TKR Hello Everyone - First time knee replacement patient here : )

[benne68]

@Margot Have you browsed through this thread yet? If you do, I think you'll discover your incision looks pretty good for less than a month out!

Thread 'Knee Scars - Post Your Badges of Honor Here! NO CHIT-CHAT please'

Apr 11, 2008

Note from Jamie (BoneSmart Admin):
Be warned ...

~ Any extraneous chat will be removed from this thread
~ Photos other than scars will be moved into Social forum

Doug's Knee "Monkey".....the original BoneSmart Knee Monkey.
Does your new knee feel like it has a big ol' monkey strapped to it? Join the club!!

• Pattipoo
• Replies: 1,318
• Forum: Knee Surgery Recovery Area

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This is what we recommend for use on the incision, unless your surgical team has advised you to use something specific. https://bonesmart.org/active-antimicrobial-hydrogel/?source=forum

 

[Margot]

Thank you for the input on my incision. I appreciate it. My physiotherapist mentioned the Polysporin, but I have just purchased some spray hypochlorous acid that I will use instead.

I just finished a physio session. I have been working very hard at home to increase my knee bend and was feeling positive going into today's session as I felt that I had made good progress and physically I can tell that I am improving and becoming stronger and more independent...Things like standing for a period of time to make a dinner for my spouse and myself, walking up and down the front porch stairs unassisted, lifting and bending my knee to get in and out of the car without any help, taking 10 minute walks with my 4 wheel walker outside daily etc.). Last week my PT measured my bend at 50 degrees. Today, when she first measured me, I was only at 40! I almost burst into tears on the spot. She brought over the wooden foot slide apparatus and with her pushing my calf gently, we got my knee to 60 degrees.

She was very encouraging and I left feeling somewhat reassured. I know healing from surgery is not a linear process. I must keep this in mind.

Thank you for letting me share.

 

[Jamie]

Strength and flexion are two totally different things. It’s great your knee is getting stronger and allows you to do more normal activities now. The range of motion is limited when there is internal swelling. This can come from “working hard” to increase your bend. Sometimes it’s more productive to not work quite so hard and allow the knee swelling to settle. I suggest you try that for a week or two and see where you are. Knees don’t usually like being pushed hard to bend. That can disrupt tender healing tissue and cause inflammation which brings on swelling. Be sure you are still spending a good portion of your days icing and elevating your knee.

 

[mendogal]

I agree with Jamie.

Being pushed, prodded, stretched in order to achieve a better number is worse than useless. It's counterproductive. The rebound swelling just sets you back to the earlier lower number.

My knee surgeon never measured my flexion. He wanted to know about my walking and activities of daily life. It sounds like you're achieving some nice functional milestones and I encourage you to focus on what you can do.

 

[Jockette]

physically I can tell that I am improving and becoming stronger and more independent...Things like standing for a period of time to make a dinner for my spouse and myself, walking up and down the front porch stairs unassisted, lifting and bending my knee to get in and out of the car without any help, taking 10 minute walks with my 4 wheel walker outside daily etc.).

These are all wonderful milestones for someone not quite a month post op. The number of our bend is just one milestone of the process of this recovery, and it is highly overrated.

 

[EalingGran]

independent...Things like standing for a period of time to make a dinner for my spouse and myself

I found standing really hard for months and this made my leg ache and increased swelling.

The range of motion is limited when there is internal swelling. This can come from “working hard” to increase your bend. Sometimes it’s more productive to not work quite so hard an

Jamie is really right on this. I had really great ROM from pretty early on. I don't know exactly what it was at your stage because no-one ever measured me but by 12 weeks when I discovered BoneSmart it was around 130 degrees.
I was never pushed to pain and I iced and elevated for months after walking/ exercises.
Even slight swelling in the tiny knee joint causes that ' tight band' feeling which is really unpleasant and limits bend.

 

[sistersinhim]

I never worked hard at any of my recovery during my rehab. You are already doing tons of exercises just doing your daily activities, a lot more than what is suggested at your stage of healing. Activity progression for TKRs. Your bend is being inhibited by your swelling, both inside and outside, of your knee. Take time to heal and increase the icing, elevating, and resting. You should see your bend improve.

