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TKR Irish471's Recovery Thread

Irish471 said:
PTs report to the OS, so they feel the pressure of that. They don’t want to be seen as not doing their job to get you to where the OS wants you to be.
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PTs and surgeon’s have no control over your rate of healing.

It’s not doing reps of exercises that gets our range of motion back, it’s Time:

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. Exercise as in strength training is counter-productive and in the early weeks does more harm than good. Normal activity is the key to success.
 
@Irish471 relax about your ROM. My physio was nagging on about my extension and what the surgeon would say. The surgeon wasn’t concerned at all. He was very happy at where I was at. He said it was a long process and he didn’t even expect me to like him for quite a while yet.
You are achieving so much in 4 weeks. Concentrate on that.
My ‘helpful family’ are doing less as I am doing more but the children are still doing far more than they have ever done and I will keep it that way.
 
@Irish471 I'm 4 weeks on Wednesday and at a very similar stage in my abilities. I have negative days where I think I'm not progressing and have to really fight the urge to do exercises on the mistaken belief I'm not doing enough. Reading ur progress is great, when u think about it, every day there is that small improvement and it all adds up. My latest mantra is to be positive and patient + just keeping gently active, walking around + gently rocking on my exercise bike.
It's so frustrating isn't it? Keep reminding urself how far you've come.
 
@catkin69 and @Jodingers , thank you! I will definitely keep concentrating on my progress. I won’t see my OS until May 1, so there’s lots of time to make even more progress. I am about where I was when I had my mpfl/microfracture on my left knee years ago. And I made it through that without needing any further intervention :) When I get discouraged and I go back and rad my messages from my first week home, it does amaze me:yes!:

I think weekends get me a little down because I am so aware of all the things I could be doing instead of icing and elevating. I’ll have to start making a bucket list of everything I want to do once I am recovered enough to do them :idea: Monday through Friday, doesn’t seem to bother me too much because I think of how I’d much rather be home than at the office :heehee:

@Jockette , :goodpost: I always need to remind myself of those things.

@Atlas_aus , luckily, I was given a waterproof bandage and my incision had internal stitches that disolve and the top layer was closed with glue. I was able to shower as soon as I got home. I love my hot showers, too! I can’t start my day without one. When do your ataples come out?
 
@Irish471 Hey Girl!!…. you are doing just fine!

I TOTALLY understand the frustrations.... I'm having some of that myself right now… I officially joined the ODIC this week.... Over Did It Club.... it started with my marathon day on Wednesday felt sore and tired Thursday... told myself to BUCK UP and get over it.... went to boat on Saturday again.... did a little too much Saturday... then spent Sunday with ice machine on my knee.... heating pad on my back... on couch and bed all day....

Anyway... enough about me... just remember that Rome wasn't built in a day... and a new knee replacement recovery lasts AT LEAST a year.... try to keep it in context...

All the best! :friends:
 
Don't be so hard on yourself, your ROM will come with time. I also only have about 60 at two and a half weeks out but mine is likely limited due to how little I have used my knee in the past few years. Everything is tight and doesn't want to bend.

Hang in there and please don't go back to work for good at 6 weeks, as you did not have an easy first week or two and need time. Get your plan B in place and attend that day long as a spectator.

Hang in there, you are doing great!
 
@JDinCT and @Irish471, I second the nomination of JD as ODIC president! He reminds me of my own stint with that position last July. I was barely 10 weeks post-op when I decided I could set up our new pool for the granddaughters. Of course I had no help and what should have taken a day, two at most, took me from Friday to Monday. Because the new pool was bigger, there was a lot more ground prep that needed to be done. Kind of difficult digging up grass with one good leg. I don’t recommend doing so to others, but I had to learn the hard way.
 
Thank you @mature mama ! I am going to try my best to work from home as long as I can. Doing PT and icing, and elevating eat up a good chunk of time each day as it is. I know that will sometimes take a back seat by being at work, which will only set my recovery back. The good thing is, I do have a desk job, so I can elevate and ice when I do go back, albeit, not as good as I can at home. :ice:
 
It’s good that you have a desk job and are able to elevate but I don’t know if it’s just me but I am exhausted. I will be 6 weeks on Thursday. Yesterday I went out for lunch with a friend. Had a little potter around. I came back exhausted and had to sleep for a couple of hours. I would weep if I had to go back to work now. No way am I ready. Look after number one xx
 
4 weeks tomorrow + just too stiff to contemplate all if the getting up + down at work.... I can't imagine driving yet either, tho I gather u can at 6 weeks?
 
@Jodingers I am 6 weeks Thursday and still haven’t driven. I really struggled pre-op so haven’t rushed. We go away Friday for a week so probably won’t try till I get back.
 
Irish471 said:
I do have a desk job, so I can elevate and ice when I do go back, albeit, not as good as I can at home.
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For the times you are sitting and can’t elevate have some kind of box or pillow to put your foot on. Even a few inches of height will help. My leg hurt for a long time if my foot was on the floor.
 
@catkin69 , how ironic! I am supposed to go have lunch with a friend today. It will be my first excursion away from home aside from my trips to physical therapy. I will likely need a nap after, too. :alarm: I hope you have an enjoyable trip. You deserve to have some holiday time :martini:
@Jodingers , I want to try driving but I haven’t had the nerve just yet. I almost had to drive yesterday because my husband had to make a trip over to the emergency room. Thankfully, a friend came to the rescue. Seems hubby has peritonitis. I was so worried it was his appendix and that they would need to rush him into surgery. :scaredycat: They prescribed painkillers for now. The pharmacy is going to become suspicious of him! He has been picking up all of my medicine the past couple of weeks, which has included pain killers, too. :heehee:
@Jockette , I do have a nice box under my desk that I used even before surgery to elevate. It helped to off load the patella femoral joint space. I will be surfing Amazon to find some ice packs to keep in the freezer before I decide to venture back.
 
I also found putting my foot up on my cane was helpful in a restaurant, or waiting room. Anything to get my foot up off the floor!

I kept a small pillow in the car for quite a while, too, for under my foot.
 
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