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TKR I really didn't know what I was getting into!

@Knees4Me I read your post on @Mireille's thread. It's unlikely you're developing scar tissue on your knee and you should absolutely not let the PT push on your knee. You are probably experiencing swelling from the aggressive therapy. Actually a ROM of 90 at 3 weeks is fine. Please don't do anything or allow someone else do anything that hurts.
 
@KarriB Thanks. That makes me feel better. I'm no pushover, so why do PTs feel they can threaten and bully? How are they trained? It often seems the patients are treated like naughty schoolchildren who haven't done their homework (i.e., achieved 90 ROM before leaving the hospital, followed by an increase to 115 to 135+ by the end of week 6?) And when we say 'no', why do they threaten to send us to the principal's office (i.e., the surgeon's office) for punishment with MUI or - worse - further surgery to remove scar tissue! Sheesh! I would not purposely hold back on bending my leg. I want to ride a bike and climb stairs normally again. But there are reasons why I don't want to push it. First and foremost: that demon swelling. But my PT said last week, "Lots of people with swelling have much higher ROMs." Good thing I'm over 65 and don't take guff from anybody any more! But I'm so sick of getting up in the morning and having to go through the seemingly endless resting, icing, medicating and elevating. It seems so long already since my surgery, but it's only been three weeks. I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel yet. I want my leg and life back! I really didn't know what I was getting into!!!! And I still don't, because the future is unknown...with RTKR looming later in this "Year of the Leg"!
 
@Knees4Me Oh oh I hear the dark days! You WILL get better. You WILL gain ROM. It might take awhile, patience is the key. The PT's who act like draconian school marms are a sad lot. 115-135 at 6 weeks did happen for one of my knees but the other is just getting there at 8 weeks. Your knee will progress as it is able. Stay firm. Don't let anyone crank on your leg. Have you tried any gentle massage to mobilize the swelling? My guess is that you will start seeing some improvements over the next few weeks. Try to hang in there!
 
@Red's Mom Thanks - I need encouragement like yours. Dark days, indeed. Family, friends and colleagues are sympathetic at first, but lose interest as the recovery process drags on. I no longer hear, "You'll be up, running around on your new knee in no time," which is what I chose to believe before surgery because, as @Josephine says, a positive attitude is everything" - or words to that effect.

It's hard to stay positive for weeks and months. I had to give away an opera ticket because I just can't sit still with my knees at approx 90 degrees in a theatre seat for a long period. Had to pass on this month's book club meeting too. Nobody mentioned things like that pre-op. It's those little, everyday things that get me down most some days - and then turn on the waterworks.

I won't be able to take my husband out for a nice 70th birthday dinner in a couple of weeks either. And I feel bad because he's been an amazing nurse during my recovery - and he's still sleeping on the love-seat in the living room! We didn't foresee that he wouldn't be able to sleep in our bed because I'd be so sleepless, uncomfortable and restless, as well as having to set my alarm and get up to take my meds on a schedule. It's all so exhausting mentally and physically!

Thanks for propping me up while I get this ranting out of my system. It means a lot!
 
@Cratchit - you're right. There must be a happy medium and a solution for each patient. One size fits all doesn't work with post-op PT. But some form of therapy, massage and exercise must be beneficial. Why can't we all be guided toward what will work for us as individuals?
 
That's what we're here for, to help each other. I have a birthday dinner suggestion. Can you choose a restaurant that has booths? I found in the dark days I could go out to eat if I could sit in a booth sideways with my leg up. Not very lady like but it was healthy to get out of the house. I couldn't sit with my legs down for any length of time until the last few weeks (7-8). I bawled my eyes out on the flight here even though I could throw my leg up on my hubby and the window. For the book club is it at someone's home? I have a MNO group (moms night out, we've been doing this monthly for 25 years) we usually go to restaurants but in December two of us were laid up so we went to a friends home Sue laid out in the recliner, I got the couch with my feel elevated. We all joked that we're aging! It was good to be out for sure, gave me a dose of hope.
 
@Knees4Me I don't know but l wish it would and l wish everyone who works with TKR patients post op could have a better understanding of what this procedure entails.

Just been back to edit a typo on my previous post and pressed delete instead of edit. Doh!

I do hope this phase passes quickly for you. It really does seem never-ending at times. I'm at the stage now where it's hard to recall just how difficult those first few weeks were but l do know it was horrid.
 
@Knees4Me you will soon figure out your magic balance of activities, PT, elevating and icing. It just takes time. Your not even three weeks out yet. I agree with you, our OS should provide realistic guidance as to what we might expect. I had seen several friends who were sold the "you'll be back at work in three weeks" BS so I was somewhat prepared for the lengthy recovery. I "gave" my horse to a friend for 4 months. What I wasn't prepared for was all the other issues like pain, weakness, stiffness, lack of stamina, sadness, loss of independence, and the PT dilemma. I'm so glad I found this forum within days of my first knee, it really got me through the dark days of knee one and the darker days of knee two. Now, I'm laying in the sun feeling a bit better week by week!
 
@Red's Mom - Great suggestions. I can think of one fave restaurant with a booth, but they usually only reserve it for four. And the washrooms are down steep stairs! Also, I can't celebrate with wine or bubbly until I'm iff opiods, and the surgeon said that'll be at least six weeks - likely longer! :( I don't. Eed the calories and it's be cheaper - but it'll still be too soon for me to drive. The book club is in someone's condo - the we 8 women take up all the furniture, including two sofas! Maybe I can Skype in! Haha!!
 
