TKR New brand new Knee

[referee54]

Most muscles need some downtime in between exercises and PT to really recover. You cannot push the body constantly without some rest time.

Excellent point. Even Olympic athletes or professional athletes (now, what is the difference?) take time off to allow their bodies to rest and recover from exercise.

 

[referee54]

I think I will be satisfied with a slower recovery than he will like, or even less flexion than he wants.

Slower and gentler will get you where you will want to be; I bet, by the time you are finished with everything, you will be surprised at how good your ROM is.

My two new knees are at about 130* or so---not great, and certainly what not my tow "OEM" knees could do when I was younger and catching in baseball.

BUT---my two new knees are good enough to do whatever I want them to do now, and I am sure that your new knee will meet or exceed your requirements, too.

 

[tmwillia]

Oh, goodness, I didn't mean to sound so hostile. It's just that I feel so bad for you !
Please take care and I know you will do what is best for you.
Just give yourself time to heal, ok?
Best to you!

I never thought you sounded hostile. Just like somebody who cares. I am making a new effort not to keep on whining. I have to accept responsibility for not finding out more about recovery and asking my OS what his expectations would be. My knee before surgery had gotten bad enough to have me eating pain meds for the last 7 months and sitting on my butt nearly always. I had developed a home program of taking two Vicodin, then gardening for a couple hours then curling up in a ball till i could take more Vicodin. I thought the worst part of a new knee would be the incision pain. Ha! THAT'S never hurt a bit. I should have done my homework then I wouldn't have been so horrified.



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[ema8447]

Hi there tmwillia!

Wanted to check in and see how you're doing and let you know that my progress continues - as yours will too!! I'm at 8-1/2 months now. I'm happy to report that over the last few says, I've helped stack a couple of face cords of wood, raked a BUNCH of leaves, have been carrying laundry baskets up and down a LOT of stairs (my house is a quad level), walk to and from the parking structure to my office (no small feat) and just generally getting my life back!! And guess what? I'm going in for surgery on my second knee in 29 days. If I can do it, so can you. I'm watching and cheering for you

 

[referee54]

I am making a new effort not to keep on whining

Don't worry about it---whine, vent, rant all you want; we have all been there, and we will be here for you, too!

 

[tmwillia]

Hi there tmwillia!

Wanted to check in and see how you're doing and let you know that my progress continues - as yours will too!! I'm at 8-1/2 months now. I'm happy to report that over the last few says, I've helped stack a couple of face cords of wood, raked a BUNCH of leaves, have been carrying laundry baskets up and down a LOT of stairs (my house is a quad level), walk to and from the parking structure to my office (no small feat) and just generally getting my life back!! And guess what? I'm going in for surgery on my second knee in 29 days. If I can do it, so can you. I'm watching and cheering for you

Thats terrific. I know you will do great for wheel #2. I'll be keeping me eye on you.


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[tmwillia]

Oh my gosh you are only 3 weeks! That is crazy how they are treating you! At 3 weeks I think I was around 80 and now yesterday they got me to 97 and I am 6 weeks now. It just takes time for some of us. I go to pt 2 times a week and do my exercises once or twice a day. I can't believe you are being pressured at only 3 weeks!! I go to my os this Thursday I sure hope he doesn't give me any grief :(

I would love to hear what your OS says to you. Has he (or she) ever indicated where he thought you SHOULD be? I know i've mentioned about the brace I will be getting to increase my flexion and perhaps to amuse any sadist in my medical group, and I can't help but wonder how commonly it is being used. I will look for your future posts and I hope you continue in the direction you are going.


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[knees]

6 weeks today and I saw my os. He said I'm doing great and he was happy with my progress I'm so relieved since my rom is 95-97 and extension is 8. I thought for sure he would mention a mua..so happy he didn't!

 

[leejaa]

Fantastic. I am sure you will get there slow and steady. Have a great day tomorrow. Lee

 

[maggie may]

Brilliant!!! I knew you were doing well!!!

 

[tmwillia]

Just wanted to post my progress so far. I've been doing the outpatient PT and practicing the exercises at home 2-3 times. Yesterday was a little better than 3 1/2 weeks and I've finally made it to 85 degrees of flexion. Yay!
I also received my therapeutic hinged knee brace. I wish I knew how to post a picture because it looks like a toy from the Marquise de Sade's closet of horrors. I've only used it twice, not the three times a day ordered. The goal is to crank it to # 3 on the pain scale, and then determine if it can be tightened further every five minutes.

Biggest dilemma is that I contacted the pharmacy for a refill on the Norco I've been taking. They then contacted my OS but apparently did not get approval for the refill. My primary care doctor will not refill it because she didn't write the original order and that is her policy. When I run out completely tomorrow, can I take an Ultram until the OS' office catches up. They've assured me they would make sure I had pain management through this period of rehab, even telling me to stick to a schedule of every 4 hours. Any advice on this?




