TKR My LTKR journey

Your knee looks amazingly well, and hardly any swelling! How blessed you are!
 
Your knee looks amazingly well, and hardly any swelling! How blessed you are!
Thank you. The swelling decreased mostly with the ice machine and elevation (Dr Lounger…best 129 I ever spent). Now that I am not using a walker but a cane I can walk outside easier. PT tomorrow after a full 7 days without going because of rescheduling snafoo. I think it will be ok.
 
Be careful to not go too hard at PT today. Now that your swelling is down you'll tend to be in ODIC. Trust me. I was madam President for quite awhile.
You're really having a great recovery!
 
does anyone know when we can transition from just ice to ice and hot packs? I’m at post op plus 3 and still have swelling (after PT) :-(
Would love to put a little heat on the knee.

Let me know.
Tino
 
If you still have swelling (not unusual for so early out) it is ice that is needed, not heat. Ice for 45-60 minutes per session several times per day. Too early for heat.
 
It’s a marathon, not a sprint…. It will feel monotonous at times, but stay the course and keep doing what works! Believe in yourself. You WILL get there!
 
Heat feeds inflammation whereas ice starves it. This means that this early in your recovery heat would only increase your swelling, not decrease it. You can use heat on your leg away from any parts of your knee, though. That might help you feel better.
 
My OS said I could apply heat after 7-weeks. Check with your doctor. I found it didn't help my knee much, but it did soothe my thigh and ankle. At 6-months next week I hardly need the ice anymore, but I continued to use it daily up to early January even while driving my car.
 
Hello and Happy One Month Anniversary, Tino!
I hope all continues to go well, you're taking it easy in PT and your progress is steady.
A wonderful weekend to you as you continue healing. :)
@Tino2You
 
Hi all.
Tomorrow will be my 5th week anniversary. Everything is ok although I am more than ready to be done with this. I am still doing PT three times a week. I’ve backed off the pain meds (still taking a dose at night..more on that later). The swelling is almost gone as well as most of my thigh muscle! The tightness of the knee is getting old.

The therapist performed a ROM last Friday. I have 118 degrees bending with 101 straight. I am walking with a cane but in the house I manage to forget where I put it and just trudge on. Not much of a limp unless I am tired. Finally I can go up and down stairs without going one stair at a time.

If you’re still reading…i still have not slept through the night since Jan 16. I have not been this tired since my kids were babies. I am taking my pain meds to help knock me out. I am still using the Berg Ice Machine (did i mention i had to have a replacement sent as the original died last week). I seem to get to sleep and then wake up after 2-3 hours. It’s getting really old.
 
Great to hear that you are doing well, @Tino2You! To have a bend of 118 at 5 weeks post-op is great, but be careful not to let your therapist force the bend because it could set you back.

Not much of a limp unless I am tired.
You might want to try heel-toe walking when you notice that you are limping.

This involves striking the ground with your heel first, then rolling through your heel to your toe, and pushing out of the step with your toe. If you slow down your pace and concentrate through the entire step, you'll notice a difference. Give it a try.

Here is a visual
1639236580030.jpeg


The sleep problems you are struggling with are normal. Most of us have been through it. Keep up with the pain meds and icing and be sure you aren't overdoing it during the day.

It does get better; it just takes time!
 
Hey Tino:wave:
Good to hear from you.
I'll be 6 weeks on wed and your recovery sounds very similar to mine. Except I have swelling. And the tightness is still there. Usually take a hydrocodone during the day and at night.
ROM 115 and 4.
I have to take trazadone to get 5 hrs of sleep.
I was reading my thread on Bonesmart from first tkr. I was turning a corner at 7 weeks. Hope that happens this time!
Hang in there. Once the pain, sleeplessness lessens you'll enjoy that new knee!
 
Hi @beachy. I too have tightness in my knee. Also when I use it (PT, Walking, just moving about) it swells up and hurts. I just emailed my doc for more pain meds and something to help me sleep. I feel like I am in a constant fog.

On the bright side, I've been using the stationary bike and make full revolutions forward and backward and it doesn't hurt (remember what I said before about swelling///yeah that does it too).

Oh well...my next office visit is on March 8th. Hopefully I will get some good news from my doc.

Take care,
Tino
 
@Tino2You
Today I'm 6 weeks. yay me. Everything is on par with first tkr. Except driving. Maybe in 2 more weeks.
Sounds like you're where you should be at 5 weeks. Some people progress faster, some slower. Sounds like you're normal.

I just had my pain meds refilled, too. 40 pills lasted 13 days. Each day varies. Lately most I take is 3-4 a day. Sometimes less. Xtra strength Tylenol and Advil are working now, but too much nsaids hurt my gut. Its a balancing act. Sleeping isn't great.

Hang in there! Week 6 is better than week 5 for me. Gradual improvement. You'll see it, too!
My check up is March 7. First one. Had to postpone 6 week check up.
 
Hi everyone,
As of tomorrow I will be 6 weeks post OP. I am hoping (with all my might) that as @beachy says, after week 7 things improve. As my current progress goes, my knee "talks" to me all day long. It's more of a constant tingle pain rather than the jabbing stabs (unless I do something stupid). I am icing and elevating when I can (which is pretty often). I am free of prescription pain meds as of last Thursday evening. I graduated my self from PT. My ROM is still very good (118-0 last time they checked). I can go upstairs and down taking steps as a normal guy (for the most part). I walk about .5 to .75 miles some days. I have my next doctor appointment on March 8th. And lastly, my wife and I joined the Y so I can use their equipment (did I mention I am MOBILE again....my wife (the RN) finally allowed me to drive ALL BY MYSELF :) for short trips!

So what I am thinking is that I may see the light at the end of the tunnel. My sleep is still spotty (3-4 hours at a time). Every now and then I stack up around 5 in a row! BONUS! I cannot wait till I can sleep all night long.

Anyway, not much gripping here today. Happy Monday!
 
It sounds like you are improving quite well! Good for you!
 
Big event day today. I got to go shopping at our local BJ's (kinda like CostCo for those unfamiliar. I was on my feet for about 45 minutes. Put a bit under a half mile on my knee and felt ok afterwards. Mind you, I did ice and elevate for a half hour once I put away all the groceries. Little steps grasshopper.
 
Good for you, @Tino2You! I'm glad to read that you iced and elevated afterwards. Hope you don't notice any after effects (extra pain and stiffness) tomorrow. Keep us posted!
 
You're a brave soul! I won't even attempt the grocery store. We have BJs, Sams and Costco here. They're all HUGE stores! Keep icing tonite.
 

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