OP
OP
hurtin_unit
junior member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2012
- Messages
- 45
- Age
- 73
- Gender
- Male
Hi friends,
Here's my 3-month report. I had my total right knee replacement on 06/04/12, developed an infection in my incision and took Keflex for two weeks. PT said I had to wait until infection was gone before starting there. My OS claims I had an ROM of 90 when I left the hospital but now that I was idle for two weeks my ROM was about 30. My OS put me on some strong meds and had a PT at the hospital bend my knee very hard and I almost passed out from the pain. I was screaming from the pain but so much under meds that I was unable to defend myself or resist this gorilla. They sent me home with a CPM machine then I started my PT. Going to PT was a nightmare since my knee wasnt bending good. I would leave that place in pieces after they worked me so hard. My OS wasn't happy with my progress and sent a fax to my PT asking her to be more aggressive so my ROM improves. My knee was so swollen that I thought my incision would open up. After 2 months I only had an ROM of 69, and this was with a lot of suffering. They say a man is not supposed to cry?..I cried after each PT session. I would go home and sit in a corner licking my wounds like a puppy.
All my OS cared about was ROM. The next visit I was so proud to tell him I was at 69 but his answer was "is that all you can do?". He then told me I'd better be at 90 for the next visit. I panicked. For the first time I went to google looking for knee replacement help. I'm 59 yrs old and this is the first time I get hospitalized. I had never looked for help before but now I felt the need to get ROM and get it fast. I was given exercises to do at home and i was doing them constantly plus my PT was agressive. I was hurting all the time. The only good thing is that i was given vicodin 500 mg ( but it didnt come in six-packs) lol. Once I came to Bonesmart all of a sudden I find out I'm going in the wrong direction. Imagine 2 months doing the wrong things. Enter Bonesmart.
I was welcomed and told help is on its way. I then started getting all kinds of advise. I read each message slowly and it all made sense. I learned I was shocking the knee to the point that there was so much trauma it was causing it to swell more therefore I had to do the opposite. Since then I started elevating and icing a lot more, followed some of the examples I was given by other members:
Bought a used exercise bike, couldn't pedal around but I learned to pedal backwards and now I can, did a little walking more often, slow, gentle stretches, holding for 30 seconds 3 times a day allowing no more than a pain level of 3, on a 1-10 scale. Elevate, ice every 2 hours or close to it, massage my scar with E vitamin oil, move my knee cap up, down, left, right. I listen to my knee, knee is the boss and it knows when enough is enough.
All this I learned from my new family at Bonesmart the last month. My ROM is now at 95!!!! When the knee is so swollen it just wont give. Doing more aggressive PT upsets the knee gods! Ice, elevate as often as possible. I went from 69 to 95 in a month. Last Thursday I had a visit with my OS and I proudly said I was at 95 and he said I should be at 110. I told him I was quite happy with my ROM. (what is it with this man?). My PT has seen my improvement since joining Bonesmart and now I have "trained" her to be gentle.
This Monday I go back to work (bills wont wait) I have a desk job so it will be interesting. My OS provided a note I must get up for 15 minutes every hour and walk around. I will let you know how it goes. I will be doing some exercises I learned from member David (Kneesrus) which are great for basic or advanced workouts. The library also has plenty of info.
I want to thank everyone here for all the advise I have received. I wouldn't have improved so well without your ideas. I'm not afraid to go to my PT anymore and I know next month when I go to my OS my ROM will be even better. I may not see him again after that.
Be gentle to your knees!
Regards,
Al
Here's my 3-month report. I had my total right knee replacement on 06/04/12, developed an infection in my incision and took Keflex for two weeks. PT said I had to wait until infection was gone before starting there. My OS claims I had an ROM of 90 when I left the hospital but now that I was idle for two weeks my ROM was about 30. My OS put me on some strong meds and had a PT at the hospital bend my knee very hard and I almost passed out from the pain. I was screaming from the pain but so much under meds that I was unable to defend myself or resist this gorilla. They sent me home with a CPM machine then I started my PT. Going to PT was a nightmare since my knee wasnt bending good. I would leave that place in pieces after they worked me so hard. My OS wasn't happy with my progress and sent a fax to my PT asking her to be more aggressive so my ROM improves. My knee was so swollen that I thought my incision would open up. After 2 months I only had an ROM of 69, and this was with a lot of suffering. They say a man is not supposed to cry?..I cried after each PT session. I would go home and sit in a corner licking my wounds like a puppy.
All my OS cared about was ROM. The next visit I was so proud to tell him I was at 69 but his answer was "is that all you can do?". He then told me I'd better be at 90 for the next visit. I panicked. For the first time I went to google looking for knee replacement help. I'm 59 yrs old and this is the first time I get hospitalized. I had never looked for help before but now I felt the need to get ROM and get it fast. I was given exercises to do at home and i was doing them constantly plus my PT was agressive. I was hurting all the time. The only good thing is that i was given vicodin 500 mg ( but it didnt come in six-packs) lol. Once I came to Bonesmart all of a sudden I find out I'm going in the wrong direction. Imagine 2 months doing the wrong things. Enter Bonesmart.
I was welcomed and told help is on its way. I then started getting all kinds of advise. I read each message slowly and it all made sense. I learned I was shocking the knee to the point that there was so much trauma it was causing it to swell more therefore I had to do the opposite. Since then I started elevating and icing a lot more, followed some of the examples I was given by other members:
Bought a used exercise bike, couldn't pedal around but I learned to pedal backwards and now I can, did a little walking more often, slow, gentle stretches, holding for 30 seconds 3 times a day allowing no more than a pain level of 3, on a 1-10 scale. Elevate, ice every 2 hours or close to it, massage my scar with E vitamin oil, move my knee cap up, down, left, right. I listen to my knee, knee is the boss and it knows when enough is enough.
All this I learned from my new family at Bonesmart the last month. My ROM is now at 95!!!! When the knee is so swollen it just wont give. Doing more aggressive PT upsets the knee gods! Ice, elevate as often as possible. I went from 69 to 95 in a month. Last Thursday I had a visit with my OS and I proudly said I was at 95 and he said I should be at 110. I told him I was quite happy with my ROM. (what is it with this man?). My PT has seen my improvement since joining Bonesmart and now I have "trained" her to be gentle.
This Monday I go back to work (bills wont wait) I have a desk job so it will be interesting. My OS provided a note I must get up for 15 minutes every hour and walk around. I will let you know how it goes. I will be doing some exercises I learned from member David (Kneesrus) which are great for basic or advanced workouts. The library also has plenty of info.
I want to thank everyone here for all the advise I have received. I wouldn't have improved so well without your ideas. I'm not afraid to go to my PT anymore and I know next month when I go to my OS my ROM will be even better. I may not see him again after that.
Be gentle to your knees!
Regards,
Al
United States
Walking around for a few minutes a couple of times per hour is good. I know I found it helpful.
