TKR On the road to recovery finally.
- Thread starter JJT
- Start date
Thank you so much for the support. It keeps me going.
Two weeks out and what a difference. I have upper calf pain which gets in the way of bending my knee but I'm continuing to work through it and will talk to the doc tomorrow at my follow up. It's not the pain I had before but something different. It might just be a strain from the surgery because it stands to reason, my bend has not been anywhere close to where it is now for almost 4 years and it's not happy. I keep telling it to just get over it, I'm the boss now.. The swelling in my knee, calf and foot are almost normal.
My bend on the CPM is now 105 as of this morning and PT is measuring very close to what I'm achieving at home. I had a high of 109 right after surgery but as the doctor said, it will go up and down depending on the day and not to wig out. That's hard to do. I talked with PT yesterday after my frustration of not being able to start the CPM higher than 80 each time and he instructed me to go straight home, see if I could start at 82 since I was warmed up. That was a breeze so cranked it to 85. Today I worked out for 10 minutes with gentle stretches and again started at 85. That is the ticket. Warm it up! I knew that. DUH!
I am absolutely convinced that if it weren't for the calf pain, I'd be bending this knee much higher and possibly normally. Since my accident in '83, I have not been able to achieve over about 110. I was able to live my life at that without a lot of limitations. I hiked, rode a bike (heel on pedal) and was very active. The last two years I rarely left the house. I've read and been told that what you had before is likely what you'll have after. If that's the case, bring it on but until then, I'm going to keep fighting for more. It's a little safer riding a bike with your foot fully on the pedal.
Keep fighting and know that there is someone out there that will take you seriously and help you get your life back. It will take both of you but it can be done.
Two weeks out and what a difference. I have upper calf pain which gets in the way of bending my knee but I'm continuing to work through it and will talk to the doc tomorrow at my follow up. It's not the pain I had before but something different. It might just be a strain from the surgery because it stands to reason, my bend has not been anywhere close to where it is now for almost 4 years and it's not happy. I keep telling it to just get over it, I'm the boss now.. The swelling in my knee, calf and foot are almost normal.
My bend on the CPM is now 105 as of this morning and PT is measuring very close to what I'm achieving at home. I had a high of 109 right after surgery but as the doctor said, it will go up and down depending on the day and not to wig out. That's hard to do. I talked with PT yesterday after my frustration of not being able to start the CPM higher than 80 each time and he instructed me to go straight home, see if I could start at 82 since I was warmed up. That was a breeze so cranked it to 85. Today I worked out for 10 minutes with gentle stretches and again started at 85. That is the ticket. Warm it up! I knew that. DUH!
I am absolutely convinced that if it weren't for the calf pain, I'd be bending this knee much higher and possibly normally. Since my accident in '83, I have not been able to achieve over about 110. I was able to live my life at that without a lot of limitations. I hiked, rode a bike (heel on pedal) and was very active. The last two years I rarely left the house. I've read and been told that what you had before is likely what you'll have after. If that's the case, bring it on but until then, I'm going to keep fighting for more. It's a little safer riding a bike with your foot fully on the pedal.
Keep fighting and know that there is someone out there that will take you seriously and help you get your life back. It will take both of you but it can be done.
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A good update!
Just want to double check - is there warmth, redness, or swelling associated with the calf pain? I assume not, and that you recognize it as muscular, but if there is please do get checked out for DVT.
Just want to double check - is there warmth, redness, or swelling associated with the calf pain? I assume not, and that you recognize it as muscular, but if there is please do get checked out for DVT.
One more thing and maybe some help to someone else. I had great leg raise strength coming out of surgery. Knee straightening while raising foot, good to go. Home run. Day 3, I woke up and all of it was gone. My quad muscles would not fire at all. I started doing side raises and progressed to midway between straight and side and 3 days later, it all kicked back in. From there it was just strengthening the raises.
I thought of that but I don't have any warmth, redness or swelling. My calf is also very soft and doesn't hurt to press on it. I will clear it with the doctor to make sure but I'm not having symptoms of a DVT.
