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TKR My post-op recovery...

FYI re. leg lifting. To get my surgical leg up onto the bed or recliner, I simply pick it up and lift with my good leg. Sometimes the obvious doesn’t kick in with all the medications we are taking!.
 
Yes, that is a simple fix indeed! Thanks...
 
If you get that "rushing" feeling when standing after elevating your leg, try standing up in stages. First put your leg flat and spend a few minutes in that position while doing some ankle pumps or gentle bends and stretches. Then move to a sitting position for a minute or two. Finally stand up and see if that helps.
 
Thanks, Jamie, that's exactly what I've been doing. In the morning, I start my exercises as well, from my bed, which loosens things up a bit. It doesn't matter if I am lying down 5 minutes or 5 hours, I'll still get a whole mess of pain.

This morning, it did seem a little better, which I will SO take at this point...

Thanks again...
 
Its worth remember every little success no matter how small. Its like 3 steps forward and 2 back and we forget that we are still left with one very small step forward when our knee is giving us hell.
 
Carol Anna's point is an excellent one. Since none of my suggestions are working right now, it probably is just going to be a matter of time for things to improve. This surgery is NOT for sissies! :sigh:
 
Some call that "character building." :rotfl: My comment is usually that I have quite enough character already, thank you! Hang in there....it does get better.
 
Jamie, hey, I appreciate anything you can give me. You're right about "time." I'm an impatient fellow by nature so this surgery goes against my natural inclination to be "on top" of everything!
 
Trouble is: when you fight the urge to give in to recovery, you get solidly beaten back. Slow and steady wins this particular race for most of us. Having said that, I know someone who climbed Kilimanjaro at just 4 months out. but he is an elite athlete. At 9 days I can barely climb up on to my exercise bike.
 
@Vida Can you do a rotation on your exercise bike? It has been 7 weeks since my surgery and I just returned to gym To use recumbent bike. And I found out I can pedal back and forth but no way can I complete a rotation. They said I might be able to do it backwards first but that’s a no go too. Takes more bend than I’ve got right now
 
@kate97497 When you are on the bike, make sure it is as far back as possible! Gentle rocking at first! I am 4 weeks out and I made it all the way around after 2 weeks. However, this is my second knee, it took longer with the first! Every knee is different!
Hang in there, pretty soon that gentle rocking will become a full rotation!
Good luck!
 
MARYCOOL said:
@kate97497 When you are on the bike, make sure it is as far back as possible! Gentle rocking at first! I am 4 weeks out and I made it all the way around after 2 weeks. However, this is my second knee, it took longer with the first! Every knee is different!
Hang in t
Click to expand...
kate97497 said:
no go
Click to expand...


I am using an upright stationary bike, a cheap old thing I bought for my hip recovery. I sat on it on day 5 and gently rocked. A rotation was too painful. By day 7 I was able to do a full rotation. For the last three days I have been comfortably cycling, super slowly, for up to 10 minutes. I have no particular rehab goal in mind: it just feels good, as if it loosens things up. And of course if it hurts at all, I don’t do it. I see my surgeon today and have my first physio a week from today. I agree with you Marycool that we all respond differently. I learned with my hip recovery to go at my own pace and not compare myself to other people with different levels of fitness. I should point out that I just walked and did adaptive Pilates once a week before having surgery so am not a paragon of fitness.
 
At 2 months out I can only rock on the bike as my non surgical knee will not bend surgeon and I will discuss at my 1/19 appointment how soon we can do the other knee as it is more painful then ever and needs to be done so I can heal in my new knee
 
@jaspa That is exactly how mine went! 9 months after the first tkr came the second!
I was able to do the rotation, but it hurt like he**.
If you can't do it, you just can't. Hang in there! I am so happy they are both done now! This is a long, slow recovery process!
 
On stationary bikes for recovery, I have wondered if mixing in some backwards peddle rotation might be good.

I just did a search:


There is a a thread "when can I bike outside for real again?" posts #8 and #9 suggest pedaling backwards. I cannot post a link.
 
Sigma1 said:
On stationary bikes for recovery, I have wondered if mixing in some backwards peddle rotation might be good.

I just did a search:


There is a a thread "when can I bike outside for real again?" posts #8 and #9 suggest pedaling backwards. I cannot post a link.
Click to expand...

Thank you Sigma. I have been doing half and half. I agree that backwards could actually be a little easier when trying to get that early rotation.
 
Before my surgery, I purchased a Lounge Doctor, largely because of what I read about it here. I've been reluctant to use it, as my PT and doctor's office expressed their reluctance in recommending it because of the slight bend in it. Their whole thing is to keep the leg as straight as possible.

What do you think? Does it serve a purpose in recovery?
 
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