kneesrus
graduate
I have my patients set a goal for themselves with a date. A goal without a date, is a dream.
David
David
TKR Physio left me disheartened
- Thread starter Lizzie Pearson
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Lizzie Pearson
junior member
Excellent idea! Watch this space!
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
Massage post THR
Use whatever makes you feel comfortable and confident. That is THE only criterion.
Dear right there, lady! That's why we have to resist these PTs that want us to get things to X state on their time table. Madness!
Lizzie Pearson
junior member
I'm having a bit of a 'blip' and I thought I'd check in for advice to see whether this is normal or not:
It's exactly five weeks since my right TKR. At physio last Friday the bend was 70 degrees (20 degrees up on the previous week). I've been going through my exercises twice a day, increasing the reps when the time feels right, plus regular walking, stairs, etc in between, along with loads of rest,nice and some pain relief. It has been improving a little each day and the speed of recovery doesn't particularly bother me, as long as I get there in the end.
Two or three days ago my son and his partner took me out. I travelled in the front of my car, which was much more comfy than the last time. We stopped at a local shop and I had a wander round ( two crutches), got back in the car, then down to a local cycle/walking trail. I had a slow walk for a couple of hundred yards, went in the cafe, had a bit of lunch and went home...by which time the back of my knee was very sore, but not unbearable.
I have gone on to using a stick round the house, which is more convenient.
The last two days have been hell. Although I have slept well my knee has been very stiff and sore, so I've rested for most of the time...except today, when I thought I'd try and do some normal stuff and tackle a small basket of ironing. Now, whereas my knee is ok when walking, upon standing still for a few minutes it rapidly swelled, becoming very painful, resulting in me lying down. Twenty minutes ironing took about three hours and ended up with me in floods of tears...not normal for me!
It took a long period of ice and elevation before I could go downstairs, where I lay on the settee for the evening, before coming back to bed for more ice/elevation.
Is this normal?
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It's exactly five weeks since my right TKR. At physio last Friday the bend was 70 degrees (20 degrees up on the previous week). I've been going through my exercises twice a day, increasing the reps when the time feels right, plus regular walking, stairs, etc in between, along with loads of rest,nice and some pain relief. It has been improving a little each day and the speed of recovery doesn't particularly bother me, as long as I get there in the end.
Two or three days ago my son and his partner took me out. I travelled in the front of my car, which was much more comfy than the last time. We stopped at a local shop and I had a wander round ( two crutches), got back in the car, then down to a local cycle/walking trail. I had a slow walk for a couple of hundred yards, went in the cafe, had a bit of lunch and went home...by which time the back of my knee was very sore, but not unbearable.
I have gone on to using a stick round the house, which is more convenient.
The last two days have been hell. Although I have slept well my knee has been very stiff and sore, so I've rested for most of the time...except today, when I thought I'd try and do some normal stuff and tackle a small basket of ironing. Now, whereas my knee is ok when walking, upon standing still for a few minutes it rapidly swelled, becoming very painful, resulting in me lying down. Twenty minutes ironing took about three hours and ended up with me in floods of tears...not normal for me!
It took a long period of ice and elevation before I could go downstairs, where I lay on the settee for the evening, before coming back to bed for more ice/elevation.
Is this normal?
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Welcome to the ODIC, Over Did It Club, you did way too much, and your knee is letting you know. One of those activities would have been more than enough.
Going to take a few days of Rest, Ice, Elevate, and Medicate, to recover. Your knees response is normal when we over do it, and all of us have.
Going to take a few days of Rest, Ice, Elevate, and Medicate, to recover. Your knees response is normal when we over do it, and all of us have.
Lizzie Pearson
junior member
Hmmm...I thought you might say something like that! To be honest I'm not even going to exercise tonight, as the pain has eased and the swelling is going down a bit. I have just given it a gentle massage with oil on top and Arnica underneath, and that felt good, so will leave it at that and do a few gentle exercises tomorrow if it feels up to it.
I know everyone is different, but a friend of mine had it done and went back to work at six weeks...how on earth could she manage that? Is it because she's a bit younger and quite a bit thinner?
I know everyone is different, but a friend of mine had it done and went back to work at six weeks...how on earth could she manage that? Is it because she's a bit younger and quite a bit thinner?
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It is because she is not telling you how hard it was to go back to work at 6 weeks.
All knees are different, it seems older people often have an easier time.
Take it easy, you will feel better soon,
but that's ok--we all try to join the ODIC at one time or another. 
Lizzie Pearson
junior member
A bit better today...got up late...massage, gentle exercises, hobbled round the kitchen for half an hour, leg stiffened, lay down, iced, elevated, watched film, hobbled round kitchen again to loosen up leg,, lay down again, got up, went downstairs, lay on settee, got up a couple of times to loosen up leg...watched TV, did knitting, am presently lying on settee...
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Sounds like a great day to me, 
Lizzie Pearson
junior member
Giggles...
Lizzie....one funny thing about new knees......they will hurt more if you stand relatively still on them (like when ironing) than if you were doing some gentle walking. So.....you probably don't want to attempt anything right now that causes you to basically stand in place for substantial periods of time. That would probably include cooking a meal or ironing.
Lizzie Pearson
junior member
I agree...walking round gently is ok...I suppose the blood circulates,etc...but standing still for any length of time is a no-no.
One thing that worries me is I have theatre tickets for a show in two weeks time and I am already beginning to concur with my partner that I should try and sell them. It will involve being driven thirty miles, catching a train for a 45minute journey, a taxi to the hotel, then the show..,which is my main worry as obviously it will involve sitting, as opposed to having my foot up, for a couple of hours, then taxi back to the hotel, then home. No opportunity for ice in all that time. What do you all think?
