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TKR Dealing with RLS after TKR<

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Navy, you are right , I will not wait too long if it continues , cause my wife will beat me if I complain ,and then don’t get to doctors. I am my own worst enemy , cause I look up all the symptoms on internet and relate them to everything from ulcer to stomach or pancreatic cancer.
 
Navy curious how did you end up with perforated colon 9 months later. Happened to my sister-in-law but she knew something was wrong 2 days later. Glad you caught it.
 
@Softtail, it happened 9 months after a normal colonoscopy. Turned out I must have developed an abscessed infection but I had no symptoms that were clearly indicative of a problem. At least not until that fateful day. Ended up with two major surgeries within 6 months time. Almost didn’t make it through the first one. I’ve learned the hard way to enjoy every day we have and to not fret about the little things.
 
Yes! I DO remember what it felt like if a leg dropped off the couch or bed too quickly. Not only was it excruciating pain, it was also "surely the thing that ruined my knee and was going to cause me to have to have it operated on again, only it was probably so badly wrecked that there's no way it could ever be normal." I didn't do the strap or loop, but did use the arm end of a crutch occasionally.

In retrospect, the nonplussed reactions of the med people that I shared these catastrophes with, were probably good for me.

My stomach issues started at night one night and I hurled multiple times the one night. Felt crappy for a couple days, but it did pass. I could be totally wrong, but I did think that it was from all the meds. So I traded those in for 'natural misery', and permission to have a quality brew or two now and then.

Can relate to the back pain, too...probably from all the laying around. Still facing some uncomfortable times where, my lower back/butt hurts if I lay down to ice/elevate, or, my knees will hurt from too much standing/walking...not pain pain, just really annoying discomfort, but, I'm sure that too will pass. :thumb:
 
Rhody, I am pretty sure the laying around is the cause of my minor back problem, which is more of an ache than a pain, but not taking any chances as best I can. Had a ruptured disc a few years back and that was no picnic for about 3 months. Wasn’t bothering me while I was laying around but now that I’m much more mobile I have that ache the lower part of my back top on my butt that comes n goes.

I purchased this book “The younger next year back book” that I am into and it’s really interesting on how to maintain a healthy back long term. Gotta find your neutral spine position and learn to maintain it all the time , and should’t Have problems again. Again part way thru it and really interesting and trying certain things really worked at least temporarily for now. It’s not like I’ve gotten anywhere to go right away so I’ll work my way through it and see how it goes . Takes my mind off my knee for a while LOL which is surprisingly good today.
 
Softtail said:
Thanks for all the time you put in answering everything. Just gonna stay positive and plod along.
Just one question that Here in US is drilled into us. If you don’t do the flexion/ extension exercises scar tissue will build up as incision heals and destroy your range of motion. Where does this come from, and is it just something that happens to a select unfortunate few, and/ or can it be avoided?
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I agree that is drilled into us here in the US. My in home therapist started mentioning that to me within the first week.....I kept thinking how the heck am I supposed to improve when I'm still so swollen? Of course this sent me to trying to do everything I could to improve it, which I see now probably did not help it one bit. When I went to see my OS he told me at four weeks he told me to cut out all therapy and focus on one exercise he gave me four times a day for ten min each time. And ice and elevate....i've since been doing just that and haven't measured my ROM since then but I do feel much better. At least I'm not in so much pain from the swelling and my stress levels have gone down. My mindset now is just to follow what my dr told me, and if the scar tissue happens to form I will deal with that if/when it happens, but for now im good :)
 
Kdimatt, it’s hard not to listen to what doctor tells us ,cause we have to revisit him and if you don’t do exactly what he says , you feel you screwed up. Unfortunately if you ask 10 different US doctors they will probably get 10 different answers to how to rehab your knee,or they will refere you to a PT expert.

Being the jock that I am, I chose to take a pretty aggressive approach to my rehab and for me it’s worked out pretty well. I controlled how much discomfort I let him push me too and I do mean discomfort not pain .
I have no idea if I would be in the same place if I had gone the no PT route, but fortunately ,in my case, my knee is in great shape at 7 weeks, so this approach has worked for me. My advice as is mentioned here frequently ,is listen to your knee if you do go the route I took, and if it’s not working for you stop. My doctor told me I would be chipping n putting in 2 weeks and playing full golf at 8 with my conformis knee. At 2weeks I definitely didn’t feel like doing much of anything, but at 7 weeks, With 55 degrees and sunny here in NY, I am planning on testing out my new knee on the golf course. Don’t plan on playing a full round and I may end up with some ice and elevation afterwards, but my knee has definitely come far enough that PT tech said give it a try.

He told me the new implant can take it but the soft tissue and ligaments around it might get a bit angry lol. Will follow up with results later
 
@Softtail and @KDIMATT, listening to your knee and doing what YOU feel comfortable doing is probably the best approach to rehab from knee surgery. Of course, there are bound to be individuals who don’t want to do anything in the way of pt, and that is probably going to be ok too as long as they are otherwise active. My personal concern would be folks who do nothing at all, including daily activities but that does not appear to be the majority here.

Regarding golf at 7-8 weeks, go for it! You will know real quick what your knee (mainly soft tissues) are able to tolerate. I played my first 9 at around 8 weeks, maybe a bit sooner (late May, early June). By the end of June I was playing every weekend. No issues yet.
 
