TKR Grumpy Old Woman

[plnppl]

Thanks for the great advice! Resting has been forced on me for the next week as I tore some scar tissue getting up from a chair! So it has been two steps forward and one step back. Has anyone else torn scar tissue and how long did it take to get over it? My doctor said to rest up over the weekend and not do any walking or exercises for a week.I have lots of DVD's to watch and have started learning the Welsh Vocabulary.

 

[vicki c]

Hi "not so grumpy": If you tore adhesions that is a good thing. Adhesions form after surgery and can hold up your progress. That is part of the reason for all of the exercise - to prevent adhesions. Lets look on the biright side. They will heal.
Take it easy, Vicki C.

 

[plnppl]

I am now 7and a half weeks out of surgery and "not so grumpy" I suffered Post Op blues quite severely for a couple of weeks and although have had the setback of tearing adhesions or scar tissue (not sure what) I feel that at present I am coping. Just a couple of questions:
1: Should I keep up the physio while it is healing? The surgeon said to do hydrotherapy and exercise to the pain. I am a little scared of doing more damage but have been exercising at home.
2. What is the difference between tearing adhesions, tearing scar tissue and soft tissue damage?
3. How long does it take to heal. I was told to do nothing for a week and my knee stiffened up a bit. I have Rom of 110 but had 115 before the injury.
I cannot walk as far as I could before and my knee feels very unstable and "kinks" on me at times when I am walking. This also happened when I was in hospital. Is that weak muscle.
My Surgeon did not seem overly concerned about it.
I thank God for this site as I think it saved my sanity, particularly in the early days!

 

[speccybecky]

By 'kinks' do you mean a slight wobble that feels almost as if it is going to give way? If it is then I had that and it seems to be down to weak muscles. Seemed to happen more often going downhill

 

[bottomshollow]

Going downhill puts more stress and impact on the knee than going up. Just the opposite from what you'd think. So weak muscles are much more obvious to you then.

Just keep up your gentle bending and stretching. Keep walking, but limit the distance and try to be somewhere you can sit and take a break. Slowly but surely, those muscles will strengthen and tighten up.

Love your pic with the koala. I've always thought them adorable.

 

[plnppl]

By 'kinks' do you mean a slight wobble that feels almost as if it is going to give way? If it is then I had that and it seems to be down to weak muscles. Seemed to happen more often going downhill

Yes it does feel that way but actually more like it is giving out on me and it happens when I am walking on the straight. I take the stick with me as I feel like I will fall over. I am hoping that this will improve with time and that it is only weak muscle that will build up as time goes on.

 

[plnppl]

Hi Bottomshollow, thanks for the advice. I find everything posted here of great help and sharing is healing in itself. I told my surgeon about this site and he is going to look it up as he said it would be helpful for people. I am glad you like the koala. It was taken on a trip to Sydney! They are very cute! Meanwhile I will keep plodding on!

 

[Jamie]

1: Should I keep up the physio while it is healing? The surgeon said to do hydrotherapy and exercise to the pain. I am a little scared of doing more damage but have been exercising at home.

Your knee is going to be healing for a long time. It still heals on the inside even though the outside looks like the healing is all over. When you ripped a little of your scar tissue, you didn't really do any damage. Your implant is tough and you'll not hurt it at all. Do exercises if you feel like it helps. Or don't do formal exercises other then gentle stretching and bending and movement around your house. Quite frankly, either approach will work. You DO need to listen to your body. It will tell you that it is ready to move more or that you need to cut back on your activity a little because you have overdone things. Remember that your recovery is unique to you!

2. What is the difference between tearing adhesions, tearing scar tissue and soft tissue damage?

Many people use the terms adhesions and scar tissue interchangeably. Adhestions occur when tissue attaches itself in ways that it shouldn't as you heal. It can limit your movement sometimes until it is broken up. On the other hand, it is quite normal for your body to form scar tissue in the areas where it was cut during surgery. This is the normal healing process that takes place. Scar tissue usually flattens and softens by itself with time and should not be an issue for you.

