TKR Recovery Questions

[kneeper]

The question is do you have to go back to work b/c of lack of sick leave or an overdeveloped sense of responsibility?
I'm sorry you were told 4 weeks would be enough time off.
I'm glad you may be able to get a couple of weeks more off. Try for 1/2 days at first too.
Most people don't get that this is major surgery b/c they've all heard of someone who had an arthroscopic "clean out" and was back at work lickety split. :(

 

[AliK]

Hey all - I did see the dr. yesterday and am staying off work at least through six weeks post-op. Wish I could take longer, but in just a few days, I’ll already be in the no work/no pay situation. But 3 more weeks off sounds like heaven right now. Thank you for all your kindness, support, and creative ideas and recommendations!

 

[MMcIntosh]

That’s great news AliK! I’m so glad you were able to push off returning to work a bit. I had my right TKR just 6 days after you. I work from home for the most part (travel to visit customers and attend meetings / events) so I was planning to return to work after just 4 weeks. I thought “hey as long as I can sit at a desk...”. Wrong! I’m with you - that is not going to happen (would be in 9 days). I’m still on enough pain meds that my brain cannot focus 100% on work and I just now am starting to feel my energy levels increase a bit. However on the days I do physical therapy, I am absolutely wiped the rest of the day. I’m now looking to extend my leave until Labor Day giving me a full 2 weeks extra which would take me to 6 weeks post-op. I had to have a long talk with myself the other day. I thought about all the $$, pain, PT, energy and time I’m investing in this new knee. I want to give it a chance to be the BEST new knee it can be so I can resume travel and LIFE with my husband. So if I have to take a few more weeks to invest in ‘me’, I’m going to do it. It’s tough as we are so programmed to get back to work quickly, but sometimes that just can’t happen. Luckily I do have short-term disability which is helping a bit with lost wages, but even without that, I think the time investment will be well worth it. Good luck to you and remember that YOU are worth the time invested to properly rest and heal that knee.

 

[AliK]

My PT was a little harder today, but not painful. Now my lower leg is cramping. Anyone else have this?

 

[Celle]

@AliK
You'll notice that I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread.
Did you lose your original thread? Or did you think you had to start a new thread because you had a new question?

For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:

• That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
• If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
• Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.

So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here.
Don't worry that we won't see your question because, between us, the staff read all new posts every day.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.

 

[Celle]

Thanks! I didn’t really know how or where to post a new question. Got it!

I've copied this and your other query from the PMs you sent me. If you have questions or problems, it's best to post them in your own thread.

Other people may also benefit from the answers, you see.

I wonder though how to change the thread title to Recovery Road or something more generic so that my second question about muscle cramps might be addressed. Thanks again!

If you'd like a thread title changed, just post about it in your own recovery thread. We'll see that and change the thread title.

 

[AliK]

Can you please change the thread title to “Recovery Questions”? Thanks!

 

[Jockette]

That’s a great title for your thread!

Never worry that we won’t see your question, new posts are checked all the time.

If your knee/leg is bothering you more than usual, at any time, it means you did more than your knee was ready for.

My PT was a little harder today, but not painful. Now my lower leg is cramping.

Back off on some of what you’re doing in PT. There is no rush to accomplish this recovery. PTs seem to think it has to happen NOW!

 

[Celle]

I've changed your thread title, @AliK .

 

[sbcamp]

@AliK I too have been experiencing some muscle spasms. Mine started in my calf and radiated up to my hamstrings and down into my foot. I have found some massage, which hurts at the time, helps relieve the cramping. I was also able to get a muscle relaxer from my doctor which I have only taken a few times. Ice and elevation are key and not over doing it. I am about 4 weeks out and finding while I can be up and about more I still tire easily. I am planning on going back to work at 6 weeks but have been able to have to doctor give me a note saying I will need time to ice and elevate or possibly work PT. It is a challenge when we only have so much paid time off.


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[NavyGunns]

@AliK, I’m just getting caught up on your recovery experience and it appears you’ve received some great advice and was able to get agreement from your OS that additional time off was warranted. Most people are not able to return to work after 4 weeks and many who do realize it was too soon. I returned the beginning of week 5, working from home and still found it exhausting. Week 6 was a transition week, alternating a day on the office and a day at home. Equally as exhausting. Finally at week 7 & 8 did I find I could get through the entire day without feeling like I needed a nap. How soon you go back and how well you tolerate it depends on what you do, amount of time on your feet, your own energy level, etc. in other words, it’s all unique to you!

