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TKR Jojo9610's recovery thread

I had a great day. I got all set up in my corner in the living room about 6am right before my husband left for work. PT came about 11:00. I really like him, he only pushes me as far as I want to go. Home health came at 12:00. I guess the Coumadin isn't working so she called into the dr. to see if they wanted to up my dosage. I made myself some soup for lunch and then I took a nap with my 2 dogs. Now I'm just waiting for my husband to come home and he'll find something to make for dinner. It's nice to feel a little independent.
 
Sounds like you had a great day! Yes, independence is great after going through TKR. I hope they get your Coumadin worked out.
 
I'm glad you had a good day at home and good experiences with therapist and nurse. Sounds like you're off to a great start!
 
I've been having a very hard time swallowing the past few days and I'm wondering if it could possibly be a side effect of the Coumadin? I haven't been able to eat anything other than soup. I'm waiting on a call back from the OS.
 
I hope you have already received your answer by now and are enjoying a little bit of dinner.
 
@jojo9610, I had the same thing. It is a side effect of morphine - and also was listed on the Xarelto. Check your drug sheets. I had to take small bites and chew very well. The first day home, I had the hiccups all day! When I stopped the Xarelto, it stopped. What opiod are you on?
 
I'm on hydrocodone. I called my OS and he wanted me to go to the ER yesterday because besides the swallowing it was also causing chest pain. It felt like i had a golf ball stuck in my throat. He said he didn't think it was the Coumadin but wanted me checked out. Turns out it was an enlarged thyroid. It was my own fault, I haven't been very diligent about taking my thyroid meds lately. I will now.
 
I am glad you got it checked out!! Chest pain is not to be ignored! I know it is a stressful time right now and hard to remember all the meds. I am using an app on my phone and since there are several in the morning, one of those pills box things that have the days of the week. Other than this, how are you doing?
 
I'm feeling pretty good. Pain is minimal. PT just left. I'm at 77 and 0. He said the OS wants 90 at the first followup. That will be on Monday. I don't think that's going to happen.
 
I was told the same thing - 90 by Home PT. I guess they all have their "set points" for recovery - wonder why they haven't figured out we are not all cookie cutter people with the exact same bodies and recovery? Hmmmm...maybe THEY need to have TKR!
 
jojo9610 said:
PT just left. I'm at 77 and 0. He said the OS wants 90 at the first followup. That will be on Monday. I don't think that's going to happen.
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That's ridiculously early! 77 right now is just fine, and it would be just fine next Monday, too. Don't let your PT or your surgeon hassle you about ROM. 90 by 4-6 weeks is a much more realistic goal.
Your ROM will increase naturally as your swelling goes down.
 
I am only 75/30 & had my TKR 3rd Nov so alittle behind but i'm not too worried, physio said it will get better in the next week or so with quad exercises. I wasn't at 90 when I left hospital & they still let me come home.
 
I refuse to cause myself pain just so the PT can get a better number. I asked the PT what happens if I don't reach the magic number of 90? He said "well, it's only a goal we try to reach". I told him I would do my exercises and my knee would get to where it wants to be on it's own schedule not theirs.
 
My OS was more interested in me achieving 0 extension than what my flexion was, so by my OS, you are doing great. Your OS may have a different view, but it's not the only one.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
My physio wants me to concentrate on extension only. I was at 30 on Tuesday & at week 4 since op is not very good I hope to have improved by next week doing bridging between chair & table (both same height) I can feel that pull by pressing down gently on thigh.
 
Maybe it depends on what your weakness is? I never had a problem with extension, probably due to the imbolizer. But my PT worked on ROM because I couldn't bend for so long.
 
My PT came again yesterday. He was pretty happy with just the progress in just a day. He didn't measure but there was a significant difference in my flexion. I'm doing my exercises twice a day when he's not scheduled. I'll see what I measure when I go to the OS on Monday.
 
Sounds like you're doing very well. How have things been going being home during the day?
 
My days have been great. Very little pain. I've been icing most of the day. As I mentioned a few days ago I went to the OR Tuesday night for a problem with swallowing and chest pains. Thursday night at 11:30 I received a phone call from the OR Dr. He left a message and he called back again Friday afternoon. He said he went over the CT scan again and said my thyroid is very large. He wants me to follow up immediately with my PCP. He wants me to have an ultrasound and biopsy to rule out thyroid cancer. Of course these things always happen on a friday when you can't do anything until Monday.
 
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