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TKR Leisa's 6 months post TKR update

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This darn knee. It has decided not to cooperate. I've got swelling again, can hardly bend it and I've done nothing. Seriously, nothing! (walked around the house a little yesterday, added a load of laundry, loaded the dishwasher, then got on the cpm a while and icing. During PT, my flexion is at 70. Now therapist says my OS wanted me at 90 degrees by next monday (which would be 4 wks)
I was a little 'dampened' by this but after a good cry realized I have to be in control of my recovery. So, I have a call in to the nurse at OS office to discuss 'why the push'? I'm not going anywhere. (Oh, the reason is they started talking about a splint) I'm assuming the Therapist is talking about a dynasplint to use for better flexion. My thoughts are this will only make me swell more and not do much good (of course it would be painful too) .. Again, what's the rush. I work hard and do my exercises as I should and my body apparently is not ready.
I have to agree to the splint of course or they won't order it. Depends on too if my insurance covers it.. we will see. I am however no longer 'worrying' myself over this new development. That I attribute to all you bone smarties:thankyou: All the good advice and support. It happens, when it happens.
[sidebar: since I injured my knee 30 yrs ago requiring surgery. I was told I had a good bit of scar tissue on my knee and that's why they think the splint will help and this would help me avoid a MUA later. I think my therapists are trying to help me, they haven't been making me work off the hook or anything] I will know more after talking w/the nurse.
 
5wks post and my incision is almost completely healed. Swelling is not as bad (I've been behaving) but I can't get past this darn nausea. I have looked in the library and didn't see anything. I didn't have much of an appetite in the days following surgery but I am finding I am nauseated every day. (It would not hurt me to lose some weight) Just wondering if the nausea is part of the process?
I am back to otc ibuprofen most of the time with only an occasional hydrocodone tablet.
I have been fitted per OS request for a dynasplint (my flexion is still not past 70) I wear it at night (I can sleep in it on) and it's on a low setting of 4-5. I read some of the threads on the splint. My extension is excellent.
I called the OS office and asked, she asked if I was in pain? I don't think so, only occasionally.. it's not really pain I feel. It's not like I'm going to waste away or anything, wrong gene pool. :rotfl:
O great wisdom of the bone smarties, what's up with the nausea, any ideas?
 
I'm only eating a fraction of what I used to eat before TKR. That nausea feeling seemed to go last week, but my appetite still hasn't returned. I put it down to the Tramadol. But if you are only taking Ibuprofen on the whole, Leisa, I can't think why that is, I'm afraid - not being any kind of expert myself. This surgery sure does affect us all so much in different ways, that we never even thought of.
 
If I'm lucky my appetite will stay low for another 20 lbs :)
Drum roll please........ Today I finally hit 90 degrees flexion! Yea! One week ago I was at 72 at the most. (with lots of work and stretching) This dynasplint along with the hard work of my therapist and my home exercise routine, which includes rest, ice and elevation, I made it. He did some massage on my incision and broke down even more scar tissue. It felt amazing.. I even got on the stationary bicycle and did complete revolutions for the first time (8 minutes of them) I know there will be days when it won't be as good but today I am a happy camper :yahoo:
 
Leisa! Great on the flexion. Little bit evey week and next thing you know, you'll be where you want to be. And I still massage my scars with Bio Oil (and they still look angry!).

I did have nausea while in the rehab hospital and Zophram worked really well for me. My appetite stayed low the rest of the 3rd week. Then from Weeks 4 to 6, if it wasn't nailed down, I ate it (guess my body needed the nutrients to heal). By Week 7, appetite was back to normal. So maybe you're lucky you missed my Weeks 4-6, hunh?

What's the 411 about the splint? Did the insurance cover it?
 
[Bonesmart.org] Leisa's 6 months post TKR update
Lesia, great update---and you'll get more flexion as the weeks go by. Hope you can get nausea under control, that was never a problem for me--I thank my lucky stars.
 
The nausea hits me several times a day, I never know. I am dealing with it and it won't hurt me to lose a little weight. (Last night I made my husbands fav dinner, black-eyed peas, baked pork chop, slaw and cornbread) I could only eat a few bites and I was done. Very strange?
Poo Shay, I have met my deductible and insurance paid 100% of the splint. It's a lease, I have all the fedex info and will mail it back when done. Easy peasy. I have a couple places on my incision w/scabs, as soon as they heal up I will be putting on the oil and I had great success w/Mederma patches on another scar. What I like about the mederma is I don't have to remember it. Just cut to size and put them on til they fall off, then apply another.
Thank you ladies, I am slow this morning ( a little stiff) but so much better. Off for more coffee and ride the bicycle. :)
 
The lack of appetite hit me too.. I think that happens to most of us. Now Ibuprofen can cause stomach upset. If you look it up on the Internet, you can see that nausea and stomach upset are a side effect for some folks.

