Revision TKR Hmm. Not thrilled with the revision yet

[eaglemom]

Man oh man its so easy to over do. I'm truly trying but I will say I am my own worst enemy!!.

Like many others I'm trying to do some decorating around the house. Its amazing how that zaps me of energy and does cause pain. I do a little bit then sit. Then do something else then sit. What now has happened is that it looks like Christmas exploded all over the house and not one thing is completed.

So I've had a talk with myself and its okay to be minimalist this year. (Not that I way over decorate, but I need not get every little thing out.) I was going to try and keep the tree with just garland and lights and a few birds. I don't think I can handle that!!! Its just got to have a few ornaments, but not everything. My new motto - less is better, less is better. And I've almost convinced myself this is true!

One thing for certain is that I have learned that I absolutely have elevate and ice at least once a day. Twice would be better, I'm working on that also. I'm just a work in progress - trying to be minimalist.

Learn from me - we can't do it all. We're the ones who pay in swelling and pain.

 

[Jockette]

We gave up our full size Christmas tree 4 years ago when we moved into this current, much smaller house. It was an artificial tree, but we have limited storage space and smaller rooms here. We moved the end of May, so no one was looking for a Christmas tree, so we left it at the curb of the previous house when we moved.

My daughter does a lot of crafting and she had decorated some 2 ft trees with different themes and sold most of them. Her favorite, surprisingly, did not sell. It has birds and nests on it, and lights, so she sent it to us that first Christmas in this house. It’s adorable and we love it. I put it in our front window. Sometimes I add miniature ornaments to it, but usually don’t. No one notices. So, at Christmas time, it’s our Christmas tree. The rest of the year, it’s a bird tree. Win, win!!

 

[eaglemom]

Tomorrow's the day. I see the surgeon again, it will be 10 weeks post surgery. I've done my PT (if you want to call living life PT) at home, myself. I don't plan on volunteering anything unless he specifically asks.

I will say swelling is still a huge issue. And with swelling comes stiffness / tightness of the knee. Which of course lead to less than ideal ROM. I do plan to be kinder to myself, period. Keeping this swelling is bothersome and unwanted!! I'm talking a lot of swelling. So difficult to balance life and recovery, but I've got this. We've all got it - patience patience patience has to be the motto. I'm walking without a limp 65% of the time, room for improvement for sure, but for where I'm at in healing I'll take it.

I'll report what he has to say.

 

[Jockette]

Keep us posted.

 

[eaglemom]

Here is what happened at my appointment with the surgeon. He walked in and ask how I felt I was doing. When I said good, he ask how outpatient PT was going. I said "I've not done any out patient PT, I simply couldn't make myself. I've done my own rehab." He looked at me & said "excellent, you know you best. Let's measure you." I was -10 & 110, which he felt was "fabulous" for me especially with all of the swelling that I have. I so wanted to do a happy dance!!! His next words were "you know time will help this along. You'll continue to improve. Excellent job."

We chatted a bit more about stiffness / soreness. He wants me walking (concentrating on heel forward and flat) outside 10 minutes a day. Hopefully 2x's a day, but for sure 1 x. Nothing longer than that intentionally. I'm to use my cane absolutely every time I leave the house. He said people will mow you over if your walking slowly but with a cane hopefully they'll not bump into you. He also went over they saga of doing too much. I'm not suppose to do that!!! He said there is nothing wrong with resting with ice/elevation. The knee is a baby - babies need rest. This is a long recovery we're doing great - lets' keep it that way.

I don't think it could have gone any better. He didn't "release" me, wants to see me in 3 months. I'm all for that & was going to suggest it. Do less, walk 10 minutes, ice/elevate & take pain meds when needed. His last words were do not over do, your walking like a new woman!! I'll take this report every time.

 

[Celle]

That sounds like a fabulous appointment with your surgeon.

It's so good that he was happy with your progress, and also encouraging about the future. He sounds like a "keeper".

 

[sistersinhim]

I love your surgeon's attitude about healing and rehab! I pray more and more OSs start to feel the same way as yours does.

 

[eaglemom]

It is so easy to fall into bad habits. For several days I didn't put rest/ice/elevate a priority and the knee certainly hasn't been happy with me. I've learned and the last 3 days I've put recovery on the top of the 'to do' list. I am enjoying the outdoor little walk - the fact that its been absolutely beautiful outside certainly has helped.

