Revision TKR Lovetocookandsew’s long road to recovery

[Josephine]

Gee wizz, girl! You're a busy poster! Sorry I wasn't around yesterday but I had too busy a day

I'm wondering if it's valuable in recovery

Funnily enough, one of the reason for this was that I saw my knee surgeon yesterday and when he checked my knees functionality, he actually whistled (impressed, you see!)! So I took the opportunity to remind him that I had done not a jot of exercise for either knee (dates in signature) ever. He gave me a second look to make sure I wasn't kidding and then shrugged his shoulders! But he's never been very big on physio/exercises for his cases so it was nothing he was going to get into a bate about!

So what I am saying is, I don't hold with any of these things. Use them it you want to but not because you think you HAVE to! Because you don't. In my opinion - which I think you know is pretty profound! - these exercises invariably cause more problems than they resolve. I've seen it on this forum time and time again.

Time for my pithy 'saying'!
It's not the exercising that gets you your ROM, it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle and time to heal. One thing that seems to be missing from all the PT's protocols is that all your ROM is there right from the start, just waiting for all that to happen so it can show itself. In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Exercise as in strength training is counter-productive and in the early weeks does more harm than good. Normal activity is the key to success.

 

[beachy]

It sounds like you and Mollymax are having good recoveries if you're bored. Right? How many threads are there about TKRs that are 3 weeks out and are still in so much pain or brain fog that they can't function. At least you want to do those things, but aren't quite there physically. I hope I'm like you and Mollymax at 3 weeks post op.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@Josephine I'm not usually such a "busy poster", but sheer boredom brings me here a lot more than usual. I was basically of the same mind about the peddler, but wanted your opinion as eventually getting back on my real bike is one of my top goals/desires. I am being more careful about doing things this time around as I have no way to alleviate pain if I overdo and cause a lot, so am following the BS activity progression, but at a slightly reduced pace. I'm still walking around and making a drink, sandwich, etc, but not taking longer 10-20 minute walks quite yet; rather walking until I get just to pretty darn uncomfortable, then I go back to icing and elevating. It's so nice to have your successful story in mind throughout this recovery. Thanks!

 

[SusieShoes]

Our advice often comes down to first-hand experience (our own), second-hand experience (those we know from other people either personally or on here), or third-hand (reading and research from experts or cases other people tell us about). Our first-hand experience is what we can stand behind best.

I used a pedal machine. Most of the time I used walking as my primary exercise, but on rainy days or whenever I couldn't go walking I would often use my pedaling machine. It was a good way to loosen the the knees a bit, though not as satisfying as a good walk. Did it help my recovery? I wouldn't say it was a major contributor, but it did give me a way to exercise my knees gently when my first choice of activity was unavailable. I still use it on occasion.

The most helpful thing for recovery is a positive attitude! You already have that going for you! Everything else is just a little extra assistance along the road.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@SusieShoes I used my peddler last time around, but this time around I want to give my knee the very best chance to recover properly. Not that I didn't last time, just that I've been through a failed TKR and can't deal with that again. Plus, as I've said, I need to be very careful not to join the ODIC as I have no way to medicate for pain. My tolerance level for pain has to be less than usual as a result. So, unless there's a lot of value in doing something, I won't do it. I'd love to have the problem of rainy days stuck inside after a surgery.....lol. But for some reason most of my surgeries have been in the spring or summer when we have no rain and 90-100 degree and above heat, which does keep me inside, but for a very different reason. I may need new flooring when I'm recovered due to the path I'm going to be wearing in my floors walking in circles every day.

 

[sistersinhim]

Just think how much good that walking is doing for your recovery!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Sure would be more fun to walk with different vistas.....maybe I should carry my tablet with me and "visit" different locations as I walk.

 

[beachy]

Kim, I'm bored, too. Actually, change that to impatient. I absolutely love summer but, I can't do most of the things I used to. Walking the Tootsie furball 4X day is hard enough.
I did have a girls' night dinner last night (in a restaurant) and after 2 hrs of no elevation I was glad to be home.
At least I can recuperate during the nasty winter weather. Trying to ice enough now to go to grocery store!
Been on BS a lot reading some great articles and info. I almost feel like I can perform my own surgery

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@beachy I feel your pain...literally. I had to start using electric carts to go grocery shopping, haven't been mall shopping in years, etc. I'm so independent that when well-meaning and generous people offer to help me reach items, or unload my cart, etc, I cringe inwardly while thanking them and explaining that I can walk and stand, just not for long distances. I would have liked to do this surgery last winter, but my OS didn't want me anywhere near the hospital during flu season, and rightly so. Have I mentioned that I really love my OS?