I have lst 9 pounds since my surgery in July, just because my appetite has decreased. LOL, I hope I don't find them again later on.
 
6wks post on Monday and my flexion has regressed. :sorry: Swelling is not bad anymore and I'm not really in much pain other than when I'm trying to get this leg to bend.
Seems I am in that small percentage that has the ever thickening scar tissue and my rom is 75 -80 now. Still in PT, also wearing the dynasplint. Saw the OS on Monday and we decided to proceed w/ MUA, scheduled for next week. (Wed. or Thurs.) It will be just over 7 wks from my surgery. I have given it a lot of thought and am ready. So until next week I will keep doing my therapy and riding the recumbent bike.
 
Leisa, I'm sorry to hear you going through so much trouble with nausea I hope you get some relief soon.:console2:
Good luck with the MUA, It's got to be frustrating when you do everything right and work so hard, yet you don't get the results you want.

Wishing your well soon and on your merry way to a better recovery!:friends:
 
Thank you Larry and Jacky, I appreciate the support. I'm okay. It helps to get it out here.
 
I'm so sorry you are having problems. Good luck on the MUA. Hopefully, that will get your knee bending a lot better. Most folks have good results afterwards. Will be praying for a wonderful outcome!
 
Oh so sorry to hear that you are having to have a MUA, but as Titianlady says, this procedure does seem to produce good results.

I too am not having much success with the flexion, but I am still quite swollen. It is so frustrating, isn't it :headbang:
 
Leisa, wondering how you can ride a recumbent bike with only 75 to 80 flexion. I am at about 100 now and am just now able to do it but pretty painful at least until I get it going. Good luck with your MUA.
 
Debbie, I get a good 90 degrees after my PT works on my knee, then I get on the bike. I can't do it on my stationary bike at home, the bike at therapy is a semi-recumbent and w/the seat moved back I can do it. I ride for about 8 minutes each time. (it feels so good even though it's tough to do)
After therapy though, my ROM is about half what it is at therapy. That's what's driving me nuts.
 
Leisa, do you have your seat on your stationary bike at home as high as it can go? That is how they have it for me at PT. I have a recumbent at home. Today I worked up to 20 minutes and did it twice.
 
Debbie, at home I have an ancient 'upright' stationary bike. I can't use it even on the highest seat.. my toes won't hardly reach (and I have long legs) and then it comes too high on the return. I borrowed my brother's recumbent bike but it's one of those that flips over and it's an elliptical. :bicycle2: I don't know how to explain it but it doesn't make a 'round revolution' (it's a revolution but more of a long horizontal revolution) Very uncomfortable for the knee..
The one I use at PT is great and the seat adjusts up/down and I can move it backward until I am warmed up and then slide closer to work harder. I am going to trash my old one, return my brother's and find me a used semi-recumbent bike, like the 'Vision Quest' at therapy. I feel like no matter what exercise I participate in for the future, I will still need it for loosening up and maintaining good form w/this knee. :bicycle1: It should last a while too as I can be certain my husband will never ever use it ..:giggle: I seriously thought about asking my husband to video me on it as I am so proud that I can ride it now. and my improved heel slides... their my favorite.
 
Just got caught up, Leisa. I'm glad you're at ease with the decision to do the MUA but sorry it's necessary.
And that nausea thing, I got hit really hard with it today. I often suffer from bouts of nausea, but thought I had it figured out. The pattern went all kerflooey since the surgery, but it never occurred to me there might be a connection. Duh! As for appetite, mine's going the same way that PooShay's did, though I'm still losing weight, thank goodness.
Good luck next week. :flwrysmile:
 
I had my MUA today, very early this morning.. OS was prepared to do a debridement if necessary but said he got a good stretch, he felt and heard it and thinks I will be moving forward now.
When I woke in the recovery room, the pain was really bad BUT it was because they had given me percocet. (for some reason my body doesn't respond to percocet) They tell me percocet's are stronger than Lortabs but it doesn't work that way in my body. The nurse brought me a Lortab and it eased up fairly quickly.
Dr. said my range was between 20-65 degrees before MUA. After he got a 5 on extension and 114 on my flexion. I am pretty excited about that. Pain hasn't been bad this afternoon and I am taking my meds. every four hours. In the morning I have PT and I know that will be tough. My driver (otherwise known as sweet husband : ) will drop me off. I plan to take my max dose before Therapy. Used my Dynasplint on '9' and felt just fine and they dropped off my CPM and adjusted to 110. (OS wants a minimum of 6 hrs. on cpm each day) Looks like I am going to be busy.
FOR THOSE CONSIDERING MUA...t wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I am praying I retain most of the stretch gained today!
:yay:
 
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