Bilateral TKR Post-TKR Scar Removal Scope

[Josephine]

Josephine, yes, by all means...I'm open to your questions and advice.

Here y'go then!

It would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't forget to factor in other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness).

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how swollen is your leg compared to these?

4. what is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

5. are you icing your knee at all? If so, how often and for how long?

6. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?

7. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

8. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)

Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

 

[JDP]

Hi @Kimbies

I am reaching out to see if I can offer some support. We are about the same age and you had your surgery 1 week before me.
I am a fitness professional and felt that pressure internally and externally from friends, co-workers, etc to " be a post TKR rock star" . Like the wise Bone Smarties say - the knee is the boss.
I never lost a night's sleep in my life - a champion sleeper - even after I had my son who was / is also a champion sleeper. I literally did not sleep the day / night of my surgery and haven't had a good night, or day's, sleep since. I have a paradoxical reaction to anything that is supposed to make you drowsy and reacted to the sleeping pills that my GP gave to me as I was non-functional and irrational from sleep deprivation. You are not alone!!!!
I have learned it is perfectly okay to vent on here and I find inspiration and hope from so many others.
As @liam2015 once said to me and it helped immensely - you've got this @Kimbies!!!!
Best, Dawn

 

[kmak81230]

Hey there! You're getting a lot of good advice on here so I'll try not to pile on but just say that the knee cannot be rushed into healing and even though it seems like you are not doing much, for 8 weeks out it is quite a lot given the trauma of this surgery. I am 5 months out and still get swelling and stiffness after doing too much which regresses my already not ideal flexion. At 8 weeks I was only doing 5 minutes on the bike at 0 resistance and now I'm only up to 45 minutes 2xweek, still at pretty low resistance. Hang in there, muster up all the patience you can find, and feel free to vent on here anytime you need to. Good luck with #2 - you'll do great.

 

[Kimbies]

Josephine...

1 - Pain levels vary from minimal to none to 7-8, when it really stiffens up or feels like an axe blade in the joint.

2 - Norco, 5-325 Only take half a pill as needed. Generally 1-2 1/2 doses a day, or none.

3 - I'll have to get back to you on this one. Not very swollen, though...slightly bigger than other knee. It looks like moderate, but slightly smaller.

4 - Flexion last week was 115 degrees. Extension is -2

5 - Ice machine, 20 minutes at a time, probably 5 times a day. Also put it on to help with sleep, generally wake up and shut it off.

6 - Elevating whenever I'm sitting and at night

7 - Minimal activity. No cleaning. No shopping. Minimal cooking. Mostly up and down stairs (15) 3-5x/day to take dog out.

8 - Not a lot of exercise at home, when lying down, I do leg extensions, leg raises. Focus hard on my gait when walking. Coming back up stairs, trying to lead with surgical leg since soon, it will have to be dominant.

30-minutes water therapy (treadmill, jet therapy, flexing, walking backwards) 3x/wk
PT 2X/wk
Recumbent bike, 20 minutes, no resistance, 3x/wk

 

[Kimbies]

Kmak81230...Thank you for your input. I'm curious, does the Colorado weather changes affect you?

 

[Kimbies]

Dawn...Thank You So Much for your kind input! Your support is greatly appreciated. I'm sure we've all found that those who haven't been through this, simply can't understand. Thus feel like whining.

 

[Wellness in Virginia]

On bonesmart, I felt so safe to share all my pain, and struggles, pre and post my BTKR. Your ROM will continue to improve. It did for me. Keep sharing. We're all here for one another.

 

[Iloved3]

For me, Recovery is difficult, including pain, loss of freedom, difficulty with impatience, lack of sleep, feeling isolated. Having a place to share and get support is so important! Thanks!

 

[Kimbies]

Support is so important! I know for myself, I hate to feel like I'm whining, or a big baby, so I generally keep it in. However, this one is pretty rough. It's hard to hide when you're having a really rough day that rolls over into your emotions and mental stability. Just feels like, enough already. Sigh...

 

[Pheebs52]

(((@Kimbies))) this recovery is a bear! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, eh? Eventually, you will sleep through the night, but in the interim, try to nap whenever, wherever and however you can. You didn't say whether or not you are attempting to sleep in your bed. If so, try a recliner instead; worked for me! Hang in there, better days really are ahead, and not too distant either!

 

[Josephine]

8 - Not a lot of exercise at home, when lying down, I do leg extensions, leg raises. Focus hard on my gait when walking. Coming back up stairs, trying to lead with surgical leg since soon, it will have to be dominant.

Kimbies, I was about to respond to your answers when I noticed that you hadn't answered this question fully. Being told what you are doing without any other information does not enable me to give you proper advice. Please answer as I requested

Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each

 

[Iloved3]

I was able to use my bed with my first TKR because my other leg was strong enough to get me in and out.

This time, however, my other leg is still recovering and weak, so I am sleeping in my zero gravity recliner. It is wonderful because it elevates my legs way up and feels great! Don't need any pillows!

@Kimbies I certainly understand that feeling of "enough is enough". This rehab gets so long and tedious. I just want it to be over!!!!!

I try to focus on each day being better than the one before, but some days that just doesn't work! I want my life back.

I just have to keep telling myself, I will get my life back, but it will be even better than before!

 

[kmak81230]

Hi @Kimbies: I really don't know if the weather is affecting me as it seems like everything affects me -- and I still don't feel "normal." I expect when the knee doesn't feel so "wonky" I will be able to tell more if the weather is affecting it. We had a big snowstorm yesterday (so probably a low pressure system) and the past two days it felt better than it has at any point since the surgery - go figure. Hang in there -- this recovery requires more patience than anything I've every experienced. I expect over the next few weeks you will start to notice some improvements in sleep, comfort, etc.

 

[Kimbies]

Josephine...I apologize, but I can't give you details, because there aren't any specifics. I randomly do leg flexions, leg raises, calf raises, and up and down the steps. I don't count, I don't document...I do them randomly.

 

[Kimbies]

Hi...I am left tkr 8/11/2017 and am scheduled for an MUA this Thursday. Any suggestions? Pro-active things to do, prepare for? I’m a little worried, but can’t take his concrete block anymore. Flexion is only about 90 degrees. I did PT regularly, maybe too much working on it. I don’t want to mess up recovery from the MUA. Any experiences, ideas, thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MyTest]

Hello @Kimbies
I had an MUA 10/16/17. The procedure was quick. I even remained woke on the way home. For me, the pain was no more then before the procedure. My swelling did increase for awhile but I managed it with ice/elevation. I had the MUA because I couldn't get past 90-100 deg. Now my ROM is appx. 115-118 and should continue to improve once all swelling is gone (all swelling before and after MUA). I don't regret having the MUA. Also, I don't think you have to do anything different, basically ice and pain mgmt is the key overall. Good Luck!!

 

[Tanya76]

Hi, I had LTKR on 3rd November. I'm only on 54 degrees and am schedules for an MUA in new year if I don't get to 90. I'm surprised that they are suggesting an MUA this early as you are already at 90. Maybe resting for a while will be a better option. I'm sure someone from BoneSmart will be along soon with guidance.

 

[SusieShoes]

Hi Kimbies, welcome back. Just curious, but did you get your right knee replaced in October like you were planning? This is the same knee you were concerned about before, right?

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you’re probably right: your regular PT, and working too much at it, are most likely at the root of your swelling and that concrete block feeling. Also, with 90 flexion, you may not need a MUA, just a whole lot of patience to see your knee through.

Here is Bertschb's record of his ROM over the full year of his recovery.

~~~~~~~~~

I'm 12 months out from my surgery and have some advice based on my experience:
1. Stop going to PT - all it will do is make your knee swell and reduce ROM
2. Don't worry about your ROM
3. Be patient - VERY patient!!!

Here is my ROM history (more or less):
1 month - 60 degrees
2 months - 80 degrees
3 months - 85 degrees
4 months - 90 degrees
5 months - 90 degrees
6 months - 110 degrees
7 months - 120 degrees
8 months - 125 degrees
9 months - 130 degrees
10 months - 135 degrees
11 months - 140 degrees
12 months - 140 degrees

I spent waaaaay too much time worrying about ROM. I thought I'd be riding my bike a couple months after surgery but it took SIX months!

Looking back on my surgery, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have wasted my time with PT and I wouldn't have worried about ROM.

~~~~~~~~~~~

If you’re resolved to go through with the MUA on Thursday, there’s nothing pro-active to do. Maybe make sure your home is set up for a return to an earlier stage of recovery, because the MUA will set your knee back a bit. Have ice handy, and rest and elevate as you did in the first weeks following your TKR.

This time, why not give the BoneSmart guidelines for no formal PT a chance? Allowing an injured knee to heal until it is ready to resume more physical activity, you will be in less pain and regain your movement as the knee is able. There is no way to force a knee to heal faster, but there are lots of ways to slow it down or set it back.

 

[bottomshollow]

@Kimbies,
You may notice that I have merged your two threads. We like to keep our members' recovery posts all in a single thread. That way it's easy for us to go back and read your history before responding to a question or concern. In addition, the thread becomes a journal of your recovery for those who come along later and want to read about you. So, please post in this thread from now on when you want to give an update or ask a question. If you have questions or concerns that need an immediate answer, please tag an admin, a mod, or other members or all three.

You will also note that I have used the new thread title for your complete thread.

Take care and keep us posted, We care!

 

[Kimbies]

Thank you, everyone. Yes, this is the first knee from Aug 11, 2017 and yes I had the right tkr on Oct 13, 2017. I’ve known from pretty early on that something was wrong. It is as solid as concrete, and it will not give. I use NuStep, water therapy, recumbent bike, massage, ice, etc. It is what it is, and I wish the MUA had been yesterday, I can’t take this concrete, axe blade any longer.