MUA Oct 2017 TKR - Hematoma - MUA - Finally past 90!<

[liam2015]

i agree, that is a good rebuttal to the p.t.'s note. as for the half turns on the bike, personally i found that they hurt when i got to that point of being stuck and i only tried it a few times for a few half rotations before giving up. i could tell before i got on the bike that it was going to be half rotations and found it frustrating and it didn't do anything to warm up my knee. i realize some people found them useful...i didn't. if it doesn't hurt, then fine, but if it hurts, then 6 minutes seems like a long time to endure.

it's up to you if you want to go to p.t. and depends on what they do to help you. like i said, my p.t. did no exercises, only treatments, which felt good, i loved, and i actually want to go back for a couple more treatments to help with the little bit of swelling i still have. if it's only exercises, you could do them at home ~ you don't have much time to ice and elevate if you have to spend time driving to and from p.t. and probably an hour there, especially since you also go to work. for what it's worth, the exercises that i found most useful and didn't hurt which i could control were: stair lunges and step ups (5 working up to 10 repetitions, one or two sets, depending on how i felt). daily activities would be practising going up and down the stairs and walking outside. funny enough, walking down the stairs backwards, holding on to the handrails of course, felt good, didn't hurt and warmed up my knees.

My ROM came slowly and it has taken me 8 months to do a full rotation on bike, i could still do just about anything else i could do before, but with that stiffness when getting up or out of the car, and the tightness walking down the stairs. i no longer have the arthritic pain in my knee and the stiffness is subsiding. these are just my experiences ~ everyone has their own ways of recovering that works for them. hope you can rest a little over the holidays and maybe notice just a little bit of improvement here and there.:kittychris:

 

[sistersinhim]

I think you created a wonderful rebuttal to your pt. I'm anxious to find out what his answer will be!

You are trying hard, and I think too hard. You need to relax and just let your knee be a knee. If you leave it alone and let it heal on it's own, you will be so much better off, both physically and emotionally! God bless you!

@Jockette, what a great response you had to her! Good going!

 

[funkymuse]

You all are GREAT!!!!

Thank you so much!
Every response just confirms what I've been asking God to show me... which is 'what do I do?!' "Listen to all these Doc's and PT's and people all telling me to push or I won't achieve ROM, or.. go the Bone Smart way?!" Well.. the Bone Smart way has won out! Today I worked and tonight I DO NOTHING but ice and elevate and relax into knowing that my ROM will come! Your experiences are proof enough!

 

[funkymuse]

Helloa again.. can someone direct me to littleredcanoe's thread? I have tried locating it and it keeps taking me to a page that says "Something went wrong." Thank you!

 

[Celle]

can someone direct me to littleredcanoe's thread?

I'm sorry, but it's not available any more.

 

[funkymuse]

I'm sorry, but it's not available any more.

oh! that's so sad... I read so many posts where people had said they loved it and it was helping them! Oh well.. there are still lots of other encouraging stories to read!

 

[funkymuse]

Good morning all.. How long does it take for the scar to become de-senistized?! Mine is starting to drive me nuts! I think I read on some thread where you can rub it gently with a cloth and then slowly increase the pressure and that helps? Any suggestions?!!! thanks so much.

 

[jakeleg]

@funkymuse we seem to be on similar paths. If you have any new tricks, please let me know.

 

[Celle]

How long does it take for the scar to become de-senistized?! Mine is starting to drive me nuts! I think I read on some thread where you can rub it gently with a cloth and then slowly increase the pressure and that helps? Any suggestions?!!!

That's a sort of "How long is a piece of string" question!
It takes as long as it takes.

You can help it by gradually de-sensitizing it, though. Start off by using a sift cloth. At first, just run the cloth lightly over the incision, then gradually increase the strength with which you touch it. Then progress to using increasingly rougher fabrics, until you can bear something like jeans material on it. Some people wrap their knee with a crepe bandage when they wear trousers, to stop the trousers from upsetting the scar.

oh! that's so sad... I read so many posts where people had said they loved it and it was helping them! Oh well.. there are still lots of other encouraging stories to read!

