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Bilateral TKR My recovery thread.

I wonder what her ROM is now? Tracey can you ask them?
 
Well today was my last day of physical therapy. It ended on a sour note when my therapist told me that my back was holding me back in getting knees better. She said my extension was about the same as when I first came in there and only when we work hard at getting knees straight do the numbers change. She feels I can do that much at home. She feels I need strenghtening exercises but my back problem needs to be addressed first. As for my bend, she felt that it would improve in time, but if it didn't, I could live with this. I agreed with that statement.

I feel sort of good that I don't have to go there anymore, but I also feel abandoned in a way, like this is it, I probably won't improve much more. :shrug: I honestly don't know exactly how to feel now.:scratch:
 
Dear Debbie,
Congratulations on finishing up with P.T :) I didn't know you had back problems. Is it because you are walking now ?
I found when I started walking all kinds of muscles ached :gaah: thighs, calves, lower back. It does get better.
Continue doing your exercises daily, there is always room for improvement...remember, it takes upwards of a year
To bounce back from this surgery.
Don't feel abandoned.....you have us & we care about you :friends: plus we won't ask you to "bend that knee" :heehee:
Thinking of you,
Diana :flwrysmile:
 
Thanks Diana. Yes I've had back problems from lifting babies for 15 yrs. I miss those little guys so much though.
I had two attacks of sciatica and the last one had me in bed for 5 1/2 weeks, I could barely get up. My back hasn't been the same since then. I'll be shopping and suddenly my back is done! I have to sit down quickly and then I'm fine to go again. Isn't that weird. I admit to babying my back now out of fear. I will never forget those five weeks in bed as long as I live. The pain never let up even for five minutes, it was so awful. And then I got neuropathy down one leg, my bad leg. Just a terrible thing to have.

I know my bend will improve over time, but I'm more worried about the extension. It hasn't improved very much at all.
 
Hi Debbie scaredinCA
I'm happy for you that PT is done, I'm sure it is bittersweet. For me, going to PT keeps me more honest in continuing to do my exercises. In reality, I'm doing so much more walking now I count that as the majority of my daily exercise :) I know for me today brought a new type of pain even 11 weeks out. Felt very much like my legs were aching where the prosthesis meets the bone on the lower part of my leg. Not sure if it had anything to do with the damp rainy weather or that the numbness on the sides of my legs feels different, more like nerve endings are waking up. Hope the back issue gets straightened out "no pun intended" so you can get the most out of your new knees.
Take care,
Stacie
 
Stacie I just left you a post on the other thread about finding our knee caps.. Sooooo funny.

As for rainy weather, I thought the same thing for awhile, but the other day it just poured rain and I felt fine. So I don't know if weather is the problem or not. I think we will feel odd sensations for awhile yet.
 
Debbie, I can't ask her. Not a close family member, plus it didn't go over so well when the family's light bulb went off and went "Hey, wait a minute" when they realized she really didn't need to be so "incapacitated" at that stage.

At the stage I'm at, it seems the extension has just worked itself out over time, but it's the bend that is not cooperating as much as I would like. Looks like I have to rethink my goals and training after the rheumatologist gave me a reality check today. Swimming should be my primary form of exercise - he's put the kibbash on even long walks (but this is due to my overall arthritis situation, not the knees). Since my trainer showed me it's possible to sweat in the swimming pool, I'll have to make the best of it and make it work for me.

Stacie, I had a pain a few inches below my knee on my shin bone - pretty much where I envisioned the prosthesis coming together with my bone. There was even a round bruise along with the pain for months. It finally went away on it's own.
 
scaredinCA, just wanted to send a note as to how impressed I am with the advice I see you posting on this forum. I remember reading your posts before your surgery and now you have your new knees. Your kindness, understanding and compassion is evident in your posts. You are a great resource on this forum. :flwrysmile:
 
Thanks for the nice compliment Lee. I do try.:)
 
scaredinCA...I want to cheer you on too, having just come into the other side. Hope all went well! My advice to add from my surgery on Wed is don't take any stuff from the hospital staff. Aides can help with the potty and nurses can give the meds...they are there for YOU! AND, if it doesn't go that way, they will be the first to say, "You should not be in pain"! Kind of ironic, yes?
Getting home as soon as possible is very helpful, too.
Good luck and look forward to hearing how you are doing! Cheers! Squirrel Lover
 
Thank you Sqrlvr, but I had surgery almost 4 months ago. You must have me confused with one of the other posters here.
 
