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TKR Now two years post op and still recovering from nerve damage

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Hi, I still have the tight rubber bands at 14 months...Josephine's post describing the reason really made sense...is there anything to do that would help, I wonder??? Medical massage? Yoga?

Sorry if this is a duplicate message...I may not have sent the first one correctly. :rolleyespink:

Thanks, all.

Zelda
 
Aretha, Thank you. Yes, I would accept what I have vs what I had! Bothers me though, that the tight band gets worse with exercise or walking etc. Makes me feel limited, as if I am doing damage. Well, as you say, maybe time will do the trick. I am thinking of trying massage.
Zelda
 
Margaret...one caution with the new shoes. You might want to gradually work up to wearing them for long periods. Just like any "exercise," they put your body in a different alignment, work different muscles and can cause pain if you instantly leap into a full day wearing them. They actually could be at least part of the cause for some of the calf pain you've had lately.
 
Thanks Jamie, a good point. The calf pain had started before I got the shoes, probably at least 2 weeks. It got worse, a day or so before I got the shoes then I went to physio the day after. At the beginning of this week I noticed I was generally much stiffer again, and I had stopped taking the diclofenac a week earlier. So, back on it again and things have eased off, still got the calf pain but no where near as bad.

Jo, the bath was nice but I know what you mean - I'd looked longingly for weeks as I passed the bathroom. I tried, fully clothes and no water in it, maybe 2 weeks ago and I just couldn't do it! Last night hubbie worked out how to get in and out. He told me sit on the side of the bath, put on hand on the opposite site of the bath, move one leg then the other in, still sitting on side of bath, the using arms lower myself down into the water. It worked. Then to get out I used arms again and took all my weight through my bent none TKR knee.
 
Hi Nancy, that thought did cross my mind. Bath was half full and I topped it up once in. Ahhh, it did feel good and with bubble bath too.
 
Thanks for the tips girls, I must try that. Look longingly at the bath, especially after a day in the garden but not sure of being able to lift myself back out again, and aware that I can't turn myself onto my knees. but might try a dry run and try keeping my TKR knee off the bottom if possible, it would be sooo lovely to have a bath sometimes! :thumb:
 
I can get in and out of the bath normally now, but I still do it in the way I devised when my knees were bad.

What I do to get down into the bath - I stand in it and lower myself down with an arm on either side of the bath, take your weight in your arms, the further back in the bath you are, the less your knee has to bend. To get out I swivel around in the bath and lift both of my legs over the side of the bath (so I am like a v shape in the bath), I then put my arms behind me on the other side of the bath (this side is against the wall on my bath) and push myself up until I am sitting on the edge of the bath with my legs on the outside of the bath. It sounds a bit 'contortionist' but it is really easy when you get the hang of it. The only thing to look out for is if you're a bit slippery if you have oil or hair conditioner in the bath and you can slip when you're on the sitting on the side of the bath, but if you're aware of this you can be extra careful.

I used this method three weeks after both of my TKRs and it is bliss to stretch and bend in lovely warm water, I'm convinced that this is the best way to get good extension.
 
I have not had tkr yet, but have a heck of a time getting in and out of the tub, so these tips I will put to use now, and see if it wont help me in the short term. Thanks for the sugestions:wink1:
 
yes, yes yes ......... I can get down on the floor and up again.
 
Nothing like a :bathtub:.
I get in and out pretty similar to what is described in the above posts. Had devised the method before my TKR. That first bath is wonderful.
 
Campervan said:
Well Randi, you are absolutely right that others think we're done with recuperating. I had to talk to my boss at work today and told him I couldn't do the 10 hour days and weekends I usually do in April and May for tax time so he'd have to be a lot more patient, help me prioritise and stop making unnecessary demands on my time. He listened and was great about it all. He even removed a couple of tasks from me onto himself. Glad I opened my mouth as its stopped me stressing (well a little anyway!).
Click to expand...
Great news!:thumb:
 
zeldaquote said:
Hi, I still have the tight rubber bands at 14 months...Josephine's post describing the reason really made sense...is there anything to do that would help, I wonder??? Medical massage? Yoga?
Click to expand...

I think that to some extent different things work for different folks. Deep massage and yoga are both worth a try. I'm doing foam rolling which is kind of like self inflicted massage. A fellow motorcyclist who had a knee replaced about a year before I did said that riding his sport bike seemed to do the most to loosen up his knee.
 
Coming up 4 months post op next weekend, and finally feeling good about things. Physio measured flex at 107 today, which is up a little from the 105 two weeks ago. She did say that when she watched me stretching etc before she measured her "by eye" estimate said 120 so she was surprised at the 107. I do feel I am stronger. Tonight at the end of choir practice somebody said they had forgotten I was recovering as I was now moving around naturally.

So my message to those of you still struggling and getting frustrated - hang in there, it does get better eventually and it is worth it.
 
TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!! (want to kick me now or later?)

Really and truly, Margaret, I am so happy for you that things are coming together so that you can feel that it really was worth it.

Take care & keep up the good work. Judy
 
Ah yes things were going well until today I walked 25 minutes uphill and 25 minutes back down again, with hiking poles as terrain quite steep in places (well it is a skifield). So I've stiffened up tonight and painful in quads again. I don't take anti inflammatory pills anymore so I'll see how it goes and if no better tomorrow morning maybe take some.
 
I would be so sore walking 25 mins. Uphill and then downhill again, and it wouldn't have anything to do with my knees! Making those quads Work! I'm impressed, sore or not!
 
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