3. How long does it take to heal. I was told to do nothing for a week and my knee stiffened up a bit. I have Rom of 110 but had 115 before the injury.
I cannot walk as far as I could before and my knee feels very unstable and "kinks" on me at times when I am walking. This also happened when I was in hospital. Is that weak muscle. My Surgeon did not seem overly concerned about it.

When your surgeon told you not to do anything for a week, he really didn't mean it literally. You still need to gently bend and stretch your knee several times a day. So.....it is to be expected that you may lose a bit of ROM. It will return, though. Be sure you are starting back up with those gentle exercises. If you do therapy, don't overdo things. Only allow exercise to the point of mild discomfort...NO PAIN! Your muscles have some strength-building to do, but that will come with time. Don't rush....you're still in "healing mode." Make sure you use some type of walking aid until you are strong enough not to limp when walking with a normal gait....that could be a cane or crutches, whichever is most comfortable for you.

 

[Josephine]

What's in 5 degrees! Really, it's nothing at this stage of the game. Depending on the swelling that goes up and down every few hours never mind on a daily basis, your ROM can vary some degrees. It's the swelling that does it, so concentrate on managing the swelling (and pain, of course) and the ROM will take care of itself.

Read again the articles I put up for you in post #12 and this one which is new Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?



btw, would you be a dear and put your surgery date in your signature like the rest of us do?
You can find the instructions here How to create a signature.
That also applies to anyone else who is reading this.
Thank you.

 

[Pleinair5]

Hi---you are I are very close, I am going to be 58 in a few weeks and am four weeks out from my replacement. I am also having the clicks when I walk and asked my PT last night and she said that means the internal swelling is going away so it is in fact a good thing and common, and things will settle. I am going for short walks and got rid of the cane. But I understand how you feel, it is very up and down right now, although I am making progress it still feels like so much I can't do and it is hard to get comfortable. I use the ice only, not heat, except once I tried a short sauna before exercise which I thought might loosen me up but just left me exhausted. I ice and elevate around the clock though and it helps. I also found extended use of the pressure stocking, as recommended by my PT, made it easier to get comfortable. She recommended Jobst brand and it helps and is more comfortable than the ones from the hospital. One thing I do know even though I am a newbie is, we will not stay where we are at 4 and 6 weeks!! I try to focus on some things I am looking forward to being able to do and already notice some things I have not been able to do for years that now are starting to come back. I try to hang on to these little things. I do understand though as I have my down times. Good luck and in no time you will not be feeling grumpy, at least not about the knee!!
Betsy

 

[plnppl]

Thanks Josephine! I have tried to edit the signature and add the date of surgery but it won't allow it for some reason and then comes up with "Bad Request!" Any tips on what to do or could one of the moderators add the date which is 27th Feb 2012? Didn't have a problem with my Avator only the signature.

 

[Josephine]

Looks fine to me! :wink1:
​

 

[plnppl]

Pleinair5
Thanks for that good info about the clicking.Good to know it could go away. We are close aren't we! It certainly is day by day but we will get there! Today is better than yesterday although the knee is quite swollen. I am able to do the exercises and went for a comfortable walk.I see a different Physio this week and hope to get into the Hydro pool. Our knees certainly tell us when we have done a bit too much but I think that mine is starting to heal up from the injury that I did to it.I am still using a cane when I go out anywhere but walk around the house unaided. Hope you are improving day by day.

 

[plnppl]

That's good as it wasn't working for me at all for a while. Perhaps the Gremlin that was causing it went "walkabout"!

 

[susanlondon]

OMG! I can SO relate to your "grumpiness!" :hysterical: My family was devastated by my moodiness, crying and general morose attitude. TKR is not, as my surgeon might say, "a walk in the park."

I found myself, like you, bummed out that I could not do more at any stage of recovery. (I read Jo's suggested articles repeatedly and showed them to anyone who came within viewing distance. She is definitely right on!).

From your initial post and noting today's date, you are SO early in recovery. I have to laugh as I write this, knowing I was in exactly the same place as you nine weeks ago. I'm almost fifteen weeks post op and my life, compared to the first five to seven weeks of recovery, is completely different. I felt like I turned the first corner on my pain at five weeks, took myself off all pain meds at seven+ weeks (they were definitely messing with my serenity and sanity) and realized, at eight weeks, that my "other knee" was wishing it was as strong as my replaced knee. I had a very hard time coming to terms with what I'd given permission for my surgeon to do but as I learned to "walk normally" again, climb stairs like someone who is NOT two years old (one step at a time), and developed more stamina (Bone Smart folks kept after me to rest, rest, rest...advice I finally took) between outings, I knew I was recovering, not just physically, but emotionally as well.

