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TKR New Left Knee . . . Check!!

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Hi Niki,

I well remember that first backward revolution on the exercise bike - I felt like getting the champagne out. I found that the forward revolution followed very quickly, maybe you start to trust your new knee a bit.

It does feel great getting out and every trip gives you a bit more confidence. At last I had a successful shopping trip last night, I went about 8pm, my husband was working away on business and I was bored and in danger of demolishing anything and everything sweet in the house (which would have included the Christmas sweets) so decided to go shopping. The car park was almost empty so I found my perfect parking spot without having to 'pinch' a disabled spot, the shop was about empty and I didn't have to wait at the checkout. A miracle.

Josephine

I would love to hear about the first TKR and how things have changed. When I was a student nurse I worked on an elective orthopeadic ward and TKRs were very unusual, with not a wonderful result I was led to believe. - sorry I was a bit slow on posting this and you beat me to it!
 
Fascinating Jo - I remember my mum talking about knees in the 80's and saying how dodgy the operation was, judging by her friends' experiences, even then. How far we've come!
 
Jo I think we'd all love to hear about that first knee replacement - it might make us a bit more grateful!:wink1:
 
srn

You gave me a laugh today about struggling to the supermarket and then not even buying anything! :hysterical:
 
Hey Niki I bet you slept really well last night after your pt - gosh what a work out and a long walk too :thumb:
 
Oh Dang!!! Nikki: I share your disappointment but I worry that once you are set free, you may leave the "starting gate" at 60MPH and overdo it. Please take your time. I know that if I were in your situation, I would be so eager to make up for lost time. But my knee tells me to be smart.

I love my bike. I always feel so "well-oiled" after 15 minutes. I originally started my bike workouts at 30 minutes (because that is what I did at the gym before surgery) and wondered why I felt so tight afterwards. Then I reduced the time to 15 minutes and that was a good move.

Take good care of yourself. You have handled one challenge after another with such a good attitude. You are almost there. Now hang on for just a bit longer.
 
srn said:
Josephine, I would love to hear about the first TKR and how things have changed.
Click to expand...
goodasnew said:
Jo I think we'd all love to hear about that first knee replacement - it might make us a bit more grateful!:wink1:
Click to expand...
[Bonesmart.org] New Left Knee . . . Check!!
 
I've been thinking about this for a while but inspired again by your experience Niki and what others say I finally ordered an exercise bike today. It should come next week. I don't think I will be able to do full revolutions to start with. Presumably you start with a five minute session and just build up?
 
Diane,

Good luck with the bike - it should help with range of motion. I found that the best approach for me was watching the Chicago Bears on Sunday while exercising on my recumbent bike ... and two Mint Milano cookies at the end of the session. I haven't reviewed any medical documents that validate the health benefits of the Mint Milanos as of yet, so this is strictly my personal opinion unless the moderators have tasted them and would like to share their thoughts ...
 
Diane,
That's what the PT started me with the other day--five minutes. He told me to work up to 10 minutes if I go to the gym to ride the bike in between PT sessions. Getting a bike is probably a good plan if you're disciplined enough to use it at home. At this point getting to the gym seems in the "too hard to do" category for me. Maybe I just feel that way cause I ate too much at Thanksgiving dinner today and anything more than laying in my bed with my ice and pillows seems like too hard to do! :th_heehee:
Niki
 
Niki.....a tip for you when you go to the gym this early in recovery....ask to see if they have an elevator to get you to the second floor. My gym had one tucked away that I had never noticed before. They need some way to get all that equipment up there and it may be you could use it to save yourself going up and down those stairs.....that would be a whole 'nother workout!!!
 
Also, what the others haven't said yet, have the seat set fairly high and just rock back and forth for a while, maybe a few days. The full rotation will come ultimately and you can celebrate! Often a backwards full rotation comes first! After that, you can start lowering the seat a little bit at a time to get extra flexion. Bikes are ace for flexion!
 
The exercise bikes really work for flexion and the continuous motion seems to really free up the joint. I used one on my first TKR and am using it on my second TKR and am a one notch away from the lowest I could manage with my first TKR (if that makes sense). As everyone has said, rock at first, then try backwards rotation and when you have managed that (and got the champagne out) you will find that the forward rotation comes very quickly (you can also lift up your hip slightly from the seat which makes it a bit easier, I am tall and even on the highest setting it was still a bit of a bend for a full rotation). I haven't used any resistance as yet, so it is only for flexion at present not strengthening yet, but that will come. The seat is far lower than I would ever have it to cycle outside, but I use it for flexion and it works for me.
 
Good morning,

I started using my bike about 2 weeks after surgery. I was shocked when I could get all the way around. I use it every morning for 20-25 minutes and feel it helps lubricate the joint for the coming day. It just feels great to move the knee and have no pain at all, the only time or place this occurs! Wish I had one at work, I would be on it all day!

Dawn
 
Thanks for the tips everyone. I won't be able to watch the Chicago Bears and I don't think we have Mint Milanos over here -probably a good thing! But I will reward myself after five minutes of rocking with a couple of squares of Cadbury's milk chocolate!
 
I did make it to the gym today to get on the bike. I stopped at the pharmacy to get a flu shot first. That took a while. Then over to the gym, where I parked in the handicapped spots, worked my way out of the car, got the crutches out, hobbled to the door (where someone was kind enough to hold it open for me), and got myself in. They do have an elevator, so I took that upstairs. I have never used the bikes at the gym before so I had to get on and off a few times before I got the seat height just right. Kind of difficult to get off and on using mostly just my upper body strength. Finally got the seat right and got started. Still could not make it all the way around--even backward. Pretty close but no dice. I did 15 minutes on the bike. Definitely enough. When I got home I did the other exercises that the PT gave me to do at home, and now I'm icing.

I'm definitely feeling more soreness in my knee now that I'm doing PT and moving it more. The in-home PT that I did for the first five weeks was really nothing compared to what I'm doing now with outpatient PT. My flexion is still not great, so hopefully that will start to quickly improve. As much as I like my new PT, he did mention that dreaded "window of opportunity" for gaining ROM. I decided not to argue with him. :snork: We'll just see how it goes.

Getting around outside the house still wears me out. Six days till I'm walking! :yes 4: Niki
 
One of the things that the PT helped me with concerning the bike at least was to start as high as possible to make the full revolution and then drop one setting after 2 minutes. I agree, it was not fun or easy.

My son, who is an athletic trainer, emphasized that repetitive motion with low pain to no pain is much more important than trying to push yourself through pain. Don't push yourself beyond pain, it's not helping.
 
Harry, I had the seat up as high as I could get it and still reach the pedals at the bottom. I was kind of surprised that I still couldn't get it all the way around. It was pretty much stopping at about the same place that it was on Wednesday at PT. I guess I was expecting some improvement!

I have a question. The PT wants me to be moving my knee cap around as much as possible. It seems to move pretty easily from side to side, but there is not much movement at all up and down. Is that typical??
Niki
 
Niki
I have just caught up on your last 2 weeks.
can't answer the moving of patella - my PT always does it, I ask if it feels normal he says yes - I never asked what normal was lol
GOOD for you for driving! the drive THROUGH! and Out patient PT
I enjoyed catching up on your adventures.
 
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