PKR Poorlyknees Returns!!

[PoorlyKnees]

August 12th - Day 23

Groundhog day…
I think I’m entering that period where significant changes are few and far between. My physio continues to deliver improvements in terms of range of motion and my day-to-day adventures are helping to increase the strength in both my legs.

To sleep perchance to dream…
I’m still having problems sleeping on my side, so I end up on my back, which I don’t find comfortable. The only compensation is that there’s no much to do during the day at the moment so there’s always time for a power-snooze. No bad thing.

Physio deadline…
I have my next physio appointment in a few days so I’m working hard to make sure I don’t waste his valuable time. I’m quietly confident I will reach the targets he set me last time.

 

[Axx72]

August 11th - Day 22

A funny thing happened on the sofa…
Late last night I was, perched on the sofa with a sore knee, following my first “outing” on the recumbent cycle at the gym. The pain was a sort of soreness across the top of my kneecap like it had been irritated by the pedalling, like the skin was too tight to allow my knee to bend. But it wasn’t swollen. It was very late, I was focused on keeping myself occupied whilst I waited for the women’s soccer world cup match between Spain and the Netherlands to start at 2am (it’s a man thing).

Time for some TLC…
I thought I’d give my knee a bit of a massage. I did the usual rub down with oils and then gave the incision scar a rub in small circles. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain (like a really sharp pin prick) and all the soreness across the top of my knee joint disappeared. Cautiously, I placed my heel on my roller and pulled my heel towards me to flex the joint…. I’ve got way more range of motion and the pain I was getting on the outside of my knee when I put weight on that leg has gone! There’s not a lot of difference in terms of range of motion between my left and right knees now.

Is there a down side?…
The only challenge I have is the dull ache I get intermittently in my glute. It’s the same ache that I got on my left side after that knee was done. So it’s back to lateral raises and hamstring exercises to activate the muscles and relieve the pressure on the IT band. At least I know it will pass; it just takes time.

I experienced a few very similar experiences, like something letting go and my knee moving smoother. I always experienced those tingling and stretching sensations when my TKR leg strength advanced to another level.

I always suspected some kind of smoothing or meshing between the inside of my kneecap(un-modified) and the anterior portion of my prosthesis. I would say the most dramatic event happened about 4-5 weeks after TKR.

Was actually quite unnerving when it happened. TBH

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 13th - Day 24

Official rest day…
Gorgeous wife Claire has gone to visit girlfriends, so I’ve been left at home alone. Consequently, today has been designated a day of rest (back-to-back sport on the TV). My knee is a little puffy just above the kneecap so I have deployed the ice pack.

Ice, ice, baby…
The ice pack feels great and is very effective. It removes the puffiness and swelling which, in turn, relieves the soreness. The only challenge I have is that my freezer (and associated ice maker) has packed up….bad timing. Hopefully I can get an engineer in to fix it in the next day or so. The local supermarkets will have to act as supplier in the meantime.

 

[Layla]

Gorgeous wife Claire has gone to visit girlfriends, so I’ve been left at home alone.

WHAT?!!! Don’t let, Sean, hear that. You’ll hurt his feelings and there will be no more dead mouse presents for you.

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 14th -Day 25

Keep pedallin’….
I thought get sim physio in today so I set off for the gym armed with my headphones. I set up the recumbent cycle and plugged myself in. I managed a full hour with a respectable level of resistance. I had the seat set in the normal position, so the range of motion is there. I had no pain from my knee, just a bit of an ache in my glutes. I think I’m destined to have the same IT band issues with this knee.

A long and winding road…
Slapped on the ice pack when I got home. Both my knees feel tired after such an effort. It’s bit of a battle at the moment. I know I need to rest but my legs are so week through a lack of meaningful exercise. It’s going to take some time to get my strength back completely.

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 15th - Day 26

Physio assessment #2…
My physiotherapist was very happy with my progress he put me through it, checking my progress in terms of walking unaided, negotiating stairs unaided, squatting, knee straightening and bending. He noted that I was unable to completely straighten my knee without assistance but there was no pain. I had no problem walking and negotiating the stairs. The best bit (for me) was the measurement of range of motion. I achieved the target of 130 degrees without any difficulty.

So what’s next?…
I’ve got a whole bunch of new exercises to work on. The goal now is to build a bit more strength into my right leg to balance it with the left….then build them both up to be more “normal”. So there will be chair sits, squats, straightening with resistance.

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 16th -Day 27

4 weeks post op…
Can’t believe how quick time has passed. It’s all fully healed and the scar is hardly visible. There is no swelling around the joint itself, just a bit of tightness in my quads. I can straighten my knee fully and bend to 130 degrees.

What about mobility?…
I’m walking unaided and am able to climb stairs without using the bannister. I can descend the stairs, but choose to use the bannister and take it one step at a time. Stamina-wise I can walk for about 30 minutes before it gets a bit uncomfortable.

It ain’t over yet…
I’ve got 2 challenges. The first is the lack of strength in my quads, the muscles have wasted and putting any significant amount of power through my knees is uncomfortable. The second is a random, sharp pain on the rear/outside of my knee. I don’t know what causes it and I can’t recreate it. My physiotherapist is aware but is somewhat perplexed. I’ve just got to keep working on my strength and stamina.

 

[sistersinhim]

The second is a random, sharp pain on the rear/outside of my knee.

This sounds like the nerves reattaching or rerouting. We call them zingers. To me, they felt like lightning bolts shooting through my knee. Nothing stopped them, but thank God, they were very quick and fairly infrequent. Zingers are all part of the healing process. I have had 6 surgeries on this knee and still get zingers in my numb area, but they are very mild.

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 17th - Day 28

Tough love…
I started my new physio regimen today. I opted to go to the gym as it provides a destruction-free environment and access to the recumbent cycle.

So, how was it?…
The recumbent cycle is easy, as are the stretches and the leg raises however, the wall sits and squats are not featuring highly in my top 10 things to do. Fortunately, my freezer is now fixed and I have direct access to limitless volumes of ice again.

 

[sistersinhim]

the wall sits and squats are not featuring highly in my top 10 things to do.

You are too early to be doing these. No wonder they aren't your favorites. Even on a knee that is many months older than yours, these are bad. Please pass on these at least for 2-3 more months.

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 18th - Day 29

Enforced day of rest…
I had a poor night’s sleep. Don’t understand why, I wasn’t uncomfortable, I wasn’t in pain. I just couldn’t sleep. Unfortunately that resulted in me having quite a bad and persistent headache. So I dozed all day. I kept myself hydrated and eventually managed to eat some food. I hop I get some sleep tonight.

 

[sistersinhim]

Oh my, I hope you aren't trying to catch a bug. You are doing the right things to recover your body. I pray you feel better really soon.

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 19th - Day 29

Back on track…
Unbelievably, I slept in this morning. After a day in bed with a headache yesterday, I slept through to 09:30 this morning…and my headache was gone.

Harder, better, stronger, faster…
I headed to the gym and worked my way through the physio exercises. Recumbent cycle then I work each knee in turn then both knees together. It gets easier each time and my knees feel better each time. I feel it’s working both in terms of strengthening my legs and building my confidence.

Old versus new…
My new right knee (30 days post op) is able to do exactly the same as my new left knee (172 days post op). Just goes to show every knee is different, very different!

 

[Layla]

Good to read you’re feeling better today and you were able to get out to the gym.
Stopping by to wish you a Happy One Month Anniversary!
I hope you had a good day!
@PoorlyKnees

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 20th - Day 30

Happy knees…
My knees feel good after doing the physio. A bit weary, but in a good way. I headed off to the gym again this morning. Same routine. The cycle is getting easier, I concentrate on keeping the pedalling speed to a steady tempo (60-70rpm) and I’m increasing the resistance as I get stronger.

Happy mind…
The other exercises are also getting easier as my strength and confidence grows. I can push/pull against the resistance now and hold the tension. There is no pain in either of my knee joints when I do these exercises…which is a huge improvement compared to my pre-surgery knees.

Positive action…
I know from my own experience that doing nothing can lead to me feeling sorry for myself and focusing on what I can’t do. I just need to keep moving forward to increase the strength in my legs and the integrity and stability of my joints. That doesn’t mean I’m over doing it; rest is very important. There is a huge difference between doing nothing and scheduling time to rest.

 

[Axx72]

Sounds like you are doing well! It’s a tricky notion to walk the line between recovery advancement and joining the the ODIC.

Personally, as a lifelong cyclist I was all about the bike. The smoothness of motion, the ability to think and reflect. Getting lost in your thoughts as u ride, helps pass the time and can let you view recovery as daily steps in the marathon ahead.

Cycling also brings to the recovery forefront on how important knee stability and leg strength is. Be prepared for those ‘step-back’ reversions when they come and try hard to listen to your knee when it tells you to rest.

You are doing fantastic!! Keep going strong!

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 21st - Day 31

The battle continues…
More physio today. Same routine but with more confidence and energy. I feel the effort in my muscles, but not as much as I’d like. Unfortunately there is only so much that I can allow my knees to do. I will have to wait.

Onwards and upwards…
I feel I have established a baseline now. A level of capability from which I can improve and progress in small controlled steps. I am getting stronger and with determination and focus I can make the most of the opportunity that technology, the surgeon and his gifted team have offered me.

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 22nd - Day 34

A step further…
I ventured to the golf driving range today. I wanted to find out if my new knee would be happy with the twisting and rapid direction change involved in walloping a golf ball. I’m happy to say, it worked perfectly.

More physio…
Back to the gym this evening. I blasted through the 30 minutes on the recumbent cycle, I feel I can up the resistance next time. All the other exercises and stretches are getting easier too. I’m really close to having a full range of motion now. I just need to work on leg strength, whilst not overloading the knee.

Any problems?…
The knee joint is sound; range of motion excellent. I get a few twitches in my leg, usually when I’m trying to relax or get to sleep. I’m not bothered by these as I remember having a similar issue with my left knee. It stopped as quickly as it started.

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 23rd - Day 35

Another milestone…
5 weeks old today. Happy anniversary knee, I’m very proud of you.

Today’s challenge….
Can I actually play golf? I know I can hit the ball, I proved that at the driving range, but how would I fare with the walking and the hills? I’m happy to say that it was fine, I only played 9 holes and was a bit slow over the ground but I managed all the hills and had a thoroughly good time.

Rest as a reward…
Words cannot express how nice the ice-filled Cryo-Cuff felt when I got home and I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight. The weather forecast is for rain tomorrow morning and that sounds good to me. Tomorrow will be a (much needed) rest day!

 

[PoorlyKnees]

August 24th - Day 36

Listen to your body (and the weather)…
It’s not often I’m happy when it’s raining, sure it’s good for the garden, but why doesn’t it just rain at night? Wouldn’t that make everyone happy. Anyhow, what does a chap do on a drizzly morning. My leg muscles had a pretty strong opinion and were adamant that I should rest. Who am I to deny them?

The signs were there…
Little Sean has intel on the weather and was curled up, out cold on the bed. That usually means the rain is here to stay; he’s never wrong.

Bring on the Hoff…
I’m not going to lay around in bed all day, not even when it’s raining, so I did the next best thing. Baywatch Season 2 on streaming TV! 30 years ago that was prime time Saturday evening entertainment !

When push comes to shove…
Meanwhile, I focused on stretching. All the stretches my physiotherapist recommended (and several I bet he wished he had). I find stretching to be really helpful. Walking around with new knees takes it’s toll on my back, so some carefully choreographed stretches really help. By the time I’d finished my back felt loose and my knees felt much better. A job well done.