TKR KathyH New Knee

[speccybecky]

My knee cracks every time I bend it back as far as it can go, sort of clunks and crunches. Sounds like you are improving so just keep on exercising

 

[Titianlady]

Kathy? Just out of curiosity, do you know what your ROM for flexation was when you came out of surgery. I know the surgeon bent it when he put in the implant. Did they measure it when they released you from hospital, or rehab? Just curious as to what it was. You might ask the surgeon when you see him again, or give his office a call and see if they can give it to you on the phone..it should be in your records.

I know the day they released me from hospital, they measured my ROM and extension about 30 minutes before they let me go..it was in the 80's if I remember, and my extension was 2..not quite straight.

I would be interested to know what the surgeon got you to in the OR. Adhesions are the pits!! I so want you to get there on your own sweetie. I know I would be angry if I had to go back under anesthesia for those 10 minutes..all the bother.
BUT, if that is the case, you will do fine!!! So many here have had MUA and gotten adhesions broken loose, and started to progress wonderfully once that hindrance was removed. I'm just sorry it takes so long to get to the point were you can get that knee going the way it should have. Hang in my dear friend.. We are rooting for you

 

[Dhare63]

So glad you posted Kathy! Sounds like you have been busy and lots in your mind. That loud crack was probably pretty scary but it's awesome that you broke one of the adhesions loose! Congrats!

Just stay focused, don't let pt hurt you, and don't obsess. And don't worry about December, use this time to progress as best you can. If MUA is needed, I assure you it's not bad at all, and I will do anything I can to reassure you. You have many friends here to support you as evidenced by all the posts, should make you feel pretty good!

Take care,

dawn

 

[Nyland]

Hi Kathy!
Are you still very swollen? What is your extension? Take care and I am praying that you don't have to have an MUA. It is so early. HUGS!

 

[Josephine]

Don't think our PTs use goniometers much during the course of their day, TL. They just eyeball it which isn't difficult when you're doing it day in and day out. I think my knee was actually measured about 4 times during the course of my recovery. However, when I got my own goniometer, it was measured almost every day for a while!

 

[Titianlady]

Yes, when I got my own goniometer, I measured every other day to check my own progress. The PT showed my husband how to line it up with the correct 'landmarks' and away we went. It made a difference because some days I didn't think, by just eyeballing it myself, that I had made any progress. It was quite an incentive for me personally to get the number moving..kind of my own goal post to go for.

 

[Nanners]

Hey KathyH so good to hear from you. And it does sound like you did your own MUA I went to my first PT finally yesterday (7 weeks today) and it was great. He really gave me hope. I went in measuring -25 extension and 80 on the bend. When I left I was -12 extension and 93 bend. Has given me hope! You and I are going to do this and do it without the MUA. Whoohoo to KathyH and Nanners getting our groove back on! LOL Hugs!

 

[Titianlady]

Kathy, keep us informed sweetie!! Ya know we luv ya!!

 

[Jacky48]

Hi Kathy, I hope your knee pain has settled down. How did it go with PT?

 

[KathyH]

Hi everyone, thank you all for your kind words of support.

Titianlady, as Josephine says, they don't measure you when you leave hospital here. My bend was eyeballed by a physio who I think was 12 years old He guessed it to be 70, but I do really believe it was less. My extension was not even looked at!

The physio lady came on Wednesday and she was very good and gave me a couple of good new exercises. She thinks my extension is 10 and she measured my flexion at 80. So I had gone up 10 degrees in two days. Needless to say I was happy about that. She says she prefers to come to people's homes so that they are doing the exercises on their own chairs. I like that and she is coming again next Friday.

I am doing the exercises strictly. She says I must do them four times a day. Sometimes I only manage three times a day, but I still think that is good going. It's surprising by the time you ice after, how long you are spending exercising and icing!

I found a good exercises for the knee bend on You Tube. You need the help of another person. Ray looked at the video and tried it out on me this afternoon. I certainly 'felt' my knee afterwards, so it must be good. Here is the link:



Have a good weekend everyone

 

[KathyH]

Oops, it's not the link, it's the video

 

[Dhare63]

See, you will make progress!! Congrats, things will come along with time. I know what you mean about the time it takes to exercise and ice after, you really need to devote a chunk of the day to it!

Keep up the good work!

Be well,

Dawn

 

[Titianlady]

Hi Karhy!! I'm so glad you are making progress!!! YAHOOOO!! Now that you have physio on board, you will continue to improve every week!! I couldn't be happier for you sweetheart!!!!!!! YES!!!

 

[Lindy Lou]

Well done Kathy , you must be feeling so much better now you are getting some movement in your knee . Keep up the good work it
definitely has its rewards.
You must be working so hard at it , cos you can't wait to get back to work :happydan
Lots of love and hugs xx

 

[Jacky48]

Great video Kathy! It seems like relaxation is what it's all about! Very helpful! Ray seems to be of great help once more! What a guy!

 

[speccybecky]

Kathy, I seemed to spend my whole days either cooking/eating ,exercising , walking or sleeping! Everything took so long. I wouldn't have had time to go back to work. It's still early days and you will get there.
I remember taking pills when I woke , having breakfast ,doing exercises, going for a walk . By the time I did all that it was lunch time and more pills, exercise, a walk (10 mins gradually increasing) then it was dinner time,pills, exercises, then pills bed and exercises! I often fell asleep on the bed in the middle of the exercises!

 

[Lindy Lou]

That sounds so much like my days apart from my occasional trips out.
Everything takes so long and nothing gets finished . Oh to be back to normal mind you it doesn't help that I now have a bad cold do not think that I could have fitted in a cold if it had been a few weeks ago .

 

[KathyH]

Drove my car for the first time yesterday - it's an automatic so I don't have to use my left leg. It needed to go in for its MOT and was only a ten minute drive to the garage. I felt quite nervous and it did seem strange, as I haven't driven for over eight weeks no. Ray followed me in his car.

Then this morning we went to pick it up and I drove it back. Then Ray and I went for a nice walk with Sasha, our Yorkshire Terrier. Then I done a bit of tidying up around the home. My Mum came over to do some housework for me, but I told her no need, I would start doing it from now on. Probably let her or Ray do the hoovering and definitely the washing of the wooden floors. It felt so good to be start doing normal things. Haven't done any exercises, apart from stretching of the knee while sitting down afterwards, as I didn't want to push my knee too much (is this right?) but will do them this afternoon and tonight.

 

[Jacky48]

Kathy, another piece of independence is now yours! It looks like you're doing alright to me! You go girl!

Stay well my friendm things are looking up!

 

[speccybecky]

Stretching sounds fine to me.....along with all the other 'normal' living things you've done a lot. I did my first drive round a large empty car park!