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

[Randi]

Blood pressure varies for lots of reasons..great to check it out but don't worry !

 

[Celle]

Now I have something else to worry about. Yesterday I went to the doctors because I've been feeling tired again. I know my hemoglobin was low after surgery but I wasn't given transfusion. In the earlier stages of my recovery I've taken Ferograd C iron tablets and I seemed to get my energy back. This time I thought I should get checked out properly.

She measured my blood pressure and it was 170/100. She's concerned! Now waiting for results of a bunch of blood tests. She asked me if I'd ever had high blood pressure before, so I told her it had been erratic when I was in hospital.

Is it possible this is still reaction following surgery?

Hi Margaret,

Sorry to hear about this latest bump in the recovery road!

I went through something similar about 2 years ago. Although I was feeling perfectly fit, a routine check showed that my BP was 180/110. Shock, horror! It took me a while to come to terms with this but, with medication, the BP is again within normal limits. I'm no longer at increased risk of having a stroke.

Unfortunately, for many of us an elevated BP is part of aging. As my husband says, "Growing older is great - it's just the side effects I hate!"

Good luck with getting it sorted.

Celle

 

[aretha]

Hi Margaret, I too was a person did not suffer blood pressure problems before my surgery, but since having my TKR and at a regular check I had similar readings to yours. She immediately put me on tablets to lower my blood pressure, and it has worked. The only problem being that I need to spend a penny much more often, so breaks when shopping are part of the norm now, and the first thing I find out when out in a shopping mall is where are the loos!!!

However, my readings are now normal, and I believe that I have to cary on taking the tablets (albeit the lowest dosage) for the rest of my life. Things could be a lot worse, so I are really thankful for small mercies.
Take care, and I hope you get everything resolved, it does take some time though and my patience levels are so much better now.

Bye for now xx

 

[Campervan]

Morning ladies, thanks for your support and sharing your personal experience. It does help to know others have experienced the same thing..

Blood tests came back - hemoglobin at upper level, iron mid normal range, thyroid ok but sugar wonky showing pre diabetes. I knew about that one already and I have 3 blood relatives with Type 2. This coming Wednesday I have to have a 24 hour blood pressure monitor to check what that's doing.

The knee - well no improvement there. Still struggling to lift up straight (extensor lag), still stiffens if straight or bent for too long. ROM 110 last measure. Still doing exercises to try to improve. I don't take much medication now, maybe one Voltaren 25 or two paracetemol a couple of times a week.

 

[skigirl]

Margaret,

I doubt this is surgery related. It is not uncommon for high blood pressure to show up at this age. I am sorry if that is true and I am glad to tell you that there are many, many meds you can take to lower it. I myself have had high cholesterol since menopause and have controlled it with medications.

Good luck--it is a good thing that you had this checked out. K

 

[skigirl]

Margaret I just read where you are struggling with the straight leg lifts. One of the things my pt uses is a 5 lb coffee can (sorry, metrically challenged American). He empties it, covers it with a towel, which we tapes on it.

Then, when you lie down, you put the can under your knee and lift the bottom portion of your leg while keeping the knee on the can.

This works on that last bit for the leg raise.

Also, do leg raises with foot straight up and with foot pointed to the side. The latter works the VMO muscle which is part of your quads. K

 

[Campervan]

Hi Kelly, yep I do those and have been since day 2 post op - well I was supposed to do them from then but they were just too painful so I'd do 3 or 4 and then stop. It was about 3 weeks before it was discomfort and not outright pain. I do them with a rugby ball and a towel on top so about the same height as an empty 10kg coffee tin! Sorry couldn't resist doing the conversion, its the Accountant in me. My surgeon has now told me to stand against a wall, feet pointing forward and maybe 6 inches (woops back to imperial measurement) apart and squat down wall but only in the range that the quads are just trying to work - so trying to make then hold on.

 

[skigirl]

Margaret, I am still laughing at the conversion. it is even worse since I have spent a lot of time traveling in Europe and S, America. I was pretty good at one point---but we did ask ourselves questions like--how many is that really?

I met a N. American in Costa rica who kept saying "their dollars" and "Our dollars" for the local currency, which made us laugh.

But, after two years of traveling, I really only knew how much something
cost after I had converted it into US dollars!!

The mini wall squats you are doing are a good exercise--in pt, we had to hold them for 30 seconds--which is a lot longer than you would think!! K

 

[Campervan]

Oh boy, wrong way round - doubled it instead of halfing. Ah well 2.5 kg tin of coffee should do it!!! 10kg tin would be a tad too big!!!!!

I tried a bunch of things for leg raises before settling on the rugby ball. I had a blanket rolled up with towel on top, glass flower vase but that frightened me in case it broke, wicker basked but bits of that kept breaking off. All our buckets at home were too big and we don't drink instant coffee. Didn't think of a 4litre paint tin - that'd probably work.