I really think it's time you found another hobby! You seem to spend such a lot of time reading up about knees. Remember that the vast majority of people who have knee replacements do well - so well that they never have a need to come to BoneSmart. They just let their knees recover and then get on with their normal lives.

Your knee knows what it's doing. It's healing normally and it's going to be OK. There's no wonderful exercise or any other method that will speed up healing and recovery. The only thing that will do it is time.

If you want some encouragement, read these stories:
Stories of amazing knee recoveries
And then STOP reading so many threads and looking up knees on the internet. Find some way of taking your mind off your knee.

 

[funkymuse]

I was just coming here to vent that this is a day I haven't had for awhile. A day of darkness and depression. I'm only 2 months in and have such a long way to go. I know I'll get there but I realized how much of my life has had to go on hold and will be on hold for quite some time yet. So today I'm sad. I know this is the place to vent for sure.

@Celle - as far as getting my mind off my knee, that's an impossibility for me right now. I have to tend to it 24/7 with icing, elevating, walking carefully, being careful when I get up and down, when it starts to hurt, working through the stiffness and swelling and so on and so forth. All these things keep it forefront in my mind almost constantly. Reading the stories of people who have had flexion that was seemingly low to start with and then they improved over time with the Bone Smart way, has helped me have what seems like impossible hope against what I have been told over and over here in the USA. I search for those stories and am bolstered up by them. I am working 3 days a week, and I have a side business that I work on while I recoup so that takes alot of my time so I'm not sitting here 24/7 thinking about my knee. I am getting on with my life the best I can but it's not going to be what I came to know as 'normal' for quite some time. Thanks so much for the information on scar de-sensitizing.

@jakeleg - well I think the thing that has helped me the most as far as dealing with the stiffness/swelling feeling has been strapping on a cold pad with a ace bandage around my knee, snug enough so it won't slip down, when I get up to walk around the house and do things. It's really interesting how the coolness keeps it from feeling like a log! I also have taken to showering off and then immediately running a hot bath and sinking down into it, soaking my knee and then doing gentle heel slides on the tub wall - alternating between soaking and then gentle sliding for 3 - 5 times. After the bath I make sure I hit the elevation and ice. Other than that, adopting the Bone Smart way of doing things and really forcing my 'I wanna get up and go' nature to relax and have patience. This journey is not for the faint of spirt.

 

[Tanya76]

I understand how you feel @funkymuse. I’m sorry it’s been a dark day for you. My knee had taken over my life and I can’t help but continually focus on it. Having a deadline over my head doesn’t help. I also feel at my most comfortable when I have my ice pack velcroed to knee. The coolness really helps.

I had first bath tonight. Didn’t get anymore bend but helped me feel relaxed.

 

[Celle]

@Celle - as far as getting my mind off my knee, that's an impossibility for me right now. I have to tend to it 24/7 with icing, elevating, walking carefully, being careful when I get up and down, when it starts to hurt, working through the stiffness and swelling and so on and so forth. All these things keep it forefront in my mind almost constantly. Reading the stories of people who have had flexion that was seemingly low to start with and then they improved over time with the Bone Smart way, has helped me have what seems like impossible hope against what I have been told over and over here in the USA. I search for those stories and am bolstered up by them. I am working 3 days a week, and I have a side business that I work on while I recoup so that takes alot of my time so I'm not sitting here 24/7 thinking about my knee.

I'm sorry you're having a bad day and I'm sorry I added to it. I know that looking after your knee takes a long time - I've been there three times myself, remember, one PKR, one revision to TKR, and one TKR.
But do try to look ahead to after this recovery is all done and you will have a knee that works well and no longer gives you that awful pre-op pain.

