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

[SusieShoes]

Yes, when I said “even though it hurts a bit” in that other post, I was referring to daily activities, like getting up from sitting, or going to the bathroom, or walking at first. It was not about doing exercises. Believe me, in the first month when I was getting up on my two new knees, walking on my walker, using the bathroom, it hurt. Of course it did.

No formal exercise doesn’t mean don’t move. Of course we need to move. Our bodies must move, and want to move. I often bent my knees just because I wanted to bend them. I only bent to discomfort, but my knees were happy to do it. Stretching also, only to discomfort. A few here, a few there, as the knees said they wanted. There’s no need to force exercises on your healing knees. Getting up to move around, doing things around the house (bathroom, getting the checkbook, preparing a snack, fetching new ice, letting the dog out for a break) are exercise. They’re exercise enough.

For my recovery, I did very little formal exercise —and recovered just fine by moving when I wanted/needed to move. But I’m never going to claim it didn’t hurt at first.

 

[funkymuse]

Thanks @SusieShoes ! If I'm stiff and swollen I should just stay down, correct? I shouldn't try to walk too much? I usually get up every hour or so and stroll around the house for 5 min but it's harder when my leg is LOGGED! ha ha.. funny term!

 

[kneeper]

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 - .

I think there may be some truth to what your PT says. I had a bend of about 108 going in to the surgery after years of RA and my muscles protested in recovery.
Here's what my PT told me about this exercise.
You lay on your stomach and gently pull your leg back (under your own power). The strap is NOT to pull your leg, but help you hold the position (whatever you can get to) and let your leg relax-- rather than pulling & straining the muscles. Then lower your leg and try again and see if you can get a little more (or easier) bend.
I did this maybe 2-3 times in one sitting--once in the morning and once in the evening. But not to the point of aggravating the knee.
I'm not sure it gave me more bend, but it did help with the muscles. I actually still do this (without the strap) because my muscles still get tight sometimes--probably from working at a desk.

 

[funkymuse]

Thank you @kneeper - he did emphasize over and over about only gently encouraging it not pushing to aggravate...

 

[liam2015]

hi funkymuse ~ sounds like you're getting to be in a better place. if you're anything like me, you're probably anxious about seeing your surgeon in january and hoping he notices some improvement in your r.o.m. i was always nervous knowing mine would probably not be happy with me, which he wasn't until the last appointment when he released me and asked if i was okay with continuing working on my (insufficient) bend without an m.u.a. i was so relieved that i didn't have to prove to him anything anymore in a set amount of time.

i'm glad that your p.t. apologized to you, whether he was being honest or not about a computer glitch. my p.t. did push a little further each time (only once did she push too far) but it didn't cause me any negative effects, especially since the massage and other treatments felt so good. i could never tell if the treatments actually helped with the swelling or not, but there may have been benefits internally that i wasn't aware of...they certainly didn't do any harm. although i miss the treatments, it's nice to not have to spend the time driving there and back ~ i can take long walks with my dog and get things done. even just walking up and down the stairs has helped. i have not done any of the recommended exercises for weeks now, just paying attention to proper form and a few minutes each day on my bike (which is my most recent accomplishment).

eventually your knee movements will loosen up a little and mobility will get easier. it really does take time, some longer than others. today it's 8 months and 1 day post op for me and i'm still gaining r.o.m. little by little. i still have that little bit of tightness behind my knee when bending it for getting dressed, stairs, etc. but not as bad as it was just a couple months ago. hope this encourages you that it will get better and you don't have to "work" at it, other than every day activities along with icing and elevating. :santa hug:

 

[jakeleg]

@funkymuse I just deleted 2 replies that I put in the wrong thread. Yes, I have all the prunes etc. I should have been paying more attention all along. I hope the pain is constipation and not something else that causes worry.

We seem to have similar feelings. I do appreciate your comments. I don't like to see myself as a whiner, but sometimes the tedium gets to me. I bet if some of us were in a room together we'd be telling stories and laughing. Maybe I should google some corny jokes.

 

[funkymuse]

Merry Christmas everyone!!!
My heart is full with your support and love!
Wishing continued healing and ROM for everyone!
Hugs all around!
Christina
:snowman: :tree2; :chris-win::snows::box::window::snows::tree2; :snowman:

 

[jakeleg]

@funkymuse I'm so sorry for your struggle. I pray and worry and pray some more. I want a straight path in recovery and there's no such thing. I have information overload. Even though I'm resting, elevating and icing a lot, those nagging thoughts about "should be doing more" stay in the back of my head. I like Celle's post because I'm a worrier, too. As someone said, "don't go into your mind alone, especially after dark". Thank goodness, for the advisors who are so patient with us.

