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TKR LKTR 19 May recovery

Sandy11 said:
Day 4:
Have developed a bruise on back upper calf with pain level 3 there since yesterday. General pain level is only around 2. For ankle swelling which is the same, I am not able to elevate my leg more than 20 minutes as it starts feeling numb and very uncomfortable. I cannot do ankle pumps properly due to the swelling. My getting up and down has improved a lot. Take 1 Oxy in morning when I get up and 1 at night before I go to sleep, 2 tylenols 3 times a day. Plan to reduce night time Oxycodon dosage to half from tomorrow. I have been sleeping well so far.

Day 5:
Now I have one more bruise behind the knee joint too. The whole area feels quite tight. I still cannot lift my leg without assistance. Plan to add icing in my regime hoping it will aid the healing process. It had fallen out of my radar due to low pain level. Thanks to smokey1 for the reminder.
You all have advised me to go slow on exercises. I have been given 10 different moves to do with 10 repeatations 4-5 times a day. They are,
1. Ankle circles
2. Ankle pumps
3. Gluteal sets
4. Quadriceps sets
5. Heel slides
6. Terminal knee extension [keeping towel roll below knee joint]
7. Hip abduction [sideways heel slides]
8. Straight leg raise
9. Active knee extension sitting on chair
10. Assisted knee flexion sitting on chair

How many exercise you all do daily?
Click to expand...
For week 2
I do 10 exercises, similar to your list , just 3 times a day. I wouldn’t start doing them 4 or 5 times a day, I would start with 20 reps, 3 times a day.
 
@Sandy11 . I have some very colorful bruises on my thigh and knee! Not sure about the back of my calf. You have A LOT more exercises to do than my in-home PT gave me. I am to do four:
  1. Ankle pumps -- 20 times every hour
  2. Quad set laying on down -- slowly tighten muscles on my thigh with leg straight. Hold for 5 seconds. 10-20 times 2X a day
  3. Long Arc Quad (sitting in chair) -- Straighten leg up and hold it for 1 second. 10-20 times 2X a day
  4. Seated heel slides sitting in chair -- I do these only until the point of discomfort, not pain.
I did explain to my PT lady that I would not do anything that caused true pain. For whatever reason, I do not have much problem lifting my surgical leg almost as high a my other leg. I did work out regularly with weights prior to my surgery and perhaps that helped. I have fairly muscular legs. LOL
Good job on the sleeping part, too!
 
Bruising after knee replacement is normal. Gravity makes the bruise move downwards to the back of your leg and also downhill to your ankles.

This article explains, and gives some photos as examples:
Bruising after surgery
 
Zel, what wonderful, uplifting news which should encourage every single member on this forum!
 
Those are a lot of exercises. I would not do all 10 of those exercises every day, pick a few, do a different few another day, etc. And, I would not do them 4-5 times a day. Too many, too soon, can increase your pain and swelling.

We have members who have done no formal exercises and had great outcomes.

This is one of those times when less is more. This early in recovery, just walking about your house, doing your daily needs, is exercise enough.
 
:friends:

A lot of time the PTs give us a list of exercises, but I think they're more an aspiration than a requirement in those early days. I worked my way up to more repetitions over the course of weeks.

If the icing is uncomfortable it's ok to take breaks. Also be sure you have a towel between your gel pack (or whatever you're using) and your skin.
 
@kneeper , I totally agree with you. But I feel I am able to do those exercises without additional pain or swelling, so I do it.
I do take breaks in icing and don’t do it directly on my skin. My problem was not being able to elevate but now getting around that too.
 
It’s all falling into place, Sandy! :cheers:
 
I had to take a lot of breaks from elevating high in the very early days, as it was painful, but over time I was able to elevate all the time I slept. However, any time I was sitting, my leg was up on my ottoman.
 