 

[beachy]

Besides the pain it messes with your head. To go from a productive, very active, athletic person to rapidly failing knees... ugh. I try to focus on blessings since I don’t have a terminal illness or anything like that. Ok rant over. Thanks for listening

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@beachy

 

[arizonaone]

@lovetocookandsew what about renting a rolling walker for a couple of weeks? It would probably be alot cheaper than buying one and that way you would not have to worry about storing it in your garage. .Just a thought.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@arizonaone Those walkers are so cheap that I would have just bought one and could have then donated it if I really didn't want to store it. But since it was only for a few weeks it wasn't worth it to me. If I had to use it for a couple of months or didn't already have a walker, then I'd have bought one. But thanks for the input!

 

[mlwreader]

@lovetocookandsew Have you given any thought to walking an indoor mall? Air conditioned comfort. It has been brutally hot in my city these past weeks and I finally decided to go walk the stores. Too hot to walk the streets.

 

[Spex10]

Good idea @mlwreader. Maybe it's hard for @lovetocookandsew to get to a mall though? I'd love that but don't think I'm quite ready to be in crowds yet. I still feel quite vulnerable even with my stick. I went out too soon last time and regretted it.

 

[Mollymax]

I know what you mean by impatient Beachy. I love to go long distance walking and I am not even doing 1000 steps a day at the moment. My legs are too shaky and unstable.
Spex10 I wouldn't be able to go to shopping centres at the moment. I did manage Tesco but used one of their electric buggies to go round with hubby getting the stuff off the shelves that I wanted.
Guess it's too early for lovetocookandsew and try go to a mall yet.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

@mlwreader I'm just at 3 weeks today, so it's way too early for me to walk malls.

I'm not walking long at a time yet as I really need to be careful not to overdo lest I cause pain I can't alleviate. So, I still use my walker for distances (lol-I use that term loosely as walking in circles around my house doesn't qualify for long distance) as I can walk more with it than with my cane, and don't have a lot of pain in the process. I am able now to use my cane but I do end up with quite a bit of pain from it, so I use it for short walks, or when I need to carry something or to get out to my garage instead of using crutches.

There are good and not-so-good sides to this recovery so far. It's great not to be taking strong pain meds and not have the awful complications I get from them, but I am moving along at a slower pace in my recovery as a result. I'm clear headed, and feel basically normal everywhere except for my right leg, and have to not only be careful not to move too quickly or too much, I have to remember I still have a knee that needs a lot of time to recover, and so spend a lot of my day icing and elevating. I think I spend a lot more time doing that than I did last time, as ice is the only pain reliever I have and it does help a lot when my leg starts to ache, plus I think it also prevents a lot of pain from hitting.

Most of the time I have very little pain, but I do get a zinger here and there, and I do feel pain at random times. It's not too bad and I can generally deal with it. But I do get pretty uncomfortable at times, like after a shower, or when walking a little too long, etc.

Most people get to a point of boredom with this recovery, but I have been there basically since the beginning as I have had my pain controlled with no side effects, and therefore have been awake and alert from the beginning, and the boredom intensifies more as time goes on.

I still have the steri-strips on my leg and have noticed my scar has been a bit painful and burning at times; maybe due to the steri-strips or maybe it's a normal part of healing. Whichever it is, I would like to see them gone, but they are just barely starting to lift on some of the edges so they look to be here for a while yet. My OS told me specifically to leave them alone and let them fall off naturally, so I'm stuck with them (pun intended) for the duration. Oh, and when drying my legs after my shower yesterday, I really noticed how much I need to shave!
All in all, I'll take this recovery over any of my previous recoveries, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have it's downsides, but these downsides are a lot better than the alternative.

 

[sistersinhim]

My scar was extremely sensitive for a month or more. My PA suggested lightly drifting a towel or other rough item over it to try and desensitize it. It was tough at first, but eventually got easier to do.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Here's my knee today. I noticed when I went to the kitchen a few minutes ago, that my knee is pretty stiff today. Looking at it, I notice it's more swollen than it has been, not grossly so, just a bit, so my day will consist of icing and elevating again. Of course that's what I do every day, so samo-samo.

 

[Spex10]

I couldn't bear to rub anything against my scar to desensitise it @sistersinhim! Currently, I have one trouser leg rolled up all the time. I have to remember to roll it down if I have to answer the door!