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

[jboles]

Oh I’m so sorry, I was hurting for you just reading your post. I pray your pain medicine works for you tonight and that tomorrow will be a better day.

 

[SherrieT]

Just reading your post made me almost ill. I think all of us here CAN imagine how horrible it must have been.
Just hoping that tomorrow will be brighter for you and each day afterwards. Wishing you much peace and healing

 

[Robinmhs88]

I am so sorry :( my heart breaks that you are in pain. But the muscles are the worst. Every night my Routine is heat under my calf, on my front thigh and on my back. Plus I have ice under my knee and on top. My doctor doesn’t believe in muscle relaxers so all I have is Advil. Praying for you

 

[Pumpkin]

funkymuse,
You and your poor knee have been through a lot with the MUA
Hope your knee settles down and you start to feel better.

Here is a copy of the recovery guidelines for you to re read. I always find something new when I read them.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for TKRs​

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs

Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds


We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[hempsteadjb]

I was so hoping to hear a good report from you I'm hoping today is a better day for you! What a nightmare!!!

 

[Hood1980]

I am so sorry you are suffering! I pray for your speedy and problem free recovery. We are here for you. [emoji1374][emoji1374][emoji1374]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[funkymuse]

Well today is a day of no exercise except some walking around the house to do light ADL's My husband will go back to taking over the bigger ADL's for me but my personal ADL's will get me up a bit. I found the quoted information below on a Yahoo thread and it is in line with all I've heard here an all that makes sense!! Some PT's make no sense! Plus I can't remember the name of the Gal who shared her horrific MUA journey with me when she did too much after hers and it set her back eventually leading to scar tissue removal surgically vs. also those who slowly progressed by listening to their knees and making incredible progress.

As far as my pain last night, I split the Dilaudid and Flexerile and took 1/2 with every 2 hours throughout the night and I was not in that horrid muscle pain anymore. Today under the influence of Flexerile it is still very sore and swollen but no spasm's. As far as the knee capsule pain the Flexrile is managing that. But the swelling in both areas is quite extensive, which is to be expected.

This site is a goldmine for those who are confused and wondering how to navigate through their procedures. I continue to be utterly grateful.

"It's normal to have some muscle soreness after working out. It's a sign that your muscles are in recovery because you challenged them. You should let your muscles rest 24-48hrs before working them again. If they are still sore after 48 hours, it is OK to work them as long as you go light...

Pain, however, is a sign the muscle fibers have torn beyond their normal scope of repair....those kinds of injuries take time to heal. You might see bruising or swelling at the site. Don't work out until you have healed this kind of injury!!!

When you do get back to exercising, remember to stretch after working out and to warm up for a little while beforehand...it will minimize soreness."

 

[Pumpkin]

funkymuse,
Glad to hear things are a little better this morning. Sounds like you are going to spend the day letting that poor knee heal.
Here is something Roy said awhile back if anyone asks what you are doing.
"When you are icing and elevating and watching telly you are not 'dossing around' you are 'engaging a carefully considered proactively designed heuristically programmed dynamically structured recovery programme'."

 

[SusieShoes]

Yes, take Roy's advice: Tell anyone who asks that you are engaged in Serious Healing. While healing, the body requires rest. It requires good nutrition and LOW stress. That means as little pain as possible and no responsibilities to disrupt your tranquility.

Flexeril is a dandy medication for relaxing muscles. I take it for back pain sometimes. Keep in mind, though, that it might make you sleepy. Like, really sleepy. Seeing as you want to nap a lot anyway, that's good!

 

[Jockette]

Well today is a day of no exercise except some walking around the house to do light ADL's My husband will go back to taking over the bigger ADL's for me

Until you are much more healed this is how every day should be for you!

I’m so sorry your MUA resulted in so much pain. In my opinion, 135 was overzealous on your surgeon’s part, especially from the number you could do on your own, and look at the result.

The article piece you posted seemed to be about general exercising, not recovering from a TKR or an MUA injury.

You’ve read my thread so you know how I hurt myself at my friend’s house when I was 4 months post op. My leg, while slowly improving, has not been the same since that weekend. And my injury was very minor compared to the very rough MUA you just went through.

