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TKR Rob's Knew Knee

I'm finally getting the point that patience is the key and not to push it
Healing is a long process

Id love to play tennis but my goal is next summer

First goal
Is to not wake up
With any swelling
 
Two things, Rob:
  1. If the PT is going to push to increase your ROM, do make sure that he/she doesn't do this to the point of pain.
  2. Three months as a goal for getting back to tennis is really pushing it. Your knee will still be healing at that stage and it won't be ready for the sheering forces imposed by suddenly changing direction that playing tennis imposes. If you start so early (or even earlier) you'll run a serious risk of undoing your surgeon's good work.

It takes a full year before all the internal healing of your soft tissues is complete. If you look at recovery from a knee replacement as a race, it's more like a marathon than sprint.
Thanks, Celle, but I don't mean full-scale competitive tennis, just getting on the court for some easy, friendly hitting. And my OS is okay with that. He and I think 6 months or longer, depending on how my knee responds to the easy hitting, is the timeframe for playing real matches.
My PT has been very good about heeding my wishes on stopping the pressure when it hits the point where discomfort becomes pain. Seems we have reached the point where we get similar readings on certain days - around 110/120 on the first PT day of the week and 115/125 on the second/last PTday of the week. And I continue to do the heel slides/wall slides at home, even though I have no way to measure the results.
Believe me, I am aware of the pitfalls in yielding to the temptations of early recovery. No way do I want to regress to week 1 in this process. I appreciate your reminding me of that.

@jbrooklyn - U.S. Open has been wonderful so far, upsets galore and beautiful tennis from both the men and women. I am amazed every year at the number of players who go down from heat exhaustion/muscle cramps. It's almost always hot and humid at the Open, at least for the first week, and you would think professional athletes would prepare themselves for that possibility.
Have you watched much of the action? I always appreciate retirement during the major tournaments, since I can watch tennis all day long. Would rather be playing, but that will come.
 
Thanks, Celle, but I don't mean full-scale competitive tennis, just getting on the court for some easy, friendly hitting
I'm very relieved to hear that, Rob! :yay:
I was picturing your poor knee giving you a very strong pain message if you were going to play really active tennis so early.
 
Having a downer week, despite our son's birthday tomorrow. Had my last official PT session last Tuesday and went home expecting to pick up where they left off. She worked me pretty good, so I took Wednesday off and tried to get a strong start on home PT Thursday. For some reason, everything has gone south - knee is stiffer and hurts more, can't bend it as much, can't stay on the bike for half the time I had been clocking, and nothing seems to work. Tried more ice, then more heat, even added muscle relaxants, which just make me sleepy. Maybe I will try an inactive approach for a while, but I am concerned that it (the knee) will get too stiff to do anything at all.

I really do not want to go back to PT, and my next OS appointment is in 2 weeks, day after my 3-month mark. Anyone think inactivity other than continued stretching (which I'm still doing every day, or trying to, anyway) will help? Apologize for posting such a downer after what I thought was real progress. Ups and downs, right?
 
Inactivity should help according to those here.
I understand what reservations about not doing anything bring
 
@Rob 68 ups and downs is the name of the game with this TKR recovery lol. You said PT worked you pretty good on your last visit. Maybe it was a little much and your knee needs a break. And sometimes the knee hurts for no knowable reason at all, I think just to remind us that we're not off the roller coaster yet lol. For instance I had the best day of my recovery on Saturday, thought I'd turned the corner and Sunday and Monday I had to essentially rest most of the day due to increased pain just because.
 
Hope you can set aside your discomfort and worries so you can enjoy your son's birthday.

You're a couple of weeks ahead of me, but I have the impression that we're still on a journey with ups and downs along the way. :/ But at least we're better off than we were 6 months ago, right?
 
See what a few days of rest can do, Rob. You may seem to go backwards a bit, but that's par for the course. This recovery is a roller coaster ride, full of ups and downs.

I wonder if you or your PT were perhaps a bit too keen to give you a good workout for your last session? If so, your knees are letting you know that it was a bit too much for them.
 
