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TKR New knee 30th October 2012 - Age 34

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Shelly, I had an MUA at 2months post op. I dreaded it. I put everything I had into my therapy sessions, but still couldn't make the magic number. I think the number was 105 but I can't be sure. I could barely make 95 with pressure. So I had the dreaded MUA. It was totally painless and I was asleep for less than 30 min. I was in recovery longer than that simply due to hospital policy. I left the hospital, had a light lunch then went directly to a therapy session, doctor's orders. I had therapy every day that week, then the following week I was back to 3 times a week. I reached 110 ROM about 2 weeks ago. I definetely could feel a difference after the MUA. I did not feel the brick wall as I called it, whenever I could not bend past a certain point. Instead, I could feel the muscles actually give with a sort of spongy feeling. So I'm hoping you will have the same experience, if it's decided that you need an MUA. Oh, also, I hadn't been able to ride the stationary bike except for a rocking motion. 1 week after the mua i was riding without difficulty! It was one of my biggest goals before I had the surgery. My next goal is reaching 120. I am determined.
 
Shelly, I know you are anxious to get where the doctor wants you to be, but please do keep reminding yourself that you are still early in the recovery process AND you had to deal with that awful therapy early on. That set you back. Even if your surgeon wants to do an MUA, you have the right to tell him you'd like to work on it yourself a bit longer. Don't let him tell you there is some "window" of time where it will no longer be possible.

Have you looked at the exercises for extension in the BoneSmart Library? Here is a link. Try this and I think you'll see your extension improving in a couple of weeks. Extension is the most difficult part of recovery, so you really have to be patient with it.

It may be too soon for you to go back to work too. We usually recommend 10-12 weeks normally. So don't be surprised if it takes a lot out of you. If you do return, don't try to do that PLUS therapy and other home activities or errands. Just work will be more than enough for a while.
 
Unfortunately due to finances I don't have much choice about going back at 4 weeks. STD only pays 60% and I'm not lucky enough to be ok at that level. I am starting at 4 hours a day though so at least I am starting slowly. I will be doing PT in the evening because I really feel it helps me. However, if I start working and it is too rough on me then I will have to cut back again until I can handle it.

As for the MUA, I think I will push it off as long as I can as long as I am progressing. If I stop progressing then I will think more about it. I went to the cane instead of the walker today to see how I would do. I was slower but did ok so I think I will stick with the cane unless it gets worse again. I will keep you all posted!
 
Shubbles said:
Unfortunately due to finances I don't have much choice about going back at 4 weeks. STD only pays 60% and I'm not lucky enough to be ok at that level. I am starting at 4 hours a day though so at least I am starting slowly. I will be doing PT in the evening because I really feel it helps me. However, if I start working and it is too rough on me then I will have to cut back again until I can handle it.

As for the MUA, I think I will push it off as long as I can as long as I am progressing. If I stop progressing then I will think more about it. I went to the cane instead of the walker today to see how I would do. I was slower but did ok so I think I will stick with the cane unless it gets worse again. I will keep you all posted!
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There are many people who chose to opt out of the MUA and continued to gain ROM. :)
 
I think there needs to be a betting game as to how many times I wake up in the night and why. So far I have had a pill time and a pee time that is a bonus pain time too. And I have only been asleep 2 hours!!! And this is after having a stupid, no good reason cry. Ugh. Let's try this again. :gaah:
 
When I was having trouble sleeping, (or actually I think it was the nurses at the rehab center who thought I had trouble sleeping,). Because my shy self would chat until 2 or 3 in the morning! Anyway, they gave me Ambien and it was lights out. :rotfl:
 
Shubbles said:
I think there needs to be a betting game as to how many times I wake up in the night and why. So far I have had a pill time and a pee time that is a bonus pain time too. And I have only been asleep 2 hours!!! And this is after having a stupid, no good reason cry. Ugh. Let's try this again. :gaah:
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Oh, Shubbles, this made me smile: I think I'll use your "bonus pain" term from now on. It does get better, though: I'm down to waking up only once or twice a night for one or the other of your reasons. I figure I'll start sleeping thru the night about the time I go in for my RTKR in January and the whole Insomniac Theater shenanigans start again. And I'm hoping your wake-ups are more about pee time than bonus pain time really soon!
 
Well, this is it. Tomorrow I start back at work part time. I will be there for 4 hours a day until I feel ok enough to go back full time. I am a little nervous because I already know what is on my plate and they loaded me up this week already. I told them it would be a slow start back but since I am the only one who can do my job and I haven't been there to do it for 4 weeks they felt they needed to have all the deadlines be for this week. I have a feeling that I will be working 4 hours there, coming home to rest an hour and then working from home for several hours a day. This is going to be a rough week. Especially with the emotional rollercoaster I have been on. It's been hard enough holding it in without the stress of work. So, 4 weeks minus a day from surgery, lets see if I can make it through a week. Wish me luck! :beg:
 
Good luck, Shelley! I hope you can ice & elevate your knee occasionally while you're at work! I hope it all goes well!
 
Good Luck Shelly. Seems an awful lot to me at 4 weeks. Be kind to yourself and that knee and dont let it harm your recovery so far.
 
I was lucky in that I got full pay when off. 4 weeks is really early but if it has to be, it has to be. Can you ice and elevate at work? Change position often? And take painkillers. Do nothing else when you get home but look after yourself.
I can remember going to bed at night just wishing to sleep till morning...but I d waken after a couple of hours ..and the night seemed endless. It DOES get better, eventually! Patience is hard to practice
 
Good Luck at work today! I hope you didn't suffer because of them needing you to make deadlines! That is a lot of stress by itself, and did I hear you correctly? You are going to rest for an hour and tackle the work again?! Think about needing your energy for the office. It will totally drain you if you try to do work in the evenings also.
 
Well, I made it through the first half day back to work. I didn't have much pain, but I swelled up horribly. I iced it for an hour and put it on a pillow on top of a box but I guess that wasn't high enough because it swelled all the way up. I could barely bend it by the time I left, which of course was an hour past when I was supposed to leave. They have me loaded up with work so I fear it will be a long week. I did bring some work home with me but have decided I will work on it in the evening while my leg is propped up. For now, Iam just resting. I tried to take a nap but I just don't feel tired enough so I am laying here watching a very stupid movie. I have PT at 6pm and I hope the swelling will go down before then.
 
Shelly, I work from home, we have a dairy farm and I do the books. I think I went right back to work after the first few days and tried to prop my foot up while sitting at the desk. It helps, but is not good enough. Finally I just brought the work down to my recliner and made a desk on my lap. That way I could use my polar ice machine and have big pillows under my legs. So if you could do that from home, maybe you could get more done that way. Just set up everything around you. I had an end table and a tv tray and everything piled up on there. Be careful.
 
I actually did work from home after the first week, but some of the work I do has to be based on the client files which I cannot take home for more than a day so I can take it over night but then I need to get it back to the office. That is the part of the job that makes me have to be at work again. Otherwise I could continue working from home for longer. Plus, I counted on other people at work to process paperwork for me while I was away and when I reviewed the paperwork they submitted for me, I had to fix a bunch of it so it was not much help for me at all. Thanks for the idea though!
 
I know what that is like too, when we go to AZ for a couple months in the winter my son takes over the books and I always have to fix things when we get home.
 
Do you need to do pt in there early days at work?
Is it not enough to be at work and rest when you can
 
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