TKR Left TKR Recovery---Now I Have a Matching Set

[Rockgirl4]

@Dearjr Thank you! I actually said "baby steps" to 2-3 people today! Some days are just MUCH smaller than others, right??!!

 

[Rockgirl4]

I forgot to report in on the aches and pains. They came back in full force about 8 PM tonight. That was 7-8 hours after taking the 1000 mgs Tylenol, so I took some more and felt good again.

I'm thinking I probably do have a virus of some kind. I tried not to go "there" in my head, but infection was the first thing I thought of. I know that's highly unlikely, BUT---how would you know????

 

[selketine]

I'm thinking I probably do have a virus of some kind. I tried not to go "there" in my head, but infection was the first thing I thought of. I know that's highly unlikely, BUT---how would you know????

Do you mean a knee infection? I just figured the first signs of a knee infection would show up in the knee (hot, red, painful - looked different than it had been - as in additional swelling).

I just wanted to add that the swelling with my January knee "started" abating after 6-7 weeks but it took a long time to go down. I had to wear compression stockings every day with it for work (was still wearing them last month before I had surgery) or it would swell again and my ankle. Also...I can confirm there is no prize for getting off the walker earlier than later - haha! I find I can walk much more "normal" with the walker vs. a cane or two canes. It sure beats falling.

I am sorry this knee is giving you so much trouble! I am guessing it is due to your other health issues impacting the recovery - but I agree that it is very hard to sort it all out. I have autoimmune issues as well (had my thyroid removed at age 13 after being hypothyroid at age 11 was the start of it) - it's just a very difficult set of conditions to tease out what is what - and I think doctors are not too good at handling how these conditions impact the entire body.

 

[Dearjr]

@Rockgirl4 small steps are good too. Always look for something you can do better every week.

As for infection I think we all worry about that . But as @selketine said usually hot red tender and more swelling in knee would be the signs. It sounds like you have a regular virus . Tylenol rest and don't over do it.

@selketine As my other knee replacement was 9 years ago I do remember it took 6 months for ALL the swelling to go away
With this LTKR it's getting better slowly but it's only 2 weeks . Ankle less swollen but knee and behind still a lot

Everyone have a great Monday

 

[JDinCT]

Day 23 Update: This is starting to get old, and I've lost some of my positivity. I can easily say my swelling never improves, no matter what I do. The leg overall feels better---but the knee and the areas 4 inches above/below are so unhappy and sensitive. It feels like someone kicked my shin with steel-toed boots, and there's a good chunk of the day that my shin hurts worse than the knee.

I'm getting stir-crazy and want to do other things to entertain myself, but I simply can't get comfortable for very long. My lower and mid-back are giving me fits. I have a back/hip issues anyway that is easily aggravated. I slept on the couch those 3-4 nights in a row, and I wonder if that made matters worse.

Last but not least, I woke up feeling awful today--like I was coming down with something. Lots of body aches and a headache. I'm hoping it's a fluke and tomorrow will be better.

The good news: I can sit on the couch, with my feet touching the floor. It's not a perfect 90 degree bend, but it improves over 5-10 minutes. The point is it's MUCH better and less painful than the other knee was after my first TKR in 2019. I do one session on the PT Rom bike each day and that's it. I figure the knee is bending some, but nothing crazy/repetitive. I see my surgeon a week from Monday, and I can't wait to ask for a stronger anti-inflammatory like I used in 2019.

Hey RGirl -

Just catching up on your progress.

I too have the CRAZY pain in my shin this time... for me it also includes my ankle. Not sure what's causing it, but mine is the main culprit for me not getting great sleep these days. I have a follow up with my OS tomorrow and this will be my main point of discussion. The only thing I can think of is that the Mako robotic assist uses a device they attached to your shin during surgery with bolts.

My scar is also super sensitive. One side is numb and the other side feels irritated just looking at it. I too struggle with bed covers touching it and it's the second issue causing me not to sleep well.

Sending some positive thoughts to pick you up today!

 

[EalingGran]

Do you mean a knee infection? I just figured the first signs of a knee infection would show up in the knee (hot, red, painful - looked different than it had been - as in additional swelling).

