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TKR One month, the good and the bad<

Sometimes, being patient is the hardest thing of all! We live in a fast-food society and it's natural to expect everything to happen fast. Unfortunately, healing does take time, no matter how much we wish it didn't.

It's worth the wait in the long term, though!
 
That's one reason I like to hang around here! Reading posts from people in all stages of recovery helps keep it in perspective.

Keep your journal here up to date as it is hard to remember that just last week such and such was really hard to do and this week you did whatever it is 3x in one day without thinking about it. So far I have only been moving towards a normal knee but sometimes the progress is hard to detect, really hard.
 
Celle said:
Sometimes, being patient is the hardest thing of all! We live in a fast-food society and it's natural to expect everything to happen fast. Unfortunately, healing does take time, no matter how much we wish it didn't.

It's worth the wait in the long term, though!
Click to expand...

Pretty much exactly what my PT said today. He told me that no matter who is getting the surgery -- how good of shape he/she is in, age, etc., -- the first two weeks are basically universally tough. After that, he sees that they gradually start to improve and, by 4 weeks, he's starting to see patients feel like they're going to get over the hurdle.

We'll be there one of these days ourselves!

Roxie
 
This weekend I got a little over confident and attended my niece's college graduation in Phoenix,AZ. I had a good time but did not realize that I had done too much walking until I was going to bed and my foot was very swollen. Back to elevation and ice. The drive, 6 hours was the worst even with stopping a few times for a walk. I would NOT recommended it at 5 weeks. Today I'm happy to be back in my recliner with the ice machine:sleeep:
 
Yep, out of boredom, I took a road trip with my husband yesterday to meet my sister and her husband about a 3 hour drive away. I sat in the back with pillows and my cold therapy machine but still was pretty miserable when I got home and I stopped to walk halfway both going and coming back. It wasn't a good idea at 2 1/2 weeks either!

Roxie
 
We just have to learn the hard way:( But I did have a good time while I was there. I will be sticking close to home for a while. My husband wanted to go somewhere for the holiday weekend coming up, I told him I'd go anywhere within 30 miles :friends:
 
Well...... my PT finally did it and I am very upset! She has been so gentle with me until yesterday. It was my 4th appointment and we did all the usual things, stretching, walking backwards and forwards a few leg lifts then she wants me to lay on my side and starts bending my knee and tells me to tell her when its too painful, when I do she just continues to bend it and says she has to so I will get my ROM back. I was so sore after and all night, the outside of the knee was aching which has never really hurt before. I did tell her I did NOT want to be stretched like that again. Why do they insist on hurting their patients?????
:tantrum2::no-fin:
 
Roxie,
My biggest issue right now is the stiffness. I don't have aching pain and I have been sleeping pretty good. Its just getting up from sitting and being so stiff I can't move for a couple minutes. Even with the elevating and ice machine I still feel swollen and I can still only wear sweats. I did wear a skirt to my nieces graduation. It did turn cool here this last week and in Phoenix last week it was cool and raining when I was expecting it to be over 90 and dry. I am almost at 6 weeks and hoping next week will be better!!
How about you? how are you doing with the pain and sleeping?
:ice:
 
I am at 3 weeks today and I am starting to see an improvement in pain levels -- I still have some burning aching pain in some areas and a stiff swollen tight band kind of across the lower part of my knee that really interferes with bending even though my flexion is at 108. I've been icing and elevating like crazy too -- I guess it just takes a long time. Sleeping is better although not great yet.

My daughter lives in Phoenix and it sounds like you've been having some damp rainy weather. Unusual!

I hope you let your PT know that pain is not okay next time!

Roxie
 
I will for sure be telling her next week that the bending of my knee is not acceptable. She did keep insisting that I wanted good range of motion and I needed to endure it :(
I still feel the tight band across the knee, I guess that takes a while to go away. I think my family is getting sick of having an invalid for a mother/wife. I still have a college age daughter at home and she has suddenly stopped helping after 5 weeks.
 
They don't mean to not be helpful. I went to help my folks for both my dad's knees, but after a few weeks, i didn't seem to be needed. I hope i didn't rush my dad through his recovery faster than he needed to go, but he really did recover quickly. He has since told me, he really didn,t have much trouble with either knee. Of course, they found out the night before his second knee that they had thirty days to move, so I got to help with that. Gosh, that was awful for all of us, but it worked out okay.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
@PolarBear60 I know she's not helping on purpose, just has all of her own life going on. When my dad has his TKR I had just had a baby so I wasn't much help, then when my mom had hers my son was in the hospital for a couple months. So I guess I wasn't much help with either. So, how are you doing? you are just 1 week later then me.
I don't have much pain during the day except for the stiffness when I get up after sitting. I still take Tramadol at night though.
 
I'm very pleased with my progress. I've joked that since my dad gave me these knees I hoped he'd given me the smooth recovery he had, and so far that seems to be true.

I rarely have pain. I added an Aleve at bedtime to augment my two Tylenol that weren't cutting it for the long overnight stint, and that seems to do it for me. I have some tightness on the outside -- that large myofascial sheet/ IT band area. I gently massage light my therapist did and flex the knee slowly. It helps. I ice and elevate. I take two Tylenol in the morning and two in the afternoon.

I'm gradually adding in more household tasks as I feel able. I'm thankful to be retired, so I don't have to worry about someone else's timetable.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
Have you or anyone else heard of rolling the muscles or ligaments with a roller? My sister uses one daily because her IT bands are tight. Just wondering if it would help us. I'll try to find a video.
Thanks Sharon
 
Sure. It's a form of massage. If there's anything to look out for, I'm sure someone will chime in.


Jean

LTKR (Stryker Triathlon): 21 April 2015
Right Knee Arthroscopy: 25 July 2006
Left Knee Arthroscopy: 10 February 2005
 
Perhaps just be upfront and direct about the things you still need help with.
 
6 weeks tomorrow and I finally went to the movies:dancy:. I took a big purse with a pillow and ice pack .
There was a bar right in front of me but I found if I bent my leg slightly an rested my calf on the seat next to me it felt pretty good. Almost like a normal person:)
Sharon
 
It felt great after reading through your updates @sharalder and feels very confident about myself. I met with an accident while crossing the road couple of weeks back and I escaped with few injuries, but I received the hit on the LK and I needed a replacement. I had the LTKR last week and will have to be admitted for one more week. Doc has recommended a PT but I'm kinda running low on finance. Over this I've filled a case on the car owner through one of the personal injury lawyer, Campisi LLP in Toronto, under pedestrian accidents. Everything is like sucking out the confidence in me and I was feeling very low. Your updates kinda have given me boost to the confidence level.
 
@Tracefiles, what a rotten way to have to have a TKR, but I am sure it is the best thing for you at this point.
You will be back to normal! You have found the right place to be, this is the most awesome website. It will have all the answers you need and then some. You are very young and will heal well. I am sure Jo will be along to give you all the necessary reading materials, please read everything and you will do great. It is just not a fast process, you must be patient. You will be amazed at how fast you will be able to put weight on it and walk. But for now just follow your Drs. orders an know that there are a lot of people here to help you.

Sharon
:angel:
 
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