I think perhaps she did go a little overboard, and I didn't stop when I should have. That darn competitive bug still takes over my brain at times. Didn't help that a cold front rolled through last weekend, right after a home PT session on Friday. I think my knee is still weather sensitive. I have enough patience - I think - to slow down enough to get past the stiffness, but I really miss my bike time. To me, that was a clear sign of progress. BTW, I'm dropping the muscle relaxants, since they mostly just make me sleepy. Turning instead to messaging the quad area just above the knee. I've seen where a couple of people recommend Biofreeze Gel and/or Sombra Gel. Any ideas on how safe those are at my stage (11 weeks next Monday)? Using unrefined coconut oil now, and it seems to help keep the incision and knee more pliable, for a while at least. Thanks to all for your encouragement; nice to be part of a community that cares.
 
Turning instead to messaging the quad area just above the knee. I've seen where a couple of people recommend Biofreeze Gel and/or Sombra Gel. Any ideas on how safe those are at my stage (11 weeks next Monday)? Using unrefined coconut oil now, and it seems to help keep the incision and knee more pliable, for a while at least.

I used the Biofreeze at 8 weeks on the quad. It didn't seem to do me any harm! In fact, after a big stretchy PT session this AM, I think I'll go use some right now. I have been using the Trader Joe's vitamin E oil on my incisions. I use that at least twice a day. And then I have some sort of a coconut oil "stick" (think like a big chapstick kinda thing) that I use throughout the day. Wearing pants to the office, my incisions start to rub eventually, so I go in the restroom and use that coconut oil stick to soothe the area.
 
@Rob 68 - Just got caught up on your thread.. Don't get discouraged.. :console2: I think overall you are doing GREAT! Believe me that I understand the ups and downs!! I'm a week behind you and it seems my knee has been particularly stiff the last week or so.. Not sure if it's because of the weather changing or not. In fact, it's been so stiff that I was worried how my ROM would measure when I went to PT yesterday.. then it turns out to be better than it ever has been!! Go figure! My advice (based on extreme levels of experience in this area.. :heehee:) is to give yourself a break and take it easy for a few days. I had to do that this last week because of my back issues, but as it turns out, it may have been a blessing in disguise??? :shrug: Who knows!!!!!! - Even though my knee is still pretty stiff, it hasn't been hurting the same when I try to change positions when sleeping (or trying to). I have noticed a significant improvement along those lines. I have also noticed that my scar seems to be more constricting in my bend then it had been.. But that may be in my head.. Wish I had a more objective way to compare from day to day.... I've been putting Scar-away on it (recommended by my OS) to help reduce the scar look.

I agree with you on the PT stuff too.. I'm not seeing a great advantage, other than getting a reading on my ROM. I think I only have another week and a half.. But I can do what I'm doing with them.. I'll be going back to work then anyway....(since I'm NOT retired yet.. :sad: lol! - Husband says I have to stay employed to I can get the insurance for my other knee first.. :heehee: .. - which is true, but really, I'm targeting my 35th anniversary with my company - which is in 4 years.. I can HARDLY WAIT!!)

And you're right.. we do care.. :cheers:
 
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@Braunzie i have that same feeling with my scar. But it could be that it is hypersensitive and that's why it feels that way
When does that feeling go away?
 
Aw, Rob, sorry to hear you've hit a rough patch. It is such a journey of ups and downs. It sounds like your PT worked you overmuch, and that downshifting for a few days is called for. It's a drag that the timing is just when you're taking over your PT independently, but that's how the cookie has crumbled.

You will really, really not harm anything if you take it easy for a few days. Recovering from TKR is NOT the same as getting/staying in shape. They are different tasks for the body, and they require different supporting actions from us. You still need to heal, primarily--that is your #1 need. Rebuilding strength and flexibility comes second, although it always wants to push to the front of the line because it's the thing we can affect by working on it. Please believe that being gentle and resting for a few days will help you, not hurt you! Your knee is crying out for a break. You cannot fix that by working it harder. Your ROM and strength will not go away if you back off for a few days. I promise.

Also, the Sombra gel and anything else you want to use (within reason) is perfectly safe, as long as your scar is closed/healed over. It's all topical, and the real action is deep within your knee. So experiment around with whatever feels like it offers some relief, and go for it. I hope you are still icing and elevating when you have swelling.

Happy bday to your son! A bit belated by now but sincere.

Here is my leap of faith in my recovery: Getting a 9-week puppy tomorrow! Ugh, call me crazy. She is a mix of chocolate lab and Great Pyrenees. I hope she is a calm little puppy, and hope my daughter helps with the housebreaking! Our apartment is up a flight of stairs, so I don't quite know how I will survive the dozen trips outside each day, but hey, I'll come here and bellyache if it becomes too much. How is your pup?
 
Spoke to my doc's PA yesterday afternoon, and she succeeded in calming me down quite a bit. She said my experience was fairly typical, especially when cold fronts start rolling through the area. She recommended what you guys have been suggesting - less activity for a while - along with a double dose of Aleve every day (two 220mg capsules every 12 hours instead of one). That seemed to be helping by the time we got home from son Brian's birthday dinner. Well, maybe the celebratory beer or two also helped. :beer:

She also said I could experiment on positioning the seat on my stationary bike; I tried that immediately after the call, but it didn't work. Will try again today after a full day of double Aleve. Doesn't seem quite as stiff this morning, so cross your fingers.

@jbrooklyn - Great news about the puppy. Ours is very happy that we've resumed the daily walks. I would actually like to get in some solitary walking, but any time I get near the door, she's there wagging her tail and expecting another walk. Guess I need to suck it up and just leave her.

Also, ordered the Sombra gel from Amazon yesterday. Should have it by Friday and will post my thoughts on its effectiveness after a few days. :thumb:

@Braunzie - Yeah, the only thing PT offered that I can't do at home was the ROM measurement. I've seen some apps on Apple that claim to measure that electronically, but the reviews were mixed on all of them. The PA asked yesterday how much ROM I felt I had lost, and all I could tell her was that I dropped about 6 inches on the wall slides, since those are the only ones I can actually see. How those inches translate into degrees I have no clue. :what:

@MsBlue - Vitamin E oil and a coconut oil "stick"? Where did you get those? I've heard about the good qualities of Vitamin E but have not seen a coconut stick anywhere. I'm willing to try anything at this state.

So, everyone, bottom line from the PA - try the increased Aleve, back off exercises except the heel stretches, try moving the bike seat back, and call her Monday (11 weeks post-surgery) to discuss results. She said we could try more PT, but I don't think that's the answer. Basically, she repeated what you guys have been telling me. As my old buddy Hawkeye used to say, y'all are the "finest kind".
 
Vitamin E oil and a coconut oil "stick"? Where did you get those? I've heard about the good qualities of Vitamin E but have not seen a coconut stick anywhere. I'm willing to try anything at this state.

Well, actually, the soothing stick came from a company that my brother invested in. I was just down at his place and cleaned out his last stash, as the company bellied up. It's just a big chapstick kind of thing that is primarily made of coconut oil. It's also got some palm oil, castor oil, and beeswax in it. I think the beeswax stabilizes it into the stick form - and that makes it easy for me to take it in my bag without leaking oils everywhere. However, if you are using coconut oil, that should have the same effect. The Vitamin E oils is a 4 oz. bottle from Trader Joe's. You can probably get that at any heath food store or where vitamins are sold.

I am also taking 2 Aleves every 12 hours - my doctor had me on Celebrex for the first 4 weeks, and then we discussed it and agreed I would go back to taking Aleve (which I took up to the week before surgery).

At 9 weeks out, I feel like I have entered a different phase of recovery - and it's not necessarily a better phase. It's the long, slow, slog now. My ROM changes minimally (if at all) from week to week. I am sore after exercise, but I'm sore anyway if don't keep taking the drugs - I'm taking up to 4Tramadol pills a day with the Aleve, and then Percocet for the days I have PT.

My next follow up with my doctor is Tuesday - and he brought up MUA 4 weeks ago. He wants to see "significant" improvement on the right by next Tuesday. I have moved the needle about 15 degrees in ROM in 4 weeks, but that is assisted. I can't comprehend taking a backward step in soreness, etc., by having to go through the MUA. Additionally (and I know this sounds ridiculous), I don't have time to fit it in. I am back at work and in grad school and I can't take any more days out between now and December without dropping some balls. But then, I think, my recovery has got to be the most important thing, right?

So, it all adds up to being more difficult now than it was a few weeks ago when all I had to do was rest, ice, and heal.
 
Well, actually, the soothing stick came from a company that my brother invested in. I was just down at his place and cleaned out his last stash, as the company bellied up. It's just a big chapstick kind of thing that is primarily made of coconut oil. It's also got some palm oil, castor oil, and beeswax in it. I think the beeswax stabilizes it into the stick form - and that makes it easy for me to take it in my bag without leaking oils everywhere. However, if you are using coconut oil, that should have the same effect. The Vitamin E oils is a 4 oz. bottle from Trader Joe's. You can probably get that at any heath food store or where vitamins are sold.