I think that makes sense. The likeliest cause of feeling unwell is just one of those horrid viruses going round in the Autumn/ Winter. It's easy to get over worried during this recovery. I became convinced I had a knee infection early on because my knee was still warm at 4-5 weeks. I got my GP to do a blood test ( CRP) which was fine.
I did have septicaemia at about 5-6 months but it was totally unrelated to my knee ( it came after a different procedure). I had a very fast pulse (160/minute) and a general fever.
It's so hard to be vigilant without getting over worried....
Hopefully it's just a virus and you will feel better soon!

 

[Dearjr]

@JDinCT I do believe you might be right
The mako robot has something put into the shin to help calibrate the knee replacement. I had two stitches there so it went in thru the skin and muscle .
It does ache
The numbness and sensitivity will get better with time
Keep well

 

[Rockgirl4]

DAY 28--One Month Anniversary!!!

Thanks to everyone for putting up with my pity party a couple of days ago. I find that my mood definitely goes up/down every 2-3 days like a gentle roller coaster. At least it's not severe highs and lows, and I'm positive it has to do with boredom and not leaving the house in 4 weeks. I had a friend bring dinner this afternoon, and she hung around for almost 4 hours. It was a great visit, as she works full-time, and we haven't had this much time to catch up in years. It's usually in 5-minute spurts here and there, so this was nice. I am convinced the conversation is a big mood-booster. I'm also pretty sure some of my grumpiness comes from having way too much togetherness with my son & husband. My husband has worked 1 out of 6 days, and I'm ready to have the TV back to myself.

As for not feeling well, I waited a while to post to see if I was over it. Sure enough, all symptoms are gone. No signs of knee infection either, and there never were. I was just freaking out a little. My back still bugs me a bit, but sleeping in bed again every night has made a world of difference. This couch is coming to the end of its days, and I won't miss it when this recovery is over.

In other "Kne(ews)"......
1) Knee swelling is the same, but that's okay. The pain is better, and I've successfully cut the afternoon & evening tramadol doses by half. I'm still taking the full 1000 mgs Tylenol 3X a day though. I tried cutting all 3 tramadol doses by half, and that wasn't pleasant at all. I only needed 1 oxy 5 for break-through pain yesterday and again tonight, which is a huge improvement! My friend that came over is a hospital pharmacist, and she reminded me not to feel guilty about still needing the occasional break-through Oxy 5. Something about pain meds working in different ways, and how staggering the 2 meds means the oxy 5 will work better when one DOES take it... regardless, I'm consuming less pain meds all around, as the leg in definitely feeling better. I find I need less medication, but what I OD need has to be scheduled appropriately. I was 3 hours overdue when my friend left tonight, and I was really starting to hurt by that point.

2) I'm still using the ROM Tech bike once or twice a day, but I never finish the full session. I'm mentioning this in case anyone else comes along and does a search about this piece of equipment. The last resistance section of 4 minutes is hard on my knee and my whole body, so I'm not doing it. I can tell my entire lower body is responding to the motion though, and I do think the very light resistance section has helped bring my hip back online for walking. I've been able to take more steps without the walker, but I practice walking without it if I'm in the kitchen at the island/refrigerator and have something to hold on to, just in case I get off balance....or in the bathroom. A little of this each day is helping quite a bit.

3) I'm just being 100% honest and transparent--- I've not done any PT exercises except the occasional quad sets and short arc quads---no certain number of reps or sets...just a little here/there, mostly to see what I can/can't do. I was giving my body until tomorrow before I tried something more structured, but we'll see what tomorrow brings. I'm avoiding anything that sets me back, especially with swelling.

4) I've also been bad about elevating "toes above nose" the last 2-3 days. It cooled off here significantly, and staying warm while elevating and sleeping in the bed is a major pain with shifting covers, 2 cats, plus a broad-shouldered, blanket-stealing husband. The lounge doctor ends up on the floor and I use a pillow instead, which means I lose a lot of overnight time when I was elevating significantly 4-5 hours per night. We put the flannel sheets on last night, so tonight should be better.

5) Almost forgot----shin pain and skin sensitivity---Both are better but now just act up in waves, and everything feels dialed down a notch. It seemed to happen almost instantly Tuesday morning/afternoon.

