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

[Campervan]

Hi Jo, Yep both are NSAIDs. Just different types. I tend to throw up with Ibuprofen so have always had Voltaren (diclofenac). I've now taken one with my breakfast at 9am and am getting around so much better today. :yes 4:

 

[Jazyb]

Excellent news :yes 4::yes 4::yes 4:

 

[Campervan]

Ahhh, just looking at my scar and notice I'm developing what looks like a blister or hard lump at the very top of the scar. I had dissolving stiches. Any help anybody please?

 

[Hopeful]

I Am also having a lot of tightness in my knees after bilateral replacements on 12/14/11. My PT is really painful. Is it scar tissue and will it ever go away? :hissyfit:

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Ahhh, just looking at my scar and notice I'm developing what looks like a blister or hard lump at the very top of the scar. I had dissolving stiches. Any help anybody please?

Dissolving stitches for me too, much better than staples IMO. I had those too, both knees, still there but going away slowly. No problem, I guess.

I Am also having a lot of tightness in my knees after bilateral replacements on 12/14/11. My PT is really painful. Is it scar tissue and will it ever go away? :hissyfit:

Don't do the PT if it hurts. If your knees are swollen - which I guess they must be - then they will be tight. Yes it goes away slowly -- I'm a week ahead of you, expert I am :th_heehee:

 

[LindaP]

Hi Margaret, I am 8 weeks post op today and yes the tight band feeling is odd, but I do feel it easing off a little this last week or so, I started hydrotherapy in the pool with the phsyio yesterday and will be going twice a week, I have to say it is fantastic if you get the chance to try it, you do squats and extension excercises with floats strapped to your ankle my feet and walking backwards, and sideways etc. They also strapped a flotation device around my waist and I then went in to deep water, so that my feet couldnt touch the bottom and was told to run from side to side, it was a great workout with no hard stress on the joint and afterwards I felt I had really worked but with very little discomfort. I notice a great increase in range of movement since starting this, I was even able to go up and down the stairs into the pool using alternate feet and havent been able to do this for a long time as I couldnt do it before the op either. Keep up the good work and slow and gentle definitely works.

 

[goodasnew]

Welcome to Bonesmart Margaret - glad you decided to join us! Glad you're finding the right meds that work for you now. We're all different and what works for one person won't necessarily do it for someone else.

This is a long recovery, there's no doubt about that, but we'll tag along with you and help if we can!:rolleyespink:

 

[Campervan]

Thanks Linda for hydrotherapy pool suggestion. Our local pool doesn't have hydrotherapy pool but lane pool plus leisure pool with a lazy river. Yesterday somebody suggested to me to walk up the lazy, ie against the flow of the water. Told to do it with somebody else walking in front of me to lessen the flow. I'm seeing physio on Friday, so will ask her about water exercises. Ta muchly.

 

[aretha]

Hi Margaret,

Pool therapy is the best, but be careful about working and walking against the flow of the water especially if it is fast movng water. I do aqua fitness classes 3/4 times each week, and although it was 3 months before I could get into the pool because of a slow healing scar, I had a bad week after walking fairly quickly in a circle clockwise with the other aqua girlies, and then turning quickly and walking anti-clockwise against the flow. It was quite difficult moving against the flow, and my knee was quite painful for days after. My OS said to take it easy and to avoid the moving currents for a while. I left it for another month, and then started again and all was well.

You are much earlier on in your recovery, and I would encourage you to take it easy. Just generally walking up and down the pool, side stepping, and going backwards is the best exercise you can do to begin with. stretching exercises against the side of the pool are also great.

Look forward to hearing about your onward recovery.

 

[Josephine]

Ahhh, just looking at my scar and notice I'm developing what looks like a blister or hard lump at the very top of the scar. I had dissolving stitches. Any help anybody please?

Most likely a stitch that's rather superficial and could even have developed a superficial infection - though nothing to worry about. People often get stitch infections. Perhaps see your doctor or one of his nurses.

