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Revision TKR if at first you don't succeed....<

Congratulations on the stairs! :friends:And on seeing other small improvements--bit by bit you can really notice progress. But as you've seen it doesn't happen overnight or by "force."
 
I know, I'm still at the stage of I step forward and 1 step sideways, but I'm beginning to have confidence that I'll get there in the end. It's not yet 9 weeks - still very early days.
 
I just watched the film of a knee replacement surgery - no wonder it's so swollen and stiff! I'm amazed I can walk at all after all that being done to me. But - I seem to have taken a sudden slump mentally. I'm at nearly 10 weeks, still limping quite badly without a crutch and still can't walk far enough to take my dogs out. It's mostly not really pain as such and I don't feel the need for painkillers, not even in the mornings now, but I seem to have stopped making progress and I think my ROM is less than it was. I'm still icing and elevating but it doesn't really seem to make much difference any more. I don't go to PT any more but still do my stretches and leg lifts. The hamstring and calf stretches don't seem to be making any difference either - I still have that really sore "catch" at the back of my knee for a second or two when I bend it when doing heel slides and walking, but the knee itself is totally pain-free and once the "catch" is over it's OK - until the next step. I'm so cross with myself for feeling so fed up after this long, but can't seem to snap out of it. I still believe it will be OK in the end, but I just seem to have hit a brick wall. Someone tell me I'm being a wimp, please!
 
I'm sort of in the same place. I think this is our first "wall" in the marathon of recovery. We're tired. We've worked hard, and our progress feels like it has stopped.

If I weren't still doing physical therapy and getting the opportunity to see small improvements each session, I would feel as if I were getting nowhere and maybe going backwards at this point. (9.5 weeks for me)

Don't despair! You're doing well. Look for the small things. A change in pain or stiffness (it moves as we recover), a little thing that was harder to do last week than it is this week, and I think you'll see some good things happening.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
It's only been 10 weeks - still very early days. You are bound to have a few pauses and "two steps forward, one step back" episodes.

If you are limping without a crutch, then continue to use one. There's no need to rush to get rid of its support.
 
I'm 8 weeks today and have hit the same wall. Too bad we don't all live close enough to throw a pity party together. You make a good point about the pain moving @PolarBear60 . I just get frustrated when pain shows up in a new place and think I'm going backwards but guess I need to look at it as forward progress.

Roxie
 
thanks, guys, it helps to know I'm not the only one. I read somewhere on one of the threads that recovery is like a roller coaster - I've never been on one, but I guess this is what one of the downs feels like!
 
I liken recovery to a cow path -- it meanders all over the place.

In my experience, the moving pain has been a sign of good things happening, so, unless it looks like infection, embrace it.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
Actually, the downs on a roller coaster are the exciting part. We're in the clunk, clunk, clunk (boring!) climb to the top to get to the thrilling downhill curvy part of the ride.

So hang on! The best is yet to come.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
Celle, I thought that I should be able to manage without the crutch by this stage as the PT said it was easy to get too dependent on it. Life is a whole lot easier with it at times - is it really OK to keep using it for a bit?
 
If you're limping, you're not ready. Consider using the crutch but also focusing on a smooth heel-to-toe gait, lifting your foot (that part still feels a little odd to me, but my implant tells me its the right thing to do), and walking evenly. Putting the crutch down at the same time your operative knee foot strikes the ground.

With the strength and confidence you're gaining, you'll be forgetting the crutch in no time -- but not until you're ready.
 
puppywalker said:
Celle, I thought that I should be able to manage without the crutch by this stage as the PT said it was easy to get too dependent on it. Life is a whole lot easier with it at times - is it really OK to keep using it for a bit?
Click to expand...
Of course it's okay to use it. This is a time when you need to just smile at your therapist and ignore them. You will not become dependent on any walking aid you use. Quite the contrary, having the extra support will help strengthen your legs and develop a good strong normal gait. If you find yourself walking well with a crutch, try a cane. One day you'll find yourself forgetting to pick up the aid and you'll just take off. Believe me....it will happen! Our BoneSmarties prove this time and time again.
 
thank you all for your support xx I can walk beautifully with the crutch, no "catch", no discomfort. That's why i thought maybe I should be getting rid of it! My physio wanted me to go on to a cane a few weeks ago, but I fell a couple of times as I have a really lousy sense of balance - that's why I went back to the crutch, I feel safe on it.
 