Ok- off to sleep in my warm bed with my flannel sheets---and the Lounge Dr!!! I hope everyone is doing well, and I will catch up on other threads in the morning. I'll definitely be awake because there will be 4 guys pounding on the side of my kitchen all day---30 feet away from my nesting couch!!

 

[selketine]

I'm very happy to hear that things are getting better! Slowly but surely! Not the same, but 2 days ago my knee was being bad tempered - perhaps because I slept poorly but who knows - and walking hurt and it was annoying and it just sat and watched an entire season of some cooking show competition. Next day - no problems and didn't even hurt in the same spot. Go figure!

You say you haven't been working on your exercises but you've been using that demonic bike so I think that should count for something! I pretty much just walk, quad sets, heel slides (lying down now cause seated ones my foot is hitting the chair), and a few other things the PT gave me.

Congrats on your 4 week mark!

 

[benne68]

everything feels dialed down a notch.

That's a great description!

 

[Rockgirl4]

Day 29---Progress is being made, and that's all I need. It's amazing how much I DON'T care about numbers this time around! I've been able to walk more without a walker over the last 2 days. It's nice, but I think it swelled the knee and added to my pain. I just hurt all night and gave up on sleeping by 4:30 AM. I couldn't get comfortable because my back was bothering me too much. We're working on some solutions for that, so wish me luck.

but you've been using that demonic bike

@selketine Well, you make a great point, and that's SUCH a good description of it. I need to call those people to schedule the pick-up next week. I definitely won't miss it!! My husband can bring the upright bike up from the basement and I'll make do with it.

My son is on his way home with burgers/fries, so I'm off to eat a greasy, unhealthy dinner! It's going to be so good!!

 

[Rockgirl4]

Who's idea was it to eat the greasy burger & fries??!! Yuck!! We'll stick with simple and healthy tomorrow. My mother-in-law is coming over for a couple of hours and bringing food. I'm requesting something VERY light and simple.

I had an epiphany earlier and made an executive decision regarding this knee swelling---every time I've had knee surgery, the surgeon sends me home from the post-op appointment with the tubular elastic support bandage. I'm always extremely swollen and need the extra help. Since Amazon is my friend, I ordered it tonight. There's no way it can hurt and should help substantially. I can tell I've finished the 2 weeks of steroids and the month of anti-inflammatories with little to show for it except a sausage-leg. It should arrive Saturday.

No one will call me back about this fancy PT bike. I think they might not want it back either. I'm not paying for anything except the extra 4 days we requested. I hope everyone else is having a good day.

 

[benne68]

I hope the elastic support bandage helps, @Rockgirl4. I had "sausage leg" for a long time after my hip replacement. I think some of us are just more prone to swelling. It's annoying, but does seem to eventually resolve (although it takes longer than we want.)

Keep elevating and icing!

 

[Rockgirl4]

Day 30: Today has been ALLLLL about the fancy PT RomTech bike!

It's still in my living room but was shut off overnight when my 4 wk program ended. This was without any of the 5 phone calls I asked for and zero returned messages. This was even after my surgeon was going to send in an extension. The first lady asked me if I was extending it and said I'd have to pay, but since insurance was now paying after all, I might NOT have to pay something, but I might need a new prescription.... Anyone else confused?

Research was needed though. I asked for a timeline, as it's Friday. I'm not paying for a device in my house over the next 4 days that I can't use--all because they're impossible to reach. The 2nd lady (45 minutes later) said there was never an insurance approval at all, and I'd be using out-of-network benefits and paying A LOT MORE --- though 2 people said insurance would pay (1 this morning and 1 5 weeks ago), but there's no paper trail. I had doubted the coverage all along, and had budgeted the $600 anyway! Again, all of this would all be AFTER the surgeon sent in a new RX---on Monday---4 days from now!
I (nicely!!) said they could come get theirbecause I'd prefer to just end this relationship and take no chances with my wallet. She was very apologetic, even after I politely, laughingly, jokingly asked why 1 department doesn't know what's up with the other departments. She said that's the way their company works. I plan on telling my surgeon that this piece of medical equipment was NOT a good experience---from start to finish.

