You'll see a big difference by the end of September. You should go ahead and schedule it, you can always postpone it. But I don't see why it needs to improve all that much. I had both done at the same time, so it's not like I had a good leg. Plus, the PT is doing double duty. I'd schedule it asap, frankly. Let them progress together. Better to overlap the recovery than starting all over.
TKR Cflower's recovery
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Cflower
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This is turning out to be a pretty depressing day. I hate to sound so down and not very positive about this tkr thing. I was 5 weeks post surgery this past Thursday. I was getting to maybe 95 with the PT pushing and probably 90-93 myself. The doctor last tuesday recommended maybe thinking about doing an MUA. I'm totally frreaking out about this. First, I started tying to quit my hydrocone. Maybe that is too soon. I took three Alieve today, 1 hydrocodone at 7:00 a.m. and 1/2 a pill at 12:00 and three extra strength tynelol today. That's all. I will definitely be taking two before bed. This may be to blame for my negative attitude.
I've been reading some things online about MUA and most come from another site and no one is very positive at all about the procedure. My doctor uses a general so I would not be awake for the torture. Questions: If I'm at say 95° and he gets me to say 120°, is that short lived? Will I start going backward again from that point? Will I go to PT the very next day. Is this short lived ROM. I feel like I'm more nervous about this than the actual surgery. Would like to hear from anyone who has had this procedures.
I've been reading some things online about MUA and most come from another site and no one is very positive at all about the procedure. My doctor uses a general so I would not be awake for the torture. Questions: If I'm at say 95° and he gets me to say 120°, is that short lived? Will I start going backward again from that point? Will I go to PT the very next day. Is this short lived ROM. I feel like I'm more nervous about this than the actual surgery. Would like to hear from anyone who has had this procedures.
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Cflower
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Jo, this may go under my thread but I wanted to see if I could get a quick answer. I'm 5 1/2 weeks from surgery. Incision looking great. But I woke up this morning with a tiny black spot right in the middle of my knee cap. It looks a little red and a tiny bit puffy. My first instinct was to panic but could this possibly be a stitch from the inside coming to the top for some reason. I can probay drive into Houston tomorrow after pt to have OS take a look but I would hate to do that if he's going to say its a stitch. You can move this to my thread if it's where it should be.
speccybecky
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I wouldn't like to say what it is im no expert but I did have a stitch come out the wound, it made a hole in my leg and nurse had to 'dig' it out with tweezers
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
I think you mean forceps, Nancy! Nurses don't use tweezers, them's for eyebrows! 
Cflower I will add this to your thread but please don't do it again. It makes a lot of work for us.
As for this spot, it depends upon its position in relation to the wound. A picture would help! If that's what it is, just keep it covered with a sterile Ban Aid until you see your surgeon again. There's no need to panic, it's not serious.
Cflower I will add this to your thread but please don't do it again. It makes a lot of work for us.
As for this spot, it depends upon its position in relation to the wound. A picture would help! If that's what it is, just keep it covered with a sterile Ban Aid until you see your surgeon again. There's no need to panic, it's not serious.
Can you post a photo, Cflower? I really don't think you have anything to worry about, but if it concerns you and you'd feel better seeing your surgeon sooner than your scheduled appointment, give his office a call on Monday morning.
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
speccybecky
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Josephine it was tweezers! .....and he used the other nurse's specs !!......and then told me he could strike a match off the hairy legs! 
![[Bonesmart.org] Cflower's recovery](https://data.bonesmart.org/attachments/2/2765-7f27c4f361f7ceba753c46a2c3ae57ae.jpg?hash=fyfE82H3zr "[Bonesmart.org] Cflower's recovery")
bottomshollow
Former BoneSmart staff member
Cflower, I don't honestly know if it's anything to worry about---but if it was me---I'd be at the OS's office today without fail. Better safe than sorry.
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Cflower
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I heard back from pa and she said it was probably an erupting stitch. When I went to pt today and first thing got on bicycle it popped and bled a little. The stitch coud have been in the blood but I didn't look just wiped it off and put on bandaid. When i got home I put peroxide and bandaid. It oozed a little more blood but no puss. It isn't black anymore so I assume, hope the stitch came out in the blood. PA Sid if it isn't better by Wednesday they will phone in antibiotic. Hub says it looks better already since it erupted.
Dmgkag
member
Hi.. You need to be seen in the doctor's office. If it is a long distance to drive maybe you can go to your local doctor. It would be better to go and find out it is nothing than to not go and then find out it is something!
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Cflower
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Question about cutting down on hydrocodone. But first I have to say since cutting back I don't feel as good. When I visited the OS a week ago he asked me if my pain meds were still working good. I said yes. I told him I was trying to cut back (mainly because I didn't think he would keep refilling) he had me stop my meloxicam and told me to take alive B-L-D and I could use Tylenol along with the hydraodone. I have probably gone through 7 refills. The first three weeks I took them every four hours. Today I will have taken 4 by bedtime. 1 1/2 at 8:00 am before pt then at 1:00 pm only 1/2 pill, 4:20 1 Tylenol xstrength because I was starting to hurt a little and wanted to stretch out the window, 6:00 1/2 H and at 10:00pm I will take 1 1/2 h and have a wonderful nights sleep until about 6 then start all over again.
