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TKR KathyH New Knee

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Have just caught up on your thread kathy - you are really going through it. I guess you've had some tough days these last few weeks. Difficult also to sort out all the advice & know which is best for you. I'll say a prayer - it's another option! :console2:
 
Gee, thanks for the compliment about my fat leg, Josephine :heehee: Thanks for the Cambridge link. I know exactly where it is and I have e-mailed her to ask if she thinks she can help me. I see she charges £50 per hour.

As you say, Jess, I think it's just luck of the draw with regards to our progress plus how our mindset is. Aaah, bless you for thinking of me all night.

:rofsign: Nyland, I think joining the circus seems like a good idea for the both of us with our fat knees.

Birdiegirl123, that would be really handy to have your list of exercises and see if they are any different to what the hospital gave me or what the physio tells me to do. Thank you.

Marianne, my OS isn't around at the moment, that's why my next appointment was scheduled for 6 December. I don't think waiting another three weeks to see him is going to make much difference.

Toni, I will definitely take a look at the DIY lymphatic massages on YouTube, thanks for that.

Patricia, you are so right when you say we are all different and shouldn't all be treated the same - it's madness really.

Thank you for your healing prayers, Gail and they are sent from me to you too :flwrysmile:

I have come to the conclusion that my ROM isn't going to improve much with this swelling, so I'm not going to do excruciating knee bending exercises between now and my hospital appointment in three weeks. I will continue to use the exercise bike and do my extension exercises, but I will only do gentle knee bends for now. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will need the MUA and I feel confident that will help me. I will also ask the hospital to refer me to my local hospital in Cambridge for physio. I know they have a pool there, so maybe they will be more successful with me after the MUA. I certainly won't go back to the local physios - I have no faith in them now. She pushes my poor fat (:heehee:) knee to real pain when she can quite clearly see the swelling. When I go next Monday, I will tell her that will be my last visit to her.

I really do appreciate everyone's comments, support and advice here, my good friends :thankyou: :thumb:
 
Kathy my knee was swollen like that for a good long while although my bend was a bit better. I wonder if the physio continually forcing it to bend is actually making it worse. Maybe go back to ice, elevation and gentle stretches for a few days to see if it goes down any. Good luck
 
I went to a massage therapist, just one in our town, didn't specifically mention lymphatic massage tho. first time she did my whole body masage , was £30 for an hour.. after wards i went every week for a few weeks and she just did legs for half an hour £15. I still go about once a month as it makes me feel good but don't actually know if its doing my knee any good!! she says she can feel bits of scarring and concentrares on that
 
Yes Kathy I think you should do as you said and just treat your knee gentle without inflicting excessive flexion or exercise on it. It may be crying for help (swelling is your knee screaming for mercy...maybe?). One thing I think we have established is that we are all too hard on ourselves! We expect too much of ourselves after having had the most barbaric surgery known to man! You have only had 2 full months and a couple weeks to heal! That's really nothing when you think about it! We need to calm down (I'm saying this to myself about me too). We probably need to consider drinking more camomile and red wine. Reading a steamy novel and taking a bubble bath (just leave you leg out of the tub hahaha) anyway you get the picture. And just letting our bodies have the time they need to heal.
BTW you have nice skinny legs my dear! Lucky you! Are you a runner (before the knee problem)
I hope you sleep well tonight Kathy, we are all pulling for you to have a breath through but patience is what needs to come first...Right Team BoneSmart???? xoxoxoxox
 
It's up and down with these knee replacements. Brodsky my knee is swollen and its painful and I never have swelling just stiffness. By the way Kathy, the list of exercisesc is long, where should I send it.
 
Hi Kathy,

I know this is hard but I think you have the right attitude. You just have to be practical and accept that your path may involve additional interventions. Wait until you see the OS and then you will know for sure where you stand. I seem to find hat once I know what I am dealing with its much easier to tackle.

Again, you can see the amount of care and concern here for you. At least that should warm your heart!

Be well friend,

Dawn
 
This sounds like your knee Kathy - With any tube filling with water, there comes a point when it is full to bursting. Elsewhere in the body, including the thigh, this is no big deal but in the knee it is a BIG problem because there so little space and the skin is tight around the joint. So there is a limit to the amount of fluid or other tension that this area can accommodate and like all over filled tubes, the knee becomes stiff and won't bend.
Josephine's description makes sense, you can't bend a 'fat' knee! Really hope you get some relief soon x
 
What activities should I be doing and not be doing 3 weeks post op right tkr?
 