Hang in there. I never thought I'd consider that my other knee will someday need to be replaced after "what I went through," but I find myself, from time to time, musing on how recovery will go "now that I know!"

Susan:yes 4:

 

[plnppl]

Thanks Susan for you encouraging words. I think that anyone having TKR needs all the encouragement they can get! It certainly isn't a walk in the park! In fact, it's not a walk anywhere for a long time. I am 10 weeks today and had Hydrotherapy this afternoon. I am less Grumpy now and was like you seeing improvement at 5 weeks with the pain. I only take medication now if I going to do something that I know will aggravate the knee or tire it e.g Hydro. Unfortunately I injured my knee at about 6 weeks and that has set me back a lot. I am now finding that it is improving but have to be careful and still use a stick to go outside. Bonesmart for me has been a God send and I have recommended so many people to this site including my physiotherapist who is now recommending it to her patients. I find that I still have my up and down times but they are lessening as I get out and about. The resting part is still very hard but I am trying to be sensible and my knee certainly tells me when it's had enough. I hope you are improving daily and soon we will be living our new lives happily without pain. Not so Grumpy Woman

 

[susanlondon]

Hi, there~ It sounds like you are doing quite well and for that, I am glad. I didn't have hydrotherapy during my PT, but was allowed to use my hot tub for five minutes a day (sometimes I overdid it timewise and ended up with a swollen knee). It was explained to me that the warmth would bring blood to the site and therefore cause swelling. Sometimes I felt like I couldn't win! :hysterical:

I think you've been off most meds sooner than I was and that's fabulous! I am not a patient patient (LOL) nor do I have a high threshold for pain. I ended my meds basically because I realized they were causing mental anguish and emotional trauma for me and my family (those poor dears who had to pick me up mentally every darn day!).

I will be ending my second round of PT this week and feel somewhat scared to be "on my own" after that. In speaking to a neighbor who I met, not surprisingly, at PT after her TKR two months ago, we agreed that PT is a good "crutch." I depend on it to define my recovery and give me the courage to know I am healing well. I guess I'll just have to depend on myself now!

It's been quite rainy here in upstate NY in the past few days and I'm wondering if the "pinging" feeling I asked about on Bone Smart this morning is due to the wet weather that's making the plants burst into bloom. I feel so fortunate to have had a strong recovery yet worry about those little sensations that I can't quite define.

How did you injure yourself all those weeks ago? I'd have been a wreck about that, yet you seem so serene. Good for you.

Have a great day and I hope your recovery continues to be successful and quick.

Susan

 

[vicledsome]

Congrats to you with both knees! My surgery is about 3 weeks away. Just remember how bad your knees hurt before surgery and know that you are on the road to recovery. Hopefully each day will be better than the last.

 

[adnil]

Hi plnppl,
I'm just a few weeks into this recovery and can so relate. I think that for the most part people expect this to be quick recovery and for some there seems to be a bit, no, alot, of competition to see who gets better faster etc. I've talked to folks that say they were up and about like before in 3 weeks. Well thank god for this forum because I would be so confused without it. and I'd be feeling like a failure by now for still needing lots of rest ice and elevation.
I remember the day I came home a friend came over and saw the back of my knee and the huge bruise. She gasped when she saw it and asked what had I done to the back of my leg. Hellllooooo, maybe having my knee ripped open was the culprit....so take it easy, and I would have a education night with the fam. sit them at the table and open up some of these threads for required reading. I just have my husband who has gone thru a broken leg and is very very helpful but I can just imagine if I had my teenagers to look after....
anyway, see...... you vent, then we vent, then we all feel better. :wink1:

 

[kneeper]

^yeah, show off your scar and they might get a clue. :th_heehee:

One thing we can see on the forum is that everyone heals at a slightly different rate. There is no one timeline.