TKR Questions

[referee54]

I had been told to only keep my leg flat and straight and to only ice 5 minutes at a time a few times a day.

That is horrible advice!

of today. I had been told to only keep my leg flat and straight and to only ice 5 minutes at a time a few times a day. Since I started elevating yesterday with staggered pillows and iced 60 minutes 6 times, I was already able to feel a difference this morning when I woke up. Today, I've got my leg elevated with the staggered pillows and have already iced my knee 60 minutes 4 times and can definitely tell the difference between even yesterday and today. The swelling between yesterday and today is quite noticeable as well; there's not as much today as there was yesterday.

See---what you are doing in terms of icing and elevating is working!!!

I would try to sneak in another icing/elevating session or two---I would ice for an hour or so at a time---you can do this by putting a cloth between the ice and your skin.

You are moving forward!

 

[AprilM]

I would try to sneak in another icing/elevating session or two---I would ice for an hour or so at a time---you can do this by putting a cloth between the ice and your skin.

Right after I posted my message, my son (who is home from school cause of snow day) brought the gel pack in to me and said "time to ice mom!" So I'm definitely not going to have too few icing times It's going on 2pm my time, so I'll for sure have more icing sessions today than I did yesterday.

This forum is awesome. Thank you guys so much for being here!

 

[referee54]

We are very glad that you have found us!! Keep coming back and let us know how you are doing and what other issues you may be having---we will be here for you!

 

[AprilM]

I definitely plan to! Now that I know there is hope and help beyond the bullying from my surgeon and physical therapist, this is definitely where I want to be!

 

[referee54]

Now that I know there is hope and help beyond the bullying from my surgeon and physical therapist

Remember that the PT works for you, not the other way around. It is your knee surgery, and your recovery.

Simply do this:
https://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa394/referee54/line-in-the-sand_zps66afc62e.jpg
Draw the line in the sand and do not let the PT cross it. If he or does not like it, remind them that they work for you, and either they can follow your rules or they can worry about letting the door hit their rear end on the way out.

 

[Josephine]

I asked what he gave me. Norco is what I was told. I've never heard of that one before so don't have a clue how my body is going to react to it.

It's a very routine drug. You'll probably be drowsy when you take it. Start with the minimum dose and see if it manages the pain well enough. Increase a bit at a time until it does.

 

[AprilM]

So I got the pain medication yesterday. Norco 5mg. Took one. It did not make me drowsy nor take the edge off pain. On the bottle it says one or two tablets every 6 hours as needed. Bottle has 40 tablets and zero refills.

 

[AprilM]

Wow! Just wow! So last night when I did a set of heel slides while lying down, I was only able to do it a little bit, not even remotely close to 90 degrees. Just a few minutes ago, I was doing them, same position, and was able to bring it to almost 90 degrees. It's much different than at physical therapy where he has me sitting up and using a strap to pull my foot rather than letting me work the leg muscles. It hurts a whole lot less doing it lying down and on my own, letting my leg muscles do the work and stopping just as it starts to hurt. Plus the elevating and icing. I'm feel happy, truly happy, for the first time in 2 months!

 

[referee54]

That is awesome!! Take it easy---take it gently---take it slowly, and you will see progress---small at times, but it is progress all the same!

 

[AprilM]

I would much rather small progress from going gently and slowly than painful progress from fast and forced, that's for sure. Yesterday I did side stepping in my kitchen since I have really long counters so have plenty of length to hold onto. Did those three different times throughout the day, plus easy walking around the house. Today my knee hurts a lot less than it has since before the surgery and there's less swelling than even just yesterday. When I ice, I'm using the homemade packs my ex-husband made using the instructions from on here (I was going to do it myself but he beat me to it) and have one bag under my knee while the other bag is over my knee.

You guys rock!

 

[referee54]

I would much rather small progress from going gently and slowly than painful progress from fast and forced

There really is no progress when you try to move fast and force the issue. The knee rebels and fights back, you have swelling, stiffness, pain, and frustration. Then it become a "vicious cycle", as you try to work even harder to see progress, and then knee gets even stiffer, more swollen, and more painful.

Gently and slowly is the way to go---there is, unfortunately, no way to speed up a recovery, but there are plenty of ways to slow it down and make it more painful. Just take it gently, take it slowly, take it easily, and ice and elevate as often and as much as possible.

You will see the progress---remember, at times, glaciers move faster, but at least it will not be as painful or as forceful.

A TKR recovery is like running a marathon---you just cannot sprint to the finish line---it is slow and carefully done. Hang in there---you will reach the destination of being fully recovered and be pain-free again!