Hi Sunnie
This is Josephine's from The Library:
For THRs.

Activities of Daily Living are assessed in hospital as a means of assessing your fitness to be discharged home. Your domestic circumstances will be taken into account as in if you are living alone, etc.

ADLs include:
~ Personal hygiene and grooming
~ Dressing and undressing
~ Functional transfers, e.g. Getting out of bed
~ Voluntarily controlling bladder and bowel elimination
~ Ambulation (Walking or using a wheelchair)
~ Housework
~ Meal Preparation
~ Care of pets
~ Meal preparation and cleanup

Walking and other activity
Walking is about the best exercise you can do but again, you need to moderate your time and distance.
Always use your walker, crutches or canes as appropriate, only moving from one to the other as you gain confidence or until as advised by your PT or physio.

Weeks 1
Minimal PT.
Walking around the house. Trips to the bathroom and kitchen are included!
Be up on your feet several times a day as you need to but don't get obsessive about it.
A 5-10 minute walk every couple of hours is plenty.

Activity: for the three first weeks nothing but rest, occasional trips to the kitchen to get a snack or a drink and to the bathroom for potty and showers!

Week 2
Start on a plan of walks around the house lasting longer than 5-10 minutes but don't a) get into too much pain and b) get too tired. Stop before you get to that point.

Week 3
Lengthen the walks to about 15-20 minutes once a day, maybe twice a day if it doesn't cause your knee to be painful.Activity: prepare yourself a meal or help prepare a family meal but not much of it. .

Weeks 4 and 5PT can now get serious but never ever overdo it
Increase walks around, out in the garden or street, to 20 mins, longer if you feel up to it.
Get started on more PT but very, very gently - do not over do it.
Additionally activity:Gather a little bit of laundry, or put it in the machine, or take it out but not all of it
Now you can do a little dusting and tidying; do a little meal prep (for yourself not the family!)
Weeks 6 and onward
Start taking car trips to the shops but keep them short and sweet at the start, no longer than 15-20 minutes
Take at least one 5 minute rest while you are out.

Activity: ironing, washing, meal prep but get someone else to clear up after, wash up but someone else clears the table, brings you the dirty dishes, dries and puts them away after, not you!!

Bed making and changing sheets, cleaning bedrooms etc., can wait until about week 8 by which time, all things being well, you should pretty much start getting back to normal.

But if it takes a bit longer, don''t worry about it.​
 
I had a great time in London last weekend and on Monday. At first I could keep up with everyone when we were walking, but by the 3rd day I was really bringing up the rear, and it has taken me two days on the sofa to recover.
So even with my speedy and more or less trouble free recovery it is still a graduated scale of increasing activity and strength.

Kathy, ice, elevate, and gentle stretches and bends. It seems more likely that it is the swelling that is stopping you bending rather than adhesions, at least IMO.
Thinking of you.
 
Thanks for the compliment about my 'skinny' legs, Marianne, but no I have never been a runner and don't think I'll be taking it up now :heehee:

I did send you a PM thanking you for the list of exercises, thank you, Birdie :thumb:

Yes Dawn you are right, I will know more where I stand once I have seen the OS.

Rita, Josephine's description about the piping sounds about right and Jess I hope you are right that the swelling and not adhesions are stopping my bend, we'll see.

I had an e-mail from the lady who does lymphatic massage (from the link given to me by Josephine). She charges £50 per hour and says I will need a couple of hours per week for several weeks. So that's a no go area, for sure.
 
That seems a bit extreme, Kathy. I don't know anyone who could afford £100 a week! A one off maybe at a push but not continuing! Hope you're feeling better today
 
Kathy I was checking you tube for examples of how to do the lymph massage. Looks like maybe it's something we can at least attempt ourselves. I guess it's used for women who've had mastectomies and other surgeries where actual lymph nodes are removed. It looked like it was small gentle circle type motions and not a kneading type motion. I hope you have an improvement with TIME and patience. Your little knee has it's own schedule!
 
Kathy, I agree with Brownie, you should be able to do this yourself. Also, you might have me session with the expensive massage therapist, ask her to instruct you on how to do it, then give it a whirl. I was able to follow the simple steps and it did help.

Hang in there!

Dawn
 
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