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MUA CATSMUM's new road to recovery

It's surprising how long the knee takes to get used to extra activity. I think it was well over a year before my knee stopped swelling if I did too much.

Rest up now and remember how much you enjoyed your trip to London, even if it did put you into the ODIC (Over Did It Club). I'm sure it was worth it!
 
Hi @CATSMUM sorry you're in the ODIC, I think I may be when I get home from Blackpool. Had an unpleasant though I hope not too catastrophic experience on the way up. The coach stopped at a service station for a break, and I stepped off the bottom step to find the ground was not where I expected it to be. It was like an MUA without the anaesthetic :bignono: :groan:. When we got to Hotel I used an instant ice pack on it and spent the afternoon in bed. Hubby got some ibuprofen gel from chemist, and with the two I managed to dance a little bit in the evening. Much better this morning, so kept up paracetamol and gel, and spent afternoon inn Tower Ballroom dancing to The Mighty Werlitzer. Am now resting with two instant ice packs and gel on both knees. The knee I really hurt was the 1st knee not the recent one, so maybe it won't take as long to recover. We have another dinner dance tonight, then home tomorrow. One of our party is now in plaster having broken a bone in his foot dancing last night so I am not the worst. Hope you feel better soon.
 
Have my 2nd acupuncture session today. Not that sure if the 1sr session really halped as my knee is still stiff and tight. However, willing to give it a go for another few times before we evaluate it again.
 
Just got home after my weekly trip to the hospital. Physio session went quite well although knee was really stiff. Had acupuncture after - physio put the needles into different areas this time and l must admit that the two beneath my knee really stung! Asked her if it was normal for that to happen and she said yes as that would mean something was happening. However, the two that were stinging weren't in the place she thought might have caused stinging! They were beneath my knee rather than above - to which she said 'ah' almost in a way that made me think that that could be the area causing the problem!
Got another 2 sessions before we decide enough is enough. ROM before acupuncture was 75 after slight improvement.
 
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Well, I'm just having to ice my knee as the stiffness and warmth has now returned. Not really done that much today so it's quite annoying. Very tender on the lateral side of the knee which radiates down to just below the knee. Was hoping the acupuncture would help - seems to help initially but then knee reverts back to how it was before the session. ROM only about 75 degrees or so - can force it further but it gets painful.
 
@CATSMUM I don't think I have done any harm dancing and stepping so unceremoniously off the coach last weekend. Pains are approximately in the same places as before, although I did some gardening yesterday which probably didn't help. My main problem is a semi circle round the outside of both knees and onto shin. Like you I am icing the places, and also using ibuprofen gel whenever it gets bad. I am very stiff in the morning and after sitting for a long time. That had started to go but has got worse again. Hope you soon feel better.
 
Just had my penultimate acupuncture session, ROM had reverted back to 75 degrees again. Rachel (my Physio) said that although it does improve after acupuncture it doesn't maintain the ROM. She also said that the tendons etc are very tight and thinks that OS may want to do a manipulation to see if he can loosen it up. She will write to him after my session next Friday to explain everything - as she said, we've tried all non invasive Physio things so now needs his intervention. Not quite what l was hoping for!!

My follow up appointment (year out) is 7 June, so will leave it until then as l will be on holiday!!
 
Oh Claire I am so sorry, it is not what you want to hear at this stage. Life must be quite difficult with such a low ROM. Are you still needing paracetamol? I am. Are you still working at the office or mainly at home? More cheerfully where are you going to for your holiday? Our next trip is to the funeral of one of our University friends, who died suddenly while we were in Blackpool. He was married to my best friend from then who shared a room with me there. It was sudden at the end although he hadn't been well for some years, and she is devastated as you can imagine.
 
@Majic Jackie, it isn't what l wanted to hear at this stage, but l guess l always had an inkling that this might happen. Just so disappointing when l think about how my left knee recovered so well. Life is not easy with a low ROM, driving isn't easy, walking isn't easy, travelling on the train to work isn't easy but it's got to be done. I'm back to working in office 3 days a week but as thankfully it's only 2 days next week and 3 days the week after and then leave for a couple of weeks - going to Portugal for a week, so I'm looking forward to that. I try and catch a quieter train on the way home if l can.
That's not a nice trip for you to have to make - always awful when a death is sudden. We're seeing friends tomorrow, one has just lost his mum suddenly so is in bits, as you can well imagine.
Hope that all is progressing well with you.
 
