TKR Im losing my confidence

[newlybionic]

Your leg is really much straighter now! That's great. I would think that maybe you might want to try ice again if you think your knee is swollen. That the only thing that seemed to help me.

 

[Gramanator57!]

Your leg looks great...except for the swelling, of course!
I had my first TKR on August 24, 2015 and had over 20 degrees of "knock-kneed-ness" corrected.
Don't be discouraged. There was so much soft tissue that needed to stretch and find it's new place and strengthen.
I was lucky to have a very wise PT who was patient and gave me a lot of insight into just how much all that sudden change was doing under the surface.
My knee, IT band and upper calf were very hot and angry for a long time...and the swelling in my leg seemed like it would never go away.
I tried to move things along by pushing the excercise and all it did was prolong the process.
By comparison, my second knee replacement had less correction needed and between having less of a change to deal with and being a little less crazy with the excercise, it has been much easier. ( though not easy, LOL)
One last thing.
I found it extremely helpful to get new shoes...the wear pattern in my old ones were working against me at every step.
I hope you find some of this helpful!!!

 

[jarabas]

I was wondering about shoes--thanks for bringing this up.
Did you replace all your old ones, or just some?
Thanks.

 

[hawk2go]

He then proceeded to do a very intense massage on my knee to try to move the fluid out. Wow, kind of painful folks.

I am not sure why the PT had to hurt you during the massage. It could be that he was impatient or minimally experienced in that type of massage. I had a lymphatic massage at 4 weeks post-op for a grossly swollen knee. The masseuse was very gentle, so gentle that I went to my happy place (not that happy ). She took her time and talked me through the process, explaining which parts of the leg needed to be awaken/unblocked to encourage fluid flow and when it ended, the swelling had very visibly decreased. The swelling stayed down for the rest of the evening. My PT periodically did some deep popliteal muscle massage to try to improve my extension. It was a very different experience!

I found it extremely helpful to get new shoes...the wear pattern in my old ones were working against me at every step.

Referee54 has a great thread on new shoes. I changed my shoes with each major progress stage and it made a huge difference. I changed the shoe but stayed with the brand/model that my expert shoe fitter recommended.

 

[Gramanator57!]

@jarabas
I replaced my athletic shoes and winter boots (I don't think I had used them enough to have this be an issue, they were just ridiculously heavy) and got new insoles/arch supports.
I'm not a shoe gal, so I will replace my little black flats when I feel like shopping...soon if I have to start doing interviews!

 

[Clipless]

Rene, I suggest that you stay away from the gym for a few more weeks. I went back at 13 weeks and that was about right. If you try to do too much too soon your knee will respond angrily, exactly as it did! Anyway, I'm now back at the gym but still taking it easy there. Sometimes my knee aches a bit at night, but generally feels better by a.m. I am all done with PT and don't receive any special massages or treatments. I am firmly convinced that those extras are not necessary to recover well from TKR.

 

[KarriB]

They aren't necessary, but the massage I got from my PT was wonderful, three times a week! Heaven! I think you just need to be sure the pt knows what they're doing. For sure stay away from whomever did that massage.

 

[jarabas]

Thanks for the shoe feedback. I just got new boots and loafers before my surgery and haven't worn them except trying them on. I might also go to the runner's store and ask them to help me find a pair of athletic shoes--for walking, not planning on doing any running.
I also think I need to replace my boat shoes anyway. I teach sailing in the summers and wear them every day for about 6 hours, so they get a lot of wear and tear.

 

[Naomi60]

Thanks @Clipless that's exactly what I am doing, staying away from the gym. I have done a little shopping today but I am considering that to be normal daily activities. I am forcing myself to really rest this week and see if I can get some improvement on the swelling. We bought tickets to see Van Morrison in concert before the surgery because I was sure I would be fine by now but I'm dreading it as it is this Saturday night. I'm trying to find a date for my husband, haha! We are going with another couple so we can't really get out of it at this late date.

Aren't we lucky to have this forum and the Internet. How lonely and isolating it must have been for knee patients in the past. My father had both his knees done in the late 80's and early 90's. All he had was TV and reading. I don't think he had as many questions as I have had but who knows.

 

[Naomi60]

@Gramanator57! you sound like a wise woman. I will learn to be patient eventually, ha! There are so many mixed messages, it really aggravates me. The medical community should be a little more consistent in their approach.

 

[hawk2go]

We bought tickets to see Van Morrison in concert before the surgery because I was sure I would be fine by now but I'm dreading it as it is this Saturday night.

Oh you should go!!! Rest before and after but go and enjoy. When will you be able to see VM again? I went to a concert in the early days (August 15th I think) after driving around NYC all day. Same situation - bought the tix before surgery thinking I'd be fine by then and could not get a date for the spouse. That was day tough as was the following day but I think if I had rested during the day, the evening would have been manageable. Because it was Chicago with EWF, the crowd was mixed with lots of walkers, wheelchairs and canes! Can hubby drop you close to the entrance then park the car and meet at the seats? You can do this and you'll have the memory to savor. Just keep the jumping and dancing to a minimum .

