MUA Done in Time for the Carolina Basketball Game!

[sondrals]

Oh no! I think I’d hold off on considering it, you’re not even that far out. I’m no expert though I’m sure some of the more experienced Bonesmart members will share their input. Just out of curiosity what’s your bend now?

 

[Helizabug]

My bend now is 76. My extension is 12.

I know the good reasons NOT to do MUA, but I’d love to hear from people who had good outcomes.

 

[Jockette]

6 weeks is way too early to consider MUA. Your knee has barely had a chance to begin to heal in this year long recovery. I don’t know why surgeons don’t let the knee heal naturally, on it’s own timeframe.

This is what @TortiTabby experienced:

Just an update for those who are apprehensive about gaining ROM:
It has now been 26 weeks and all I do is ADL and this is what my ROM has done:
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks: 110
26 weeks (where I am today): 120!!!
I did it! My goal of 120! No "pushing through pain", no PT after the first 3 visits, and most importantly to me: No MUA! My surgeon who said I would never get beyond 85 ROM without pushing through pain was wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm excited to see if it gets even better.

 

[Helizabug]

Funny story. Getting my first pedicure in seand I can hardly get my foot in the basin.

@Jockette I am definitely paying heed to those accounts of long term recovery of ROM. I want to look at the whole picture, though the burden of proof is on the doctor. I am going to do a little more gentle work, holding at the edge of discomfort, not pain, for longer stretches (like during this pedicure, and in two weeks, if I can hit something that feels like continuing progress, I won’t agree to the MUA.

Of course, the trick is that it’s hard to tell what that kind of progress is for me. All kinds of things get in the way: my wishful thinking, the doctor’s experience, what I learn here, and so on. It’s almost like trying to decide whether or not to see the last Star Wars movie, except the stakes are higher.

Thanks for all the help and encouragement. I’m keeping my head in the game and my heart with my knee.

 

[Jockette]

To be honest, throughout my first year, I had trouble believing that the ROM would come in time. It was only after, that I believed it, because I saw the proof. By then, and since then, I’ve also read countless threads of members whose ROM came out fine at the end.

Of course there are some members who didn’t get it back, but I personally think they had issues that were never investigated by their doctors. Some of those members continued to be too aggressive with their efforts, and only ended up with a chronic problem.

6 weeks is way too early to determine whether or not you will eventually regain a good ROM. There’s so much healing that still needs to happen.

At 4 months I had a major set back. It took a month to improve and at that point, I had another major set back. So, at 5 months, I felt like I was back to square one. My ROM was poor the rest of that first year. I was so stressed. I had no faith and lots of fear! What if....!

Gradually over my second year post op my ROM improved. I continued to heal and my leg gradually relaxed, allowing it to bend better and better. I’m almost 3 years post op now, and I’ve seen even better bend these last months.

I look back now and get really annoyed at the push (litterally and figuratively) for us you get our ROM back in these early weeks. It does happen for some people, but not for all, and that’s ok. We are each unique and should not be held to the cookie cutter recovery that our surgeons and PTs want for us. That is not realistic.

 

[Helizabug]

@Jockette yours is one of the stories that is informing me in this decision. That’s one of the great gifts of BoneSmart for me, boots-on-the-ground knowledge, gained over the long haul. I still might go ahead with the MUA, but it will be because I’ve weighed lots of information.

 

[sistersinhim]

You have had other surgeries on your knee besides the tkr. You need to take those surgeries into account in affecting this recovery. I had 5 previous surgeries and my tkr recovery took longer than many others that had their tkrs at the same general time as mine. I was envious, but not concerned. I also knew that my recovery was on my knee's terms, not my wants. After all my surgeries I didn't take PT and knew how to gently recover my ROM and strength. Now, it's just as strong as my old knee and less painful! That was my goal, to be in less pain!

 

[Helizabug]

Just got back from a workout at our gym. I actually pulled on the rower for ten minutes, got my heart rate up and sweated! Very short strokes. It felt great at the time, but my ITband started hurting five minutes later. Also did some upper body work, some of which taxed my knee. I may pay for this, but my soul feels better than it has in months.

I think I’m throwing a revolution! I’m so, so weary of the limitations. And the MUA dilemma is driving me crazy.

We’ll see how I feel as the hours roll by.

 

[sistersinhim]

I imagine your knee is going to throw a fit. I hope not, but don't be surprised if it does. If it does, ice and elevate until it settles down. It might take a couple of weeks, if it's really angry, so be patient. I really hope it doesn't happen and your knee will be fine.

 

[Helizabug]

@sistersinhim I’m already icing and elevating.

