couple of questions

[misscheer]

HI
I had a TKR on June 23rd I am feeling wonderful and at times forget that I have had it done. I am walking no limp and have great Rom and flex it is just like normal. My question is I only had in home pt the first four weeks of post op. I have not had any pt is this the normal? When I saw my ot for my 4 week he told me to do whatever I wanted and just exercise at home which I have but not every day. At my 8 week all was well and he said do whatever I wanted. I can ride the bike I could at 4 weeks go all the way around anyway so I do do that once in a while. I really have no problem at all it feels normal I only remeber I have had it done when it is going to rain other than that it is fine. I think at times I am a strange case because when I read the posts it seems like everyone is still at pt even at 4 months. I think my attitude before I had it done had a lot to do with it I was very postive and determined to do everything right. Which I did I had no problems at all swelling almost all gone jsut a little at times. I just feel normal again I know at 3 weeks I thought I would never be normal again but I feel normal now.Thanks for listening I just think at times that I am abnormal and should be doing more.

 

[Nursepair]

Wow, you are so lucky!! I am at 9 months and still at PT striving to get beyond my
107 ROM. It is still stiff and often swollen. I walk quite well though, just have trouble getting uf from seats and the car. Everyone is different. I was so positive when I had it done I thought it would be like my menisectomy's and I would be back to normal in a few weeks!! NOT!!!!

Just think yourself very lucky you didn't have to go through all the PT pain. I am very pleased you are back to normal. I can't wait to be like that. Take care and enjoy your new lease of life. It's what this is all about eh? Sue

 

[Josephine]

LOL! That's the point of joint replacement - that you get to the point where you FORGET YOU'VE HAD IT DONE!! Generally it takes about 10-10 months to get to that point but you've made it in 3 - that is truly awesome!

But - did you have an MIS and/or a partial TKR?

 

[misscheer]

I had a total knee replacement.

 

[Josephine]

Then wow! I am truly impressed - you've done wonderfully well.

 

[Kimgrif]

HI
I think my attitude before I had it done had a lot to do with it I was very postive and determined to do everything right. Which I did ...

I think that attitude could describe just about every single poster here on the board.

I'm happy to hear you've done so well!

 

[laurelb]

I was dc'd from PT after 2 weeks of home and 6 weeks outpt 2x week. My flexion is 95 and extension 7. Not the best. I am now going to the gym and doing pool and machines. I also ride the bike at home and sometimes the treadmill. I also have a total gym and will try to start using. I am an RN and expect to return at 3 mos. I had TKR on 7/29 and see my MD on 10/23. Right now I am not sure how it is going to work out on my return. Job involves a lot of walking and after a certain amount of distance I get shin splints and have to stop. Insomnia is still a problem and my PCP and I are working on that. So, I hope I will soon get better in all areas and be glad I did the surgery. I am not at this point. Did not realize the rehab time was so long. In the hospital we do not see the pt's later.

 

[Linda2]

I am still a great believer in PT. I am going to start by saying that I truly believe most all of us go in with a great attitude. After all, we are willing to try something new. We are all different, however, and while some are as fortunate as Misscheer, others have a bit more difficulty. PT's help us to do things correctly, and sometimes can stop problems before they start. There's a man at my PT's who had his knee replaced over a year and half ago. At the time--no PT. Now he has a new doctor who has sent him, and he's really struggling .

I am happy you have had such great success MissCheer

Linda2

 

[misscheer]

Thanks Linda. I have surprised myself too. I just feel great and am so happy it is done and over with. Happy I had it done too. I had a kidney removed back in 1999 when they cut you almost in half and I only spent4 days in the hospital and was walking the day after and returned to work after 3 weeks feeling great. I guess I just recover quickly and move on. All my life I have been a go getter I hardly ever slow down I keep going and moving. My son who is 26 laughs at me because i watch kids all day from 6:30 to 5:45 everyday then I cook clean and do whatever errands I have to do then just go to bed and fall asleep he can't understand how I can do that but I do. So my recovery on my knee was amazing people forget that I have had it done until they see the scar.1 am just so happy that I had it done do not regret any minute of it. Right now it is a distance memory. Thanks to all for the advice and most of all for listening I know in the begining it was tough going but it is great now.

 

[Simon]

Misscheer

I really think alot of the recovery/need for PT/length of PT is due to the state of the knee preop. For those of us that have had numerous major knee surgeries (not just scopes though those also create scar tissue) have developed alot of scar tissue and have had ligaments, muscles and tendons moved and reattached sometimes more than once and some of us even have had bone grafts to reposition the patella tendon. There is also a time factor, the longer you have had really bad knees the more damage you do, the worse shape your muscles are in and you have developed all kinds of adaptive ways of walking, standing and just surviving. All of this damage, biomechanical issues and the addition to what OA has done just makes recovery harder, slower and just more difficult

There is also the surgery factor. Most TKR take around 1 1/2 hours (actual surgery time). If things are not going right and surgery time starts getting longer you are just adding more trauma, blood loss and the effects of the tourniquet. TKR is a very rough surgery, lots of pulling, cutting, hammering and pushing. My left knee took just under 2 hours, the right one 4 hours and the difference between the 2 postop in regards to swelling was major. My right knee and low leg were so so tight. All this swelling etc sure can't help the ROM.


I really do think this is true as in the inpatient rehab hospital my first roomie was about 68 and was already over 100 when she arrived (3 days postop) and moving very well and was out of there in about 3 days. She had OA and it only making difficult for about 3 years. The 2nd roomie was about 70 and also quickly got ROM and was allowed to be up without a nurse in a few days and was out of there in 4 1/2 days. I was there 11 days (though I did have a slight tibia break as well).

With each surgery I had the harder it was to get ROM and break up the scar tissue. By BTKR was June 3rd and I am still going to PT and will be till I see the OS again on Nov 14th as he wanted to see if we could hit 120. I manage a degree of ROM every week or so. I am finally 115/-3 R and 118/0 left so it looks like I will escape a MUA.

I just so glad everything went so great for you and that you are feeling so good, that is something to look forward to. My OS said it will take me 14 to 18 months to get to that point.

Simon

 

[misscheer]

Simon you are right about how the knee was prior to surgery I had a scope in 2002 and all was well until 2006 then I had another scope and another one in 2007 then again in 2008, I was then given three options live with it, try the shots again,or TKR I choose the TKR. I was in surgery less than an hour my os told my husband that the fit was great no other damage no scar tissue. So I think that is why I recovered so quickly because there was no other damage done inside and I went early enough to prevent any ohter damage. So many of my friends and family told me to wait yoiu are to young take the meds and deal with it. Well I listened to myself and had it done and am so happy I did. I am sure if I waited the recovery would not have been so easy and fast, I was lucky I had it done early. It is so funny seeing your knees on the xray the TKR looks alien compared to the other normal knee it looks so big and yoiu can see the components it is amazing.