It's just a marvelous night for a moondance!

 

[Gramanator57!]

Aww...shucks!
I'm more accurately a good mix of wise and silly!!

 

[Naomi60]

@hawk2go - I'm going, since I haven't been exercising at all this week, I'm plenty rested. It's just hard to sit in a chair for that long, but I'll manage. I'm getting a temporary handicap parking placard from the doc so we can at least park nearby. We saw him about 10 years ago so looking forward to it.

 

[newlybionic]

Enjoy yourself! If you start to get stiff you could always stand up and give a one person standing ovation! When I went to a concert a couple of months ago I waited in my row until everyone had pretty much left so I could take my time on the stairs.

 

[referee54]

After my BTKR, I went to PT 2X a week and on Saturdays, I went to the gym---BUT I used the stationary bike at no resistance, some exer-bands, and i sat in the sauna and stretched my quads and hamstrings. That was it.

One has to realize that strength and stamina are two of the last aspects to return, so skipping the gym until you are completely healed is a great idea.

There is no sense trying to hurry something that cannot be sped up, and there is always a chance of slowing things down even more by hurrying back.

Patience, Grasshopper, Patience!!!

 

[Naomi60]

Here is my latest update, surgery was October 27, 2015 so I am 16 weeks today. My ROM is still 105 and my extension is still +5. I have had no improvement really in the last two months. I have gone from doing a lot of exercises to doing none. I'm trying to find that balance where I will see some progress. Is it unusual to not have progress from week 8 to week 16? According to my doctor, I still have some swelling but he considers it normal at this stage. I am doing the following exercises: knee extensions from a sitting position and knee bends from a prone position on my stomach, my husband hold my foot and gently bends it back. I ride the recumbent bike about 15 minutes a day. Walking is just normal daily activities, going to the market, some shopping, driving, very short walks.

I would like some advice on what I can do to increase the ROM. I have been up and down and all around on this issue and impatient but really it seems like I should be further along by now. Please don't tell me "everyone is different."

 

[KarriB]

After the infection my OS said he'd be happy with 90. But this past summer, 18 months out, I realized I could do squats in the pool. I'd say keep living your life, riding your bike and maybe try some water therapy. I did water walking after my TKR as well as swimming my laps.

 

[Denmother]

Everyone is different so I'd be lying if I said otherwise. I did 3 rounds of PT (24 visits) from Oct-Dec 2015 and ran out of benefits. I had my PT give me a home program so I could keep working on both ROM and strength. My sessions were 2-3 hours 3x week. Plus I walked, rode my bike and did a lot of mobility work. I can only speak for myself however. On this forum I got chastised numerous times for doing "too much". My surgeon, PT, Chiropractor, Masseuse and NKT Practitioner have been very involved and are a key part to my recovery.

I am still working on increasing my ROM and building muscle. I've gone back for another round of PT as well.

I have worked very hard and long, and as an athlete I know how far I can "safely" push myself.


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[Celle]

Here is my latest update, surgery was October 27, 2015 so I am 16 weeks today. My ROM is still 105 and my extension is still +5.

I would like some advice on what I can do to increase the ROM. I have been up and down and all around on this issue and impatient but really it seems like I should be further along by now. Please don't tell me "everyone is different."

Well I am going to tell you everyone is different, because they are.

I'm also going to remind you that ROM can continue to improve for a year, or even longer, after a knee replacement. You're only about a third of the way through that time.
There's no need to rush, and no magic "window of opportunity" for achieving ROM.
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
It's never too late to get more ROM!
It's worth the wait for ROM

You don't have to work hard to rehab a knee. Sometimes, it's possible to work too hard, and slow down your progress. Often, it's a case of Less is More. Less work = More improvement.
TKR: work “smarter” and not “harder”
Life in the slow lane
I did minimal PT after my revision to TKR and no PT at all after my latest TKR. The ROM improved all on its own. Both legs straighten fully and I estimate their bend is between 125 and 130.

Just to encourage you, here is what one member wrote about the slow progress of her ROM (thank you, @Campervan ).
"I had a slow recovery. Here's my flex measurements at various points:
92 - 8 weeks post op
105 - 10 weeks
107 - 5 months
110 - 6 months
112 - 7 months
116 - 9 months
119 - 11 months
118 - 1 yr
120 - 1yr 2 months
125 - 1 yr 8 months"

 

[sleepilu]

I can sympathise with you. I am 11 weeks out and was looking forward to the "predicted" improvements in recovery in weeks 11 & 12. But if anything I feel worse this week than last week, yet nothing has changed in what I'm doing.

Apart from possibly walking less now because I am getting a double clonk with every single step. (I can hear bs saying oh here she goes on about the noises again!) This is not a click folks, a proper clunk clonk. The sensation / vibration from the clonking is causing pain in the back of my knee and hams, increasing swelling across the front of my knee and making it feel really hot again.
I think I may email my surgeon today and see what he says.
I know we are all different but we need to know we are on the right track?


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