TKR Grandma B's Recovery Thread

[funkymuse]

Hi bonesmart! I’ve been down recently and I need some encouragement and uplifting advice I’m a little over 4 months I’m going to pt twice a week and according to them I’m doing good my rom is 117, I’m still using a walker and have this fear of letting go.

Hello @Grandma B - did you mean you are a little over 4 weeks in this post? I see your surgery was Oct 23 and I got confused! If you are at 117 at 4 weeks you are doing fantastic!

 

[Grandma B]

@funkymuse hi sorry I meant over 4 weeks-I was under the impression that I’d be walking pretty close to normal in a month I didn’t think it would be this hard and depressing, I read that some walk at 4 weeks and hear I am still walking with the walker my leg is still not strong enough, I guess everyone heals at a different pace! Also getting meds is so hard you have to beg for them cause of the dr being afraid to prescribe them, so I’m using them sparingly .my pt is measuring every time I’m in there , I go twice a week and last week I was 117 , he tried to show me how to use the cane it felt so strange I was afraid of falling I don’t think I’m ready for it! I hold on to my walker for desr life it’s so scary ! I’m the biggest baby I don’t want to fall and god forbid break something and be back in the hospital, I’m aleays looking under my feet so as not to trip. My dog has a habit of laying right by my feet and not moving he even follows me to the shower and lays right by the door so I have to move him out of the way before I get out. I’m so sorry for rambling on and on.

 

[Celle]

I was under the impression that I’d be walking pretty close to normal in a month I didn’t think it would be this hard and depressing, I read that some walk at 4 weeks and hear I am still walking with the walker my leg is still not strong enough, I guess everyone heals at a different pace!

It sounds as if you were given a very optimistic impression of recovery. Most of us are still needing assistance to walk at 4 weeks post-op. I never had a walker, but at that stage I was still using two crutches. IT's perfectly OK to still be using a walker. As your leg gets stronger, you'll gradually rely on it less and less.

last week I was 117 , he tried to show me how to use the cane it felt so strange I was afraid of falling I don’t think I’m ready for it! I hold on to my walker for dear life it’s so scary !

Keep trying with the cane at PT. At lease your therapist can show you how to use it properly.

I know you're afraid of falling but, to reassure you, if you do fall you're unlikely to do any harm to your knee implant. Most of us have fallen at least once and all we sustained was a few bruises. My first fall was when I was going up the steps to the dentist's surgery. I bruised my head and my knee, but I did no real damage. I knew I hated going to the dentist!

 

[Grandma B]

Hi @Celle

I’m sorry to hear you fell and got hurt! Glad the knee was ok, that’s my biggest fear, I have grown up with fear because I had dislocated knees as a child and I can’t tell you how many times my knees went out on me over time, it’s always in the back of my head this fear it’s going to happen again. And also I’m not too fond of the dentist either !

 

[Grandma B]

Hi guys ! Came back from pt and was so discouraged that I wanted to cry! I still use the walker and he was telling me to get rid of it that I don’t need it, he told me about a women who he was working on that after 4 weeks she graduated and is walking on her own and I should do that , he started stretching my leg putting weights on it and then after that was pushing my leg down which hurt after a while also he had me walk just holding on to one rail and do sit to stands and told my husband that if I didn’t have so much fear I’d be doing better! So now my husband is preaching to me that I should be doing more! I’m so discussted!! I had pain when I got home so I’m iceing and elevating and im mad at myself that I did this surgery, do I have anything to worry about in my progress ? And all he kept talking about was scar tissue and rom I told him if my leg swells then I can’t bend it and he says you’re legs not swollen! I looked st him and said yes it is, then wen he started to press on my leg I told him not to touch my knee I don’t like it , he says I’m sorry but I will touch you’re knee so I told him if he does I’m out of hear! So he stoped .
Sorry but I had to let it out I’m so frustrated right now!

 

[KarriB]

It sounds like you’re in a vicious cycle. Weights and pushing cause the tissues to swell, so your PT isn’t doing you any favors. You are in charge, you are the client. Take a look at @SusieShoes thread to see how she “managed”her therapist if you feel you need to continue. Personally, I think you should take a break and let your knee call the shots.

I found it easier to use a cane while I was at home and that helped me gain confidence in walking.

 

[Jockette]

I am frustrated for you! This approach to recovery makes me so angry.

Good for you for staying firm about him not pushing you!

Knowing what I know now, thanks to Bonesmart, if I have another knee replacement in the future, you couldn’t pay me to have any PT. And not even my surgeon will push on my leg like he has at every appointment, except this last one, when I finally had the nerve to take charge of the appointment and not let him.

I don’t know what to say about your husband. He does not feel your pain but I would think he obviously sees it. My husband is/was an athlete and he was very leary of me going the Bonesmart way of being gentle and backing off the exercises, even though he could see that some of my PT was counterproductive in that it took me 2 and 3 days to recover.

The Bonesmart way is radical to what most of us hear and my husband was afraid if I stopped what I was doing I would not have a good outcome. And my recovery has been slower than some, so I wasn’t able to be the poster child for the Bonesmart way like I wanted to be.

But I am improving. In the last few days, at 8.5 months post op, I’m finally thinking I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Hugs to you as you figure things out and choose the best way for you.

