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TKR Ready Set Go!

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AussieBill1962 said:
Lonewolf,
Knee looking good, keep up the good work. Slow and steady wins the race, too much too soon will slow recovery.
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:I-Agree:

Bill, I couldn't agree with you more! I was filled with trepidation about how much the physical therapist wanted me to do. :what: I'm perfectly fine with "easy does it." If fact I'm more set up for a long slow recovery than anything even remotely quick. Like the fact that my wife has been on leave from her work for a week to be with me and she has next week off as well; then on top of that my Mom is flying up on the 2nd to help out with the kids and such and she is due to fly back by the middle of next month. I have a pile of movies, a few books and a couple of video games to bide my time. I have NO reason to be in any kind of a hurry. Then the physical therapist says to go a bit more, to try it like this, don't use the cane etc; I raise an eyebrow but listen. :skeptical: I'm not pushing it too hard; for one thing I'm only a week out. That alone scares me enough to keep it slow and steady. Thank goodness I found this site before I had my surgery!!! I wonder how many folks push it too hard simply because they aren't informed?!

I did feel like I pushed it too hard on Tuesday morning when I snuck out with my wife to her appointment; but I used my crutches. Even then my calf on my left leg really hurt for the rest of the evening and most of yesterday and my knee was a bit achy. So I skipped PT yesterday, iced and elevated. Last night it was feeling more back to manageable and by this morning it felt good again. Who knows, I'm not pushing it on my own accord; it's the folks in charge of my physical therapy that are prodding me along. :friends:
 
Well, Lonewolf, just remember that those folks in charge of your physical therapy work for you. They may not think so, but they do. So don't let them push you---just tell them that you'll push to just being mildly uncomfortable--but no pain. And you can remind them that you are in the process of healing from surgery not training for the Olympics.

You're doing really well---so keep up the good work--keep following the BoneSmart mantra and all will be well.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.
 
Looking good lone wolf. Can't wait to see mine as only got a glimpse of it in hospital day 3 when they changed the dressing. It doesn't come off until next Wednesday when. Have the stitches out although it did look neat

I've been out twice for a quick jaunt with the wheel chair and have had to rest today but it's started to feel normal. Yours looks ace Am impressed you can sit in a chair like that too.

Good to see you on your way
 
Hi Lonewolf,
Looks like your prepared for the long haul. I have chosen to do my own PT as the professionals hurt me twice trying to get more ROM. This attempt to increase Flexion actually slowed my progress and caused scar tissue pain to be a daily part of my PT. I had just as good Flexion before outpatient PT and no pain. Once they loosened the scar tissue pushing beyond what I was comfortable with: I now have to message and deal with pain that was not there at week 2 or 3. My leg is stronger, my ability to do things has increased, and I'm in control of what is best for my joint now: I push gently not hard to get results. We are the best judge of what our bodies can handle and what hurts.
 
Day Number 9!

Today is a good day and it's beautiful outside. My wife is going to set up a chair outside so I can watch my little ones ride around. :cool: Staying on schedual and relaxing. Not much else to report. :cat-kittyandsmiley:
 
AussieBill1962 said:
Hi Lonewolf,
Looks like your prepared for the long haul. I have chosen to do my own PT as the professionals hurt me twice trying to get more ROM. This attempt to increase Flexion actually slowed my progress and caused scar tissue pain to be a daily part of my PT. I had just as good Flexion before outpatient PT and no pain. Once they loosened the scar tissue pushing beyond what I was comfortable with: I now have to message and deal with pain that was not there at week 2 or 3. My leg is stronger, my ability to do things has increased, and I'm in control of what is best for my joint now: I push gently not hard to get results. We are the best judge of what our bodies can handle and what hurts.
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Oh man! I'm so sorry to hear that you had such a rough time with your PTs! I hear you there!! In 1997 I walked out on the PT that was pushing my knee too hard; never did go back to them either. I literally had bones that wouldn't allow for the movement. The PT just couldn't get this through their heads because all they saw was a recovering knee; not a knee that was never going to be the same again. I bet you do great on your own though; you sound like the kind of person who can keep at it. :ccheers:
 
Hi Lonewolf

Just catching up with your posts and congratulations for doing so well - you are pacing yourself very well and your attitude is great :thumb:. Thanks for posting all your pic's - so useful for all the newbies. Your knee looks great and aren't you a lucky chap with not having too much swelling.

Keep up the good work :thumb:
 
Good on ya Lonewolf,
No worries, off to work in the morning. glad you had a nice relaxing day. A good one down here as well. A sprinkle of rain, but mostly sunshine all day.
We went to Wollongong for Chinese.
 
bottomshollow said:
Well, Lonewolf, just remember that those folks in charge of your physical therapy work for you. They may not think so, but they do.
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This is something that many of us have had to learn---that the PT's or the physio's are actually employed to help us---not to dictate to us---too often we take what they say and tell us as the gospel, but in actuality, we need to have a say----after all, it is our body and our recovery.
 
Day Number 10!

I seem to be running out of milestones. :biggrin: Today is another good day. Taking it a bit easy and resting.

