PKR Mikes new knee 28 November, 2016

[askrik]

Update
So it is almost 2 weeks post op, felt good most days last week, until I let the PT come in and work me pretty hard Thursday. That can not happen again, had two painful nights. She is scheduled to come tomorrow, I will either cancel or insist she keep it very low key.
So I have spent time reading everyone's stories and have been very inspired on the decent folks on here helping others, and helping us from making mistakes that others have, causing us harm , pain, and setbacks.
Thank you all

Here is the question:
So I ice and elevate all the time, do my heel slides and ankle twists, walk on my crutches around the house as much as I can ( too cold outside right now , 10 degrees F), but when I try to sit at a table for 30 minutes or so it is excruciating, my foot gets numb and leg stiff.
Is this going to last indefinitely or am I doing something wrong?
I had my surgery on the 28th of November

Thanks again everyone for your unselfish help

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Hi Mike.
Regarding your question, I had a terrible time sitting at the table. My foot would get all tingly and my ankle ached something fierce. The good news it that this WILL go away! One of the exercises my home pt had me do was to sit in a kitchen chair. She slid my foot back under the seat. I told her to push me a bit. It hurt so much that I actually got light headed and almost passed out. She stopped pushing me a bit. Now I can sit with both ankles crossed all the way under any chair.

I know it's frustrating. Believe me. I had so many pity parties because I wanted my knee better now! You're in what I called the "baby stages" of the new knee. Before you know it, you'll look back and wonder how you ever thought you wouldn't do normal things again.

Be well.

 

[Celle]

One of the exercises my home pt had me do was to sit in a kitchen chair. She slid my foot back under the seat. I told her to push me a bit. It hurt so much that I actually got light headed and almost passed out. She stopped pushing me a bit. Now I can sit with both ankles crossed all the way under any chair.

We don't recommend any exercises that force your knee. They can do more harm than good.

 

[ACDCJen]

@mwetzel394

Doing pretty well, thanks for asking. Can sleep on my side now, get up from a chair (if I have pillows under me), and shower much quicker. Knee was measured at 103° most recently!!

I'm still impressed by your progress.

Jen

 

[mwetzel394]

@mwetzel394

Doing pretty well, thanks for asking. Can sleep on my side now, get up from a chair (if I have pillows under me), and shower much quicker. Knee was measured at 103° most recently!!

I'm still impressed by your progress.

Jen

Thanks Jen, Kudos to you too, you have the "Rom", not supposed to be worried about that on here. Trying to get my stretch and heel slides, and a little work on the bike done every morning, tired of icing, sitting in chair, catching up on amazon series, got through mad dogs yesterday, really wild, working on Alpha house today, and a little work work later. How about you?
What are you goals for the new year.? Aside from knee recovery right?

 

[mwetzel394]

Hi Mike.
Regarding your question, I had a terrible time sitting at the table. My foot would get all tingly and my ankle ached something fierce. The good news it that this WILL go away! One of the exercises my home pt had me do was to sit in a kitchen chair. She slid my foot back under the seat. I told her to push me a bit. It hurt so much that I actually got light headed and almost passed out. She stopped pushing me a bit. Now I can sit with both ankles crossed all the way under any chair.

I know it's frustrating. Believe me. I had so many pity parties because I wanted my knee better now! You're in what I called the "baby stages" of the new knee. Before you know it, you'll look back and wonder how you ever thought you wouldn't do normal things again.

Be well.

Thanks asrrick,
My pt is petrified to touch me, but she did try to get me to cross my new knee on the foot rest under the kitchen bar stools, not quite , but i will keep trying!


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[mwetzel394]

Wife took me to Panera for a lite dinner, then I walked around the office max next door a few time, inside , felt good, back to work partial day on wednesday


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[KarriB]

You are heading back to work really early for a TKR. Are you able to elevate while working? If so, take an ice pack with you so you can ice as well. I even iced on the drive back and forth, but I went to work part time at 12 weeks. Be prepared for more swelling than normal with the additional activity.

 

[newlybionic]

Even though you are not going for a full day make sure that you don't plan to do anything else that day but to come home, ice and elevate. Skip any stops on the way home and save them for your days off.