Went for the check up today. It was great. Doc said he didn't think the calf pain was a DVT but he'd be remiss by not ordering an ultrasound. I went right away and it was negative. He said to keep stretching and easing it out.
We talked ROM. I showed him my card with all of the measurements and he ask me if I was happy. I said yes. He said that is all that matters. He said ROM if just a number and it doesn't matter what the numbers say, it's subjective. What 90 is to one person it's 115 to another in how they live their life and that is all that matters. If I want more, keep working but stay happy regardless because I'm already there. I can't say enough about this guy. What an amazing perspective to have. I see him again in 4 weeks for final follow up.
So, back to stretching and PT. It was a great day!
We talked ROM. I showed him my card with all of the measurements and he ask me if I was happy. I said yes. He said that is all that matters. He said ROM if just a number and it doesn't matter what the numbers say, it's subjective. What 90 is to one person it's 115 to another in how they live their life and that is all that matters. If I want more, keep working but stay happy regardless because I'm already there. I can't say enough about this guy. What an amazing perspective to have. I see him again in 4 weeks for final follow up.
So, back to stretching and PT. It was a great day!
I'm convinced my knee hates me.
I was trucking along. PT going well, ROM progressing and still no explanation as to why the calf pain. I had an Orthopedic Ultrasound looking for damaged tendons or ligaments which showed nothing. Pain unexplained. Possible strain. It does affect my working on ROM and I've been pushing through it. 104 at PT which ended 3 weeks ago and 120 on CPM (it isn't an accurate measurement and adjusted for calf pain). I adjusted the CPM to normal was hitting a hard 115 which still isn't accurate but much better than the 80 before scar removal. Not bad.
About 4 weeks ago, I started having some difficulties with ROM and my knee swelling. I thought I was past that. Last Friday I saw the doctor who said it looks like a Patellar Bursa and scheduled me with the ultrasound doc to take a look. Today he withdrew 20CC and was surprised to see blood mixed in. He said it's not a blood filled Bursa as you would find with an injury but there is definitely some irritation going on in there. He's sending it out for analysis looking for infection. He did not want to do a cortisone shot as first course for inflammation as he said it's a high risk for infection. If the Bursa comes back, he would then do it. If it's an infection, they will test the fluid in the joint space. If that's normal, they will do a course of antibiotics. He does not believe my symptoms suggest infection. Labs will be done in 7-10 days. This doesn't look like Gout according to today's lab results.
Anyone have this issue? I'm just over it.
I was trucking along. PT going well, ROM progressing and still no explanation as to why the calf pain. I had an Orthopedic Ultrasound looking for damaged tendons or ligaments which showed nothing. Pain unexplained. Possible strain. It does affect my working on ROM and I've been pushing through it. 104 at PT which ended 3 weeks ago and 120 on CPM (it isn't an accurate measurement and adjusted for calf pain). I adjusted the CPM to normal was hitting a hard 115 which still isn't accurate but much better than the 80 before scar removal. Not bad.
About 4 weeks ago, I started having some difficulties with ROM and my knee swelling. I thought I was past that. Last Friday I saw the doctor who said it looks like a Patellar Bursa and scheduled me with the ultrasound doc to take a look. Today he withdrew 20CC and was surprised to see blood mixed in. He said it's not a blood filled Bursa as you would find with an injury but there is definitely some irritation going on in there. He's sending it out for analysis looking for infection. He did not want to do a cortisone shot as first course for inflammation as he said it's a high risk for infection. If the Bursa comes back, he would then do it. If it's an infection, they will test the fluid in the joint space. If that's normal, they will do a course of antibiotics. He does not believe my symptoms suggest infection. Labs will be done in 7-10 days. This doesn't look like Gout according to today's lab results.
Anyone have this issue? I'm just over it.
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So sorry to hear of your troubles. It's good that your doctor is investigating it thoroughly. Just hope the infection screen comes back OK.
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