 

[funkymuse]

@jakeleg on Christmas Day and everyday I give all my worries to something greater than myself - my sponsor told me to 'get out of Me, Me, ME!' and to think about helping someone else. Do you sponsor? I think it would help you so much to be giving of that beautiful heart of yours...

 

[Tanya76]

Merry Christmas to you all. Hope you have all had a relaxing day.

:merry christmas:

 

[sistersinhim]

my sponsor told me to 'get out of Me, Me, ME!'

We all need to do this! Thinking of and helping others is therapeutic! It is a win win for all of us!

 

[jakeleg]

@funkymuse . So, we speak the same language! Did you see that my husband, Jack was sometimes called a jakeleg? I thought it would be a good name for Bonesmart. I have not been going to a lot of meetings since TKR. I'm conserving my sitting time because my knee seems to swell more after sitting then it does with walking.

I was out for about 4 hours yesterday . My knee is not happy today. I should have gone to the kitchen for refills more often. Also, my trip down 5 flights might be a factor. I left all my gel paks at the home where we went for dinner. Will have to make a drive out to get them. I like to use gel paks when I don't want to be tethered to Mr. Iceman. I get up and down when I use them since they are good for about 45 minutes.

I've discovered that reading the posts of the newcomers is beneficial because I get all the reminders about patience. Remembering the awful first weeks helps me see that I have made progress. Kind of like the "other recovery", isn't it?

I enjoy your posts. Let's stay in touch. Looking forward to a safe New Year indoors, as usual!

 

[funkymuse]

So just a brief check in. I've been going about my business - going to work 3 days a week, icing the whole time I'm there, resting when I get home and then resting the inbetween days with some mild PT now and again throughout the day just to keep the leg moving a bit but it's mostly being iced and elevated on my off days.

I've taken to doing heel slides on the bed - the BS way - only 5 at at time and holding for 10. What I have found in doing these instead of the wall slides, is that it engages the Quads much more and I have discovered just how tight my quads are. REALLY TIGHT and when I do the slides it really pulls on those Quads. They are MUCH tighter than my knee and so I'm hoping that by doing these over time, these muscles will loosen up? I think they are holding me back from achieving more flex! I may also try what you suggested @kneeper in your post above about laying on the bed and using the strap to pull back gently...

Any thoughts and comments on this? This isn't scar tissue within the thigh muscle is it?

I see my OS this next tues.. you know.. the one who wanted me at 120 flex next time I see him?! Well, it will be horrifying to him that I'm only where I am which I'm guesstimating is somewhere between 70 and 80 (80 when I'm not stiff and I may be dreaming of that as it may not really be a reality).

Thanks everyone..

 

[jakeleg]

@funkymuse Was with my "friends" at 6:45 this morning. Said I was restless, irritable and discontent all related to my knee. I don't know who understood, but it felt so good to tell the truth. I cried at the chiropractor,'s office and he was so sweet. He said lots of doctors would be satisfied with where I am, but he believes there's more to "fix".

My back has been a problem because of my new gait? That's a guess. He is so encouraging because of my "young" attitude. Well, where do you think I found that? I didn't get to complete therapy for my rotator cuff so that's giving me pain. When my doctor says "How are you?" on January 3 , I'm going to burst into tears. I will have to finish PT for my shoulder and let my knee heal the Bonesmart way. My gosh. I'm glad I had all that fun when I was younger!

I'm going back to work on the 8th so will be icing and elevating to ring in the New Year. I've stayed safely in my home for the last 26 years and am so grateful for the life I have today , aches and pains and all.

Be safe and have a healing New Year.

 

[kneeper]

I may also try what you suggested @kneeper in your post above about laying on the bed and using the strap to pull back gently...

To clarify--Use the strap to hold the leg in place for a short while and let your leg relax--don't pull the leg with the strap.

 

[Celle]

@funkymuse - Honestly, I don't know what to say to you!
How many times have we advised you to stop doing exercises? You're working 3 days a week and doing exercises on top of that is just perpetuating your knee's stiffness.

 

[annieo]

Just wanting to chime on and suggest getting some Tubigrip to wear off and on and at work.

