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TKR Minnes new knee and MUA

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@Minnie's knees

I hope you don't mind but I just copied @Josephine's response from hpw's thread. I thought it might help you x

↑
Given where I am now, how much ROM do you think I can realistically achieve in three weeks?

IN 3 weeks? very little. It will most likely take you 6-8 weeks to get any meaningful increase but you WILL get it if you go easy on your knee!

Kathy please take heed. I think you're trying to push too soon, too hard, honestly. Rom really will come if your kind to your knee xxx I'm not trying to tell you what to do or anything, I'm not qualified to but I know pushing will make your rom worse, from personal experience xxx take care xxx

Love Nana moon 27 x

 
@Minnie's knees, we all want to improve so quickly and most of the time it just doesn't happen. Your knees didn't get this bad in a couple of weeks, so we can't expect them to be better in a couple of weeks. I know you feel as though you haven't improved that much, but look at it this way. A week ago you could hardly lift your leg. Now you are doing leg lifts. You didn't walk without your immobilizer. Now you are walking more and more without it. Little steps......you will get there. Anne
 
@madinana good morning to you as well. It has rained here the last 3 days so joints are stiff and swollen including the new knee. It feels like there is some congestion just starting to settle in my chest. It is mild for now but I do have an appointment with family Dr this afternoon as I have a history of chronic bronchitis. I just don't want to take any chances. I hope you have a good day and please don't over do it.
 
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@Minnie's knees, Good morning Kathy! It's raining here too and always seems to have an effect on the knees. It's good that you are going to your doctor. You don't want having bronchitis on top of your knee recovery. I hope you feel better soon. Anne
 
@Minnie's knees Oh no, hope you aren't getting sick! Bronchitis is no fun, let alone on top of TKR. Take care, sip some hot tea and hopefully the doc will give you some meds to stop it before it gets any worse.
 
@Minnie's knees, I was just reading through your thread since your surgery was only five days after mine. Gosh, I am sorry about of the difficulties you've been having, though I want you to know some sound SO FAMILIAR!

I, too, was send home with an immobilizer and told to wear it when walking until I coukd lift my leg straight off the bed. Well.. I still can't do that! After the first few days an inner voice told me I'd never begin to get strong if I kept the immobilizer on, so I stopped using it, intermittently at first, and did my home PT as best I could. At my two week post-op visit I informed the PA that I still couldn't raise my leg and asked if I was supposed to keep wearing the immobilizer. His answer- "Of course not!", as if I'm supposed to know this. :(

I ditched the walker for a cane at 10 days, felt pretty wobbly at first. I only just started feeling my quad contract last week ~day 14, with utmost concentration. Still couldn't lift leg straight off the bed!

So yesterday I started outpatient PT. It was a real eye-opener. I won't call my new therapist aggressive, but compared with home PT, home PT was simply ineffective. At 2 1/2 weeks post op my ROM was only 8°/73°, even though I could do 104° in the cpm machine! I was quite upset, am hoping ROM improves substantially in the coming weeks. I was a cyclist, and I need to ride bikes again! At least the outpatient PT is highly knowledgeable and seems have me on the right track.

So my new physical therapist confirmed what I already suspected- that I have "Arthrogenic muscle inhibition". That's where the muscle is shocked into stillness by a sudden insult or injury to the joint (surgery). I wonder if you have the same thing. The muscle does wake up, but it takes a lot of work- at a time when we would normally be concentrating on flexibility. I had a lot of firm swelling too, especially right around the knee itself. I am massaging the swollen areas with my fingertips several times/day and starting to note some softening. The area around the incision is still very hard, but it is too soon to massage there.

Good luck to you in everything. I hope you don't mind if I follow your recovery. :)
 
@Clipless you are certainly welcome to follow my thread and I will follow yours. I appreciate the information on anthropogenic muscle inhibition. I am sorry you had to go through this too. I can lift my leg 6-8" in straight leg lift. I have more control of my leg but am still using my walker for now. I had the same reaction from OS about the Immobilized and was told use it if needed. How are we to know? Mine is more swollen and tight today especially around the knee and incision. This may be from weather or from not feeling well. My extension was 2 and flexion was 60 at 11days. I don't think it has changed much. Extension is the only thing that came easy for me. I will start outpatient PT next week.
 
@Clipless Austin is a cool city but can be expensive. We are in the San Antonio area.
 
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Update from drs appointment:

1)Mild bronchitis - caught it early. Got a cortisone shot, antibiotics, and breathing treatment.

2)diabetes - discussed that my sugars are all over the place since surgery. He added daily insulin, adjusted metformin and advised to continue sliding scale insulin as needed. Dr said my body is not producing enough insulin since surgery and pain and exertion can make the sugars go up.

3) my incision felt swollen and looks purple to me so I had Dr check to be sure no redness, he said it looks great especially with my sugars out of
control.

I am tired from getting dressed, going up and down stairs, travelling to Dr and back, and waiting at drs office. But I am glad I went and caught it early as it's supposed to continue to rain here for a couple more days and the rain is what set off the bronchitis and hopefully my sugars will level out soon.
 
@Minnie's knees LOL That is so funny! Recently a friend was staying with us for a few days (he is older than us) and first day he forgot to take his BP meds so in the mornings I would ask him if he took his meds and he would say, "Yes mom"! Sorry, I do kind of mother people and animals. Just part of my nature!
 
@Minnie's knees
I hope you feel better :) Everyone around here is sick, I'm on my 3rd cold, one
After another :swoon:Thank God they caught the Bronchitis early. I don't know about blood
Sugars. I hope your #'s even out.
Get a good night's sleep, have "Mom" sing you a lullaby :heehee: & bring you toast & tea.
Love,
Diana :loveshwr:
 
@new knee in June a lot of people here are sick too. The weather is changing and sets off allergies. Be glad you don't know about blood sugars :) If they are controlled all is good, if not they can affect everything else. A lullabye, toast and tea sounds great. @tiredwife aka mom are you listening? :heehee:

@Clipless the cortisone shots definitely spike my sugars (from past experience) but we felt the benefit was worth it this time. I certainly hope it helps my knee too, the added benefit would be great.
 
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