PKR MAKO PKR

[bowhunter8]

@Jockette
Wife’s response of waiting six weeks is to talk to dr at my follow up. I am letting the knee be the boss and even though I will be “phasing” back at work at 12 weeks so I am hoping to have as much strength built up as I can. I know bike riding is helpful with that too. I know my knee could do more than I am throwing at it but I am still taking it very easy. I also enjoy bowling, my son and his friends like to go so me and the other dads go to. Interestingly enough, I haven’t been able to bowl the past 2 times because of knee issues. Looking forward to that.

@NavyGunns
My wife knows me and my “ways” at this point so any “image” I thought I had I can throw out the window...haha

 

[SusieShoes]

Getting out to hunt was a huge morale booster for me.

Getting back to doing the things we love is probably the number one reason for having such a major surgery. Good for you, getting out to hunt -- while also honoring your knee's current limitations. You can see more hunting in your future.

That was a blessing because there is no way I could track through thick brush or even woods right now let alone drag an animal.

Remember this when you encounter temptation to do it without help. Help is good. Help is something we can accept now and repay in the future.

Wife is doing a fantastic job in holding me back.

Good for her! I hope she continues to embrace her role. After your knee has healed, you can thank her appropriately. So many people have spouses who get impatient with their recoveries: you have a winner!

 

[bowhunter8]

Well, it was was inevitable. I have been feeling so good that I just joined the ODIC. The past two days I have been on my feet a lot and doing more than I should. Wife was working during the day and I was tending to house and kids . Last night pain was the worse pain I have had since later in my first week. I’m a little disappointed in myself but am just icing and elevating all day today and just taking it easy. How long has it taken some of you to “bounce back” from the setback?

 

[Jockette]

It depends on the setback.

Small overdoing could take a day or so. Big overdoing, longer.

The proof of healing is that as time goes on, we recover faster from a set back than we did earlier.

 

[SusieShoes]

Bounce-back time depends on how much you overdid it -- and also on how far out you are from surgery. In the early weeks and months (first three months), you might have a setback of anywhere from a couple days to a few weeks, if you really overdid things.

Later on, you might find that your knee recovers overnight. Or just from a nice long icing and elevating.

We all hope our knees are doing as great as they feel and overdo it in recovery. We old timers warn about it because, well, we've done it ourselves and hope to spare others the pain. It's only natural for humans to test their limits, though!

 

[NavyGunns]

@bowhunter8, sounds like this weekend / week must have included free admission to the ODIC as a few other members are also.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. We’ve all been there, done that. Your knee will recover. How long will be based on what you’ve done and what you do while recovering.

I think the longest it took me was a week. Most times a few days.

 

[bowhunter8]

Thanks for replies...ugh...I was trying to keep an eye on how much I was icing and elevating but should have been making sure I wasn’t on my feet as much. So far I can walk around as normal but after 10 minutes or so I get pain in my tibia area of implant. Guess I will have to wait it out until pain resides.

 

[SusieShoes]

You will become fluent in pain. Sadly, pain is the language through which the body communicates injury, and your knee is wounded. So... it speaks through pain. You’ll soon be an expert at detecting “warning” pain (a slight discomfort, a dull ache in a certain spot, that sort of thing) before it becomes “STOP! Too much!” pain. Warning pain goes away quickly.

It’s funny about TKR new knees. Walking is better (more comfortable) than standing, or sitting for any period of time. Moving the knees helps circulate the swelling and prevent it from settling in. Swelling and stiffness are the nemesis for a while until the knee finishes healing.

 

[bowhunter8]

Well...been on couch since Wednesday night and am finally feeling that pain from overdoing it is residing. Was up this morning and threw some stuff in the crock pot while my wife took kids to church which was the longest I had been on my feet since Wednesday.

Lessons learned were:

1. If something is working for me, don’t quit. I got lazy in ice, elevation, rest and using my tens unit. I was feeling good for a reason and it was because I was being consistent with those things.

2. Baby steps. I was doing a lot around the house to help my wife. It wasn’t through her expectations but mine. When I add additional “housework” that puts me on my feet more, give it a couple days to see how I feel before I take on too much.

3. Respect the process and BE PATIENT!! Definitely feeling impatient. Want to do more around the house, want to go back to work, want to go hunting the way I like too, want to go for a short hike. I know I will be able to do all those things sooner if I don’t push it.

Hoping to not return to the ODIC again, at least at this capacity.

 

[bowhunter8]

General question...I’m starting to feel a little better since overdoing it. I’m adding a little bit each day since overdoing it.

