TKR Please: Some advice for one week out..

[Roy Gardiner]

Leslie, just over 2 months in so early days.

Are you doing stretching exercises every day? If not, please start, they will help.

Are you doing anything which hurts your knee, or causes it to swell? If so, stop! Training, rather than stretching, can cause problems if overdone.

 

[ElanorG]

My leg felt heavy and I did a lot of walking in the pool and that helped immensely. IMO, the heavy feeling is lack of strength and weakness. Walking in the pool helps the muscles wake up and get used to being used correctly, and you don't have to worry about falling or alot of pain. But if you overdo it in the pool you WILL feel it later. Start with 15-20 minutes and see how that goes. But the pool walking and stretching was the best rehab I did!

 

[soSuesew]

Two months in..had surgery Jan 23, 2013.. My leg still feels like it has a cement block in it..walking is slow and unsteady. My ROM is barely 90..Still doing my exercises, icing and elevating..
I am worried that I am way behind, or is this about par for this long into post surgery? If anybody could give me some advice on this..Thank you in advance!

I'm no expert but can heartily say, from my own experience, that recovery is an individual process in terms of levels of pain, speed, drugs and pain management, and movement. Can I (gently) suggest that worrying about being way behind is counter-productive? I have worried endlessly about my progress in comparison with others - I am six months post-surgery and am recovering at glacial speed - but, in the end, I will recover at the pace my body and circumstances permit.

Get the drugs and pain management right, find the exercise/physio that's best for you, continue the elevation and icing...and it will come.

There is a ton of expertise and support on this forum, so listen to the wise souls who will have more experience than me.

Best wishes from Sue (in Aix en Issart where the sun is finally showing its face)

 

[Josephine]

​

One thread for your recovery please?​

 

[leslie01]

Thanks Josephine for merging my thread..makes sense. I am not computer literate.. Thank you to Roy, Elanor G and Sue for your responses. Stretching? I am sure my post op exercises given by my physio have stretches in them..I had always thought of them as strength exercises..
Pool? We have a hospital that is about an hour away that uses the pool for rehab. I do think that I will look into it..I did not put the heaviness and weakness together..
Yes, the expertise on this site is so very helpful..It has brought be back from despair some nights..I am going to put the worry on the back burner..I am doing things that I should be doing and it will all come together..Bring out the positive thoughts..
Thanks again everybody..I guess I had felt two months is a long time, but it really is early..
Off to try to sleep...I do miss that...

Leslie

 

[referee54]

My physio pushes me to tears (My last appt is tomorrow)..I just take my stronger meds to sleep..

Leslie01---please speak up and make sure that you let them know that you have set limits on what you will do and what you will not do! you are the boss---and the PT works for you!
If you are hurting after PT, you are working too hard, doing too much, and not keeping the knee happy.

 

[referee54]

Let me flag Orthodoc to see what he has to say about this situation with the broken foot.

 

[leslie01]

Yes, I understad Tim...I am finishing up with her tomorrow..I like her very much, but she has a different take on getting range of motion...either I make it move or an MUA will make it move.. I do gentle stretches and recumbent bike here at home..it is working! I can feel that I am getting better over time, but it is a slow process..Thanks for responding...