PKR My Drama Queen Patellofemoral Knee

[kmak81230]

If I had a dollar for every person in the past two weeks (including my 80+ year old parents) who asked if I was doing my exercises or who told me to work hard at my exercises I could pay for all the shopping I did while lying on the couch this past weekend . Well, maybe $5.

 

[Jockette]

I had a nice bowling day today. 118, 128 and 127. Good scores for my ability. My arm is still bothering me from last week and the first few frames hurt, but then the arm settled down, so I was surprised to get those good scores!

 

[Jockette]

My visit to Longwood Gardens and my first scooter experience. I took 2 pictures (these 2 flower ones) and my sister took about a hundred!

 

[NavyGunns]

Good for you @Jockette! It doesn’t matter your scores, as long as you are getting out there, trying, and having fun! Whenever I get frustrated with my own game, I ask myself “Are paying bills and putting food on the table depending on how well you bowl or golf?” Since the answer is an obvious NO, then why get upset? The reason we have bad days bowling (or golfing) is because we are amateurs! We participate in these activities because they are fun and we enjoy them (at least I hope we do, if not, then quit).

BTW... beautiful pictures!

 

[sistersinhim]

That place is beautiful! Great job on those bowling scores! How did you knee do in those pants?

 

[Jockette]

How did you knee do in those pants?

It did ok. I guess I was too busy talking and bowling and waiting a long time for the big soft pretzel I ordered that was overdone by the time I got it! Not enough help in the place on a day with 2 leagues going on at the same time
So, yay knee!

 

[sistersinhim]

All right! That good news!

 

[Jockette]

I wonder if I started to wear very light weight pants all day, like pajama pants (if I have the patience) around the house every day if my knee would eventually adjust.

I wore a long, wrap style bathrobe recently and even that bothered the knee, I got the same feeling as if I was wearing pants, and the robe barely brushed against my knee.

 

[Celle]

Have you tried de-sensitizing your knee, Jockette?
Try to get it used to being touched. Start by touching it gently with some soft material, then continue to rub it with that material. Progress gradually to firmer and harsher fabrics.

 

[Jockette]

No, I haven’t actually done that. I thought as time went on and it healed I wouldn’t need to do that. I wore pants often enough all last winter that I would think that would have been enough.

It’s not the incision, I remember that sensitivity and how my knee feels in pants is not the same.

I’m not sure I have the patience to deliberately irritate my knee for an extended amount of time.

 

[Hood1980]

Love the pictures! Beautiful!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Jockette]

@Jockette - I hear you! There were so many times I cursed at myself after I had the partial. I would have given anything to go back in time and not have had it. Now that I have a total replacement and the outcome has been so good, I’m glad I had the surgery. With being worse off than you were before the partial, what is holding you back from seeking a total knee replacement?

Fear. Fear that it will end up worse. Confrontations about the PT that I won’t do. Fear of lack of appropriate pain medication, as things have changed since I had the surgery.

Even with more limitations than before surgery, I’m much better now than I was right after surgery. It took so long to get this far.

 

[Jockette]

And fear of anyone touching my leg again.

 

[SueWStrong]

@Jockette -I understand your fear, I was there too. Especially after experiencing CRPS with the partial. I was so fearful that would come back with a vengeance. I’m so, so, happy I was able to get myself to conquer my fear. I’m a very active person and I just couldn’t see myself living with the limitations I had for the rest of my life. I have a great PT guy. I had him with my partial and total. He never insists I do anything I don’t want to. While he’ll encourage me to do something that might be a bit uncomfortable (weak muscles), he never pushes me when I say that’s too painful. My pain peds and control where so much better this time around. I have not needed to take anything stronger than Diclofenac since around week 4 and I’m thankful for that. I still have a full prescription bottle of Oxycodone should I need it.

Because you still are not happy and better off than before your partial, I hope you can get past the fear and explore getting a total replacement.

 

[Kazmeraz]

I cannot offer any advice only empathy at your situation and hope you find more courage to go forward. Not that you haven’t been brave and courageous already, just that you need to find more. And this is what it will take.
More to not accept your current situation, more to thrust your chin forward and say enough is enough I will not settle for this.
This experience has gifted you the ability to reassure others. To understand their worries and stresses and most important a listening ear when we feel we are on our own.
I know this will not help you but what would you say to us. So bring on 2019 you will be a fierce adversary.

 

[Jockette]

@Kazmeraz Thank you!

I am trying hard to move forward. But I’m so afraid.

Part of me says, just do it. A better experience will lessen the effect this current bad experience has had on me.

The other part of me says no way.

But I’m tired of being the way I am. January is coming.

