarely get to see my own Dr without a long wait as he is the most popular and I think has the longest list. Hope you feel better soon. I am going back to my OS as I don't think I am progressing as well I should, and the fact that both knees hurt exactly as much as each other worries me a lot. My left TKR is worse now than it was this time last year. I have to wait until 15th though, which seems a long time, so I think will try to see the Physio who treated me at the hospital before then and see if she n shed some light on what is happening. On top of everything I have developed a UTI overnight so thank goodness I had some Nitrofurontoin just in case.
 
@Majic The letter from the OS was on the surgery website yesterday and he hadn't mentioned anti-inflammatories so l'll need to speak to my GP! I dropped a note into the surgery yesterday explaining what the OS said to me so hopefully he'll be fine with issuing a prescription. Thankfully, l have a telephone appointment with him on Monday so not too long to wait.
Strange how a few of us are struggling with our knees, I expect that you thought, like me, that by now you'd be back to having a normal life! Sorry to hear, also, that you have another UTI, let's hope the nitrofuratin work quickly.
 
Yes Claire I certainly did think I would be OK by now, or at least the knee that is nearly 16 months old would be be fine. Last week I posted some of my bonesmart contacts from the beginning of the road to see how they were doing. I don't recommend it, as it made me quite depressed about my own lack of progress. We must just hang on in here with Raffs, and hope that eventually we will get there. I am quite a bit older than you are, and feel like my new life which I have looked forward to for 6 years is passing me by. I try to do without painkillers but just can't and am still in quite a bit of pain with them. If I add naproxen I shall be back to where I was before the operations.
I would really like to get back to all the things I used to do, and give my husband a rest. Even washing up looks appealing if I could do it pain free, and although I do walk the dog, not the long leisurely walks we used to do in our lovely area.
Hope you get on well with your Doctor. I shall be asking for a telephone appointment tomorrow about mu UTI.
 
@Majic My left knee is almost 3 years old now and functions really well, thankfully, just frustrated that the right knee is so troublesome. You're right, we all (up you, me, Raffs) just need to hang on in there and look forward to that day when we can all say, yay we're fully fit! l know exactly how you feel about life passing you by, mine seems to have been on hold for about 4 years now and like you, l just want it back. I'm also tired of taking painkillers, although the pain l get now is stiffness and aching rather than the piercing discomfort and pain we all experienced initially. I don't take many painkillers/anti-inflammatory tablets but find l still need them at least once daily especially when l first get up to go to work. I found that taking one naproxen (think they were long acting ones) in the morning got me through the working day.
I still find it difficult standing for long periods of time in the kitchen. I used to bake a lot of cakes and really enjoyed cooking, but at the moment that is too difficult - my work colleagues had to,have shop made cakes when it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago, lol!! I look forward to he day in the not too distant future when l resume baking etc.
I also am fortunate to get on well with my doctor, he's been very supportive all the way through my 2 TKR ops. Good luck with speaking to your GP tomorrow, hope you get sorted out with your UTI.
Hopefully, one day soon we'll all look back on our experiences and realise that we've made it out of that long dart tunnel called recovery. x
 
Claire, saw the Doctor on Monday who is a good friend. She said I had done the right thing, and gave me a specimen bottle and told me they can be taken to A & E when the surgery is closed, and they will send the results to the Doctor. I didn't know that and so it was too late as I was already on antibiotics. They do so far seem to be working. She also recommended a Cranberry tablet last thing at night as a preventative, which is good to know.

This week I had a sports massage. I was told that all my muscles were very tight especially my IT band. Wasn't this what bothered you so much? I feel very much better now, although it was quite painful at the time, and virtually all the muscle pain has disappeared. My pain now is across the leg under the knee, were I still look slightly bruised. Unfortunately it is both knees, although only one feels warm. I just don't know what is going on. I am seeing the Physio at the hospital next Monday, and the OS the following week. I just must get to the bottom of this pain. Where do you get the most pain? I find my cooking is very restricted, and I used to make lots of cakes and all our own bread, bought just isn't the same.
I pray that one day this will all be a distant memory.
 
@Majic I'm glad your friend said you did the correct thing re. the UTI. I have heard about cranberry tablets but was warned off them by the practice nurse last time l had a UTI - told me that they could irritate!! Glad things seem to settling.

I'm still having weekly massage, my therapist actually mentioned that my quad muscles were tight yesterday, mind you l had twisted my knee when l tried to get on a turbo bike trainer!! Needless to say, that idea has now gone out the window. Yesterday l had tightness about th knee which was probably caused by sitting at work for hours th day before. She also told me last needed to ice as my knee was a little warm, which surprised me!

Yep, it was the IT Band, together with quads, calves and hamstrings - it was very painful at the time and took a couple of days to settle. Try icing your knees as that should help. Drink lots of water too.
My pain is on the lateral side gong to just below my knee, which l think is the IT band (could be wrong). I still have crepitus when l bend my knee and it seemed a little more 'crunchier' yesterday. I also get a little pan on the medial side by the ligament.

I saw my OS a week or so ago and he was saying my problem was muscles not wanting to work properly and said to carry on with Physio with a manipulation being the ultimate treatment if my knee wasn't bending properly by the time l see in June (or earlier of the Physio thinks l need to see him). He did say that my recovery was going to be a long one (12-18 months) which is so disappointing when l think that my left knee, by this stage, was almost back to normality!

Be very interested to hear what your OS and Physio have to say about your knees. Like you l find my cooking is restricted due to the fact like can't stand for too long without the knee aching! Looking forward to the day we can all finally say, I'm cured!
 
Had my Physio session yesterday morning, all's going fairly well apart from not being able to bend my knee properly! My therapist thinks it's one of three problems (debris in joint, ligaments/tendons tightened by OS too much, ligaments/tendons moving across implant) and wants me to see one of the other physios to get their opinion. I get pain/crunching in the area where the Meniscus would have been if l hadn't have had the replacement. That seems to be the main thing stopping me from bending my knee further than 95 degrees or so. Will update after l see the physio next Friday, hopefully, with good news!
 
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