Hope you have a great time in Portugal. The funeral is in a difficult place for us to get to, Sittingbourne. Not a good journey from the other side of Cheltenham. Whether we go by car or train we shall have to stay overnight, so have booked kennels for dog and hotel for us. The following week we are going to the Isle if Wight to a Warners hotel. Great for dancing and many other activities. Hope to do some walking as well. We shall probably go by car because of timing of funeral. This means facing the dreaded M25, not a pleasant thought.
 
Had another acupuncture session yesterday, very little improvement overall in ROM. Physio and l are disappointed that my knee hasn't responded as well as we thought it might. Not sure if the acupuncture has helped with the pain but it is a little less painful lately, however, that might be because l worked from home a lot last week - in work next week so we'll see what happens. Going to have one more PT/Acupuncture session when l get back from my hols - hopefully the knee will behave itself! Due to see the OS on 7 June - Physio is going to write to him to report what's been happening and will probably suggest that a MUA maybe the next step as all other Physio/PT options have been exhausted!
 
Claire, so sorry to hear you're not getting any improvement from the Physio/acupuncture. It isn't good news for you to hear that you may need an MUA after a year. What caused your knee to backslide or is it a mystery? Anyhow I hope you have a great time in Portugal, I've never been but know people who go back year after year like we do to Croatia, although that is to see friends so may be different, although we love the Country so much. Have you been to Portugal before?
 
Majic - not too sure, I know that l was really getting on well before Christmas and was really happy with my progress. I'd seen the OS at the beginning of December and my ROM was about 110, l struggled a little at Chrsistmas and also overdid things when we went to Centerparcs in January. I noticed at that point that my knee appeared to have a medial catch (think ligaments/tendon catching when bending), that's settled down a little. Saw the gp in Feb on advice from my Physio and then saw my OS - at that point my ROM had decreased to about 95 and has been decreasing ever since! Not sure what's caused this problem, one theory is that some of the soft tissue might have not healed in the correct place after l had my falls last August. It is so frustrating as I will be a year out next month and although l don't have the same type of problems (patella catching etc), l still have discomfort that feels almost as if l have arthritis in the joint! It's just do tight and stiff virtually all the time! Oh well, guess I'll have to see what the OS says next month.
Been to Portugal a few times and love it. First started going there in 2008 and just like the people, the food and in my hubbys case the beer!!!
 
Claire, I really feel for you. You must be so annoyed and upset that things have gone backwards at this point.
We are in Kent now having had a long journey down. I thought of you when we passed through Wiltshire. I shall think of you tomorrow at the funeral, and pray for you that something will happen to improve your ROM. If it was there once, it may come back if you can rest and not overdo things while you are away. Have a good time, I am sure you will have good weather, certainly a lot better than we will have on the Isle of Wight the from the 16th. Try not to worry about it and have good time.
 
Think that all the jumping up and down at work today has irritated my knee! Almost a year out and I'm in the ODIC club again. Iced and elevated tonight, just one more day left to go to work before my hols! Due to see OS on 7 June so hopefully will find out what will happen next to try and get my tight knee to bend more!
 
I do hope he can do something for you. Update when you get back from holiday.
 
Had a marvellous holiday. Weather in Portugal was warm and sunny, as always ate and drank a little too much!!!
Knee was a little tight and stiff but, funnily enough, not as bad as it had been in the UK which surprised me, however, it's now reverted back to UK standards, not sure if that's due to the travelling or just the fact it's a little colder here! I have my last appointment with the Physio tomorrow so will see what she thinks is causing the tightness/stiffness.
I did find that walking up hill was a little better than walking downhill in Portugal - only had to use my ice pack once whilst on holiday. May well have been the sangria that numbed the discomfort :heehee:
Will post an update after l see the Physio tomorrow.
 
I traveled to Costa Rica (hot weather) from Minnesota (cold, in December) and found it helped my knee a lot! This was after first surgery but before TKR but same issue of stiffness in joint. I think it has a big effect.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
@charmed-life Thats interesting, I did wonder if the warmer weather had helped. Back home in the colder weather it almost feels as if l have still got arthritis in the joint!!
 
:groan:Glad you had such good holiday Claire, we had a pleasant time on the Isle if Wight, but towards the end of it I thought I was being bitten by midges as I came out in itchy spots around my hairline. It turns out I have Shingles! I feel like I have flu at the moment, I can barely open one eye and feel like death. :dead: I don't know how my knees are as I ache everywhere. Spent yesterday afternoon at the hospital in eye casualty, and have to go again next week. I just hope these pills work, I feel quite wobbly with one eye virtually closed.
 
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