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TKR Getting somewhere at last!

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Hi Nancy
My sleeping has been a bit off lately due to my hubby having sleeping problems. I don't function very well without my 8 hours :rolleyespink:. I bought lavender essential oil to put on my pillow and on my pulse points and it really has helped. To be honest I have been out for the count for the last few nights. My handy tip for the day :thumb:
 
Nancy, how are things going for you? Are you sleeping? Did you get massage?

Hardest thing for me is the fact that people at work expect me to be over this already. I can tell it is getting old for them that I don't yet have real mobility and energy. I'm pretty good from eight in the morning until noon, and then the swelling kicks in and my knee hurts.

What are you doing for yourself these days? I need to plan something for myself on weekends because weekdays have been so long lately...some ten hour days last week. Today I've iced twice and plan to go to this beautiful arboretum, and get my hair cut. The day is gorgeous and that lifts my spirits too. Oh, and today was the first day I felt good about hanging sheets out on the line...navigating rickety basement steps to the washing machine has been too daunting. But I did it, very slowly, and put them on the line. I love the smell of sheets dried outside.

How are you progressing?
 
Juniper I am lucky to still be off work. I have booked another massage for next week and 4 weeks today I am off fo the Canary Islands for some sun. In 2 weeks my future daughter in law is having her hen weekend and I am trying to organise a fancy dress outfit! It means a short flight so will find out if my knee sets off the alarms! I walk every day for approx 2 miles and cycle inside for 15-20 mins twice a day. I have the usual tightness but still my biggest problem is the pain I get behind my knee at the top of my calf, it almost feels like something is out of place and, I can't lie, it worries me. (I am a worrier) It's the same pain that wakens me in the night. Oh and my knee clicks ..a lot! Nothing beats sleeping in clean sheets dried on the line. Are you still taking pain meds? And your hair cut is lovely :wink1: !
 
I surely didnt expect recovery to take this long and to still be in pain. I sometimes feel that I just swapped one pain for another :what:
 
speccybecky,
Thanks for your updates. It helps to be reminded that this is a year-long journey, and that sleeping through the night on a regular basis might take several months. At our church, there are several members who have had TKR. So they, at least, are aware of how long it takes to heal and be active again. At almost 5 weeks post-op, I'll be going to church again. Last Sunday was my first venture there. I will probably be moving my leg around every few minutes and walking around the back of the church again -- to ease the soreness and keep it from getting stiff.

The massage sounds like a good idea too. When I have trouble sleeping at night, I sit up on the bed and massage my knee (and leg if necessary) for a few minutes to relax the muscles a bit. It seems to help. Then I lie back down and go to sleep for awhile longer.

You're doing great with your exercise and progress. :thumb:
 
Becky, it must help having friends who have been through tkr to offer reassurance and understand how you are feeling although probably we forget as we heal. It will be encouraging getting back to church and your normal routine. Good luck in your recovery
 
Organist said:
Thanks for your updates. It helps to be reminded that this is a year-long journey, and that sleeping through the night on a regular basis might take several months.
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Many have said that it may take upward to a year to return to normal. It took me about eight months before I was at 90%-95%. At a little over five months, I finally rid myself of a slight limp.


Sleep was also very elusive for me, too---no pain, just the idea that I could never get comfortable.

We preach patience---it is very difficult, but it does take massive amounts of patience to handle the frustrations---but the do subside and disappear!
 
speccybecky said:
Becky, it must help having friends who have been through tkr to offer reassurance and understand how you are feeling although probably we forget as we heal. It will be encouraging getting back to church and your normal routine. Good luck in your recovery
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Specckbecky, it definitely helps. How are you doing with the recovery journey?

The memory of our surgeries and recoveries may dull a bit as time goes by, but I don't think we'll forget how much time it takes to get past the various stages. Our group here will help us remember and encourage those who follow us too.

Hope that you have a good week.

@ Tim, thanks for the reminders and the encouragement.:friends:
 
I've been back to the pool today. I know I'm not kicking properly (breast stroke) as I don't go in a straight line! To be honest I didn't swim that much but did some stretches and squats.and I walked a mile back home. Have to start somewhere!
 