You say you're trying to do things the BoneSmart way, so try stopping PT and just let your activities of daily living be your exercise. We've advised you more than once to do that.
You're already back at work part-time and all that entails is more than enough exercise. You don't need PT as well and if you stop going to PT you won't have to constantly hear all the negative predictions and the emphasis on ROM.

Trust your surgeon and trust your knee - and trust us. We know that your knee is going to continue to steadily gain ROM. We've seen it happen so many times here. All this emphasis on measuring ROM is just designed to make you worry. It's not the numbers that matter. It's what you can do with your knee.

Read other people's recovery threads if it helps you. But you don't need to ask about exercises, because your knee doesn't need you to do them.

If you need some examples, here are Campervan's and bertschb's examples of how their ROM improved slowly, with time and patience. Your knee is going to do just as well.

First, Campervan:
"I had a slow recovery. Here's my flex measurements at various points:
92 - 8 weeks post op
105 - 10 weeks
107 - 5 months
110 - 6 months
112 - 7 months
116 - 9 months
119 - 11 months
118 - 1 yr
120 - 1yr 2 months
125 - 1 yr 8 months"

And now bertschb:
"I'm 12 months out from my surgery and have some advice based on my experience:
1- Stop going to PT (all it will do is make your knee swell and reduce ROM)
2- Don't worry about your ROM
3- Be patient - VERY patient!!!

Here is my ROM history (more or less):
1 month - 60 degrees
2 months - 80 degrees
3 months - 85 degrees
4 months - 90 degrees
5 months - 90 degrees
6 months - 110 degrees
7 months - 120 degrees
8 months - 125 degrees
9 months - 130 degrees
10 months - 135 degrees
11 months - 140 degrees
12 months - 140 degrees

I spent waaaaay too much time worrying about ROM. I thought I'd be riding my bike a couple months after surgery but it took SIX months! Looking back on my surgery, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have wasted my time with PT and I wouldn't have worried about ROM."

 

[jakeleg]

@funkymuse I just answered Josephine 's questions. You encourage a lot of people That's great. I'm feeling very selfish today and want someone to fix me. Maybe it will be good for me to do something different tomorrow even if I do get an elephant knee from all the walking. Rest well.

 

[funkymuse]

Oh @jakeleg you made me laugh with the 'elephant knee' comment!!!! I'm still giggling! Sorry I know you are down. It's' so hard to have a down day. It compounds the mental struggle. Sending you a huge hug... tomorrow will be better for you I hope!

 

[pm1207]

@funkymuse i have had a few days where my scar was so sensitive I thought I’d go insane. I found clear wound covers at CVS pharmacy. It’s just a super thin clear bandaid. They stay on good and really helped.

 

[funkymuse]

@liam2015 - thank you. Your posts have been extremely supportive and helpful along with everyone else's here. I'm SO glad you chimed in on my thread. As of today, I am quitting PT and although my Doc will most likely freak out - so be it. (@Celle - in reference to your saying to listen to my 'supportive OS' - he is NOT supportive in the least and wanted me to schedule the MUA when I saw him on 11/29 and expects me to schedule one if I am not at 120 by the 3rd of Jan! So I won't be trusting him unless he changes his tune but thank you again for taking the time to continue to encouraging me to "let go and let God" in trusting the Bone Smart way because I know he lead me here.)

Today the PT measured my flexion and I have regressed back to 60. So after heating my knee, he brought out the strap and said that it was not aggressive therapy to use the strap and to pull gently back while at the same time resisting - engaging the quads, hold for 5 seconds, let go, and then gently pull into a slightly deeper bend without going into pain. What to you all think about this? He said I had to get the muscles used to stretching more and engage them because they get used to sitting in a 'shortened' stance and then they fight me when I try to bend back more. It makes sense but my knee wasn't all that happy when I left - I mean it wasn't horrible but it was not happy - which brings me to @SusieShoes - you commented to @Tanya76 in your post: "You just need to make sure you get up for the necessary daily activities, even if it hurts a bit" - which I found interesting.. because of the no pain ethic on this site - so a bit of pain is ok? I mean I have been avoiding that like the dickens! When I do my little heel slides, I go to a slightly tight stretch and then back off if encounter any pain and if I get pain from things I'm doing - like today in PT - I feel like it's too much. So is this not right? I just want to make sure because if I need to push into pain a little to continue on with my ADL's and life, then I won't feel so scared that it's not good for my knee.

