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PKR JusticeRider’s rehab adventure

Ok, whew! That was reeeeally not fun. Thanks all for the well wishes, so very appreciated :swoon:
WFD I’m so sorry you were sick too! I hope you didn’t also take a fall and if so, hope you are unscathed. I managed to bop my face on something as I went down, but fortunately came away with only a scrape that makes me look very tough and scrappy.
I am going to attempt to give a not-too-terribly-long update for my 6 month annKNEEversary. My attempts at being brief usually fail but I’m gonna give it my best shot!
 
The knee continues to improve incrementally but surely as time goes by. It is still USUALLY on my mind but not all the time, so that’s win! I feel like my gait is mostly normal (my new normal?) but I still need to keep the pace moderate. I used to walk very fast so maybe I’m not as slow as I think? I’m walking about 3.5 miles most days and about 10-12,000 steps altogether.

My ROM is probably really not good by typical standards, but as long as it’s improving, no matter how slowly, I’m just not going to worry about it (: I’m still riding the stationary bike 20 minutes a day and it will be a momentous occasion when I lower the seat another click!

For the last month or so, I’ve been making myself step off the bottom step leading with my good foot. Today, for the very first time…I went down an entire flight of stairs alternating feet!!! Yes, I was a little sideways and yes, I was using that railing for sure, but I did it!!! That was huge.

The tight band feeling: it has been with me since the surgery and I had accepted it and much preferred it to the sharp pains I had before. But it it wasn’t exactly a nice feeling. Well the darnedest thing happened! I was getting a massage from my therapist and had mentioned that my hip had been bothering me. So she worked on my leg for an hour and finally I felt something shift and she said “there it goes!”. She told me it was my sartorius muscle that goes from hip to knee and it had been extremely tight So she finally got it to release. Great! Well, after my massage I was taking my walk around the block from the office and all of a sudden it hit me…the tight band feeling was gone. I really can’t believe it, but there you go!

That also helped my hip, which was really being a problem. It wasn’t 100% better but it was an improvement. And I guess the one benefit of basically being bed ridden for the last 3-4 days is that my hip got a big rest and it is a lot happier now. The rest also seemed to help with swelling in my knee. It’s the least swollen I’ve seen it right now! We’ll see how things go when I start being more active again, but it is nice to see.

Ok, so that wasn’t exactly a brief update. But I’ve posted longer! :heehee: Thanks for reading if you made it all the way through!
 
Nice update, you're making great strides and you will continue to enjoy progress for many months to come.
Love the massage story...amazing and what a relief. A great rest of the week to you, JR!
@JusticeRider
 
WFD said:
your post could have been mine. In my case I think it was norovirus since I also lost some sense of taste
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Sorry to hear that @WFD Norovirus is awful. Hope your taste returns.
There have been some filthy viruses here as well. It seems we are all getting everything post lockdowns and post op. I am on my third cold in less than four months. Thankfully this one is definitely milder- so hopefully I am building up some immunity again.
 
JusticeRider said:
For the last month or so, I’ve been making myself step off the bottom step leading with my good foot. Today, for the very first time…I went down an entire flight of stairs alternating feet!
Click to expand...
That is brilliant! Like you I am stepping off the bottom step with my good foot to practice but the most I can manage correctly is 3-4 steps going down alternating. I will feel I have really succeeded if/when I can do a whole flight! Also more impressive considering you have been so ill recently. Perhaps the knee was quietly recovering whilst you lay suffering with flu??
 
JusticeRider said:
And I guess the one benefit of basically being bed ridden for the last 3-4 days is that my hip got a big rest and it is a lot happier now.
Click to expand...
Glad your hip is better and the tight band improved with massage release.
Try not to overdo it now you are feeling better- it is so easy to do. My body still seems to need an afternoon lie down with ice if I can possibly fit it in.
 
EalingGran, I am so excited about the steps! I think you are right that my knee was healing while I was laid up sick. I think it appreciated the break! I can’t believe how little swelling there is right now. I’m going to try to pace myself and ease back into life gradually. I am still very tired, so that will limit me some. Take your time on the stairs. I really believe we have to just trust our body, that it will tell us when it’s ready.
 
Beachy, I really can’t believe it. I mean, I thought it would eventually just gradually fade away. But for it to happen all at once like that (!) It is a really pleasant surprise! That Sartorius muscle must have been key. It makes it much easier not to think about the knee all the time when I don’t feel that constant tightness. I wish I could share this therapist with every single one of you! She’s amazing.
 
So, resting the knee worked? I'm shocked. :rotfl:
Along with the massage.
I'm going to mention that sartorious muscle to my therapist. She had my leg straight up resting on her shoulder and worked on my IT band. It helped and that elevation really helped with swelling. That darn IT band connects to the knee, too. And it must be as thick as a tree cuz its notoriously hard to loosen.
I'm so glad you're getting some relief!!:loveshwr:
 
beachy said:
That darn IT band connects to the knee, too. And it must be as thick as a tree cuz its notoriously hard to loosen
Click to expand...
My IT band is ok but my pilates teacher sometimes uses a spiky ball to massage along it. She says it is a very difficult area to stretch with exercises and massage is the best way.
 
Thanks @Mariposa ! It does seem like things are continuing in the right direction! The knee continues to feel stronger and more solid, and the bend is still improving millimeters at a time. Things are starting to feel, if not normal, at least MORE normal. One wonderful thing is that since my sickness and forced rest, I have no longer needed ibuprofen or Tylenol on a daily basis! I’m so glad…I was worried about my liver!
 
I had an interesting visit with my podiatrist today. I went in to see if I needed a different set of orthotics since having the PKR. He gave me the whole workup and said everything looks well balanced and feet and arches are in good shape. No changes from before. The only issue he saw with my feet is that the left foot and ankle (operated side) had some swelling. He asked if I had been elevating my feet regularly and I assured him I had. Then he asked if I would consider trying lymphatic drainage massage. I told him I had been getting it and it had been extremely helpful. He said “Good! That’s what I would have recommended.” He said some people just react to trauma with more swelling than others. He said he was confident it would go away with more time but it could take a few more months. The best news: He watched me walk up and down the corridor a few times and said my walk looks good! No limp!! :tada:
 
I love hearing about a doctor who understands the lymphatic system. You must be feeling pretty darn good, yes? You are making some good progress. Sorry to hear that you were so ill, though. The required down time seems to have been beneficial, a silver lining in the clouds?
I remember times when I would suddenly feel an easing in the tightness/restrictions it was such a heady feeling.
BTW- I like your updates- they are full of good details. :thumb:
 
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