Another massage today, so taking it a bit easier. Just stretching . She thins my aim is from ligaments and I just need more patience!.......again!
 
Hi Nancy, i got a massage on Sunday after my first week of PT (pre surgery). I think I'm going to go every weekend until my surgery. They have a massage table at the rehab facility I'm going to, but I can't imagine I'll be wanting to lay on my stomach (on my knees) while there!
 
Janet2012 said:
Hi Nancy, i got a massage on Sunday after my first week of PT (pre surgery). I think I'm going to go every weekend until my surgery. They have a massage table at the rehab facility I'm going to, but I can't imagine I'll be wanting to lay on my stomach (on my knees) while there!
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Janet,
They usually have pillows and other things to put under your ankles (if your on your stomach) or knees (if you're on your back) to help you get more comfortable. You can ask them about your concern with the knee area. They might have a way to help with the knees. Also, you can always just have the massage while lying on your back. That sounds like a great way to de-stress while waiting for your surgery. Let us know what they say and how it goes at the rehab facility. Hopefully you'll become very relaxed. :sleep:
 
speccybecky said:
I've been back to the pool today. I know I'm not kicking properly (breast stroke) as I don't go in a straight line! To be honest I didn't swim that much but did some stretches and squats.and I walked a mile back home. Have to start somewhere!
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Nancy, sounds like you're doing good even if you're not swimming in a straight line, and also doing stretches, squats, and walking a mile back home. That's great ! :thumb:

I've never been good at swimming. I can do a lazy back stroke (very lazy), and a half side stroke. My problem with the side stroke is that it only seems to work for me if I'm on my right side. I get NOWHERE fast if I'm on my left side. :th_heehee: I can float very well too. I've also never mastered the art of using my feet to get anywhere in the water. I've tried and seem to just stay in the same place. I've also tried the "frog kick", but feel like I'm just moving an inch forward and then an inch backward with each "full" kick. :loll:
 
Janet, just you lie there and let the massage therapist move you. I'm actually quite comfortable on my front, once I get over! The first time I tried the lying on bed with legs hanging off the end to stretch was fine. I lay there with a pillow under my knee and read my book. Then I realised I couldn't get myself up and had to drag myself up the bed!
 
Nancy-

What type of exercises are you doing in the pool? My insurance runs out after 10 more pt visits and my therapist asked if I could access a pool. I'm going to re-join the gym I used to belong too because they have a pool and I'll be back in the gym, anxious to see how much of the equipment I can successfully use.
 
Bev, no one has told me what do do in the pool, just winging it really. I walk in the water , hold on at the side and kick, lift and lower leg, squat holding on to the side, try to lift leg behind me, and half hearted breast stroke. Maybe someone else could chip in and tell us structured exercises to do. Havent been near a gym
 
17 weeks since op and at physio today he said there is nothing else he can do for me, I just have to keep up with the exercises...... He is going to refer me to a gym if I want. He said I should ask doc for quinine tablets to see if it helps with pain behind knee in the night.? I know i'm a bit better but lots of niggly pains , crunches and clunks. Any advice for me?
 
speccybecky said:
Reading through posts it seems to be that uk and USA deal with post operative care differently. Am I correct in that in US physio is pretty much standard care? Here in this part of the UK I saw physio for a few minutes on the 3 days after op and sent home with a leaflet listing exercises to be done 4 times a day at home. No more input from any medic/physio until I go back to hospital for a check up at approx 6 weeks. 6 weeks seems a long time to go by if I am doing things wrong
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Wow! I saw a physio twice a day for the 2 days I was in hospital. After that I get 6 weeks of physio, twice a week, an hour at a time, paid for (free), and my choice of physio - the government pays them directly. I was even offered home visits from a physio if I felt I wasn't ready to get up the stairs to get out of my place.

My physio is even suggesting we have a couple of our sessions at the pool.

Sounds to me like you aren't getting anything like enough help with exercises, how to do them correctly, how often, how hard. I'm intending to pay myself for extra physio sessions after the 6 weeks are up just to make sure that my body is balanced and not walking strangely due to the years of pain and limitation. My motor memory of balanced walking was lost many years ago!
 
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