Day 5:
The swelling around my ankle is not going away. I was not able to elevate my leg more than 20 minutes as it started feeling numb and very uncomfortable. I cannot do ankle pumps properly due to the swelling. I had some extra bruises on my calf with pain level 3-4 since last 2 days. I called my Ortho dept. He told me that these things were not uncommon. Swelling tends to move down the leg due to gravity and bruising tends to follow the path of least resistance and show up on your skin. So more frequent elevation is required. If I have worsening pain in my calf or if I see that the swelling is getting worse they could send me for an ultrasound of my leg.

Day 6:
The pain in my calf has increased. When I get up and walk, it is at level 8. If I walk more, say for 4-5 minutes, it reduces to level 5. There are blue/black bruises which hurt a lot when pressed. There are 3 bruises on back of the calf. I posted this on my daily status update. Immediately got a call from the Ortho asking more questions about it and then eventually was sent for ultrasound to rule out DVT. Fortunately, there was no blood clot. Was advised to do more elevation and try compression socks. Spent rest of the day with mental relief, less exercise, more walking, elevation, icing and rest.

Day 7:
Woke up with less pain. Have scaled down Oxy to half in morning and one at bedtime and tylenol 3 times a day [3000mg total]. Did one session of elevation, exercise and icing. Now time for shower, protein shake and another round of all above 3 and then rest.
 
Forgot to mention that since yesterday, I can walk without walker though I do limp. My family is insisting on my using the walker and not to take any risk which I understand and agree.
I have also been fully independent in all my daily activities since last 3 days.:loveshwr::yay:
 
You're doing well, but I think you still need to use the walker until you can walk without limping.
The walker is only a tool and there are no prizes for giving it up early.
 
Celle is right! If you are limping, you probably need the assist of the walker. No sense taking a chance.
Glad no clot showed up and the pain is less! You are headed in the right direction.
 
Day 8:
Same medicine regimen. Last night knee was hurting and was difficult to move. Today also, it feels very tight [as if an elastic bandage tied very tightly on my knee] and thigh above the incision is hurting. Some times, the stitches feel pulled. Sweelling has reduced.
 
Thst tight band is par for the course and can/will last a while. Hang in there! :console2:
bonesmart.org

Tight Band feeling across the front of my knee

That tight band is caused by scar tissue but not the adhesions type of scar tissue. When the surgeon opens up the knee, he has to undercut the skin and superficial structures from that centre line to each side of the knee in order to get good access all round the bones. Part of the healing...
bonesmart.org bonesmart.org
 
Sandy11 said:
Day 8:
Same medicine regimen. Last night knee was hurting and was difficult to move. Today also, it feels very tight [as if an elastic bandage tied very tightly on my knee] and thigh above the incision is hurting. Some times, the stitches feel pulled. Sweelling has reduced.
Click to expand...
Hey Sandy - I found day 9-12 really painful and all sorts of new pains and bruises - it wasn’t helped by the fact the pharmacist refused my pain meds so was taking paracetamol only ! I had a meeting with consultant yesterday - he massages behind my knee and gave me a stretch to do and it was like a miracle cure - day 14 and we move on upwards !!!
most - please use Walker - no falls or limps needed at this stage
 
Rollem1, just in time info :) . Thank you. I am going to PT for my 1st session in an hour. Will check with her if she can show me something to help.
Today on Day 9, the pain is better. My total medication now is Oxy -half in morning and one at bedtime, tylenol 3 times a day [3000mg total]. one Celebrexand aspirin in morning and one in evening.
Will post after PT visit how it went.
 
First visit with PT was good. She is not the type to push, thankfully. After seeing my extension, flexion and ROM, she told me to stop some previous exercises and showed me few different ones. They include,
1. Church Pew - swaying forward and backwords with feet shoulder width apart.
2. Backward Weight Shift - on heel toe
3. Backwards Walking with walker

She told me that I can use cane partially and showed me how to walk with cane.

Today I am feeling bit tired after the visit outside, so taking the day easy. Back of my knee is feeling quite tight and is hurting.
See you guys tomorrow.
 
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