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Revision TKR Never give up, keep trying, don't settle - that's me, Bonnie

Pumpkln said:
Over Did It Club, no worries took me awhile to get it.
LOL
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I figured it had to be something about over doing it. Quite honestly sometimes I feel like I am not doing enough. Like at home everyday I should be pushing my knee to the point of discomfort, but usually since I do that 3 days a week at Physical Therapy, I then try to rest, ice and elevate on my days off from Physical Therapy.
 
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@maryo52 Of course Mary, even though I've been given to reason to worry yet about scar tissue repeating its self. It is true and I do worry in the back of my mind..."What if it happens again?"
 
@icep707 I know exactly what you are saying. You feel good so you think that you can do just about anything, so pretty much you just do what you want and later find out that it was too much. My revision, I have felt soooo much better than my original TKR, I find myself doing things I never would have considered the first time.

My first Physical Therapy appointment, back the end of December my extension was +17 and flexion of 100. My extension is perfect now, but just slow on the flexion. It has to be from swelling and and a tight quad/hamstring preventing me from ROM, I've never 'not' had some swelling in my knee since surgery but taking that further I've never been without swelling in my knee for over 3 years.

What is your flexion now? Good thing that you're doing well with your extension first. My Physical Therapist says always work on extension first and flexion second.
 
@RestAssured Well I am very glad that I am not the only one who didn't know what ODIC was!! Now I don't feel so bad...or stupid.

Yes, I know that it takes a very long time to get to where we want to be. I guess the frustrating thing is with this revision I have felt so good that my brain expects more of me physically because I''m not in pain and feel so much better than with the first TKR.

Tell me what Dr. Maale said when he saw how much weight you lost. Good thing that they have the ankle figured out but WOW...now the neck? You've had your share already!!
 
RunA42K said:
@RestAssured

Tell me what Dr. Maale said when he saw how much weight you lost. Good thing that they have the ankle figured out but WOW...now the neck? You've had your share already!!
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Well, after he picked his jaw back up from the ground....:rotfl: He said that he was amazed. The neck has been a problem for years now, it is just progressively getting worse. We have been watching it,:skep: But it has decided to move to a new level! "Personally, I think it is jealous of my knees and ankles getting ALL the attention, so it has decided to get in on the "fun!":heehee:
 
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What to do? I am really getting discouraged. Today I am 14 weeks post op and my ROM is stuck at 114. I worry that I am going to grow scar tissue again. You remember one day about a month ago there was a big POP when I was doing assisted backward lunges at Physical Therapy, but no more pops since then. I can still pedal the bike at Physical Therapy with the seat a bit higher than it should be and with a little catch in my ankle where my toe points down for a short second because I cannot pedal yet with my foot flat on the pedal. When do I need to start getting worried? Remembering that at 114, I am bending it with all I've got and does not feel to great doing it. Today I took one pain pill before going to Physical Therapy, hoping that it would help. If anything it made me relax a little more when trying to bend my knee. That is the first pain pill I've had in a while. Any ideas anyone?
 
@RunA42K;
Patience*Patience. You are a veteran of knee replacements so think back to all the advice you have read and given to others. I'm sorry you had to go through a revision, but you know in your own experience that it's going to take time. I don't have any insights about scar tissue/adhesions, but I suppose that is nothing one can control ...remember the serenity prayer.

Now, if you have 114 flex at 14 weeks that is something that can be looked at as a glass half full. I see no reason why you can't cycle with that level of flexion. If need be, for a road/mountain bike you can go with shorter crank arms until flexion increases. If you see no regression from 114, I think you will eventually gain back some flexion. My experience is that time helps and I hope this is your reality.

I really messed up with my 2nd TKR. And, whether it was caused by my stupidity of overdoing too early or a bad Rx for a separate medical issue...I still do not know...probably a mix of both. Things went so very well early on that I suppose I became overconfident. I went from nearly 120 flex at 5 weeks to less than 100 around 8 weeks. Even after therapy at 16 weeks I only made it back to 108 w/as lots of assistance from my PT. Now, at 11 months I'm getting close to where I was at 1+ months. But, I feel like I'm getting better gradually. I wish I could get the 130+ I had before the 2nd TKR, but I can walk fast, cycle, snowshoe...lots of stuff for which I am grateful. I hope your path is even better and shorter.
 
@trailspud Thank you for the pep talk. I really don't think that I have been overdoing, so I don't know why I am not progressing. I know that as long as I don't don't go backwards, then that is a step in the right direction, but yes I am impatient because with my first TKR, I was at 124 at 12 weeks, and that was with a lousy first RTKR.

I see that you will be one year in April, so you are still gaining ROM even now?
 
