PKR Raffs' Recovery Thread<'
- Thread starter Raffs
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OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
@CATSMUM the weights were definitely a bit too much. He said he wanted me to do them as an assessment only, thankfully he's not asking me to go to the gym!! The canes in the link that @snowleopard sent me are amazing!!!
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
My, was I ever a fully paid up member of the ODIC yesterday...........
After returning from my PT session, I elevated and iced for a couple of hours. Walked up to the Tube station in the afternoon to meet my niece and sil, walked back - only 20 mins total. Spent a couple of hours chatting to them and iced but didn't elevate. Went out for Greek food in the evening, spent almost 2 hours in the restaurant, not elevating, not icing.
Knee was so stiff when I left the restaurant. Took me a while to get it warmed up. Once home we sat in the garden chatting, drinking coffee and scoffing chocolate for an hour or two. I iced and used the cryo part of my cryo cuff to elevate.
Come bedtime, knee was stiff and sore, had to take an extra dose of pain meds. Slept ok, elevated leg on three pillows all night and it feels better this morning.
I knew at the time that the PT was going to aggravate it. Add that to a day doing less elevating and more sitting and knee was not a happy bunny.
No PT today, just some heel slides to loosen her up and probably a short walk to a local coffee shop. Pub lunch and then they're all going out so I can rest up.
This is what the PT has told me to do, it may be too much, so I'm probably going to do about a third and see how the knee feels:
Heel slides - 10-15 reps, 3 sets
Sit/stands - 10 reps, 3 sets (progress these to sit/stands taking most of my weight on the operated leg only)
Wall slides - 10 reps, 3 sets
Step ups - 10 reps, 3 sets
Lunges with foot on 2nd stair - 10 reps, 3 sets
Dips (hold onto something, stand on operated leg, bend knee) - start by doing a few and build up
Too much for a 6 week old knee?
After returning from my PT session, I elevated and iced for a couple of hours. Walked up to the Tube station in the afternoon to meet my niece and sil, walked back - only 20 mins total. Spent a couple of hours chatting to them and iced but didn't elevate. Went out for Greek food in the evening, spent almost 2 hours in the restaurant, not elevating, not icing.
Knee was so stiff when I left the restaurant. Took me a while to get it warmed up. Once home we sat in the garden chatting, drinking coffee and scoffing chocolate for an hour or two. I iced and used the cryo part of my cryo cuff to elevate.
Come bedtime, knee was stiff and sore, had to take an extra dose of pain meds. Slept ok, elevated leg on three pillows all night and it feels better this morning.
I knew at the time that the PT was going to aggravate it. Add that to a day doing less elevating and more sitting and knee was not a happy bunny.
No PT today, just some heel slides to loosen her up and probably a short walk to a local coffee shop. Pub lunch and then they're all going out so I can rest up.
This is what the PT has told me to do, it may be too much, so I'm probably going to do about a third and see how the knee feels:
Heel slides - 10-15 reps, 3 sets
Sit/stands - 10 reps, 3 sets (progress these to sit/stands taking most of my weight on the operated leg only)
Wall slides - 10 reps, 3 sets
Step ups - 10 reps, 3 sets
Lunges with foot on 2nd stair - 10 reps, 3 sets
Dips (hold onto something, stand on operated leg, bend knee) - start by doing a few and build up
Too much for a 6 week old knee?
CATSMUM
post-grad
@Raffs Just realised sil is sister in law! I'd say you did far too much and yes, the exercises are too much for a 6 week knee. Glad you're going to only do one set but be careful and if it hurts don't do it.
Take it easy today, rest, ice and elevate. Enjoy your pub lunch, I'm quite envious, long time since I've had lunch out.
Take it easy today, rest, ice and elevate. Enjoy your pub lunch, I'm quite envious, long time since I've had lunch out.
Probably odic, but was it worth it,lol. Well you know in the U.S. We do probably too much exercise so seems fine to me! The PT has me do much more than that, but I don't always do that much at home!
KarriB
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Lots of time with that knee down, unless you propped it up while having lunch and chatting. I found my knee throbbed and swelled when it was down too long.
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
@CATSMUM Going to start the exercises tomorrow, just one set of each and see how I go. Pub lunch was very nice, thanks.
@tigwy11 I'm finding it hard to judge what is too much exercise and what is ok. I know I want to do some but I always seem to end up overdoing it!
@KarriB Leg was sort of propped up during lunch but only a bit, not nearly enough. We were there for 2 hours so I'm now icing and elevating for the rest of the day.
@tigwy11 I'm finding it hard to judge what is too much exercise and what is ok. I know I want to do some but I always seem to end up overdoing it!
@KarriB Leg was sort of propped up during lunch but only a bit, not nearly enough. We were there for 2 hours so I'm now icing and elevating for the rest of the day.
KarriB
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I always elevated at restaurants, figured why be in pain if I didn't need to. If you have a bike I think that's great exercise. If it's an exercise bike you can push with the tension or go with less tension and more miles.
CATSMUM
post-grad
Just make sure you don't overdo things, although your knee will let you know. I have a static bike at home so will eventually start using that but not until I've finished my knee course.
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Yes, I think it's far too much. Once a day seems more than enough.
I wouldn't advise doing any of the sit/stands using operated leg mostly, or the one-legged dips.
Make sure you do the stair lunges very slowly and gently.
At 6 weeks out, your knee is still in the very early stages of healing. Much of what has been suggested is strength training, which should not come until at least 3 months.
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
@KarriB I probably could have elevated but I think I wanted to see how my knee would cope sitting down for a while. Not as bad as I thought it might, but it sure was stiff when I stood up! You know, that feeling that you have sometimes of wanting to see what the knee is capable of? Probably foolish - I stand accused! I don't have an exercise bike but am thinking of buying a second hand one that I can re-sell when I don't want/need it anymore.
@CATSMUM I am jealous of your knee course!
@Celle thanks for confirming what I think I'd already worked out - far too much! I couldn't do one legged dips at all yesterday and have no desire to try them again soon. The PT said I needed to do some strength training so that my quad would be strong enough for me to walk down stairs normally. But my gut instinct was that it was too much, too soon.
@CATSMUM I am jealous of your knee course!
@Celle thanks for confirming what I think I'd already worked out - far too much! I couldn't do one legged dips at all yesterday and have no desire to try them again soon. The PT said I needed to do some strength training so that my quad would be strong enough for me to walk down stairs normally. But my gut instinct was that it was too much, too soon.
KarriB
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I use my exercise bike everyday, especially when our terrible winter weather comes along. My knee does feel looser even now when I ride it and I like to think I'm burning calories also. 
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
THE STORY OF MY KNEES
Whilst reading back over my thread recently I realised that I hadn't told the story of how me and my right PKR came to be. For those of you not in the least interested, please feel free to stop reading now. For those of you who are interested - are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin...
I've had niggly knees for years - difficulty going down hills/stairs, achy after a lot of exercise - but they never stopped me doing anything. Last summer they started to hurt more so I had them x-rayed and was referred to an OS. I didn't research OSs, I just took the first available appointment with the first available OS. He sent me for an MRI scan and diagnosed severe OA of the patellofemoral joint, right knee worse than left knee. I was told I would eventually need a TKR of both knees but that I was very young and should try to avoid this for as long as possible. This OS doesn't do PKRs at all and didn't really say that this might be an option with another OS. He told me to wear sensible footwear, avoid stairs, take painkillers as needed and he would see me again when I couldn't bear the pain any longer.
Avoiding stairs was a huge problem for me. I travelled to work via the London Underground which has lots of stairs. However, the main issue was my office. Eight flights of stairs and no elevator. Up and down all day long. I told the boss who said we should discuss whenever I wanted to. Shortly afterwards we were temporarily located to another building whilst ours was being refurbished. We spent two months there, knees continued to niggle but this office had an elevator so was much better for me.
Fast forward to the end of January this year. We spent two days moving back into the building with stairs. Up and down with boxes, unpacking, stupid. That weekend my right knee just gave up. Severe pain, unable to walk, unable to do stairs. Sadly, this was 2 weeks before a 3 week trip to Florida to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We cancelled the trip (and, yes, the travel insurance company paid up, phew). Upset is putting it mildly.
Went back to the OS. He suspected a torn meniscus so on February 14th I had an arthroscopy. No torn meniscus. Just very severe OA. Happy Valentine's Day - not.
He said I would need a TKR sooner rather than later even though the OA was only in one compartment.
Told work that I couldn't return for the foreseeable future because of the stairs. They agreed I could work from home and until a long term solution would be found.
Still in severe pain at the end of March so had a cortisone shot which did help. At this point the OS suggested that perhaps I should seek a second opinion from an OS with experience in PKR. I knew that the NHS hospital - The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital - was highly regarded so I researched the surgeons there, found out where they did their private work and found out which of them had carried out the most patellofemoral joint replacements - Mr Richard Carrington sounded liked he could be the OS for me. Had 2 consultations with him, liked what I heard so booked the surgery for June 30th. The rest is history and is well documented in this recovery thread. Left knee recovery thread will be available at a date yet to be determined......
Work still remains a potential issue. I told my boss that I was having this surgery but that I would be unable to return to my office afterwards because of the stairs - my left knee will need doing but I want to delay as long as possible plus I'm sure the operated knee won't take kindly to so many stairs. Boss said that I am highly valued and they don't want to lose me so investigations have taken place into selling the current building and getting somewhere more suitable. For reasons I won't go into here, going back to the other building that has an elevator is not an option, sadly. As you will imagine, I was elated. However, this seems to have stalled recently and the last I heard was that consideration was being given to installing some stairs lifts. This prospect does not fill me with happiness, more like humiliation. Who wants to be the colleague who has to go up and down the stairs sitting in a stair lift?? Not me, thanks.
So, I'm quite unsure of the future. I've said that I'll probably start working from home next week, which will be 7 weeks post-op. Part of this is for my own purpose - I really want to attend a conference in Brighton (coastal town, south coast of England) from September 12th to 15th so I feel that I need to have been back at work (from home if not from an office) for at least a few weeks before then. It would be wrong for me to pop up a couple of days before the conference and say "hi, I'm back, see you in Brighton". But what happens when I say I'm ready to come back to work in an actual office remains to be seen.... It could be that I work from home from next week, do the conference and then continue working from home until something is sorted. Or not sorted. We will see.
If you've got this far, well done and thank you very much for reading!
Whilst reading back over my thread recently I realised that I hadn't told the story of how me and my right PKR came to be. For those of you not in the least interested, please feel free to stop reading now. For those of you who are interested - are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin...
I've had niggly knees for years - difficulty going down hills/stairs, achy after a lot of exercise - but they never stopped me doing anything. Last summer they started to hurt more so I had them x-rayed and was referred to an OS. I didn't research OSs, I just took the first available appointment with the first available OS. He sent me for an MRI scan and diagnosed severe OA of the patellofemoral joint, right knee worse than left knee. I was told I would eventually need a TKR of both knees but that I was very young and should try to avoid this for as long as possible. This OS doesn't do PKRs at all and didn't really say that this might be an option with another OS. He told me to wear sensible footwear, avoid stairs, take painkillers as needed and he would see me again when I couldn't bear the pain any longer.
Avoiding stairs was a huge problem for me. I travelled to work via the London Underground which has lots of stairs. However, the main issue was my office. Eight flights of stairs and no elevator. Up and down all day long. I told the boss who said we should discuss whenever I wanted to. Shortly afterwards we were temporarily located to another building whilst ours was being refurbished. We spent two months there, knees continued to niggle but this office had an elevator so was much better for me.
Fast forward to the end of January this year. We spent two days moving back into the building with stairs. Up and down with boxes, unpacking, stupid. That weekend my right knee just gave up. Severe pain, unable to walk, unable to do stairs. Sadly, this was 2 weeks before a 3 week trip to Florida to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We cancelled the trip (and, yes, the travel insurance company paid up, phew). Upset is putting it mildly.
