Revision TKR Knee replacement, now revision

[Silver]

4 weeks and it is hard to bend suddenly. Is that normal? Some of the links up above did not work, Josephine, so could not find all the articles.
I was bending 106 and now it is more like 96 today. Very stiff and annoying!

Silver

 

[bottomshollow]

Silver, you are only 1 month post op. Your knee will have swelling, even if it is not obvious, off and on for the next few months. So flexion (bend) can vary from day to day.

It really is best not to obsess about the numbers at this point. Concentrate on allowing the knee to continue to heal by following the mantra: take your pain meds on a schedule; get lots of rest; elevate (toes above nose) operated leg; and ice, ice, ice. Keep all exercise and PT gentle and easy---pushing only to discomfort.

Range of motion will slowly improve over time. But measuring every day is like getting on the scales to weight every day. There is going to be fluctuation---so why do it when it is only going to make you crazy?

 

[Silver]

Thank you for reminding me and putting it back in perspective! That is why I appreciate this board So much!!
Everything else is going well, so just need to have patience!

 

[Silver]

Hi all,
I had an adventure this weekend. I went to my Mom's house, 2.5 hours away. My BF drove me.
It was a bit hard to sleep somewhere else and I did not get enough. We had a small get together Sat. by the pool.
My doc said I could get in the pool and do my exercises and I loved that. I went out to eat one night.
I was exhausted when I got back though, really exhausted. 3 days of activity was enough!
I see why you all tell me to be careful when I go to work Thursday. I am only going to do the 5 required days of full time work and then back off to part time or even no time, if needed.
I work 2 days and then have a weekend to rest too.

I start PT at their place tomorrow, the home stuff is over.
Really looking forward to that.

I walk on one crutch all the time now except when I am out in crowds. They scare me so I use two. I am afraid someone will run into me.

Still wanting more ROM but I think going TO PT will help instead of them coming here.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Silver

 

[bottomshollow]

Still early days, sweetie, so don't overdo it

----you knee WILL protest and you WILL pay.

Range of motion will come slowly and surely if you don't push too hard. TIME & PATIENCE---TIME & PATIENCE!!!!!

Take care, keep us posted, we care.

 

[Jamie]

You have plenty of time to get more ROM. Please be patient. Recovery is a slow process but very much worth the wait!

 

[skyelark]

Hiya Silver - I've been following your recovery because we're so close in surgery dates, although this is the first time in a while that I've replied.
I'm glad that you are still using two crutches when you're out, because I'm still doing the same and was wondering if I was being a total wimp...lol. At least the two crutches let people know that we CAN'T go any faster, and it gives us a bit more stability for the times that some of those bad mannered people expect us to move out of their way rather than giving us a bit of space. At times, I'm still even using a wheelchair when the family take me out to shopping malls etc.

How did you get on with that 2.5 hour journey? My daughter took me shopping on monday to a town just 40 mins away, and by the time the car was parked, it took me a good 5 mins trying to straighten my leg and ease the pain before I could walk .

Good luck with starting work again .

 

[Silver]

Hi Skyelark,
Glad you wrote, I have been following you too! Work was NOT fun, but I managed the first two days. I am glad I had a weekend to recover. I have to do 3 days of full time the first part of this week too, then I am going to do part time or even no time if I feel like it. The journey I took was okay. We had to pick someone up halfway so we got out for 20 min and that helped. BUT I rode in the backseat with my leg elevated all the way with a pillow and ice. So that made a huge difference.
I am driving to work and that is about 20 minutes and I do okay. That is about as far as I want to do though!
I started PT out of my home last week and they immediately put weights on me, 2 lb. I wondered if that was normal at 6 weeks? It seemed soon, and I was in lots of pain after, so I refused to do it on Thursday.
I am still more concerned about getting more bending. I am so stiff after I sit awhile, are you in that phase too?
I can ride my little mobile bike and am loosened up. Then I sit for an hour and it is tight as a drum. Annoying!!!
I think this is an expected stage though.
And I am glad we are wimps together with the crutches, lol! I have had people try to knock me over, so it is definitely safer!

Have a lovely week! Silver

 

[Silver]

Any other comments on the PT are welcome too!

 

[Silver]

How do I get people to reply to messages on this board? It has been somewhat disappointing. I either do not get replies or I get lectures about doing too much. I am not going to do too much but sometimes I have honestly good questions that seem to go unanswered.
At week 7, I am still on one crutch and not walking yet. Is this normal? My mom's 80 year old friends are walking better than I but I also want more ROM than they do.

