CATSMUM
post-grad
Yep, I'd say you've probably joined the overdid it club! Just rest, ice, elevate and take your meds. In my experience, when l overdid things (last week for example), everything returned to normal within a day or so.
PKR Raffs' Recovery Thread<'
- Thread starter Raffs
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Yes. That's quite normal. It will happen every time you do more than your knee likes.
snowleopard
member
What!! You're not training for a marathon yet? 
Yes, it's normal. I am 36 days out, and had some young friends come over to help my get my firewood supply together for the winter. While I didn't attempt to help them, I was still more active--went inside, outside, walked to the garage and back on my own, up and down the stairs 4-5 times. And then I had company in the evening and finally had to say, "I have to go take a pain pill and go to bed now." My knee is hot and swollen, and I am in bed with my leg elevated. Took a pain pill and my melatonin, and I'm going to sleep as soon as possible.
In those early, acute-healing days, it doesn't take much to make your knee grumpy. And knees have a limited repertoire for expressing grumpiness. Ice, elevate, take your pain pills, take a nap today, and tomorrow will likely be better.
Yes, it's normal. I am 36 days out, and had some young friends come over to help my get my firewood supply together for the winter. While I didn't attempt to help them, I was still more active--went inside, outside, walked to the garage and back on my own, up and down the stairs 4-5 times. And then I had company in the evening and finally had to say, "I have to go take a pain pill and go to bed now." My knee is hot and swollen, and I am in bed with my leg elevated. Took a pain pill and my melatonin, and I'm going to sleep as soon as possible.
In those early, acute-healing days, it doesn't take much to make your knee grumpy. And knees have a limited repertoire for expressing grumpiness. Ice, elevate, take your pain pills, take a nap today, and tomorrow will likely be better.
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@Raffs Ive done every sport going almost, played County hockey and swam and ran (middle distance) at National level, coached too, took up power walking and competed until quite recently in tennis and rowing. I've skied and skied, love cycling and anything active. Not surprising my knees are shot and so many of my contemporaries have joint and back issues these days.
I'm so glad to be fixed and believe me I will be taking good care of my new parts!
I'm so glad to be fixed and believe me I will be taking good care of my new parts!
I have a tendency to over do and have had the same issues. Ice, elevate, pain meds and take it easy. I seem to keep repeating this lesson, so I guess I am hard headed, but when I have a good day I tend to over do it. My knee mainly just has more aches and just slightly swollen, but really affects my nite sleep, when I over do it. Have a restful day
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
@JennyLynne that's a really good point. I will try to look at things every few days instead of daily. My knee is really tight too which does make bending difficult.
@CATSMUM trying to be more careful today, am on my bed now resting, icing and elevating.
@Celle thank you.
@snowleopard your posts make me want to visit Alaska immediately!! All the talk of firewood and wildlife and the long days - do you work for the tourist office?!?! Hope you managed to get some restful sleep after your busy day. Knee seems to be fine one minute, snarling at me he next. I did actually give her a little stroke last night and apologised!!!! That was whenI knew it was time for meds and bed.
@Hopper. Wow!! You're a one woman triathlon and heptathlon!! I feel tired just reading your post!
@tigwy11 I fear that I am going to keep over doing it too. We should make a pact to take it a little bit easier.
My brother and his family are here today so I've been downstairs on the sofa for a while and ate lunch sitting at the table for the first time. Am upstairs now having a rest whilst they are watching Big Hero 6!! A delicious strawberry, meringue and cream dessert is on the way up to me - yum!!
Small progress update - I can now lift my leg up onto the bed from the floor without having to use my good leg to lift it. The movement it takes is about as far away from elegant as you can imagine but it is progress!!
@CATSMUM trying to be more careful today, am on my bed now resting, icing and elevating.
@Celle thank you.