So other than heating my knee and talking about the Strap Stretching, the PT apologized for saying that my supportive husband might be a barrier to my success and said that the computer system made the error. RIGHT!!!!

I thought "well what the hell ever..." and just was quiet. I mean he's trying to help based on all he knows but he only knows what he knows and his job is to get results so I understand his stance but again, after giving this a good shot, I just don't think I need to go. The massage and the ultrasound therapy really did nothing for me and so that's it for PT.

After resting and icing all day this past Sat and just doing a few PT exercises here and there by Sunday morning my knee felt better than it has in quite sometime. BUT Sunday I did just a little too much and so it wasn't as good by Sunday night and into Monday when I had to go and work. So between Sun and Mon and having to go to PT today, well I feel the knee was internally swollen more than usual and so I think that's my my flexion regressed.

Also one other thing.. the last two nights I have had a HORRIBLE time getting to sleep. My body is getting to the point of complete madness in it's ability to not release built up energy in the cells and I toss and turn and ache needing that deep muscle stimulation that I used to get from exercise. So I walk the house and stretch and pray. I may start taking a hot bath before bed to stimulate some circulation.

So that's my report. Thanks everyone for your continued chiming in and cheering me on.

 

[Celle]

(@Celle - in reference to your saying to listen to my 'supportive OS' - he is NOT supportive in the least and wanted me to schedule the MUA when I saw him on 11/29 and expects me to schedule one if I am not at 120 by the 3rd of Jan! So I won't be trusting him unless he changes his tune but thank you again for taking the time to continue to encouraging me to "let go and let God" in trusting the Bone Smart way because I know he lead me here.)

I'm sorry if you misunderstood what I was trying to say. When I said "Trust your surgeon" I meant trust him to have done a good job of your surgery, so that your knee could eventually function well. I didn't mean trust him with all his nonsense about needing to rush to get ROM.

I see that you've asked about experiencing (and allowing) a little pain during your daily activities. Yes, it's inevitable that some normal activities (such as getting up from a chair) will hurt a bit, but you still need to keep doing those.

You're still doing heel slides and still going to PT? You don't need to. Your ordinary life is plenty of exercise for your knee, particularly since you've gone back to work. Stop doing exercises and stop going to PT. All that extra activity on top of work is just adding too much stress to your knee and making it continue to be stiff and swollen.
I'm pretty sure I've told you that more than once, as well as this:
It's not exercising that gets you your ROM - it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle, and time to heal. Your ROM is there right from the start, just waiting for all that to happen, so it can show itself.

Since it's an economic necessity to work go to work but, when you come home, try to do nothing except rest, elevate and ice your knee. No home exercises and no PT.

Try not to feel all the time that you have to actively do something to help your knee. It knows what it's doing and it will recover all on its own, as long as you provide the right conditions for it to do so - which is plenty of rest, ice and elevation, and no over-activity.
Have you read this article?
TKRs and our fast food society

 

[funkymuse]

Thanks much @Celle - yes I have read that article. This has been a true experience for a person who is a go go go gal... settleing down that mentality has been a real challenge. But my knee is demanding it!!! Once again, the time you have taken to continue to instruct me into the right way to go about this is much appreciated!

 

[Celle]

I'm glad to help. You're a bit of a worrier and hopefully we've been able to stop you from driving yourself crazy! LOL

 

[funkymuse]

Exactly!!!!

ha ha...