TKR RTKR Mar 4th 2022. My journey

[jaspa]

@Rubybegonia you are only 1 month out, please don't be so hard on yourself! With my 2nd for I had no range of motion at first and now am at 90 on a good day but my doctor is not worried about it as long as I get stronger, ice and elevate when it swells and rest it if it hurts. Take care of yourself

 

[sistersinhim]

I'm sorry you're having swelling and pain. That is completely normal at only one month out. The best thing you can do for your knee is to get that swelling down. You do that by resting, elevating, and icing as much as you can. You can not make your knee heal faster by exercise. It will actually slow it down if you keep your knee inflamed. Once you get the swelling down, your ROM will improve all on its own. I never took formal PT after any of my 12 knee surgeries and I recovered just fine. Recovering with a gentle program will have better results without all the extra pain and swelling that comes from excessive and aggressive activities.

 

[Rubybegonia]

@Rubybegonia you are only 1 month out, please don't be so hard on yourself! With my 2nd for I had no range of motion at first and now am at 90 on a good day but my doctor is not worried about it as long as I get stronger, ice and elevate when it swells and rest it if it hurts. Take care of yourself

Thank you. I really try to not be hard on myself but I struggle. Thanks for your words

 

[Rubybegonia]

I'm sorry you're having swelling and pain. That is completely normal at only one month out. The best thing you can do for your knee is to get that swelling down. You do that by resting, elevating, and icing as much as you can. You can not make your knee heal faster by exercise. It will actually slow it down if you keep your knee inflamed. Once you get the swelling down, your ROM will improve all on its own. I never took formal PT after any of my 12 knee surgeries and I recovered just fine. Recovering with a gentle program will have better results without all the extra pain and swelling that comes from excessive and aggressive activities.

I guess I keep hear from people and professionals how much further along one should be by now. It's discouraging
Thank you for your words

 

[sistersinhim]

Don't listen to those other people. How many of them have had a knee replacement? Every one of us has. We can relate to what you are going through and know that this is a slow recovery. Some people breeze through it but they are few and far between. Take a look at a live TKR on YouTube and you'll understand why it takes up to a year or more for total healing from this traumatic surgery. People that haven't had a replacement think we should bounce back in a couple of months. Well, that just doesn't happen for the average patient. It takes patience and understanding of what your body is going through to get through this recovery without stressing out. Slow and easy wins this recovery race!

People would look at me still using my cane after my TKR and comment that they thought I'd be rid of that thing by then. I just told them that I didn't want anyone to bump into me and knock me down, that's why I still used it. They didn't understand the weakness and discomfort that I still had even after 3 months.

Please don't listen to those who haven't the experience to know what your knee and your body are going through. Come here and vent whenever you need to. We care and want to help, if only to listen and emphasize with you!

 

[Rubybegonia]

Well another day. Physio was good. I gained back 20 degrees of the forty I lost. But at a sad 70 of bend. Physio says maybe we were pushing too hard and that this might be a slower process.
However I'm still concerned about never being able to bend it enough for the things I like to do. I really don't want to just have a barely functioning knee.
See the surgeon next week. I'll be interested to see what he thinks

I definitely see this as two steps forward three back.

If a MUa is suggested can any one tell me how successful they are and what are things like, and different then after original surgery, thst make it worthwhile.
Sigh

 

[Jockette]

I gained back 20 degrees of the forty I lost.

This is very good news! It is a great improvement!

Physio says maybe we were pushing too hard

This could definitely be a factor in your “slow “ ROM. Sometimes the harder we work at ROM, the more the knee maintains the swelling, which is preventing your knee from bending.

However I'm still concerned about never being able to bend it enough for the things I like to do. I really don't want to just have a barely functioning knee.

You are barely more than a month out of this surgery. Recovery takes time, more time for some than for others. I was a “very slow healer” according to some people. My ROM is fine now. Please stop focusing on “never being able to bend enough” It is far too early in your recovery to think that.

I know it is hard to trust this long, slow recovery process, been there, done that! But, you will improve. Where you are now is not where you will end up.

MUA can help some people, but it doesn’t help everyone. Your doctor might suggest it. Hopefully he will give you more time to continue to improve before doing it, as it will upset the soft tissue in your leg, and cause a setback, from which you will have to recover. Your leg is struggling to recover from the “assault” of the surgery, and an MUA will be another “assault” Personally, I would not consent to it at only a month post op.

It might be a good idea for you to reread this article:

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Post op blues is feeling depressed, weepy, nervy, shaky, fearful of the future, anxious, overwhelmed by what is happening to you, convinced it's never going to get any better and finally, uttering that most intense of all cries "I wish I never had this done!" It arises out of a variety of...

bonesmart.org

And this one:

Myth busting: "window of opportunity" in TKR

This "six week window of opportunity" surgeons often speak about is little more than a myth. It presupposes that all patients have the ability to create adhesions which is far from the truth. It also ignores the simple fact that in the first 3-4 weeks after surgery, swelling reactive to the...

bonesmart.org

 

[Rubybegonia]

I really appreciate you responding. Seems I need to keep hearing the advice and also keep Re reading the articles.
On a positive note I had the best night so far last night. Even slept for a time in my side. Woot woot

 

[Rubybegonia]

Question. I have a spin bike which I used to do classes on pre tkr. Of course now all I can do is rock it back and forth. No where near a full rotation.
I'm at five weeks post op. Anyone else use a spin bike and how long did it take to get a full rotation. Just a ball park for me.