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[maggie may]

I would definitely take the ultram and if that doesn't work call the OS on call number. They are supposed to be taking care of your pain!

 

[tmwillia]

I did call, this afternoon, but since they don't have office hours on weekends I left a message with their answering service. Unsurprisingly, they haven't called back. I'm wondering if this is a nefarious plot to have me stop taking all the pain meds.


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[tmwillia]

Well, finally got the pain meds sorted out. It was three miserable days trying to do the exercises and wearing and tightening the knee flexion brace. I think I may have broken all the records for crabbiest patient. I finally spoken to the nurse practitioner who insisted she never got the request for refills from the pharmacy and then spoke to the pharmacist who recited the fax number and told me all the times she'd sent the faxed request. Oh well. The nurse practitioner sent a new order to a different pharmacy and told me that at now at 4 weeks post-op she had to change to dosage and schedule to begin the process of weaning me off.
Hopefully the meds will stop least take the edge off so I can sleep at night. I guess I thought if I still had pain, I would be given pain control meds.



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[leejaa]

If you are still having pain and we are all different, you should be getting pain meds for pain control. I am glad you are getting something at least but keep pushing if you have to. You do not deserve to be in pain. Take care. Lee

 

[1ELISEA]

I thought if I still had pain, I would be given pain control meds

One of my questions to my OS prior to surgery, and a suggestion to those in pre-op is to ask what the post op protocol is for pain. It varies from office to office; fortunately I never had to fight to receive pain medication but many on this forum have had to be the squeaky wheel to get the medication needed to control pain.

Have you talked to your general practitioner for pain medication? Often they are more sympathetic and are willing to provide enough medication to help after you explain about the TKR.

 

[chestnc]

I so agree with Lee regarding pain and discomfort. No one who is post op should have to suffer n pain. I saw my Ortho surgeon 4 weeks post-op. Before I left the office, he asked me if I was okay with pain medication. I told him I was and I had been to my pain management doctor. He said okay. I had called the office my first week home post op because I needed pain medication to be pumped up. He called in 5 days of Percocet until I could get the hard copy script for more pain medication. I was on Nucenta in the hospital which was holding me but after being home one day was not holding me. Whenever i am in pain i am calling some doctor to write me a script for something. It is very difficult for me to tolerate pain.

 

[Mazza]

When I went back for my 14 day post op check, the PT also told me to do exercises every hour. That just isn't happening as I need to rest and know full well how much I can do with the TKR in my own way and at my own pace. I'm now a convert to believing in the fact that my leg has been cut about internally like being hit by a lorry and I am going to let the healing take place before pushing myself to do more than I comfortably can.
Take care of you and only do what you can emotionally and physically cope with.
Best wishes - you'll get there, but not quickly as I am resigned to now

 

[earlybirds13]

Hi this person has not had the surgery, i had my right knee done the week before you my flex was 91% this morning and my friend done on the same day was 95% , we are both doing well and walking nearly normal , dont let this person bully you ,all at once it will start to bend, mal .

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[GimpyGal]

How are you doing today? We share the same surgery date so I'm following this thread and your progress closely. I am doing well with my ROM, but I actually went into surgery with a knee in pretty good shape, if that makes any sense. I was still active and had good muscle tone - I just couldn't stand the pain anymore and could not wait.

Both my surgeon and I believe I have a very low tolerance to pain. I told him that's a fact we have to work with, and I'm proud of putting it right on the table like that, for he's tried very hard to address my pain issues.

We are still both in that 'I'll never do this again, ever!' stage. And, I think I will be until this knee feels like my own. I don't think there's anything unusual in that. I'm still emotional, not sleeping, and my pain is never '0" even at rest and on ice. I have the butt cheek, lower back, pain down the leg issues, too. :( No matter what my ROM is, I would not consider a manipulation this early, no matter what my surgeon recommended. I've no reason to not trust my surgeon, but after reading here, I just don't believe in that window of opportunity.

I just wanted to say I completely understand how you want to follow your surgeon's advice over the advice of 'strangers on the Internet'. I've been fighting that, too. But, BoneSmart isn't just some site of random, ignorant people giving out (mis)information. It is well monitored by people who have been there and done that, and people who have worked in orthopedics. It's a caring community with years of combined experiences of what works and what doesn't. This is not Ask.com or Yahoo Answers!

Still, it's been hard for me to pull back a bit on the PT, because I report to my doctor in person, and pay him the big bucks. I'm sure you feel the same conflict, but I'm learning more about listening to my body from here, than I do from my OS.

Hang in there. Be kind to yourself.