I do have an interesting pain question though; for those of you who are a head of me. The site where my drainage tube was is tender and when pushed on stings, deep down. My wife thinks it's probably because as I'm healing I'm discovering "little" pains like this and that they are just part of the recovery process. However I definitely wanted to get it out there and on this site because what if someone else has had, or is going through, this same thing? At any rate it does hurt. Right under where the two vampire bites are. So much so that it wakes me up at night if I roll over on that side or if my wee little dog puts his paws on it for attention (it's exactly at his level).

Any thoughts?

Here are three pictures of the site I'm talking about, the pain is pressent under the two holes that look like a vampire bite.

[Bonesmart.org] Ready Set Go!


[Bonesmart.org] Ready Set Go!


[Bonesmart.org] Ready Set Go!
 
G'Day Lonewolf,
I didn't have a drain with my TKR, but I did have a direct pain meds catheter hole in about the same spot. It however did not hurt after the first week. I did have other niggling pain spots that were along the incision. They all went away after three weeks. I thought I could have an infection when I first came upon this site in my second week due to these new pains, but it was just healing. Nerves turning back on along the incision. Lunch break now: work going well with no pain meds. I did spend a fair amount of time this morning on my feet loading and unloading metal plates in our platesetter. Hope to do some aqua therapy this afternoon after picking up the kids from school. Early workday hours: 6:30 AM - 2:30 PM. Getting back in the workflow.
 
I didn't have a drain when I had my knees replaced, but I've also had odd pains from time to time. I was advised that especially with a correction as massive as I had, pinching and odd pains are just a result of the muscles and tendons getting used to their new positions and motions, and aren't anything to worry about. It looks like you had some correction as well in your knee replacement? Or am I misunderstanding?
 
I had a drain and it was the only spot on my leg that still hurt when I had the femural block in the hospital. You know, the one that made me not feel my knee, but I still had pain there... go figure! It hurt for some time after getting home, but that is all better now. So, I think that yours will probably clear up soon. Keep up the good work, of resting and recovering. :thumb:
 
Sounds like you are really on your way Bill! I hope the rest of your week goes just as smooth. That water is going to feel so good tonight! :bathtub:

I'm thinking that spot on the left side of my leg is simply getting agitated when I'm doing my own physical therapy; this afternoon I could really feel it when I got done. Afterward I purposefully put my icepack directly on it and, after it got done zinging, it seemed to loosen up a bit and feel better. I'm thinking it's just that I'm working the muscle that the 16 (might have been an 18) gauge (or fr) drainage tube was poked through. It's very much like a puncture wound. It just makes sense that it would be a bit agitated with me. :umm:
 
TheHistorian said:
I didn't have a drain when I had my knees replaced, but I've also had odd pains from time to time. I was advised that especially with a correction as massive as I had, pinching and odd pains are just a result of the muscles and tendons getting used to their new positions and motions, and aren't anything to worry about. It looks like you had some correction as well in your knee replacement? Or am I misunderstanding?
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Good eye! I did have correction. They re-straightened my leg leg by about 17 degrees and brought the lower part of my knee forward about 3 inches.
 
BJ Mac said:
I had a drain and it was the only spot on my leg that still hurt when I had the femural block in the hospital. You know, the one that made me not feel my knee, but I still had pain there... go figure! It hurt for some time after getting home, but that is all better now. So, I think that yours will probably clear up soon. Keep up the good work, of resting and recovering. :thumb:
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Thanks BJ! That's about what I was thinking too. After everything, that was the one thing that made me the most squeamish.
 
These folks are right....you can expect to have a lot of odd little pains and aches as recovery progresses. It's just part of the package!!! You're doing very well, though!!! Keep it up!
 
Day Number 12!

Looks like I forgot to post Day Number 11. :blush: Yesterday I was a bit more worn out than normal. I rested a bunch yesterday and even slept in this morning. Today, I'm happy to report, it seems that I'm back on track. :yes 4:

My physical therapist came today. I love it when they come because I always seem to have news afterward. :tongue: If all goes well, this week, then it looks like I'll get my walking orders to the outpatient physical therapy clinic on Friday. :rolleyes:

I have gotten my extension to the point where the PT says I'm good. Personally I'd love to get it about 4 degrees better. Last night I was sitting on the floor when my son came in to see what I was up to. I showed him how the back of my calf and back of my thigh could touch the ground at the same time. He was impressed, he'd never seen my left leg that straight, ever.

I'm also off the first week stretch type exercises and on to some very light muscle building type ones. Woo Hoo! I asked about that funny "sore" spot near my drainage tube scabs and the PT said it was in fact tight and that it was because the fascia had a little bit of adhesion; and showed my wife and I how to basically massage it to break it up a bit, or free it rather, from what it's sticking to. It feels a lot better tonight.

My ROM as of today is to 104. My sister asked me a great question that I wasn't sure the answer to. She asked me to explain flexion and extension to her. Then she asked, "what is normal?" I had to look it up; but really didn't like the answers I was finding online; so when my PT was here I had him do a ROM measure of my other leg. My good leg is roughly at 135 degrees. I told him, "Ah ha! Now I have a goal!." He snickered softly and thoughtfully said that 125 is a great number to expect to get to unless I do yoga or something like that. :yahoo:
 
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