TKR Roller coaster recovery of Jas

[mannbub]

@Rockgirl14 Thanks for the reassurance. I hope it resolves for me too

 

[sistersinhim]

I am not able to lift my leg up without assistance

I used my good leg underneath my tkr leg to raise and lower my surgical leg. After a few weeks my new knee was able to take on more of the lifting responsibilities. You might want to try that.

 

[mannbub]

@sistersinhim Thats what I try to do. PT assistant told me that I shouldn’t do that otherwise my leg will stay weak. I still do what I need to do. Thanks for the advice!!

 

[sistersinhim]

PT assistant told me that I shouldn’t do that otherwise my leg will stay weak. I still do what I need to do.

Your newborn baby knee is only 16 days old. It should be treated like what it is...an infant. You can worry about it lifting itself when it's ready to lift itself. Doing what you need to do is the right thing to do. These new knees need lots of TLC, not exercises!

 

[mannbub]

Can anyone advice me on the Lytle unit(Ice machine)? I rented it for $250 for 21 days. Insurance did not cover it. I use it for 4-5 hrs in 24 hrs. I am 17 days post op. Should I rent it for more time? I really don’t want to pay another $250. How long should I be icing my knee after 3 weeks post op?

@sistersinhim I agree!! I am trying my best!! Thanks!

 

[winemama]

@mannbub icing is important for 2-4 months, can you put out a call to friends to see if anyone has an ice machine?? I’m sure people can give you suggestions on homemade ice ideas.
You should be icing way more then 4-5 hours a day. Good luck

 

[Jockette]

You will probably be icing for a while. While the style you rented is nice, any type will do. I used gel packs.

Even after you stop needing to ice often throughout the day there will be those occasions that you overdo and will want to ice to settle things down. I didn’t totally stop icing until I was 6 months post op.

 

[mannbub]

@winemama Oh I thought I was doing good by icing for 4/5 hrs in a day. How long do you think I should be icing it for?

@Jockette Ya the kind I have is very convenient. I think I will have to look into gel packs. Any idea from
where to buy them from.

 

[Jockette]

Amazon has lots to choose from. Walmart, Walgreens, etc. probably has them, too.

In the early days/weeks Bonesmart recommends icing for 40-60 minutes and at least 4 times a day. Just be sure to have a cloth between your skin and the ice/cold source. It helps reduce swelling and is a good pain reliever.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

For approx. the price of a 3 week rental, you can buy a Breg, or similar, ice machine. And you'll own it, not have to give it back. It's maybe not quite as good as your rental, but much better than ice packs.

 

[sistersinhim]

How long do you think I should be icing it for?

As long as I was swelling I iced the whole time I was sitting or laying down. This helped to keep my swelling and pain way down without relying on prescription meds. As long as you have a cloth between you and your knee you can't ice too much, in my opinion.

 

[Josephine]

That's what I did too

 

[mannbub]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions!!

 

[mannbub]

How long does one need a cane after the Total Knee? I am 20 days post op and using cane. I am
afraid I won’t be able to get rid of it. I limp if I try to walk without it. It hurts to put my weight on my knee without the cane. Also I feel my muscles are not strong enough.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I would use the cane until you no longer limp, no longer have pain when walking, until you are solid and steady on your feet. Until you feel able to walk in public without fearing you might get bumped by someone and fall, and so on. You will start finding that you forget to grab it when walking around your house, then have to go look for where you left it. That's a sign that you're close to no longer needing it. You will eventually put it aside for good; until that day I suggest using it as needed.

 

[sistersinhim]

How long does one need a cane after the Total Knee?

You will need the cane as long as you need it. They is no set time for any one person. I kept my in my car at least a year. If I had to be in the rain, or wind, or in a crowd, I used my cane. Until you have no fear of the knee giving out you should be using it. It can keep you from falling. It did me many times!

 

[mannbub]

lovetocookandsew, sistersinhim Thanks for the encouraging words.

