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TKR kmak's TKR recovery thread

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@kmak81230, I think perhaps there are weeks where "No news is good news," though you actually did have some victories, notably, in your Spin Class; Huzzah! 3 notches down on seat height is BIG! And kneeling? Seriously? Even without full weight on the TKR, I see that as absolutely amazing!:yahoo: We have a ceiling fan over our bed that has a very short pull chain. It requires either a much taller person than I, equipped with longer arms to reach it from the floor, or....for me, kneeling on the mattress to grab it. I tried to do just that about a week ago. No can do. Not even close, on a soft mattress. Had to grab the grabber tool and finagle with the chain for ten minutes because DH was sound asleep and I need my breeze at night. So, let's really celebrate kneeling at just 14 Weeks! *Fireworks and a French Horn* :wow:
 
Thanks @liam2015 and @Pheebs52. I don't know if flexion is any better - I guess if seat goes lower it would have to be but who knows - I stiffened up after spin so stairs were not as comfortable. Let's hope you can ditch the grabber thingy in a few weeks Pheebs.
 
Maybe just 2 notches down would have been better Kmak? I certainly don't know, but it seems to me a lower seat must indicate an improvement in flexion. Sorry about the stiffness though; pffft! Did you stay the whole class or do a partial class?
 
I just stayed 35 minutes - the class is almost an hour long. Then off to the weight machines for the wimpy arms.i probably should have stopped at two notches but felt good and couldn't help myself - always a problem for me. :good-bad:
 
Probably like everything else in this :censored: recovery, moderation is the answer, even with seat notches on a bike. Maybe it's a *one notch at a time* thing for each week? When you go back, just try one or two notches down and see if that makes a difference. If it doesn't, maybe shave just 5 minutes off the time? For me, just an extra 5 minutes of anything active can make a huge difference in aftermath. Hang in there!
 
Hi Kathleen, I'm sorry you have had a trying week. Your house guest sounds "lovely". Not really, but that's how you described her. So I say that's really a good description of you. All of us bone smarties we're ready for action, that is on her. We were going to take her out for you. Then there you were saying she was actually a lovely person in reality. I call that gracious!

I think you need to read back over your thread a bit. Look at that progress! Three notches down on the bike can't mean anything except more flexion unless your legs suddenly became much shorter. Spin classes? Yeah, lovely or not your house guest has nothing on you! I know I've been real frustrated when well meaning people say to me, "now make sure you do your PT this time after your MUA". I try to smile and just stay quiet. On the outside that is...
 
@kmac81230 - I have been thinking that you were concerned about extension -- just read back a bit and found that you are working on it. I was stuck at a blankety blank number, even doing the chair and bed hangs, until I thought, " slow, gentle, and steady." I started doing the following in bed, every time I woke up to shift position; and in the morning, I would do it several times before getting up. (Bonus: not so staggery just out of bed!).

Here's what I do: I consciously straighten my leg as much as I can, flex my foot, and then tighten the muscles so the knee goes down (like trying to "lock" it) as far as it will go. Release, relax, repeat, as many times as you like. I also do it while lying on my side, whenever I wake up and have to shift around. Recently I have gone from 6 extension to 0. Don't know if it's my night time training exercises that made the difference in the measurements, but they do loosen the knee up, and make me feel good. Besides, the exercise gives me something to do in the middle of the night when I'm being turned on the rotisserie.
 
Thanks for the tip @Polkadot. I will try to remember to do this, particularly at night when I seem to wake up - or at least switch positions quite often. I had a deep tissue massage today on the backs of my legs which felt really good and I came home and did some stretching afterwards. I am trying to be much more intentional about extension without overdoing it. The bed hang helps me to be less stiff in the mornings, but I don't particularly want to do it in the middle of the night when I'm half asleep. Of course if I fell asleep in that position perhaps I would wake up with a straight leg :p

Houseguest update -- it has actually been a lovely visit and I was able to explain more clearly the more "evolved" thinking about TKR rehab since she had hers done about seven years ago. I think the initial interactions caught me by surprise at a time when I was particularly frustrated after a tough weekend in recovery. ;)

Lots of you have talked about clonking and clicking, etc. I never experienced that until this week. Yeah! - another TKR club I can join! I would not call it a clonk - more like a click. I can't hear it - only feel it on occasion - including in bed. If a click happens in the woods and you don't hear it, is it really a click?:eek: Doesn't hurt, just kind of weird - I was glad to read about those of you who have experienced this so that I am not concerned or stressed out about it.
 
Odd...I just started clicking, too. And I can feel it more than hear it, but my PT did hear it on Tuesday. She thinks maybe it's my knee freeing up. Weird, weird, weird! Of course, it makes me feel more bionic.
 
Mine doesn't do it all the time, but I interpreted in the same way as @Polkadot in that it is likely due to internal swelling going down and tkr kind of *settling in*. Have never been concerned about it.
 
Yes - @Polkadot! It does feel more bionic.And that would be "mahvelous" as Pheebs says if it means things are freeing up in there. Good to know fire wolf.
 
Another development in this interesting, extended journey through TKR recovery. For the first time in a very long time my nonop leg was bothersome during the evening walk tonight. I'm wondering if the massage was the cause as I don't think I did anything different today. I sure hope it is not a regular occurrence as I am certainly not ready to have #2 done yet.
 
Love your avatar! It is a fun change from last I was reading your thread. You have made great progress!
 
Today am especially swollen, with the tight band feeling and wondering if the massage yesterday was a contributing factor. I did some stretching afterwards so perhaps also a contributor. And much more nervy discomfort at the front of my ankle. Guess I'm not there yet . . . . is anyone else having trouble with the forum? I am currently having a party of one as when I click on the knee replacement recovery area tab I just get my own thread. I expect this is a complicated forum to manage in terms of tech upgrades.
 
I hope you can see this. Yes, many of us are having issues with the forum. But at least I can see all the threads in the main forums (I think, anyway).

Anything that irritated your knee(s) could have caused your swelling and pain. Massage can do it, as can stretching to exercise. I've gotten swelling as a result of "sleeping funny." So it could be anything, even something you weren't conscious of doing. I also recall that I got a leg massage while lying on my tummy, and the next day was a little sore at the top of my foot/lower ankle, and also in my knees. It wasn't much, but I did notice it. It went away the next day. So... yeah, could be massage, especially if in a new position.
 
I expect it was the massage @SusieShoes - it was my first therapeutic massage, solely focused on the backs of my legs so I expect that was it. It felt so good at the time and for several hours after, then not so good. Will hope to back to my old stiff and not so swollen self tomorrow :eyebrows: PS: Yes, I could see your reply - just no one else's threads.
 
Happy Friday Smarties! I couldn't see any of you until just a few minutes ago and perhaps you can't see me so I hope you all are doing ok. The swelling and extra discomfort that I had yesterday is less today so I'm headed into the weekend feeling much better than I did last weekend. Kneerah for that!
 
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