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Knee Infection Finally Finishing Up

Your leg is looking amazingly good, Peg. You and your surgeons have done an excellent job. :yes!: :happydance: :yay: :dancy: :flwrysmile:
 
Had my PT assessment yesterday. I will be going twice a week, Monday and Friday. All I am doing is Quad sets, seated hamstring stretches, standing calf stretches and heel slides to the 30*. All with the brace on. I am really happy to be doing something :)
 
You are the road back to normalcy! Each step is a step forward. You go girl. You've got this!
 
Your brace is just like mine. You'll be glad to be rid of it when the time comes, but it's reasonably comfortable while you have to wear it.


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Just got back from PT and it was a great workout. I never thought I would say this but I like being able to exercise the legs and put a little strain on the muscles:) I was immobile for too long.
 
What a blessing to hear how far you have come. Before you know it, you'll be off camping!
 
You've had such a long journey, Peg. It's really good to know that you are almost at the end of it. :yes!: :happydance:
You have summer ahead, to look forward to getting out and about, too.
 
I wasn't immobile nearly as long as you, but I loved PT for the same reason. I think for both of us, the PTs know/knew to be gentle and not push too hard. It was also a social time for me, I loved talking and learning about everyone's life after being cooped up for a few months.
 
I got to move the brace to 60* Flex today. I noticed that it won't be as easy as the 30*. On the heel slides it just stops short just after 30 so it looks like the work is just starting. I have no complaints about it though because I am up walking with out the crutches (as long as the brace is on) with "heel to toe" on the mind:) There is really no pain..just an ache and tiredness. I can only walk so far and both thighs (quad muscles) start to feel like lead. On the right leg where they had to repair the donor site incision the skin graft is sticking to the muscle. I can really feel it at times. Working those muscles again is something else. After being on the crutches for a year I can understand why the legs just feel tired by afternoon. It is progress that I am happy with:)
 
When I was allowed to bend after a month of keeping it straight my TKR was stiff and it did take some pushing on my part, but there was never real pain, just discomfort.
 
Peggy 60* is wonderful! I imagine all this seems so new to you after being laid up for so long! I love watching your progress.
 
Your knee and leg have been through so much, Peg.
I think it's OK for them to make slow progress with bending. They will get there in the end, even if it takes a bit longer than most do.
 
Gentle, periodic stretching. It will get there. When I was in the military, I had a PT who seemed to take great delight in jamming his thumb into the area where the skin was sticking to something and popping it loose after my right arthroscopy. Hurt like the dickens for a few seconds, but I had to agree that area wasn't sticking anymore. I was never able to do that myself, but I sometimes could do a gentle massage in an effort to keep it from sticking in the first place.

Strength will return in time. Everyone always talks about the quads, but my quads always seemed fine to me. What I discovered wasn't fine was my hamstrings. I had to mentally think how they needed to work then mentally focus on making them do what they needed to do. Once I got them working again, they've been developing well.

Congrats on being opened up to 60.
 
@PolarBear60 ...Ouch!! That sounds painful. I don't even want to mess with it because it is a skin graft. The plastic surgeon told me she would take care of it when I was good with the knee so I will leave it to her talented hands:) I know I will work my way through the tiredness but the other leg took me by surprise. I must have been putting more weight on the crutches than I realized...but then again looking at the calluses on my hands it makes sense. I am just glad to be walking:)
 
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