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TKR iCanDoThis Recovery Thread

I’m a week out from surgery now. :flwrysmile:Pain is managed well and I’m still icing around the clock. :ice: (I’m currently taking one Percocet every 6 hours plus Ibuprofen but the first 3-4 days I took the Percocet two every 6 hours.). My worst discomfort is muscular (calf & quad). The quad is better each day but it seems the calf loosens up when I walk and stretch a bit but is super tight again next time I stand. If I walk a lot, I feel the deep bone ache later in the day. My first PT visit is tomorrow morning and I’ll report on that afterwards. I’m so grateful for this group. Reading all of your recovery stories is really helpful!
 
I had horrible quad pain with the first knee. I swear it was worse than the knee itself. I'm glad yours is improving consistently.
 
Tuesday overnight I skipped my pain med and was fine so I haven’t taken any more Percocet since then. Just ibuprofen and my other regular meds. Home PT has been good. Primarily she’s supervising my exercises and adding new ones each time. Nothing in PT has been painful and good news......she told me I can ditch the walker since I’m doing so well. We walked (With my cane) around my cul-de-sac and it felt so good to be outside! The home health nurse came today and removed my water proof bandage and my staples. I’ll put my scar pic on that thread later. Thanks again for all of the encouraging words and posts.
 
Yay! You are doing so well!
 
Still plugging along. Tomorrow will be two weeks already. I never thought I’d admit it but I am sick of remaining inactive. I’m not in much pain at all so what I’d really like to do is go shopping at the mall or go for a long walk around the neighborhood.....however I am being a good girl and doing my home exercises which are not strenuous or painful and I am icing, elevating, resting, and recovering. I’m getting the zingers on and off and the front of my knee (Knee cap area) is a little achy at times but beyond that, it’s just the swelling that’s holding me back. It’s much less swollen at this point - visually - but I know inside the tissues are swollen too and that I have to be patient. Although no one has expressly approved me to - I have been driving some over the last few days. It’s my left knee, I do not take any narcotic pain meds at this point and I can get in and out of the car with ease. Dropped the dogs off at the groomer and met my mom for lunch one day and it was glorious to be independent! I have my last home health nurse visit and last home PT visit tomorrow and then will begin PT with my long-standing outpatient physical therapist on Thursday. As of yesterday I was 108/0 and I am very happy with that so early in the recovery process.
 
I was so excited the first day I drove after surgery. It makes you feel so free and capable again!

Good luck with your outpatient PT. I think it's great that you already have a relationship with them. That should prevent any of the common problems.
 
Gosh you sound like you are doing so well... so pleased for you!

Cabin Fever can get you down... but sounds like your outings are coming along nicely...x


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Outpatient PT was awesome! I’ve been going to the same PT practice for almost 20 years on and off so it was quite fun to walk in there on Thursday with no assistance and to see the looks on their faces. I was 5 minutes late and they said they were worried I’d been delayed struggling across the parking lot with my walker. :heehee: I’ve had two visits and will have three next week. I can pedal the bike (no resistance) and the hands-on work hasn’t been too painful. I was achy and didn’t sleep well the night after visit 1 but fine after visit 2. Today is Saturday and I feel so lucky and grateful. Modern medicine really is amazing and I’m glad I didn’t wait to have my TKR! I’m still stiff and somewhat swollen but I know what I’m experiencing is normal. I’m doing the prescribed exercises at home and I am not overdoing it when I feel good. (So tempting!) I think maybe that’s why I keep moving forward and not experiencing setbacks. Hey, I'm only 17 days out from the surgery and have much work to do but I am very optimistic! :SUNsmile:
 
I’m glad your outpatient PT is so good. You have had a long relationship with their office which helps. They understand where you were before surgery. I hope everything continues to go well for you.
 
Woohoo! I'm so glad you are having a great PT experience. I think the right PT can be a huge help to recovery.

I agree modern medicine can work miracles. Such a major life improvement so very quickly!
 
Wow and congratulation on your wonderful recovery. Not to be a downer, but be very careful about over doing it. You feel good but that knee is a newborn still. As for driving, I'd be very careful. It can be brutal to recover from overdoing it. (Yes, that's the voice of experience talking.)
 
@eaglemom thank you for the wisdom. While I’ve been lucky so far, I’ve been careful not to get too crazy. Tomorrow will be three weeks from surgery and I’m still doing great. I had my 3 week post op visit with my OS today. He was impressed with my progress and said I could be a poster child for TKR. My PT is also pleased with my progress. I don’t know how I got so fortunate but I’m very very grateful! I am taking the occasional Percocet at bedtime if I’m extra sore and rest assured the exercises still aren’t “easy” but I’m doing them and in no rush to regain full ROM.
 
24 days out from left TKR. All is well. I’m strengthening in PT which feels great. ROM up to 118/0 on a good day. I’m back to work part time at my desk job and continuing outpatient PT three times a week. Life is feeling a little more normal for me which is really nice. I am still avoiding joining the ODIC but it is a constant battle between what I want to do and what I know I shouldn’t do. Still icing regularly. I’m very grateful I’ve had a smooth road to recovery so far. :)
 
:holysheep:Boy oh boy is my patella aching tonight! Keeps waking me up. I haven’t had this bad of a night in a while so this is throwing me for a loop! Ice ✅ Elevate ✅ Tylenol ✅ Recliner ✅. I’m just so tired and discouraged. Come on sleep. Take me away.
 
iCanDoThis said:
I’m back to work part time at my desk job and continuing outpatient PT three times a week.
Click to expand...
This is quite a bit of activity. Can you cut back on the PT? Sounds like your ROM is doing well - surely you don't need PT 3X/week?
 
@Jaycey as a matter of fact I am reducing to twice a week going forward and I am going to rest the heck out of my knee this weekend. Thank you as always for the support and advice.
 
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iCanDoThis said:
as a matter of fact I am reducing to twice a week going forward
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Good start but I would reduce it to a maximum of once per week. Since you are back at work and moving around again you really don't need all this PT. Save your energy for doing things you enjoy.
 
Soon will be 5 weeks out from left TKR. I’m really happy with my progress. This week I had a couple of days when I felt super good and that’s always nice. (I did not go out and over do it on those days. LOL) I’m still icing for 45-60 minutes 2 to 3 times a day though my swelling is much improved. The ice feels good so I ice! Finally climbed my little step ladder to refill my hummingbird feeder this weekend and the hummers are happy. All in all I’m just checking in with a positive progress report. This forum is a great resource!
 
Great update @iCanDoThis ! Sounds like you are well on your way to pain free living! Well done!
 
PT has cleared me to do what I want. He doesn’t see me causing any exercise-induced setbacks at this point. I walked 2 miles Tuesday night and it felt so good to actually “exercise”. 6 weeks ago I couldn’t walk down my street without limping in pain and that was WITH my knee brace. Two miles would have put me out of commission for a day or two. Had my 6 week follow up with the surgeons PA Tuesday and she was extremely impressed with my 6 week progress. I’m still working on strengthening my quad muscle and icing a couple times a day. I feel the occasional ache in the knee or knee cap area but it’s still early days and overall I am WAY better than I was pre-op. I’m very grateful!
 
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