Guest viewing is limited

Gale Week 5 Post RTKR

Status
Not open for further replies.

mtngal67

member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
205
Location
United States
I'm starting off this week cautiously optimistic. PT went well on Monday. I was actually able to get the bike to go all the way around finally! Backwards, and the seat was hiked way up so I could barely touch the pedals, but I did it! Took the PT guy kind of forcing it around the first time for me to realize I could actually do it. Fear of pain is quite limiting.. and I had a right to fear it! It hurt like hell! :shk: But after the first go arond, and a little adjustment of where my foot was on the pedal, I was able to do it on my own about another 15 times! I also made a little progress on my ROM, from 80 to 85. Not super, but it's progress forward.
Tonight I was finally able to do the straight leg lifts on my own. I was so shocked when I tried and my leg went up like a normal leg should! I'm finding my mucles again! YAY.
I graduated to a cane yesterday from the walker. I probably could have been on the cane last week too, but fear of falling has me a bit overly cautious.
I came home from PT with a funny little tape job on my incision and along the inside of my knee. Over the incision it's a long flat bit of fabric tape (I know this has a special name, but I can't remember it) and the tape along the inside of that is cut into 5 long strips, except the top 2 inches, which run long ways each a little spaced out from the other. My son said it looks like a jellyfish leaning on a post. (he drew a face on it even haha.) I guess this is supposed to help with swelling somehow, although I dont really notice much difference today. Has anyone else ever had this taping done? Did you feel improvement?
 
Wow Gale, you are coming on leaps and bounds, WTG.
I borrowed Jo's bike and had problems when I tried it yesterday, my bad leg stayed at the bottom which forced my good leg right round, it hurt but it went, my bad leg is improving slightly but slowly. My MUA was not as successful as I have heard others say, but I'm just giving it time, it hurt so bad when I woke from the anaesthetic that I fear he must have had to use some force to move it.
Sorry, I digress, to answer your question, I have never heard of the tape, but I'm sure Jo will explain it later.
Keep up the good work, and have a great day. XXX
 
Thanks Dawnie, and feel free to ramble all you want! I love hearing you share what's going on with your situation, it's so similar to what I'm going through too. Just read someone with 105 ROM is getting an MUA, sorry it's late and I can't recall exactly who it is... but that really makes me worry with my piddly 85 :sigh:. I'll just keep plugging along and hope for the best.

Best wishes to you for more ROM and pain free movement!
 
Thanks Gale, and dont feel too bad about your 85, I still cant get anywhere near that with my right knee, even after my MUA. And I am so tired of people saying well you need to push it until it hurts, like I'm not doing that already, I do push until it hurts, then push some more, but it still dont want to go.:doh:
I'm just plodding on, as I said, the MUA really set me back, but I will get there eventually. XXXXX
 
Didn't that make you so happy the first time you got the pedals all the way around? I know it made me very happy!!
 
Hi Gale, I have the same tape on my leg from PT, supposedly its medicated,
and helps control swelling. It seems to work OK, but for the life of me, I cant
remember the name either.........????
 
It's called Kinesio taping. I asked at PT today. I think it might actually be helping. My knee doesn't feel as swollen as usual even though I've been up on it more than usual.

I had another couple "milestones" today I'm super excited about and just have to share, (my family just doens't "get it" how these little things are soooo huge) First at PT today I rode the bike... frontwards! I was going arond slowly, awkwardly backwards and was getting it fairly well... and decided.. hmm what the heck, let's see how far I am from getting arond the hard way... and with a bit of struggle and pain I got it. First time was for sure the hardest, but after that it was a lot easier! I'm no where near ready for the tour de france, but I did manage quite a few 'go rounds' in my 5 minutes perched up there! And.. I did it by myself. My PT lady was watching me out of the corner of her eye and saw when I did it and was all excited for me too.. she said the look of surprise on my face was priceless :rotfl:

My second thrill of the day was driving for the first time since surgery. I couldn't believe how good it felt to get in the drivers seat. I don't think I could manage a drive to the city (60 miles from here) but I know I can handle driving to town and back (25 mile round trip) One step closer to feeling mentally normal! I'm going to call a friend tomorrow and make plans to meet her on her lunch break from work to celebrate!

