PKR second shiny new knee

[Campervan]

Hi, I know the feeling with the TEDs. I get so annoyed with them in bed. Mine have a hole at the toe so I pull them over my foot and up around my ankle. I find then they don't annoy me so much because my feet are free.

 

[Poppet]

Thanks @Hopper - it takes a lot of energy, motivation and planning to provide the body with healthy food. I plan a week's menu with a list and find that when I go to the supermarket, I rarely go down the central areas where all the processed foods are. Good for you! We are what we eat

 

[Celle]

I was told by the hospital to wear my TEDs for 6 weeks. My surgeon said he didn't believe they made any difference.
I found they were too tight just below my knee and they tended to make my knee swell more.
So, I took them off one day after I got home and I never wore them again. I did do lots of heel pumps and ankle rotations, though.

My surgeon didn't comment when I went to see him at one week post op.

 

[Hopper]

Well - my second new knee is nine days old already!

It still feels good and I'm just icing and icing. Elevating too.
It's great for me to be off the pain meds as I have had such a bad reaction to them. It was grim with my first knee but this time it was much, much worse.
For me the ice works really well and keeps the knee comfortable.
Recovery time is arduous - I hate being stuck at home and I'd love to be gardening and out doing stuff. But...I know just how important resting my new knee is and I want the healing process to be sound and good so it's rest it needs.
I put too much weight on my newbie when climbing the stairs tonight and ouch!
On Monday I will call the physio and book some sessions for the two week out mark at the end of next week. I feel that's early enough for me. I do my wee exercises from the hospital of course.

I'm wondering when I might be able to drive? I'm not sure if the OS or the insurance company have the final say. The surgeon won't see me until the six week mark but I feel as my right leg is sound and my car is automatic that maybe I could drive a little earlier than that.

It's been a long day and my knee feels slightly tender tonight so once I'm in bed I shall slap on the ice. I've borrowed an electric ice cuff but in all honesty I'm just as happy with my supply of ice packs.
I nipped to the bathroom shop today to choose a new shower and let my partner push me around in my borrowed wheelchair. Interesting experience slithering into the car! It would have been difficult and foolish to go there on crutches - and too tiring - so being pushed around in the wheelchair made sense.

I googled the zero running machine - thanks to @Shortie for the info. I too miss running and I'm sure just to get into that motion, use your legs like you once could and have no impact must feel really good.

Forgot to say - my left knee looks far less swollen, much less bruised and far prettier than my right Mako PKR did two years ago! New techniques have made a difference already. The incision is glued again - I'm certainly a fan of dermabond as I didn't fancy staples at all - although I realize many of those who've had them don't seem to mind them.

Sleeping on my back is very uncomfortable but rolling over is even more so! Will just have to be patient and wait.

 

[Celle]

I'm wondering when I might be able to drive? I'm not sure if the OS or the insurance company have the final say. The surgeon won't see me until the six week mark but I feel as my right leg is sound and my car is automatic that maybe I could drive a little earlier than that.

You need to be off all the heavy duty pain medications before you start driving again, and you need to be absolutely certain you can do an emergency stop. Make sure that all the post-op brain fog has gone, as well.

Some insurance companies do insist on a clearance from your surgeon, too, so it might pay to check that.

I started driving again at about 4 weeks - I have a manual (stick) gear shift - but for about a week before that I would sit in the car with the engine turned off, and practice moving my feet from pedal to pedal.

 

[Campervan]

I'm wondering when I might be able to drive?

I'm 18 days post op and I drove yesterday. My car is automatic and I'm not taking any heavy drugs. But I did only drive for less than 10 minutes down a country lane.

 

[Hopper]

Thank you @Celle for the info. I'm off all drugs - just me and my ice! No bravado there - I just can't tolerate the pain meds and the ice seems to do just as good a job for me. Thank goodness! Regarding driving, I'm being impatient - stupid really because where can I need to go at the moment anyhow - the physio maybe?

Tenth day today - I'm wishing my life away! It's only because I'm so keen to be out of the recovery period and back to normal BUT without the debilitating pain I had before.
Walking the dog, shopping, cycling, exercising, just being out and about without limping will be wonderful! I know it's a way off yet but it's within grasp and will happen.
That's my focus!

