TKR Kayak59's Recovery Thread

[missiew]

It sounds as if you have a very experienced and helpful PT. I'm glad she was so helpful.

Don't worry about your knee not bending much - it's so early and this knee was more damaged, so it will be more swollen and take longer than your first knee did.

For what it's worth, my last TKR knee was so swollen that it didn't bend at all for 5 days. It bends to over 125 degrees now.

That's great to know...You are giving me more hope!

LTKR 27 OCTOBER 2015

 

[kayak59]

Day 7 Post Op. Every day is better but still on Narco -- and not minding that one bit! Took off silver surgical bandage today and ewwww........ some of the scab came off with it. Lots more dried blood and some fresh blood but overall, looks good. 26 staples vs 14 on the first. Owwwww...... I am already dreading the removal -- and yes it does too hurt! Waah! Picture in Surgical Scars forum. On my way to some truly spectacular bruising; already dark purple/black from groin to ankle. If anyone is looking for a doctor in the St Louis, Missouri area, you cannot go wrong with Dr Terry Weiss and the DePaul Hospital Joint Replacement Center. They just passed their 4th certification as a "Center for Excellence" with no discrepancies found. It is nice having that constant reminder that my left knee will eventually be at the recovery point the right knee is. That "light at the end of the tunnel" is always right in front of me.

 

[Timetolive]

Hi Eileen, how are you doing?

 

[kayak59]

Hi! Post op (left knee) day 12. Slowly slowly getting better. Staples are out - what a relief! physical therapy is not getting any easier - heel slides are agony. PT says that is because of all the long muscles and tendons and such are being stretched and realigned. There is also a lot of scar tissue from when I tripped and hit the wall knee first. PT says because of that, I must do the stretches and not let any new scar tissue attach to that. Using a hand massager and infrared heat to try to warm up the muscles before I do the PT. And of course, every time I finally grit my teeth and start to get out of my chair, I am afflicted by feline paralysis syndrome in the form of Nemo! Every day is a little better! Hope you are getting better too!

 

[New England Librarian]

You are brave to do your knees so close together. Sorry to hear you are in a lot of pain but it sounds like that is getting better.

 

[Clipless]

Look at you- both knees done!!! 2016 will be a very good year for you! "Feline paralysis", ha ha! Our pets are an important part of the rehab team. Frequently throughout both of my recoveries I have had to lift and rearrange two chunky spaniels who like to bracket me while they sleep. And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[Timetolive]

I am glad Nemo is there to comfort you! I am sorry the pain is not settling down. How is #1 doing? The bone spur damage better? Are you getting around ok with your Walker now? You are determined and tough. hang in there! Did you get to Star Wars?

 

[kayak59]

Hi Janis. No, haven't been to Star Wars yet and it is getting really really difficult not to read all the spoiler articles. My sister and her family are going after the New Year when the crowds die down a bit and will take me with them to a theatre that has a BIG screen and recliners.

I don't even think about the right leg much anymore. It still has a long way to go for full recovery but I do the same PT exercises on it as I am on the left leg plus a couple extras. Looking forward to when I can do the same thing on both legs like ride my stationary bike -- PT says in about two weeks. My PT remarked this morning that I don't seem as anxious to get outside and walk like I did after the first surgery/ While I don't feel bad, besides the pain in the left leg, overall I'm almost always tired and don't feel like doing too much. I kinda tease her about the prospect of me going on the annual New Year's Day kayak paddle (she says absolutely NO) but I know I won't be up for it. Will make the party though!

Still on the walker and am usually putting some of my weight on it so it will be awhile before I can go to a cane. A friend of mine who is a personal trainer is going to visit me today and we are going to try to figure out some additional warmup/strengthening exercises I can do before the PT. I am still getting a lot of painful cramps and the flexion PT exercises are still quite painful -- especially as she comes first thing in the morning. I can barely get to to 90 degrees flexion on my own but it seems like its the quad that is holding me back more than the knee -- I can go further with the strap. At a certain point, my quad just locks up and won't move anymore. It is SUCH a relief knowing I have about two weeks more off work.

Cannot believe its only two days to Christmas Eve! Its going to get to 54 today, 67 tomorrow.... strange.

Merry Christmas and Happy to New Year to All

 

[Celle]

A friend of mine who is a personal trainer is going to visit me today and we are going to try to figure out some additional warmup/strengthening exercises I can do before the PT. I am still getting a lot of painful cramps and the flexion PT exercises are still quite painful -- especially as she comes first thing in the morning. I can barely get to to 90 degrees flexion on my own but it seems like its the quad that is holding me back more than the knee -- I can go further with the strap.

Please don't add any more exercises to your knees, especially not strengthening ones. And a personal trainer is not the right sort of therapist for your knees just now. Later, maybe, but it's too soon now.

Your second replacement is less than a month old. What it needs most of all is rest, ice and elevation. Of course it's still going to be stiff. And you will still have swelling that prevents bending. That's normal.
You have a bend of 90 degrees, which is actually very good so early in your recovery. Don't force it, or even assist it. It needs to get there on its own and trying to hurry it up will irritate and inflame the healing soft tissues, which could slow down your recovery.

 

[kayak59]

Thanks @Celle. My friend is very experienced with injuries and if she says the "problem" is the swelling and/or there is nothing I can do but wait, I'll do that -- and she won't hesitate to tell me that too! But if there is any way I can make the PT less painful by warming up the muscle, I want to do it. Not trying to do more than the muscles want, just trying to help it do what it can less painfully -- and of course, without hurting the knee.

This morning I used the hand massager and a pinpoint heater on top of the upper thigh and it helped. When I do the PT in the afternoon or evening, I don't have as much pain at all. I also don't have the cramps that I'm getting in the thigh halfway through the session.

I do not believe that the physical therapist is overworking my leg, alot of it is just the timeing. Between my and the PT's schedule, we have to have our session early in the morning and this knee is not an early riser! I'll let the knee/muscles/tissues heal at its own pace but if it can do so more comfortably, I see no harm in that. But I promise, I will be very careful and do nothing that will set me back.

 

[kneeper]

Not trying to do more than the muscles want, just trying to help it do what it can less painfully -- and of course, without hurting the knee.

That's the key. My muscles were very tight and so taking a slow, gradual approach with the stretches was good. First stretch of the day I wouldn't get very far. Then I'd try it again and it was a bit better. My PT said just doing some early in the day and late in the day was enough.