TKR LTKR April 1 - bending knee hurts

[Sisterpat]

You may never know why the sudden swelling, but we are very grateful to hear that you are doing so much better with your pain.

 

[SkiBikeHikeDude]

For all who are struggling with recovery, there is hope! I am now just over 8 weeks post op and finally (finally!!) feel like I am recovering. I am where I expected to be at 4 weeks, but at least I'm finally getting there. The past 4 weeks have not been fun as my knee kept swelling and it just wasn't healing. My surgeon and PT both had me basically just lying around all day, elevating and icing, and trying to stay off my feet as much as possible. Just over a week ago we thought my knee was infected and the surgeon drained a bunch of fluid from my knee, some of which was sent to a lab to check for infection. So far the results are negative, which is positive! My knee also is no longer swollen, hot, and red, and I'd be shocked if there is any infection in there.

This weekend is a holiday weekend in the US and my family has had plans for months to spend the weekend at a ranch with friends about 3 hours from here. Because my knee has not responded well to having my foot down for any length of time, I had to cancel and am home alone while they are off having fun.

But, the good news is that yesterday my knee felt better, and so I started to do errands and didn't feel like I needed to ice or elevate. I actually accomplished some home repair projects I haven't been able to get to, and I rode my exercise bike (very slowly with hardly any resistance) for 20 minutes, twice the amount I've ever done before.

I was worried that I had overdone it and wouldn't sleep last night. But, I slept great and didn't wake up in pain once, and when I got up today my knee actually feels better, not worse. I've already done another 20 minutes on the bike today and am feeling better and better. Having my foot down doesn't hurt, and it doesn't cause my knee to swell. I'm sure I will still have setbacks as I go forward, but my knee feels more solid and healed than ever. Hopefully this week at PT I will get to 120 degrees of flexion and I can start to work on building strength. I also hope I can start going for walks soon!

 

[Ghostpipe]

Glad to hear that things are moving forward so well for you. It was a good decision to hold back on the weekend away, would most definitely been a bit of a challenge too far. Onwards and upwards!

 

[Jockette]

Such a nice update, I’m so happy for you!

I’m sure you were a bit sad when your family left, and knowing they’re having fun without you, but you did the right thing by staying home and giving your knee the best opportunity in which to heal.

Continue to take things slowly, and you’ll do fine!

 

[liam2015]

Excellent update.

 

[SkiBikeHikeDude]

Well, unsurprisingly I overdid it the past two days. Haha! I'm actually thrilled though as I was able to do way more than I have the past two months, and even though my knee started to ache last evening I slept through the night and it didn't swell much. It just hurts more. Today is all about stretching, elevating, icing, and recovering.

I was enjoying being up and about and doing some home repair tasks that have needed attention for 2 months and I was trying to see how much my knee could take. I found out - haha. But even this minor (I hope!) setback feels nothing like it has in the past, and as long as I recover ok from this I am very happy to finally be able to start moving and doing things again. I've been stretching for awhile and am icing now, and it seems to feel a bit better already. Today is for resting.

 

[Jockette]

Today is all about stretching, elevating, icing, and recovering.

You are very wise! I always took a day off, the day after doing more activity.

Its nice to test things out, even if it causes a minor setback, it give us confidence that things will get better!

 

[SkiBikeHikeDude]

Today is all about stretching, elevating, icing, and recovering.

You are very wise! I always took a day off, the day after doing more activity.

Its nice to test things out, even if it causes a minor setback, it give us confidence that things will get better!

Yes, it is nice to gain that confidence from testing things out. I feel so much better about my recovery because of it, even if today things hurt a bit more.

 

[Celle]

It's good to hear that your knee has improved and you're able to do more. Just watch that you don't overdo things and join the Over Did It Club (ODIC)

Hopefully this week at PT I will get to 120 degrees of flexion and I can start to work on building strength.

We usually recommend waiting until at least 3 months post-op before starting strengthening exercises, regardless of what your ROM measures. It's a matter of how much your knee has healed, and ROM can continue to improve for at least a year after surgery. There's no need to rush to achieve good ROM.

 

[SkiBikeHikeDude]

We usually recommend waiting until at least 3 months post-op before starting strengthening exercises, regardless of what your ROM measures. It's a matter of how much your knee has healed, and ROM can continue to improve for at least a year after surgery. There's no need to rush to achieve good ROM.

Thanks for that info on strengthening as I did not realize one should wait to start that. Does that mean it's a bad idea to start slowly adding resistance while biking on a bike trainer? Also, how about walking. I know I won't be doing any real hiking for a while yet, but once cleared to start going for walks again is it ok to do as much as my knee can tolerate, or are there suggestions for how far to go?

As for ROM my PT is very gentle and we aren't rushing to achieve it, but I'd still like it to improve. I actually feel like it has improved this weekend and I'm curious to see the number, even though whatever the number is won't really change much of anything.