 

[Margot]

Thank you so much for your perspectives and important reminders. I am going to pull back and place my focus on the icing, elevation and daily life activities. Thank you again. I appreciate all of you more than you know.

 

[Margot]

Hi everyone. Hope you're all having a nice weekend : )

I have some questions about degrees of discomfort vs pain when it comes to exercises. For the past several days I have been icing, elevating and resting and decided to cancel the PT session that was supposed to happen yesterday. I do have one scheduled for next Wednesday, but can cancel that one as well if it is in my best interest to do so.

When it is time for me to go back to doing exercises, I think my brain is befuddled when it comes to knowing how much is too much. I know people on Bonesmart believe that "pain" should never enter the equation as it is completely counter productive, but how much discomfort is too much? I think I have been scared silly by the surgeon's dire warnings of scar tissue formation before 6 weeks. How will I know if scar tissue is or is not forming?

Thank you for your insights : )

 

[Jockette]

I think I have been scared silly by the surgeon's dire warnings of scar tissue formation before 6 weeks. How will I know if scar tissue is or is not forming?

My personal opinion is that “scar tissue” is highly overrated and blamed incorrectly for just basic swelling. I truly don’t understand why medical teams do this.

I think my brain is befuddled when it comes to knowing how much is too much.

I’m sorry that your team has you so stressed about your ROM, exercises and pain vs. discomfort. Too many of us have been caused this kind of stress.

At about a month post op, we do have pain, even while doing normal daily activities, let alone a list of exercises. It’s because we are still healing from a surgery that causes a lot of trauma to the area. Movement is good for the new joint, so you do want to give it that movement. Too much discomfort/pain is when an activity causes increased swelling and pain.

Try to relax, do some gentle exercises (only the ones you like!) and just go about your day, and stop letting them make you question and over think all you do for rehab and recovery. The body is an amazing thing, and it will heal and recover just fine, and it knows how to do that even without a lot of input from us.

I do know how you feel, I was very stressed about the same things you are now. All the what ifs. More than 8 years later, and after reading many posts in that time, and now looking back at my own recovery, I’m sorry l let my team stress me out so much. My first year was tough, but I had a lot of improvement in my second year, and it made me angry that so much pressure had been put on me in those early days and months, to recover right now, when my body did recover, at is own healing rate. What I really needed back then was encouragement and support, rather than the stress almost everone around me (outside of Bonesmart) caused me.

 

[Margot]

Your words are a healing balm : ) I literally felt my whole body relax. I will be reading this several times today to remind myself. Thank you!!

 

[Layla]

Happy One Month Anniversary!
Best wishes for a great week of healing!
@Margot

 

[Margot]

Hi everyone,

Having a tough day today. I can feel myself sliding into a bit of depression. I feel so low. It's a strange thing, as I can see how much progress I've made since the surgery 4 weeks and 3 days ago, but I still cannot imagine a time in the future where I will feel back to my true self...a time when I can dress easily and sleep for a whole night in my bed...walk up and down steps...drive...be back at work comfortably....take a shower standing up... There just seems to be so much uncertainty with regard to how the remainder of my healing will unfold. I've read lots of posts here on the Bonesmart platform, so I know what I am experiencing has definitely been felt by others.

I think I just needed to verbalize it.

Thank you for listening : )

 

[mendogal]

@Margot Post-op blues do indeed happen to many/most of our BoneSmarties. There's no denying this is a long, slow slog back to a better life.

If there's some way you can find to pamper yourself (will a friend give you a sitting up back rub or a manicure? is there a food or book you've been craving and can find a way to indulge in?) that's always a mood elevator.

For many of us, getting outdoors, even if just to step out the door or sit for a few minutes on a chair out on a deck or garden path, breathing the fresh air and looking at the sky was a restorative. At four weeks that's what I could do - I wasn't at all ready to be taken to meet a friend for coffee but getting out the front or back door was wonderful.

 

[benne68]

I'm sorry you are feeling so blue, @Margot. But as mendogal says, it does happen to all of us at some point in our recovery. We even have a library article about it: Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

You might also find it helpful to visit our Depression/Post-Op Blues thread.

