Become an Insider

TKR Recovery is longer than expected

Status
Not open for further replies.
I would recommend the wheelchair as well, just the flight alone will tax your strength. Get to airport early so you can clear security,we flew from det to Chicago and i set off the alarms. I showed the tsa agent my card that said i had replacement but they wanted to see my scar and touch my knee. I told the very nice lady the only person that will touch my knee is my dr and my therapist.. i read somewhere on here that this might happen so i made a point of wearing pants that i could easily pull up over my knee so i showed them my pretty pretty scar and they passed me . Also wear shoes you can slip on and off easy and explain that you may need help..
 
Last few days are better, taking full doses of pain meds by the clock, ice and elevating all the time, swelling is slowly coming down, walking is slowly coming.

For those of you who find walking difficult, my PT advised me to take very slow, short steps with legs close together. My surgical leg wanted to to go out sideways to make the step (because of the bent knee) concentrating on keeping the legs close is helping me walk more normal with less pain. I add one minute more each time and I'm gaining strength and endurance each walk. Of course PATIENCE is key here.
 
Glad you're doing well. Yes, walking requires some concentration as your recovering. Also focusing on heel-toe is one of those things many of us have to do.
 
Walking was tough i still find myself reminding me to not walk like i just got off a horse. Keep up the good work
 
(Note to self, ride horse more often, give self convenient excuse for walking funny.) My PTs encouraged me to take long strides when I was limping a bit. And to use my walker or cane. They eventually got tired of chasing me around the room with the cane I'd left at the last exercise station, sometimes the one before last.

Before surgery my best, most pain free walking was actually right after I did get off the horse--reason being, I suspect, that the legs got a nice stretch and what was left of my knee cartilage had a little breathing room. Recently I have caught myself walking normally. After a year or more of hobbling its kinda refreshing. I still find myself swinging the leg out (at this point unnecessarily) to step over things.
 
I'm now 6.5 weeks out, my short focused steps over the last week are turning into longer normal walking strides without my leg going out to the side. I can't walk very fast or far at once, but it is progress. Pain is less and I now have learned that patience is so necessary while going through this.
 
:thumb:
 
On some airlines you can request where you want wheelchair service depending on your abilities. It may be smart to have it when you check-in so that you will go through security that way. I always tell the folks that I have a knee replacement and they send me to the total-body machine (or whatever it's called). Make sure you keep an eye on your bags while they are being checked.
Lots can change in three weeks --just know your limitations and love that new baby :)
 
Hi All,
I am now 8½ weeks out from right TKR, I have accomplished the 134 flexion, but still have that 5 degrees to go for my straight leg. I do the exercises to push this gently, the OS says it will come in the next couple of months but I am not making much progress. I am not losing anything but wondering if there is more I can be doing. I am done with PT.

Does anyone out there have any progress stories as to when/how they got to full extension?
 
Hi Spiritbee51! First of all, thank you for your nice message on @Ziggysmom 's thread. It was very sweet of you to take the time to encourage us and point out that it's going to get better. I tend to fall into the 'woe is me' side of things these days instead of looking at all the improvements that I've made.

Way to go on your 134 flexion! That's terrific! I too have issues getting my leg completely straight. My knee is still fairly swollen, so although I'm hoping that when that finally goes down it will help, but who knows. There are a couple of exercises that my PT has me do that are probably what you're doing as well, but just in case:

1) While sitting, put leg straight (ha) out in front of you with your toes up - push down, right above your knee for a count of 30. Repeat 3 times
2) When you're walking, concentrate on the heel toe gait and that will naturally stretch your hamstrings and help with extension
3) I've read of people laying on their stomachs in bed and hanging their surgical leg off the bed, from right above the knee ( i haven't tried this one)
4) In bed, put leg out straight in front of you with just a rolled up hand towel under your ankle and allow gravity to help pull your leg down
5) When sitting with your leg in front of you, propped on a chair or ottoman, put some sort of a light weight on your knee to help it straighten. I've found that if you have an ice pack with a fair amount of weight (i have a big gel pak that's probably @5lbs) to it on top of your knee that sorta tortures you and ices your knee at the same time ;-)

I don't know about you, but I find the extension exercises much more uncomfortable than the flexion ones. Flexion ones kinda push the border of hurting, but the extension ones are just kinda torture. I'm sure many will be along shortly to offer more and better advice for you. Don't give up, keep up the great work and I am certain that your extension will improve with time!
 
[Bonesmart.org] Recovery is longer than expected
Well, you are @Spiritbee51! Keep a positive mental attitude and things will just get better and better. Try thinking about how far you've come and not how far you have to go when you're feeling a bit discouraged.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.
 
@Spiritbee51 Welcome to bonesmart and you are in the right place. You must remember that each person goes at their own pace. Are you still in physical therapy? If not do the exercises you were taught and they have great ones in the Manta. I am at 13 weeks now and I have been back to work for a week and a half now. You will be fine. Rest when you can take pain meds as needed, ice and elevate. Take an ice pack on the plane. You will be glad you did. Once you see that beautiful grandbaby, you will forget all about the pain. Have a good trip, enjoy and safe flight.
 
Well to all of you who gave me advice on my plane trip, I made it!! Wheel chair was a great idea, 3 long airport terminals would have been too much for me. OS also suggested support stockings to the knee or higher and they really helped keep the leg from getting as tired.

Now I have a two year old to play with, a brand new baby girl to rock and many stairs to climb which are great exercises, plus it changes the boredom of the previous weeks!!! I will let you know how worn out I will be after this.
SBee51
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel
Corganics CBD

Members online

Total: 816 (members: 4, guests: 812)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom