PKR PKR Part Deux: now I’ve got a matching set!<

[MCC]

Hi @MaryMC!

You are perhaps the only person I’ve ever met who has had luxations like I have. I had at least 10-20 subluxes of my patella daily and several complete luxations. Thank you for sharing your experience! I will definitely take your advice! How do did the TKR go for you? That’s my next possible step if this doesn’t go well.

Thanks you again and I hope all is well for you now!

 

[MaryMC]

By the time I was 18 I could completely dislocate (not just subluxation) my knee, knock it back into place -and keep going. Obviously every muscle and ligament in my knee was torn apart by that time.

My knee replacement has been slower than what I would have liked, but I’ve come to terms with being patient. I was riding 50-100 miles on the weekends and daily bike commuting 15 miles day to work just months before surgery. I thought I would be back at it in no time, but it was my hip that’s had something to say about that! My body is a bit more unique than many TKR patients with not having a hip joint. This was my 14th surgery I think. My knee however is strong, and it took a few weeks to trust it and my therapists that it wasn’t going to dislocate, but it’s tracking perfect and feels solid.

 

[MCC]

@MaryMC that sounds brutal! I remember all through high school playing tennis and basketball and suddenly my knee cap would pop out, I’d fall over, push it back and get up and keep running. I eventually moved towards rowing, yoga, and hiking more in college, which were a little easier on the knees, but things have been getting steadily worse since then. My ligaments are still fortunately in good shape.

That’s some serious cycling! Amazing you could do that with a painful knee and without a hip. I’m sure that now you’ve had the TKR you’ll be unstoppable! That’s great that it’s coming along. You’re a recovery pro, I’d imagine. A lot of surgeons do seem to make it sound as though knee replacements take no time to recover from.

The trust factor is an interesting one. I’ve spent so long with extreme apprehension about my knees that it’ll be a real shift to not have to think about each step or move or activity and how my knee will handle it.

 

[Josephine]

By the time I was 18 I could completely dislocate (not just subluxation) my knee, knock it back into place -and keep going.

You just reminded me that I went to school with a girl like that. Every playtime she would 'entertain' her friends with it. It just looked really gross to me!

 

[MaryMC]

Maybe she was double jointed? My experience was that dislocation was extremely painful for me!

 

[Josephine]

Well yes! The condition is called Ehlers-Danlos / hypermobility syndrome which is what was being discussed!

 

[MaryMC]

So does hypermobility syndrome cause dislocations? For me, I did not have this condition but still dislocated my joints. MMC- may I ask if you have this condition as well?

 

[MCC]

I’ve never been diagnosed with that before and it sounds more severe than my issues. I’ve always just been told that I’m extremely flexible. For instance I’ve always been able to touch my head to my knees and lay my forearms on the floor when I do a forward bend. Even now, after laying around so much, nothing is tight. Also when I sleep on my side my clavicle luxates and I have to pop it back in place in the morning. I won’t lie, the clavicle thing is annoying. I’m forever working on stretching some muscles and strengthening others. It makes yoga easy though! Haha

Also, happy to report that week two of recovery is going great. Very little pain, improving sleep, and I’m moving around more and more.

 

[ACDCJen]

@MCC

I just wanted to chime in, hopefully it helps? I had a TTT (tibular tubercle transfer) when I was 17, and I believe I had a lateral release (and a few other things!) as part of it. I had a scope and lateral release on the same knee 5 uears prior to the TTT. It was 23 years ago, but i had the brace on for 12 weeks. It had metal rods along the sides so I could not bend it. I was non-weight bearing for 3 or 4 weeks, but then I gradually put more weight on it as tolerated. I used crutches for 8 weeks and then just walked with the brace unsupported.

I remember that therewas quite a bit of swelling, especially in the first month. Icing and elevatimg really helped. I had to take it very slow. The hardest part was retraining my quad. I still don't think it ever got to the point it should have, but it was a good decision to have the surgery and I do not regret ot one not.

Hopeyou are healing and feeling better each day!!

Jen

 

[MCC]

Thanks Jen! That does help! I’ve had such a hard time finding folks my age who have had a similar combo of procedures that it’s great to get your impression.

In the last week I was feeling so much better that I over did it with walking and puttering around the house and added in some different PT exercises. I’ve had this throbbing around the medial and proximal part of my knee that shoots down my shin periodically, usually worse at night. It’s kept me from sleeping and I’ve had to go back to pain meds 3 times daily (I was on tramadol twice daily). I’d call the pain a 1-2 most of the time, but maybe a 5 when these occasional pains occur.

Ice definitely helps. I’m assuming it’s all related to overactivity. Has anybody else had that experience? I’m 3 weeks out from tibial tubercle osteotomy, patellofemoral PKR, and lateral release. I also had enormous osteophytes all over the place and they apparently had to do some aggressive clean up.

 

[sistersinhim]

Your knee is an infant and needs to be treated as such. When you do something it's not ready for, then it hurts and probably swells, too. Too much activity actually slows down your healing. Your knee isn't out of shape, it is traumatized from this surgery, and right now all it needs it rest, icing and elevating!

 

[MCC]

Thanks @sistersinhim! I talked to my doc and PT and they both said the same. Pump the breaks and slow it down, it’s early days yet. And so I shall! Thankfully I’ve got a nice sunny window to put my chair by and the garden on my roof is in full bloom, so there are some nice places to relax.

