TKR October 6, 2016 2½ weeks post op'

[little red canoe]

Tylenol won't affect your ability to have a BM. I think you feeling blah may more likely being your body telling you to rest a little today. It needs a small vacation.

Thanks but my body has always reacted to inactivity by er...
plugging up!

We are now on a prunes and wine appetizer for supper....

 

[newlybionic]

I know prunes can help, not sure about the wine?

 

[little red canoe]

GI All straightened up.. Rest really doesn't do it for me. Swelling down to almost nothing.. But gosh stiff in the morning and a dull ache that goes away when I walk around the house. But its murder when awaking? I find that getting up from the chair every 15 minutes for three minutes helps.. Getting up is so much easier now that I sorta trust the new machinery

Tried driving and its fine.. The motion of leg from pedal to pedal doesn't bother me.. Upstairs I am doing three up with banister support. Not tried down yet with the non operative leg first. Nor true alternating legs going up.. Next week maybe.

Concentrating on walking with not swinging my leg but rather normally.. Did some 1000 feet downhill and uphill today. Hill was new.. not painful but I did hug the ice bag for half an hour after. Not using any aids in walking.

Nuff for today.. PT tomorrow.. Hope I can try a bike

 

[sistersinhim]

Wow! I can't believe you're doing so much when only less than a month out! Downhill walking is really difficult and here you are doing 1000 feet! Amazing, absolutely amazing! Keep up the good work!

 

[little red canoe]

I think I am an advocate of trying something new each day. If it hurts I back off and don't try it again! Not for three days
Mentally little accomplishments help my blue feelings
I even baked a pie. I let hubby do supper
Tomorrow PT. I might find a new accomplishment. If it hurts I'll hit back!

 

[sistersinhim]

Each new baby step leads to an adult step. Celebrate your successes!

 

[little red canoe]

First outpatient PT. On the hard table things are a little harder. But after manipulation to the point of stretch and a little ow. Easily controlled by meditative breathing.
Massage to break up a lump. Not too bad
Went up a stair with bad knee first and also down with bad knee last!
And the best thing. 10 min on a bicycle seat way up no resistance. I could go all the way round!
I got the ok to 10 minutes bike at gym with spotter getting on and off. Just once in next three days. She has spies to make sure no cheating
24 days post op
I really like the Game Day over she has

 

[pdx]

I admire your independence and persistence. You may find yourself using cross-country ski sticks for walking on the ice; beats going down. If you have access to a swimming pool, maybe try that for cardio as soon as your incision heals.

 

[little red canoe]

Incision healed. I dont know why so fast. Its almost invisible.. I use hiking sticks for hiking.. so those are at hand.. I use them anyway for walking.. Right now everything is covered with wet leaves and this morning... icy wet leaves.

Right now I am using rubber tips on the sticks and they come off to reveal metal ski poles . Thats useful for good grip on ice. I also will when the ice builds use walking traction aids they are Katoolas.. mini crampons.

My big worry as in probably every one elses is not falling down.. but the knee joint itself is probably sturdy.. What isnt is the muscles around it.

My PT put the brakes on some stuff I was doing at home( from homebound PT) and modified a select few excercises to make them harder as in leg lifts.. Push back of leg into table do quad set then raise.. not just raise willy nilly.. 5 reps so as not to overdo.

 

[little red canoe]

PT on Monday.. Swollen Tues and Wed.. didnt do much but ok did go out to lunch Tues.. Not slept well Tues night.. Slept too well Wed night. Missed the end of Game 7 DANG..
Now back to normal swelling
Still stiff in the morning.. walk for ten minutes and its better
Using Tylenol three times a day

Leg raises while pressing down on leg( not someone pressing on my leg) are really hard. Working on extension

I don't think flexion has improved( but things have been swollen). Can go up a few stairs alternately as normal. Tried going down one stair and that does not hurt.. Its my sense of confidence that the knee will buckle that is doing me in
Cycle at PT. Tried it at Gym but the recumbent requires a lot of flexion. When I put the seat back.. my legs werent long enough.. Tried the upright bike but the Gyms is really tippy unsteady. I fear pulling it over while getting on .The PT's upright bike is much sturdier. 10 minutes no resistance.

 

[sistersinhim]

Your knee is still an infant It'll get there! Just don't push your knee too hard for that extension. You'll still be in pain. I was. Walking for me worked the best for both flex and extension.