One thing that worries me is I have theatre tickets for a show in two weeks time and I am already beginning to concur with my partner that I should try and sell them. It will involve being driven thirty miles, catching a train for a 45minute journey, a taxi to the hotel, then the show..,which is my main worry as obviously it will involve sitting, as opposed to having my foot up, for a couple of hours, then taxi back to the hotel, then home. No opportunity for ice in all that time. What do you all think?
dogwheels
post-grad
Ouch! Hello again @Lizzie Pearson - I see you have discovered that standing still without your knee hurting and stiffening afterwards is an accomplishment that comes with time. In fact quite a lot of time in my case. I kept doing it - but always knew that creeping stiffness and some swelling would be the result. But looking on the bright side, every week your knee is getting stronger and each time you will be able to stand still for that little bit longer before you get major repercussions.
Can you not sit while ironing? I admit I hate to do that, but even if you did it for small easy to iron bits it would save the weight bearing time. I also found that shopping is not the best knee-shaped activity (boo!) Just when I most needed some retail therapy, I discovered and was told by my PT that shopping is not great as you are continually stop-starting. Huh! Nothing stops this lady from shopping, so I used to set the timer on my phone initially for 45 mins, and then fell in my daughters car and faced the consequences with my knee.
Much as I am one that follows the 'if it feels good, do it' brigade - I must admit that your theatre plans sound a wee bit ambitious. Have you sat for that long with your foot down and not iced yet? If not, then I would err on the side of caution and wait until you know that you will be able to cope. Any one of those things alone could make you very uncomfortable at this stage, and if you put them all together your evening will probably be an endurance marathon rather than a fun evening out. I hate being the voice of doom, but a bad experience could set you back several days and knock your confidence.
Small achievable goals were the ones I set for myself - ones that if I had been a tad over ambitious, wouldn't make me think 'never again'.
Its hard, but you need to be SO patient - but you WILL get there. Every day in every way you are getting better and better.
My daughter's just booked us a Christmas shopping weekend to Exeter in November. I am now confident that I can not only do it, but also do it and enjoy it. Everything comes to she who waits .......
Take care, remember its a marathon, not a sprint.
XXX
Can you not sit while ironing? I admit I hate to do that, but even if you did it for small easy to iron bits it would save the weight bearing time. I also found that shopping is not the best knee-shaped activity (boo!) Just when I most needed some retail therapy, I discovered and was told by my PT that shopping is not great as you are continually stop-starting. Huh! Nothing stops this lady from shopping, so I used to set the timer on my phone initially for 45 mins, and then fell in my daughters car and faced the consequences with my knee.
Much as I am one that follows the 'if it feels good, do it' brigade - I must admit that your theatre plans sound a wee bit ambitious. Have you sat for that long with your foot down and not iced yet? If not, then I would err on the side of caution and wait until you know that you will be able to cope. Any one of those things alone could make you very uncomfortable at this stage, and if you put them all together your evening will probably be an endurance marathon rather than a fun evening out. I hate being the voice of doom, but a bad experience could set you back several days and knock your confidence.
Small achievable goals were the ones I set for myself - ones that if I had been a tad over ambitious, wouldn't make me think 'never again'.
Its hard, but you need to be SO patient - but you WILL get there. Every day in every way you are getting better and better.
My daughter's just booked us a Christmas shopping weekend to Exeter in November. I am now confident that I can not only do it, but also do it and enjoy it. Everything comes to she who waits .......
Take care, remember its a marathon, not a sprint.
XXX
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That is a tough one, we are taught to always give it our best, to tough it out. You are pretty much assured at that level of activity, you will pay dearly in the following days. But then we think, maybe not.
You are a little over one month out, it is probably too soon, but only you can decide.
I agree with your partner, sell the tickets and go another day.
Patience is the toughest part of this recovery.
You are a little over one month out, it is probably too soon, but only you can decide.
I agree with your partner, sell the tickets and go another day.
Patience is the toughest part of this recovery.
I think unless you can figure out how to include some ice and elevation at intervals during this outing you will be miserable. The only way I would attempt such a thing would be if I could negotiate with the theater to be seated somewhere with room and means to prop my leg up. Thinking of a box seat, or a wheelchair accessible area-- wheelchair or not, with two chairs and a pillow or two you'd be fine, provided you could bring some cold packs in a cooler. If you had front row seats in a balcony you could stick your leg up on the railing, and give people imperious looks. That may well be impossible, or just Too Much Bother.
I made at least one long trip in the car--100 mile drive to visit the mother in law, some weeks after my first knee. Although I couldn't elevate properly all day I could use ice, that helped, but it wasn't ideal. We are planning the same visit for next weekend, believe me I will have a small ice pack stuffed in my purse when we take old girl to church.
I made at least one long trip in the car--100 mile drive to visit the mother in law, some weeks after my first knee. Although I couldn't elevate properly all day I could use ice, that helped, but it wasn't ideal. We are planning the same visit for next weekend, believe me I will have a small ice pack stuffed in my purse when we take old girl to church.
Lizzie Pearson
junior member
I hate to say it but I think you're right. All I've done today is wake up late, get up late, hang out a bit of washing and sit for half an hour to try and get my printer to work (It won't)...oh, and make a bit of apple sauce...then had a shower. Consequence is my knee is stiff and sore, so am back on the settee.
Speaking of waking/getting up late, after months (years?) of dreadful sleep patterns I can't believe how long I'm sleeping for! Did this happen to anyone else?
Speaking of waking/getting up late, after months (years?) of dreadful sleep patterns I can't believe how long I'm sleeping for! Did this happen to anyone else?
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