Actually was not expecting this recovery to be this slow. Not use to this life at all. I was always on the go. I feel so down sometimes and want to rush through things. Been stuck in the house now for almost three weeks but I don’t feel comfortable going to grad parties with a cane. I thought being 43 and being active before surgery would make my recovery much faster and easier but I was so wrong. Still praying everyday and keeping my hopes up. This forum has been God sent. You guys are awesome.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Part of this recovery is the roller coaster of emotions. Some days you'll feel on top of the world, other days you'll want to crawl into a hole and pull it in after you. Know that this is "normal" and will get better as your recovery progresses. I say don't worry about the cane and go to a party if you're feeling up to it. But remember, you're still not quite at three weeks PO and it's very early in this average year long recovery. At this point you should be spending time icing, elevating, resting and recuperating along with gradually increasing your ADLs.
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-tkrs.14334/

Being "stuck in the house" for three weeks, or longer, is a small sacrifice to make to get your life back so you can once again be as active as you like. Think of this as taking care of a new baby; no one sleeps, no one goes anywhere, you're tired and cranky most days, and so on. But as the baby grows, your life opens up again and becomes fun, exciting, busy, productive...... That's where you'll be in the not-too-distant future. Just have patience and it will happen as your knee heals.

 

[Celle]

Actually was not expecting this recovery to be this slow. Not use to this life at all. I was always on the go. I feel so down sometimes and want to rush through things. Been stuck in the house now for almost three weeks but I don’t feel comfortable going to grad parties with a cane.

Unfortunately, recovery from a knee replacement does take a long time - as long as a full year for complete recovery of all your tissues. You'll be able to do most things long before that year is up, though, but your knee may protest from time to time. It's not at all unusual for your knee to swell for as long as 6 months, if you do more than it is ready for.

It's still less than 3 weeks since you had this major surgery and you shouldn't even be thinking of going to grad parties yet. Right now, your main job is to rest, and ice and elevate your knee. I know that's hard when you're used to being active, but if you can do it, it's a wise investment in a good recovery.

Your outings at this stage could include a short trip out for coffee, to a place where you can put your leg up, as long as a friend can drive you there. That may help your current cabin fever.

Have you checked your activity against what we recommend in this article?
Activity progression for TKRs

I thought being 43 and being active before surgery would make my recovery much faster and easier but I was so wrong.

That's a mistake many people make. However, knee replacement is not a surgery you can bounce back from in a few weeks, no matter what your age or fitness.

Your knee is going to recover at its own speed no matter how much you wish it would be faster. Whether a person is 18 or 80, recovery seems to take a similar amount of time.
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)

 

[Rockgirl4]

@mannbub I'm 46 and thankfully knew not to expect my great fitness or age to speed up this recovery. My sawed, drilled, and hammered bones didn't care about my age or the fact that I could still leg press 90 lbs with the bad leg alone and do 45 BOSU squats without breaking a sweat. My soft tissue didn't care either. They only knew they were severely traumatized and needed time to heal. Even now at almost 9 wks, I can't do hardly any strength training or my medial tibia or femoral area just screams. She needs more time before I go back to my usual workouts!!!!

As for the cane, I had to rely on a walker 100% of the time for the first 3 wks. By week 4, I was only using it at night when I got too tired to walk correctly, or if I woke in the middle of the night for a bathroom. I was so stiff from sleeping that there was no way I could walk without it. I almost transitioned to a cane at 4 wks and 5 days, but my PT told me I really didn't need it. That day at PT, she helped me work on my balance and shifting weight to the other leg. So by 5 wks, I didn't need any aids, as long as I avoided uneven surfaces or slopes. I was staying home most of the time though, so it didn't frustrate me.

Lastly, my PT and surgeon both told me we "athletic young folks" are often their worst patients because we think we have an advantage over everyone else. We THINK our age and fitness is an advantage. Unfortunately, my surgeon said we are the ones who most often overdo and cause ourselves setbacks because how dare we come across as old and feeble (I'm trying to say this with sarcasm!!!). He is constantly telling his younger patients to do less, rest more, slow down, and stop trying to ACT our age.