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PKR Raffs' Recovery Thread<'

Oh, so sorry to hear your woes! I bet you have been doing more than you realize, and why not? You want to stretch those new wings. Let us know what the PT has to say. Hoping for good news!
 
@Raffs My knee has come out in sympathy. Very tender, stiff and sore these last couple of days - think iv been overdoing it by doing lots of baking amongst other things! I see my OS next month and am going to jot down all my concerns for him to address - I do worry, like you, that something isn't quite right!

Lots of hugs coming your way from a chilly Wiltshire :console2::friends:
 
Thank you all for your comments and support.

So...... Appointment with new PT went well. In a nutshell - been OVERDOING IT!!!!!!!

He was very thorough. Asked loads of questions, examined me and did a few different exercises to test things out. Said that it is not my IT band - he did a couple of tests and massaged it a bit. However, my quads tendon and patella tendon are unhappy, I have some swelling and have basically aggravated everything by doing too much too soon these last few weeks. He thinks the prosthesis is great, ROM very good, doesn't think there's much, if any, impingement and didn't say anything to alarm me.

Also, am a little ashamed to admit that I've gained a little weight recently and he said this would definitely be affecting my knee....

So, I've got an exercise for my inner quads, an exercise for my outer quads and been told to try to rein in some of my activities again. Will see him in 2 weeks so he can check progress before I see the OS in 3 weeks.

I guess I'm pleased. But COME ON!!!!! Still joining the ODIC at 18 weeks??? When oh when will the time come when this isn't an issue?? My life is still pretty far from normal and yet I'm still this limited. I know I am only just over 4 months out but I'll say it again - COME ON!!!!!!

Thanks for reading. Rant over.
 
Raffs said:
But COME ON!!!!! Still joining the ODIC at 18 weeks??? When oh when will the time come when this isn't an issue??
Click to expand...
I know that it seems like an eternity, but 18 weeks is really still quite early in this year-long recovery. :console2:

Yes, as you've found out, it is still possible to join the ODIC if you do too much, too soon.
My knee was still swelling after unusual activity at 9 months out.

It's going to be a matter of looking for that elusive patience again!
[Bonesmart.org] Raffs' Recovery Thread<'
 
I sympathize with your rant. It does feel unfair and frustrating at times, doesn't it? But at least it's not something horribly wrong And that's good news. Hang in there, @Raffs. It will get better. Did the PT have anything to say about standing on your tube commute? I know that, pre-surgery, I had difficulty in doing those minute little balance and rebalance movements that come with stand up on public transit. It;s a bit embarrassing head off to a handicapped seat when you look 100 percent able-bodied to the casual passer-by. But if it helps your recovery or your daily comfort, why not?

Meanwhile, luxuriate in being back among civilization again.
 
@Raffs, sorry for all the pain you've been experiencing. Like the other bonesmarties that posted, I've been having some pain again in my knee too. It seems very stiff again, and I was going to post and see if others were going through the same thing....guess you all are. I rode the stationery bike at the gym and walked almost 3 miles today....which is a record for me since surgery. Tomorrow I will be taking it a little easier. I know my weight is a big problem. I gained all the weight back that I lost after surgery. :boohoo: Take it slower. And big congrats on the new office!!!
 
Been reading up today on tendonitis - I think that is probably part of the problem. Just keep telling myself that it will settle down again. It has definitely given me a much needed kick up the butt re losing a few pounds!!

@Celle You are, of course, quite right. Just needed to have a little rant there! Thanks.

@SarahJane I get on the tube at almost the beginning of the line so I always get a seat in the morning. I do have to change lines which involves a short walk (up an escalator, up a few steps, down a few more steps) to get from one line to the next. I always end up standing on that part of the journey but it is only one stop so is manageable. I was wearing my knee support last night on the way home (don't always get a seat right away on the return journey). Didn't get a seat and yet nobody appeared to notice!! Hmm.

@Swish That sounds like quite a lot of activity. I expect the stiffness has been caused by increased swelling because of your activity levels. Sigh. It is hard isn't it? I too have gained back the weight I lost. I am not terribly overweight but it obviously makes a difference.
 
@Raffs please don't panic, we are all here for you. If it is soft tissue problems, it is surely most likely that getting back to work commuting and sitting all day are taking there toll on your knee. It is probably swelling which I know certainly makes mine very stiff and painful. You will have to try to rest as much as you can, elevate and ice, which is what I am doing now after a busy day after I had become sore and stiff. Good luck with your new Physio.
 
