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TKR Its been worse than childbirth! Did I make the right decision?

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Hi @kneegone , Early on my incision scar changed color frequently, then one day it turned purple and stayed that way. However recently I see tiny areas along the scar turning light. A nurse friend called this process "remodeling" and said it can take a long time. I massage my knee with vit. E lotion daily and that's all.
 
@vinny, yeah, my tennis opponents unfortunately know I can't run down balls and use it to their advantage, lol.
@pumpkin, unfortunately my scar is dark brown and bumpy, looking like dots and dashes. I'm wondering if the surgeon had someone else do the stitches.
As far as my ROM, it is my estimation. When I descend stairs, I do feel the strain from the ROM. Does anyone know if there is a way to measure without the tool the PT uses? Thank you.
 
@Clipless, yes my scar is dark brown, purplish. Several months ago, it was lighter and did turn colors. I thought I was imagining, but then I looked at some earlier pics and the scar actually looked better 4 months ago..... ;( I thought I had a keloid, but I don't it is. I'm asian, so maybe that has something to do with it. I'm told Asians' scar differently?
 
@kneegone Im at 7 wks post TKR.
This has been the hardest thing I've gone thru! Even childbirth! At least than U have a cute little baby to help U forget the pain!
My ROM is good 118, but my knee is still swollen and stiff. Very frustrating! Since finding this site I do feel reassured that my knee will get better than before and that swelling and stiffness will go away!
It is very depressing to feel like life is passing us by. My hubby is a firefighter and has 2nd job! So im alone a lot too. It's tough I know!
I hate relying on other people too!
I'm still taking my pain meds every 4-6 wks. Don't stop taking yours!
I go to pt once a week(all I can get there) and love my therapist! I told him I wanted to bk off and he did!
At home I do one or 2 stretches every few hrs.
Rides the bike for 5 min maybe twice a day when I remember and get up and walk to the kitchen and back every few hrs.
I was on feet too much this morn and I'm paying for it .
So I will elevate and ice the rest of the day !
It will get better! But like my doc says it's like watching grass grow! Lol
 
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I have an app on my IPad for a goniometer its about $4.00 I think they also have it for iphone and android and it was the same result as my therapist...I got to 130 after a lot of pushing and my therapist said it was the highest she saw in 8 years......120 is a realistic goal depending on the ROM you had before surgery.....you need about 90 to go up stairs and 105 to descend.....to sit down in a bathtub you may need 130.. I only kneel when I forget what I am doing and it still feels a little weird....all told it is the best thing I have ever done....

Vinny
 
@naynay30 yrs. I know at 7 weeks, I was pretty depressed and the pain seemed never to go away. It seemed like my knee never would get better. But then very slowly, it did. The recovery was slow for me and I'm not there yet. But I slowly got rid of the walker, then the cane, then the meds. Take care of yourself and don't push too hard.
Childbirth, with two c sections and two days of labor and pitocin wasn't as bad as this knee replacement for me, anyway. People with open heart surgery recover faster than Knee replacements, it seems. But don't give up, just know that this was major surgery and it will get better. Best of luck.
 
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@vinny, thanks, I'll look into it. It hurts me to kneel though. When I left PT, I had 122 ROM, and I've improved some, that's why I think I have between 125-130. Some days, it seems that I do regress, as everyone here knows because of the swelling. I'm wondering when do you stop swelling? That would be a wonderful day.
 
I had some swelling for about 3 months...and some days are better than others for stiffness and swelling but at 7 months I have hardly any stiffness and most days I am not aware that I am bionic....the last two years were agony and depressing with a rolling side to side limp...thing of the past and a new life....we all progress differently but you will get there...sometimes it's better to back off the PT and just walk and take it easy.........

Vinny
 
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kneegone said:
I'm wondering if the surgeon had someone else do the stitches.
Click to expand...
Sometimes they have their assistant finish the stitches or staples. The app vinny mentioned works well, you will have to practice.
 
kneegone said:
@pumpkin, unfortunately my scar is dark brown and bumpy, looking like dots and dashes. I'm wondering if the surgeon had someone else do the stitches.
Click to expand...

Have you checked Morse Code looking for hidden messages?


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
I'm 12 months out from my 1st knee & I'm still stiff & numb. My knee is very weather sensitive - the stiffness really is impacted by the barometric pressure. The stiffness doesn't stop me from doing anything but my knee will probably never feel "normal" again. My ROM. Is about 120 & I'm thrilled, but I was doing stairs normally when it was about 114. I'm not sure with your ROM why stairs present some difficulty. And I know every OS is different but my OS strongly advises against sinless tennis & running/jogging. Says I can do them but they would most likely decrease the life of the knee. I used Vitamin E cream, 30,000 units for all my scars & they are the thin white lines. But I started as soon as I could put something on the incision.
 
kneegone said:
I'm wondering when do you stop swelling?
Click to expand...
In my case with both knees I had swelling to some degree for a year or so. It would be worse when I was on my feet for an extended period of time. But it gradually improved.
 
I'm 7 wks and stiffness is my biggest complaint. Taking meds on time icing and elevating constantly! Someone on here said she got to the point where she had her feet up on the wall above her head. I'm ready to try it!
 
@naynay30 yrs. I lay on the floor and read a book with tkr leg on the wall and other leg sticking out into the hall. It was comfortable till I realised I couldn't get up! It was quite early after the op, and I had to shimmy along the floor till I could slide my legs down the stairway and stand up!! Not very ladylike...I did it in the bed after that!
 
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One of the exercises the PT gave me last week was to lay on a bed with the foot of the surgery leg against the wall and use gravity and the ankle of the good leg to get a good stretch. Problem is none of the beds in the house fit the criteria for doing this because of headboards and stuff on the wall. Best place I've found to do it is in the family room on the floor. Trying to get back up off the floor is crazy!
 
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Guess I will stick to my handy window seat for those exercises then! I know DD can pull me up but I would rather be doing things for myself.

I think I am already better off today 11 weeks after surgery than I was last year. Are you?
 
I'm 18 months out and still find it extremely difficult to get up off the floor. I tried it when I was alone last month as I didn't want to be embarrassed and wanted to do sit ups, etc. Well, if there had been a hidden camera around I'm sure people would still be laughing. I ended up on my knees (still a bad left knee) hugging the ottoman, trying to scoot up off the floor. Needless to say, I haven't been on the floor since. Decided I need a short PT table used in my rehab.
 
Funny ladies! Not laughing at you but with U!
If we don't laugh we will go insane!
Yes @KYata I'm better 7 weeks out.
It's hard for me to see sometimes but others notice.
My biggest complaint is stiffness from swelling even tho ROM is 118.
I can ride the bike for up to 15 min with no tension but don't. Maybe 5.
After reading on here think i was doing to much.
I do a few stretches every few hrs. The stair bend is my fav. Good stretch. Lots of ankle slides. Trying to remember to do leg lifts a few times a day. Thigh is weak and tight so pt also has me doing one to stretch thigh muscle. Walk to the kitchen and bathroom every hr.
I havnt been out except for once to get nails done. Friend taking me again today.
I tire really easy which I know is normal and prefer to be home in my pjs if I want, icing elevating and resting!
The idea of even a shower and washing my hair is still exhausting let alone having to fix myself up to go out and than be out for awhile!
I hate it because I'm a type A always buzzing around walked every day 3-4 miles.
Had to close daycare of 30 yrs.? So all this lying around is making me nutty! have a good Sunday!
 
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