I'm at 7 months, back to all my regular exercise(jazzercise, stationary bike, Tai chi, and walking. )I do have lingering stiffness that is def getting better but at a snail's pace!

I wear the Tubigrip on walks and days where I'm sick to death of the stiffness. The light compression gives me great relief. Can't think of any downside. It's lightweight, fits under pants.
Do a search on the site to find posts about the Tubigrip.
PS never did formal PT!

 

[funkymuse]

Hello everyone.. Happy NYE!!!

Just checking in to respond to some of the comments that have been left on my thread.

@kneeper I finally tried that one where you lay on your tummy and pull your leg back under your own power and hold with the strap - not pulling - that is understood. Wow.. I felt nothing in my knee - which was great - no pressure or anything BUT I felt the quad stretching like crazy. This is what my poor tight quad needs. No one ever answered my question that I had ask if the quad loosens up over time on it's own - I would think not as all muscles need stretching in order to lengthen and loosen.

@liam2015 - thanks again for your post and I actually wrote to the PT's to ask if they would do only massage therapy on my quad. If they agree, I think it would be worth my time to go there to help loosen up this muscle. I can't get massage anywhere else for free (Insurance Paid), so I might be game for that!

@Hopetohike I had purchased compression stockings a few weeks in and I'm a big fan of those. I also got something similar to Tubigrip so that at night when I'm not in the stockings and have to get up to walk or use the bathroom, I just slip that on and it saves my knee from beginning to swell up as I'm still in the stages where as soon as gravity hits, my knee starts the swelling routine!

@jakeleg - when you go back to work, the first week is exhausting - so be prepared for that. It gets better as you get back into your routines but mentally - my first week back was more than I thought I could take. I understand totally why 12 weeks is recommended.

@Celle to clarify, I don't do any exercises during my work days. I had tried that in the past and it's way too much. I do what my knee guides me to do on my off days which is not much due to all the ADL's I do. But I do want to stretch my quad. So those are the types of exercises I do and only the BS way. So I seriously don't see anything wrong with that. Like @SusieShoes - there's times when my knee begs me to bend a little - mostly at night when resting.. so I bend it a little - but I'm NOT INTO PAIN and so I don't go there - I don't even go to the 'tight stretch feeling' - I just bend it as far as it's comfortable and go back to sleep. I'm doing the best I can and listening to my knee and taking the advice given here seriously. I don't like the swelling and I have had ODIC days in the past and I hate them - as it stops me even being able to get up out of bed - so I'd rather not follow the advice continually given outside of this forum and I'm not.

@Robinmhs88 - you had ask me on your thread how I'm doing and well.. I'm just doing. I took @Celle's advise and have just gotten on with my living and doing. I have a OS appointment next wed and I have trepidation about it but I'm going to hold to my journey of NO MUA unless I still can't move beyond 60 after the end of January. I haven't been measured in awhile but I do feel like there is some more bend happening - not sure. I did have a dream where I was bending all the way back and I was so happy to be able to tell my OS! HA!! Maybe this is a sign of things to come! Hope you are doing ok and enjoying your time off!!!

Again.. happy NYE everyone and 2018 is tomorrow at least for us here in the USA.. some of you may already be there!

 

[jakeleg]

@funkymus I am amazed at how similar are experiences are. My tight quad is making me crazy; my disrupted or non existent sleep is making me crazy. Sometimes I come to this site and think nothing is going to help me and then I read your thread. Thank you.

The closer I get to work the more anxious I am. My supervisor said come back on the 8th and I didn't even ask for 3 extra days. I feel that I am almost as tired as I was in the beginning days. I can do more now, but I procrastinate and have no motivation. My appetite has not come back and I no longer take pain meds so can't blame that. My fatigue is partly depression, I'm sure. I sometimes feel so defeated by this and "how did this happen to me"? My husband was very serene and so easy to very along with. He used to call me "Miss What's Next?"I

My main concern is not wanting people to think I'm malingering. I have learned so much here. Of course, no doctor is going to say this takes a year. Bonesmart eases the pain and frustration. Otherwise it would be like prison with no end in site. That's pretty dramatic, but I feel like I'm a prisoner of my knee. Maybe work will be a good thing.

Tell me, do your knee and quad feel more stiff in the morning? How often do up bend lying on your stomach? Thanks for all you write.

 

[kneeper]

In my lower moments with the 2nd tkr I remember saying to myself: "I did this voluntarily? Twice?!" But I knew it would be worth it in the end, and it was.