TKR christeen's knee journey 8/11

[Celle]

Question... Does anyone know of an App or good site for TKR home PT?

It's not an app, but we do have an article about home PT.
Home physio (PT) and activity progress: suggestions

 

[bdink21]

@Poz222 hope your flight was comfortable and uneventful. Enjoy your weeks away from home but take it easy!! Update us when you can!

 

[Poz222]

Made it! Flight was good. I had plenty room in business class and could sit back with knee up. I brought ice bag so all was OK. I had used the wheelchair service which helped soooo much! We are settled and relaxing now. It was quite a looong day and ghe little angry man in my knee is really pitching a fit so I am calling it a night! We see how I feel tomorrow.
Bridget, how u feeling today after such a spectacular day yesterday?

Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

 

[bdink21]

Glad that you reached your destination safely! Sorry about that angry man, hopefully he quickly is soothed and stays quiet for you. As for me......can you say roller coaster lol. Just when I think things are on an upswing, my knee quickly reminds me that this is a marathon and not a sprint. I had increased pain and swelling for several days after that Friday. My day went quickly downhill after my post. I don't think it was the walk rather the PT the day before when he had me using weights. I didn't feel pain at the time but even before my walk I was a little stiffer so....I iced, elevated, and rested for the next several days. Feeling better now but know to enjoy the good days for what they are and to be patient with this recovery. Lesson learned....

 

[Poz222]

Yes roller coaster it is... I too have had ups and downs. Mostly because of the ups and downs. I never realized how tricky uneven pavement can be. I was so consumed looking down to make sure of my footing, I almost walked into the street! I am walking a lot and there are some stairs here where I am in Switzerland and the hills are definitely not something I have to contend with in Florida. But I am enjoying the peacefulness as I have most of the day to myself while hubby is working and we are close to town to walk some. Knee is doing good, some mornings I wake up thinking "wow I am back to ok" then I go to move it and yow!!! I try to ice and elevate and rest in between activities. I would definitely ease up on the weights as u know I gave up with formal PT cause they pushed too much but I feel like I'm doing just fine on my own. Hope ur continuing to do well and we will one day be to a point of feeling "normal" in that knee again!

Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

 

[Kssii]

I don't think it was the walk rather the PT the day before when he had me using weights. I didn't feel pain at the time but

@bdink21--Oh yes!! I misunderstood the amount of weight my PT was using and did the exercise at home using twice as much--no it didn't hurt at the time, but boy did I pay for that mistake.

 

[Poz222]

Man oh man am I getting a workout with this knee. So we are staying in Switzerland for a few weeks for my hubby's work HQ. generally that means quirt rest for me most days BUT He had a few days free and Ryanair had $60 RT flights to Krakow Poland where one of our exchange student lives... so off we went! Boy did I test this baby out!
I tried to be prudent and take frequent rests and ice when I could but I think I walked 2-4 miles a day. AND on uneven surfaces! And guess what! It did wonderfully! Truly, the First time in a LONG time I could walk that much. And Krakow is such a wonderful beautiful city! Am I exhausted? OH YES YOU BET! But feeling great cause I got to experience this.
Now for one more week resting here in Switzerland then back to USA and calm! Feeling extremely blessed and happy! I have a an 8 week follow up with OS when I get back and I think he will be HAPPY! I know I am!

 

[Celle]

It's great to hear that your knee is doing so well. You've asked a lot of it so soon after surgery and, happily, it has responded well.

I was in Krakow for a couple of days, about a month ago. i agree that it's an interesting and beautiful city.

 

[Slainte]

So happy for you! Wish we had something like Ryanair here in the States. Cannot beat their prices. You couldn't afford NOT to go!

 

[cairistiona60]

You are so lucky to be in Switzerland! I was there a few years ago. We were on our honeymoon in the north of Italy and we drove from Italy, into Switzerland then France all in the space of a few hours. I wish we could take cheap flights the way they do in Europe. It is ridiculous what we have to pay just to go somewhere in the same country. Glad to hear the knee is mostly behaving. Did you set off the metal detector?

 

[bdink21]

Wow you are doing so well! Must be that Swiss air lol!! Glad your knee is handling all you are asking of it. My knee seems to be doing great as well although my non TKR knee is acting up. Do lots of resting this week. Wishing you safe travels home...

 

[Poz222]

@ caristona .. I am used to setting off metal detectors as I have bi-lateral shoulder replacements and bi-lat hips too... they are usually pretty good about it. Europe is a bit more relaxed but in the USA I look for the scanner machines so to avoid the feel up!

Bdink21...sorry ur "good" knee is acting up (or is it that it is acting the same but since the tkr knee is healing that it hurts more?)

