TKR RTKR Feb 12th Hard Recovery

[Josephine]

Lovely! And we'll continue to be here for you all the time as long as you need us. Please remember that!

 

[mandym]

Hello,

I haven't posted on in here in a while. Looking for some support and feedback at this point. I can honestly say this has been the most painful, grueling experience I have ever been through. I knew it wasn't going to be easy but I also wasn't expecting the most exhausting mental, physical, and emotional toll it would take on me either. I am currently 12 weeks Post Op today, my surgery was on 2/12/14. I immediately started PT after my surgery on 2/19/14. I have been following my PT regimen, I have also been working on my exercises at home too. I didn't even start driving until 2 weeks ago !! My knee prior to the replacement was in horrible shape. The RTKR is my FOURTH surgery on that knee, three of them have been on the same incision which has had 30+ staples each time. So you can imagine how week my Quad muscle is and how much my knee/leg has endured. PT has always been a struggle for my knee, I was stuck at 60-65 Degrees for weeks. I finally got up to 75-80 Degrees and that has been with a lot of pain and hard for me to let my hip rest when I'm trying to bend in PT. I have started Massage Therapy on that leg as well to try and help with the bend and recovery, they also have been doing ultrasound to try and help with it. My OS also has given me a brace that wraps around my quad and goes down to just above my knee that basically has the TENS machine built into it, I have 4 different settings and this also helps with pain. I did finally get to 90 Degrees last week and that was a difficult 90 Degrees to get. I saw my OS last Thursday and he has decided that an MUA is our best option right now to try and break up a lot of that scar tissue and adhesions. I'm so nervous because I have never been through anything like that before and I don't want to be set back in recovery or endure that type of pain again from what they will do to my knee. So if anyone has been in a similar situation or who has had a MUA after a replacement your feedback is much appreciated.

I am trying to continue with a normal life (whatever that is) so far and I am still getting extremely tired and sore. I can still only do so much at a time. Last weekend I cleaned my house most of the day Saturday and then on Sunday I went to three grocery stores, etc. So my leg/knee swelled up so much I could barely move and of course the pain was horrible. Last night I sat in a scolding hot bath just to get the muscles to loosen up and calm down. I've only slept in my own bed twice since 2-11-14..It becomes to uncomfortable still and I'm tossing and turning all night. I still need pain medicine to function and get through my days so that is wearing me out as well. I didn't know this process would be so long and hard. I know not everyone is the same and everyone's recovery is different I'm just looking for some piece of mind and a light at the end of the tunnel.

Regards,
Mandy

Hope everyone is doing well with their recovery!

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Hi Mandy that really is bad news.

Have you been doing this kind of thing since early on?

Last weekend I cleaned my house most of the day Saturday and then on Sunday I went to three grocery stores, etc. So my leg/knee swelled up so much I could barely move

The key to recovery is to do very little in the early stages bar gentle mobility stretches. Actual training and work that puts force through the knee should be avoided until the pain and swelling is much reduced --- and then if you do something and your knee swells, stop doing it!

Don't do anything that causes pain (at the time or later) or swelling.

 

[mandym]

I haven't been doing that volume of stuff early on. I just started doing more and more here lately. My knee is just easily swelling and painful still.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

OK. I'm sorry on re-reading my post if it comes across as accusatory, it wasn't meant to be.

So 'easily swelling and painful still'? So it never really recovered? If so, the point still stands that if it never got better then the most likely explanation is that it's been overworked. If you did stuff that hurt, that would put recovery backwards. Only you know this, of course.

If you have the MUA my advice is to relax and do nothing but very gentle stretching and as little else as possible for several weeks.

 

[Pjmc]

@ Roy GardinerFA
Now if only you could make Drs. And PT abide by the take it easy approach . They push us from the beginning . Make us feel we are not trying hard enough . My knee was swollen for 5.5 months . I know the fault is the Dr and PT . Had they allow the swelling to go down and my leg to heal, perhaps I could be better today . MandyM has had ZpT drs on her as well .

 

[Celle]

You have to speak up on your knee's behalf. Remember that the doctors and the PTs work for you, not the other way round. It's your knee, not theirs, and you have the right to say what you will or will not accept. If they do anything that you have asked them not to, they are assaulting you.

 

[VancouverUSAgal]

Well, I'm only at 7 weeks but I really can't imagine that in 5 more weeks I'd be cleaning house all day or visiting 3 grocery stores in a day. I think you need to slow way down and rest more and space out your activities. You had really major surgery and your body is still healing. Please take it easy - all that stuff can wait. If your knee is swelling, you have to go slow and give it more time.

I'm sure some people would say I'm too cautious and I know some have amazingly fast recoveries, but I'm of the mindset that slow and steady wins the race. I went into this prepared for a long, slow recovery.

I hope you will soon have less pain and start to see the progress I know you want. Best wishes.

 

[skigirl]

Mandy, Your exhaustion tells a lot about your knee. By pushing on a knee and making it painful, the knee swells. Since the knee is swollen, it does not have good rom. Think of a garden hose--if it is full of water, it does not bend.

Here is a suggestion---take this weekend off. Stay in bed or lying down with your knee propped up on three pillows like this:

Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain Using ice

Don't do anything but rest the knee for two full days. then, if it is less swollen, you know that your knee needs more of that and not more exercise and pushing on the knee.

If the swelling goes down, even a little, you could postpone the MUA for two weeks and see what total rest and elevation does for your knee too.

 

[kneeper]

Yep, it sounds like you joined the Overdid it Club with that housecleaning & shopping. You still need to pace yourself.

 

[Josephine]

I did finally get to 90 Degrees last week and that was a difficult 90 Degrees to get. I saw my OS last Thursday and he has decided that an MUA is our best option right now to try and break up a lot of that scar tissue and adhesions.

Did nothing I said to you before get through to you? You got to 90 so the chances of you having any adhesions is remote. Your problem is swelling and pain, nothing more.

I am trying to continue with a normal life (whatever that is) so far and I am still getting extremely tired and sore. I can still only do so much at a time.

Yes, read the articles again. You really need to and take them on board. You are doing far, far too much.

Last weekend I cleaned my house most of the day Saturday and then on Sunday I went to three grocery stores, etc. So my leg/knee swelled up so much I could barely move and of course the pain was horrible.

Exactly so. I couldn't do an entire house clean at 12 weeks and mine was a much easier recovery than you've had. Slow down, do less.

Last night I sat in a scolding hot bath just to get the muscles to loosen up and calm down.

Wrong, wrong! NEVER do that - it will only increase the swelling and pain.

I still need pain medicine to function and get through my days so that is wearing me out as well.

So what? I was still taking Tramadol and paracetamol (Tylenol) 2-4 times a day at 16 weeks.

I didn't know this process would be so long and hard.

It might be long but only YOU can make it hard. Go easier on yourself and make it not so hard!