Bilateral TKR Lene' two new knees

Hi all, well I cancelled PT again yesterday. 2 reasons-1 I was just dreading the argument and 2- I was helping hubby put up gutters on our new roof! I didn't climb the ladders, I just held them for him and played fetch it mostly. It was as good as PT believe me, but while I was tired and achy when we were done, I felt none the worse for wear today! Hurray! I am thinking of cancelling PT altogether. No sense as long as I walk and stay busy at home!
Lene'





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Lené,
Sounds like you activity level is plenty and you no longer need PT, good call to cancel.
 
Sounds like you have a plan! If you dread going to PT why go? I agree, I'd hate to fight with therapists.
 
I agree. No need to fight with therapists. If they can't accept your rules, just leave.
 
Hi bonesmarties, I am now experiencing a new problem....heel pain? It started last week, and I was thinking it was related to my old shoes. So I went and bought new psi


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New shoes are a good idea after TKR. But I experienced heel pain that then turned into plantar fasciitis. The doc thinks it's due to the amount of time I spent with my leg up and it shortened the fascia. Of course I was laid up with an imbolizer on, but I had heel pain even after the original TKR. It was a numb, tingling feeling. Try stretching out your foot by pulling your toes toward your body and hold for 30 seconds. I also rolled my heel over a frozen water bottle to help with the pain and swelling. Hopefully your new shoes will help.
 
Oops sorry, messed up that post.....anyway, bought a new pair of sneakers thinking that would correct the problem but it did not!! Now new shoes or old, I M having pain in my heel with every step. It seems to also shoot up my leg towards my knee? I am not sure if it is plantar fasciitis or if I have messed something up at PT or on my own? Funny thing is if I walk barefoot/ socks I don't feel it but I'm shoes very painful??? Argh! Just when I was starting to get walking some, now I can't 't. Anyone got any ideas? Should I go see the Dr?
Getting frustrated with this up and down recovery!!!
Lene'


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Karri B, thanks for you quick reply, I had a bout of PF years ago. Then it was killer to get out of bed in the AM first few steps were agony. I don't have that now though so I am at a loss. My foot was very achy after surgery and I am always trying to rub them but the heel pain is new. I will try the frozen water bottle and some other excercise I used to do for PF. Ordered some insoles today too just to be safe!


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I had a short bout of heel pain in my left foot, not the one with the new knee, but it just went away on its own after a few days, maybe a week or so. I figured it was because of my altered gait.
 
I was in so much pain walking a year after TKR surgery. I couldn't believe that now I couldn't walk because of heel pain and it was just in my right foot which is my TKR side. That summer I decided to order a pair of Vionic flip flops. They were the only shoes I could wear without pain. I'm not sure about any other shoes, but those cupped my heel and kept it from hurting, especially while driving. I also got Vionic slippers to wear around the house. They are life savers for me! Six weeks of PT for the plantar fasciitis helped a great deal as well. I hope it's not PF for you this time and goes away on its own.
 
@lene'

Good for you about PT. I actually liked going, but I felt they were doing more harm than good, so I stopped going. I am doing well on my own with some walking and some exercises. I feel like I made the right decision and I'm sure you did too! Who knows you better than you anyway? :)

I'm sorry to hear that you are having heel pain. I had some in my ankle and calf, but I had just had surgery on the ankle and ruptured my Achilles, so that explains most of mine. I've had PF in the way, way past, and it is different than that. I got a spiky ball. I used this under my arch and rolled it around to stretch my ankle, foot, and calf. Not sure if that would work for you, but it feels so good when I do it.

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It sounds like you are doing so amazing, STILL! :) I'm so happy for you. Wish I had been able to have the BTKR and I wouldn't be facing surgery again next week.

Happy early Thanksgiving.

Jen
 
Hi @lene'

I have a whole newfound respect for you, even more than I already did, for doing both your knees at the same time!! Having my 2nd one done and the fact that it's more painful that my left one, I don't think I could have done both of them at the same time!! You are truly amazing for having the BTKR and for doing so well in your recovery!!!

