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Revision TKR Motherbone's Recovery Thread

Sure swelling is possible. The cast immobilizes your leg and when it's removed it has to become active again and that can give you some swelling. If it's worrying you, have it checked out...that's a good idea. And sistersinhim's suggestion to ice and elevate is good also. The key factor here is that it reduces at least somewhat overnight. If you can ice and elevate while you sleep that may improve things.
 
Thanks to all for the feedback.
I think unconsciously I thought I'd be walking by now. I have to remind myself I'm only 4 days out of the cast.
 
:console2:

Is the boot heavy? My husband has one left over from needing it several years ago. I tried it on recently to wear while sitting and sleeping to address plantar fasciitis, and it weighed a ton! I couldn’t imagine having to walk in it. I have since bought a lightweight brace for my foot.
 
@Jockette Yes it's heavy! When I get into bed I feel like I'm swinging a leg weight over the side and onto the mattress. I just got some sheepskin insoles and put one in the bottom, which does cushion my foot better and cuts down on my foot shifting around inside of it.
 
@Motherbone , unconsciously and subconsciously, you probably are walking. I think it takes a while for that message to be received by recovering parts of our bodies. And, as you say, our sense of how much (ie, little) time has passed after injuries and surgeries is not accurate.

PS interesting article in today’s NYTimes about fractures (in the health section online—related to runners but goes beyond)
 
Well, I took a step today in PT. I strained my right shoulder over the weekend so I was limited in taking more because I have to lean on my walker a lot, but I was pleased. It's like a hurdle has been cleared.
 
I’m sorry you strained your shoulder. :console2:

Do you mean you took a step without using your walker?
 
@Jockette With my walker. I've taken a few more since then. Still a problem with my strained shoulder muscle, though.
I saw my PCP today and showed her my puffy ankle. I also developed a rash over a few square inches of my shin. She says the swelling is an expectable reaction to prolonged immobilization and was not particularly concerned about it, said she has seen it before. She believes the rash is skin irritation but decided to prescribe a short course of antibiotics to be on the safe side, given that I have a prosthetic right knee. I don't have any fever and the ankle is not warm to the touch. Together we discussed graduating from home health care to outpatient PT and I think I am going to do that starting next week. The goal will be to address gait re-training and muscle atrophy. I've been thinking I'm reaching the end of what can be done in a home health situation.
 
I’d be interested to know what they have you do for gait retraining and muscle atrophy. Those are my issues as well but nothing seems to help
 
I was discharged from home PT today but could not get an appointment for outpatient PT for another 3 weeks. So I will continue practicing what I have been taught thus far until then. It will be interesting to see if I acquire some more improvement without the one on one attention of a PT. I know others have, so I'm hoping I will too. @jboles I will keep you posted.
 
You don't even need to do those exercises. Just use your knee in your day to day activities. You'll more than likely see improvement if you don't overdo.
 
Well, well, I got an earlier appointment at a satellite office of the PT service and I couldn't be happier because it's small, slow, the other patients there were my age or possibly a bit older, and I got full attention. I told my therapist my whole story from TKR last September through the broken kneecap in PT and the stress fractures this past summer. She seemed aghast at the PT mishap and couldn't believe the types of exercises they had me doing so soon after post op. She was on the same page with me as regards to no aggressive PT and no attempts to rush improvement. She has started me on simple ankle movements to alleviate some of the frozen feeling from being immobilized (now it's 8 weeks) - up and down, circling, nothing with my weight on it. The foot is still quite swollen and very stiff, and mobilizing some of the sleeping muscles will hopefully help pump lymph and plasma up and out. I'll be going two times a week. It's only 15 minutes from my house (less if we make all the lights and don't need to slow for the school zones). I got this appointment by calling one of the other offices to see if they had anything sooner. The person who helped me on the phone knew something about the office I was originally scheduled to go to in 3 weeks, and I'm glad we talked, because he told me it's the office that services athletes who are trying to get back to running, etc., and it's fast-paced. I'm happy I'm not going to go there!
 
Oh, and at the end I actually took three short steps! Not very graceful, but definitely moved that right leg. Got to wonder how much of my difficulties are psychologically based, since we didn't do anything today except gentle stretch and range of motion for the left ankle only.
 
I am so happy for you that you had such a good experience. I hope this small place and it’s therapists will be very helpful to you.

I don’t think the therapists in the other place would have been a good fit fit you. You need tender loving care and I think you will get it at this place. Well done! :flwrysmile:
 
I really wonder if our revision knees ever feel normal again?
 
Cementless said:
I really wonder if our revision knees ever feel normal again?
Click to expand...
Personally I think it depends on the situation. Celle had her partial converted to a total, after her spacer broke 11 years after her original surgery, and she forgets she has a replaced knee.

I would so love to be able to forget I have a replaced knee. I don’t think I ever will with my current implant/situation.

And I wonder if for some of us it becomes a new normal and we get accustomed to it and are able to forget about it.
 
My revised knee is just as strong as my other knee that has only had one replacement. I treat them equally and they never let me down. The only time I have any pain from either of them is if I accidentally twist them a bit too much.
 
I saw my ankle doctor yesterday and I have been taken out of the boot. I slept better than I have in a long time, no feeling of having my left foot embedded in concrete. The foot still swells horribly by day's end, only to come back to something approximating normal by morning. The tendons in both feet are angry at their new responsibilities (weight bearing and walking) so I'm having to take things slowly. Also, my congenitally flat feet are overpronating even more, so I've had to look for better insole inserts. My prescription insoles are probably outdated, given every thing that has happened to my legs in the last year. Continuing PT with focus on rehabbing the left ankle and trying to walk a little now. I have the green light from the ankle doctor to have the left knee evaluated for replacement so as to hopefully reduce the biomechanical stress on the left ankle. However, I feel like I need to be able to stand and walk a few steps before contemplating that procedure. I might make the appointment for evaluation only. We'll see.
 
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