I've noticed that yes my knee is swollen, but it seems like my entire calf is also. It feels different, I don't know how to explain it. Solid maybe, it feels solid. I shot the surgeon an email and since in the past I've had an issue with lymphodema that its showing up again. He would like me to wear compression socks - but they kill my knee. I tried the thigh high ones, and nope I can't stand them. They feel like they are pushing the knee too much. So, more elevation is in my future. That's okay if it solves the issue.

This is my warning / concern for all of us recovering - slow down and do not over due. At this time of year it is so hectic for so many, its okay to sit and rest. Of course there are things I'd love to be doing - but I'd much rather heal properly than have any setbacks with this knee.

Happy healing everyone

 

[Suz]

This is my warning / concern for all of us recovering - slow down and do not over due. At this time of year it is so hectic for so many, its okay to sit and rest. Of course there are things I'd love to be doing - but I'd much rather heal properly than have any setbacks with this knee.
Happy healing everyone

Thank You for this exhortation. I have recently moved passed the 'raw', pain-storms as I like to call them. I have even been able to seriously back off of my hydrocodone recently.

Today I found myself walking all over the house with my walker and even independent of the walker at times. Not smart at only 3 wks out. Throughout the day I could feel the tightness & intense fatigue move in. Because it wasn't 'raw' pain, I kept going.

I'm doing ok this evening, but after reading your post I realized I foolishly got ahead of my recovery today. I'm back in my recliner tonight with a renewed sense of taking care of my recently replaced knee. I intend to resist being all over the house, all day long, right now in my recovery. I'll still move about every hour or so- but focus on rest too. Thanks to You!

Happy Holidays!

 

[Pockalong]

Eaglemom I feel your pain.
My journey began in 2013 with a tri-malleor ankle dislocation break and in doing exercises for the ankle in 2016 I ended up ripping my medial menicus root from the bone.

I ended up being braced for a year and finally got tired of the brace and decided to have a partial knee replacement in March 2018. All was well with the new partial, except I couldn't get rid of the achy nagging pain in the medial side of the knee and I started to swing my leg a bit to the outside.

I did do outside physical therapy and we tried everything under the sun to relieve the pain. One thing that we found was that I had so much scar tissue and swelling that it went all the way to my ankle. My tissue was tight and didn't even move when I would rub it.

We started to do myfascia tissue release and light cupping and this helped tremendously with the swelling and the tight feeling that your skin gets.
Started with the ankle area and worked up trying to get the lymph nodes to do there job. Did physical therapy and massage therapy twice a week for 10 months.

My doctor kept saying there was nothing wrong and so through encouragement from my 2 different therapists I did go for a second opinion. I went in for the second opinion and I found I had 2 issues going on.

First my implant was too large for my bone structure and so it was hitting my MCL every time I moved.
Also the original cut was slanted and so it was out of alignment, so that was why I had the swinging of the leg to the outside.

So Feb 2019 I ended up having a TKR revision. The revision has gone pretty well, I am now 10 months out from the last surgery. Rid of the pain but I do still have some nerve ziggers from time to time especially when I'm tired or have over done it. Rubbing my leg down, helps to take care of that problem and it gets less with time.

Am glad to be done with icing & elevating, which I did for over a year and a half. I am fortunate to be able to get my numbers to 10/135 within 3 months, but they figured that was because I did physical therapy right up to the surgery time, so my tendons and muscles were in good shape.

I am not advocating physical therapy but maybe ask about the myfascia release/ massage therapy. If it is done right it does not hurt and could possibly give you some relief. This is my experience and I don't know if anyone else has tried this treatment.

 

[eaglemom]

Those are some great suggestions, thanks. I am able to touch my leg / knee and rub it and do lotion, etc. But I'm not sure I'd be able to handle anyone else touching it, yet. Quite sensitive. And I still have deep bruising going on that is tender to touch.

Those nerve zinggers are just that - zinggers. They always catch me off guard.

Icing will be in my life for quite awhile longer - I'm very slow to loose swelling. I wonder why that is? Surgeon isn't concerned about it - says each body reacts slightly differently.

As I've said, I'm struggling with upper thigh pain and calf stiffness / tightness. I'm not concerned about it since I'm so early into my healing. When I get out of a chair and the first 3 or 4 steps, well, they just aren't pretty. But once I'm moving I move better. The tightness of the thigh & calf are there but I can move.

So glad your doing well are the 10 month mark.

 

[lionsm13]

It's too bad that folks who've had revisions couldn't come on this thread and say what helped or didn't help.

