TKR October 6, 2016 2½ weeks post op'

[Celle]

hat guy at Whistler four months post op seems unbelievable.. Whistler is tough off piste..

Some people get away with overworking their new knee. Most suffer the consequences. That's why we advise to take your recovery gently.

I wanted and craved leg resistance training.. Training. I rode at max resistance for five minutes last night.
This AM SPOT had gathered an army of cousins and my knee was clicking and wobbly again..

Spot and his relatives gave you a message loud and clear. Message learned? I do hope so.

So, you joined the ODIC (Over Did It Club). Most of us have done that - it's a fine line between doing just enough and doing too much. You have the right idea, in now spending a day resting, icing and elevating.

 

[little red canoe]

Much better now.. off to gym tomorrow( for gentle ride) after we dig out of 2 feet of snow. Maybe.. Well the snow has to go anyway..
Each day will be testing some limits. Some will work some will be epic fails.

 

[KarriB]

I rode slowly at zero resistance until month 5. But I was back to teaching full time so took it easy for a while. Now you know and can watch for signs, but I'd hold off on resistance until 3 months.

 

[little red canoe]

3 months is next week.. But I don't have to do full resistance.. my lord I think I had some 300 lbs of resistance on that bike! What was I thinking!
Now today I have to feed the birds.. Weather Channel called for one inch of snow ( thats 2.5 cm). Missed by a mile.. we have 27 inches.. they were were off by 67 cm.
The birds are calling Feed Me...

 

[KarriB]

Certainly try working up slowly or hold off until 4 months. My PTs didn't start any training with me until 4 months post op.

 

[little red canoe]

Certainly try working up slowly or hold off until 4 months. My PTs didn't start any training with me until 4 months post op.

The trouble is there is 27 inches of wet snow between the house and 50 feet away the bird feeder. With shovel I am halfway there. Back in side for cuppa tea and watching the eagle cam in FL with the babies about to hatch then round two for the last half. The chickadees are screaming!

Snow is intensely resistant .. its the heavy stuff. I am struck by how much easier my good leg can shuffle through it than my operated one. I expected a difference.. but not that much

The knee doesn't hurt.. But I can see why aqua aerobics might be a bit too much.. the thought of soaking in a warm tub is enticing though.. The hot tub is outside..but another 50 feet away. It too is teasing me.

Now the good news.. I have a gym bike here at home.. after all this there is no need to go to the gym which is 15 miles away. Snowshoveling does the upper body and the abs.
I think I will hold off on snowshoeing till the neighborhood trail is packed down.. Snowshoes are enough weight now.

 

[sistersinhim]

Believe it or not, but snow shoveling is also using your knees. I found that out last winter when I had to shovel it! Both of them gave me a fit. I hope your shoveling hasn't caused your new baby to get angry! Shoveling is really hard work! I guess we single people have to do what we have to do. I also feed the birds and I know what you mean about them yelling at you! Mine are spoiled brats. Dark oil sunflower seeds only for them! Have a blessed New Year!

 

[little red canoe]

It wasn't my knees. I did not do much... My neck on the other hand is killing me.. Pinched nerve. Can I have a new neck?
I couldn't throw snow well cause I can't look up.

Part two of snow shoveling tomorrow..

Good news is the scar hurts less. Did a test kneel of five minutes on a pad..

Bad news.. I am back to square one getting out of a car with boots on.. There is some more ROM stretching to do.. I can do it.. Its just a bit uncomfortable. I came home and did five stretches on stairs.. the last was definitely more flexed than the first. I am at 120 or so and need 130 to get out of the car with thick soled winter snowpack boots on!

Now for a little wheeling on the exercycle no resistance.

And a heat wrap for my neck and ice for the knee.. Boy my body is confused.

 

[sistersinhim]

Can anything permanently be done for your neck? When I went to a pain management specialist years ago after my lateral release and scope on my left knee, he had me using ice for 20 or so minutes then a heating pan for the same amount of time. He said it confused the nerves and would make it stop hurting. I don't remember if it did or not! That was over 30 years ago. It sounds dumb to me, but hey, if it works that's the key!!

 

[little red canoe]

Its a pinched nerve. Two Ibuprofen and a pint of Smithwicks and a massage roller and all is well. I'm off to bed.