 

[Grandma B]

@KarriB

Thank you! I think I need a break from pt, I don’t need him making me more depressed,and I will give it a shot with the cane even though it feels weird right now.

 

[Grandma B]

@Jockette my husband thinks exactly like you’re husband and I get so mad I tell him “ you don’t know how it feels! How can you tell me how far I am in my progress ,when I feel confident I’ll walk ! Right now I still feel that my leg is week I’m only at 5 weeks “ and I hate that I feel like I’m not doing anything , I try to Cook diner and sometimes I’ll make breakfast and also try to make him lunch for work , I’ll do the dishes , and feed the dog I wish I could be back to normal.
When I read how some are progressing I wonder if I’ll get there I’m certainly no poster child for bone smart but I’m glad I found them and when I read some of the threads I feel so much better ! I’m glad there’s friends like you guys who always give me hope when I’m down .

 

[sistersinhim]

You know that too much exercise hurts and then sets back your recovery, but when you try and follow our guidelines, you are talked down to. Try and stay strong and do what you know is right. Even if you have to fib and says you're doing your exercises, it would be better than harming your recovery.

Why don't just quit PT. It's not helping your recovery. You can do everything you need to do right at home and don't have to face a harsh and controlling therapist.

 

[Grandma B]

@sistersinhim I always fib when I go, I don’t do the exercise at home when I’m home I try to do some cooking and the dishes and also I prepare my husbands lunch for work and besides that I do my usual walking to the bathroom and to the kitchen , I can’t stand to long it gets painful and stiff so I pull up a chair and sit a little till it gets better, but that gets uncomfortable after a while so then I lay down and ice for a while, I’m trying my best not to be too dependent , my husband works and I see he’s exhausted so I ask very little. I’m only praying that god will help me through this rough time .

 

[sistersinhim]

God will help you through this! But, your husband needs to fix his own lunch. He hasn't just had major surgery, you have! He needs to be taking care of most of all the house duties and give you a break and let your knee heal. Have you looked at the activity schedule? You are doing way too much. No wonder you're still swelling. Standing in place is painful for everyone. When you ice and elevate are you doing it correctly? Remember, toes above nose!

 

[kneeper]

I found standing to be one of the hardest things. It sounds like you're doing a bit much with making meals. Unless you're just popping things in and out of the microwave or making sandwiches sitting down...
That was my meal prep at 4 weeks.

 

[Grandma B]

@sistersinhim I have the lounge doctor and I tried a couple of times but it’s not comfortable , I have pain under my knee when I use it so I use pillows to elevate. I’m glad I have this site to vent and get advise thank you

 

[KarriB]

Have you tried icing behind your knee? You can also try using softer pillows if the lounge dr is uncomfortable. I just piled 3 pillows on top of the ottoman, used my leg lifter to get my leg up and settled to watch holiday movies or binge watch tv shows. The first meal I cooked was just throwing chicken into a crock pot and I didn't do the cleaning up.

Remember, right now and until you’re more comfortable the majority of your time should be with the leg at ,east propped up if elevating is painful. You should be resting more than your up and about. I found that I had to rest/elevate between little chores.

 

[Grandma B]

@KneeKeeper hi I’m realizing I’m doing way too much I’m cooking from scratch , I always enjoyed cooking and I never thought this surgery would be so painful that sometimes you’re in tears! Standing is the worst! I’d love to go to s store but I don’t know how long I’d last. Also to get pain meds is a battle they assume you are a junky ! Don’t they know how painful this is, I’m trying to stretch the pills out to last until I track one of the nurses and beg for the prescription. I am so grateful to have found bonesmart which was by accident when I was looking for information on knee surgery, I’m obsessed with this site , the information I’m getting is really making me keep my sanity ! So much good info! Thank you for making us feel better during this hard painful time

 

[Grandma B]

@KarriB I have not tried icing behind the knee I’ll will absolutely try it out anything that helps with this pain, I forgot about the slow cooker , also I don’t know if anyone else is having the same experience but I get nauseous with different smells like dish liquid , laundry detergent and even food.i don’t really have an appetite, I use to love salads but now the thought of a salad turns my stomach ! I’m watching the Hallmark Chanel which has a lot of Christmas shows , I’m finding it very hard to sit still I was very active between work and taking care of family and now to this not moving too much and having someone take care of you instead of the other way around .

 

[sistersinhim]

Yes, I had the nausea thing, too. I was almost a vegetarian before my tkr, it was about a month before I could enjoy my veggies again. The pain meds do strange things to you all over. I existed on mixed nuts, dark chocolate and protein drinks for about a month. Nothing else appealed to me.

Try to enjoy being nurtured for a change. You have earned it!

 

[alexthecat]

My tastes completely changed when I was recovering. I had been vegetarian for about 20 years at that point. I never even thought about meat. Then, one day, I got a major craving for a cheeseburger. I hate cheeseburgers! So, I satisfied that craving and it was like the best thing ever. I had such a tummy ache afterwards though.

Sent from my Z799VL using Tapatalk

 

[Grandma B]

I also get cravings for certain food but after eating I feel nauseous . I find I’m craving sweets cookies, cakes etc. I’m prediabetic and I stay away from lots of carbs,since this surgery it’s like I feel better if I have some sweets I get this happy feeling it’s crazy!I use to eat salads a lot but now I can’t stomach them.