 

[little red canoe]

I got at Goodwill a little pedal exerciser. Its good to warm up the knee now and then while I watch TV. Another addition to the ice chest/pillow collection in the TV room

PT today. She goes just till it hurts. Also massages lymph nodes and said I have swelling as some of the tibia was shaved laterally

ROM 110 before bike.. 115 after bike..

Slow and steady. Now went up a small flight of stairs to the library with a reciprocal gait.! Without planning to!

 

[kneeper]

Push back of leg into table do quad set then raise.. not just raise willy nilly.. 5 reps so as not to overdo.

Yes,the quad set and then lift with the muscle tightened is much easier on the knee. That's what my PT showed me to do too.

 

[little red canoe]

Nice PT session today.. I think the flexion is much better but I was so stiff when I went to PT with a dour face

She worked on limbering.. nothing with pain... all of a sudden I did a sitting flexion with the leg dangling and the flex was about 115. Someone was holding while measuring. I felt stretch but no pain..

Then some time going over small hurdles ( not jumping but stepping) and some steps and some lower leg and regular leg raises.. also flexing knee against a rubber band.. Several sets of each

Reward was 10 min on a bike with no resistance. And 15 minutes with that Game Day icer that I have to figure out how it works... think it is cold air.

I left with a big smile. I think repetitive movement of the knee with little resistance is key at 4 weeks out for me.

 

[KarriB]

I found riding the bike really loosened up my knee. My left knee still needs done, so I still bike with no resistance.

 

[little red canoe]

Off to PT today again. I am starting to look really forward to it as the stretching feels so good.. I think its a new phase of recovery.. 5 weeks today. Have to get 10 grocery items too and then home to ice bag.
My little pedal exerciser is such a godsend for at home for now..

ROM is about 3 to 115 now on my own... I am starting to hold heel slides far enough up that the limiting factor is my tummy

 

[Ronsgirl]

Sounds like you are doing great! I agree that the stretches feel really good. My knee usually felt better when I left PT than it did when I got there. Have you tried heal slides sitting in a chair? For me, they are easier to do that way than they are if I am laying down.

 

[little red canoe]

Im kind of bored with slides in bed ( tummy tuck needed! Even my good leg only goes so far and the bad almost matches it). I do them sitting on the very edge of the chair.. PT showed me how that can improve extension with no one pushing.. I can get my affected foot very under the chair.. now trying to hold for five seconds.That is harder. The key is having the right chair at the right height that is stable when you sit forward on the seat platform.

My new challenge is getting up from that heel slide chair weighting both legs equally with no push from arms. I have been using a recliner that elevates you to a semi standing position but its time to move on.

 

[little red canoe]

My PT is 3 sets of 10 flat foot to tip toe and back, leg lateral abduction each side ( so that the knee has to support weight all by itself) leg marches each side. Leg over a hurdle.. 3 sets of 10 but each side ( so 60 total). Hamstring pull against elastic 3 sets of 10 ( if it does not hurt. Otherwise 2). 3 sets of 10 heel slides but some off the table flexing under the table to open up the joint with gravity assist
3 sets of five whole leg raises.. both sides. 3 sets of lower leg raises 10 reps.
Contracting knee back against ball holding it to wall. 10 reps 2 sets.
Oh yes.. quad sets with small bolster under ankle. 3 sets of 10.
PT is working on making knee strong as in stable and cares not a whole bunch about flexion.
Also 10 minutes massage of patella and scar tissue ( which feels wonderful)
Reward?
10 min on bike
20 minutes on that icey thing Game something..

I go out of PT a whole lot happier than when I go in.. Much of this I can do at home..this is partly why I wrote it down.

Were working on endurance of the operated knee .

 

[little red canoe]

5 weeks two days. Now walking a mile a day. I do use hiking sticks to work on my gait.. I walk deliberately slowly and heel to toe with full extension.. my strides are gigantic. I look forward to the day when my balance is good enough to take big powerful strides without the poles. It takes me about 25 minutes to do the mile.

I do PT twice a week and meh.. heel slides when I think of it and quad sets and leg rises. I love my pedal cycle and it does loosen up my knee. So far its stiff only in the morning. I hobble the ten feet to the bathroom.. sit and do some heel slides and go back to bed walking normally. I am rolling around whacking my hubby in the back with the operated leg.. I don't wake up but he does.
Meds.. yes Tylenol at night. 1000 mg with the diphenhydramine.

Now going up and down a set of five stairs with reciprocity. Not trying it yet for the usual 15 stairs found story to story. Driving is not difficult. Even a stick shift. ( and that only exercises the good leg)

My recovery has been kind of boring but I post cause those of you who dread the surgery ought to hear of things that are working well