 

[Angel1978]

Great focus. Knee replace is roller coaster. Good days bad days. But you will make it. I've been reading some of the people's post. And makes me happy to see they can do so much. Makes me wish it was all over with to enjoy life. But you will get there. Never give up.


I been so impatient to. I want to go on long parks nature walks,shopping,hiking,roller skating.
That was the goal I set for recovery..


Lots of luck. Praying for you...




FaithMitchmommy
PKR December.1,2014
TKREV MARCH.2,2015

 

[skigirl]

I think your use of a wheeled chair is very smart---don't push the knee right now. I drove at 10 days the first time and about 7 days the second time, but I live in a very small town----no freeways around at all. I mainly drove to pt or to the store where they have electric carts for the disabled!!

 

[robynhood]

Hi Hopper. I was so pleased to see your name pop up on Nanna Moon thread so found your profile. I can't believe you've had your second knee done. Well done you. I still haven't had my 2nd one done. It seems to be coping so much better now it's not compensating for my left knee
I hope you feel better within yourself. Grieving is a very long and personal process but it's nice to see you back on Bonesmart. I will keep reading your progress to see how you are getting on. Good Luck


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[skigirl]

Oh also, I cut the foot off of my ted hose---but even the doc told me to stop wearing them!!

 

[Hopper]

@robynhood - so lovely to hear from you. I should have had my other knee done 4 months after the first one. Sadly because of our bereavement it couldn't and didn't happen - its taken me all of this time to get myself into a position to cope with all we have had to face and having this op. We will never, ever recover from our heartbreak but have to carry on somehow - what else is there to do?
I was limping very badly and friends were nagging me - in the end I knew it was totally necessary. Having said that on good days I would try to persuade myself that I was ok and could carry on a bit longer!
Anyhow, here I am in recovery and looking forward to walking normally and pain free.
Im so glad you have managed to keep your right knee intact! Thats great news. I hope your family are all well. xxxx

 

[Hopper]

Well that's two weeks over.
I'm still icing and have been fine without the pain meds as my new knee is comfortable and any little twangs I feel aren't too bad.
I've gradually walked more and more indoors this last week and answered the door, pootled around the kitchen etc as it all adds up to my daily walking goals but isn't stressful. The knee has felt ok most of the time and just now and then slightly niggly - I listen to it and if it's saying ice might be nice, then I ice.
Yesterday my knee felt more stable than before so I walked up the road on my crutches to chat with a neighbour. It's only about 200 yards but it felt good to be out. I'm sitting at the table for meals but not over doing it as it is uncomfortable if I'm there for too long.

Now my grumble - I'd love to know if I'm just being picky, please tell me what you think....
........It was my first physio appointment yesterday. I could have used the hospital physio department but it's in central London and traveling on the tube at the moment isn't possible, driving would be a pain so I've chosen a very local practice.
They were going to come to me but then asked if I could go there so I got a lift across to them. I've got 8 x 45 min sessions booked. Yesterday's lasted 20 minutes but 10 were taken up filling in forms (I was asked when my wisdom teeth operation was!) and then I was assessed. I was told to do the three exercises we are all given in hospital four times a day. That was it. There was no measuring at all.
My next appointment was then booked for this coming Saturday - with a different physiotherapist! Presumably he'd have to do some sort of assessment and observations too?
I politely voiced my concern - which was politely ignored. I got nothing at all out of that session and I will not be going back! I'd chosen that practice because they have a hydro pool but I know it's just not good enough. When I had my other PKR two years ago in the U.S. the PT afterwards was brilliant and I don't feel I should expect any less.

This bit of the recovery time is boring - now I'm feeling ok I want to be busy and out and about. I hate having to sleep on my back but know it's not for ever. The temptation to over use my knee is there but I know it's not fully healed yet and that little niggle I occasionally feel is a reminder. So, it's slow and steady, the days are passing and my knee is getting stronger. The incision looks ok - it's red and the knee is still swollen but I can see it's healing nicely. I've got a good anti slip mat in the shower. I've taken my TED stockings off - feeling guilty because I was told to wear them for six weeks.

I'm off to look for a good physio now.

 

[Celle]

Things are different in the UK from the USA. There isn't such an emphasis on organised, intensive PT and people often do their exercises by themselves, at home. They recover just as well.

At only 2 weeks out, you don't need to be doing a lot of exercises, anyway.