 

[beachy]

My 2cents.
You're going to do this when you find the right surgeon.
Someone who understands your fears and the issues with your knee. Someone you feel comfortable with who has tons of experience. You know the questions to ask when interviewing And you know the vibes you get about surgeons. Trust yourself And your instincts. You've gained a lot of wisdom since the first surgery.

And we will all be here for you. Just like you are for us.

 

[Jockette]

Why are people so opposed Bonesmart’s approach to recovery? And how do many of them come through fine with agressive therapy? (of course I know that many don’t)

I ran into an acquaintance this week who had a knee replacement about 8 weeks ago. I could definitely see an improvement in how he stood and walked as compared to before surgery. He appears to be doing well.

However, he said at PT they hurt him every time, to the point he wants to scream. I told him it doesn’t have to be that way. I don’t remember his exact words, but he is just accepting this. He’s a nice guy and didn’t argue with me or anything, but he didn’t seem the least bothered that they hurt him so much. Incidentally, it’s the same PT place I went to.

Sometimes I feel that trying to tell people about Bonesmart is like :

He asked how I was doing, as in the past we’ve discussed our knees and my post surgery and his coming up. He was truly sorry that I have not had a good outcome.

I guess if people don’t know about Bonesmart they believe the misinformation that PT is essential and it has to hurt. I’m glad I found an alternative.

Even before I found this alternative, common sense told me my painful PT was counterproductive.

 

[SusieShoes]

Recovery journeys are so individual. I think that's the part that often doesn't get passed along to patients: your recovery belongs to you, and how you recover is up to you. Many people who get joint replacements don't believe they have a choice or say in how they recover; they think or are told they have to do it "the one right way." They're being good patients, doing their best, when they follow the instructions they've been given. For some it will work. For others, though, it will lead to pain and frustration.

I don't think PT is bad, not at all. For some people it can be very good. There are people who either need the structure of an exercise program or want it. The key is the therapist. A good therapist, one who knows a replaced joint is different from a lazy joint, and who realizes pain is a signal of damage, can do great good for a patient who is also sensible and disciplined and will not push too hard. So some people who oppose the BoneSmart approach do so because they sense they are that kind of patient who will do well with therapy.

Bad PT can cause great harm. Those are the problems BoneSmart hopes to prevent. The too-aggressive therapist who pushes on a swollen knee and tears tissues on the inside, leading to more pain. The too-aggressive therapist who insists on strengthening exercises on a week-old TKR, or who assigns so many repetitions of difficult exercises that the patient ends up weeping with pain and frustrated because the joint is too swollen (because of the over-exercising) to bend. These things are predictable but NOT TO THE PATIENT. They don't their situation is preventable.

It helps to get the word out. The more people who find BoneSmart early, or whose medical teams -- including PTs -- know and advocate a gentler approach, the fewer people who will end up suffering unnecessarily.

I'm glad you found BoneSmart! You are helping others decide on sensible ways to help their own recoveries.

 

[Ceegee]

@Kazmeraz

(...) Add that to my PT and surgeon’s approach to an HSP (highly sensitive person) and I’m terrified to do this again.

And, add in ALL those comments from anyone and everyone about how I’m not doing recovery “right.” (outside of Bonesmart) no matter how I do it.

It’s total overload for me.

My head knows now that I am in charge of what happens to my knee in recovery. (I didn’t know that early in my current recovery.) I know that next time I have the right to not allow anyone to touch me if I don’t want them to. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy for me to tell them that, especially the surgeon in checkups, and hospital staff.

It’s easier to stay the way I am now than to face all that again.

I was so sad to read this, Jockette, especially as you've helped so many people on this forum. I understand the fears - I put off my own operation for years because I was afraid. I also understand what it's like to be ultra-sensitive. But sometimes it's nice to "tell it like it is". When I was about 6 weeks post-op, still in quite a bit of pain and very proud of myself for being able to walk in the street without a cane, my husband came home from a business lunch and said his colleague "George" had a friend who went hiking in the Alps six weeks after his TKR. It made me so angry! I told him that "George" was an uninformed, insensitive (insert offensive word of your choice) who should keep his comments to himself until it was his turn to have his own knee bones hacked out with a chisel and replaced with a chunk of metal. It felt so good to say it out loud!! And my husband never again came home with second-hand reports of miraculous recoveries ...

As for "doing it right": "right" is what's best for you. Nobody else matters. You're paying the doctors to work for you, so you do get a say in what happens. And other people's opinions are irrelevant. Do what feels right for you.

I hope you find a way forward. In the meantime, thanks for everything you do for others. It's much appreciated.