There is no “just right” exercise you can do that is going to give you your ROM back. The “just right” thing for your ROM is simply TIME. You are still, at almost 4 months post op, very early in your recovery. And this MUA has set you back big time.

Focus on Roy’s description of resting your leg so it can have the best opportunity to heal. It needs all the love and rest and protection you can give it, for weeks and maybe even months to come! Some of us just swell more than others and need tons more time than others to recover. I am 10 months and no where near fully recovered.

 

[sistersinhim]

Jockette is right. You have been set way back. Now is the time to treat your knee like an infant, because it is again. DON'T do anything that hurts. Discomfort is OK, but no pain. Don't go to PT until the swelling and pain stops. If you do, you will just inflame it even more than it already is. I am praying for your relief and success!

 

[funkymuse]

Hello @sistersinhim - believe me.. I am NOT into pain and this baby is painful today. The inner muscles are now starting to wake up from the block and wow.. ouchie! So I'm just doing my flexerile and elevating and icing only to get up to go the bathroom, to eat or to the kitchen for a moment. Plus I've cancelled PT sessions and will just work on my own here on my bike, etc., but only when my knee settles down... any bend beyond a baby bend right now causes pain so that's my monitor even though I was told by the PT's I just had to endure that pain and take my pain pills and work through it with the doctor as well notating on my instructions 'AGGRESSIVE THERAPY!' Oh my.

I'm off the Dilaudid because the pain is gone from the knee cavity itself - it's only the muscles that hurt and so the muscle relaxer is doing the trick.

 

[Josephine]

I'm envious of those who sailed through the MUA without much pain

Well don't envy them because it just shows that they didn't really need it in the first place!

So as of now any swelling is holding me back from any good improvement of flexion and it has worsened my extension at least for the time being.

That's bound to be the case as you DID need the MUA and it was proven when the surgeon said "the major part of the problem was behind the kneecap which popped loudly when they bent me back". So that pop was the adhesions tearing and that is just like tearing the muscle and is just as painful. So I;m not surprised to hear this.

As I'm writing this, the pain in my knee is increasing horribly

And I suspect, will continue to do so for another week at least.

I found this online and I think it's useful:

1. Remember the phrase: "heat to play, ice to stay." Use heat when activity will occur afterwards. Use ice when you will be sedentary and resting after.
2. Apply heat for 15 minutes every 4 hours until the cramp is gone. Apply a cold press every 2 hours for the first couple of days.​

​

To be honest, I don't think #1 very helpful premise. If your muscles are swelling, the last thing you should do is apply heat. But #2 is probably better.

as well notating on my instructions 'AGGRESSIVE THERAPY!' Oh my.

Well don't forget this Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

 

[funkymuse]

Thank you @Josephine - very helpful. I am taking the no-heating approach as I feel the ice helps me much more. I tell you one thing.. I'm glad I was not AWAKE to hear that knee pop!!!

 

[Jockette]

This is good news for you! The MUA worked and the adhesion is now gone and as you heal you will get that bend back!

In my inexperience I was thinking the MUA had been too rough, but I guess that’s what it takes to break a real adhesion. I don’t think I’ve personally read about a person having such pain after this procedure as you have.

I’m truly sorry you have more pain, but once again, Time is a great healer.

 

[funkymuse]

Ah.. thank you so much @Jockette ...

Also does anyone think that an ace bandage for compression is good for it while during the day? I'm wondering. My leg DID NOT like the stocking compression but seems to feel pretty decent with just my knee ace wrap.

Thoughts or knowledge about this?

 

[sistersinhim]

I would say if it feels good, do it.

 

[funkymuse]

Boy today the inflammation is so bad I can barely walk. It's VERY swollen. Will it be ok not to walk much today? I mean it's just not letting me bend at all! I hope my muscles don't seize up again!

 

[sistersinhim]

When your inflammation calms down, you'll be able to bend it again. Don't worry. Baby that poor knee as much as you can.

 

[MyTest]

@funkymuse Sorry you experienced a lot of pain. Maybe it was a lot of scar tissue, just a guess. I think I was really swollen the first week then it started to calm down. Elevate and Ice should def help.