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Bilateral TKR Indigo_bunting’s BTKR recovery

Day 8
- rough night pain-wise. Many hours of what felt like intense muscle spasms reaching the highest pain level I’ve had since surgery. I hope this is not a regular thing
- napped a lot in the daytime, including a nap on the lounge doctor (!). Running a small temperature.
- PT came by and we did some stand-up/sit-downs with the barstool and trying to engage legs. Standing in walker, lift knees to edge of bendability to count of 8; lift heel in back to edge of bendability to count of 8
- definitely improved ability to bend after this - bringing the lounge doctor to juuust within comfort range
 
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Indigo_Bunting said:
PT came by and we did some stand-up/sit-downs with the barstool and trying to engage legs.
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8 days post op is far too early for this type of exercise, that is a strengthening exercise. Right now you wan to focus on healing-reducing swelling and resting. All you need are gentle bends and short walks around the house.
 
Wow, I can't imagine doing any form of PT so soon after surgery, in 2019 I only went to PT after the 2nd week and only to use their cpm machine, twice weekly for about 20 minutes, the only other exercises I did were the heel slides and a few gentle leg lifts holding onto my kitchen table plus daily living activities. Fast forward 2 years I have a great knee, good extension and ROM, I can do most things so much so I will do the same with my right knee in December, I personally think by my not pushing myself and allowing by body /knee to heal is one of the reasons I have had such a good outcome. The essence to this surgery is Time.
 
@Jockette thank you for flagging this. If the depth is only a few inches is that still too early? I think his goal is to get me a little more stable/less likely to fall by learning to engage my legs, but that’s just how I experienced the exercise. I will ask the goal of every exercise from now on!
 
Question for the team: there is an article describing the details of tissue inflammation and repair. Would you please remind me where it is? TY
 
Indigo_Bunting said:
If the depth is only a few inches is that still too early?
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As an “exercise” it’s too early. In my 8 weeks of PT, I was never asked to do sit to stands. Which means, all PTs vary in what they think we should do.

As I commented on another thread this morning, activites of daily living (ADLs) are all you need right now, and I call those “natural PT” In the course of your day, every time you sit down somewhere, and get up after a while, you have done a “sit to stand” “exercise.” The difference is, you did it at a natural pace, and spaced out, not X amount of reps all close together.

Some PTs honestly have no idea what all this surgery entails, they don’t understand the recovery, and for too many of them, their job seems to be focused on exercises and strengthening, which is fine for later, but not yet. Certainly not at only 8 days post op.
Indigo_Bunting said:
I think his goal is to get me a little more stable/less likely to fall by learning to engage my legs,
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This is why you are using a walker. You will become more stable and therefore less likely to fall, as you heal. Healing takes time.

Regaining our ROM and strength is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.
 
Indigo_Bunting said:
Question for the team: there is an article describing the details of tissue inflammation and repair. Would you please remind me where it is? TY
Click to expand...
I will look for this.
 
Jockette said:
Indigo_Bunting said:
If the depth is only a few inches is that still too early?
Click to expand...
Some PTs honestly have no idea what all this surgery entails, they don’t understand the recovery, and for too many of them, their job seems to be focused on exercises and strengthening, which is fine for later, but not yet. Certainly not at only 8 days post op.
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@Jockette something he said yesterday just clicked: “not a lot of bilaterals are brave enough to go home” or similar. Translation: he has little experience with BTKR clients at such an early stage. THANK YOU for making this coin drop.
 
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Here is a list of other members who did bilateral:

bonesmart.org

Knee Surgery Recovery Area

For post-operative knee patients, on the "other side"
bonesmart.org bonesmart.org

I’ll go find one thread of a member who was the last surgery before the lockdown and she did no formal PT had had excellent results, mainly because no PT pushed her past her limit, like some do.
 
I wish my PT would've started sit/stands from a barstool height..they really hurt!
I won't start PT until after the first week home, if my OS thinks this is a bad idea, so what, I learned a lot from knee #1!
 
@sistersinhim Thanks, but it was about the timeline for inflammation and repair. It lists the phases, what happens during them, and provides approx lengths of time. Maybe I read it somewhere else.
 
Jaycey said:
I think this might be what you are looking for Healing: how long does it take?
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This is the one I refer to all the time in my mind. Bones take 12 weeks to heal and if you are having pain with overuse before this milestone, this is most likely the reason why. You are still healing!!
 
Susie-Q said:
Bones take 12 weeks to heal and if you are having pain with overuse before this milestone, this is most likely the reason why.
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Could this also be the reason I have some new pains deep in the joint - the last throes of healing bones?
 
Day 9
- great night - best yet. No pain, no need for narcotics, slept 8 hours in 2 chunks. Yay!
- did a hair wash/sponge bath in am standing at the sink and by the end I was *wiped out.* Dizzy, legs shaking. Not my first one but this one took it out of me. Edit: still a low fever and maybe that’s why
- did as little as possible the rest of the day but pain levels up anyway
 
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