So now I'm in a bit of a panic. I know I'm prone to arthrofibrosis. I'm still swollen more today than last week, and I'm all up in my head. I feel like I need to get this thing bending NOW, at least a little each day. I need some sound, logical advice on the best way to bend gently without doing more harm than good. From past disasters, it's obvious I'm someone who needs to do some bending instead of none. I don't see my surgeon until Monday.

My plan: I had my husband get the upright stationary bike from our basement, but it's uncomfortable and hard to get onto. Fact is----I wasn't brave enough yet to try. :( There's no way I'll be making any revolutions on it--assuming I can get even get it going safely. Other than my own bike and rocking back/forth, what is the safest, gentlest bending I can be doing....and how frequently should I do it????

 

[selketine]

I feel like I need to get this thing bending NOW, at least a little each day.

That bike has been more stressful than helpful I think for sure! No way I'd be paying any extra to keep it.

I guess I'm a bit unsure what's up with your knee bend these days - you're not able to bend your knee very much at all? I found seated heel slides the easiest way to start working on my knee bend, both with the January surgery and this surgery. My January knee was very swollen (this knee seems mildly swollen in comparison). It took me quite awhile to get the bend going on my January knee which I think was 100% due to the swelling. I don't have a bike and haven't tried one - with either surgery - so no idea if I could peddle. The PT measured my ROM so I know those numbers for both knees - which is helpful because I could see the progress (well...I could also physically see the progress). I also really struggled to walk.

I also needed to wear a support stocking for that leg when I started going back to work at 8 weeks. It would swell - and still did so even up until my surgery last month. Perhaps I should have tried wearing one earlier with that knee but I don't know? The doctor never recommended it nor the PT!

Going for a walk helped "loosen" up my knee a bit it seemed - or it for sure lifted my spirits. Back in January, going out of the house and walking around Target and buying something stupid (a dishtowel, M&Ms, valentine candy for the candy bowl) made me feel better. I'm a very carrot driven person apparently - haha!

I hope the surgeon will have some good recommendations on Monday!

 

[Rockgirl4]

@selketine I realized how vague my post was after seeing your comment. So, the knee DOES bend. I can sit on the couch and have my foot flat to the floor, most of the time. It may take a few seconds to get there. Last night I tried nudging it further, and I'm pretty sure it's bending to at least 90. I'm going to try a different chair today and see how far I get the knee slid back (slow and gently!!), and that will tell me a lot more. I just panic with wondering if this is enough, and how often I should make sure I'm testing that range throughout the day.

If it wasn't for my past issue with arthrofibrosis in the other knee and the Psoriatic arthritis, I'd be screaming the Bone Smart mantra at myself. I'm sure I'm blowing this ALL out of proportion.

 

[benne68]

@Rockgirl4 Don't panic! You are still early days. Here are a few suggestions for loosening up your knee from my own experience and some ideas shared by others:

1. If you have a tall chair/stool (so your feet don't touch the floor), try sitting there and just swinging your leg. Don't force it, just swing. This could also work with a pillow on a regular height chair (assuming you aren't very tall).

2. If you have a rocking chair, sit in the chair with you feet on the floor and gently rock.

3. To make heel slides easier, put a plastic bag on/under your foot. One of our members used furniture slides with success.

The key is to keep moving throughout the day. Don't force it. Keep the movements gentle, but do do them often.

 

[Layla]

Happy One Month Anniversary!
Best Wishes for the visit with your surgeon on Monday!
@Rockgirl4

 

[Rockgirl4]

@benne68 I'll try the chair with my foot on the pillow case, then slide it on the hardwood floor. I can control that easily and get good movement. I used to sit on our old kitchen table. I'd let the leg hang, then slowly pull it further towards me under the table.

@selketine The elastic tubular bandage arrived today, and I'm wearing it now. It gives great support. I'm hoping the compression will help my body absorb some of this fluid.

 

[Dearjr]

Great to hear your coming along . Keep moving the knee and the motion will come
What kind of elastic stocking is good. Besides knee swelling and lower thigh I also have calf swelling which impedes.my motion .