TKR Back to needing fellow Bonesmarties input.

Murphy2013

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I don’t need to write my thread because Disney Mom did such a comprehensive job on the details of how I am feeling.
PT is a shortened name for pain therapy or Percocet Time. It is filed with young therapists who have NO idea what this feels like. They operate from what their classes told them.
i thought I would be further because I gathered stories (in my head to support my decision) about every person 80-100 years old who had it done with “no problem”.
every morning I wake up and ask my body (with apologies to Elena Ferrante); is today The Story of a New Knee?
Should I be hurting EVERY dang night after I fix our dinner? Without a ready supplies of ice wraps and my pain med at 4pm I doubt I would be sane.
 
Welcome to bonesmart and I am so sorry you are having such pain still. Could you provide a bit more information as to the PT you are doing and other activities. It almost sounds like you are doing too much and you are still quite early in your recovery process. Full recovery can take up to a year and especially if we try to rush it. There are amazing recoveries out there with people able to jump tall buildings in a week or a month but most are a slow and steady progress to full living.

I am enclosing some reading for knee recovery. I realize that you are not immediately post operative but there is some valuable information in the articles that might help.

KNEE

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.
3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for TKRs
6. Access these pages on the website

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications
Wound Care In Hospital


The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds


We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
Hi and Welcome!

At less than 2 months post op you are going to still have a lot of discomfort and limitations. This surgery is very traumatic to the body and healing takes a long time.

You are correct that too many PTs don’t rehab us appropriately. We read about them too often here on Bonesmart. I had that kind, also.

But honestly, painful PT is not necessary to get a good outcome. Stop doing any exercises that are painful. Let your activities that you do throughout the day be your rehab. Try to be patient with your poor knee, it’s been through a lot and needs time to sort itself out.
 
I'm also 8 weeks. I'm guessing it's normal. I am good in the morning by by 4-5pm, forget it.
 
Did you have a hip replacement or a knee replacement on June 17, 2020? I notice that your signature has listed a THR, which stands for total hip replacement, instead of a TKR, which is a total knee replacement. If it is supposed to be the TKR then I will change it for you.
 
Murphy2013....hopefully we can learn together from this forum. This surgery is certainly no joke. I was told a few times that it would be hard work to recover etc but no one really told me what this would be like. Maybe if they did...we wouldn't do the surgery. Of course, my knee was in such bad shape and I had been in pain for a long time and was at the point I had to do something so really no choice. I honestly wish I hadnt waited so long maybe that is part of the reason it is so slow now.
 
I feel like this forum has already done me a lot of good. I love the community feedback and can’t wait to read everything in the resources. Today was the first time I did not push the flexion exercises to a painful point but just to gentle discomfort. I have been all over the place and I called myself every name in the book for my lack of progress.
 
How many times a day do.you do the exercises? I am about ready to try what is preached here...lay off the painful exercises and concentrate on gentle stretching. Just goes against my nature to not do what I'm told by the so called professionals.
 
This is not an easy surgery for sure. I had a TKR 8/5. The day after was the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life & I have a high tolerance. Somehow they expect 5 or 10 mg Oxycodone to manage that pain. My primary came in to check on me, saw the pain, breathing normally was even difficult, she gave me an IV of dilaudid. That finally eased the pain.

I am doing PT every day this week, which I think is too much 6 days out, bit my new PT is very gentle & understanding that in addition to my TKR I have severe arthritis in my left knee, both hips & both shoulders. So rehab is challenging.

Today I had an extension of -4. And knee ROM 64°.

I think Bonesmart is a Treasure Trove of information & also gives us the invaluable ability to follow each others progress, accomplishments & setbacks. Really can't say enough about the benefits of peer support.

Looking forward to reading more about your day to day progress Murphy 2013.
Feel better!
 
I was told a few times that it would be hard work to recover etc but no one really told me what this would be like. Maybe if they did...we wouldn't do the surgery.
A colleague of mine who is a top knee surgeon here once told me that until he nursed his Father post TKR he had no idea how complex recovery was. Your surgeon doesn't see much of you once the surgery is done. So they don't see this side of the experience. My surgeon friend said he changed the way he set patients expectations after seeing what his Father went through. Now he tells his patients "you will probably hate me for the first 6 weeks".
 
How many times a day do.you do the exercises? I am about ready to try what is preached here...lay off the painful exercises and concentrate on gentle stretching. Just goes against my nature to not do what I'm told by the so called professionals.
Hi Disney Mom; I know what you mean that it goes against our nature to push back against the establishment and do something commonsensical like what this forum encourages. I let them push me today and I am suffering for it. I did go online and order the gently double sloping leg elevation wedge. I was experiencing this sense of isolation before I found this forum. You are literally left hanging out to dry with all these really painful feelings physically and emotionally. I will be reading on for good sleep suggestions.
I am waiting for my Saran Wrap to come so I can wrap up.
 
How many times a day do.you do the exercises? I am about ready to try what is preached here...lay off the painful exercises and concentrate on gentle stretching. Just goes against my nature to not do what I'm told by the so called professionals.
Hi Disney Mom; I know what you mean that it goes against our nature to push back against the establishment and do something commonsensical like what this forum encourages. I let them push me today and I am suffering for it. I did go online and order the gently double sloping leg elevation wedge. I was experiencing this sense of isolation before I found this forum. You are literally left hanging out to dry with all these really painful feelings physically and emotionally. I will be reading on for good sleep suggestions.
I am waiting for my Saran Wrap to come so I can wrap up.
Saran Wrap? What is that? Did you order the elevation wedge that a link was given for earlier? I think it was like $100 from Amazon. Let me know how you like it. I wouldnt mind ordering it if it can be returned if I hate it. Hate to drop 100 on something I will not use. This sciatic pain or whatever it is I have is really getting super tiresome. It is worse than my knee right now. Talking about spending money on stuff we don't end up using....i was told by someone that had knee replacement that I needed the cryo cuff ice machine thing...which has been wonderful. Anyway...spend 160 on it and had surgery the next week and guess what was waiting for me in my hospital room.....a nice new ice machine. Uughh...wish i had known as the one I ordered couldn't be returned.esson learned...ask first!!
 
I had bought two ice machines, too. I used one in my bedroom and one at my recliner. I was back and forth from both areas 24 hours a day, so wherever I tried to sleep, I had the ice machine waiting for me!
 
I had bought two ice machines, too. I used one in my bedroom and one at my recliner. I was back and forth from both areas 24 hours a day, so wherever I tried to sleep, I had the ice machine waiting for me!
Thats a good idea! I always just come back to my bedroom but your idea is great!
 
The ice lasts a long time if you aren't using it at the time. Being alone I had to think of the easier way to manage those heavy machines. My rolling walker had a seat on it and I'd set the ice container part on it and roll it to the kitchen. I froze bottles of water and big plastic glasses. The ice lasted a lot longer than an ice maker ice or bagged ice. I was going through 10lbs a day before I read on here about the bottles of water. I just added the large plastic cups of water that I already had.
 
Great idea about the ice. The nurses at hospital told me to freeze 8 water bottles of water. 4 to use in machine and 4 more for later. Then we just keep refilling the bottles. The e water bottles fit perfectly.
 

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@Disney Mom But your toes look way cooler than mine, lol. Good luck with the recovery!
 

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