Safety and smooth walking trumps using something that puts you off balance every time. Don't feel bad....for the same reasons, I stayed with my walker until I was pretty much able to walk without a limp (slowly, but no limp). It's all about what works for you.
 
I totally agree.. if it works, by all means use it!! You and you yourself alone will know when it's time to move onto a cane. Hey, you might go from crutch to nothing- who knows. Just know you are doing great!!
 
puppywalker said:
Celle, I thought that I should be able to manage without the crutch by this stage as the PT said it was easy to get too dependent on it. Life is a whole lot easier with it at times - is it really OK to keep using it for a bit?
Click to expand...
Sure it's OK! There are no prizes for getting rid of the crutch early. Use it as long as you feel you need it.

A crutch or a walking stick is just a tool, to support you a bit, while you make sure your gait is right. If you limp when not using one, but don't limp with one, then continue using it until your gait is normal again.

Think of the crutch as a tool, rather than a support. You'll know when the time is right to stop using it - when you start forgetting it and still find that you are walking OK.

You could try watching yourself in a mirror while you are walking, with and without the crutch. Try to see what you do differently.

If your PT is keen for you to get rid of the crutch, ask her/him to help you with some suggestions to improve your gait. Ask for help in getting a normal gait.
 
feeling so fed up! The pain is back in my knee and I can hardly walk. This is going backwards.
 
Rest up for a few days and take your pain meds. Hopefully, this is just a temporary bump in the road.
 
For some strange reason this afternoon I was struck by the urge to try getting down on the floor to see if I could get up again! Something I haven't dared to try for a very long time. I slid down gently from my chair onto my rear end with no problems and was amazed that I could turn over on to my knees, lean on the seat of my armchair and stand up ("good" knee first) with absolutely no pain whatsoever - for the first time in well over 3 years! It did feel rather odd, though, because I have so little feeling in the operated knee area that I had to look at it to make sure it was properly positioned. After the downer of the last couple of weeks or so, it's given me a much-needed boost as it means that when my next Guide Dog puppy arrives for training in about 4 weeks I shall be able to get down on the floor and play with it! I can also go up and down my inside stairs (13 steps) sequentially without a crutch, although I still need to hold on to the handrail, especially going up as my quads still seem to be really weak. I was becoming very aware that my operated leg felt noticeably longer than the unoperated one, so I bought some gel sports insoles to see if putting one in the "shorter" leg shoe might help. The jury's still out on that one because although I wasn't lurching so much, I developed a really sore backache after about 10 minutes' walking. I'm beginning to wonder if a visit to my GP is in order to see if one leg really is shorter or if I'm imagining it. If it is, a properly measured lift would probably be more helpful than a standard supermarket one. If it's not, I'll just need to get that idea out of my head.The "tight band" feeling is still pretty sore, but I guess I'll just have to wait it out. It will be 12 weeks next Tuesday and after feeling for a while that things were going backwards I seem to be making progress again, but it's soooo slow! I only take the occasional Paracetamol now - usually first thing in the morning, but I really think that's out of habit rather than need now and am going to try a few days with no painkillers at all. Onwards and upwards!
 
I've been skipping my afternoon Tylenol most of this week, and it doesn't seem to be bothering me. I take the morning and evening more for my non-operative knee than my TKR knee. We're at the same place in recovery, and I've been thinking I might be able to get on to the floor and back up, too. My husband has been dragging me all over town all week, and I keep thinking, I'm not sure I can keep this up, but so far, I've done okay, so the stamina seems to be returning.

It will be so nice to have a Guide Dog puppy in the house again, won't it?
 
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