 

[ihavetwins]

Dude....you crack me up! Like you, at the slightest sign of feeling “better” I turn it into an opportunity to see how far I can push it...and I’m on Knee #2. I should know better

I’m only at Week 3 but I sure feel like I was doing much more at this point with my first TKR. Just standing around for an extended period of time seems to make my knee very angry. I’m not even really doing any PT—just the ADL stuff.

So I am incredibly frustrated. The post-op fatigue was much higher this time around and I feel like I’m rolling a boulder uphill. Bummer.

 

[Sisterpat]

twins, I felt that way too - that my 2nd knee was much slower coming around. Then my Sister reminded me the first was the same. Selective amnesia, I think .

 

[BBCG]

Hi SkiHikeBike... I love IHaveTwins comment! Haha! There's a few of us around who will tend to push out luck and wind up in the ODIC, ya know!

So, i have been a competitive walker, did Nordic Walking in the Portland Marathon, etc. so walking is one of my favorite things, and I'm only increasing at a rate of 0.2 miles per distance step-up. So, I walked the Delta Ponds/Willamette River trail to the 0.2 bench and rested while my crew went on, then I walked back with them. Next, I went to the next stopping point, at 0.5 miles, stopped, went back. Next day, increase again about the same...unless I have more pain or thickness/stiffness. Then, I either take a day break and do something else, or consider PT my primary exercise that day. By this measure, I'm only slowly increasing the stress on the knee, and set backs just mean it needs me to go slower... By the end of next month we hope to be doing at least 2 miles in a walk, although my husband (he of the leukemia recovery who used to walk 5-6 miles a day!) wants to be at 3 miles by July! My other goal is to get on a bile and be able to ride by late June...

So, maybe set a goal by a date, check with PT that it's reasonable, then plan your steps to reach it?

 

[SkiBikeHikeDude]

@ihavetwins Nobody ever said I was patient when it comes to being injured or recovering! With this knee the minute I feel a little better I want to be recovered so I do too much. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.
The pace of this recovery is crazy slow. I don't have any reassuring messages about it. But at 8 weeks it feels way better than it did at 2 weeks. How will it feel in 2 more weeks? I have no idea.

 

[Sisterpat]

Better and better!

 

[doxiemom2017]

@ihavetwins Nobody ever said I was patient when it comes to being injured or recovering! With this knee the minute I feel a little better I want to be recovered so I do too much. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.

I agree with you! When I feel good, I try to do more, and then I am extra tired. I too am wanting to be recovered with a new and improved knee!

 

[SkiBikeHikeDude]

So, maybe set a goal by a date, check with PT that it's reasonable, then plan your steps to reach it?

I was responding to ihavetwins last night while you were writing this and I missed your message until now. Thanks for the advice on increasing distance. I have been restricted from walking, outside of ADLs, up to now because I had a few complications with my recovery. I really hope I am given the green light to start walking, at least short distances, soon. As you can tell from my username I love to hike and even a short flat walk by the river or the park would do wonders for my head.

Both the surgeon and my PT have said that biking is my friend, and I should focus more on that. I also love to bike, so that works for me too.

One problem with my recovery is that I keep setting goals that my PT thinks are reasonable, and then I don't heal as planned and don't hit any of the goals. It is very discouraging. One of my original goals was to be able to join a local road bike tour on June 12, which is 10 weeks post op, and also happens to be my birthday. They have broken up the tour into various segments from 13 miles up to 50 miles, and many will combine the segments together for a century ride (100 miles). I had hoped to be able to do at least a shorter segment, but think that is now out of reach. The shortest segment has 800-1000 feet of climbing, and although it is pretty gradual, there is no way my knee could do that as climbing puts more strain on the knee.

I've kind of stopped setting goals because I keep getting disappointed. Finally now I feel like my knee is healing and I just want to get outside and walk or bike. Today my ROM feels greater than ever but my knee is still a bit sore so I'll lay low until PT this afternoon. I'm icing right now and ice still feels so good.

 

[Jockette]

I've kind of stopped setting goals because I keep getting disappointed. Finally now I feel like my knee is healing and I just want to get outside and walk or bike. Today my ROM feels greater than ever but my knee is still a bit sore so I'll lay low until PT this afternoon. I'm icing right now and ice still feels so good.

Goals are fine, in theory, as they give you something to look forward to, but as you have found, you have to be flexible with them, as you can’t control your body’s rate of healing.

You will ride that bike again, but due to complications that are out of your control, it’s going to take longer than you want.

I think you have a very wise attitude towards your recovery. And yes, it’s ok to be disappointed, this recovery isn’t anything any of us were expecting.

 

[Emelbee21]

I was catching up and reading about your troubles with your knee. I’m really sorry you have had issues, but glad that you are on the mend. Hope you continue to get better!!

 

[SkiBikeHikeDude]

I was catching up and reading about your troubles with your knee. I’m really sorry you have had issues, but glad that you are on the mend. Hope you continue to get better!!

Emelbee, how is your knee doing? Thanks for your concerns with my knee - it really is finally starting to heal. I hope you are doing well! And I think you are doing knee #2 at the end of the month? Good luck with that one too!!