Bilateral TKR Recovery Diary

[Deeden]

Roy,

You can actually do that exercise on your own. You hold your heel up with the towel held in one hand. Then you can press hard on your thigh with the other hand. You can really feel the stretch if you press hard enough. Then you let go of the towel keeping your leg in the air for a little longer before relaxing.

Not having a partner, I had to do it that way and it definitely was working! That's how the hospital exercise pamphlet described it too.

 

[Josephine]

Well, come on, Roy, give - who, who?

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Celebrity name dropping challenge of the day: I met a VERY famous Olympian. I can confirm that (a) the very flash car is gone (b) the roomful of reporters challenge is a true story. Who was it?

Well, come on, Roy, give - who, who?

Oh WOW someone is actually following!

Last clue: car was a 959, challenge was to name the components of the Famous Olympian's event.

 

[Josephine]

so here I've been all day slaving over a roasting hot forum and all you give me is another question? How cruel is that?

 

[PooShay]

I am one of the pre-op people and I so appreciate the fact that you took the time to chronicle your recovery, but that yours was a good event. As apprehensive as I was after reading of the bad experiences, I am much more relaxed after reading your Recovery Diary. I have a good, experienced surgeon. I'm prepared to follow instructions and Smarties recommendations. I HOPE I get as good results.

 

[Celle]

I am one of the pre-op people and I so appreciate the fact that you took the time to chronicle your recovery, but that yours was a good event. As apprehensive as I was after reading of the bad experiences, I am much more relaxed after reading your Recovery Diary. I have a good, experienced surgeon. I'm prepared to follow instructions and Smarties recommendations. I HOPE I get as good results.

If you want more encouragement, I am also chronicling my NORMAL recovery following a Revision to Total Knee Replacement. It is the thread entitled "Revision TKR. Revision TKR from PKR 9th December 2011 ".

While I did have a small setback soon after discharge, it was overcome. I just had my 6-week check-up with my surgeon and I am now doing very well.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Oh WOW someone is actually following!

Last clue: car was a 959, challenge was to name the components of the Famous Olympian's event.

so here I've been all day slaving over a roasting hot forum and all you give me is another question? How cruel is that?

Ah OK looks like only one person was following this; the answer is Daley Thompson, and not one reporter in the room could name the events of the decathlon.

I am one of the pre-op people and I so appreciate the fact that you took the time to chronicle your recovery, but that yours was a good event. As apprehensive as I was after reading of the bad experiences, I am much more relaxed after reading your Recovery Diary.

Pretty much why I am writing it, that and it helps motivate me to do things so that I don't report 'Did nothing today' in here.

Week 6 day 43

Visited my masseur yesterday for the first time post-op. I've been visiting for many years as part of my cycling training regime, so we know each other very well. Excellent help on freeing up tight hamstrings yesterday, and expect now to do a lot more work during recovery.

I have concluded (rightly or wrongly, I'm sure the real experts here will say either way) that some exercises (e.g. ROM) are a waste of time pretty much as they are putting strain on damaged knee tissues and will only make things worse. Extension (straightening the leg) exercises don't, for me, and can thus be done a lot.

1. Vastus medialis is the muscle just above the kneecap to the inside of the leg. Sit on the floor with back to a wall or similar, support under the knee to lift it a hand's width or so off the floor. Push down, keeping heel on the floor. This strengthens that muscle and helps prevent walking knock-kneed.

2. Same sitting on the floor, but support this time under the heel. Tense the quads to push the knee down. You can push down on your thigh, too. This stretches hamstrings and calves, helps you to stand correctly without your knees bent forward.

Neither of these hurt (unless you really go mad) and I find them helpful.

 

[Jazyb]

Thanks Roy. When I am able I will be doing that one for the hamstrings - sounds good as I have really tight hamstrings. I can't imagine how I will get myself on the floor at the moment. I imagine you have strong upper body strength to help with that. What have you been doing to get your ROM if you don't rate the exercises?

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Thanks Roy. When I am able I will be doing that one for the hamstrings - sounds good as I have really tight hamstrings. I can't imagine how I will get myself on the floor at the moment.

I have done the exercise using two chairs, one to sit on obv and one for the heel.

I imagine you have strong upper body strength to help with that.

Oooh flattery I love all that :th_heehee:. No pics of my scrawny torso will appear here, trust me. I'm not very strong, I can support my own body weight (80kg) just about.

To get to the floor, I lean forward with bent legs and put my hands down, then walk backwards until it looks like I'm about to do push-ups. Let myself down until face-first on the floor, turn over. Getting up is the reverse.

What have you been doing to get your ROM if you don't rate the exercises?

Nothing that hurts. I can get both legs to about 125 with no effort, then my knee hurts so I stop.

I sit on the static bike and spin round for 20-30revs (so much less than a minute) but that's just to get used to it again, no ROM challenge there.

 

[Deeden]

Alternative way of getting onto the floor:

Sit on armchair or stool which is firmly wedged against the wall. Wriggle your bottom to the edge, feet moving further away from the chair. Let yourself slide down the front of the chair, pressing back for support, until your bottom reaches the floor.