:::shaking fist at rudeness of selfish tube sitters:::

I know you're happy not to have to use sticks, cane, crutches, etc., but they *would* give a little visibility to your status as a person recovering from surgery and deserving of a seat on your commute home. Just sayin'
 
@Raffs - just caught up on your thread... sending hugs your way. .. I so understand the frustration.. but try to remember, in the big picture, you are doing GREAT!!! You have done so much more than I have, going to conferences and gallivanting around..:heehee:... and you are only 2 weeks ahead of me.. Things always look different when you're looking from the inside out.. From the outside, looking in, the things you've been able to do are awesome.. Please take time to stop and think about that.. :friends: In the meantime, just know, I'm still on the scavenger hunt for the Patience ATM.. When I find it, I will share it's GPS location with you.. :cheers: Hang in there, my friend! :console2:
 
@Raffs i agree with @SarahJane , why not use a stick? I always use a stick when out, and will brazenly use two if I think there will be a crowd, escalator, uneven pavement or any other hazard. I have a large rucksack handbag to carry my things in. Maybe it is where I live, but people are unendingly kind to anyone with a stick. Give it a try you have nothing to lose except perhaps a bit of pride, but think of your knee.
 
Do hope you get it all sorted. I can understand your concerns.
 
@Raffs - Checking in. Looks like you haven't updated in a while. Thinking about you, hoping you are doing well.. Best wishes to you and your family for the holiday season.. Looking forward to hearing how you are doing, my friend! :)
 
Hello my friends. Yes, it has been a while. Hope you are doing really well. Happy New Year to you all.

I wanted to post an update as I reached my 6 month anniversary yesterday but I am still having some issues so am tagging @Josephine and @Celle and @PolarBear60 to see if anyone can offer any advice.
  • ROM is 135/0
  • I am pretty much living a 'normal' life but with some limitations and modifications
  • Limitations - can't walk very far without using an elasticated support, can't stand for long periods
  • Modifications - use the elasticated support for commuting to work and when out of the house eg shopping. When I wear the support I find that the soreness and tightness is greatly reduced
  • I am still suffering from the tight band feeling - sometimes it feels like a piece of wire across my knee, sometimes it is less - it is always there when I am walking or standing,it drives me crazy
  • I still have soreness in the 'fat pad' area in the patella tendon - this sometimes causes the tendon to feel like it is 'resisting' or 'pulling' when I bend my knee from full extension to flex
  • Knee is still sometimes warm in the fat pad area but not all the time
  • I get intermittent tingling/shooting 'pains' in the fat pad area. These don't really hurt but just feel odd
  • I saw some improvement in early October then an increase in tightness and soreness in early November Saw improvement again in December but had another increase in pain over the last week or so
  • My knee pretty much feels the same as it did 3 months ago, recovery really seems to have plateaued
  • Stairs can still be painful, not always but I do get some discomfort sometimes
  • I am not taking any medication
  • I am seeing a great PT who I trust and everything he says makes sense. We are working on strengthening my quads and hamstring and loosening up tight muscles
  • PT says I have improved quite substantially clinically since I starting seeing him a couple of months ago. He thinks I must have done something to upset it for it to get worse again, perhaps overdoing it or doing something that irritated it
  • PT says the implant is working well and I have a very solid knee that is just taking a long time to settle down.
  • Interestingly, PT says I need to learn to trust my knee and treat it like a normal knee. This I am finding hard after not being able to trust it for so long and I think I am guilty of 'babying' it
I last saw my OS about a month ago. I'm due to see him again on March 1st which will be 8 months out. His last letter to my GP said:

'No effusion of the joint. Tenderness over the soft tissues anterioly. Flex extremely good to 135 with normal patella tracking. Lynn still getting discomfort from soft tissues over the anterior aspect particularly in the patella tendon in the fat pad area. This can often be the last area to settle following PKR. She should continue with PT. I would expect her symptoms to improve over the next 2-3 months.'

QUESTIONS:
  1. How 'normal' is it to still be experiencing quite severe tightness and soreness at 6 months?
  2. How concerned should I be?
  3. Should I be asking if anything can be done to help ie MUA or surgery to remove scar tissue? I assume that the tight band feeling is caused by scar tissue as per everything I've read on here
  4. Any thoughts on whether this could be CRPD?
Thank you very much. I've been driving myself crazy with worry and the constant discomfort really gets me down at times.

Really do hope that everyone is doing well :loveshwr:
 
Raffs, it's still early days so stop driving yourself crazy with worry. Be interested to see what the advisors say. :console2:
 
Raf, I'm just behind you and have many of the same issues. My knee feels fine, but everything around the knee is stiff and sore. I'm still taking Celebrex a few days a week and sometimes I take Tylenol. So glad your OS says knee is stable. I guess the OS was not kidding when he said it's a year's recovery process. Wishing you a happy and HEALTHY new year!
 
I just dropped by to say you're doing great! I had 2 TKR's (not PKR's), however it is often stated that the recoveries are similar. My left knee was sore and visibly swollen at 6 months post op. I still needed a stick for uneven ground, and I would whimper at night with aches and restless leg. Tightness? Definitely! Now it's been another 8 months and most of the early issues with the left knee have resolved. Thank goodness, as I'm busy rehabbing the other one! Try to be patient with your rebuilt knee, it has been through a lot in 2015. Happy New Year, 2016 will totally rock!!!
 
Hi, Lynn! I was excited to see your thread on the list this morning! All I can say about your concerns is there's no way you'd be a candidate for MUA with a ROM of 135. That's an awesome ROM! Way to go girl!
 
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