 

[sistersinhim]

That sounds wonderful! Your OS and PT are right on board!

 

[MCC]

One more question, I notice that while I’m trying to sleep (which has gotten much harder in the last week), I need to get up about every 2 hours and walk a bit, or my knee really, really aches. Anybody else had that issue? Naps are never a problem for me, but in the first couple weeks I was able to make it more like 4 hours with at a stretch without needing to get up and move. During the day I walk around every 60-90 minutes, but this nighttime schedule is rough! The pain is better since I backed off on activity, but now it’s like a dull ache until I get up and move. Ice helps a bit, but walking helps more. Things otherwise are going well, but I sure do miss sleeping!

 

[sistersinhim]

I had the same thing. Instead of walking around I got on my recumbent bike for about 5 minutes. It always helped. These new knees like to walk. After all, that's what they were created to do!

 

[SusieShoes]

I need to get up about every 2 hours and walk a bit, or my knee really, really aches. Anybody else had that issue?

These new knees do like to walk. Mine would natter at me every so often to just plain move already, so I would oblige them by either getting up and walking (a bike is a good alternate) or I would do some gentle bends and stretches. Very gentle. Just because the knees wanted to move.

One reason the knee(s) want to move is that moving is one of the ways the body pumps out any swelling. The knee is "Hey, I need to do this! Gotta stay bendy." It's looking after itself.

Early in recovery (the first couple months) I would walk several times a day, just around the house at first and later outside on my driveway and nearby sidewalks. I couldn't walk far at first, and I was using a walker (then a cane), but the knees really liked taking those little walks.

As your knees heal and you naturally become more active doing your daily activities, your knees will stop nagging you so much.

 

[MCC]

Thanks @SusieShoes and @sistersinhim!

I had 2 great days, didn’t need any pain control beyond Tylenol and then had a bigger day yesterday and yowza, my knee is letting me know it’s unhappy tonight! Thank goodness for Netflix!

I have plans to celebrate a friend’s 40th birthday with wine tasting with some girlfriends in 10 days. My surgeon’s PAC thought it would be fine at 4.5 weeks out, but I’m doubting it now. It’s a 3 hour car ride and I think the plan will be be out most of the day, then have dinner at a restaurant. I can’t sleep through the night, be on my knee for more than 20ish minutes at a stretch, and if I have a bad day and need tramadol I shouldn’t be drinking anyway. As much as I’m bummed to say it, it just seems like too much right now. What do you all think? I can’t imagine a good way to make it work, but I’m open to any advice! Things are progressing really nicely overall, but it may just be more than I can ask my knee for.

 

[sistersinhim]

As much as I’m bummed to say it, it just seems like too much right now. What do you all think? I can’t imagine a good way to make it work, but I’m open to any advice!

Good morning, MCC. I hate to say it, but I think if you go, you'd be miserable. Just the car ride would anger your knee, not to mention all the up time you'd have. You need to decide if you want to go and then not be able to do much or to just stay at home and heal. You don't want to bum any or your girlfriends either. If you decide to stay home, they will surely understand. It's not just the pain of the surgery, it is also the energy drain and brain fog. All those things need to be taken into consideration. I pray you reach the correct decision for you!

 

[SusieShoes]

... it just seems like too much right now.

Our gut feelings tend to be amazingly on target. I'd say listen to yours. At this point in recovery a 3 hour car ride will be uncomfortable. If you decide to go, there are a few things you can do to make the ride (both ways) and stay a little more comfortable.

You can make the car ride more bearable by stopping a few times along the way and getting out to walk and stretch your muscles and ease the stiffness in your knee. Otherwise, at the end of the trip, you will have a LOT of stiffness.

Pack some ice packs (or bags of frozen veggies) in a cooler, and use those during the ride to help ease pain and swelling. Use them as needed throughout your trip. It really helps if you are not the driver! There are ice packs you can strap on your knee that will work for driving.

If you will be out and about during the day... that could present problems. Lots of walking = lots of pain later. You may not be up to it and will have to cut short whatever activity you are doing. It would be much better if you could just sit and talk somewhere. Better yet might be if you skip the wine-tasting (or part of it, if you sense you can't do it) and just meet up later for dinner.

Your knee isn't going to cut you any slack or be cooperative for an afternoon on promises you will be nicer to it later. Knees don't negotiate; they are where they are. Be honest with yourself about what your knee is up to doing... and then do everything possible to stay within its limits. If you overextend yourself, you will be dealing with it later. Sometimes the event is worth it, but only you can determine that.

Ain't being an adult fun?

 

[MCC]

Haha @SusieShoes sooooo fun! I’m going to see how it goes over the next few days and see what my surgeon says. A little adventure would be good for the spirit, but a lot of pain, less so. I did walk a total of 6 blocks to get some rainier cherries today (it was probably too much, but I wanted to try something new and I wait all year for these little fruity beauties) and while exhausting and incredibly slow, my knee held up beautifully and I was really able to start feeling my quad and glute contractions. In fact, my right bum cheek is a little tired. Amazing you lose condition so fast!

I’ve got my first acupuncture session in over a month tonight too. That always helps quite a lot with pain.

In a side note, I just got the lounge doctor foam wedge. It’s so no nice not to be fussing with my pillow stack constantly!