Went back to the OS. He suspected a torn meniscus so on February 14th I had an arthroscopy. No torn meniscus. Just very severe OA. Happy Valentine's Day - not.
He said I would need a TKR sooner rather than later even though the OA was only in one compartment. Told work that I couldn't return for the foreseeable future because of the stairs. They agreed I could work from home and until a long term solution would be found.
Still in severe pain at the end of March so had a cortisone shot which did help. At this point the OS suggested that perhaps I should seek a second opinion from an OS with experience in PKR. I knew that the NHS hospital - The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital - was highly regarded so I researched the surgeons there, found out where they did their private work and found out which of them had carried out the most patellofemoral joint replacements - Mr Richard Carrington sounded liked he could be the OS for me. Had 2 consultations with him, liked what I heard so booked the surgery for June 30th. The rest is history and is well documented in this recovery thread. Left knee recovery thread will be available at a date yet to be determined......
Work still remains a potential issue. I told my boss that I was having this surgery but that I would be unable to return to my office afterwards because of the stairs - my left knee will need doing but I want to delay as long as possible plus I'm sure the operated knee won't take kindly to so many stairs. Boss said that I am highly valued and they don't want to lose me so investigations have taken place into selling the current building and getting somewhere more suitable. For reasons I won't go into here, going back to the other building that has an elevator is not an option, sadly. As you will imagine, I was elated. However, this seems to have stalled recently and the last I heard was that consideration was being given to installing some stairs lifts. This prospect does not fill me with happiness, more like humiliation. Who wants to be the colleague who has to go up and down the stairs sitting in a stair lift?? Not me, thanks.
So, I'm quite unsure of the future. I've said that I'll probably start working from home next week, which will be 7 weeks post-op. Part of this is for my own purpose - I really want to attend a conference in Brighton (coastal town, south coast of England) from September 12th to 15th so I feel that I need to have been back at work (from home if not from an office) for at least a few weeks before then. It would be wrong for me to pop up a couple of days before the conference and say "hi, I'm back, see you in Brighton". But what happens when I say I'm ready to come back to work in an actual office remains to be seen.... It could be that I work from home from next week, do the conference and then continue working from home until something is sorted. Or not sorted. We will see.
If you've got this far, well done and thank you very much for reading!
CATSMUM
post-grad
Wow, you've really been through the mill with your knees. Didn't realise you need your left knee done too. I never dreamt that l would need my right knee replaced when l had my left one done. As the experts say, don't try and compare recovery when you have your other knee done.
Sounds like your company are supportive to a degree but l can understand why you don't want to use a chair lift, l wouldn't really want to use one either. Not easy using the underground to get to work either, I spent a good few years travelling to work in London when l lived in Essex so know what it can be like. Sounds like you really need to be able to work from home most of the time if you could. I may well need to negotiate more days when l return to work fully!
Hope that you get to go to Brighton, been there myself a few times, lovely place. However you need to be fit.
Take care of your knees and I enjoyed reading your story to date
Sounds like your company are supportive to a degree but l can understand why you don't want to use a chair lift, l wouldn't really want to use one either. Not easy using the underground to get to work either, I spent a good few years travelling to work in London when l lived in Essex so know what it can be like. Sounds like you really need to be able to work from home most of the time if you could. I may well need to negotiate more days when l return to work fully!
Hope that you get to go to Brighton, been there myself a few times, lovely place. However you need to be fit.
Take care of your knees and I enjoyed reading your story to date
Deeann
junior member
Well you and your knee's have been through a lot at least now you are half way with getting right one done. I too need my other knee replaced but after this pain not sure I am ready to even discuss this with my surgeon yet. Take care of your self those exercises seem tough xx
I can't imagine 8 flights of stairs! Must be an old building with no elevator. Glad you found someone to do your surgery. On the exercise issue, I find that the day of PT, I am sore, but the day after my leg feels better and stronger. Also, the more often I walk around, say at the office, the less stiff it seems to feel. Just my 2 cents worth.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Thanks for sharing your story.