 

[benne68]

Even slept for a time in my side. Woot woot

That is a major milestone! Definitely something to celebrate

I definitely see this as two steps forward three back.

I went through a period lis that where I felt that I was backsliding and not making any progress. And, I was about a month post-op when it happened (just like you!) In fact, looking back through my posts, I notice I described weeks 4-5 as being all about "frustration and depression."

 

[WFD]

Question. I have a spin bike which I used to do classes on pre tkr. Of course now all I can do is rock it back and forth. No where near a full rotation.
I'm at five weeks post op. Anyone else use a spin bike and how long did it take to get a full rotation. Just a ball park for me.

For me, typically 1-2 months after surgery (I had three open surgeries and had different results each time).

 

[Rubybegonia]

Six week update
Went to see the surgeon and I'm certain he doesn't believe I'm trying really hard to do all the exercises and get my knee bending.
He can't know how truly desperate I am to get more than this 80 degrees of bend. I want my life back so of course I will do all the things. But he doesn't really know me and I think he thinks I've failed and I think he'd like me to own that.
So, he says he will see me in a week and reassess. And he told me to work harder. And that after nine weeks I will have reached 90 percent of the amount of bend I'm going to get. He casually mentioned at the end of the appointment that an MUA may be necessary but he's not fond of that option

So I continue to work on the physio exercise, continue to make a rotation on my spin bike which is depressing and laughable.
Happy Easter or Sunday. Eat the chocolate !

 

[FourCats]

Maybe you’re trying too hard. Most of us have experienced times of impatience and pushed to achieve more. I learned from my first knee and have approached my second based on my experience. Some of the things work, others don’t. I’ve caught myself on the ODIC bench many times. Good thing is I’m not alone on that bench.

 

[sistersinhim]

What you are doing now is not working so try slowing way down and just let your normal daily activities be your PT. Working too hard keeps your knee inflamed which keeps it swollen. A swollen knee can not bend well. Spend your time icing and elevating to get that swelling down. Stop all those exercises to get the inflammation down. It is a win-win thing. Less inflammation means less swelling. Less swelling means better ROM. Try this for a month. Cancel your next OS appointment. One week isn't enough time to see a marked improvement. It needs time to calm down. Doing less will allow your knee to heal better and swell less.

 

[benne68]

he told me ... that after nine weeks I will have reached 90 percent of the amount of bend I'm going to get.

I'm so sorry your surgeon is making you feel like a failure. If his statement was true, hardly anyone on this forum would be able to bend past 90 degrees.

I'm still gaining flexion at seven months post-op -- and we have members who can attest that their flexion continued to improve well into their second year.

As @sistersinhim points out, your problem is likely the result of doing too much (rather than not doing enough). Overwork = inflammation = swelling = less ability to bend the knee.

I agree with her recommendation that you cancel next week's appointment with the surgeon and take a break from physio, so your knee has a chance to heal from all this trauma.

 

[Rubybegonia]

Thank you both for your thoughts. I have physio tomorrow morning and am
Seeing a different physio to be assessed for something called a G-LAD. Program, tomorrow afternoon
Anyone know anything about thst program ?

 

[Rubybegonia]

And on another note. I had my first real outing in over 6 weeks , one that was not knee related.
Was taken to lunch by a good friend. Was sitting for three and a half hours. The lunch was delicious, the company y superb but now I'm icing and elevating as my knee feels full and is aching. Ugh

 

[sistersinhim]

Even when out in public eating, I elevated my knee either on the booth or another chair. I had to do this off and on for years after each of my surgeries. At only 6 weeks out. sitting with your leg down that long has really angered it. Ice and elevate as long and often as you can to calm your new baby down.

 

[Rubybegonia]

Even when out in public eating, I elevated my knee either on the booth or another chair. I had to do this off and on for years after each of my surgeries. At only 6 weeks out. sitting with your leg down that long has really angered it. Ice and elevate as long and often as you can to calm your new baby down.

Thank you. I think you are very correct. I've had other knee surgeries and I should Ha e known better. It was just so nice to be out and there didn't seem to be a chair to ask for. Lol

 

[Rubybegonia]

Ok here I am at week 7. Off to see the surgeon , again this afternoon. My progress S still
Slow and very frustrating to me. I can bend it to 82 degrees on my own and physio can gently get it to 90 but.....
Any way today's question is I'm getting a lot of what can only be described as zingers , today.
And wise words regarding these?