TKR PCL release post TKR<<

[Celle]

You're doing great!

It sounds as if you have a good PT therapist and you're both considering how your knee feels. Well done!

 

[Kiwigirl62]

@IronGirl6 you sound like you right on track similar timelines to me. Sleep will be next. You're over that dreaded 1 month......just gets a little better each week from now.

You'll be amazed on progress in next 4 weeks

 

[IronGirl6]

Another happy progress report!

Attempted and succeeded climbing stairs today - 3 flights in all! Up was very little problem, except my leg wanting to track out of alignment a bit. Down was a bit scary, leg very tight and didn’t want to take a header down, so I used the last 3 steps of each flight only as far as taking each step fully. Otherwise it was surgery side down first safety style. But still! Snuck in some quad stretches too. Best part? Except for tightness - ZERO PAIN IN MY KNEE!!! :santaclap: After all these years I never thought I’d be comfortable on stairs again, EVER. I almost cried...

Did more laps at another grocery store... leg is a bit sore and stiff now, but it feels like the more I do the more freedom I get the next day - or two. I’m logging my steps (my fitness pal has an app that works as a pedometer that I use - good calorie tracker too) and I’m up and down, 1,000 one day, 2,700 the next... going to start a bit of treadmill walking and adjust as tolerated.

A few days ago my home PTA watched me get on my elliptical - I am able to get full rotation there, yippee! Also nice to get stretches in. Not doing actual cardio yet, not even turning it on - just using it to move... 10-20 rotations max at present. I want my freedom!

Home PT came to discharge me, he was shocked when I came to the door free of cane or walker, his initial smarmy attitude from when we met early in my recovery changed to respect, which was nice. I’m off to outpatient soon. I’ll also make sure there is NO forced ANYTHING again. Looking mostly forward to massage and estim work really. :reindeer:

I’m at about 6 on extension, 90 flexion, hoping the more I walk and stretch the more those will improve.

Now I’m happily at home, on my game ready, happily planning my first appearance at the gym tomorrow. Just gonna mess w upper body machines and the arm bike... hubby there to protect me. PT said it was OK, excited to get a little more back to normal!

:merry christmas::kitty chris:

 

[Shanari]

Someone up above said, "It doesn't matter when you sleep as long as you sleep!" and I am just chiming in on the wisdom of this!!! I am still sleeping in my recliner because it does recline back far enough to elevate my knees post-surgery. Started off that way after TKR #1 in September, and have continued to do so just because I sleep like a champ on it. Whenever I have tried to sleep in my bed, which is adjustable almost like a hospital bed, I wake up to pain because I've twisted around into some strange contortion which has caused pain in the surgical leg. So I'm a big believer that you sleep wherever you get the most effective rest, with any additional props or blankies or pillows that are needed. I'll keep trying my actual bed now and again, but if I never go back to it, I'm still better off than whan I was sleeping in it before surgery and being awakened by pain. Sleep is so crucial to your healing that I truly believe it's #1 - do whatever it takes to get yourself good rest and ignore the "shoulds".

 

[kmak81230]

Yeah for you - great report!!! Keep up the good work.

 

[sistersinhim]

going to start a bit of treadmill walking

Be careful with the treadmill. If it is one that bounces a bit with each step, this can really aggravate your knee. Try just a very short time at first and see how your knee reacts that night.

 

[IronGirl6]

Well, I’ve humbly discovered that one badass day = the following laying low. But I’m sure that’s to be expected. Still haven’t been in the gym yet, but still playing a bit in mine. Logged an Arctic style slow 6m on the elliptical, stretching, forward and backward, super carefully.

Had a big day today - walking outdoors now as well without the cane, as we added a new horse to our herd and had to go pick her up! I’m a mom again! So I’ve done a fair amount of “off roading”, thrilled that I was able to walk the new critter around, albeit slowly! Knee is kinda mad, and my quads on both sides are angry to the point I’m icing them, gonna roll me out next.

At what point did you guys get in a hot tub or pool? I’d kill for our hot tub - private and clean... leg is totally closed. Doc said 6 weeks, I was 5 weeks yesterday... maybe I could sneak it in? Or no?

Oh and my treadmill is actually not good for running - zero give / spring at all. A gift from a former gym client, how I’ve built more than half of my gym! I’ve done so much walking that I haven’t tried that yet either - but soon!

I start outpatient PT tomorrow, praying for a massage lol.

 

[kmak81230]

With my first knee I was pretty cautious and didn't go in my hot tub until about 8 weeks (maybe longer) - and even then I kept my op leg out cuz it was still a bit swollen. I'm looking forward to getting in my hot tub in few weeks - I think I need to be a little more bendy (and less swollen).

 

[Softtail]

Iron girl it was just after week 5 when I got back in my jacuzzi ,and boy was that great. Everyone is different but it felt so good I did it every night thereafter. I also enjoy it for relaxing me for treating myRLS , so I was going to live with it regardless. I never really noticed any extra swelling so all was good. Try it and see for yourself. If wound is completely closed you won’t have to worry about it bothering your incision.

 

[IronGirl6]

Grumpy girl question:

Did any of you have tricks for getting your leg straight? I know I’m supposed to be patient, but it sure would be nice to have my gait stabilize more. I’m doing the usual things - bridges with ice packs weighing my leg down, propping my ankle up when using game ready, light stretching, attempting to straighten while standing for periods of time...

Boy it’s so crazy how one day you feel terrific, the next frustrated. GROWL...

 

[kneeper]

Yep, it's the recovery rollercoaster.
I know it's frustrating but time is really what you need. Your knee is really barely out of surgery as far as tkr goes. You'll get there.

 

[Celle]

Did any of you have tricks for getting your leg straight?

You've tried a lot of things, but here's one more - lengthening your stride while walking.
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it

The other thing is time. It's not unusual for extension to take longer to achieve than flexion. That's because of the big muscles and tendons at the back of your leg - they have to be stretched slowly and gently. You really can't hurry that very much. Remember that ROM, both flexion and extension, can continue to improve for a year or more after a TKR.

 

[IronGirl6]

Thanks so much!! Well I worked and worked - I’ve been nervous that somehow I was behind the curve AND my docs youngest TKR... chalk it up to the athlete pride that got me here lol.

Had my 6 week appointment, he was pleased with my extension and said it’ll never go to hyper like my right side because - apparently especially being “so muscular” - it wouldn’t feel stable. So my 1 degree pleased him.

Now he said it’s all about flexion, and I recall seeing that folks here discredit the “window” they say we have. He wants me to 100 degrees by January or we would do a “steroid pack” to get me in good ROM. Now, I LIKE this idea, because I’m sick and tired of the tightness and not being able to get around one revolution on the bike. I also have quite a limp without a half a Percocet, which is aggravating my opposite hip knee and ankle. I would love to be free of the pain meds - they take my energy and now we have to go through FBI level scrutiny to get an Rx filled.

Is there any foreseeable drawback to this?

My knee surgeon is friend and peer of my spine surgeon, and I tend to trust the latter completely after a 10 year 2 surgery (and a few injuries in between) relationship. I think my tkr was done in epic fashion, the PT clinic seems shocked it’s so new vs what I can do. But as always I am anxious to learn from those who’ve gone before me.

 

[Celle]

I don't know the answer to this one. Myself, I'd be inclined to just wait and let the ROM come as time passes.

However, I'll ask @Josephine for her advice.

 

[Josephine]

I recall seeing that folks here discredit the “window” they say we have.

And?

He wants me to 100 degrees by January or we would do a “steroid pack” to get me in good ROM. Now, I LIKE this idea, because I’m sick and tired of the tightness
Is there any foreseeable drawback to this?

Can't think of any

 

[kneeper]

You're right about the time when many of us get over the ROM "hump" as swelling comes down. You may just find you get to 100 without doing anything different. I found I could go a couple of weeks without change and then the next week was improved.
Finding that balance between moving the knee but not overdoing is the key. Unfortunately there's no magic formula--it seems something we each have to discover by trial and error.

 

[IronGirl6]

Discovered something that might help others :

While waiting at pharmacy last time I had pain meds refilled (and subsequent criminal treatment / waiting forever), I saw Salonpas with Lidocaine on the shelf. Thought it was interesting and bought a box. At my 6 week my surgeon said I could try it - so today I did for the first time.

I got further than ever in my rom, and was able to take a far more natural long step! It lasts about 8 hours! Thrilled to have a systemic drug free solution to get to where I want to be!

Logged a mile, did 10m @80 rpm on elliptical, and got on my pilates reformer first time (had arm chair to help get me off the low lying thing) and worked rom and stretching. I found this all actually more helpful than pro PT! At least at the baby stage I’m at with them.

Numbing patches for the win!

Merry Christmas, everyone. And happy holidays to those who celebrate other things. :tree::reindeer::chris-win:

 

[Celle]

I'm glad the Salonpas with Lidocaine worked well for you.
You were very wise to check with your surgeon that it was OK to use this.

Now, you won't get carried away with the success and try to do too much, too soon, will you?

 

[Newboots]

Does anyone know if there’s a British version of the Salponas with Lidocaine or is it a universal treatment.?
I could sure use something like that !
@IronGirl6 thanks for the heads up on this .
Merry Christmas to you too!:candle:

 

[IronGirl6]

I will behave, captain!

I just had a “come to Jesus” moment when I heard if I’m not over 100 flexion by Jan, Doc wants me on ORAL corticosteroids. No way do I want that!

Some more cool healing tools - MyFitnessPal has a great pedometer (you have to log some of your meals to get it to record steps, I find the program to be quite a great tool). It said I did approx 2,600 steps yesterday - sounded kind of lackluster.

Today, I found a calculator for how many steps equal a mile based upon height and speed. Assuming I was moving at a relatively slow (which I am) 10m mile, at 6’1 that puts me closer to 1.7 miles for yesterday. No WONDER my leg muscles are so sore! I am ice queen today, though we are trying to prep the house (after the primary homemaker has been down for better part of 3 months - had accident and broke 3 ribs back in Sept) for a holiday dinner party Xmas day. :tree:

I feel better now about never achieving the 10,000 step thing from years of calculations. I get more of my daily miles by elliptical, bike, and horse!

The steps to miles conversion app will be great in helping all of us figure out how far we are walking, be it around the house, grocery store, or around the neighborhood.