Jen
 
@Jen, thanks for the kudos, but I am really, literally just putting one foot in front of the other. I have good days then some not so good days. I tried last week to walk my dogs around the property on the trails we take. I would guess that they are about a 1/4 to a 1/2 mile around. I was able to do it, albeit very slowly. That made me happy but...... for the rest of the day and the next, I felt LOUSY!! Almost felt like I was getting the flu...In fact hubby was sure I was catching a cold but really I just over did it!! I am amazed at how the recovery is one step forward two steps back. Some days I can go without any pain meds and others (like after the dog walk days) I was back to norco every 4 hours!!! Today is 8 weeks for me..knees were pretty good today, but sometimes I really have to concentrate on getting them to bend..bad habits have me walking on my toes to avoid the pain. I don't know if I am having a good recovery or not, I just pray for no complications.
I got my new insoles today to try so I am hoping they help with the heel pain I was having. I haven't had the pain since I switched back to my hospital slippers. I'll see if it returns trying to walk now in my new shoes..!
I keep trying to sleep in my bed at night but just can't seem to get comfortable, sleep two hours and wake up over and over. Back to sleeping in the recliner, just not ready for the bed yet I guess. The thing is I will be going back to work pretty soon, so I have to be able to sleep more than 2 hours at a time!!! Think I may have to try some tylenol PM or something..as long as I can wake up from it???
It truly helps to have Bonesmart to come to for help and support!!
Keeping the faith regards,
Lene'
 
You really are you aren't very far into your year long recovery. Give yourself a bit more time to heal. Sleep wherever you can get the most amount of sleep. I wound up sleeping for many months after my original TKR through my revision recovery. Now it's my other knee that doesn't like my bed. Your energy will come back a little at a time.
 
Well, I don't know what to think...I went to PT on Monday and Thursday this week, mostly doing the same stuff, 10 min on bike, flexation and extention on stairs, but then did leg presses, with weights, and some other machine that presses my leg down for better extention. I come out both days pretty stiff but Tuesday and Friday (today) I have not had that tight band feeling around my knees!
They actually seem like almost real knees!! Don't know if it is from PT or just regular healing!! Whichever it is, I will take it!!!
On the down side, am still having some Plantar Fascitis pain again today! Seems like it just wouldn't be right if something didn't hurt!
Anyway this is my 8 week milestone update...not so bad really hopefully the knees will continue to improve.
Wishing good things for all my fellow bonesmarties too!
Blessings,
Lene'


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Try freezing a water bottle for your foot to roll over. I still have to do stretches every day or I feel the pain coming back.
 
Thanks Kari B...I have been using the frozen water bottle, it does help. I also bought a foot massage machine that hurts a little when I first use it but makes it feel better the next day. I bought new sneakers and put the new insoles in, but it seems the higher the arch support the more it makes it hurt? I guess I have to keep experimenting, maybe a different pair of sneakers??? Since the knee replacement, my feet have been more swollen than normal, maybe as the swelling goes down in my knees it will also go down in my feet!!
 
10 min on bike, flexation and extention on stairs, but then did leg presses, with weights, and some other machine that presses my leg down for better extention. I come out both days pretty stiff but Tuesday and Friday (today) I have not had that tight band feeling around my knees!
They actually seem like almost real knees!! Don't know if it is from PT or just regular healing!! Whichever it is, I will take it!!!
Take the improved feeling in your knees, for sure.

However, it is much too early to be doing anything with weights, or to have a machine pressing down on your legs.
It's only 9+ weeks since you had major, traumatic surgery on both your knees. ROM (both flexion and extension) can continue to increase for a year, or even longer after a TKR. So why allow your poor, wounded knees to be bullied this way? Allowing it once may not do any harm, but if you continue to allow it you could end up with chronic inflammation of your soft tissues, particularly the tendons.

There's no need to rush to get ROM, no need for haste or urgency. From now on, just the normal activities of daily life will be enough to keep your knees moving forward.
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
[URL='http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/rom-its-never-too-late-to-get-more-rom.6185/']ROM: it's never too late to get more ROM!
[/URL]
 
When my right heel began hurting so much I couldn't walk I picked up a pair of Vionic flip flops which have built in orthotics. Vionic advises to wear their shoes an hour or so a day at first and build up. The first few times my knees, legs and feet all hurt. But now nothing hurts when I wear them.

As Celle said, using weights this early is not a good idea. My PTs waited 4-5 months before using any weights and my leg was very weak from being an imbolizer for a month. When I was allowed to stop wearing the imbolizer, I had to do it slowly as my leg was so weak it always felt as if it would give out. But my PTs said focusing on walking correctly was more important and would strengthen those muscles perfectly.
 
Thanks everyone, I am really re-thinking the weights at PT, they are trying to improve my extention, but of course it will only improve when the swelling goes down. I cancelled PT for tomorrow, and will go on Monday just to have everything measured again. I know things are improving all on there own. I will be going back to work in a couple weeks, and I see my OS again next Wednesday. I really need to get the sleeping down better or it will be tough to get back to work...I will try to get another week from my OS as well as a sleep aid if necessary. I am doing okay, not taking any meds during the day only at night. Although perhaps if I was taking something during the day the nights might get easier??!! I am a terrible medication taker, I forget easily. ugh!
Just started driving some and tomorrow have to go to a funeral about an hours drive away.. a little nervous but I think I will be ok. Will take some tylenol before I go.
 

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