Yes. I'm still getting a little bit more flex as time passes. I have not measured since last summer, but my gym
has some new spin bikes and I have been able to drop the seat about 2.5 inches since late last fall..got an inch this past month. I just quit trying to get more bend for a few months and it's gradually coming on its own.

Now, if I had not had the knee blow up at 8 weeks out, I think I would have 135+. But, that really doesn't help me do anything I want to do. 115 gives enough to cycle and walking requires far less. You'll get there. Enjoy what you can do now and everything new or better that comes along.

Cheers.
 
Bonnie,
I agree with trailspud, you need more patience, and to give it time for ROM to return. Campervan got her ROM back over a long period of time, patience patience.
Sorry I am being so repetive, but time is needed to heal. You are still early in your recovery, 3 months. Easy does it.:friends:
Just because you can, does not mean you should!
 
Without any progress in ROM this week, just holding steady with what I gained last week - I am taking 5 days off. No Physical Therapy until Monday, 5 days from now. I am hoping that the rest will make a difference. If it does not then I am really going to get worried. Worry about scar tissue...

On a lighter note, tomorrow is my birthday...lucky 13th of March or maybe not so good cause I will be a year older. All I want for my birthday is to bend my knee :martini: I'll drink to that!
 
Happy Birthday! March 13th is one of my favorite days of the year. My oldest turns 24 tomorrow. On this night in 1990, no sleep, but of course my wife had the real chore. My part was easy.

Relax and enjoy that birthday drink. Time off from PT sounds like a good idea at this time. Have a 2nd drink. :)
 
Happy early birthday Bonnie!

I'm sorry you're upset about your ROM, I know how the lack of patience thing goes but I think it's one of those grass is always greener things. I have the ROM, I just can't walk for more than 5 minutes without my knee blowing up and being hugely stiff and painful. You can walk long distances and do pretty much what you want (aside from pedal, which I know you really want to do) without much pain or swelling at all. I think I'd probably switch places with you if given the chance......
 
@DogLoverx3 Hi Ellen, thank you so much for your reply. Yes, I am lucky I can walk and be on my feet a long time and my knee does not hurt or swells very little. I was more like you with my first TKR, I had good ROM by now but my knee was always swollen, always hurt. When I feel so much better than the first time, I just expect more of myself. I know that all knees do not follow the same path. You are right in that its better to be pain free which for the most part I am. Before my revision I could not even walk to the end of my driveway to get the mail and I had NO ROM...maybe about 72 degrees at best. No now I can walk and pedal a bike indoors with some effort but I would really rather be the way I am now than the way I was before. I looked back into my thread (its very long) but I did find that it took me 6 1/2 months to get to 135 the first time. I am just holding on to that thought!
 
@trailspud ...Small world, so you have a lucky #13 also. As it turns out, 13's run in my family...for the girls anyway. My sister, February 13, me March 13, my daughter September 13, my Mom November 13. Obviously we view 13 as our lucky number!! I will relax and have that birthday drink or two tomorrow, maybe a little Tex Mex out with a Sangria Margarita! Besides wanting more ROM for my birthday I asked for some 20 pound dumbbells and some mirrors for the wall in my workout room. That way I can make sure that I am doing my wall squats evenly and not favoring my TKR leg. Not too much to ask for...Thank you for the birthday wishes!!
 
You have me beat with all those 13s! On this night I always recall the miracle of a firstborn 24 years ago. My wife was in labor for hours and hours from before midnight until just after 6 a.m. when I sort of abandoned her so enchanted with my baby girl. Typical first time dad I was to the max.
 
Hi all, it's been a few days since I've been on here, or at least on my own thread. I've not had any Physical Therapy since Tuesday...today is Saturday. I'll not go again until Monday. I have gone to work (not today) and spend time on my feet and off, I don't have to stand for 5 hours or even close. At home I've been icing and elevating and I'm hoping I can see some ROM progress come Monday afternoon.

Today we went out and bought a new mattress, I'm excited about it! It is a king size TempurPedic that has two individual top mattresses, like two twins together. What is great about it is I can adjust my side to sleep with my legs elevated...knees above heart and my husband can do his side anyway he wants. So when ever I am on my back sleeping or just resting I will be elevating. Gees I wish I would have had this right when I had my surgery. I am confident though that it's still going to help my knee. It will be delivered this coming Tuesday.

Also today we signed a contract and gave the down payment to have our swimming pool (in ground) built in our back yard. We'll have to go through several weeks of mess but by the end of April, maybe earlier I'll be in my own pool doing water therapy for my knee. The house that we moved from last Spring, we had our own pool there and with the first TKR I was able to bend my knee way more in the pool than on dry land. So two exciting things today!!!

Kids are coming over tomorrow to celebrate my birthday. Pizza, cookie cake, and presents!!!
 
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