MUA My LTKR journey continues to RTKR<

[flyaway79]

We are in the same timeframe and your ROM is awesome! Mine is going up in very slow increments.

 

[Celle]

@becticu , you were asking flyaway 79 on another thread about her TENS unit. I have found this article, which may help. I've also posted it on flyaway's thread.
TENS machines for pain management

 

[Cybil62]

Wow! Good for you! I too wish my ROM was better but then I guess that is my fault. I love the tennis ball therapy I am going to try that. This is definitely an emotional roller coaster, keep up the good work!

 

[becticu]

Hi @KarriB, thanks for your note and your encouragement as well. It is nice to actually have a little time between now and the next surgery. I can even to concentrate to read now. If I could only figure out how to sleep it would be great!

Hi @Jennszoo, yes our timing will be very similar. I too am a little nervous, actually scared about doing the next one. It's a little scary thinking about my baby knee having to do all the work. There are other things that I feel like I'll be so much more prepared for. I know I can't take Percocet! I know it's a much harder surgery than I thought. I know that I can't compare my knees, nor my knee to someone else's knee. I know PT shouldn't touch my knee or do anything that hurts. Most of all I know that I can't conquer Rome in a day and just go at my knee's pace!

 

[KarriB]

Amen!

 

[becticu]

Hi @LindaO, I'm not really sure what the change was. I never had excessive swelling. My foot and leg were slightly swollen the first week but not after that. I had more internal swelling because I deal with stiffness a lot. One night when I was in bed and couldn't sleep I was doing heel slides and it just felt different. I didn't get this terrible pain when I reached a certain point. I could go just a little further with only discomfort instead of pain. I actually have a massage table at my house because I do a lot with essential oils. That table is very similar to the therapy tables at PT. I would sit on the table and swing my leg back and forth. I didn't crank on it I just gently swung it and I started being able to go further and further. I didn't find any other place in my house that I could swing my leg freely. I was stuck at 90 for about 2.5 weeks and then it just started to move. My therapist would take me to discomfort but not pain. I don't know if all that was a coincidence or if that is what helped...

 

[becticu]

Thanks @Celle for the link. I read it all. The machine I have is TENS, NMES and IFC. I used IFC on my back several years ago when I had an issue. That is what I have been using. I do think it helps my knee but do know it does help my back. Thanks for all your help and work on this site.

 

[Jennszoo]

Yes, I'm most excited that I now have the muscle relaxants on hand and wibt suffer the thigh pain for a week. Ive also figured out the best foods to eat to offset the narcotic nausea. But going through it again...ugh. I'm jealous of those who are done with one.

 

[flyaway79]

Hi @LindaO, I would sit on the table and swing my leg back and forth. I didn't crank on it I just gently swung it and I started being able to go further and further

Wish I had someplace that I could do that. It seems like it would be a nice gentle motion.

If you look at my knee it doesn't look swollen on the outside, but obviously I have the internal swelling because of my limited ROM. Very frustrating.

 

[becticu]

Hi @flyaway79, it's really helpful for a lot of the stretches from PT. There isn't a good place to duplicate them at home generally. The floor is too low and hard and the bed is too soft. Another idea for what I was doing is a porch swing or a rocker. My therapist also recommended a swing like in a park. On a swing you have to have complete control though so no swinging high. You certainly don't want to crank or stress that baby knee. Swinging my legs from the table was just basically using gravity. Another thing that @Jennszoo mentioned was the muscle relaxers. My OS wanted me taking them routinely and I did. I don't know if everyone routinely takes them or not. I had terrible muscle cramps and spasms and that helped it a lot.

 

[LindaO]

That is great information! Thank you for sharing it, I think it help me with the next one and good info about the muscle relaxers. My OS didn't mention those but sounds like something I could ask about and benefit from!
I remember you talking about using the essential oils...do you think it helped with the swelling?

 

[flyaway79]

@becticu Sounds great but I just don't have any access to any swings etc. I guess I have to stick with the sliding my leg under a chair and stretching that way. I haven't taken any muscle relaxers and it hasn't come up in any of my appointments.

@LindaO I was going to ask the same things about the essential oils! I've been wondering about those too.

 

[becticu]

Hi @flyaway79 and @LindaO , I can't be certain the essential oils helped because I have nothing to compare with. I am a true believer in oils so that being said I do think they helped with inflammation which does cause swelling. I used an oil called Deep Blue and then layered Frankincense, Marjoram and then Lemon Grass. Before my surgery I used essential oils for sleep. That hasn't helped much since surgery. I diffuse all the time in the house and I think that helps for many different things. I have a mixture I use for pain too, but it hasn't cut knee replacement pain! I also made a blend I call "Fairy Poop" and use that on my abdomen and basically do a massage in a clockwise direction and I mean it really helps with all this constipation. If you learn the colon massage technique on your abdomen you can actually feel "it" where you are backed up and make "things" move along in the right direction, lol. Hopefully that wasn't more info than people can handle! I still have to take meds for this surgery for sure but oils take the place of a lot of meds we put in our bodies.

 

[Jennszoo]

I got the muscle relaxer bc I had serious (like 8/9 pain scale) pain in my upper quad after the block wore off. I suffered for a week and the MR took the edge off almost immediately when I finally got it. So that's why I'm glad I have extras on hand in case it happens again on the other side. So I don't think its something everyone needs, but if you have deep muscle pain, keep it in mind.

 

[sistersinhim]

I've heard a lot of good thing about oil therapy, but have yet to try it. I need to get a book for my Kindle to learn more about the different kinds and their remedies.

 

[becticu]

Hi everyone, I am trying to upload two pictures but have no idea if I can figure out how. One was taken last week and the other today. These are of my incision. I have this real angry red place that is raised that I haven't had. It's warm but not hot. I see the OS in the morning at 10. Hoping this nothing at all, but just a little nervous.

 

[Celle]

It might be a superficial infection, but again it might not be significant.
I'm glad you'll be seeing your surgeon in the morning. He can look at it and tell you what it is, and if it needs any treatment.

You will let us know what your OS says, won't you?

 

[becticu]

@Celle, yes I will post when I get back. My husband thinks I need to ask him for something for sleep too. It makes me nervous to actually take a sleeping pill but nothing is helping my insomnia. I'm lucky if I get 1 or 2 good nights a week. I will fall asleep ok, but I can't stay asleep. I know this will eventually have an affect. I might get 3 hours of interrupted sleep a night. It wasn't so bad when I napped in the beginning but not able to nap during the day either. Sorry, I feel like a whiney butt .

 

[Celle]

It's OK to whine. We're her to listen and we've been through most of it ourselves.
Sleep disturbance is quite common, but if it's really getting you down, do ask your doctor for a short course of something to help you sleep.

Reading this article again might help to explain the insomnia:
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

 

[dadman35]

Practice the montra, rest, ice, elevate. I tried to push the exercise and had setbacks, learn from my mistakes. I am now 3 months out and doing well but the first two at least, rest, ice, elevate.


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