Oops! Sorry, must have been the percocets! Regardless, I still hope you are doing well 4 months out...
I hope I'M doing well 4 months out!!!
 
Oh good grief, I just read my knee surgery book and the doctor said I should have had 0 extension and 110 the first week after surgery. And he says I should have been doing exercises every hour for 15 minutes all day long.

He didn't mention "or what would happen if you didn't"... Now I'm scared again. I haven't done half of what he says should have been done. There is no possible way I could have 0 extension and 110 the first week from surgery. I'm almost at the 4 month mark and I still don't have 0 extension and have only gotton my rt knee to 110 after alot of work, but not the left one yet. No one told me I should be doing exercises every hour for 15 minutes. I've been doing exercises once a day. Maybe thats why I can't get to 0 extension in either knee?
 
scaredinCA said:
Oh good grief, I just read my knee surgery book and the doctor said I should have had 0 extension and 110 the first week after surgery.
Click to expand...
Total nonsense, of course, as you say.
And he says I should have been doing exercises every hour for 15 minutes all day long.
Click to expand...
'Exercise' in this context doesn't mean anything that raises your heart rate; something like sitting on a rocking chair and rocking backwards and forwards to the extent the knee allows is what is meant.

The extension stretch shown in my thread below (or any one that suits you that's gentle) sure you can and should do little and often, as often as possible really.
 
ScaredinCA... congrats to finishing your PT.:) My last session is today.... The insurance will continue it through the end of the year, but, I really do not think I need it anymore.. unless my Therapist thinks otherwise.... I do feel companionship with the staff. I feel cared for... the doctor andn HIS staff never made me feel that way so the PT place was to me my lifeline to healing... I would like to go just because it is like my last link to something connected to the surgery... and without them I am ON MY OWN. That feels scary doesn't it? I have gotten my ROM to 128. Extention at 0. I would have liked to have reached 130 ROM, I hope it naturally happens over the months ahead. If not, I can live with what I have now. My life if pretty much 100% better than prior to surgury. I have a life now! Wishing you everything good in your recovery. I hope we can stay connected through the year ahead and compare or journeys. Take care! Joan:friends:
 
Thanks Joan. The way I was released from pt made me feel abandoned like I couldn't be helped any further. I hadn't reached any of "their" goals, so they told me to see the doctor about my back because it was holding me back. I don't know if I believe that statement. Yes I had trouble doing two exercises because of my back, but does that warrent letting me go and giving up on me? Does a persons back have that much to do with the knees? I can walk, I can do most of the excercises they asked of me. I just can't walk up straight because my legs aren't straight yet. If I get my back straighter, my knees will still be bent won't they? I don't know, right now I'm so far down that I can't see up. I don't want to see anymore doctors or therapists, but I know I have to. ugh..

I'm happy to hear about your good recovery Joan....:flwrysmile: And we'll stay in touch on Bone Smart.
 
Hello Debbie,
Just checking up on you :) How are you doing with your exercises on your own ? I hope your back is feeling
Better. I'm sorry you feel abandoned by your P.T, that was rotten how they let you go. I'm sure they could of
Modified your exercises to make it easier on your back.
Have a wonderful weekend :friends:
Diana :flwrysmile:
 
Hi scaredinCA - hope that you are doing well

Sorry to hear that you feel abandoned by your PT. Have you thought of trying other types of PT that are less hard for your back. I have had little formal PT as we don't have it here but I do warm water aqua-therapy which makes it much easier to stretch and bend the knee.
 
Hi Diana, yes of course they could have modified it for me, but the minute I gave them the bonesmart mantra, their attitudes changed towards me. They were decent, but not friendly and shortly afterwards, they let me go even though I did everything that was asked of me.

Puffin, I'm not sure what therapy, if any, I will persue in the future. Frankly I'm not doing many exercises at home. I think I'm in a funk and just barely care anymore.
 
Hello Debbie,
Please continue with your at home exercises, if you don't do them, you are only hurting yourself :sad:
Have you been able to get out & about ? I'm sorry about your funk, it happens to us all. We all care about you
Is there anything you need help with ? Ideas to make you feel better ? If you are like me, things get you mad for awhile
You keep thinking about them over & over :hissy: I have learned to let it go & get on with myself.
Forget about your P.T., that is over & done with..they showed you the exercises...so you can do them on your own :)
I do hope you feel better....this is a very llloooonnnnggggg recovery
Sincerely,
Diana :console2:
 
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