TKR SadKnee Will Be Smiling Soon

[gami]

It was a special time for us all Cathy... actually it was my MIL but as I married 'the boy next door' she has been a key part of my life for over 66years so we share a lot of history. Mum is very frail now but still has a strong 'stubborn spirit' which I think is what keeps her going and a short holiday away from her normal routine is about all she can manage but it helps to remind her how much she is loved by us all.
After a bad turn on Thursday she is still in hospital but we expect she will be discharged to go home Monday or Tuesday. We speak with her each evening by phone when my BIL goes to visit and she sounds right and cheery once again...this eased some of the guilt I felt about not going straight down when she was admitted.

2am here AND STILL RAINING and although I'm awake I'm quite happy with myself as I've managed 4 hours uninterrupted sleep. .Now maybe abit of chatting and I'll get a few hours more before morning....hope you have a good night.

 

[Beachmomdk]

Hi Sadknee,
I didn't mean to call you Vickie,
Pain meds got to love them. That is another lady who had her knee done in Feb.. There are a few of us.. How are you doing today any better? Is it raining near you? It is cloudy and a few rain drops. How was you night?

 

[Beachmomdk]

Gami,
Sorry to hear about your MIL. Sad when our parents get ill. Hope you got some more sleep??? I am just laying in bed watching the weather channel!
Cathy

 

[gami]

Hi Cathy I've just had a couple more hours but that will be I reckon for tonight, my hip is a bit achey tonight hard to get comfortable...but hey what's new there's always something a bit achey. Our son gave me the complete series of a couple of TV prrograms I never started to watch so maybe soon I'll get into those...need to put some earphones in though as I don't want to wake up my husband who is sleeping peacefully in the bedroom. For a while he was like a new parent always listening to see if I needed anything and really not getting much good rest but he seems to have relaxed a bit now thankfully.
MIL is doing as well as she can and is receiving good care and we have lots of family in the city so she is never short of visitors. We talk with her each night and she understands why we didn't come as one of her sisters had a knee replacement many many years ago and Mum still remembers what her recovery was like...if things chnaged my husband would go down however it doesn't seem he'll have to this time.
Hope you find something more interesting than the weather channel to watch and your hours are comfortable

 

[HilaryP]

Hey Sad Knee you've not been in here for a while? Hope everything is going ok? You are so good at supporting everybody else is there anything we can do for you?

Lots of hugs
H xxx

 

[Beachmomdk]

Hi Sadknee
How are you doing?...I hope you are doing Ok!!!
Cathy

 

[Beachmomdk]

Gami wrote u a message
Cathy

 

[Beachmomdk]

Hi Sad knee how are,you doing? Miss not hearing from you. Hope things are going well
Cathy

 

[SadKnee]

Hi Everyone, you all are so sweet! I am doing well today I just was not on the site today as I had physical therapy and really felt out of it today. My brain was foggy and I felt sleepy but then could never sleep. My husband is home with me now and has been taking good care of me. I did leave the house for a short drive and that was nice but exhausting. I hope you all are doing well!! Hang in there ladies ... we can do this!!

 

[HilaryP]

Good to hear from you, sounds as if you were having a really busy day!

Yes, we will get there & there is always support on here when things ain't great.

Have a good day, relaxing & recovering

Take care, Hugs, Hx

 

[livinginfl]

Glad to hear your sweet husband is taking care of you today, nice to have that spousal support. May your sleep be restful

 

[SadKnee]

Hi I need to get some input from everyone on where I am at now as it is worrying me. My PT keeps telling me that I am not making progress and he is worried as he says it that my joint is going to lock up. From what I read here I don't think that is going to happen but he seems so concerned that now it is bugging me. I am trying to do all that I can and I push myself to discomfort but not pain. I have read all the articles in the library. It did not see one for this as I guess we all progress at different rates.

My flex is at 10 and my ROM is at 70. Is this normal for almost 3 weeks out?

I really so want to increase my ROM as it is tough to get in/out of the car and to sit at the table with a normal knee bend.

Any info is appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!!!

 

[gami]

Hi Sadknee... my experience with my physio at first was a nightmare one week out and I was ready to sack him...he was a no pain no gain...window of opportunity...try harder etc etc...you know the story kind of person. My little leg was/is very swollen and in those first weeks there was no way it would go where he wanted it to go without him pushing it. No....it was wrong so wrong. he wanted me to take more pain medication so I could push it further.
So I didn't do what he wanted...I followed our mantra , rest, ice , elevate rest some more, short walks and a very small amount of stretching. My knee was traumatized and I knew that it needed to heal and i was the only one who cold make that happen by just protecting it. My daughter wasn't happy, my husband wasn't happy but I was and so was my knee. When I went back to the physio I explained I had not followed his instructions and why...he listened to me...then he helped me with some quad stretches and measured my flexion and it had improved...by doing very little.

