new knee

[dovcar2000]

Hi ...I am new here also and I am in my 4th week of a left knee replacement....
I have found this site to be so helpful towards my understanding of my pain.
I am struggling with the tightness also . Thank you for the suggestion about the dog leash to help pull your leg back. I have been struggling with that one at home.
Today I was told I have a ROM of 89 compared to 63 when I came home from the hospital.
This is a great room...thanks to everyone...

 

[JudyS]

Re: 4 weeks on - doing good

dovcar2000
welcome to bonesmart. I am a hippy(hip replacement in June), but am kind of heading to the knee side.
I am having a knee scope next week.

Good Luck in the continued healing, sounds like you are doing great so far.
Judy

 

[Josephine]

dovcar, I have moved your post into a thread of it's own so you don't derail the other poster's thread. Hope you don't mind.

Welcome to BoneSmart!

 

[shutterbug]

Hi;
You will find that ROM will come faster now.at 4 weeks I was at 85-90. and at today
at PT I was 110. I made sure I had some pain meds in me before I stretched.I think that really helped me do the extra. Good luck... and keep up the good work. The ROM will come.
chuck

 

[dovcar2000]

Thanks for your support.........it will soon be 5 weeks since the operation and I am finding that I can bend it a bit more plus I am down to only 2 pain pills a day........now considering I thought I was going to die 5 weeks ago from the pain I am truly amazed at my progress...lol
I found what helped me to sleep at night was one pain pill and one gravol pill (now the ones in Canada are stronger then in the States),,,,this combination allowed me to sleep pretty good at nights and I also put a gel pack under my sore knee. That seemed to cushion the knee.
Also we have a 3" Memory Foam on the bed so all of this did help to give me relief.
Hope this information will help someone new just starting their journey....hugs Carol

 

[SportHog]

Hi Carol:
It does take time to get the ROM. I posted this same information to Gayle and it might be helpful for you.
I believe the exercise bike was one of the most beneficial tools in my recovery. As others have said, I could only rock the pedals at a high seat height for awhile but eventually could make it around (forward and backward) and then reduced the seat height. My PT did not believe in inflicting pain and used a number of approaches including muscle stimulation, ultrasound, magnetics, Acupuncture, heat and massage. Although my RTKR was a bit slow in responding, it did improve with time and a manipulation while I was under for my LTKR. Hang in there!!
Where are you located? I am in Kanata (west Ottawa).
Cheers, Ross

 

[Josephine]

I am a GREAT fan of memory foam! Wonderful stuff!

 

[Gretchendz]

Another BIG vote for memory foam....

Even though we had it, for some reason I didn't think to put it on my downstairs "sick bed" when I had my RTKR in April...I didn't sleep through the night for about 7 weeks at least.

Then for my LTKR in October I got smart and put a 3 inch memory foam topper on the same bed....It only took about a week before I could sleep through the night and was SO MUCH more comfortable on the knee right from the start.

 

[Josephine]

I have a 1" topper on my bed and a 2" on my settee (under a throw). But I've ordered a 3" to go on my bed and may put it on top of the present one. Mmm! 4" - what bliss!

Have a friend who is somewhat large, had pressure sores on her 'never mind' which showed a great reluctance to heal. So I got her a 4" memory foam cushion for her birthday and voila! .... sores healed within about 3 weeks!

 

[dovcar2000]

Hi Carol:
It does take time to get the ROM. I posted this same information to Gayle and it might be helpful for you.
I believe the exercise bike was one of the most beneficial tools in my recovery. As others have said, I could only rock the pedals at a high seat height for awhile but eventually could make it around (forward and backward) and then reduced the seat height. My PT did not believe in inflicting pain and used a number of approaches including muscle stimulation, ultrasound, magnetics, Acupuncture, heat and massage. Although my RTKR was a bit slow in responding, it did improve with time and a manipulation while I was under for my LTKR. Hang in there!!
Where are you located? I am in Kanata (west Ottawa).
Cheers, Ross

Hi Ross....I have not gotten to the bike yet but I am sure I will soon......my PT does not mind giving me pain at all as she says the harder I work at it and the faster --I will get better results. Did the heat and massage help you and what kind of heat did they use??
I live near Collingwood and I also have a son and family in Ottawa on the other side of you heading towards Rockland.
One thing with all of this snow we have had in the last 4 weeks it makes it really hard to even get out for a tiny walk.
Have a great day and again thanks for the tip...hugs Carol

 

[SportHog]

Hi Carol:
I don't recall what the heat source was. It may have been something that was microwaved and then wrapped around the knee. My kneecap was very tight and he used it prior to massaging the area to loosen it up. OK on Collingwood and son and family in Ottawa. Temp. was -20C here this morning.
I can't wait till February when we will have a trip to Florida.
Cheers, Ross

 

[dovcar2000]

Hi Everyone...well today was my session with my physio and she made me ride the bike for the second time and low and behold I got the whole leg around...once ....then she made me do it for two min. but we where both really excited as I am only 5 weeks post op....
Also she measured my ROM and it was 95 up from 63 when we started 4 weeks ago.
I go tomorrow to see my surgeon and have X-rays done so hopefully he will be as pleased as we where.
So for the newbies....hang in there as it will happen for you...Carol

 

[Doug]

Hey Ross, we might be having a cold wave in Feburary. It generally drops to the 40's and 50's then..