TKR Mireille's RTKR 4 months
- Thread starter Mireille
- Start date
I'm glad you saw your surgeon. It's never a good idea to try and deal with those stitches yourself. Some people seem to have stitches come to the surface, and others don't.
KarriB
Former BoneSmart staff member
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2015
- Messages
- 11,941
- Age
- 70
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Gender
- Female
- Country
United States
Especially since it's a Friday. It would have been a worry all weekend. 
Cratchit
senior
Am l the only sicko on here who really wanted to pop that thing?! Glad you got it sorted and glad you got peace of mind, too. Btw, the skin on my TKR knee is darker than the other - and the bloomin' thing has hairs sprouting out of it. How very dare it!
My TKR knee was stained darker and looked a bit brown. My surgeon said that the discoloration was due to iron left over in my skin from the bruising.
It took about 6 months to fade away.
It took about 6 months to fade away.
Hopefully so because that is never a good idea!
Glad you got it sorted and glad you got peace of mind, too. We women frequently notice increased hair growth on our TKR knees. It's thought to be the result of increased blood flow because of the healing process. It settles out with time, but it's had many a member wondering if they were going to need to buy stock in a razor factory!Cratchit said:
L.I.T
senior
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2016
- Messages
- 352
- Age
- 51
- Location
- Zion National Park
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
Ah, the old "stitch-be-gone" procedure! I'm glad it was only a stitch, and that you were able to get it taken care of! Now you can get on with your regularly scheduled healing program! 
@Cratchit, you know there's a Dr Sandra Lee in California here who pops pimples and blackheads on YouTube
just sayin'
@Cratchit, you know there's a Dr Sandra Lee in California here who pops pimples and blackheads on YouTube
just sayin'
OP
OP
Mireille
graduate
@Cratchit can make a fortune on YouTube
newlybionic
Former BoneSmart Staff Member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2015
- Messages
- 7,095
- Age
- 71
- Location
- The Poconos, PA
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
L.I.T
senior
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2016
- Messages
- 352
- Age
- 51
- Location
- Zion National Park
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
3 days and you were still sane? I would have worn out the Internet, bothered everyone here, called my OS's office, pestered my PT, hounded the hubby..... 
But then, I can take crazy to a whole new level!
Girl, you have my RESPECT for keeping your head attached for 3 days!
But then, I can take crazy to a whole new level!
Girl, you have my RESPECT for keeping your head attached for 3 days!
Cratchit
senior
you know there's a Dr Sandra Lee in California here who pops pimples and blackheads on YouTube
Sick little beast that l am, l have seen this! Dr Pimple Popper! I'm just glad YouTube doesn't have smellovision in some cases!
@Mireille You must be so so relieved though Mireille. I think once you've seen something like that you just can't stop seeing it and then it gets bigger and bigger in your head
@Jamie I've secretly been using the hub's razor but don't tell him! They're a nuisance though as not only is the scar hypertrophic and sensitive, it also has the sprouting hairs hooking on sheets etc like little bits of Velcro. Off with their heads!
OP
OP
Mireille
graduate
So I feel like I'm regressing. I haven't been doing exercises just light stuff around the house, icing and elevating but the tight band is back with a vengeance. Taking 800mg Motrin every six hours and Tylenol 500mg every 4 hours. My outer swelling has diminished some but my quads right above my knee is so tight I can't bend like I used to. My ROM was around 95 a week ago and I don't think it's gotten any better. If I apply pressure to the quad muscle right above my knee, it bends better. Am I doing something wrong? At 8 weeks, going on 9, I feel behind and starting to get despondent again. Don't know what to do. I have an appointment for a 30 min. lymphatic massage tomorrow.
Don't despair. It's normal for progress to plateau for a while. I don't think of it as regressing or coming to a halt, but rather as your knee consolidating the progress it has made, before moving ahead again.
You're not doing anything wrong, except getting fed up with slow progress - and don't we all do that? It's so hard to be patient all the time.
Since complete recovery takes a full year and ROM can continue to improve for all that time, there's no need to rush, no deadlines you have to meet. From now on, progress will continue in small increments, and maybe you won''t notice you've made progress until you look back at what you were doing a couple of weeks before.
By the way, 500 mg of Tylenol is an inadequate dose. You need to take 1,000 mg four times a day, to a total of no more than 4,000 mg in 24 hours.
You're not doing anything wrong, except getting fed up with slow progress - and don't we all do that? It's so hard to be patient all the time.
Since complete recovery takes a full year and ROM can continue to improve for all that time, there's no need to rush, no deadlines you have to meet. From now on, progress will continue in small increments, and maybe you won''t notice you've made progress until you look back at what you were doing a couple of weeks before.
