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TKR Reader's Left TKR Spacer Exchange

@Layla I know, it’s 4 weeks and 3 days! And quite honestly, I’ve turned the corner. I can see I’m getting better and I made a decision that I was going to go out every day for a little while. No big deal, nothing huge, just trying to join the ranks of the living. On Thursday, the actual one month mark, I went to physical therapy, on Friday, I met a dear friend for lunch and then walked around Nordstrom Rack a bit. On Saturday, I went and walked around Home Goods and today, a trip to Target. Maybe I’m out for 45 minutes or so, but to me, it’s building a little stamina. If I didn’t feel like going out, no biggie, I wouldn’t, but I do.
Aren’t you lucky in the upper Midwest, it sounds fresh nd lovely. Although originally born and bred in New York City, I’m now in hot, sweltering Florida. Phew!
Tuesday is my next PT, I’m very interested in how they’re going to address the ongoing soreness in my hip flexors, this has never gone away and has been noticeable since my TKR.
 
Reader525 said:
I found out at PT yesterday the pain I occasionally feel is from the Pes Anserine and I had that before.
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Hopefully yours will go away soon. Mine reared its ugly head from doing the stationary bicycle warmup at PT, whille I was still on the Percocet, etc. Ouch. After I figured that out, I told my PT that I would only do a few minutes on the bike, and very slowly. It slowly resolved but historically has come back in the past few years for no apparent reason.
 
I think getting out for a bit everyday is fantastic, Reader. It does a lot for the mood to be out amongst the living. As long as you're handling it well physically, it's wonderful!

In extending anniversary wishes, we go by the day of the month (14th for you) because it's much easier than counting how many weeks it's been since anyone's surgery. I do remember counting the weeks early on in my recovery, but after a few months that ended and I resorted to going by the day of the month I had surgery, which I'm guessing you'll do soon enough yourself.

It sounds like we shop in all of the same places, lol. I hope you're enjoying your outings. I wish you the best on Tuesday. You'll have to let us know how your PT session goes. Wishing you a wonderful week! :SUNsmile:
@Reader525
 
My 2nd physical therapy session was great. I had a different therapist and he was great! He measured my hips and legs in terms of discrepancies in length and my surgical leg is an inch longer than my right leg and my left hip is higher, my back also shifts a little to accommodate these things. He checked my hip flexors which still are so tender and he could feel the nerve running through my groin was activated. He bent my knee and applied pressure on the spot of tenderness and it hurt so good, if you know what I mean. Then he had me lie on my right side and drape my legs off the table to stretch the side area. I can’t tell you what a difference that made. He had me put a lift wedge in my right shoe to make up for the difference saying I will definitely feel more comfortable.
Then I did leg raises with a 3 pound weight on my ankle. We talked about my hypertension and how frightened I am that it won’t have been helped or might return. He asked if I had ever torn my ACL and I said yes, both that and my meniscus. He said that can stretch out the ligaments so that you can’t help but hyperextend. He also asked about my hyper mobility, because I am very flexible and whether I had any EDS in my family and I said not to my knowledge. He was so thorough.
I e been wearing my wedge since I left the appointment. And I can tell you my hip pain is so much less since he massaged me. Plus he worked on the slight bulge in my lower quad that feels bruised. He told me that heat would be great to use for that and my calf.
I go back on Thursday, this is the first positive experience I’ve ever had at PT.
 
Reader525 said:
Then I did leg raises with a 3 pound weight on my ankle. W
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I would be incredibly wary of any weights so early on. There is a real risk of overdoing things and causing inflammation.
I have had a very good recovery but I didn't use any weights or bands for several months. Particularly if you are hypermobile it is very easy to overdo things.
 
@EalingGran I didn’t realize that, I had been using weights before my surgery and doing the leg raises without anything felt so light and easy, so I thought I’d try. He asked me how it felt after a couple and I said fine, so I did 2 reps of 10 each. I’ll be more mindful. Thanks!
 
Just getting out a little bit can make a world of difference in how your feeling, mentally and physically. Its good your limiting yourself. If you feel like it, go for it. If not, stay home and maybe do something different, out of your 'routine' there.

I always felt silly when I'd have the heating pad on my thigh and ice on my knee. But you know you do what works and for me that combo worked. Hoping it helps you out also.

I, too think its early for weights. But if your comfortable with it and you have no ill affect afterwards you can continue it. I just would not increase the weight.
 
Reader525 said:
He measured my hips and legs in terms of discrepancies in length and my surgical leg is an inch longer than my right leg and my left hip is higher, my back also shifts a little to accommodate these things. He checked my hip flexors which still are so tender and he could feel the nerve running through my groin was activated. He bent my knee and applied pressure on the spot of tenderness and it hurt so good, if you know what I mean. Then he had me lie on my right side and drape my legs off the table to stretch the side area. I can’t tell you what a difference that made. He had me put a lift wedge in my right shoe to make up for the difference saying I will definitely feel more comfortable.
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Reader,
Truly...I don't want to rain on your parade, but please read and consider the following -
We normally recommend waiting 3-4 months before using a lift because LLD (leg length differential) can be temporary due to swelling, weak muscles, guarding, walking differently or pain affecting your posture and not a true leg length discrepancy yet. It can take that amount of time for things to balance out. You're still in the very early phase of healing and since there are several reasons that can cause the LLD, it will be best if you work on strength and balance first, waiting to see if this settles over time. Using the lift prematurely can establish a bad walking pattern and shift the stress somewhere else, putting a strain on your other knee, your hips and / or lower back while your situation is still unstable. Obviously you don't want that.