My question is would you consider this cutting back -- that's still 4 pills in one day-- I think that still puts me under 2,00 mg of Tynenol. I feel discomfort during the day taking the 1/2 pills. Should I be taking the Tynenol along with the hydrocodone instead of staggering it in between.
Where the dark spot on knee erupted it looks 100% better hope tomorrow it looks back to like the rest of incision looks.
I have to say this is a pretty nice looking knee compared to the other one with lumps and bulges.
Tomorrow after I do my exercises I may go to 24 hour fitness. Prior to France trip in march I was going three times a week. The walking and metro was the downfall of the old knees and I had nit gone back. It will feel good to try and ride their bike and also start back to some upper body exercises. Whenever I'm released from physical therapy Im going to use the master trainer at this place who specializes with people who have had replacements and strokes etc. it will be worth the money for me to get a routine that I can do there and then continue my own exercises at home. Sure would like more ROM without the MUA. That still scares me
My question is would you consider this cutting back -- that's still 4 pills in one day-- I think that still puts me under 2,00 mg of Tynenol. I feel discomfort during the day taking the 1/2 pills. Should I be taking the Tynenol along with the hydrocodone instead of staggering it in between.
Where the dark spot on knee erupted it looks 100% better hope tomorrow it looks back to like the rest of incision looks.
I have to say this is a pretty nice looking knee compared to the other one with lumps and bulges.
Tomorrow after I do my exercises I may go to 24 hour fitness. Prior to France trip in march I was going three times a week. The walking and metro was the downfall of the old knees and I had nit gone back. It will feel good to try and ride their bike and also start back to some upper body exercises. Whenever I'm released from physical therapy Im going to use the master trainer at this place who specializes with people who have had replacements and strokes etc. it will be worth the money for me to get a routine that I can do there and then continue my own exercises at home. Sure would like more ROM without the MUA. That still scares me
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Cflower
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Really considering the MUA. Have a few questions for anyone who has undergone it. First, I ill be put to sleep so I won't feel anything. Am I going to wake up with a knee as swollen as after the tkr? If OS gets me to say 120 then will I be swollen the next day and be back to 90 degrees. I know I will have to work hard and my pt says normly you go five days in a row then strt back the next week st 2-3 x. But I assume if I am flexible to 120 jst doing all the flexing exercises have to be easier. Hope someone out there has done a MUA. I've read some on the board
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Cflower
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Does anyone have a thing called "The Stick". I have used this on sore IT band knots. It's about 18-20 inches long and has these hard plastic rollers about 2" long on it. I'm wondering if I could roll this over the sides of my leg to break up scar tissue (not on the scar itself) and if that would work. Also my PT has never used the TENS thing on me. Is that suppose to break up scar tissue. I'm thinking of asking them if they could add on time to the PT to do this.
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Cflower
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Well, I have decided to do the MUA this coming Monday, August 13. I will be seven weeks next Thursday. That probably seems too early to some of you but I have really not progressed passed 95 at best. Once I told the pt that the OS did not want them forcibly bending my knee they backed off and left it up to me in the exercises to do all the pushing. Believe me I push and and sweaty by the time I leave pt.
Not that I'm impatient but I want my other knee done the last week in September and he will not do it until this first knee is further along. I have to go on Medicare nov 1 and I do not want do deal with the government being involved in my surgeries telling me what I can do and can't do. I have a garden club program to do november 1 and to be up to that I really need this surgery in September. If not then then I'm waiting until January and I have to start my copayment and out of pocket all over again. For this knee it was $2000 but when I get on Medicare it will be $2500. I have zero copays for therapy right now.
This doctor would not do the MUA if he thought it was too soon so I'm trusting him. I will go to therapy that afternoon after returning home and do therapy every day for two weeks. I feel like I have no swelling in my tkr leg now. In fact it looks smaller than my other leg and boy does the new knee have a better look.
Not that I'm impatient but I want my other knee done the last week in September and he will not do it until this first knee is further along. I have to go on Medicare nov 1 and I do not want do deal with the government being involved in my surgeries telling me what I can do and can't do. I have a garden club program to do november 1 and to be up to that I really need this surgery in September. If not then then I'm waiting until January and I have to start my copayment and out of pocket all over again. For this knee it was $2000 but when I get on Medicare it will be $2500. I have zero copays for therapy right now.
This doctor would not do the MUA if he thought it was too soon so I'm trusting him. I will go to therapy that afternoon after returning home and do therapy every day for two weeks. I feel like I have no swelling in my tkr leg now. In fact it looks smaller than my other leg and boy does the new knee have a better look.
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