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Donna - I've done really well quitting! I've learned to slow down and my body thanks me. Timer is a good idea.

Aileen
 
My wonderful girlfriends brought covered dishes over and we had a lovely dinner with lots of laughter. Best medicine in the world. Love, laughter and your best girlfriends. I'm so lucky to have them. Even though they told us not to make anything Ray still made a banana pudding and a fruit pomegranate salsa dip. The girls loved it.

In the morning PT here I come. I'm recharged.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010
 
Got a few complete revolutions in reverse on the bike today in PT. Also got 105 on flexion. Making progress even if it is bit by bit.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010
Left knee scope 1982 and 2003
 
Nice job Donna - I'm meeting with my bookclub girls next week at a house nearby so can't wait to catch up with them it's always a hoot. I was at 112 flexion the first measure today and then 108 so I guess I'm doing okay it has felt a bit stiff even though the swelling is way down. My extension was -3 which I was happy with. You are 4 days ahead of me and appears we are both on the same track.

Aileen
 
Glad you are doing better Donna. How often do you go for physio? Just don't overdo.

I apparently overdid my exercises to gain more extension (mine was going backwards) and now I have extra swelling and pain. My physio is using ultrasound now and it is somewhat better today.

I use the exercise peddlar on the floor, but I haven't tried the recumbant bike at physio yet. Maybe I'll try that tomorrow.

Have a great day. Hope you have more times with your girlfriends. Those times are always so great because it takes us to places of relaxation and sheer fun. Take care. Maggie
 
Good to hear from you Maggie. I go 3 times a week for about 2 hours each. I'm sore in a couple of spots from this morning. Kind of sharp pains. Worked really hard. I may not do anymore today as I am still swollen from surgery and it is hurting. I'll do more tomorrow for my normal 2 sessions. I have learned there is a place where I should give it a break sometimes. Put my Ted hose back on after my shower and iced.

Got me a good book and if I can keep my eyes open. It's snowing here now.

Keep up the good work Aileen. Hope your swelling improves Maggie.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010
 
Thanks Donna - so far today is a great day! I feel wonderful, very little discomfort (actually I haven't had extreme pain yet anyway) and life just feels a little better today. Went out for breakfast this morning, did my first round of exercises and now chilling with my computer, my ice machine and the TV. Supposed to snow here tomorrow so going to enjoy today and hope to get out and do a few errands later on... without overdoing it.
 
I wish I could turn the corner and say I'm doing better. Everyday it seems I struggle to regain the flexion I achieved the day before. I still have a lot of pain at night. My flexion yesterday with straining to get there was 105. I am beginning to worry that I will ever catch up and get there by the time I need to return to work. They wanted me back in 12 weeks. I still am swollen but mornings are best. The 5 complete reverse revolutions I got on the bike I paid for with lots of stabbing pains yesterday and a miserable night. I got up at 3:00am and took a 5mg to last me until my next 10mg hydrocodone I take every 4 hours. When I sit I prop the leg out straight unless I'm eating. I ice 2 times a day after excersizes and sometimes at night. I can't figure out if I'm doing too little or too much. I did not do my evening excersizes last night. I'm really discouraged.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010
Left knee scope 1982 and 2003
 
Hi Donna:

Discouragement is part of the recovery. Get used to it. I personally think you are pushing too hard. Not all of us can meet the expectations set for us by the PT's or (in my case, myself).

If your knee is swollen, it won't bend. If you try to push it it will push back and give you pain. If you water off your knee enough, you will set yourself back. Trust me, I've walked that walk. Don't do it.

Take some time off from PT. Elevate and ice it.
You say your knee is better in the morning. Well, that is because it has been RESTING!!!!
Try not to strain to get flexion. Let it come on its own. It will NOT come it there is Swelling. I think you need to spend more time icing and with your knee elevated, as in ABOVE your heart!.

I found it very uncomfortable to prop my knee out straight, so I didn't do it. I know that everyone is concerned about extension, but you won't get progress if you push it.

As far as work, stop stressing it. You may realistically need more time, but it is a little early to stress about that now.
Keep up the pain meds. I tried to dump them too quickly and well, lets just say it was UGLY. BTW, I am 9 months out and I still pop a pill or two if I over-do it.

Once you "turn the corner" consider this: you are really in a maze. There will be many corners to "turn" there is no magic time, and you may have to get around walls too.

DO NOT compare yourself to anyone who had their surgery around you. I did it and it was depressing. Lots of people who had their surgeries months after me are off pain meds and pain free and running marathons or whatever. Me? I'm doing stuff but it has a cost.

Keep plodding on, you will ultimately win, but it is fight.
Sandy
 
Thanks Sandy. I do rest it a lot but I still try to do what they ask of me by doing the PT 2 times a day. I have always struggled with swelling with this knee even before surgery when I tried to push it. My last scope took me 10 weeks and about 3 steroid injections to return to work.

I really appreciate you sharing with me. Thanks again for the reminder of above the heart with the ice and elevation. I have been icing but Duh!!! I have been forgetting the above the heart.

