TKR Fire wolf recovery<

[Pheebs52]

That's a great description at Jockette and I *think* it happens to all of us. It certainly happens to me, though with less frequency these days or perhaps I'm just getting used to it? I dunno, but it is a weird sensation. Somewhere, probably here, I believe I read our ligaments and muscles tighten up around the implant and we just naturally experience less of this sort of thing. At any rate, I don't think we should be concerned about it yet. If it's still feeling really odd in a year, well then, ok, we can go back to our surgeons and complain. I'm confident it will all become *normal.*

 

[Fire wolf]

My money says you'll wake up tomorrow back at Square One,

Nooooo!!! Not back to square one! Oh, the thought is just awful!

 

[rubyyarn]

Just some thoughts on Spence...

He is the Alpha knee. God help the other one if you ever have to get it done.

Spence rides the mechanical bull in a country/western bar.

Spence goes yabba dabba doooo...!!!

 

[Pheebs52]

Er....ok....perhaps a miscommunication here? Back to where you were this morning before you did this oddball thing to Spence tonight while resting? Howz dat?

 

[Fire wolf]

Much better!!

 

[Fire wolf]

@rubyyarn , thankfully I have only destroyed 1 knee over the years, so hope to never need 2nd one done!

 

[Pheebs52]

Phew!

 

[Pheebs52]

Just curious; have you ever had your other knee x-rayed @Fire wolf?

 

[Fire wolf]

No I have not. Never had a reason to.

 

[Fire wolf]

The knee that Original Spence and Bionic Spence replaced has been a chronic problem since 1990 when I had first arthroscopic surgery done due to tearing lateral meniscus playing college basketball.

 

[Jockette]

Take very good care of that other knee! My other knee has issues, but it is just going to have to get over itself as I will have to be desperate to have it done, after doing this one!

Really, your surgeon doesn't measure your rom at your check up? That is so awesome!! I want that surgeon IF there's ever a next time!

And mine is big on PT. At my 6 week check I asked if I could stop going because it was starting to do more harm than good and he said "but we haven't finished fixing you yet" I had found Bonesmart by then and knew it was not "them" fixing me at that point.

I am not an active person and I have never been an athlete, so it would have been lovely if I had ended up with a PT who would have gently led me through this recovery. While mine were not overly aggressive, they did do things that were. They forced my knee to measure at almost every appointment and put me in the pool way to early and had me do a ridiculous amount of exercises in the first ( and only) session.

Oh well, onward right?

How is Spence this morning? Did he settle down?

 

[SusieShoes]

I always miss the nighttime conversations, so am also hoping Spence is back to his new old self this morning and behaving better.

Have you ever weighed your Cryomax ice pack? I'm asking because the ice blanket thing I use weighs a TON. Okay, only about six pounds. But that's a goodly amount of weight on a knee. When I'm icing and I want to move Lefty (ye old cranky knee), Lefty kind of shifts in there. Never anything like the pain you describe, but I feel it. If your Cryomax has some weight to it, lifting the leg while having it on there might have been more than Spence could tolerate.

I doubt you've done permanent damage. Probably just some soft tissue being unhappy as the others have said. But now that you know Spence isn't into weight-lifting, that might be something to avoid next time.

Oh, and I hope your other knee will be forever healthy!

 

[Jockette]

@SusieShoes My knee is very sensitive to the weight of an ice pack, still, at 6 months post op. I bought a new pack recently at Target, it was flexible, with bubble pockets that froze, but there was just water in the bubbles, not gel, so that it was very hard. My knee didn't like the weight or the hardness.

@Fire wolf I looked at yours on Amazon but the info didn't say if it had gel in the bubbles. Otherwise it looked similar in style to mine with the "ice cubes" in the pockets.

 

[Canada35]

Yikes! That sounds like Spence misbehaving for sure! Hopefully he is feeling better today! And you too!
Sometimes we just move a fraction and put a "kink" where there shouldn't be one. Not saying that Spence is kinky lol!

 

[sandi4213]

I hope that Spence is feeling better today. It's kind of an adventure trying to figure out what we may have done to irritate our knees, isn't it? I think @SusieShoes May be onto something with the weight of the ice pack being the culprit.

 

[Polkadot]

I had a similar event while sleeping. Confusing, isn't it? Perhaps Spence just wants more attention. He's tired of his role as the mountain-climbing, dashing, daring one and wants a little cuddling.

Hopefully this latest discomfort won't last long, and he wil be up to his hijinks soon.

 

[Fire wolf]

Really, your surgeon doesn't measure your rom at your check up? That is so awesome!! I want that surgeon IF there's ever a next time!

No he never has. I only had 3 follow up appts including the one to remove staples, and don't go back until next May. He never asked me to show him how far I could bend it or anything. I don't know if it's because his staff took note of how I was walking, or if he knows me enough to know that if I had concerns about ROM that I would tell him, or if he based it on how I was sitting? At my 1st appt with him after the staple removal appt I did tell him what PT measured my ROM to be. (and PT never forced a measurement). And by all means you can have him IF you ever get your 2nd done!

@SusieShoes, the ice pack isn't heavy, and Spence has never minded the weight. I am guessing that because of the way I had the ace-type wrap holding it on (I was actually icing underside of Spence) when I moved my leg my foot may have turned funny and rest of leg couldn't pivot with it bc of the restriction, so it just tweaked Spence a bit, or as @Canada35 stated, he got kinky. He is feeling better after a night of ice.

@Fire wolf I looked at yours on Amazon but the info didn't say if it had gel in the bubbles. Otherwise it looked similar in style to mine with the "ice cubes" in the pockets.

Mine does have the *pockets* of water, but the channels surrounding them have something in them that doesn't freeze, so it is a bit flexible. I admit that it seems fairly solid when I start, although it does bend onto Spence, but after a very short time it does get more pliable even though it is still pretty frozen. It does not feel anywhere near as heavy as the ice/gel things that PT has.

 

[Pheebs52]

It sounds as though Spence was a model of decorum today @Fire wolf? I certainly hope so. Good idea to freeze for the entire night....that'll teach him!

I use the huge ice-blanket recommended and referred to here by @SusieShoes and dragging that baby around is a workout, lol. It really is heavy, but great when I want to freeze the entire quad, knee and shin at the same time, lol.

For all other icing, I use the Cryomax packs that Fire wolf uses. I love the little bag gizmo that comes with 'em and the ease of tying them into place. Yes, they are a bit stiff at first, but, they stay cold much longer than any other ice packs I've tried. I'm talking hours of cold! Typically, until it softens up a little, I place it flat, under my knee.

 

[Fire wolf]

Spence was a model of decorum today

Now THAT is one of the funniest things I have read! Spence will never be a model of anything resembling decorum or even well-behaved for that matter! He was a little ouchie, but significantly better than last night. He also jogged across half a street today, with the weight of all of my work stuff over my shoulder, so as not to get hit by a car. At least that's what he said his reason was! I say the car wasn't going very fast and could have waited a few seconds! But, I know who makes the rules 'round here!

 

[Pheebs52]

Spence, you rebel!