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[amber777]

Thank you @mendogal, I’m going to try not to worry about it too much and just focus on the journey.

 

[Layla]

Had my final physio and she seamed disappointed in my ROM

Hi amber,
This certainly doesn't mean you're a failure. At only a little over two months post op, you're not that far along. Recovery can last a full year for some and even longer for many. Try to reframe your thoughts and realize that possibly your therapists treatment approach may have been lacking and they weren't setting up attainable goals for you. I know mine wasn't at all hands on. She would put me on a machine and walk away and sit on a computer until a timer went off. Also, many PT's use the same approach or style and not enough attention is paid to individual differences.You're likely better off on your own letting your ROM increase with more time. If you're still interested in PT, possibly someone else will be a better match. Hang in there, each month will find you are stronger and steadier on your feet as your range of motion slowly increases.
@amber777

 

[Nivea]

Had my 6 week post op last week. My OS does not believe in icing or elevating, nor PT. His philosophy is to just use it. Each week of recovery, you are able to do a bit more and things seem to just fall into place. As is said here, if it hurts don’t do it. It was pretty much what I followed. My OS said he takes a fairly pragmatic approach and it does work. He doesn’t concern himself with the “numbers”, never told me what my ROM is. He looked to see how far I could straighten my leg and how far I could bend it. He knew by seeing it, I was doing well and he judges by that, not by numbers. I guess my point is, ease up, you are not a failure and you will be fine.
My OS states in his paperwork, do not listen to anyone else, follow my instructions. I have to say, it was a bit startling to find out not to ice or elevate when that is all you hear from people. Yet, I am doing great and going for my 2nd knee replacement in October.

 

[amber777]

My incision is so itchy. Is this normal? I don’t remember it being like this the first time.

 

[sistersinhim]

Oh, yes, it's perfectly normal. As long as you have no rashes you should be fine. More than likely it's just a reaction to the healing skin, not to mention the dryness.

 

[Layla]

My incision is so itchy. Is this normal? I don’t remember it being like this the first time

Here's some Science

Why Does My Incision Itch?

Itching normally occurs during the second phase of healing referred to as the Rebuilding or Granulation and Proliferation stage. While itching is an uncomfortable distraction, it is considered normal.

During this phase new skin tissue is formed to replace the damaged tissue. Histamine, a chemical released by the body as a protective barrier for the newly enclosed wound site, is what causes the itching sensation beneath the skin around the wound. The itching can last for as long as the chemical is released for wound healing, which can amount to several weeks.

Follow your surgeon's protocol for wound care. If the itching becomes severe, you may obtain relief through the use of a frozen gel pack (cold compress) which helps by numbing the area, reducing the itching sensation. Do not use topical agents close to, or on the incision without the approval of your surgeon for risk of infection before the wound is fully closed, which normally occurs between 4-6 weeks post op.

 

[Layla]

Happy Three Month Anniversary, Amber!
I hope all is going well for you and you're slowly getting back to life.
Enjoy the end of the week!
@amber777

 

[Jammy]

@sistersinhim thank you, I will try that. I reached out to my dad as he’s had both his knees replaced but says he never had the blues

Amber. That's because he's a male.

Hope you are improving and the blues are gone. If you want to have more blues, just read my posts.

 

[amber777]

Still have some tightness and some pain. Not the amount of pain from before, but I thought it would be gone by now. I’m probably just impatient.

 

[mendogal]

Still have some tightness and some pain. Not the amount of pain from before, but I thought it would be gone by now. I’m probably just impatient.

My baby knee is two weeks older than yours (June 14) and yes it has some swelling, it has tightness (mine is the quads above the patella; others complain of tight hamstrings or ITB, months beyond us), there's aching in the thigh every evening whether I was active or not, and despite quite functional ROM it still hurts to get into the drivers seat. We are 1/3 of the way into the year of recovery....

 

[sistersinhim]

Not the amount of pain from before, but I thought it would be gone by now. I’m probably just impatient.

Yep, you are being impatient. Having pain and discomfort even up to a year isn't out of the norm. There was a whole lot of trauma done to your knee and it takes quite a while to heal from. You aren't even halfway there yet.