Rockgirl4
Former BoneSmart staff member
Hello, and sorry I'm just seeing your thread. I posted my 1 yr update today, and I think you might benefit from reading my Recovery thread if you want to see how brutal those first 3-4 weeks can be---and it is NORMAL. We also have a lot in common, so it might give you an idea how normal you truly are. Look for "Rockgirl4's Recovery----already full of surprises" or look in my signature below where I bookmarked my recovery thread.
Your recovery just sounds very similar to mine, and I also had many major and minor surgeries to my knee before the TKR. My surgeon told me this puts us in a category all our own, and there are no "normal" timelines for what to expect. I was lucky though. My surgeon believed the Bonesmart way and said the first 3-4 weeks should be gentle and no forcing the knee to bend or straighten. The swelling and inflammation can be much higher in some people like us, and a swollen knee CANNOT/WILL NOT bend. It sounds as if you have one of those surgeons who think everyone is just alike and has to suffer to get better. PLEASE don't buy into this. YOU are the patient, he works for YOU, and the PTs work for you. It does sound like you have a current, rational PT though, as aggressive PT can create adhesions ----I've lived it, which is why I found a new surgeon for my TKR who had a different, more modern and research-based philosophy.
I wish I could summarize more tonight but need to get to bed. That's why I wanted to point out my recovery thread above. I was a gym-rat, who was in great shape going in to my TKR. I had great strenght, flexibility, and motivation. Your surgeon would have probably called me lazy in recovery.....but my surgeon knew the truth---a swollen knee will not bend, and some of us need more time than others to gain range of motion. Time truly is your best friend.
---Lisa
Your recovery just sounds very similar to mine, and I also had many major and minor surgeries to my knee before the TKR. My surgeon told me this puts us in a category all our own, and there are no "normal" timelines for what to expect. I was lucky though. My surgeon believed the Bonesmart way and said the first 3-4 weeks should be gentle and no forcing the knee to bend or straighten. The swelling and inflammation can be much higher in some people like us, and a swollen knee CANNOT/WILL NOT bend. It sounds as if you have one of those surgeons who think everyone is just alike and has to suffer to get better. PLEASE don't buy into this. YOU are the patient, he works for YOU, and the PTs work for you. It does sound like you have a current, rational PT though, as aggressive PT can create adhesions ----I've lived it, which is why I found a new surgeon for my TKR who had a different, more modern and research-based philosophy.
I wish I could summarize more tonight but need to get to bed. That's why I wanted to point out my recovery thread above. I was a gym-rat, who was in great shape going in to my TKR. I had great strenght, flexibility, and motivation. Your surgeon would have probably called me lazy in recovery.....but my surgeon knew the truth---a swollen knee will not bend, and some of us need more time than others to gain range of motion. Time truly is your best friend.
---Lisa
Last edited: