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TKR Hopefaith's Ups and Downs of Recovery

Hi @hopefaith - I can see you are up, awake and posting so I thought I would pop by and say 'Hello' in real time, rather than when I get round to dropping in on all the threads. This way you know I am thinking of you right now while you are hanging around on the forum.

@Phil75070 has given some good hamstring exercise suggestions. But he's right, only do those squats when you are good and ready. I used to do a few when I was boiling the kettle for a cuppa!! And if you can only do a 'cuppa couple', that's better than none at all. My puny old hamstrings were really bad, but funnily enough when I stopped doing so many regular exercises and started just doing normal things (plus A LOT of stairs at my other house) they started to improve and I began to develop a bit of muscle bulk (Oh my lord, I sound like the Incredible Hulk!) As you can see from the photo, the TKR physio has improved me in so many ways I hadn't dreamed possible!!

[Bonesmart.org] Hopefaith's Ups and Downs of Recovery


Hope today is a good one, my friend and I have managed to make you smile.

Love XXOOXX
 
Hi Holly,
@hopefaith

Have been told also by my OS on my 6th week post-op check, that I need to strengthen my quads.
@Phil75070 has provided very good advice from his PT experience. I was given these same exercises at my Group PT class on Wednesday.

Another exercise, they had me do, involved placing a very large exercise ball (the kind you can also sit on) behind me at my lower back and then leaning against the wall to slowly do a squat until a point of discomfort, but not pain. At the end of the squat hold for 5 seconds and then come slowly up. I'm sure that you can see some examples on YouTube.

Because, I don't have this large ball at home, the PT suggested using a large cushion at my back.

But, again like @Phil75070 , I agree that developing the quad muscle are very important for recovery.
And as always, no exercise to the point of pain.

Best of luck, and perhaps next time you visit your PT, they can watch you do some of these exercises and show you how to do them without increasing your pain.

Take care,
Cathie
 
@hopefaith A couple of weeks ago I started to read your thread but it's so long I just couldn't get through it all, LOL! You seem a lovely person, always lending a sympathetic ear to anyone who needs it. People are like books, each chapter representing a portion of their lives. I feel like I'm only reading the last chapter of your book and don't know your story leading up to it. I hope you are doing well with your recovery.

As for the quad exercising without further aggravating your non tkr knee......at my last PT session she had me stand beside a stair with my tkr leg on the step and my non trk leg on the ground next to the step and lift myself up and down with my tkr leg. You can hold onto something for balance but try not to pull yourself up on the step with your arm. I definitely felt it in my quad! Whew!! My leg was definitely tired after that one. Anyway, just a thought for something you can try at home and no extra equipment required :)
 
You don't have to do full squats. My PT had me hang on to my walker and gradually increase the level of squats. Don't make it hurt, but do use some of the suggestions to strengthen your hamstrings. Hope you are doing well and feeling better.
 
Good Morning and afternoon. Just wanted to say I am thinking of you all. I took my dog for a short walk today and have been doing that for a few days. I haven't had pain doing that. I want to increase that sloowly. It is hard to gauge how much to push. Everyone's recovery is so different! I think my energy drain went somewhere else and now my knee is starting to catch up. I really want to listen to her (My knee's name is Olivia) :heehee:.
I am thinking a lot about @Karringtyn and wondering how she is. Many prayers for her.
 
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Hi @hopefaith, hope you are feeling better. I would not have thought of doing squats until you mentioned them here on your thread. I tried them just now and was able to do 10..... before getting winded. I have stationery bike which belongs to my younger son. My PT said I should use the stationery bike 10 mins a day, along with the runner's stance. (Holding onto the wall with the good leg to the wall and stretching the TKR leg stretched back and hold that for a count of 30, three times). and do the leg races. Sometimes I just cannot manage any exercises, so I do what I can. So I say do what you can and don't push it. One day at a time. You will get there. Take good care of yourself. @dogwheels you have a great since of humor. Lovin' it.:loveshwr::loveshwr:
 
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@tiredwife I was so sorry to read about your husband's pain. My OS switched my meds from dilaudid to Norco 7.5-375 last week when I "hit" the 5 week mark. I've been having horrible pain, and trouble sleeping ever since. The dilaudid was working pretty well and I was able to space my doses out really well. That's all gone now. I go to see OS in a few days---I hate to sound like such a wimp, but thanks to this site, I'm going to tell him what's happening and hope he'll switch me back for a while. (or at least let me use Dilaudid for breakthough pain). I hope your husband will get some good relief soon. It's so easy to get discouraged and depressed after hurting and being immobile for so long. Thank God for this site and for good people like you. What a blessing you are. Thoughts and prayers for your husband.
 
@ralfski Thank you! The Norco isn't as strong as his Percocet, but the anxiety is going away. He says it is worth it to not feel the anxiety. His pain was down to 3 and now is a 4. I will try to get him in to see his regular doctor Tuesday to see if he can suggest something. I know with his 1st knee he was off pain meds around week 4, but this knee he will need them longer. Take care!

@hopefaith How are you doing this evening? How is Olivia doing?
I notice a lot of people after their surgeries kind of disappear.
 
I haven't disappeared! Does it seem as though I have? My knee is still uncomfortable. I wonder what it should feel like at this stage. I wonder what other people's knees feel like when they go up and down stairs.?
 
@hopefaith Your fibromyalgia probably made you have a harder time healing. You are about 6 weeks or so ahead of hubby's first knee. He was lucky in his speedy recovery with that knee. He still has some twinges in it now and again, but not too bad. It has to be his strong knee now. Everyone heals differently, everyone has different medical problems, some knees are worse than others, everyone had different strength in their leg before surgery. Way too many factors.
 
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