 

[Pumpkin]

Silver,
At 7 weeks on one crutch is with in the range of a normal recovery. If it were me I would refuse weights if they cause any irritation or pain, you are doing plenty of exercise and acitivity.
80 year olds have less expectations (they accept less ROM), don't push the envelope, and generally do better early on.
Take good care, time is the best doctor,

 

[bottomshollow]

Silver , the stiffness you get after sitting for a period of time is going to be with you for quite some time. I am 9 months post op and still have that to deal with. I try to remember to get up once in a while to just stretch and walk a few steps---but I forget if I get really involved with something.

More flexion (bend) is going to take time--just keep up the exercises for bending---do them often through out the day and keep pushing yourself a little more each day. Of course, elevating and icing are mandatory--gotta keep that swelling down as much as possible to gain flexion.

It's still early days for you, and I know you're impatient to get on with it; but you know, as the rest of us do, that KNEE is in charge and will not be rushed.

If you need your crutch to walk as "normally" as possible without pain, then YES it's "normal". Please DO NOT compare yourself to others---it only frustrates. Pumpkln is right in what she says about older folks, and you are not one of them and don't want to be. As another member, Twinketoes, says---"Normal is just a setting on your dryer."

Just follow the mantra, take care of yourself, and keep us posted. We care.

 

[Jamie]

Silver, are there any other specific questions that you feel have been unanswered?

 

[kneeper]

Yes, the stiffness after sitting for a long time lasted quite a while for me too. Gradually I could sit longer and longer. I found getting up a couple of times an hour and just walking around for a minute helped.What are the using the weights for in PT?
How are things going this week at work?

 

[Silver]

Thanks all! Why do the 80 year olds do better? Very curious!! I suspect they do not care if they limp and I do. I do not want to limp nor does my doc. Hence the reason I am still on one crutch. My right knee is not great so that compounds it all.
The full time work was very, very hard. I did it for 6 days. Now I am back to part time which is much better. Gives me time to rest and exercise. Just wondering how long I should go part time, it is really up to me. I am at week 7.5 now. I think I will go to at least week 10, how does that sound?
My bend is now 112 degrees, so I am much happier. It is coming in leaps and bounds at PT right now. I started weights back yesterday on the exercises I found easy. They only put one pound weight on me and it was fine.
I am trying to exercise at home quite a bit too.
I have a huge conference to throw at 3 months and that is my next worrisome hurdle. I will have opportunity to elevate and ice during the day, but I sure hope I can walk by then. I am sure I will though, that is a good bit away.

Thanks again all! Silver

 

[bottomshollow]

You will certainly be the best of judge of when you can go back full time.

I would just play it by ear for now and not set a definite time. And the conference will probably be a challenge for you---but somehow I suspect you will carry it off (and then they can carry you off to resting, elevating, and icing).

You are still doing a lot for just 2 months post op, but I feel sure we won't be able to get you to slow down as much as you probably should. But as long as you are happy with where you are and how you feel, then nuff said. Take care, we care.

 

[Silver]

Thank you! I am NOT in a hurry to go back full time. They are in a hurry but I decided this week to retire Nov. 30, so I am in the drivers seat. They need my knowledge so I am taking my time. And I do plan to take one day a week off extra as I think I need it. And can call in if needed too.
Yes, I will pull off conference, but may die every night!
Thanks for the support!

 

[bottomshollow]

Silver, you are one tough cookie. I admire you. Retiring---do you mean from this job or work period?

I love retirement--my old employer did ask me to come back to help them out temporarily after I'd been retired for a year--I was there for 5 months---they will never get me back again. But I did manage to pay the car and truck off and get my one credit card balance way down there. So it worked out okay.

 

[kneeper]

Sounds like a good plan to stay part time for a while yet.

 

[Silver]

So yesterday was my bad day, I had a melt down. Could not bend at PT, they were not happy with me, they told me to quit using my crutch, which terrified me be acause I live alone in a house with ten thousand steps.
So got up today with renewed commitment after bawling last night (see not always a tough cookie) and found my cane and am using it. It works just fine. And I got 118 degrees at PT with their help. So I feel better. Yesterday I was just stiff and stuck at 106 after bending 112 on Monday. They are anxious for me to hit the 125 mark b/c they say that now is when the scar tissue builds the most and I have to get it now. I took today off and will do more exercises again later, but right now I feel fairly good. Just do not want scar tissue to build, scary.
Anyway, going to go ice an elevate now.
Thanks again for all the support!