 

[smarttoys]

So I got the pain medication yesterday. Norco 5mg. Took one. It did not make me drowsy nor take the edge off pain. On the bottle it says one or two tablets every 6 hours as needed. Bottle has 40 tablets and zero refills.

Doctors want you to ask for refills since there is so much pain med abuse out there. They want you to ask for refills as needed and you normally don't get refused unless they feel you are abusing them. Take the full dose if you need it.

I'm glad you are seeing some progress in swelling reduction and pain relief. Keep up the good work!

 

[AprilM]

It does seem that the harder my physical therapist made me push (or pull technically), the more backwards I felt like I was going. When I got out of the ARU, I was bending at 92 degrees. Two weeks ago while using the strap for the sitting up heel slides, he came over and pushed on my foot, pushing it back to where the bend measured 96 degrees. The very next day, the measurement bend was barely 82 degrees. He was upset, which led me to tears (I'm not usually so emotional but sheesh!). So I definitely can see how that is the case. In the Service Dog world, those of us that train our own use the motto "SLOW is fast". I can definitely see how that should be allied to joint replacement recovery!

 

[Celle]

Don't let your PT push on your leg, or force it in any way. All that does is hurt you and cause inflammation and swelling, which slows down your progress. You need to tell him "NO, STOP. I WON'T ALLOW THAT."

 

[AprilM]

I have told him to stop but he pushes anyway. He doesn't listen to a thing I say :/

After talking with my ex-husband a few moments ago (he commented on how much better I appear to be walking than just two days ago!), it's been decided that I will go to my physical therapy appointment on Monday, but I will be canceling the rest of the appointments for next week as well as changing how many appointments I have through the rest of February. I'm supposed to be going 3 days a week, 2 of those days are back to back and super painful to deal with. I will consent to going ONE day a week and mostly just for measurements. If he or my ortho get upset with me, then so be it. I have to think of me and the state of mind I was in before I found you guys.

Honestly, it was to the point where I was having nightmares that consisted of me losing my leg entirely. I was having those nightmares every night for about a week and a half because I was feeling so discouraged and scared that everything was going wrong. The last 2 nights I have not had that nightmare.

 

[Celle]

I have told him to stop but he pushes anyway. He doesn't listen to a thing I say :/

After talking with my ex-husband a few moments ago (he commented on how much better I appear to be walking than just two days ago!), it's been decided that I will go to my physical therapy appointment on Monday, but I will be canceling the rest of the appointments for next week as well as changing how many appointments I have through the rest of February. I'm supposed to be going 3 days a week, 2 of those days are back to back and super painful to deal with. I will consent to going ONE day a week and mostly just for measurements. If he or my ortho get upset with me, then so be it.

Good decision!

If your PT continues to do something when you have told him to stop, he is committing an assault and could be charged with it. You don't have to stay and take getting hurt. Get up and walk away. No means no, whatever the context.

it doesn't matter if your PT or your surgeon get annoyed with you, because they can advise, but only you can decide what will happen to your knee. It's your knee, your body, not theirs. You have the absolute right to say what will happen to it.

Look at it this way - they may have professional experience, but you are the boss. Whether you pay them directly or through your insurance, you are paying them. You are their employer. You are the boss. You don't have to please them. They have to please you.

 

[AprilM]

Thank you! It's so hard for me to stick up for myself because confrontation of any type sends me into an emotional and mental meltdown (I have PTSD from having been assaulted years ago). I'm going to see if my mom will go with me to the Monday appointment because she's my voice when I can't find mine.

 

[referee54]

I have told him to stop but he pushes anyway. He doesn't listen to a thing I say :/

Scream at him---holler at him---somebody here on the forum "accidentally" kicked their PT(I am certainly not advocating that!)---I would yell as loud as I could "NO!!!" "STOP IT!!"" "YOU'RE HURTING ME!!"

Remind him that he works to assist you, not the other way around.

 

[Celle]

I'm going to see if my mom will go with me to the Monday appointment because she's my voice when I can't find mine.

It's a great idea to take you mum with you, as moral support. Make sure you talk to her about it first, so that she will speak up if you can't. A protective mum saying "Get your hands off my daughter!" should give him the message.

You don't have to allow anyone to hurt you. There's no need for confrontation. Just walk away. It will empower you to take control.

 

[AprilM]

Make sure you talk to her about it first, so that she will speak up if you can't.

I have an awesome mom. I do plan to talk to her about it all first as soon as she's back in town from visiting my grandma. She's awesome at being my voice when I'm unable to speak up for myself. I'm 40 years old and rely pretty heavily on my mommy <3