Local skifield opened last Saturday,
I doubt I'll get up there this season. Ah well, there's always next year.

 

[skigirl]

Just hearing "local ski field opened on Saturday" released a tide of longing for me!! Ohhhhh

Thanks for the metric lesson- I think I can remember to half it---soon I will be talking in clicks!

Margaret, what does your doc have to say about this pain? I think you need another appt with him or someone else.

Do you see a pt about your quads? My pt sold me a little portable e-stym unit--I think it cost $50. It seems like something like that would help your muscles wake up so that you could ski this winter/summer. It must be so annoying to have that muscle defy your attempt. I think it is time for professional help. Even one appt with a pt to give you a better idea of how to go forward. Kel

 

[Campervan]

Thanks Kelly. I look up to the skifield from my lounge window but have accepted I can't go up yet. Today's good! - its foggy so I can't see it.

I saw surgeon 3 weeks ago and he was very thorough (post is earlier). One part of the quad is weak. I see physio every 2-3 weeks for review, measure and massage of muscles. All helps.

The really isn't pain as such, just being stubborn and only improving very very slowly. I very rarely take any pills.

The new strength exercises for quads are working, but again slowly. I can walk up and downstairs much easier now. Tension is going up on my exercycle now and I think I'll start going to our local pool and walk backwards up the lazy river.

 

[skigirl]

Margaret, i did go back and read your posts--sorry, old age cannot remember a thing. Is it your extension that is the problem?

I am surprised at the number of folks who struggle with extension. but, that is the place that scar tissue usually starts.

In your case, you seem to be improving slowly which is the way I am working right now with the left leg. I always feel better when I get out of the water, I am not sure why I don't go there more often. Kelly

 

[Campervan]

Hi Kelly

Extension = 0
Flex = 110
Extensor lag about 3inches

Thanks for your support

 

[skigirl]

Margaret, thanks for the info. I also had extensor lag with my first tkr. I thought at the time that it had been a little loose and that explained that lag to me. I will tell you how it goes with this knee, which has a thicker poly insert and so is actually more stable.

I don't know Margaret---I think you might get up there to ski on a sunny day with no stress on a the easy blue runs. It would perk you up! K

 

[Campervan]

Hi Kelly, sure would perk me up. Coronet Peak at the moment tends to be in the shade most of the day as it faces south (think your north!). By mid July the sun has lifted enough during the day for it to be in the sun. So two months from now is August so maybe, just maybe on a nice bluebird day....... there's a great blue run called Sarah Sue where no "punters" go so nice and safe from being bowled over by the out of control little whatevers. Sarah Sue does have a wee steep bit the last 200 yards or so.

broken link removed: https://www.nzski.com/coronetpeak/trailMap.jsp Its the one way over to the left of the picture

I think tomorrow I'll definitely go walk backwards up the lazy river at the pool. By backwards, I don't mean walk backwards I mean against the flow of the river!

 

[skigirl]

I suppose it makes total sense, but I never thought of the fact that south is north in the lower hemisphere. and I was in that hemisphere for over a year!!

I crossed the equator in Ecuador headed south and crossed again in Uganda, headed north. My daughter was born in Nairobi, Kenya, so I was distracted!! But, really !!

The pictures you sent look wonderful. some instructors from my school went to New Z to a place called Fukapapa--it really did sound like that!!! They loved it and were so happy to ski the 12 months. We cannot travel like that--my husband's heart and back cannot take long travel. So, for now, I am here in the most beautiful place in the west!! Kelly

 

[Campervan]

Whakapapa. Its a volcano. Gets deep snow but gets winds and has lots of rocks but man on a good day its awesome if you can put up with half hour wait for a TBar that gives a 5 minute run. Its in the North Island on Mt Ruapehu along with Turoa skifield. Best field in NZ in my opinion is Treble Cone which is 90 minute drive from here. Coronet Peak follows a close second and is only 20 minute drive so from driving out of garage to getting on lift is less than half an hour.

 

[aretha]

Hi Margaret,

Walking backwards in the pool certainly did it for me. The sideways, forwards as fast as possible, and even the squats in the water felt great.

Good luck and hope you keep on improving,I did!!

 

[pmonroe]

I can't wait to get to the therapy pool. They told me I could go when my steri strips came off. The last one came off last night. However, there are a couple of places where the incisions doesn't look totally healed. So I don't know whether to go or not.

 

[skigirl]

It is better to wait until the wound is completely healed. If there is any opening at all, it is a potential infection.

My doc--asked "is it a public pool"--I just stared at him--who has an indoor pool in Montana!!!! Of course it is public. He told me to wait until the scabs are off and everything is totally healed--it was more than four weeks. Kelly