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TKR New Left Knee . . . Check!!

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I can answer that, Deeden -it doesn't! Mother Nature needs no help from us with healing and neither do our bodies. But if it makes you feel good to be doing something, that's fine. It won't do any harm and most likely the massage will be therapeutic for you!
 
I agree. I don't think the oil does anything for healing, but it does feel good to massage the whole area and the oil makes that easier. I do think, though, that good pressure massage along the incision helps to break up those little lumps of scar tissue that can form, leaving you with a smoother, flatter scar. Just my humble opinion. And Bio-Oil does smell really good!

PT went well yesterday--though long! He measured me, which surprised me cause I thought we weren't doing that till Friday. He only measured flexion. I got to 92 on my own (5 degrees better than it was 5 days earlier) and got to 100 with him helping me (8 degrees better). So he seemed to be pretty pleased with that progress. (There was no mention of the dreaded device!) I still can't get a full revolution on the bike in either direction, but I think I got just a little bit farther yesterday than on Saturday.

I asked him how the transition to walking was going to go on Thursday. The reason I asked that is because on Sunday night I tried to take a step on that leg just to see how it feels, and I felt like there was no way it was going to be able to hold me up! Those muscles are shot! So surprising because I was really pretty fit before my surgery. Anyway, the PT said I'd go to using one crutch, then the cane, then nothing--all of this probably over about a week's time. So yesterday I tried out using just one crutch. It was hard. Man, I'm weak! But I felt like a whole new world had opened up to me with having one hand free to be able to carry things!! I can now get my own coffee and actually carry it to where I want to drink it! I am still leaning pretty heavily on the crutch because I'm trying not to jump the gun and put all of my weight on on the leg yet. Today one crutch is definitely easier. But I think it is starting to aggravate the cervical disc issue that I had going into surgery. The herniated disc finally did settle down and resolve itself, but it took about 13 weeks. I haven't really even thought about it in a couple of weeks because it's felt that good. But last night when I got in bed I could feel twinges of that same pain in my neck and shoulder after walking with the one crutch. I definitely don't want to do anything to cause that to flare up. I may have to go to the cane before I'm really ready. Guess I'll talk to my PT about that tomorrow and see what he thinks.

A huge milestone for me this morning. I walked up and down a full flight of stairs--all 15 of them! Very slow going with one crutch--especially on the way down. My doggie, Abby (a sweet black Lab), sleeps upstairs in my husband's office. He is out of town this week, and Abby was sick last night (throwing up and very listless) so I was worried about her this morning. I didn't want to wait for my son or daughter-in-law to get up to go get her, so I decided to go up and get her myself. It was fine and I was quite proud of myself! And Abby is much perkier and eating like normal this morning. :yes 4:
Niki
 
Hi Niki
That's great news about the stairs! Well done. I bet you are excited and apprehensive about Thursday and walking but I'm sure those muscles won't take long to fire up and start supporting you.
My new exercise bike arrived today and once my son has set it up I will see what I can do. I think it will be great if I can even climb on!
 
Hi Niki,

I know about the cervical disc problems I have had to have 3 fusions (now fused from C4 thru C7), also have the 2 above those ready to go at any time. My surgeon recommended I use a walker instead of crutches because it caused less stress to the neck and shoulders. It worked great, and I felt much more secure than if I had to use crutches. You just might want to give it a try and let your PT knoe about your neck problem, mine designed my exercises so as not the aggrevate mine.

Sounds like you are doing great with ROM 5 degrees is a lot in the short amount of time, and the weakness has to be from just not using your own muscles (actively) for 8 weeks. As soon as you are able to bear your weight and a little bit of walking it should also come back pretty quick.
 
Hi Rose,
Yes, I have a fusion as well at C5/6. The new herniated disc is the one above at C4. That is exactly the reason I have been mainly using only the walker for the past 9 weeks, because I know the crutches are hard on my neck issues. But I need to figure out how to start actually walking. My PT is aware of my neck issues, but I will talk to him about it more tomorrow since I can already tell that after only a day on the one crutch, my disc is acting up. But it is pretty much impossible to get back to walking (with a normal gait) using the walker. That's why I'm thinking I may need to jump right to the cane, but that is tough with a really weak leg. Yet another obstacle to overcome! But even so, I am feeling more optimistic about my recovery. At least I am finally able to start making some noticeable progress!
Niki
 
Diney said:
My new exercise bike arrived today and once my son has set it up I will see what I can do. I think it will be great if I can even climb on!
Click to expand...