To get up (but only if you have had one knee done, not both!):

Kneel on your unoperated leg and stretch your operated leg out. Turn your operated foot flat to the ground and push up until standing.

I learned how to sit on the floor and stand up like that before the op and was pleased to find it still works, and a few weeks ago I was able to repair a kitchen cupboard door which had fallen off its hinges while sitting on the floor!

Roy, I have really taut hamstrings so interesting to hear that massage helped. I do the lying on the bed and letting your legs hang down exercise but it really hurts before I even get to 10 minutes. How often do you think you'll need to have massage to loosen them up? I'm assuming it's a combination of massage and exercise?

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Roy, I have really taut hamstrings so interesting to hear that massage helped. I do the lying on the bed and letting your legs hang down exercise but it really hurts before I even get to 10 minutes.

Do 2 minutes several times a day? That's not being facetious it's a genuine suggestion, stretching isn't like strength exercises, little and often is cool.

How often do you think you'll need to have massage to loosen them up? I'm assuming it's a combination of massage and exercise?

1 massage session will help a lot. I am going once a week for the next while, but every 2-3-4 weeks works fine when in 'maintenance' mode. Massage + stretching = good news.

 

[Deeden]

Thanks Roy - good tip about several shorter stretches instead of the longer one; I will try that. And I'd better find myself a massaging-type person.

All this exercise and fitness stuff is so new to me - I have never been interested as I've always noticed that if I do any exercise it hurts, so clearly my body doesn't want me to do it! But now I've noticed my hamstring (never knew I had one before) I feel that I should make it work properly.

 

[Josephine]

You might find a chiropractor does the job. Mine does.

As for the shorter sessions but more frequently, I'm all in favour of that. Too long a session of what you described simply makes everything flare up and get angry and you don't want angry tissues! Little and often is much better in everything.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Week 7 Day 45

Progress report

• Knees still pretty swollen, but going down a bit every day. They still click and pop as I move about, but again less every day, and different every day too so I'm not worried about it. ROM still around 120 I guess although I haven't measured it.
• Extension exercises continue to be helpful. Calf and hamstring stretches can be done all the time as they do not affect injured tissue. They help in enabling one to stand properly with knees slightly bent backwards
• Walking still needs practice and thought. Taking long strides again helps with extension. But it gets a wee bit easier every day. No need for walking stick but still take it for just that extra bit of insurance. No walking schedule yet started, but I expect to do that soon -- walk so much each morning sort of routine.
• Drug free for about a week now, and not having to go to bed so early. Still waking in the early hours, but getting less all the time and usually able to go back to sleep after a few minutes.
• Driving for a few miles now no problem. Haven't tried any long journeys yet
• Walking up and down stairs still slightly problematic -- take it slowly and lean on handrail, but at least I do it properly and not one step at a time.
• I can spin the pedals on the static bike, but left knee still clicks and pops where the right is dead smooth. No training yet as I still don't want to put power through those damaged tissues.
• Speaking of power, quads and glutes have withered away to resemble bits of string but I'm not so bothered, a nice summer of easy build-up riding beckons.

 

[Jazyb]

Excellent report Roy! This is just what all us new knee brigade love to read- cheers Roy

 

[Josephine]

Great stuff!

 

[Hilary George]

Hi Ray. Reading your diary had brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes, arn't people nice, I am still on this side and as you may have read very scared. I don't think I will be sending notes from hospital as I am not sure how to work my ipad, but I am ging to see if I can. If not I will join you on the other side after next Thursday, and talk to you then. Thanks so much for all your cheery and amusing messages. Love Hilaryx

 

[Roy Gardiner]

... am still on this side and as you may have read very scared.

As I was pre-op, a quivering wreck in fact. As soon as the operation is done that feeling will go, and you can get on with recovery; difficult but not scary.

Week 7 day 47

Gradual, steady improvement continues. Yesterday walked to the post office and the off licence*, round trip of maybe a bit more than 1/2 mile. No real pain in the knees, just the clicking and popping, which is itself slowly declining. Long strides to straighten the leg each step. Walking stick just for decoration really. Low-level backache, which is new. But I'm not (yet) worried, I think it's my back simply being asked to do work it hasn't had to do for many years.

Energy and a bit of concentration is starting to return. For instance, I have a BMI calculator what I wrote years ago and have revamped a bit today. Here's what the screen looks like: broken link removed: https://www.roygardiner.com/images/bmiscreen.jpg (link rather than image because it's quite big). It enables you to enter height and weight in a mix of Metric and Imperial measurements, to choice. To use it it's here amongst other cycling related calculators, scroll down until you find it: broken link removed: https://www.roygardiner.com/gears.htm



* for our American friends: read 'liquor store'. It's a shop where they have a licence to sell wines and spirits for consumption off the premises.

 

[Josephine]

Up North we call it "the offy"!

 

[zjrog]

Sounds like you are doing just fine Roy. Strength and tone will come back, just give it time. No doubt, you know how to get there. I'm still surprised how weakened I am from my summer injuries, and how hard its been to get even a bit back. But hey, its all Time and Patience!!!!