MUA LTKR, 8 weeks out; MUA at week 5; worried about ROM

[Polkadot]

Three-Month Kneeversary:
I am holding steady and not back-sliding, thank goodness! My ROM hovers between 0-5 extension and 100-105 flexion. Several things are coming more easily to me: crossing my legs, tying my shoes in the "normal" way, and going upstairs foot over foot. New accomplishments are s-l-o-w-l-y developing: I'm still at "almost" in being able to revolve an upright bike (sooo close and yet so far); I can sometimes sit with legs down for a couple of hours, long enough at least to do one or two pen-and-ink or watercolor sketches; for the past week, I have taken no medications during the day except for two Tylenol first thing in the morning only on the days I have PT (which occurs 3-4 hours later--I am positive it is not interfering with my ability to monitor when things are too painful); and most mornings, I no longer stumble out of bed--I get up and walk fairly naturally around the house, without much thinking about it. Evenings are still Frankensteinian--when I get up from an hour of watching TV, first I have to stand and do the pelvic tilt @Pheebs52 mentioned, then tell my feet to get moving. Then I lurch around for a couple of minutes until I'm limber again.

In general, I have more hours during the day when I suddenly realize I am pain free. Of course, there are still the hours where I realize that I'm NOT, and this bugs me more now than in the early days! But progress is progress!

I'm a bit fearful of telling my best news, as it may have been a fluke, but...
Yesterday I bought a tighter pair of capri leggings. (They are actually a pair of legging shorts, because I am short--they hit me just below the knee. Almost-capris? Extra-short pedal pushers? Long shorts? They hit me a bit oddly, but they cover the sensitive nerve-endings area on the inside of my thigh.) I slept in them last night, and I slept BETTER! I woke up a few times but was not nearly as aware of that awful sunburny, ouchy, irritating feeling that keeps me from getting comfortable.

Thank you, thank you, @Pheebs52, for suggesting tighter ones. And cross your fingers that it will work again tonight. (Last night I used a precious oxy and will try it tonight with just ES Tylenol.)

 

[liam2015]

what a great report Polkadot. glad that the "long shorts"/leggings (bermuda shorts/leggings maybe?) helped and you slept better. every little tip you can use is worthwhile to give comfort where needed. your flexion is coming along very well also and you're able to sit longer. all good accomplishments. i'll have to look up that pelvic tilt recommendation given to you by Pheebs. that's where i have a problem, getting up from sitting and having to pause a few seconds, even limp for the first couple of steps because of the pain placing weight on my knee. better things ahead for you and happy sketching and painting!

 

[Polkadot]

Thanks, @liam2015 ! @Pheebs52 is quite prolific on her thread, so I went back and found where she first mentioned the pelvic tilt thing. Her PT shared with her "how to walk." Be sure to read a couple of pages past the first entry--there are more references to the "tilt!" I was doing it already when she mentioned it; just didn't realize that's what it was! I especially do it when I get out of the car; otherwise, I look like I'm about 104, all bent over and crippled up.

Pheebs52 Recovery Discovery Journey May 22

 

[kmak81230]

Great post PolkaDot -- more importantly great progress!!! Sounds like you are making great "strides" in all areas. So glad the mini pedal pushers may be helping with sleep - let us know if it is more than a fluke. And thanks for the pelvic tilt reminder. My tendency is to be a "sloucher" -- my 80 yo mother still reminds me to stand up straight .

 

[VW54]

My tendency is to be a "sloucher" -- my 80 yo mother still reminds me to stand up straight .

I often "hear" my mother (long dead) speaking/commanding me to sit up straight!. A strange kind of auditory hallucination. But hey, it works!

 

[sistersinhim]

I still watch my feet when I walk. That's a really hard habit to break, especially when I stepped in a hole when I wasn't watching my feet! Talking about looking old! Oh well, we do what we have to do to stay safe!

 

[Canada35]

Way to go Polkadot! I may have to try my tight leggings in bed. Your progress report sounds awesome and I bet having an outlet for your creative juices goes far in how you feel about everything in general. For us non creative couch potatoes, we can live vicariously through you!
Isn't it funny how happy we are to be able to cross our legs when all our lives we have been told not to! I feel like such a rebel!

 

[Polkadot]

Thanks, @Canada35! Yes, try the leggings. I've now had two nights in a row of relative comfort! When I first got excited about crossing my legs, I had an image of my grandma doing this:

 

[Pheebs52]

@Polkadot, here's a really peculiar piece of information regarding the Pelvic Tilt; in a prone position, attempting to do a heel-slide, first....do the tilt! Hold it while sliding and....you'll slide further! Obviously, the *tilt* rules, eh? Gary says it should *rule* every, waking moment....he's such a task master. But...my back and hip and knee are proving that he's right. So, *zip-up* (his term for tilting) then stand-up. Zip, zip, zip....all the time. Everywhere. It's a new walking craze...well, says he. Or should it be him? I don't know.

I could pretty much just *copy and paste* your entire report, but hey, we ARE *twins*, so that's not surprising. I too have that momentary delay when first arising from an hour on the sofa or recliner. I can't even say it's from knee pain, because it really isn't. It's almost as if my leg *forgets* how to proceed with walking. Or, perhaps it just feels...odd? Mechanical? I dunno, *something* very difficult to define with words. But, it's just a very brief moment of hesitation, a mere blip on the recovery radar.

I really envy your ability to sit long enough with legs down to paint and sketch! I'm only good for about an hour in that position, and then I can feel the never-ending swelling creep in; pffft! Regardless, I'm excited for you; paint on!

Yay, you found some fabulous *Magic Shorts*!!! See, tighter IS better! Tight=Right.....who knew?

This is such a great report in every respect; huzzah!

 

[Pheebs52]

P.S.: On crossing legs, be sure to alternate or your hips and back will complain! Don't need that, eh?

 

[kmak81230]

agreed on the *tilt* - they call it the VPAC at my PT and I also was ordered to engage the VPAC when doing the prone heel slides - as well as just about everything else. Can't remember what VPAC stands for - I think I have a handout at home. I tend to forget about it so glad to have the reminder.

 

[SusieShoes]

Love reading about your progress. You're doing so well! I also pause upon standing and "center" myself. I think it's probably akin to, if not the same as, the pelvic tilt. Lining up the bones. I also make a point of sucking in my gut when walking. Do it, hold it, let it out after several seconds. If nothing else, it's whittling away at my waistline! But the main benefit is as you say: no slouch and walking with correct posture.

Crossing the legs is fun. It freaks the family out when I do that. They thought people post-TKR couldn't cross their legs ever again. Nope! The new knees do all kinds of tricks.

 

[Pheebs52]

Love reading about your progress. You're doing so well! I also pause upon standing and "center" myself. I think it's probably akin to, if not the same as, the pelvic tilt. Lining up the bones. I also make a point of sucking in my gut when walking. Do it, hold it, let it out after several seconds. If nothing else, it's whittling away at my waistline! But the main benefit is as you say: no slouch and walking with correct posture.

Crossing the legs is fun. It freaks the family out when I do that. They thought people post-TKR couldn't cross their legs ever again. Nope! The new knees do all kinds of tricks.

Sent from my iPhone using broken link removed: https://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=75543

 

[Pheebs52]

Susie, "finding your center of gravity," is exactly the same thing as zipping up your pelvis. [emoji16]

I'm told this occurs naturally with 90% of the population, but for those of us with back/hip issues? Not so natural! Real thought required! That said, it sure does help eliminate much discomfort, from spine to feet. [emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Polkadot]

@Pheebs52, I am definitely going to try the "tilt" on some heel slides when I go to bed tonight! I have been practicing correct walking according to Gary Glitter, and have to say that putting everything together into a glide is very difficult. My PT just coaches me "heel-toe, heel-toe."

That momentary hesitation is for me exactly how you described it. Once I gain my feet and tilt so I'm upright and unkinked, I often feel as though my leg has forgotten what comes next. I have to cheer myself on sometimes. Then a few steps later, I'm okay. Very weird.

@kmak81230, how about "Volitional Preemptive Abdominal Contraction?" Can you say that three times fast?!? I think "pelvic tilt" was too racy and suggested teddies and such, which wouldn't be fitting, you know. Hmmm...pelvic tilt...PT... It seems as though these letters are dominating my life right now!

Thanks, @SusieShoes! I wonder if we would be able to tell when someone has had a knee replacement and has recovered? We could watch for older women with great posture, and look in particular to see if they do the "suck in alignment" thing when they stand up. This could be an interesting pastime when people-watching.

That's quite funny that your family thought you wouldn't be able to do things like cross your legs! MY DH is expecting me to be stronger and to be able to do MORE things, so when I showed him my cross-the-knee trick, he gave me a puzzled look and said "Oh, that's nice." He became more interested in the subject when I told him it meant he didn't have to help me tie my shoes any more.

 

[Pheebs52]

@Polkadot, if you look back on my posts where I first described walking this way, you'll see how frustrated I was. I sincerely felt it was almost impossible to coordinate all that needed to be coordinated; aarggh! Then, "Light Dawned on Marblehead," the next day. I didn't have to master all of it simultaneously; phew! Sure, it would have been great to be able to do so, but...I'm notta robot. I can't be programmed quite that easily. As such, I put the heel/toe stuff aside (mentally) and just concentrated on the pelvic tilt. Once that became more natural and I was doing it automatically upon standing, (fairly quickly) then I could concentrate on heel/toe walking. I think I've improved considerably in roughly two weeks time, or so my back/hip are telling me.

 

[Polkadot]

@Pheebs52, yes, I could feel your frustration a bit when I was reading that series of posts, but you covered it up well with humor-- I'm following your lead and concentrating on doing one thing well at a time. I'm sure your friend Gary helps you a great deal with the correct form. I wish mine paid more attention to it. But she is frying other fish.

It sounds as though you have all the proof you need to keep working at it, since your back and hip are doing better. I've been having increasing intermittent pain in both of them. Last night in bed I felt that I might be on the edge of a major back incident. I injured it early in my 20s carrying 50 # boxes of clay at school, and then I did additional damage when I fell from 5 steps up onto my back. I've had periodic flare-ups throughout my life, so was Not. Happy. when I noticed the familiar pain starting. I had a massage today that concentrated on back, hip, and IT band, and that seemed to nip it in the but--er, bud--knock on wood! However, if doing Gary's multi-step walking mantra will not only make me have a spring in my step but also protect and strengthen my back and hip against the major ouchies, I'm all in!

 

[kmak81230]

That's it @Polkadot - what a mouthful! VPAC sounds less complicated - though it is a little complicated.

 

[Canada35]

I also have a bit of a lurching start when I have been sitting for a while so I am going to concentrate this week on my tilting pelvis, zipping, vpak centre of gravity. Hopefully that doesn't spin off into a face plant lol!
Cheers to crossing our legs and tying our own shoes!

 

[Thesoutherncook]

PT checked my pelvis this week and adjusted/leveled it as one side was higher. I suspect as a result of my clumping walking. Trying to glide gracefully now to prevent more back ( butt) pain..... maybe we should practice runway walking???