 

[mwetzel394]

Thanks Karri, it was a pkr, only going for a couple or three hours , say hi to client xmas gifts for team, maybe a day or two next week, again part time, go from there after new years, I am the senior project manager on the team , so my hours at site are flexible, more about making sure the wrk we delegate is done correct and timely. I do have a good stool for my office chair, and extra ice packs to Go with ice machine


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[KarriB]

Marian's right. You could also feel a full on energy drain this early. When I went back to work all the errands and shopping were saved for the weekend. I didn't have the energy after work. Hopefully it'll be a short week with the holiday near.

 

[KarriB]

Sounds like you're ready and I'm happy to hear you can be flexiable. I know how hard it is to leave work behind. I was still having phone conferences with parents, substitute teachers and putting grades in the computer after my TKR.

 

[mwetzel394]

On another note, I was discharged by my in home Pt today, she was annoyed that i was only at 99 & -5, she said some of her clients with pkr are back at work at 3 weeks, and that i walk like an old man on my crutch, sheesh she was lucky I did not kick her out the door!!
She wrote on the note to my os that i needed to be prompted on how to do my exercises, i told them i was not on their program originally!!
I hope they don't send me an exit survey!!




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[newlybionic]

Don't worry about what she wrote on her 'note'. Your range of motion is very good and will only a better as time goes by . Slowly add back your regular activities and if something hurts you then scale back for a couple of days.

 

[ACDCJen]

Everyone seems to have an agenda for our healing, whether it's the nurses in the hoapital, PT, the OS, or our family! I'm so glad that mine respect me and that I've learned to advocate for myself. I hope your PT wasn't negative as she was leaving. You can always call the agency and ask for her supervisor of you were dissatisfied...don't wait for a,survey they barely read anyway!!

Still sounds as though you are doing really great!!! I desperately want to get back to work too! I want to be able to get outside more, and hopefully will put 500 miles on my kayak this summer.

Keep on keepin' on!!
Jen

 

[mwetzel394]

Thanks Jen, she was okay, I made her shake my hand, my wife always says take the high road, I would not report her , but if asked would just let them know they were too aggressive initially and a bit rude, they should look into the BoneSmart way! her assistant especially, it is over they are gone.
Jen you will get there soon, i cant wait to start hiking the White mountains again in NH, this summer!


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[KarriB]

I'm glad you took the high road, but still I'm sure you'd like to write on her note.

 

[mwetzel394]

Was cleared by os yesterday, sai d all looked good, outpatient pt is optional , said to lose weight to protect the other one.
Wife drove me in today to work for a few hours
Everyone loved my wife , she can be quite engaging, she shopped while I was in meetings, I went out in building and climbed up and down two flights of stairs with crutches.
We all had sandwiches and I gave everyone their gifts
Ddid really well, got home at 3 and took a nice nap!
Plan to take train Friday in for a few hours and 2 or o3 days next week. Surprisingly my leg did not swell too much drive was an hour and meeting 90 minutes!
Carry on everyone


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[Celle]

You're going back to work very early, Mike. We usually recommend about 12 weeks, and then a
Phased return to work

Just be careful that you don't overdo things.

 

[UACats70]

Hi Mike - I will be having lateral PKR on Wednesday January 4th. Mine is being done outpatient and using Navio Robotics. Mine is left knee, so I can drive as soon as I am off pain meds. I really DISLIKE pain meds. I plan on working from home week of Jan 9 and Jan 16, then I will go back into the office week of Jan 23. I have a desk job, I work in cyber security. I will do PT exercises in my office. :D I will not be doing in-office PT. I am part of a research study where I have an app on my phone that tells me what to do each day and was given home equipment. I also have a stationary bike at home.

Based on the comments on this site - I'm wondering if recovery time is different for PKR vs TKR.

 

[KarriB]

Well, @UACats70 many PKRs need more than a few weeks to recovery. Surgeries of this type along with pain meds often give brain fog which can make it hard to concentrate. Also whether you're PKR or TKR there is usually a lot of swelling involved from the trauma of surgery and the only way to relieve that swelling is with ice and elevation. I think it may be difficult to work from home 5 days after surgery.