Ha, Diane! That made me laugh! You should see me getting on and off the bike. The first time at PT I was helped on, but when the timer went off, I tried to get off by myself. All of a sudden I had about three PTs running over to help me! Guess I looked like I was about to face plant! :th_heehee:
Niki
 
Nine weeks yesterday! Here's what's new: I GOT TO WALK TODAY AT PT!!! I have been using only one crutch pretty much since Monday when the PT told me that's how I'd progress to walking. But, it has definitely been aggravating the disc in my neck. So at PT today I told him about the disc issue and the one crutch. So we discussed using a cane instead. He was holding my crutch while we're talking and then he says, "Okay, walk over to that table." I kind of just looked at him and then I realized he was serious! I said, "Really? You know I haven't walked in 9 weeks." So he helped me to walk to the table, but on the way back he pretty much let go--and I actually took my first steps on my new knee! AWESOME! Kind of hard to put into words what that felt like after all this time. We talked more about using the cane as needed but trying to walk unaided around the house as much as I feel comfortable doing. So I came home and folded up my walker (I will miss you :snork:) and got out my cane. Keeping the crutches nearby for the time being, but will try to use the cane or nothing and see how it goes! I feel like I have been untethered!

So then as the PT is working my knee he starts talking about the "dreaded device" again. I asked him why he's thinking I need that since I made some decent progress over the last few days. He said he just wants me to be perfect, and he wants me to be perfect quickly. Ha! I told him that I'm not in a hurry and as long as I'm making progress, I feel okay about it. I told him I know the swelling is holding me back on flexion. And he said, "Yes, there is some swelling, but it's more than that." He said there's also scar tissue and my apprehension about pushing it too hard. In the end, he agreed to be patient but told me that I need to be working hard at home on my flexion. I did let him push me a little farther today--past discomfort. When we were done I told him, "You know, I let you hurt me today." He said, "Yeah, I know." I think he was happy cause on Monday when he was working on my knee I told him to be careful because he was definitely close enough for me to hit him! :hysterical:
Niki
 
Niki,

You must be sooo excited :yay::yay::yay: now that you are on the move again.

How is the walking going? Just curious, since you seem to be one of the only people on BS that could not use the new knee right away.

Congrats again, but be careful and go slowly, try not to over do.
 
Rose,
It feels GOOD! I am dealing with swelling as we all are, but the walking feels good! I really have to think about not leaning right as I'm so used to putting all of my weight on my right leg--so with the cane, I'm trying to just barely let it touch the floor for balance. My knee does not hurt at all when walking--it is just stiff and tight from the swelling. My leg is definitely weak though. We worked hard in PT today, so hopefully my knee will recover quickly like it did last time. I've been icing and elevating since I got home 3 hours ago.

What has really surprised me is that I don't have much of a limp at all. At least it feels like I don't. Maybe I need to ask someone what I look like when I'm walking!

I have to walk up three steps from my garage into my house, and when I came home from PT I actually walked them foot over foot like a grown up! Don't think I can do that going down though.

I'm so excited! It is hard to be here icing when I want to go WALK AROUND some!
Niki

P.S. Have gotten through the last couple of days on just Tylenol. I've ditched the nighttime hydrocodone, and it seems to be going just fine--even with PT. I'm taking two 500 mg Tylenol every 6 to 8 hours.
 
Hi Niki
Reading your post about walking I can see why you are an editor. You've got a great style of writing! I think you are definitely on your way now and will soon make up for lost ground. Well done!
 
Thank you so much, everyone! It has been an exciting day, I must say! I just got up after icing A LOT and whoa, baby, my calf muscle is screaming at me! Surely a couple of treks around the house is not going to be enough to do me in! (But I did have PT today too. Oh yeah, and I did go up and down 15 steps three times today.) I see a nice hot bath in my future tonight.....
Niki
 
So glad for you Niki!! You have been waiting a long time to walk!! How are you sleeping since you are just taking tylenol? Just wondering because I am still having trouble getting to sleep.

Congratulations!!
 
Carolyn,
My good sleep was definitely coming from the drugs. Now that I'm not taking them, I am back to waking up at least once or twice during the night and having a difficult time falling back to sleep. I usually can fall asleep pretty easily when I go to bed, but then any time from about 2:00 to around 4:30 I seem to wake up and have a hard time getting back to sleep. This is not a new problem for me though. It's not pain related at all. I think it's hormonal. That's why I was so surprised that I was sleeping so well for the first several weeks after the surgery. Wish that would have lasted! :sigh:

I am thinking that I may actually take a hydrocodone tonight because my knee went through a lot of stuff it's never had to handle before today. I definitely have some swelling and some soreness going on. But dang, it was worth it! :snork:
Niki
 
Niki,

When I saw your quote "I got to walk today" the phrase "awesome" was the first thing that came to mind and looking at the rest of the responses other's felt the same way - congratulations - you've been unbelievably patient.

In response to your pt's request for you to be perfect - he must not follow the member's on this forum - the sense of community and caring demonstrated each day by the member's and moderators have convinced me that all contributors are already perfect ...
 
tyncam said:
In response to your pt's request for you to be perfect - he must not follow the member's on this forum - the sense of community and caring demonstrated each day by the member's and moderators have convinced me that all contributors are already perfect ...
Click to expand...

Dale,
I couldn't agree more! I've said it before--I can't even imagine going through this surgery and recovery without the support and caring of everyone on this forum. I'm so thankful that I happened to stumble upon it!

Okay, now I'm feeling some pain. Definitely got carried away today! Just took two hydrocodone. (But I still think it was worth it! :biggrin:)
Niki
 
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