Don't tell anyone but I cheated and had a glass of wine or two while still on the Tramadol :bignono:
 
@Red's Mom - Knee 2 days were darker?! Oh, no! Why? And where are you lying in the sun?! I've been reading resort reviews in "sun destinations" on Trip Advisor tonight. Icing with my trusty Cryo Cuff right now, will then elevate - but I must get some much-needed sleep tonight!
 
@Red's Mom - Don't know Tramadol, but I'm taking Hydromorphone, which apparently is like Vicodin, the drug Hugh Laurie's Dr. House was addicted to in the TV series. Don't think I'll drink until opiods are out of my system! Doesn't hurt to cleanse the liver! Haha!
 
I was going to make the same suggestion as Red's Mom. After my infection surgery a month out of TKR, I had drs appointments twice a week and since I was craving some normalcy we would ho out for lunch or breakfast after a dr appointment. I always made sure we sat in a booth and since I had an imbolizer on my leg I had to sit with it up on the booth seat.

You will see and feel a difference in a few weeks, especially if you say no way to your PT. Medical changes come slowly and some are still using an old philosophy of "no pain no gain". The Mayo Clinic is no longer recommending PT for TKRs, just a few simple stretches and ADLs. @nancyjo had hers done at Mayo, she did no PT at all and is recovering beautifully. You can check out her thread if you like. You can also look for a less aggressive therapist. Be your own advocate if needed.
 
Have you thought of asking the book club to meet at your house instead? Then you can attend and be comfortable.
 
@KarriB No, our condo is on the small side. We have only two small love seats (no chairs) in our living room area, so I'd be able to seat only half of the 8 women in our still growing book club. The woman who started the club has an enormous, beautiful place with lots of space and furniture - and art work! So I'll have to book the bulding's library when it's my turn to host. Hope it's not for a while, because I will also be responsible for catering the food, drinks (including wine), transporting everything there and back to my condo, clean-up, leading the meeting with questions I've composed, etc. all that would be too stressful at this time in my loooong recovery!
 
@Knees4Me I hope you had a restful night! Keith and I spend the month of a January on the Big Island Hawaii. We flew over when my knees were 6/10 weeks old so I will finish the infancy period here. It has been nice to be somewhere where I can easily get outside and in the sun. The sun helps with the darkness of the recovery period for sure! No one can say why knee 2 was naughty. Knee one was quite happy by three weeks. Knee two got happy sometime around 7 weeks. They both still require attention, periodic icing and elevation, sometimes getting up and walking about during the night. SO much better now though. Those early days were wicked as you know. It WILL get much better!
 
@Knees4Me gosh your book club sounds hard work! Is there a local cafe you could hold it on 'your' night? Even if you could prop your leg up on another chair at least the catering would be taken care of. I'm a voracious reader but I've always steered clear of book clubs because I was scared they'd take the pleasure out of reading. I do go along and do author talks to them which is fun but I'm not obliged to organise anything myself.
 
@Josephine - Could you please let me know if my daily pain management plan is sound? I seem to have worked out one that works for me:

6 a.m., 12 p.m., 6 p.m. and 12 a.m.: Two 500 mg Acetaminophen (X-strength Tylenol tablets) plus two 2 mg Hydromorphone tablets

AND

9 a.m., 3 p.m., 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.: one 2 mg Hydromorphone tablet

I cannot take Celebrex, Nsaids, Aleve, Advil or any other anti-inflammatory containing ibuprophen because I have an anaphylactic allergic reaction to them. I carry an Epipen in my purse.

My first post-op night in hospital, I caught a nurse trying to slip Celebrex in with my other meds. I told her I wasn't to have anti-inflammatories. She said that Celebrex is not an anti-inflammatory! I Googled it on my iPad and showed her proof I was right! She is (supposedly) a trained and qualified nurse! I mentioned the incident to my surgeon and she said, "That's why we like patients to advocate for themselves." Glad I did or I might have gone into an anaphylactic allergic reaction!

My surgeon also said that if I can't take anti-inflammatories, I should take an extra Hydrmorphone tablet, as needed. I don't like to do that but I have once or twice. Instead, I usually try to strap on my Cryo Cuff and elevate my legs to reduce my almost permanent swelling.

The swelling makes it nearly impossible to increase my flexion higher than 90 degrees. And elevating is uncomfortable because I have sciatic pain down the left side of my back, hip and thigh down to my "operated" knee, which started in hospital when I had to sleep sitting up with a brace on.

It also feels as if I have a very tight IT band down that side, too, which fatigues my leg in the elevated position. Wish my case were more straight forward! I want to get on the recumbent exercise bike in our condo building's gym - and get back to driving my car - SOON! I'm an impatient patient!!
 
@Spex10 - There's no local cafe. Everything's a drive away. And this is the land of ice and snow at this time of year. I can't sit yet without fidgeting and changing position frequently, so no restaurants, theatres, etc. for me yet! Besides, the entire book club is right here in my condo building for maximum convenience. I'm just not attending the meetings while I convalesce. I am reading the books, though. You're right - it's too much work!
 
My book club meets just 4 times a year, so plenty of time to read whatever else I want. We always meet in a restaurant probably because everyone was teaching when we began, now about half are retired. We have one male in our group, he was our principal. We meet Feb 20th, so I better get busy! Somewhere
in the social room is a book recommendation thread.
 
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