TKR Flutter1’s BoneSmart Success

[Ghostpipe]

If you doubt that you will be able to get down to the bike, remember it will be twice as hard to get back up again! I have an upright exercise bike, so started early, and made the mistake of forcing things on it until I found this forum. It thereafter became a good friend ( which it never was pre op). Gentle rocking, pushing against tightness without it hurting, has led to full rotations and gets the flexion exercises over and done with. I find this much easier to get my head round than heel slides.

 

[Flutter1]

Question: so some stabbing, zinging pain on the medial side of the knee is normal, right? I think I remember this form of nerve pain from my previous surgery. 50 mg of Tramadol calmed it down last night. Just back to the ache and tightness this morning.

 

[Jockette]

Yes, we call those zingers! Not fun, but part of the recovery.

 

[Flutter1]

@Jockette thank you. I thought so, but I guess my mind had blocked out that lovely memory. They are gone this morning.

 

[BBCG]

I had the zingers, too. For me the thing that calmed them down was magnesium gel, something a massage therapist used fit me on my first knee. So, I had gotten a bottle of it for this time, and was glad I did. I’m just about 1 month out and those zingers have mostly calmed down now.

 

[Flutter1]

@BBCG was there a particular brand? Thank you.

 

[FourCats]

@Flutter1 i just received some that I ordered from Amazon called Ancient Minerals. I ordered the lotion. Have only used it once but plan to use it before bed every night.

 

[Flutter1]

Good morning everyone! Day 9 and I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by. I have been getting up and down our short set of stairs about 3 times a day. I use my cane still, but yesterday forgot snd just walked out of our bathroom without it. Oops. Friends have stopped by for short visits. YAY!
I still feel a bit nauseous if I take a whole 50 mg of Tramadol, so I cut the pill in half and take with 2 Tylenol ES. PT comes today after a break of a few days. I have no idea what my ROM is, but I feel as if I am walking with a decent bend in my knee. I am using the walking gait diagram I found here on BoneSmart to help remind me.
Pain: definitely stingy behind the incision, muscle soreness on outside of the thigh and general discomfort on medial side of knee., Mirrors pain I had with the right partial a while back. I am in good spirits. PT comes today. Ready for a showdown if necessary. LOL

 

[Sisterpat]

Flutter, glad to hear you are in good spirits and ready to go into battle .
I think you are doing fabulously for only being on day 9! I surely couldn’t walk without a walker or cane by that time (though I DO have 10 years on you ). Just be careful and don’t get over-confident or try to do too much too soon. Keep up the good work!

 

[Flutter1]

@Sisterpat thank you. It’s a fine line between how much activity is good for you at this point and overdoing it! I did work very hard during lockdown on strengthening using a program called FitnessBlender. I hope it helps my recovery!

 

[Flutter1]

PT home visit today. She helped me set the recumbent bike (luckily, it is in the sunroom right off our bedroom). I used it to rock back and forth, extending and bending, which actually made my knee feel better afterwards. I am still quite swollen, so our sessions are not intense. ROM without her pushing was 76 and extending my knee straight was 2. She allows me to control how far I go when I bend when she measures. I have heard of other PTs who push your foot back to get the reading. Yikes! She watched me walk up and down the hallway a few times without the cane. I still have what feels like sore muscles up the sides of my thigh when I walk. She also explained the pain on the medial side of my knee in context of the actual surgery and why it is so tender there.

I was able to get in some daily life activities throughout the day. Despite the soreness of this new knee 9 days out, I am already noticing how I can bend my knee when I walk now. My arthritis had become so bad, that I was walking with my leg almost completely straight before -- and still there was pain. Yay!
Our neighbors brought dinner tonight and we sat and talked for about 15 minutes. And another neighbor brought flowers from her garden and cake that had apple slices inside! Very cool. On to Day 10!

 

[doxiemom2017]

@Flutter1 good neighbors are wonderful! Our next door neighbor has been very thoughtful during my recovery too.

I also did a lot of prehab work before my surgery. It helped with my quad strength. I am sure that all your preparation will assist with your recovery too.

 

[Flutter1]

Day 10 is coming to a close! So the last few days have been painful and I decided I was not taking enough of my pain meds. Although I had been prescribed Hydrocodone for breakthrough pain and Tramadol every six hours, I was taking just 1/2 a 50 mg Tramadol once or twice a day thinking it might be the cause of my light headed feeling. I spoke to the PA at my surgeon's office, and she agreed that I was not managing the pain. She wanted to make sure I was taking iron supplement as well. Feel so much more comfortable today taking the prescribed amount of pain meds every six hours. And no dizziness. What a winding road this is!

 

[Sisterpat]

Yes, Flutter, you’re only on day 10! Try to keep a more consistent pain med schedule. And remember that iron supplements can constipate, so act accordingly (more water, prunes, whatever helps).

 

[Flutter1]

@Sisterpat Lots of prune juice here!

 

[Sandy11]

Pain: definitely stingy behind the incision, muscle soreness on outside of the thigh and general discomfort on medial side of knee.,

Same here .

I wonder why in my place, no home visits of PT unless medically required. I have to go to the facility which is fortunately very close by.
I eat figs daily after dinner as my sweet dish which helps due to high fiber content.

 

[Flutter1]

Day 11. Hardly any pain today with 50 mg of Tramadol and 1,000 Tylenol 2x day. At last, I did not feel nauseous with the pain meds. Random walks around the house with cane for about 5 minutes each. Just a few PT stretches and rocking in the glider. I took the best shower ever. I will never ever again take hot water and soap for granted!
I am so grateful for this group and its members.

 

[Flutter1]

@Sandy11 I am not sure about the home PT visits. It seems most patients have them here for a few weeks. My husband is a fed employee and our insurance does not require pre-approval for at home PT. So perhaps that is the difference.

 

[Ginger1210]

Sounds like you are doing great Flutter1 Taking the correct pain medication is tricky. I came of my prescribed pain meds a little to quickly and suffered I find a good nights sleep where ever possible is better than not taking pain medication and being up all night and being tired. I hope you continue to recover well.

 

[Celle]

I wonder why in my place, no home visits of PT unless medically required. I have to go to the facility which is fortunately very close by.

I am not sure about the home PT visits. It seems most patients have them here for a few weeks.

Actually, early PT visits are not necessary.
While I was in hospital, I was shown a couple of exercises, one for flexion and one for extension. I was told to do those twice a day and ankle pumps as often as possible.

Apart from those exercises, my surgeon doesn't allow any formal PT at all for the first month after a knee replacement. He says your knee needs that time, to start on its journey of healing. For that month, we rest, ice and elevate our leg, and walk around the house. The walking is our exercise and we increase it a little each week.

After that month, we just go to PT once every 2 weeks, where we are shown a few new exercises to do at home each day.

His patients all do well and achieve good ROM, as I did, and he hasn't had to do a manipulation to help with ROM for the past 4 years. I think that speaks for itself.