TKR Ollie's Adventure

[tiredwife]

@Ollie It might get up to 50 F tomorrow! Happy dance!

 

[tiredwife]

@Ollie it has gotten in the 50s today, a nice break from our bitter cold. How are you doing? Thanksgiving is getting here fast! You take care of yourself, Hi to Kim from me.

 

[tiredwife]

@Ollie Kim and kitties Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[tiredwife]

@Ollie Hi there, hope all is well with you? Hope you are staying warm, and hope your knee is behaving?

 

[tiredwife]

@Ollie Stopping by to say hi and find out how you are doing? Hope all is well!

 

[Ollie]

@tiredwife @Minnie's knees

Sorry to be gone for so long!! Trying to get ready for the holidays and had to fight off a bit of a cold. Oh - and of course there is work!! I don't think I've been around since before Thanksgiving, and I haven't been getting my alerts!!

Feeling good except for the cold weather. All of that stiffness and little bits of discomfort are all on the outside of my knee. I am thinking that is the last thing to get healed. The top edge and outside of my kneecap are still tender, but that really is the last spot. Of course my knee gets tired, but that is also getting better, and not so frequently.

How are all of you?

 

[tiredwife]

@Ollie Good to hear from you! Hubby's knee#1 feels just like a regular knee now. Knee 2 still has that dull ache right above the knee, but it is slowly getting better.
A lot of people are fighting colds and the flu now, hope you are all better.

 

[Ollie]

Wow - has been a couple weeks since I posted! On holiday break now and just got a new dog. It has actually been good for my knee because I am up and down more, moving in some new and old ways.

Hardly have to take any pain meds - well, that isn't true. My 'old' knee is VERY angry with the cold weather and all the dog walking it has done out in the cold. New knee is good, no pain, but stiffness from the cold. Having some IT band issues, too, but those are gradually getting better. Using Tylenol mostly - in AM if I need it. Maybe naproxen in afternoon if old knee gets really grouchy.

7 months in January!!

I have a coat for the dog - do they make coats for arthritic knees and recovering knees?

 

[kneeper]

Knee jackets? Good one. I do seem to notice the cold a bit more on my new knee too for the moment. But my older "new" knee got over that gradually.

 

[Ollie]

@kneeper Thank you for stopping by. Not many visitors lately. Seems that there have been conflicts? Sorry to hear. All the fun chatter and chit chat was really good for me while convalescing.

But that idea for knee jackets or super thermal wraps or easy on, easy off knee sleeves. . . I could really use a couple of those to wear to/at work. The stiffness warms up, and I've noticed that all the ligaments are still ouchy, too - probably just getting them into shape from the years of hobbles and limps.

But - my leg is getting stronger! Gotta love that, and the achy cold is getting me ready for surgery #2 this coming summer.

 

[Ollie]

hi all. Has been a long time since I've been by to chat - work has kept me busy and am trying to buy a house. What I'd like is some advice/ideas about some stiffness and what I am guessing is ligament pain.

My recovery slowed down after returning to work, but am doing very well. The cold weather has both knees unhappy, but my new knee really has only felt stiff on the lateral (outside) close around my kneecap. That is also where I have some numbness.
Now, In the last two weeks I've had some pain in the back and sides of the joint, a sort of stiff pain, like I remember getting when I sprained my knee skiing long ago. My ROM is great; the knee only has some pain when there is a bit of twist or torsion - like in the ligaments. I did nothing to injure it; could it be that as I gain ROM and build strength in my leg I am simply moving it through a greater range than it is used to? Anyone else have or had this as they recover?

 

[Celle]

Hi @Ollie
Let's ask @Josephine for her opinion.

 

[bottomshollow]

@Ollie, You may notice that I have merged your two threads. We like to keep our members' recovery posts all in a single thread. That way it's easy for us to go back and read your history before responding to a question or concern. In addition, the thread becomes a journal of your recovery for those who come along later and want to read about you. So, please post in this thread from now on when you want to give an update or ask a question. If you have questions or concerns that need an immediate answer, please tag an admin, a mod, or other members or all three.

If you decide you'd like a different thread title at any point, you can change it using the Thread Tools button at the top right of the page or just post what you want here and we'll get it changed for you. THANKS!

If you are having a problem locating your thread, here is a link with how to do it: How can I find my threads and posts?

 

[Josephine]

could it be that as I gain ROM and build strength in my leg I am simply moving it through a greater range than it is used to?

"gain ROM and build strength"? At 8 months?

So tell me what this entails. What kind of exercises are you doing? How much and how often? (and detailed details would be appreciated, please! **Reps, sets and sessions** and all that)

** If you're not familiar with this, it goes like so:
1 lift of your leg = 1 rep (repetition)
5 reps and then a brief rest = 1 set
5 sets and finishing = 1 session.

 

[Ollie]

@Josephine Thank you for weighing in. I am not doing any program at all; just walking and normal life things like being on my feet at work in short bursts, grocery shopping, and taking my little dog out. I was doing water walking until the weather got cold and it became too hard to get to the pool when the lanes were open. Now that it is getting closer to spring, I am outside with the dog for longer periods. I've noticed my quad strength is increasing and my ROM is better than it was when I stopped going to PT, but not due to really trying.

So when I say I haven't done anything, I really haven't. As I've been thinking this past week - Perhaps. . . It is linked to a long shopping excursion to a warehouse store (Costco). Concrete floors and standing and walking. This stiffness and pain is new - well, I've had stiffness around the outside of my kneecap that is slowly resolving, but the back of my knee soreness is brand new. It is hard to explain - but like at night, when I roll over, I get some pain either laterally or medially in the ligament area. The same sort of movement getting in or out of the car is ouchy, too. There must be a slight rotation motion that I've irritated. Perhaps I've simply over done it?

Just wanted to know if this has happened to others.

 

[kneeper]

You might have overdone it and also done a little uneven stress on it. YOu might give it a little tlc for a while.

 

[Ollie]

Thank you @kneeper I am planning on a low stress weekend. Is already feeling better after being careful the last couple of days. Some ice, naproxen, and elevation!!

 

[Josephine]

So when I say I haven't done anything, I really haven't. As I've been thinking this past week - Perhaps. . . It is linked to a long shopping excursion to a warehouse store (Costco). Concrete floors and standing and walking.

Could be. Concrete floors aren't particularly knee friendly!

This stiffness and pain is new - well, I've had stiffness around the outside of my kneecap that is slowly resolving, but the back of my knee soreness is brand new. It is hard to explain - but like at night, when I roll over, I get some pain either laterally or medially in the ligament area.

It's not hard to explain at all. I think you have something similar to me. My pain was in this pattern - where the blue shading is .... does it look similar in any way?

 

[Ollie]

@Josephine Yes- that is pretty close to the tender spots!! Especially at the back of my knee, it is actually more like really high on my calf. So I guess my weekend of ice, rest, and naproxen is the ticket!

Thank you, Josephine!! Will keep posting my recovery better. Am trying to get ready for my second knee surgery!

 

[Josephine]

Then it's nothing to do with your TKR. They are muscles spasm that needs more than that.

I got mine sorted out by a chiropractor who did acupressure massage! Can't beat chiropractic treatment! I suggest you do the same.