I didn't get measured for my ROM today, but that's just as well, if it hadn't improved, I'd be all bummed out instead of feeling awesome! Now if this new pain (started this morning) to the inside of my kneecap would go away, I'd really be happy! I'm thinking it's probably muscle related? Maybe just finally found these muscles in PT this past couple times? It only hurts when I'm bending, and can feel it when I'm walking. I'm icing, elevating and attempting to baby it some. Hopefully in the morning it will feel better.

Gale
RTKR 10/5/09
 
Hi Gale, LOL!! I kept remembering It as Casino tape!! I KNEW that wasn't right.
remember try not to obsess about numbers to much you will only make
yourself crazy!!! I hope you feel great today! Best Wishes,
 
Gale,
That first time right around on the exercycle brought hubby running because I screamed "I've done it" ! :wahey:

I haven't look back... and neither will you.
 
Congrats on your milestones!!! Yeah, we get you here. That's why I love this place.
 
Gale, I too remember that first time around on the bicycle. It is a HUGE moment. I'm sure the pain you're feeling is related to your new activity with those muscles. You're doin' great!! Keep up the good (hard) work!
 
I ventured out on my own today. Took my son to his orthodontist appointment, went to lunch with a friend, and went to PT. Felt nice to be driving, and to go somewhere without a chaparone! I do think I over did things a bit today. I'm completely worn out! I'm going to go rest, for a bit now and ice before heading off to bed.

PT kicked my butt this afternoon. New exercises, which I could manage to do them all, so big YAY there, but even though I 'felt' like I could bend further and easier, my ROM only went from 85 to 86 this week. At this rate I should be at 120 in 34 more weeks haha. Blah. Today they had me take a rolling pin and roll it back and forth firmly over the legth of my scar for 2 minutes. It felt good while I was doing it, and tingled kind of like shivers after. Now it just feels a bit tender, which is the point I suppose since it's supposed to help break up scar tissue.

Someone please remind me again that this was a good decision to have this done.

Hope you all have great, pain free weekends!
Gale
RTKR 10/5/09
 
It was a good decision you are really coming on great. You are a week after me and I'm not driving yet. :hissy:
You are really determined, and am sure you will 'turn that corner' any day now.
Have a great weekend Gale, but NO jiving. LOL. XX
 
Dawnie, I think it might help your mental status if you too got a bit more independent, and hopped in the car and took off, even if just to get some groceries. I'll bet that would make you feel fabulous and usefull. Let us know how you feel when you get back!
 
GO GALE GO! We all know the joys of those seemingly little milestones. You're doing great.

I was the one with the MUA at 105...just had it done on Tuesday. Seems to have worked, as I got 120 in PT on Thursday, although it's also made my knee mad. Back to swelling and stiffness and my old friend ice.

Remember to celebrate your victories and try not to let the worries get you down. You did this for a reason and in a year (which seems so far away, but goes by so fast) we will all be dancing together - virtually at least.
 
Gale, Gale.....we ALL feel like you do early in the recovery. It WAS a good decision, you just need a little more time to believe it.

I'm glad you got out and about. You probably did push a little hard for the first time or two, but you have the right idea about resting and icing. You'll get back to where you were in no time. Just try to take it slow. I know it's difficult once you get in that car!!!
 
Thanks for the posts, I just got to read them today and needed the little boost. I know numbers are just numbers as far as ROM goes... but that's a lot easier to accept and take to heart when you're not stuck at a sucky 86 :hissy:.

I was super good about doing all my PT at home this weekend... even had my son get my upright bike out of the garage and bring it back into the livingroom. I got on it today and managed a measly 1/10 of a mile in 5 min. before I was just too completely worn out to go more. My bike is a bit different and sits a little more forward than the one at PT, which made it a bit harder to go all the way around.. but I did manage it.

I can't wait for 6 months to pass and I can look back at these posts and laugh about what a big baby I was "way back then"!!

Gale
RTKR 10/5/09
 
Mtngal....it is true.....when you look back on old posts, it's amazing to see how far you have come. You'll enjoy the look back and revel in the progress you have made.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Staff online

Members online

Back
Top Bottom