Great to hear Navy. I know I am miles away from healing, but it’s amazing how far knee has come from week 5 to7 ,and now starting week 8. Not gonna be too many more windows here in upstate to try it out golf wise before weather really gets crappy. Next thing to look forward to sports wise for me is pickleball, but I believe I need to get beyond the 3 month mark before I attempt that.
 
Hope the golfing went well. We all get back to our favorite activities on a schedule that suits out knees and our dispositions. As long as you’re listening to your knee, you’re going to do all right. Stop if it’s telling you to stop, otherwise test the waters.

It’s the people who think they can push through any pain/warning and somehow emerge triumphant on the other side who do themselves harm. “My knee doesn’t like it? Well maybe it just needs more of this!” An injured knee really doesn’t need to “get used to” being injured. That’s not really what we want a TKR to do. Heal, baby. Heal.

But if we never take the knee on a test drive, how are we to know where it is in healing? Test, gently, but listen. And if the knee says “no,” obey.
 
Susieshoes, Been trying to follow that approach all along. As Navy said doing no PT doesn’t mean just lying around waiting for total healing to take place. Whether it’s formal PT, or setting your own course ie walking ,housework , chores etc. pick the route that’s right for you. I remember not long ago I went out and washed a couple of our cars and that effort alone wiped me out, and showed me how much energy is going into the healing process early on and doesn’t leave much left over. That’s why I think a half round of golf is probably biting off as much as I can chew today.
 
Softtail said:
Susieshoes, Been trying to follow that approach all along. As Navy said doing no PT doesn’t mean just lying around waiting for total healing to take place. Whether it’s formal PT, or setting your own course ie walking ,housework , chores etc. pick the route that’s right for you. I remember not long ago I went out and washed a couple of our cars and that effort alone wiped me out, and showed me how much energy is going into the healing process early on and doesn’t leave much left over. That’s why I think a half round of golf is probably biting off as much as I can chew today.
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GOOD LUCK!
 
Got to the golf course and swung a few clubs , but the guys had the perfect number without me ,it was 42 degrees, (expected mid 50’s lol) so I decided to wait . Could have gone out ,but didn’t seem sensible. Calling for mid 50’s on Tuesday so May shoot for that.

Pt added a few new exercises to do at home so will try those out and see how they go. Working on balancing now and it’s not easy to get it back. Isn’t for me anyway ,but made some slight progress this week. Relays on core strength, muscle and tendon strength and endurance as I have been told. I know all 3 of those need help ,so won’t expect to walk a tightrope for a few weeks / months?
 
@Softtail , my PT started incorporating balance stuff a couple weeks ago.....its definitely a challenge although I've always tried basic ones pre-surgery. Good prevention for falls as we get older.

The latest one added is weird - to use several senses at once.

Walk straight line for around a minute.
Heel to toe like on a balance beam.
AND....reciting words from a subject.
(Like girl names, states, countries, animals)
Funny knee and balance is great....just my mind sometimes draws a blank on the subject I've chosen.
Find the focus is completely taken off knee.....:bolt:
 
Some of these exercises are pretty universal it seems , cause I just did that one yesterday at Pt. Engaging core muscles definitely helps keep on track. Step front to back side to side and that’s a good one .
 
@Softtail and @Kiwigirl62, I remember all of those same routines. I remember them having me stand on my left foot with my eyes closed and my arms out to the side and try to touch my nose! I asked what that had to do with my knee! My PT laughed and jokingly said he just wanted to see if I would do it! We both got a good laugh, then he explained how many of the exercises are designed not for the knee but to get muscles and nerves to re-engage after being affected from surgery. Once they confirm all is good, we move to something else. Another they had me do was stand on my left leg on a small trampoline like thing and bounce a ball off a wall and catch it on the rebound. Again, another balance like exercise.

42 IS too cold to play golf, but I have to admit I’ve played when it was as low as 38. Not fun!
 
Navy so funny did the bounce the ball off the wall stand on new leg Monday of this week. Our Pt guys must have gone to same school lol. One other balancing item they have that I did was stand on a round wooden board that had a half a ball glued to bottom ,so you had to get right in center and try and balance on it. Did you sit in chair and then stand up. I have these exercises too which I think are strength ones. 1) sit in chair then stand up arms out to hit 30 in one minute. 2 wall sit where you put back against wall in seated position hold for 30 seconds. Works your legs and since they do not cause me any pain ,I have no problem with them.

See doctor on the 5 th Nov. so don’t know how many more visits before he stops PT, and I am on my own at Y.
 
@Softtail, yep, did the half balance board also. Had no sit-stand exercises. I did try a few of the wall squats (exercise ball between your back and wall while squatting). They bothered the ITband on the side of my knee, so we didn’t do those very often. Just now and then to see if any improvement. I never had any issues with all the other routines. Was able to do them with no pain and no problem actually doing the activity. My PT said that was due to my condition prior to surgery as well as the skill of the surgeon minimizing adverse impact on the soft tissues.
 
Navy wish I could say that. I waited so long till I pulled the trigger, my muscles turned to mush so I have a ways to go. Fortunately the strength exercises don’t cause me any undo pain, so I am pushing on. Balance will get better as muscles get stronger . At least that’s the plan
 
Don’t know how everyone’s weather is today , but here in ginger lakes it sucks. Cold rainy day for my trolly group to go winery hoping. Recovery is bad enough as is without throwing this crappy weather at us.. Two more months and off to Florida
 
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