I Am also having a lot of tightness in my knees after bilateral replacements on 12/14/11. My PT is really painful. Is it scar tissue and will it ever go away? :hissyfit:

Not scar tissue, just pain from over doing it! You are 5 weeks out which is very early. You really need to take it easy with the PT and if it's a therapist that is doing it to you, stop them and make them go more gently. PT should not hurt. It's not 'no pain no gain' it's no pain MORE gain!

Read these articles which advise on pain management and many other things.
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
How Long Does Healing Take ......
Chart representation of TKR recovery

Work “Smarter” and not “Harder”
About recovering a knee - from one who knows!
Some suggestions for home physio (PT) and activity progress

Would also be a good idea if you would start a thread of your own as this is derailing Camervan's thread.

 

[Campervan]

Another milestone ticked off - I drove my car today - at 6 weeks post surgery. Hubbie drove us to a quite place, I drove around there and then drove home. About 15 minutes driving in total. Feels so wonderful, so I'll drive myself to physio tomorrow.

 

[karmigirl]

Campervan,

Great to hear you have taken the BIG step to independence and freedom.

For me once I started driving again I really felt sooo much better, my biggest frustrations were that I couldn't do things for myself and when you are very independent that really can get to you.

 

[Campervan]

In certain light, I can see that inside my leg/knee is still bruised. Gee, 6 weeks and still bruised!

 

[Celle]

7 weeks for me and I can still see discoloration (where there was bruising) from knee to ankle on my operated leg. It's not obvious to anyone else, but it is to me. I think it just shows that healing takes a long time!

 

[Josephine]

It does, it does How Long Does Healing Take ......

 

[referee54]

7 weeks for me and I can still see discoloration (where there was bruising) from knee to ankle on my operated leg. It's not obvious to anyone else, but it is to me. I think it just shows that healing takes a long time!

Yep---actually, at seven weeks, you are quite early yet in the healing and recovery process. It does push the limits with patience and it can be frustrating, but you just take it easy and work within the envelope---keep the knees happy--as the harder you work, the angrier your knees get.

At eight weeks, when I returned to teaching (much too early) I still had a limp. I was doing too much and working too hard at that point. Just keep working gently and you will make the progress that you want---but it may be slower than you would like.

Just hang in there---and keep coming back and let us know how things are going.

 

[Celle]

Thanks, Tim. I'm doing OK, and also doing everything the BoneSmarties' way.

My surgeon is pleased with my progress - and so am I. My physio told me she only needs to see me every 2 weeks and she does not do anything that causes me pain.

My ROM is 110+ and extension is almost full. I walk without a limp, only using a stick out of doors.

I'm driving again and I have been to the supermarket.

I do more active things in the mornings, so that I can rest in the afternoons - energy levels are, predictably, still low.

I've been posting my progress on a thread of my own - Revision TKR from PKR 9th December 2011.

Celle

 

[Campervan]

Hi everybody,

The past few posts in my thread haven't been about me and the responses were to others.

So here's my update at 6 weeks and 2 days:

Physio today (drove myself there) was good news and bad news. Flex is 105 assisted and 102 unassisted. So thats the good news.

Problem is quad lag. My inner range quads haven't switched on yet and physio is concerned about it as I'm passed 6 week mark. She tried shocking them with electrodes, but didn't work. So I go back next Tuesday and we'll be working on some exercises in the gym.

Also my walking isn't as good as it should be. Most steps are ok but some have something weird going on where I drop my right shoulder for some reason. So having to work on that too.

But she did say overall for 6 weeks I'm doing well. So not all bad and I'll try not to let it depress me too much as I know we'll be working on it together.

Thanks to everybody for great support.

 

[Jazyb]

Hi Margaret

You sound as if you are doing great and you certainly shouldn't be feeling depressed about a couple of minor issues. Your pt will work through all this with you and remember your are only 6 weeks in. Well done and keep up the good work.

 

[Josephine]

The past few posts in my thread haven't been about me and the responses were to others.

Yes, sorry about that. I did try to remove the original post but then Roy replied to that post and yours in his post so it wasn't possible. Then I really needed to add something to Celle as well so made the derailment worse. Sorry about that!

As for your problems, it really is far too soon to worry about them. Six weeks is still so early in recovery and you have so far to go yet. It will work itself out ultimately.