Listen to your knee and take good care of it and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll turn the corner in your recovery.

 

[AliK]

@NavyGunns Thank you for sharing your experience and advice. I really have to return to work at 6 wks, but initially I was scheduled to return at about 3 1/2 wks. I am much relieved to have an additional 3 wks. I’m sure it will be exhausting, but I think my boss and coworkers will understand if I don’t come back full throttle. The school nurse will probably even allow me to ice and nap in her office for breaks, if needed.

 

[sistersinhim]

It sounds like you have a good plan for going back to work!

 

[AliK]

@sbcamp Thanks for your response! I did take a muscle relaxer yesterday, and it really helped. And actually - my first career was as a physical therapist! Haha! I haven’t done that for about 22 yrs now, but I’ve been self-massaging the leg a lot and noticing how it helps. And you’re right! At first it hurts like a mother bear, but then it feels looser and relieved. I think all the muscles are trying to do their job of protecting an injured joint, but they can get carried away at times.

 

[AliK]

@MMcIntosh Thanks for sharing your story. I think we women are really programmed to get up and keep going, even when we hurt or are as sick as dogs! And I think we’ve trained a lot of the world to expect that we will do just that every time we are down. This time, I hope we’re both allowing ourselves at least enough time to not be in as much pain when we have to rejoin the workforce.

 

[Jockette]

my first career was as a physical therapist! Haha! I haven’t done that for about 22 yrs now

What was PT like back then? I know it was not deemed as absolutely necessary like it is today. I don’t think I knew anyone who was sent to PT 22 years ago. Did you work with TKR patients?

 

[AliK]

@Jockette Yes - I saw total knee replacement patients all the time when I first became a PT. And I feel like I’m suffering a bit of payback now. We used to crank on those poor people’s knees, trying to force them to 90 degrees. Dr’s wouldn’t discharge them from the hospital until their knee was bending that far. I was young, and this was the norm back then (in the ‘80’s). Those patients probably made my face into a mental dart board back then! I moved to neuro rehab after my first child was born in ‘84, and found it to be a kinder, gentler form of PT - suited me much better, but very physically hard on my back (one of the reasons I changed careers).

 

[Jockette]

Interesting. Thanks for answering my question.

I’m glad that things are changing a bit and am so thankful for the outreach that Bonesmart has undertaken to get the word out, and for the internet that allows us to find Bonesmart and learn that there is a gentle option to recover from this very traumatic-to-the-body surgery.

 

[sbcamp]

@AliK I was talking with a friend who is a massage therapist and she was saying that because during the knee surgery everything on top is pushed and pulled around the muscles in the back are over compensating which makes sense to me.

I am thankful no one is pushing on my knee the way you described. I have pretty good ROM. Not sure why but I am not complaining about it. I am having a harder time with straightening my leg but even that is not horrible. Just the basic exercises are plenty.


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[AliK]

JUST SAY NO: Well... I know you’d be mad at me for suffering through four weeks, but I finally told my PT today that I was no longer going to do anything that hurt! My PT background, and the fact that my PT is a long-time friend, made me feel like I could surely suffer through some pain. But after therapy earlier this week, I knew - without a doubt- that forcing my still-swollen knee to bend more/straighten more was actually setting me back in the recovery process. She was actually very kind and told me she wasn’t offended and that it was my knee!

SLEEP HELPS: On another note: I used the cling-wrap theory to help me finally get 2 pretty decent nights of sleep. I just used Press ‘n Seal and cut a square for the inside of my knee and a strip to go over the incision. Both of these were very sensitive areas. I also put a legging sleeve (that I cut from some old leggings) over the plastic. Not only did I get rest, but the nerves seem to have calmed down a bit after using for 2 nights! (Wrapping around the whole knee was too crinkly and just too much for me, and I didn’t have another brand of wrap.)

Also, I have one of those large therapy balls, and I kept it by my bed last night. (No longer have my CPM.) When I woke up due to stiffness, I just put the ball up on the bed with my feet on the ball and gently flexed and extended my knees. It was very relaxing and relieved the binding stiffness, allowing me to go back to sleep.

AND A QUESTION: Anyone have any experience with the hamstring tendon on the back, outside it the knee popping over the fibula (outside bone in lower leg) when you walk and exercise? It has set me back in my ability to walk normally.?

Hope you July Sparklers are all doing better!