I think it's pretty normal practice wherever you go to have the therapist take a history at your first visit. They'd be unwise to treat you without knowing any of the possible medical pitfalls. It probably will not happen every time.

There isn't such an emphasis on measuring ROM in the UK and your initial degree of bending can probably be assessed well enough without that measuring, so don't feel you've missed anything essential there.

Your experience was different from what you were expecting, but I really don't think anything remiss happened.
Perhaps you could give them another try and see what happens next time?

 

[Hopper]

I agree with all you say @Celle but it was a "very" expensive and short session without much input from him at all and I would like continuity of care. He was 15 minutes late starting - I could have done the paper work then - I felt he was ensuring he'd be on time for his next patient at my expense. Gnash of remaining wisdom teeth!

Despite reservations initially about the more proactive American ways of PT I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my PT in the US and feel I benefited greatly from it in many ways - it was an entertaining trip out, I got ribbed a great deal, especially for not knowing who Chuck Norris was!
The US physio wasn't too bothered about measurements but now and then I liked to know how I was doing and I enjoyed a gentle but steady improvement in my mobility in those early weeks.
This left knee was the more inflexible and mangled one by a long way and I think I may find some advantage in getting it going with some professional input. It feels like I've got one leg much longer than the other at the moment!
Scar tissue massage was good the last time around and my OS's head of physio called me earlier this week (wow!) and suggested that massage would be helpful and was keen that I get cracking with physio, saying its sensible to have a professional eye cast across my knee. Could be because Im not seeing her or my OS until the 6-7 week mark.
I do some massage myself around the incision but Im not as good as a physio might be.
Job today is to find another physio.

The biggest complaint I hear from those I know with joint replacement here, in the UK, is that they've not had much physio and have been left in limbo. My mum had hardly any and it shows! Im not convinced of there always being a good recovery without physio - it should be there if people want/need it but often in the UK its just the very minimum thats available and its certainly a post code lottery.

Think I need chocolate!

 

[Angel1978]

I am 3 months and I had to have continue phyco. I had 4 weeks in home. Then 4 weeks regular. But olny got 5 visits. Well doc decides I need 4 weeks 3x week. So I'm still in it. It does help. Gaps when I don't go is ouch ouch. I can't sleep on my back unless I hang tore off bed. I have sleep well cat nap on side with pillow over and under knee. Best reguards to you. Glad your better.

 

[Bilbo]

All about the chocolate. I had LTKR done May 5th and was sent home without PT. Went for two week check up without ROM. Will not see OS until the 22nd. I do wonder if my ROM is good for where I am. I have more problems with my right knee now, as I will be having it done soon. Good luck

 

[Celle]

I think how much physio you need has a lot to do with the condition of your knee before surgery.
If you've had a long-standing problem and your knee is in bad shape, possibly with weakened muscles and distorted tendons and ligaments, then you are going to need a lot of help after surgery.

That was the case with my first knee replacement. My surgeon was one who believed that you should wait until at least 60 years old before having a knee replacement. Consequently, i waited for 9 long years, during which time I had all sorts of (ineffective) treatments, aimed at putting off surgery as long as possible. I became progressively disabled.
My knee was a mess by the time it was eventually replaced and I needed a lot of help to get it back into proper working order - not so much with ROM, but more with gait and balance.

I had a revision 11 years later. Because I went into that with a leg that had been used normally, I recovered more quickly and only needed a small amount of physio.

I had my other knee replaced last year. I learned from my earlier mistake and didn't wait too long to get the surgery. I had a relatively easy recovery, did my exercises at home, and had no formal PT at all.

The end result in both knees is that I have full function and a good ROM.

There isn't just one way to recover from a knee replacement - it's not a one-size-fits-all situation.

What I think is paramount, though, is that no treatment should push you beyond discomfort into pain. Doing that runs the risk of upsetting and inflaming your healing soft tissues, which can slow down your recovery.

 

[Angel1978]

Send me chocolate to. Seem I craved it. And I don't really like it. I like white chocolate more. Xxx


FaithMitchmommy
PKR December.1,2014
TKREV MARCH.2,2015

 

[kneeper]

Yes, for me PT was helpful because it wasn't just my knee but my muscles etc. that were out of whack. The PT helped by showing me exercises to help with those including (and maybe especially) various stretches. Of course we didn't do all of them right away. If you find a good PT who knows how to work on a case by case basis (not one size fits all) it can be very beneficial.