Today I have been down stairs in my sewing room. I have been sitting some and standing some cutting some pieces but have taken a couple of breaks too. I thought maybe the movement would help move the fluids in the knee around some and help with the circulation as long as I don't overdo it. I know it is certainly helping my mind.

I remember how you struggled too. Makes you mad doesn't it that we just don't just bounce right back like some of the lucky ones. Well I guess we will get there in the end. I keep telling myself it will someday be better than the way it was getting. Degnerative is gone from the equation I hope.

It is just each day poses new feelings in the knee none of which I know how to gauge and interpret. It is a learning curve learing my new knee.

Donna
 
Thanks for the great pictures and info Josephine. I've got some correcting to do starting in a few minutes. My couch has a high back and I have a foot stool that I can use for that one. I will able to read that way.

Off to ice and properly elevate I go!

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010
 
Donna - it can be hard to get it above your heart and I read somewhere here that if you can get it at least above your hip that should be good elevation and I would recommend icing more than twice if possible. I had a great day today even though I had a great day my lower leg still swelled a bit and is tender in the shin. I don't consider this discomfort at all as a take away from how I feel in general. I still took my pain meds, I still iced and did some of my exercises a couple times but I didn't spend 3 hours like my doc wants. I have had something like 10 surgeries between my shoulders, knees, carpal tunnel, broken nose, deviated septum, L2-L5 back surgery and now this and I have recovered remarkably well from all of them but thats ME. I fully expect I will have good results with this as well, but it has it's price but I'm keeping my eye on the prize and if I can give you any encouragement that would be it. Look forward to hearing about your progress.

Chin up!
 
I think the 'foot above the heart' is not realistic. Foot above the hip is perfectly sufficient.
 
Thanks for the encouragement Aileen. Did you see the pictures in Josephines post above about elevation. As I mentioned earlier I often sit with my leg out straight on a stool. This will really help I think.

I've wondered about the three hours your doc wants of excersizes. Seems like a lot but I guess you can try to break it up it up it helps. Anyway I'm so happy for your progress. You are an inspiration to me and I mean it. My goodness your more than your share of surgeries too. Bless your heart! Keep sharing your success with us. I know it gives me hope and others I'm sure too.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010
 
I wish I could turn the corner and say I'm doing better. Everyday it seems I struggle to regain the flexion I achieved the day before. I still have a lot of pain at night. My flexion yesterday with straining to get there was 105.

You are at four weeks today. This is a long, long process---it takes the better part of a year to say that you have forgotten about your new knee. I was in PT for nearly 4 months. Don't worry about "turning the corner." This is is indeed a struggle---but it really is a struggle at times for patience.

Please be patient and realize that you just keep on punching the clock, so to speak, and you will slowly but surely get better---some days you take a step forward---albeit a small or tiny one---and some days you take what is perceived to be a step backward. Either way, down the road, yo will be successful and regain what you have lost.

Ice, elevate, and do not worry about how you are doing. You are doing just fine!:th_yay:

Tim C.
 
I am amazed by the amount of PT you are all doing. I only went to PT twice a week and for only about 45 minutes, and most of the time was hands-on, lots of massage and very gentle bends and streches, never hurt me. The rest of the time was going over the home exercises which were very simple and gentle. At home I never did more than l0-l5 minutes of exercises twice a day. But I did ice and elevate lots, maybe 6-8 times a day and even at nite. I had a very good recovery with little swelling and very little pain.
I just wanted to say this again, because I think most of you are really doing too much and that is causing all the pain and swelling. Just a thought!
 
Thanks Tim and Oldie. I guess I feel if the therapist ask it of me I should be able to do it. We each come to this surgery at different levels of strength and I think my knee had become very weak in the 7 years I put this off.

I think I can feel better now if I feel it is too much on any given day and so my body needs to rest and heal. You guys have helped me realize that listening to my body when it has pain is not doing too little. I guess I just didn't want to fail by doing to little. If the pain and swelling start well there is my sign. And as lots of you have reminded me I should not try to compare my healing progress to others or even my other knee if I had had this done before. Which thankfully I haven't just two arthroscopy on this same knee.

Patience now that is something I need. I can get so hard on myself sometimes. That is what is so good about being on this site. We let each other cry but we also share information that helps each other focus and regroup. I have learned so much here.

I do worry about getting back to work on time. There are rules at work that they enforce if someone is out too much within a rolling calendar year. I just don't want to loose my job. I wish I would not worry so much but I do. But I still have 7 weeks so I just need to concentrate on healing.

My sweet Ray says I'm doing good and trying hard. Friends and family say I'm getting around good. Now I need to let my body and nature do its thing. I need to remember I will heal as fast as my body can.

Thanks for letting me whimper and ramble. I'm not good at being the patient. I would much better be the caregiver.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010
Left knee scope 1982 and 2003
 
I was able to do full revolutions on the recumbent bike today. We scooted the seat back to a comfortable distance. On the recumbent biostep I was able to get full revolutions as well. She added a weight for the wall slides of 3 pounds. She wants me to start moving around more with activities of daily living and ice at least 3 times a day.

Donna
LTKR 12/06/2010
 
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