But I do LOVE the fresh mountain air here and seeing all the hiking elderly folks around here I guess got me inspired... lol ... now for a restful week then the last flight home to USA. to be honest as wonderful as it us, I am soooo ready to be home in my own bed with my kitties.... but I shall enjoy my last week here! Everyone have a great healing week!

Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

 

[cairistiona60]

Hope you are enjoying a relaxing week eating chocolate and breathing in that lovely mountain air. Also hope the flight home is not too uncomfortable for you.

 

[Poz222]

Soooo happy to be home!!!! I had a really rough flight home... we had such rough air cause of Hurricane and the seat belt sign was on the whole time and I had regular seats so I did not get much opportunity to move the leg. By the time we got home (after a 1 hour delayed train and 1 hour late flight) my leg and ankle was swelled and I was scared of dvt. But after resting and elevating it went down so whew!

I went to OS today for 8 week follow up and he was like "have u been doing PT?" I'm like "I kinda been doing my own thing" but he checked it -1 extension and 122 flex so he was thrilled. But he wants me to do some PT to work on the limp I have.

So overall an amazing trip but happy to be home! And very happy to be back wearing shorts as the pants thing really irritates the scar! Lol...

Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

 

[Celle]

-1 extension and 122 flex so he was thrilled. But he wants me to do some PT to work on the limp I have.

Your ROM is great.
PT at this stage, to correct gait and improve balance, can be invaluable.
When you walk, try to do it like this:

Lengthening your stride a bit may also help you to achieve full extension.

 

[kneeper]

I agree. PT can help you see how you're walking and coach you on how to develop a good gait, because it's often hard to tell ourselves, how we're walking.

 

[bdink21]

Glad you made it home safely!! Your knee is doing great! When I first tried walking without my cane I limped a lot too..that's how I was walking pre TKR. I really had to concentrate on proper gait but now have no problems. Hope PT works out better for you this time lol! Maybe you'll get the same guy and he can see how awful you've done without pain lol! Would love to see the surprise on his face.

 

[Poz222]

Went to PT today but a new place after my last disasterous encounter!! I really liked this place and the therapist. He is a push but not to pain kind of person. He gave me a REALLY deep knee massage and identified 2 places that were tight including one that seems to be the point that is stopping my knee from bending more... And one lump of scar tissue. Some "tender" spots but I think the massage helped. He evaluated my gait, we did 15 minutes on bike then ice it down. I am at the point where I need help stretching the quads and calves so I am happy with the thearapy today. He measured my rom less than the Dr's quick measure (115 vs 121) but I don't really focus too much on numbers, but functionality. Rom will come with time...

Generally I can't say the knee "hurts" cause it does not, but I can say it still does not "feel" like mine... It still feels "foreign" and different. I did not have that feeling with my hips, they felt like my own since day 1 but I had that same sensation with my shoulders at first. I guess like them, eventually this knee will feel like it belongs to me.

I am still so exhausted after the trip... Maybe still a bit of jet lag... I just need to pace myself as I re acclimate to daily life. I am really happy to be back cooking in my own kitchen with my equipment, spices, pantry stuff etc... Hubby is happy I am back cooking my usual again too! I do miss the crisp mountain air though :-(

 

[Poz222]

So I have been going to PT regularly and doing quite well. The new PT place is very open to input from patients and does not do any shoving or overly painful movements. They rotate what is worked on, one day ROM exercises and massage, next session might be massage and loosening muscles and the next session being muscle strengthening... I like the rotation method. All my walking around Europe did help me in my use and functionality, but I was overusing some muscles compensating for others, so I have some weak areas. The massage is concentrating on my IT band connection and an an area in the back of the knee as well as scar desensitization. They are pretty happy with my ROM but are working on making it move easier. But they are not overly obsessed with numbers or forcing anything. They, like me figure with time it will come.

My main complaint is stiffness now. I can't say I have actual "pain" but it just does not feel like "mine" yet and after sitting or standing too long it gets really stiff...but It still feels foreign in my body. And I do have muscle soreness. The only time I feel real discomfort is after a few hours in bed, it starts to ache... I take tramadol at night but otherwise an occasional Alieve... I do walk rather slowly and have a bit of a limp but I am sure it will eventually go away. I'm working on all of that.

I am soooo happy I followed the BS way and basically did nothing but light stretching and gentle movements the first few weeks and ice ice ice, elevate and keep the pain level down.... In talking to other kneebees they complain about how hard PT was and how painful those first few weeks yada yada... I was like "I did not do PT the first few weeks and instead let my knee heal" and they were surprised... We all all about the same point now and I am further along in many regards and did not put my body through the unnecessary pain and frustration... So for those struggling against the pressure to do aggressive PT... Don't worry.... I 100% believe in the less is more for the first couple weeks....

I shall keep moving forward now with my PT and just living life with my new knee... I know time will heal all,and eventually I will be back to good. But overall very satisfied with where I am at the moment!

 

[Slainte]

Very encouraging report!