I'm real curious as to what the success ratio is..

I read where over 22 thousand TKR revisions are done every year.

Of course probably the ones that have no issues don't post on here which would also be logical.

We have all kinds of data on TKR's but not so much on revision recovery and success rates and percentage rates of satisfaction.

 

[sistersinhim]

Go to the Knee Surgery Recovery Area and clink on the blue 'TKR Revision and you will be taken to all those who have had a revision.

 

[eaglemom]

I have a question I keep forgetting to ask. I'm at 11 weeks post and still have what I'd call some significant bruising. A friend said she thought it was called deep bone bruising. The surgeon wasn't concerned when I last saw him, but that was a couple of weeks ago. And to me its not gotten any better. Thankfully its not gotten worse either.

I had a rough time with pain / cramping last night. I'll be glad when the phase is done.

 

[lionsm13]

Obviously these TKR's take much longer to heal than what we think..

I just got to the point with my TKR that after a while I just tried to put it out of mind and not think about it as when I told my OS about the pain that I was experiencing 6 months post op, he just sat there and told me that he "did not know" was causing my pain.
This is when I decided to just "try to deal with it" as it was and hoped for a better day which eventually did come.

Now with my current issue, not sure what to think other than absolutely dreading getting a revision.
Scared to death as a matter of fact.

Just my honest opinion.

 

[eaglemom]

Lionssm13 please don't already start dreading having a revision. That's what's in your mind, not your surgeons. Personally I've done the same thing, until I realized if a revision is what it takes to make things better, then its revision time.

As you've read my knee adventures haven't been for the faint of heart!! Slowly - oh so slowly - I've healed. I've found I put more pressure on my myself than anyone else. I've tried to realize its going to be a slow go and trying to accept it. We heal as our body heals, there isn't a schedule. I personally am a very slow healer, ugh. But I know that.

I'm very optimistic that this last revision is the one that works. Thus far I'm pleased as is the surgeon. I will say I still have a huge issue with swelling - constant swelling. And with that comes some limited ROM. When the swelling finally dissipates I anticipate the ROM will improve. That makes sense to me. But thus far, at 11 weeks out I know I've been doing too much. Thus I'm uncomfortable and even more swollen - that's on me, not the knee. I've cut back on everything and we'll see how I progress.

 

[lionsm13]

I'm certainly glad that you're optimistic EM.
It's about the one thing that certainly can't hurt.

For me, any of this TKR stuff, is hard on about any level that I can think of.
Maybe this is not the "rosey things will get better approach" but it's how I feel about it and that is a valid consideratinon as well.
I don't mean to discourage anyone here.

It's hard on one financially as I will have to be missing @least what 2 months of work of my part time job that I really do need even being retired as you know what retirement pays?

Fulfilling daily "around the house responsibilites", is a tough one too, can't go to the store, will have to have to pay to get walk shoveled or yard mowed,etc etc, etc. Hard to participate in many hobbies or anything that includes daily living, walking my little dogs, and or having to be on your feet for more than a few minutes or walking for any distance of more than a couple blocks.
At least this has been my experience.

Mentally I'm always worrying too that something isn't right with the TKR itself.
My spouse is supportive but she does not really understand and after a while I think she gets tired of hearing about "my knee" after a while as well.
I really do wished I could be more optimistic as well.

Sorry for the rant and vent.

 

[eaglemom]

Reporting in for the first time in 2020.

I absolutely have enjoyed the holidays and all that goes along with them. However, I'm glad its behind us. I tried very hard to not overdo. I will admit I wasn't totally successful, but I was pretty good. But now that the busyness is behind I'll certainly be able to cut back on the over doing.

Swelling is an issue as is stiffness. Its not gotten better, but alas its not gotten worse. Its a given the knee will wake me up during the night - I know that will get better. My endurance certainly isn't where I want it to be - I'd like it to be like I'm 35! LOL. Time and patience. Admittedly the last three days I've elevated but not iced and I can certainly tell a difference. Tomorrow its back to the icing schedule. Trial and error on what works and what doesn't & the big one what's enough ADL's and what is too much? Its such a thin line.

Here's hoping we can all have a healing, ROM improving, less swelling 2020.

 

[Jockette]

You have an amazing attitude for all you’ve been through and you have my admiration! Best of the Best wishes for 2020.

 

[sistersinhim]

Welcome to 2020. This is your year of a successful knee replacement!

I agree with you about the holidays. It's good to get back to the 'normal' things now.