TKR CNM1 new knee June 16<

Ok @Josephine here I go
1. pain levels vary from 1-9. I over did it Sat (6000 steps - not intentional just noticed at end of day), Sun 9 all day. Mon started at 3-4 ended at 9 (PT came that day with new exercises)
2.Oxycodone 5mg 1-2 q 4hours, Tramodol q 8 hrs, tylenol 1gm tid
I take from 7-12 of the oxycodone, 3 tramadol, all the tylenol
3. leg swelling - moderate? There is a 5 inch difference between my rt and left knee, measured just above the knee. Little difference in calf. Bruising is severe. I am purple from knee to groin over 2/3 thigh
4. Flexion 120 , full extension. This home PT is very generous in his ratings. I do not think it is full extension and I think more like 90 flexion
5. Icing 4-5 x day for 30-40 minutes
6. I elevate when I am not walking. It varies from 3 pillows to 1 pillow depending on my hip pain
7. I am pretty active. I live alone. Kitchen on 1st flr, bathroom 2nd flr, laundry basement. I have worn an activity tracker for years. I have been doing 2000-3000 steps to one crazy day of 6000 steps. ( not trying to but just what getting around takes in my house)
8. home pt - I do a 5- 10 quad sets a couple of times a day
a 3-4 heel slides 2-3 times a day. So not much. MY home PT added standing toe raises and marching in place.After that my pain in my hip, ankle and knee went up to a 9. No more of those!! I am really thinking of skipping, office base PT - other than a few visits for monitoring. Repetitive motions agitate my joints. I do better with walking, gardening - whole body activity

I am miserable today so I am doing no exercises today.
 
Welcome to BS. I also have a lot of back and hip pain. I have some herniated disks in my back and boy did they raise their ugly heads during my surgeries. I would say over 50% of the time my back hurts more than my knees. I am seeing a neuro muscular massage therapist that is working wonders for those issues. That is in addition to my PT for my knees.

I'm also in healthcare. It's great cause we can stand up for ourselves and know more medically BUT....for me I had totally unrealistic expectations regarding my recovery and what I could do! I thought I was really prepared but I wasn't even close. It looks like you are doing way to much. With all the steps you are getting a day and swelling you need to be resting, elevating and icing! :welome:
 
I slept that way ( like you described) as of day 5 post op. ( I mentioned this on another post. ) Night nurse was surprised but did not admonish me. Hospital PT said ok to it also, as long as I had no pain. Did you ask your PT why not?
 
With all you are doing just taking care of yourself, you don't need to to PT or exercises at all. You are getting plenty already. I'm alone, also and never took PT or did organized exercises. Taking care of me and my rescued kitties was enough to rehab my knee. There are quite a few of us that never took PT or did exercises and we have recovered wonderfully without the pain and swelling that comes from over use.

You should never do squats on a new knee. Your pain level is so high because you are doing way too much. That isn't necessary at all. You will do fine just using your knee in your daily life, and then you won't have the pain and swelling that PT and exercising does to it. It isn't needed at all. Our own bodies know how to rehab our knees!
 
My home PT asked me why I was not going outside and sitting in my garden. I do not have handrails at my house and it was rough getting in with help when I came home. I am alone now. I do not feel safe going outside alone and walking over irregular lawn/paths. Am I being too cautious? The side door is easier but still involves one huge step.
You are NOT being too cautious. Until you are a bit more steady I wouldn't go outside, and especially not on uneven lawn. You'll get there, just not yet.
 
That's a whole lot of activity for this early post op. I cringe when I see PTs asking TKRs to do quads because they're really hard on new knees as is toes raises and marching n place. In this first month of recovery the bulk,of your day should be elevating, icing and resting because it will help the swelling go down. Once the swelling is down you'll be able to bend that new knee. Aggressively exercise just compounds the swelling and keeps the knee from bending.
 
Don't attempt to go down steps without handrails yet. You definitely need someone to hold on to going down and back up. Uneven ground is rough on new knees, too, and causes a lot of pain afterwards.
 
Thank you so much. That is my feeling. Today I am nauseous, crying and in pain. I have taken zofran daily for years for chronic nausea. The dose was increased because of the pain meds. I know ups and down are normal but it is hard when you are alone I do have people to call.
No more PT this week. In my 20s, I did weight lifting. I could leg press over 400 lbs. The week before my surgery, I moved 4 cubic yards mulch, 20 bags of gravel and removed a 150 pound stump!!! (While working full time) I am not lazy!! No pain no gain works for a 20 yr old weighlifter not a post surgical 62 yr.
 
