returning to work

[doriselliott]

I had btkr on 9/23/08 and did well. I also have rheumatoid arthritis and my body rejected a suture and the doctor had to remove it which left a hole. I could not do PT on that leg until it healed which was three weeks. I returned to work 11/3/08, I have a sit down job, with ROM of 117 degrees on left leg and 110 on right leg. Yesterday after PT, both were at 104. My legs have swollen since returning to work. Can anyone tell me if this is normal. The therapist said that everyone has a bad day once in a while. I admit that I didn't do the exercises PT gave me as working fulltime made me very tired but I am doing them now.

 

[Doug]

You have absolutely got to do those exercises...Read back on some of these threads of those who developed adhesion's and had to go through a Manipulation Under Anesthesia,(MUA) to get their ROM.
You're going to get swelling from sitting up all day. You just have to elevate and ice in the evening.
You can practice your ROM while at work. Just keep your foot planted and roll forward.
Also, you might want to take some zip locks into work. Snag some ice cubes from the break room and ice them down..
Best of luck.. And do those exercises. You need to get the benefit of these TKR's

 

[Rowdy66]

Doug is telling you right. Plus, it has only been a few weeks since your surgery and having had both knees done at the same time I know how difficult it is and I had a really easy time compared to some. I am seven months post op and still have slight swelling when I do a lot and I still ice when I even feel like I might get swelling, better an ounce of prevention than a pound of cure is my motto. This surgery takes time and a lot of work for a long time. In fact, I wonder if there will ever be an end to the work but I do know that I would rather this than the pain I had before. Good luck. Rowdy

 

[doriselliott]

thanks for the advice. I have not had very many problems either. Hardly any pain but now I find myself taking pain pills once again, mostly Tylenol and Tramadol.

 

[Josephine]

You listen to those guys - they have a wealth of experience and know what they are talking about. My only addition is to make sure you are not under-medicating yourself. Swelling often accompanies pain and can both cause pain and be caused by pain.

 

[doriselliott]

Thanks for the advice. I have been hardly taking any pain meds. I seem to have a high tolerance for pain as I have had pain with the rheumatoid arthritis. Maybe I need to rethink that. Even though my ROM had decreased, I finally managed to pedal a stationery bike. I couldn't do that a week ago. Has anyone ever had good ROM and one day it wasn't as good. I have my next therapy session Tuesday and I have been doing my exercises.

 

[Doug]

Its going to do that, good days and bad days..Then you start having more good than bad.
Work with that bike as much as you can. Start with the seat high up and every few minutes lower it down a setting.
It was the most critical piece of equipment for my early recovery.

 

[Simon]

Yes we all have those ROM problems. My right knee was finally making some progress at around 115 and then something happened and it was back to 110 and very stiff. I think I inflammed something. All you can do is keep going.

If you sit at work, you might want to buy a pedal exerciser which you can put under your desk and pedal away. One site for them is https://www.healthproductsforyou.com.

Ice cubes are a bit messy and hard to keep on so you might want to check out this product which is a gel pack with a sleeve that fits around the knee.

https://www.torexhealth.com/

Simon

 

[doriselliott]

Thaks for the advice. Had a good weekend. Went to the gym Saturday and today after work and managed an hour; about 25 mins on bike and did PT. I have PT tomorrow so I will see if ROM is better as it sure seems to be.

 

[Rowdy66]

Doris I can only repeat, listen to Doug and to Jo, they are not telling you wrong. You are going to have good days and bad days and days in between, the important thing is not to give up. This is a fight that takes time but is well worth the effort. Why go through all this and not go for the optimum result, at least that is my way of thinking. I am still doing exercises and I am over seven months post op and doing great. I just want to make sure I am going to continue to do well and get the most I can out of each and every day. Also, why don't you try using your pain meds on a regular schedule just to see if you feel better. Do it for a week and I bet you are going to be shocked at how much better you feel and how much better you are doing. I think part of this is that you have been in pain for such a long time you are acclimated to the pain. That doesn't mean it hurts less it means your body is in pain and your mind is trying to overcome it. I say why suffer, we live in a wonderful age and doctors are finally beginning to realize that properly medicating pain is essential in our overall outcome. I don't care if I have to take pain meds the rest of my life, (I have an arthritic spine with severe stenosis in my cervical spine and it is inoperable as it is too risky to operate) I just want to make sure I get the most out of each and every day and for me that means I can take care of my husband and enjoy doing things for the people that I love. Good luck to you, you are in my prayers. Rowdy

 

[doriselliott]

thanks Rowdy. I have been taking more pain meds the last few days and I can tell the difference. I have really done well and am so glad I had this done. My knees are already so much better than before. I had never had a bad day other than my body rejecting a suture and me not being able to do PT on my right leg for three weeks, until I started working again and I must work. I have been rolling myself forward in my chair and that makes a big difference. I really feel as if the extra work and pain meds will result in an increased ROM tomorrow morning. Again thanks for all the advice.

 

[justjuls]

I am returning to work on Thursday after my TRKR and I appreciate all the ideas everyone has listed. It will help me I am sure. Thanks to everyone!

Juls