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TKR Pheebs52 Recovery Discovery Journey May 22

I will @KarriB! I don't think he'll be ecstatic, but I hope he'll feel I am making sufficient progress. It's certainly been slow, but it is moving forward.
 
Once it decides to move, it will move, at least that's what my knee did. After my complications the OS said he'd be happy with 90 and I decided I would be too. Fortunately I got past 90, but it took months. I was released from PT around 104 (I think) and still gained ROM 6-12 months post op.
 
So I keep hearing Karri and can only hope it proves to be true for me. My OS told me at my last visit he'd be happy with 100 tomorrow. Well, he's not getting that, nor am I. PT told me today they don't like to release patients before 120. I looked at him like he was nutz. If that's the case, I could be going there for the next year and that's just not going to happen. I like him, but....I have limits.

Where di your flexion finally end up? Not that I'm comparing, lol, but it's always good to hear another slow bending story.:SUNsmile:
 
Just using the diagram here on BS I'd say it's around 120. PT started about 6-7 weeks after the infection surgery because even though I was allowed to bend at 4 weeks my body stopped making white cells, so I stayed in the house, only venturing out to get blood work done. It took 2-3 weeks before the white cell count rose and we didn't have to worry about infection of any kind. So for those few weeks I concentrated on walking with a bend and non-aggressive heel slides. My OS showed me how he wanted me to do them by sliding my foot about 2 inches.

My extention is in the negative number. PT never worked on extention at all. I am very bendy, but my left natural knee doesn't have good extention at all. I'm able to do everything I want except sit with my leg tucked under me. But I can't do it with my left anymore either. Today I walked over 3 miles and rode 8 miles on my exercise bike. Don't think I can ask for much more.
 
So interesting about your mule quad. My mule quad was also the side I tore my menicus in nov and walked/ran on it as I recovered from dec-april. I probably contributed a bit to how slow that one is recovering. Oops.
 
I think it's great that you have it official that it has improved and that should be your emphasis if he asks why not 100.
(Just like my parents when I showed them a test. If I got 95 they would say "why not 100?") ( oh , hey...*that's* where I get it from!)
-I'll report what my PT said on my thread.-
She also said: "don't let the rehab folks push you beyond pain. A little bit of disconfort is worth trying". you betcha!
 
@KarriB, thanks for sharing your ROM story, it helps! And, CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS on all you can now do! If I can do as well as you, I'll be a very happy camper.:yes!:

@Jennszoo, our Leftys' share a very similar story....hmmm, must be something to it! Were you sent to PT after the tear? I was and I believe they made it worse; pffft! Obviously, not where I went after TKR! I can't imagine running after that...yikes! I was a Frankenwalker from Dec-July. I've only just begun to walk *normal* style, maybe three weeks ago? Yeah, thereabouts.

@VW54, LOL at your story about school grades. It has a familiar ring!

@dvannie , we now share the same ROM! I'd say we both earned it the hard way; harumph! How are you this morning?

Thank you @knit2tog! The support and encouragement you bring is always a ray of sunshine.:SUNsmile:
 
Doing the happy dance for you and your 90 flexion! I know you must feel enormously relieved! Kudos to you for being patient and positive throughout!
 
No, pt was treating it like an IT band issue. Mensicus wasn't diagnosed until after the MRI in January. Nov-january were really tough. I was just starting to get better at walking and doing slow jogging intervals when the MRI showed I needed the TKR. And here we are. Lol.
 
Aha, yes, here we are indeed! Before I tore the meniscus, I didn't even know I had OA in that knee. It was the other one that always bothered me....go figure!
 
I hope it's not a conspiracy by the OS's - I had an arthroscopy on my right knee a few years ago and afterwards the surgeon said --- you must have a high tolerance for pain with the amount of OA in your knees - you are a prime candidate for TKR . . . I resisted until the cortisone quit working and I had to start giving up all the activities that I enjoy. Seriously though, she was probably just being truthful as she does not do TKRs.

Perhaps you will still be able to cut back quite a bit on PT Pheebs. At my visit where I astounded everyone with 106 (not sure I have been back at that # since LOL) he talked about cutting back to twice a month or even just as needed. I was going once or twice a week. I have my first appt with a new person in August (she is also very good and gentle) and we will talk about my goals - really at this point it will be focused on gait and then later on improving strength. If I keep up some type of relationship with the clinic then I can used the zero gravity treadmill a couple times a week at no extra charge - it is nice for working on walking form with no discomfort. I take notes at my PT sessions (of course I do!) so have a huge list of exercises I can work on at home for functional mobility when my knee is up to it.
 
Congrats Pheebs! I got to 102 with my first PT pushing but realistically am probably somewhere between 90 & 95 at 11 weeks. I am trying to concentrate on functionality and not ROM numbers now. My own PT never mentioned measurements and I certainly didn't bring it up. Not sure what the OS will say when I go in August but I do have that 102 on my report lol! He didn't say anything about measurements at my first two post op visits.
I find the comments about a meniscus tear quite interesting as I also had arthroscopic surgery on my right meniscus 10 years ago. The OS said then he would see me in about 10 years for a new knee and he was right.
I tried all the other tricks. The Synvisc injections, cortisone shots and PT as we were travelling a lot at the time in Europe and Scandinavia and I was trying to stay as comfortable and pain free as possible. Lots of bent knee walking probably didn't help matters!
In the end though, you just have to give in and go for the TKR.
Hopefully it's climax will be increased mobility with less pain. Just got to get this darn knee to decide to bend.
 
Pheebs52 said:
In a different position, I got it over 100 degrees, I think about 104.
Click to expand...
IMHO, that's the number you ought to go by, not the 90. It doesn't matter what position you were in, you bent it that much! Tell him that tomorrow! And BTW, what a great report! It will just get better and better from now on!
 
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