I have a bean scarf that I microwave to heat it up. It will come with me.

 

[Spex10]

Wow what a snowfall! Over here in Edinburgh if we have one inch of snow the city grinds to a halt.
I struggle to bend my knee enough to get it into the car. Really couldn't manage with big snow boots on!

 

[little red canoe]

Wow what a snowfall! Over here in Edinburgh if we have one inch of snow the city grinds to a halt.
I struggle to bend my knee enough to get it into the car. Really couldn't manage with big snow boots on!

LOL.. and those cobblestone streets. They must be awful in ice.. Went to Edinburgh for a few days.. Stayed in a nice B and B. I see why no one wears heels. Neither do I anyway! What nice views you have from the castle!

 

[little red canoe]

Snowshoeing a little tough.. Got about 1/4 mile in three feet deep snow.. Still have to practice getting up from after falling in snow as I don't have a clue without kneeling on the snowshoe.

 

[little red canoe]

So afterward we went to the gym.. I did about 20 each leg presses at 30 lbs, hamstring curls and extensions. And lo the abdominal trainer awaited. Its a bench you kneel on and keeping your chest against the pads rotate your hips.. Well that went very well! No longer do I have to be quite as concerned if I have to kneel. Of course this is not getting off the floor.. the bench was about nine inches off the ground.
Maybe the little massager is densitizing the scar and the tissue that is still a little tight if I try to get over 130!

 

[little red canoe]

Back in the gym.. every other day this week.. cardio bike and leg extensions and curls and presses with some weight
For me the marker between recovery and rehab is 12 weeks.. Prior to that its time to heal, after that its time to build strength.
The upshot is I have a appointment with the OS next week . The office called to cancel cause the OS needs an OS for surgical repair of a joint and is out of commission.Its mean but its hard not to giggle he is such a nice gentle guy

 

[little red canoe]

Ok.. now hiking 2 miles everyday on icy and uneven surfaces. The knee is so stable.. I still have some start up stiffness and doing a few minutes on the exercise bike remedies that..

Its good cause the remaining functioning bath is upstairs... ten or eleven times a day up 15 stairs.. More if I want to go out.( our house is on a hill and the cars 20 steps down). Last year I wouldn't have thought to go up and down that many stairs. Now its no big deal!

I think hiking ies easier than stairs!

No idea what ROM is.. my calf muscle hits my thigh and unless something loses flab thats as far as it goes. Have OS appointment ( with PA as the OS did himself damage) tomorrow)

Posting mostly for those thinking about TKR.. Goodness knows many have had a tougher time than I with complications or had bilateral.. One knee recovery has not been that tough nor brutal for me.. Yes I was an idiot for not doing it way sooner!

 

[Spex10]

Good to hear this @littlered. There is hope!!

 

[little red canoe]

Had 3 mo checkup with PA.. OS fell down enroute to his mailbox and injured his shoulder and had surgery.. PA is very pleased extension complete and ROM 130.
She asked what I was doing for activity and was not surprised that PT for me was short because I got tired of paying for it. She said all you need to do to rehab is some stretching and resuming your daily life..The OS office does not insist on PT.
And they are in the top 1 % of all joint replacement practices endorsed by Medicare.
I guess the reason surgery was so good and satisfactory is that the practice has their own OR, staff, and rooms and therapists.. They are their own entity in the hospital ( Maine Med in Portland)

 

[sistersinhim]

You are proof that less is more!

 

[little red canoe]

Yesterday I found a pool that is indoors and heated nearby at a campground and walked and sort of swam in the pool an hour.

The knee didn't say anything today but the quad is chirping a bit about six inches above the knee.. Well take that you muscle wimp.

Also rode 2.5 hours each way in the car to a hockey game today ( what we do for grandsons) . Knee was stiff when I got out but standing for 1.5 hours watching the game leaning over the men's leaning rail felt good and it was better. A couple of laps around the rink too.

I found that just standing at the counter balancing on the bad leg for thirty seconds and then the good leg for thirty seconds really helped my balance. That was an early exercise PT taught me . Also tightens the glutes and works the extensions.. Last year I couldn't stand for fifteen minutes let alone 1.5 hours.

Knee home now happy.. Asking for a little hike tomorrow. Life is good.