@snowleopard your posts make me want to visit Alaska immediately!! All the talk of firewood and wildlife and the long days - do you work for the tourist office?!?! Hope you managed to get some restful sleep after your busy day. Knee seems to be fine one minute, snarling at me he next. I did actually give her a little stroke last night and apologised!!!! That was whenI knew it was time for meds and bed.
@Hopper. Wow!! You're a one woman triathlon and heptathlon!! I feel tired just reading your post!
@tigwy11 I fear that I am going to keep over doing it too. We should make a pact to take it a little bit easier.
My brother and his family are here today so I've been downstairs on the sofa for a while and ate lunch sitting at the table for the first time. Am upstairs now having a rest whilst they are watching Big Hero 6!! A delicious strawberry, meringue and cream dessert is on the way up to me - yum!!
Small progress update - I can now lift my leg up onto the bed from the floor without having to use my good leg to lift it. The movement it takes is about as far away from elegant as you can imagine but it is progress!!
snowleopard
member
So your answer is, "Yes, I AM training for a marathon!"
I ate dinner downstairs at the table for the first time since surgery yesterday.
And it's only been in the last week that I have been lifting my leg into bed without a boost. I would look at my leg and tell it to come up, and it would look back and remind me of who had ALL the power in this situation, and I would sigh and offer assistance. The PT had to talk me into trying, saying, "I know you can. I would put money on it." I told him about the problem, that I would tell it to lift, and it wouldn't, and he said he thought my primary obstacle was belief at this point, and told me to tighten my quadriceps muscle. So I shut my eyes and lifted and WA-LAH BABY it went! And now I am practically throwing it up with wild abandon (although I lift from up closer to my hip than my quadriceps.) And look at you, you downstairs-eating prodigy! You leg-lifting genius! Less than two weeks and you're veritably kicking aside milestones as you surge along. We shall see you dancing a sailor's hornpipe shortly!
Oh, and btw? The latchstring is out. Feel welcome to come and help with firewood anytime.
And yes, I actually slept through the night. Brief awakening to check the time, rolled over and went back to sleep. A first!
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
Got a really tight, vice-like band all around the bottom of my knee today . Makes walking with a reasonable gait difficult. From what I've read this is normal but just wanted to check? It's the position of the tight band that seems a bit odd, it's not really where any of the surgery took place.
snowleopard
member
If the front of your knee is 12 o'clock looking down at it, then the band stretches from around 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock? If so, I know it well and have seen it discussed here often. It's my understanding that it's a place where tissue was cut horizontally, and the tightness is just an indicator that it's still in the healing phase. It gradually softens up. I've gotten to the point where that's really the only remaining source of stricture on my ROM.
Ice, continue w/pain pills, elevate, gentle stretches.
Ice, continue w/pain pills, elevate, gentle stretches.
OP
OP
Raffs
graduate
No, it's right at the bottom of my knee where the scar starts, so underneath the actual knee joint really.
It's weird. Only started today.
Probably because the knee is telling me in another way that I'm doing too much already....
It's weird. Only started today.
Probably because the knee is telling me in another way that I'm doing too much already....
snowleopard
member
Yep, underneath the knee joint. Mine is horizontal with the scar running through vertically about mid-point of the band, so from the inside of the knee to the outside. Or from the outside to the inside? Must go ponder this . . .
I think my awareness of that band became more pronounced as other things settled down in there.
I think my awareness of that band became more pronounced as other things settled down in there.
JennyLynne
post-grad
I felt like I had a tight bandage squeezing my knee, from a couple inches above my knee to a couple inches below, and it slowly shrank over time. So I'm going with... Normal!
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PolarBear60
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It's normal. If you can avoid rubbing on your incision, some gentle but firm rubbing may provide some relief.
Yes, it's quite normal. It will be around for a while, but will fade gradually.
"Tight band" feeling across the front of my knee
Ice, elevate, rest and keep taking your pain medications on a regular schedule. Tightness is one way that we feel pain, too, so don't neglect the pain relief.