Having a strong body will still do you lots of good, you'll find. What you don't have right now is a healthy, non-traumatized knee. Your right knee is all kinds of traumatized. It's been sawn, chiseled, hammered, and mauled. Its soft tissues were brutalized. Basically your bones were broken and the surrounding tissues dislocated. That knee is badly injured. Injured knees just aren't up to hauling gravel or pressing hundreds of pounds.

The good news, of course, is this was a planned injury, done under optimal conditions, and you will recover! In fact, you'll be better than ever. Thing is, recovery takes... time. Lots of time. You cannot dictate how long it will take. You cannot speed it up, only slow it down by not allowing it to happen. That's why the best thing you can do is give the knee what it needs. It needs rest and lots of your cooperation in not causing further damage. If exercise hurts, that's your knee telling you to stop it. If walking hurts too much, that's the knee telling you to just sit down already and let it heal. My knees have been bossing me around for seven weeks, and I've learned to listen to them. The more they get what they want, the more I get what I want! (For the record, I want to walk without pain. Not much to ask.)

You're absolutely right that "no pain, no gain" is a ridiculous maxim to apply to post-surgical anything. We're not training here, we're healing!
 
I agree with the others. Stop all the exercises and PT. What you do in your daily life is more than enough.
 
The PT just called. I told him how bad I am feeling. I am taking a week off and we will see how I am with a week of rest. Thank you all for the support.
 
I'm glad you took this step. Now rest, ice, elevate I'm betting you'll be feeling better and less pain. An active lifestyle will be possible, but not right now.
 
Take it day by day, each day you may be able to do more than the day before. Yes, uneven ground is hard to walk on and can cause pain, steps with out assistance in the beginning I would steer clear of and when your more sure of yourself. Everything will come back in time, pain meds, rest, and elevating and icing are about all that is needed in the beginning.
 
I'm glad you stopped PT this week. Like you, I've been very healthy and a strong hard worker. I found it didn't really mean a lot because my knee isn't sick, it's been traumatized! Your strength will help you move around, get out of chairs etc, but when it comes to the knee we are all on the same playing ground I think. Trauma to the knee is the same if you are 40 or 62. I also thought will power and determination would help me recover faster.... nope. You will find lots of support here!
 
I looked at your answers but you did not give them in the format I requested. For instance the timing of meds were using some acronyms I don't understand and your exercises were in essay form when I specifically asked they be in list. It makes it very difficult for me to make sense of it that way. Can you please redo the answers in the format requested as it can take me 30-60 minutes to write the reply. Please?
 
I am sorry - I will redo it tomorrow
 
Hi @Josephine , let us see if I can do this right this time
1. Pain 1-9 (includes hip bursitis/IT band and ankle pain)

2. Oxycodone 5 mg/acetaminophen 325mg I take 1-2 every 4-6 hours round the clock
Tramodol 50mg prescribed every 6 hours. I take 1-2 a day

3. Leg swelling moderate

4. Flexion 110-120
extension 100%

5. Icing 4- 5 times a day for 20 min

6. My leg is elevated when ever I am not walking. 1 pillow only for sleep

7. I live alone and do all my activities of daily living. Kitchen on 1st floor, only bathroom on 2nd, laundry in basement

8. 5 leg slides 3 times a day
IT band stretches 3 times for 2 times a day
 
How have you been doing? We haven't heard from you in a few days. Keep in touch.
 
It has been a rough few days. Not because of my knee but my hip pain. The hip pain is what is reaching 9-10 pain wise. I had a 10 hr break from the hip pain after several days of rest, ice (hip and knee). I went outside today to sit in my lounge chair and the walking seems to have aggravated it again. I am also using voltaren gel and lidocaine patches on the hip. It is some combo of bursitis, IT band and piriformis muscle. Knee seems to be doing well though. No change in flexion/extension with the decrease in exercises
While I was expecting hip issues because of how knock-kneed I was, it is still discouraging. Especially with all these beautiful days I am stuck inside. I am so glad that I found this site and have stopped all the unnecessary exercises that only inflamed my hip. It did not help for a few days my plantar fasciitis flared up too. I keep reminding myself it has only been 2 weeks it has only been 2 weeks!!
Any tips on how to find a gently PT??
Thank you for asking.
 

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