 

[Loulou67]

@Margot what you are feeling today is totally normal at this stage.
I had my left TKR in Oct 2023.
I felt that my recovery was slow, my flexion poor and that I’d never be able to do stairs with a bend in my knee.
I had days where I cried for , what I felt was no reason, I felt hopeless and depressed at times.
Nearly 2 years on and I’m 4 days away from having my right TKR!!
Today I was coming down the stairs at my home and I suddenly realised that I was almost running down them , without holding on to the handrail ….. that’s how far I’ve come and this time next week I’ll probably be thinking “why did I go through this again” but long term , I know this is the right decision.
You will continue to have up days and down days for a while yet but just read the threads on here, re read your own posts and you’ll see how far you’ve come.
You’re doing great….. and I’ll soon see you in the recovery forum.
Best wishes x

 

[IndigoKnee]

Hi Margot, looking back at my notes from having my knee done in 2023 there are quite a lot of days where I wrote 'feeling down and tired today' It did gradually get better and little steps forward like walking, using crutches, to my village coffee shop (only a 10 minute walk) to have coffee with a friend were big milestones. You will get there but all of us on here have had days of being down, tearful or even angry about the situation. I remember my frustration at everything taking so long, just getting ready for bed seemed to take forever. You may find it helps to keep a post surgery journal so you can see your progress. But do express your frustration on here as we do all understand. The milestones that you have noted on here are really good this early in your recovery, well done!
Also, as mentioned in previous posts, don’t fret about your ROM. It can be very upsetting when you are told by PTs to 'try harder' or that you are behind in your recovery. Your poor knee and the rest if your body are in early stages of recovery so be gentle with yourself physically and mentally.

 

[Legseleven]

Hi Margot, what you feel is all normal. I’m one month ahead of you and I still have lots of times when I feel like this, and I expect to for quite a while. Tears still come too.
It is slow going, and I’ve realised that, for me, managing my expectations are key to cope with this long recovery.
I think I thought I’d be doing better at two months than I am, and by all accounts I’m having a good recovery. Everyone is happy - the consultant, the physio and they tell me to be patient and it’ll all come good. So I’m digging in for the long haul and hoping for the best. The wonderful support on here helps a lot.
I can shower standing up, sleep all night, albeit sometimes waking for a bit, and turning often to alleviate the pain, get dressed slowly, drive an automatic - it’s the getting in and out of the car which is hardest.
I’m still doing online shopping and it is carried into the kitchen for me.
I did well yesterday but today has been sore and a lot more rest, ice and elevation was needed. I don’t think the enormity of the recovery really hits us until a few weeks after, when it becomes a slog.
We will all get through this, and please vent your blues in here anytime.
Take care

 

[Layla]

Hi Margot, I'm sorry you're feeling a bit depressed. Try to stay as busy as possible to shift the focus away from the slog of recovery. That can be through reading, listening to podcasts, watching a series on tv or online. Puzzles, crosswords, online games, knitting, crocheting, calling a friend, emailing friends, taking an online class, to name just a few.

Post Op Blues seems pretty common around one month post op. You're far enough from surgery to be tired of recovery, but not far enough to see big improvements yet. It's easy to feel discouraged. The recovery process takes longer than we anticipate going in. Try to celebrate every milestone, no matter how small. Look for weekly progress through journaling, if you feel like it, it may help you feel better about the progress you're making if you note it once a week, on the same day each week. After a few weeks you will see that slowly but surely you are taking steps in the right direction. Also remind yourself that these feelings are only temporary. Difficult to imagine when you're in the midst of it, but you'll likely be one of those supporting another through their blues, sharing the same message here. So chin up...brighter days are on the way, truly!
@Margot

 

[Margot]

Thank you for the words of support and good advice yesterday. The messages lifted my spirits on a day that felt really tough. I do feel a bit lighter today : )

I'm hoping maybe the folks here can help me understand something about heel beds while lying on one's back. This is the bend that I simply cannot yet do on my own past about a 40 degree angle. When my PT gently pushed on it to assist, one week ago I was able to achieve 60 degrees.

Why is this the only bend that PTs and surgeons seem to want to measure? I can get a much better bend when I am sitting in a chair doing heel slides...a much better bend if I am pedaling on my little pedal apparatus...it feels like those bends don't count...but why?