Become an Insider

TKR Here I am with my new left knee

@Dearjr . Thanks. I saw your posts as well, you are rockin the recovery. I am very happy with my progress. I'm improving a couple degrees a week. I really worked hard the month leading up to surgery to get as strong as I could, and even dropped a few pounds, but it was difficult with 2 bad knees. I'm also a big cyclist. I wouldn't get of my bike the day before, just kept riding around the neighborhood ! We will get there again, you a lot faster than me by the looks of your progress.

@Braunzie. Thanks. hope everything is good with you also

I think i'm in a phase now where everything hurts except my knee. My hip, Thigh, hamstring, and back ache at night. I'm sure it's because every exercise works those areas. Hopefully this will pass. Gonna go do some PT and CPM.
 
The swelling can be quite shocking. I asked my visiting nurse about it and she said it was normal.
 
How was your birthday? Did "you know who" let you go out??
 
@Raffs , The B-day was good. I enjoyed getting out with some friends. I lasted 2 hours. Sounds like you had a great day !

Just had PT here. She says I'm doing good, but I hope to have a couple good weeks and do better before my OS follow up. I can only do what I can do. Staying positive. Trying to just take Tylenol during the day, and 1 or 2 Percocet at night if needed, but cutting way back. Thinking about trying to drive this week. "Lefty" shouldn't be a problem, right leg is gonna do all the work....Right ??
 
@cpd599 - Glad you had a nice B-day celebration! I'm not driving yet, but my surgery was on the right leg. I think if it were on my left, I could certainly manage. I'm hoping to try driving soon.. I think I'm getting close!
 
Happy belated birthday

I had my right knee done and was able to drive at 3 weeks. I moved the seat back a little and was able to freely move between brake and gas
Try a spin around the block like that with someone in the passenger seat

I also had a question for all of you

I find that after my exercises or just standing in the morning my knee is swollen and less mobile

I'm 5 1/2 weeks out

Thanks
 
Let's get back on track with cpd599's thread---let's keep it moving correctly forward.

@Dearjr---why don't you post that in your recovery thread so that others can see it and respond appropriately?
 
Good Morning. 5 weeks today. Although I would like to be a little farther along at this point, I do feel better each week. My biggest issue right know is sleeping. By the time I go to bed, I'm so tired but I cant get comfortable. It's not my knee though, PT says its my hamstring and quad muscle because all the exercises I'm doing work these. My hip and back also hurt at night. I have pretty much stopped using the pain meds during the day, but I need them at night. Then I just hope I can get 5-6 good hours before I wake up.
One theory I have is that I'm doing a lot more for myself (being alone all day) and around the house, mostly out of boredom, and my PT and CPM, by the end of the day, I'm wooped. I also still get around with the walker because I am only 50% weight bearing. I think that's part of the back and hip issue. Next week I meet with the OS for follow-up and X-rays to see if I can start putting weight on it. I sure that will bring a whole new list of issues, but I can't wait to walk, or start therapy to learn how to walk again.
Anybody else experience the back of leg (hamstring) and hip pain at night ? ALSO...
Does anybody have issues with the CPM. When I increase the flex angle too much, the stretch doesn't feel natural, and my quad gets very sore. My PT said back off if it hurts, but if I do, it doesn't seem to do much. Curious ?
 
@cpd599

My quads on top of thigh is sore especially after the exercises. It swells and feels constricted while doing ankle slides but after I do a few it gets looser.

Strangely after ice it gets stiff too. Do you feel a band around the front or back of knee
 
@Dearjr you are doing very well, consultation. @cdp599 you really work to plan, it is a good idea, I will follow. Thanks for the tip.
 
@Dearjr . I still have swelling above knee cap and mostly to outside. The quad does get sore after PT, but I don't notice more swelling. I always ice after PT, although now I am doing it the old school way with a bag, so I can pin point areas. And yes, I do feel like I have a 3" rubberband around the bottom of my knee under knee cap. Seems to be a common feeling around here. When does that go away !?
 
cpd599 said:
es anybody have issues with the CPM. When I increase the flex angle too much, the stretch doesn't feel natural, and my quad gets very sore. My PT said back off if it hurts, but if I do, it doesn't seem to do much. Curious ?
Click to expand...
I found the cpm very uncomfortable in a variety of ways both as I increased the flex and after a period of time on it. The thing I found the cpm helpful for was just loosening up a bit. Other than that, I think heel slides and other exercises were more beneficial. I also only had the cpm for 2 weeks.
 
My os said that he doesn't use it because studies have shown no beef it different than pt exercises in the long run. Meaning the same ultimate Flexion is attained at the end
So if it's uncomfortable don't do it. Remember the mantra no pain and a lot of gain!
 
I think you've exceeded the time for the CPM to be beneficial in your recovery. I think they're only recommended for about two weeks post op.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
Happy belated birthday. To this day my hamstring still bothersome. I still have trouble sleeping. I found some great old tv shows on @3 am lol. Sounds like you are doing all you can. Maybe your OS can help. :doggie:
 
@cpd599 - Sorry you're having trouble sleeping.. My knee is what keeps me from getting comfortable, so I can't speak to anything that might help. Interesting that you are still only 50% weight bearing. I gave up my walker after a couple weeks (except at night when I had to get up in the dark), and I can see how that might cause back pain. Even just using a single crutch causes me to have slight back pain, but nothing that bothers me once I lie down. My PT told me she wants me completely off crutches and walking "solo" by the end of this week. Gulp.
I gave up using my CPM machine just under 3 weeks. It was uncomfortable at the 0 extension, but I found that was mostly because the machine "walked" away from me as it went through the motions and I was consistently having to pull it back close to me.
Interested to hear how your next OS appointment goes! Keep up the good progress!! :)
 
Thanks for the input. I didn't use the cpm yesterday and really didn't notice a difference. I just added another round of PT, and felt I got more out of that. I may try it for an hour or so today just to loosen up..we'll see.
I've tried so many positions and pillow combinations to get comfortable, but nothing really works. Hopefully this will pass.
@Braunzie, The weight bearing thing is because my knee is cementless. OS says treat it like it were a broken bone. It has to fuse to the bone (or vice versa). OS says he has had very good results with this knee in young active men.
I bet you're a little nervous about walking without a safety net, but you've been pretty active. You'll do good. I can't wait to try walking. Still just around 90 flex though. I want to work on that more but afraid to over do it, especially at this stage. PT says I'm doing good, and has given me a couple new things to do, but the darn thing will only bend so far !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Corganics CBD

Members online

Total: 1,039 (members: 4, guests: 1,035)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom