Question on home exercise

[calling_all_angels]

Hi all,
Yes it is me again! Ok this is the thing at PT they have me scoot around
on a short stool with wheels. Again I can really move it going backwards!!
Not as fast going forward. But it does seem to be a good muscle one.
So I had Hubby bring in his Harley stool it has wheels and goes from tall to short. And this way I can scoot around on it in the Kitchen. I seem to have lost some of my ROM numbers last week and need to get them back. And
I am having a harded time with the bike then I did last week so I was wondering if this was a good idea?? (the scooting around)
Thank you for your time
^i^

 

[Jamie]

I certainly can't imagine how it could hurt you. Are you still doing other exercises at home too? Is the problem you are having because of pain? Or you just reach a point where your knee won't bend anymore? You might have some soft tissue swelling.....just a thought.

 

[calling_all_angels]

I think you are right about the swelling Jamie. But March 6th will be here before I know it and I feel like I have to keep the ROM I have. I am Icing I have even fall asleep with the polar machine on. But in the back of my mind lurks the scar tissue problem I always have with surgery. I rub the scar every night thinking that this time I will not have a problem if I do this. I go up and down steps to keep the knee bending, It just seems that lately I am tired. Having a hard time getting the knee to go around on the bike. And I know that I must get it to go around because you all preach that here. But I am just tired. Don't know why.
^i^

 

[Jamie]

Calling....you WILL be tired!!! If you're not napping during the day at this stage of your recovery, you're doing too much! Hon....slow down. You need rest in between all that work. The icing you are doing is good. I used to sleep with ice on my knee all night long. If you have swelling (and sometimes you can't see it), it will make it more difficult to get all the ROM you should have. I hope you're still taking some type of pain meds and anti-inflammant too..... But the main thing is that you need to slow down....you're recovering from MAJOR surgery here.

 

[Weezy]

But I am just tired. Don't know why.
^i^

BECAUSE YOU JUST HAD SOME MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR SURGERY!!!! In some ways, I think the tiredness is as bad as the pain...especially since we tend to think that we shouldn't be tired and that we should be snapping back to normal in a couple of weeks.

Jamie's right, if you're not napping every day and after just about every PT session, then you're pushing too fast. My personal, non-medical opinion is that if we put our body's resources towards doing "stuff," then we don't have the physical resources to heal very well--and vice versa. All of our energy is going into healing and it needs to do that.

It does get frustrating! Heck, I'm barely a week out now and going crazy because I want to get busy, but I know that's just an illusion and I really don't have the energy to do much besides PT and shower.

Hang in there Calling...try to be as gentle with yourself as you can, and devote your energies toward your PT and resting and getting ready for your other knee. I really admire you for doing your second knee so quickly! My recovery wasn't particularly fast, and I knew I needed to wait until my left knee was REALLY strong and stable before I did my right. I'm a klutz by nature!

Weezy

 

[Josephine]

Do I hear words of my past sermons echoing here?

 

[calling_all_angels]

Thank you so much for you help. What anti-inflammant meds can I take? My PT said I shouldn't take my Relafen (750MG) And my Left knee is swelling up like a grapefruit,and hurting to the point I hate to walk on it any more then I need to. (I know I know no pain no gain) I even keep a soft brace on the left and it still hurts. But this last week it has been the worse. I want to baby it just till the 6th but if I baby the Left then the Right
Is not getting the exercise it needs. DANG it is like a going around in circles. Aleast I can say the deep bone pain in the Right leg W/knee cap pain is still in 1st place. But Left knee is comming in at a close 2nd. LOL Dang this is such a hoot. I should have a twin so I could share all this fun!!! LOL
^i^

 

[Jamie]

You can take any of the over the counter anti-inflammants - Tylenol, Aleve, Advil, Motrin. Individuals are different and what might work for one person doesn't for another. As long as you have swelling, take them on a schedule according to the directions so that you have a constant medication in your body until things settle down. If your knee is swollen to the point you say, I would think you need to stay off it and ice and elevate until the swelling goes down. Is this your operated knee or the other one? If it's your operated knee, you shouldn't need to put a brace on it. If the swelling doesn't go down with a couple of days of rest, contact your doctor.

 

[calling_all_angels]

No the Left knee is the one that will be replaced on the 6th.
I did not know that Aleve was a anti-inflammant. I am taking that because of the headaches I am getting that is do to using arms and shoulder to get around. My neck is haveing a hard time with all of this. So I have been using the Aleve. Wow I am doing something right and did not even know it. Thank you for the info Jamie.
^i^

 

[jacques1]

The swelling in my knee has not gone away since surgery. It, I guess, has come down in size but it has never "not" been swollen. My PT said some knees are just more puffy than others. I guess I have a puffy leg.

Deb

 

[calling_all_angels]

Deb,
My Right knee(the one that has been replaced) is swollen too but, I thought that was normal for the first couple of month.
^i^

 

[JudyS]

Calling you are so very early in recovery you should be tired. I'm typing this for you and me. After taking a shower sometimes Ihave to lay down wet and naked just to get energy to finish the process. When I don't have enough time I am in so much pain trying to get it all done .
This is just a time in your life when you have to baby yourself. You don't want to go into the next surgery all wiped out so rest

Judy

 

[calling_all_angels]

I will try to rest Judy. Maybe I just need some New Jammies. And you need to rest to after trip to the outside world.
^i^