By the way, 500 mg of Tylenol is an inadequate dose. You need to take 1,000 mg four times a day, to a total of no more than 4,000 mg in 24 hours.
I know how hard it is to be patient. Our mind says "I ought to be here, doing this."
Our knees say "Not yet, my dear. I'm not ready for that."
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)
Our knees say "Not yet, my dear. I'm not ready for that."
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)
Cratchit
senior
Aw, Mireille, it's hard when we hit that plateau and things seem to be going backwards and not forwards. In reality there's probably very little change but it feels so much worse because we want to be further ahead than our knees allow for. In some ways these plateaux or backsteps condition us to accept the rocky road that recovery can be without getting too down about it. We (those of us who are a bit further ahead) see progress in a longer timescale than previously because the acute phase of recovery has (usually!) settled into a much steadier pace. You're still at a relatively early stage and probably wondering if all is well and if things are as they're meant to be (i.e. There's nothing going wrong) and that's quite scary. It's hard to remember how l felt at the stage you're at just now - and that's a good thing!
It is frustrating; l do understand. My knee is still swollen and stiff but it is no longer my total focus. I can do a lot of what l want to do without being hindered by The Knee. I guess l made my peace with it and that made all the difference (but didn't stop me whingeing!) That drattted wound is still sensitive and hypertrophic but considerably less so than it was. So things will improve, it's a tricky phase you're at and maybe one of the most frustrating because you probably feel well in yourself.
Enjoy your lymphatic massage - it sounds absolutely marvellous!
Big hugs,
It is frustrating; l do understand. My knee is still swollen and stiff but it is no longer my total focus. I can do a lot of what l want to do without being hindered by The Knee. I guess l made my peace with it and that made all the difference (but didn't stop me whingeing!) That drattted wound is still sensitive and hypertrophic but considerably less so than it was. So things will improve, it's a tricky phase you're at and maybe one of the most frustrating because you probably feel well in yourself.
Enjoy your lymphatic massage - it sounds absolutely marvellous!
Big hugs,
Last edited by a moderator:
L.I.T
senior
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2016
- Messages
- 352
- Age
- 51
- Location
- Zion National Park
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
@Mireille, you and I seem to be riding in the same car on the roller coaster! (how do we not have a little cartoon roller coaster on here?)
I did a little too much Friday, the rested Saturday (went to see a movie but was able to ice AND elevate) - BUT have had pain and swelling again - such that I had to take (gasp!
) 1/2 a pain pill Saturday night and last night! And every time I ice, it seems to ache incessantly only 5 minutes in. Makes no sense, but oh well - odd things are just going to happen.
I am so internally swollen right now, I actually *lost* some flexion over the past two days.... And here I'm supposed to have my first follow up with OS on Thursday. Again, oh well.... Outta my control.
Remember we had a moment of 'up' so it figures we will have a moment of 'down' now. We shall have another 'up' soon.... We just have to wait the downs out.
Fear not, my friend. We are OK - we have not lost anything (even if we have gained a few new pains).... We'll just throw our hands up, scream, and wait for the free fall to be over Then we'll look at each other, laugh, and say "what a heck of a ride!"
Many hugs to the woman with the green lights!
I did a little too much Friday, the rested Saturday (went to see a movie but was able to ice AND elevate) - BUT have had pain and swelling again - such that I had to take (gasp!
) 1/2 a pain pill Saturday night and last night! And every time I ice, it seems to ache incessantly only 5 minutes in. Makes no sense, but oh well - odd things are just going to happen. I am so internally swollen right now, I actually *lost* some flexion over the past two days.... And here I'm supposed to have my first follow up with OS on Thursday. Again, oh well.... Outta my control.
Remember we had a moment of 'up' so it figures we will have a moment of 'down' now. We shall have another 'up' soon.... We just have to wait the downs out.
Fear not, my friend. We are OK - we have not lost anything (even if we have gained a few new pains).... We'll just throw our hands up, scream, and wait for the free fall to be over
Then we'll look at each other, laugh, and say "what a heck of a ride!" Many hugs to the woman with the green lights!
newlybionic
Former BoneSmart Staff Member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2015
- Messages
- 7,095
- Age
- 71
- Location
- The Poconos, PA
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
Ok team. Just think that's its a half time in the game and your knee is taking a break. Don't lose sight of where you were to where you are now. A rollercoaster is the right picture to keep in mind. The only thing to remember it never seems to reach an end. It keeps going without an end. You are doing well. Hang in their team!
