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TKR Scared but I made it!!!

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Yes, way to much, I will ride the bike every other day, and do the shuttle pushing only 10 lbs, not my body weight like he was having me do. I will do the step thing, actually can do it now with a 6 inch step, without swinging my arms to catapult me up the step!!!
I am going to take it easy tomorrow. I over did again today, walking too much and then PT. Did ice tho.... Just so tired of pain.... especially at night, after the celebrex wears off. I can't take advil or alieve after taking celebrex, and I really shouldn't take another 200 mg celebrex at night.. so I am sticking with 2 tylenol at night (10 PM)
 
Natalie, please listen to Jo. Your pain will not ease off until you back off all the activity. There is no reason to be in constant pain. Easy does it!
 
No, no reason to be in constant pain, but if I don't move, it gets stiff, suppose stretching everyday, a couple of tines a day is good. Need to find a stretching exercise for my shins.... which are still cramping in the morning... the calves have stopped cramping for the most part..
Got a stretching exercise for the hip flexor muscle, and need to use that tennis ball to work the muscles, whoa is me!!!
 
Natalie,

I don't think your leg will turn to concrete if you miss all the exercise and activity for a few days and just let it rest. Yes you may feel some stiffness but a short (and I do mean short) walk or just walking around in the house should help loosen it up. You have got to take a break and let things settle down or the swelling=pain will not stop. You just cannot keep overdoing and expect not to have swelling, you are only 3 1/2 mos out.
 
Didn't do anything today, just walking around house, a few stretches, and taking tylenol every 4 hours (ONE), and later will take 2 before bed. See tomorrow how I feel, maybe try the bike again.. for a short period of time. Take it easy, but don't want stiffness so need to move or stretch... for sure.. thanks for the help Rose...
 
Yeah, you shouldn't sit like a lump, but getting up and moving around the house& should be plenty on a rest day. :)
 
Rose is right.....plus, listen to Jo. That stiffness you're feeling is a form of pain. It means slow down and medicate for the pain. It's important to do it this way for now instead of all this exercising. Your poor knee is trying to heal and every time it makes a step forward, it gets set back again from the workout.

At a little over 3 months out, just gentle stretches and bends are fine. Riding the bike for a half hour every other day is okay too. But you don't NEED any of the other stuff yet. You can't build strength in a leg that needs to heal first.
 
Then WHY did the PT have me doing all this other stuff, the TOTAL GYM, and the rubber bands, pulling and pushing them sitting in a chair to strenghthen the quads and hamstring and such... guess I was led wrong? I like the bike, wish I could ride it outside....just can;t seem to make it work yet, can't make the seat higher cuz I couldn't reach the pedals.
Rest, yes, but it hurt today, probably from PT again yesterday, will take it easy again tomorrow, maybe just ride the recumbant at the gym.
:)
Thanks everyone for advice, Jamie, jo, jacey, and all of you, just wish I could ride my bike outside, love love love to do that, esp. in Az now, the weather is SO great, 70's and sun.
 
Natalie - you will be able to ride your bike outside. But the sooner you get on top of this pain the faster you will be out there.

Patience! Let your body heal!
 
Ahhh Pain, our enemy, still waking up with cramping in my shins now, not the calves, but it's better, stretching helps.

I slept pretty good, resting yesterday, perhaps helped.

So at 4 months, I am still early in the game of healing... I have seen Jo's chart... how long can one take the tylenol/celebrex thing.... the doctor does not seem upset with the tylenol every 3 hours, and I am taking the one celebrex in the morning...
 
Yes, they guided you wrong. Don't ask me why - some of them seem to think they are in a general fitness gym or something I think. That kind of stuff is okay there not not for the situation you are in at present.
 
Someone mentioned that the lower right corner under the knee, and down the leg on the outer side was like a VICE, that is the way mine feels... is this normal at 4 months?
 
Yes, it does happen frequently...and it will pass with some time. Treat it just like you would any other pain....rest, ice, elevate and pain meds on a schedule (like you're doing). As long as you stay within the daily limits for Tylenol, you should be able to take it for whatever period you need.

Here is a thread for you to read about the "vice grip" feeling.
 
I sit and massage it, digging my nails into the lower part of my knee and down the leg to relieve the pain, it goes away for awhile and comes back... also, this hip flexor muscle thing, sharp pains near where the leg attaches to the torso, comes and goes, massaging, stretching, sometimes relieves it... is this a NORMAL part of the healing process? Others have this pain? Sorry to be so whiny, sometimes I can't stand this, wonder WHY I had this surgery... the pain before was definitely worse, but this ongoing pain, never seems to stop, just pops up in the same places, rotating where it goes.... again sorry for the whining...
 
Natalie, Jamie already said it's normal and that it's pain which needs to be treated like any other pain. My 'vice on the knee' lasted for about 8 months to one degree or another. I treated it with paracetamol (Tylenol) 1,000mg, odd doses as necessary.
 
Tried to take it easy today, did basically nothing but normal walking around the house and yard. taking the tylenol (extra strength) 3 hours apart, sometimes a bit closer, and th ecelebrex in the AM upon waking, which wears off about 5 pm, elevated knee, keep using the tennis ball over the muscles in my thigh, to break up the tightness.
Thanks Jo for the advice again.
 
At 4 months, I could really get the vice tightened... Working the leg press (400+ pounds) could get it tight in a hurry. I don't suggest you try that sort of weight, but just illustrating you aren't abnormal...
 
It feels like a VICE, gripping it, exactly the way it feels, it it radiates up my thigh to the top of my leg.. using the tennis ball and rolling it over the thigh where it's tight, does help, including rolling the ball over the "vice" area...
I gotta live with this for how many more months??????
 
What about using IBUPROPHEN GEL 10 % on the area that is like a vice for some of the pain, JO, can you answer this? thanks
 
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