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TKR Mickimouse’s Recovery Thread - Need Support

Thank you! Yes I will do what Layla and Jamie suggests…..I totoally agree…I must remind myself to back off, so will do for next few weeks! Thanks everyone!
 
I don't think it's necessarily the step count that is the issue but all the other exercises. I was walking at this level at your stage but resting in the afternoon with ice/ elevation and a book or newspaper. It's about listening to your knee and doing what feels right for you.
 
@Mickimouse Yes! Good advice from so many. My PT for my hip repair and shoulder never had a problem when I told him I had to take a break or change up from the routine because this or that exercise was too intense and caused pain. As long as I was doing a little something, I was still moving forward in recovery. No matter which ones we are talking about, those joints don't like to be stressed too much, too soon. They will let you know! They are the ones in charge, whether we like it or not. You'll get back to your active life...eventually. It really is a small amount of time in the scheme of things. But don't make it longer by pushing too hard. Patience and TLC never hurt anyone!
 
I'm one of those who never took formal PT. Due to birth defects, I've had 12 knee surgeries, 2 of them kneecap removals, and 1 TKR. Even after those, I never took formal PT. But, I didn't just sit around and do nothing, I used my knee as it was intended to be used by walking around to take care of my daily needs along with the necessary house and yard work. As I healed, I was able to do more. Icing and elevation were a huge part of my recovery.

Listen to your knee. It will tell you if you're doing too much by increasing pain and swelling. When that happened to me, I found that resting, icing, and elevating helped. Your knee knows how to rehab itself without being told what to do. Doing too much too soon causes setbacks because your knee has to heal from the inflammation caused by the exercises before it can get back to its normal, after-surgery healing.

I believe that cutting way back on your walking and PT will benefit your recovery and lessen your pain and swelling.
 
Thank you to all for your words of wisdom and encouragement!!! I am icing and elevating as I type…. I will be backing off on the exercises and watching my daily activities….i really don’t want to go back on the Oxy…. Praying I can get the pain under control so I don’t go back on the Oxy!!!
 
If you do feel you need more than the Extra Strength Tylenol, try substituting an oxycodone at bedtime. Nighttime’s are usually the worst time for pain because you are lying still for so long. Icing through the night can really help too.
 
Jamie said:
Icing through the night can really help too
Click to expand...
I did this for months as my knee found it soothing. I would open up the cool water jacket of my Aircast Cryocuff and rest my knee on it to sleep. Then change the water from the ice bucket if I woke
 
The icing at night does help, I will try the Oxy only at night, I think just doing it for nighttime shouldn’t hinder myself driving……
 
No, it shouldn’t be a problem with driving.
 
That PT schedule of activities was far too advanced for your time in recovery. Your knee will get better, it's just not ready to do so yet. Personally I'd back off all formal PT, ice & elevate and see if things can't settle down. I know its spring and we all want to be up and busy. You will be, just in a slightly delayed time frame.

Don't be afraid to take your pain med if you need it. Its difficult to get pain under control if you let it get out of control. (I think we've probably all done that, and vowed to not do it again!) The medication is to help you relax to rest / sleep - which is what your body needs. Just taking it at night I wouldn't think would be a problem.
 
I hope you're having a nice weekend, Mickimouse.
Happy Three Month Anniversary!
I recall you mentioning a son and daughter before so Happy Mother's Day too! Here's a flower for you :flwrysmile:
@Mickimouse
 
Thank you Layla! Hoping to turn the corner soon!!! Just can’t get a good bend yet… pretty stiff still… so very frustrating… yes today is Mothers Day and will be going to a wonderful brunch with my son, daughter in law and her parents! We put our boat in the lake yesterday so may come home and go for a ride…Happy Mother’s Day to all!
 
Can anyone tell me if it’s unusual to have low ROM going into the 4th month. I was measured yesterday at PT 113 flexion, -5 extension…. My PT said I shouldn’t worry about needing a MUA, but I should be gaining more flexion and bring down my extension to 0….can anyone relate? And what has anyone done to achieve this? Thanks!
 
Hello and Happy Tuesday Mickimouse.
You're making good progress at three months post op as you're working toward gaining more flexion and full extension. Keep reminding yourself how long this recovery takes, how far you've come, and be mindful of not overdoing it in PT and your daily activity. It is key to mete out activity to hopefully keep the swelling down.

We caution against comparing your recovery with that of others. Just as each person is unique, so is each surgery. Some require more complex work than others. Age can factor in, your overall health, your weight also. The presence of pre-existing health conditions can also influence the speed of recovery. Also, those who had better function and ROM pre-op may recover faster than someone having longstanding issues. In addition, we each have our own pain threshold, some are able to tolerate more pain than others.

Continue to focus on the right balance of activity working toward consistent improvement without sabotaging your yourself with overly aggressive PT, or activity that your healing body is unable to handle.
I hope you have a great day! :SUNsmile:
@Mickimouse
 
You are only 1/4 of the way through this yearlong recovery and your ROM is good, so no worries there! My extension was slower coming in, like yours is. The best way I helped my was to walk with a much longer stride, with the heel-to-toe gait. This stretches out those large soft tissues behind the knee. If you are not really steady on your feet, be sure to hold on to something as you walk with this extra long stride. Some people find that laying on their tummies with the legs hanging off the bed helps also to stretch out these tissues. As far as your bend goes, you're in good shape. As you heal, your ROM, which is both bend and extension, will improve!
 
Your PT is correct that it’s unlikely you need an MUA. Please try to be patient and, as Layla suggested, work to find a good balance between the rest, ice and elevation you still need and your activity and exercise levels. You are normal in your recovery other than the fact that you tend to do too much activity for this soon after surgery. Overdoing it will slow down your recovery. It will also help if you can stop thinking that you’re somehow behind where you should be. Your body is in complete control of your recovery and you cannot rush it.
 
I agree, even though it doesn’t seem like it, you are still quite early in this year long (on average) recovery. You still have a lot of healing to do.

I had a very difficult first year, but after that my ROM continued to improve all through my second year, and even more in my third year, proving there is no “window of opportunity” to gain ROM. I did nothing to improve it, I just lived my life.
 
Thank you everyone! I will try walking with a more extended stride and foot over the bed…..
 
Hey Mickimouse,
Just checking in to see how you're doing. I hope your recovery is going smoothly as possible over the last several weeks. No pressure to respond, even though we'd love to hear from you. :wink: Just know that we're here for support if you're ever in need.:)
Take good care!
@Mickimouse
 
Having a bad day today….what really is upsetting me is my other knee and all the way up my leg to my butt is sore, numb….it will be 3 years at the end of this month that I had that knee replaced and it’s really bothering me…I don’t know what to do…that leg has never been right, but the burning discomfort from the incision up the side of my leg is intense today….and the new replacement is coming along but still have up and down days…..I am so sad that I got the knees replaced and I am still in pain…..it’s one of those days where I can’t stop crying because I thought getting the knees replaced would be better and it’s just not feeling that way….thank you for checking in….i just wish someone has the answer to make this better….
 
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