After further healing, if the difference is still there and affecting how you walk or causing you pain, at that point consider consulting with your surgeon as well as the PT.
I hope you have a nice Wednesday, Reader. :thumb: :SUNsmile:
 
@Layla Oh my goodness! I had no idea, I’m going to stop wearing the lift for now. I definitely want to focus on strengthening first, it just makes sense. Thank you so much, this forum is such a great place for education and support!
 
You're welcome, Reader. Happy to help by providing useful information. It's one of the reasons this space is here for...people sharing what they've learned so others don't have to figure it out alone, or learn the hard way. We appreciate your kind words in regard to the forum and thank you for being part of the BoneSmart community. :)
Happy Wednesday!
@Reader525
 
As @Layla says a lot of leg length discrepancy is apparent rather than real.It is due to muscle imbalances and other issues.
I was told I had a 1 and1/2 inch discrepancy before my PKR but after my knock knee ( valgus) deformity was corrected my legs were equal length.
Currently my pilates teacher has noticed I am dipping one hip ( I have hip arthritis).
I wouldn't rush into a lift until post op pain and inflammation have settled more.
 
@Reader525
Just catching up on your recovery & you are sounding a lot better.
It’s good to get out now and then even if it’s for an hour or go grab a coffee with a friend.
My right leg was a little shorter after my hip replacement but it straightened itself out. Give it a little time.
Have a good weekend.
 
@myglasshalffull I am listening to all of your advice after all your experiences. I’m going to give it time to correct itself without any lifts. Enjoying the support from my physical therapists and plugging along. I think my depression and anxiety have settled down as I feel stronger too.
 
Reader525 said:
I think my depression and anxiety have settled down as I feel stronger too.
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Great news! May it long continue.
Victories, defeats, even the mundane, we're here for all of it. Wishing you a great week, Reader! :SUNsmile:
 
Reader525 said:
I had a different therapist and he was great! He measured my hips and legs in terms of discrepancies in length and my surgical leg is an inch longer than my right leg and my left hip is higher, my back also shifts a little to accommodate these things.
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How did he measure without an X-ray? I'm rather curious. One of my legs has always given the appearance of being 1/2" shorter than the other and skirt hems were hemmed to that, so that they look level. My scoliosis is the reason, not my legs.
 
@alex_mom I was manually felt standing up and lying down. In any case, I am not wearing the lift anymore after a few comments on the forum suggested I shouldn’t right away in case it self corrects. I’m doing well, IMHO with following the exercises every day. I can feel my strength returning. I have to be conscious of my walking to ensure I don’t hyperextend, but I do feel a little less give in the knee than before so that’s good. It’s still early, and I am trying to be more patient.
 
Hi Reader,
I hope you finished off last week feeling good about your progress. A return in strength is certainly a great sign.
Wishing you a good week and a safe 4th of July weekend! Stay in touch. :)
@Reader525
 
Hi everyone! I’m hanging in there in Florida where the temperature is a sweltering 97°. Phew! I feel pretty good, and am working hard on my physical therapy. Saturday afternoon, when it was only 93°, I thought it would be a good idea to take a walk, so out I went in the blazing sunshine and I walked a mile, my knee felt pretty good and I came back elated. I drank a lot of water and sat for about an hour then fell asleep for half an hour. Lol. Pretty sure that 93° temperature had something to do with that.

I have only 2 complaints (well, I could throw in a few dozen more, like why can’t we age backwards) about my healing. One is my calf soreness is still there, I never really had this problem before, and I think that’s why it’s nagging at me. I feel it when I do my toe raises and calf stretches. And the other, that little bulge of swelling above my knee is still there. But enormously less, so grateful for that. But it is very noticeable as my older leg isn’t as taut and this lumpette is drooping down over the top of my knee, ick.

I have really seen an improvement in my gait, definitely not hyperextending as I had before, my husband watched me walk to the mailbox and was so happy with how I was walking. I know I am not going to be perfect, my surgeon and his PA both said we are going to improve you but we re not going to fix you. I get that, but I’m not sure the physical therapist does. She measured my extension and I was about -3% whereas before I was about a -6%, which says nothing about how much worse it was when I walked. My flexion is 135°, that’s great to my knowledge because the surgeon said I would have to give up some flexion to improve my hypertension.

Next week I go to the surgeon for my 8 week follow up.

@Layla i hope you are enjoying a cooler time in the upper Midwest !
 
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