Sadknee I think maybe the issue is not ROM but expectations yours and your physios...unless he has had a knee replacement they just don't know...and for each of us the healing time is different. You know when I went yesterday and he measured my flexion it was quite good and he added this comment...I don't think you will ever get to more than 125- 130 you have such short stocky limbs but that won't be a worry because it's tall people that need more flexion when they sit. Sadknee ...it's just so frustrating sometimes what these people say.

I know when my swelling goes down I will get more but I can't make it happen because the more I try the more swelling I get...it's a time and patience thing...but mine will come and so will yours.
And if that physio keeps on making you feel bad...find another...you really need someone working with you on this journey.

 

[livinginfl]

Sadknee,
Gami, I totally agree and I remember your visit with your Physio.
Sadknee,
I do not know what to tell you about numbers, my home PT was stopped on Friday and I see the OS tomorrow. Actually, I am a little afraid of what is going to be said, because of the muscle spasms I am having a hard time straightening the leg. The PT called the OS's office and they said it was normal.
I think we all heal on our own time. I was worried at one time after reading others postings, that I was behind and started to compare myself with others on this site. Not sure who, if it was Gami, Fernie or bottomshollow who posted some very good information.
Sorry I could not help you more but I am sure someone from this wonderful site will know more than I.
Don't fret my friend, all we can do is keep on trying and do our best.

 

[livinginfl]

Sadknee,
I forgot something. To help assist with my exercises, I used a long canvas-like belt for lifting knee and knee slides and found that helped but I also made sure that I was trying to use my muscles too.
Just a thought,

 

[amab]

The main thing is to continue to do the very best you can each day. At one of my PT sessions last week another man was finishing his PT session, he was about 12 weeks out and still struggling to make 90 degrees. So, as others have said, we all heal at different paces. Just don't give up.....

Best to you....

 

[SadKnee]

Thanks everyone for posting and your support .... I appreciate it! I am not comparing myself to others but it does seem like everyone else that had their TKR around the time I did have advanced much more than I have.

However I am still wondering if there is any truth to my PT concerns that I am not advancing. He keeps talking of a frozen joint. At what point of time do I need to worry? I am pushing myself in my PT but not to pain. Maybe I need to do more? When I left the hospital I was almost at 90 and now I am lucky to get 65/70. I am worried.

Is there any way to tag Josephine to get her advice? I cannot figure out how to tag anyone which is very frustrating as I normally work in IT .... Grrrr .

Thanks everyone for your help and support!

 

[Beachmomdk]

Gami,
My PT said he wants me to get to 130 but no more because you don't want to loosen the knee joints replacement. But I am only 5'3" so maybe taller people have more ROM? I don't know but already I am standing better and not standing on my toes. It feels funny but good. I have to remind myself stand straight after 20+ years of not.
Sadknee when do you see your OS? Ask him mine was more concerned with getting my leg straight at this point. I am wanting it straight because I have so much back issues with it being shorter than the other leg. After two injections and this surgery I hope it is better!
Did your get the knee that pivots? I found out I did but don't know what kind.

 

[HilaryP]

I cannot figure out how to tag anyone which is very frustrating as I normally work in IT .... Grrrr .​

Think I know how to tag!!!! I got told the t'other day........ @correctlyspeltnamewithnogapsofpersonyouwanttotag..... when you post the @ should have gone & name is underlined - I think that's how it went.....??

I've been trying to liken this healing process to folks reading books. We all read at different speeds and some get the plot straight away & carry on to the end. Others, like me, have to keep checking back to who said/did what but we all get to the last page eventually.

I'm having - I just can't be bothered few days, partly the weather I think, but I'm still doing my exercises and strangly the bend is better than it's been for days...

H x

 

[bottomshollow]

FYI, sometimes the @ does not disappear--but as long as the user name has turned blue and is underlined, all is well.

You may also see the user name pop up in a box on the lower left hand side of your post---sometimes more than one--if you see the person you're tagging in that box, you can click on it (don't even have to finish typing their name--clicking will do it for you) and that almost always assures that they'll be tagged. Also do not put a dash (-) right after the user name---the computer sees this as part of the name and since it isn't the person won't be tagged. Just use a comma.

Ocassionally, if you start your line with the @ it will not tag---just indent a couple of spaces in front of the @ and it should work.

Found this all out hit and miss myself. Practice makes perfect.