I am also taking 2 Aleves every 12 hours - my doctor had me on Celebrex for the first 4 weeks, and then we discussed it and agreed I would go back to taking Aleve (which I took up to the week before surgery).

At 9 weeks out, I feel like I have entered a different phase of recovery - and it's not necessarily a better phase. It's the long, slow, slog now. My ROM changes minimally (if at all) from week to week. I am sore after exercise, but I'm sore anyway if don't keep taking the drugs - I'm taking up to 4Tramadol pills a day with the Aleve, and then Percocet for the days I have PT.

My next follow up with my doctor is Tuesday - and he brought up MUA 4 weeks ago. He wants to see "significant" improvement on the right by next Tuesday. I have moved the needle about 15 degrees in ROM in 4 weeks, but that is assisted. I can't comprehend taking a backward step in soreness, etc., by having to go through the MUA. Additionally (and I know this sounds ridiculous), I don't have time to fit it in. I am back at work and in grad school and I can't take any more days out between now and December without dropping some balls. But then, I think, my recovery has got to be the most important thing, right?

So, it all adds up to being more difficult now than it was a few weeks ago when all I had to do was rest, ice, and heal.
I was issued the same ultimatum - get to 115 or face the dreaded MUA Monster. Well, my PT told me that as long as you show the potential to reach a certain number - which seems to vary by doctor - even with help, the doc will be satisfied. During my intensive PT sessions, I would always lose between 5 to 10 degrees over the weekends, and regain or exceed them by the last PT session of the week. I think you will be fine once you reach your doc's number, either assisted or on your own.
 
Quick and somewhat promising update: got on the bike today and did 10 good minutes. Moved it back just one notch and no pain or additional stiffness yet. Icing now and watching Cubs jumping all over the Pirates. Interesting, even though I have no vested interest in either team, other than as a possible opponent for my Dodgers in the playoffs.

Another question for anyone/everyone: has tried the mini-bikes or ellipticals designed to fit under desks? Would be interested in hearing any stories about their usefulness, if any, in keeping stiffness from creeping back. Bonus would be my wife also using it in her struggle against fibromyalgia.
 
Those bikes were just discussed on another thread -- I don't remember which one. You could try the search function.

Go Dodgers!
 
Here you go

I want to share 2 possibly helpful recent discoveries 1) My knees really hate being in one sitting position, so I tried a coworker's little exercise pedaler that she keeps under her desk. Brilliant! For me it is less about spending calories than about keeping my knees happy. I used it for 4 hours on and off yesterday, and it definitely helped! I researched for the quietest model, and ended up ordering this one with a can of WD-40 to keep it quiet: FitDesk Under Desk Elliptical Trainer. There are cheaper models, but this one is especially for use under desks, and it was a big, big improvement tositting stationary. I used it for a few min at a time. 2) acupuncture. I've had 2 sessions for the tendonitis and generalknee aches/swelling, and it really hasbeen a striking success. I will have onemore session in a week, and then lay off as it's $100 per session. The therapist says 3sessions will likely help, as they build on each other. I tried it out of desperation--might as well, right? I don't feel skeptical nor convinced, and don't pretend to understand how it works . . . but I have without a doubt had some relief from this and wanted to share.
 
Don't know what to credit here, but I've had a couple of pretty good days on stretching and on the bike. Trouble with trying different remedies simultaneously: you don't know which one was more effective, the increased Aleve dosage, less activity, warming up the knee just prior to activity, or hotter temps. Guess the latter will get a test this weekend, since we're expecting another cool front rolling through tonight. :snow dig:

Also received my jar of Sombra late yesterday afternoon and am in the process of figuring out the best way to use it. So far, I've just massaged it into the quad area directly above my knee and underneath my knee, the two areas which seem to be the tightest and most restricted. Got the 8-ounce jar, and that is a lot of gel. Thinking of trying it on my sore shoulder, which has not seen much activity since my last tennis match. That would be a bonus. :tennis2:

Getting on the bike later this morning after my stretching sets. Did 10 good minutes Thursday and 12 yesterday, which is where I think I'll stay for a few days. Still thinking about the under-desk elliptical; since I would probably not use it much once my knee is fully recovered, the most efficient use of one would be sharing it with my wife, and she has yet to commit. We'll see what happens. :vespa:

Everyone have a safe, productive, and PAIN-FREE weekend. Signing off for now. :type:
 

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