Question is, this pain that I felt was a shin pain, not in the knee joint. If I look down at my knee it is on the medial side which is where my replacement was done and it feels like it runs down a few inches from there. At rest it is fine but prolonged walking or even laying on my back and doing a straight leg lift I can feel it in that area...pain would be between a 3-5 at its worst right now. It’s not on any of my incision sites. Not gonna lie, worried it’s a stress fracture, bone bruise or loose implant...please just tell me I’m being unreasonable. At this point I don’t feel I need to see doc, just giving it time. Been icing and started using heat in that area today.

Has anyone ever experienced this high shin pain?

 

[NavyGunns]

@bowhunter8, not a medical expert as you know. That is more in the area of expertise for @Josephine. That said, could the area of pain be due to either tendinitis or possibly shin splints? I noticed another member describing similar issues following a lengthy hike and they felt it was shin splints. If you look them up, sounds similar to what you’ve described. I have Josephine tagged so she should contact you.

 

[bowhunter8]

I do not beleive they are shin splints, I have had them before. Ice doesn’t seem to help but heat I think does. I was doing some researching on bursitis and it may seem possible. Not sure how common it is but who knows. I called OS and he wants to see me so I will be going Wednesday afternoon. Not freaking out...yet. Even though I overdid it, I still wasn’t doing anything crazy. Stuff around the house and even going hunting I wasn’t pushed. Maybe it’s just par for the course but would feel much better with his advice. Felt so good last week, knee otherwise feels great. Still swollen slightly but to be expected, still a little stiff. If,it weren’t for this nagging ache, I feel I could be doing much more.

 

[Jockette]

If,it weren’t for this nagging ache, I feel I could be doing much more.

I’m sorry you’re hurting, but, it’s still early in recovery to be doing “so much more”. You’re not ready yet and this is proof.

 

[Celle]

@bowhunter8 , I think this shin pain is just one of the normal aches and pains you'll get around your knee. Don't forget that it's not just your knee joint that was affected during surgery. Your bones and soft tissues were all manipulated, handled, pulled around a bit, and subjected to trauma.

I think almost all of us have been in the ODIC now and then. It's a learning experience, trying to find the balance between "too much" and "just right."

 

[Josephine]

Question is, this pain that I felt was a shin pain, not in the knee joint. If I look down at my knee it is on the medial side which is where my replacement was done and it feels like it runs down a few inches from there.

Well, what you've described is pretty close to shin splints! It's not a static, definitive kind of pain anyway. It can vary in site, degree and manner very much.

I do not believe they are shin splints I was doing some researching on bursitis and it may seem possible.

But there are no bursae at that point in your lower leg! So it cannot possibly be bursitis! That's like saying a pain in your hip is toothache!

Even though I overdid it, I still wasn’t doing anything crazy.

Well clearly your lower leg muscles think you did!

Show me where the pain is using this chart

 

[NavyGunns]

@bowhunter8, having an appointment with your OS will at least provide you with some calming sense when he confirms nothing wrong with the implant.

 

[bowhunter8]

@Josephine thanks for a good laugh. When I spoke of bursitis I was referencing pes anserine bursitis. It seemed like a similiar pain in that same area. The pain is in the ERB2 area and can go down to FRB2 area. Then again, I am an HVAC guy not a medical mind. I had shin splits years ago when I ran and it was lower in my leg.

Interestingly enough I did some light hamstring stretches and have had a lot of relief. Not sure if it’s the stretches or all the rest I have been doing or combo of both but today has been better.

Here’s hoping it stays this way as I continue to monitor pain and activity...

Thanks for replies and advice

 

[Josephine]

HVAC?

I had shin splints years ago when I ran

The 'splints' are a characterization of a particular type of muscle pain, much like cramp (or 'charley horse', as you call it!) but dissimilar to tendinitis in that it comes in irregular bouts and is not generally connected with any inflammatory situation. So in theory it can occur almost anywhere but the most common sites are the lower legs (shins) and anywhere else in the legs. Thus one can presume that it is often caused by or related to over intense activities such as walking, treadmill, elliptical, etc.

 

[NavyGunns]

HVAC = Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

 

[Jockette]

HVAC = Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

I knew that! My son went to school for that, and worked in it for several years, so I know what you mean about how your knee affects your job and vice versa. He got another job a few years ago with a demolition company.

He has interesting stories of both careers. My favorite from his HVAC days is when the customer’s dog kept stealing his tools. He and his partner had no idea why they were missing things they just used. He finally noticed the dog carrying something and followed it and there were the missing tools in the dog’s bed!