I just couldn’t stand it anymore . . . which probably sounds absurd so early in this process. I am really beaten down by all this down time.

I am not known for my reserve in any circumstances, which is a blessing and a curse.

Maybe it will be okay.

 

[sistersinhim]

Maybe it will be okay.

I hope so.

 

[Helizabug]

Ugh. It’s not okay. I was hoping to spend some time playing board games with my brother, but I’m going to need more ice and elevation. I guess I had to learn for myself what was too much.

Poor me; poor knee.

 

[sistersinhim]

 

[Macknit]

I was right at 8 weeks when I kept slipping into the overdoing it club. I just wanted to get back to "normal". Then I had the very angry knee and it got worse as the Holidays hit. I took 2 weeks off of all exercise, because the ADL level was up anyway.

I'm heading back to the PT gym on the 21st and we are going to alternate gym and hydro therapy. I'm so very excited to be doing a bit more, now that my knee is slowly progressing. It is only 1x per week, and I can do my recumbent bike when I'm doing in-between activities!

Hang in there and try to relax, we all have to test where that line is that pushes us over the tipping point!

 

[Helizabug]

This morning, I can tell I overdid it, but I think I can manage with wisely applied rest, ice, and elevation. It’s certainly better than last night. We’ll see, as the day goes by, but this has been a good lesson that no one could have taught me, but me.

Now I wonder how I will know what level of activity I am ready for at any given point on this journey?

 

[Macknit]

Since I'm obviously not there yet....I don't know if we ever know during this first year....It is truly a balancing act!

Have you made any decision about the MUA? Or still in the research stage?

 

[sistersinhim]

What I did when increasing activities, I'd start will adding just a little and then wait and see how my knee reacted. If it was minor, I'd add just a little bit more. Usually, there was always a day of rest, icing and elevating in between these increased activities. This kept the pain and swelling down with being able to do a little bit more. I celebrated these little increases.

 

[Jockette]

but this has been a good lesson that no one could have taught me, but me.

There’s only so much we can say and then you have to learn some things on your own. I was pretty sure doing that rowing machine at only 6 weeks post op was not a good idea. If nothing else, you are still feeling that energy drain at this point. And 10 minutes!

I’m a bowler. I waited until 12 weeks before I started back. My first day back I only bowled one game. By the end of that game both my arms were a bit shaky. My arms did not have surgery, but they were affected, even the arm I didn’t throw the ball with. I did very little the rest of that day. The next week I did 2 games. (We usually do 3 games). I did 2 games in a row and sat out the third. For the next month I continued to do only 2 games, but I found it was better if I did the first and third games, and sat out the middle one. After that month I was able to bowl 3 games, but no where near my normal average. And, I couldn’t yet handle pulling my rolling bowling tote, so I put my ball in my husband’s bag and just carried my shoes, and he handled the rolling tote.

I also found out I couldn’t grocery shop in the morning, and bowl in the afternoon, even at 6 months post op.

 

[Helizabug]

@Macknit Istill hoping I can make some progress before the end of the month. I thought for sure I’d have some gains today because I’ve been gently, but determinedly working on my flexion and extension. My extension improved to 10 degrees after massage, but it took more force than was wise to get a flexion of 80. I imagine some of that was because of the workout, yesterday, but I was feeling better this morning.

@sistersinhim your progression seems good. I’ll try again with a much shorter duration . . . In a week or so.

@Jockette bowling is one of those sports that looks kind of sedate to me, and then I try it and I feel like my core is made of Jello! It takes a lot of stability and balance. Not surprised you had to build up, game by game!

Thanks to all of you!

 

[Helizabug]

Interesting thing last night at choir rehearsal. Two of our three people in knee recovery were there, and I was talking to the other one. She is two weeks behind me. And here is the comparison that is usually unwise, but I think it’s interesting:

• She has flexion at 100 degrees, and I didn’t ask about extension because I didn’t want to sound like I was competing; my flexion was 80degrees on Tuesday and achieved with too much force, resulting in swelling.
• She is in a lot of pain, while still medicating with Oxycodone most of the time; I am in some pain some of the time with no opiates and rare other medications.
• She still feels like she can’t walk much; I can walk some good distances, in my estimation, for my recovery.
• She can’t sleep; I get three to four hour long stretches at a time and fall back to sleep in the middle of the night, which is as much sleep as I ever get.

So, my quandary persists. I’m more comfortable overall, more ‘well’ by my estimation. But my ROM is unsatisfying.

I did ask her about icing and elevating, and she’s only doing it twice a day, so I exhorted her to do more, to rest, create some ease, be gentle. Find that sweet spot between improvement and torture. It’s got to be there somewhere!