TKR Second TKR Done, but still not very patient

[kneeper]

The pain in my non-surgical knee is unrelenting and is actually inhibiting my PT exercises.

It's not unusual for the other knee to act up while the operated knee is recovering. Remember it's taking on extra work. (that's not to say you may need to address it at some point).
As others have said, you are totally overdoing it for three weeks. lunges and squats?

 

[NetballKnees]

Thank you everyone for visiting and your very helpful and supportive posts. I think because I do not actually feel sick, I expect to be doing everything as normal. I just feel I am taking advantage of everyone's help and kindness when I am extremely healthy, knees excepted.
I have stopped doing the squats and lunges at home and am concentrating on heel slides, leg raises and flexing the muscle on the inside of my knee. Plus I also sit on the edge of the bed and try to get my bent leg back closer to the bed. I also walk around the house every so often and go out to the front and look at the gardens. I must admit here that my leg raises are amazing - I can get the surgical leg almost vertical. If only progress was measured in leg raising height and not ROM.

Lee - I am sorry you are so exhausted with your return to work. Please take care and look after yourself. Things like sick leave or time off work are so different from country to country. Over here, in my job, I get 20 working days a year for sick leave and it accumulates, so if you don't use much sick leave over a period of years, you end up with a lot of it saved up. I had 12 weeks accumulated and I have taken 6 weeks initially and have 6 weeks in reserve in case I need extra. I had already used a big chunk when I had my hysterectomy a few years back.

Thanks again everyone for visiting and posting. I really appreciate the contact.

Take Care All..
Ellen

 

[leejaa]

Ellen, I found that a rocking chair helped with flexion. This is sort of the same idea as sitting and pushing the leg back. I found sitting in the rocking chair concentrating on TV or something and just rocking got me to relax and forget about the knee and rock and bend the knee more. If you have a rocking chair, give it a try. I have an old 1800s ladies platform rocker that was perfect for this. Above all, getting the swelling under control will help with the flexion.

I know it is strange not to be doing more but a necessity. Have a good day. Lee

 

[NetballKnees]

Thanks Lee. It's amazing what people find to help them in these times, isn't it? I don't have a rocker and the recliners don't rock either. I will put feelers out on Facebook to my friends to see if one is available from them.

Terrible day today - I am so weepy. Combination of tiredness, pain, frustration and not having a visit from the kids on the weekend I guess. Being weepy makes me feel such a sook. I have been reading posts on here about people who had great ROM from day 1 and although I know everyone is different and recovers in their own time and way, it has made me feel so useless. And I hate that I appear to be turning into a whinger. Will have to slap myself out of that! I am used to dealing with stuff and just getting on with things.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend Lee and taking time to rest.
Ellen

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Ellen, some loony with saws, knives and hammers has charged into the surgery and hacked you about. You now have to recover; 'feeling useless' is a natural reaction to something that is, however, inevitable and something you can do nothing about. You have our joint and several permission -- that's all of BoneSmart, OK? -- to be self indulgent, as you deserve it as a just reward for the trauma you've been through.

Sit. Relax. Watch a bit more telly...

Rocker. Recliner. Hmmmm - can you find an old skateboard? See my exercises thread (link from my sig) for its use.

 

[NetballKnees]

Thanks for visiting Roy. I had looked at your exercises thread and was intrigued by the skateboard one. I am sure I can find a skateboard among my many friends. Your thread was very informative.

An interesting development today regarding the right non-surgical knee. It now will not bend at all and is very hard to lift. I am almost beside myself with what to do about it. Then there would be two of me moaning and being waaay too self-indulgent - even though I do have BS permission to do that. My surgical knee is nowhere ready to be the "good" knee.

I think maybe I should stand back from the site for a while until I can post something positive and maybe a bit supportive to other members. I feel like I am constantly wallowing in self-pity. It's not a feeling I enjoy.

Hope everyone has/had a great weekend and are all making steps, however small, towards recovery.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

I think maybe I should stand back from the site for a while until I can post something positive and maybe a bit supportive to other members.

Absolutely not necessary!

Sorry to be so dogmatic, but right now is the time you need BoneSmart. In the months and years to come you can pay forward the help you get now to those that follow you.

That's what I'm doing (FWIW) and what many others on here do. But right now is your time to take, not to give, and absolutely 100% not to feel guilty about it. We at BoneSmart have been through it, we know what it's like, it's now our privilege (yes, I win the BoneSmart pomposity award every time too...) to help those following.

 

[NetballKnees]

Thanks Roy. I guess I am like many others on the forum - not used to being so ... unable to do anything. I wouldn't mind if there was evidence of improvement each day, but there's not. I measured my knee early on and measure every couple of days or so and the swelling has not gone down at all. I'm so sorry to harp on, but I am so disheartened. At least by being on this forum I have decided there will be no MUA when I go back at 6 weeks post surgery. Apart from the fact that I can't afford more medical bills so soon, I can see that the OS has the 6-week and 90degree - 120degree numbers ingrained. It has been a bad weekend. Thanks for "listening".

 

[leejaa]

Ellen, like Roy said this is the time you need this forum. You know you also have permission to be weepy and sad and depressed. I got hit with it yesterday at one point and I am further along than you. It is OK, part of the body reaction to everything it has gone through and is going through. It is a major undertaking and a major impact on your body.

I can tell you it does not pay to compare yourself to others. I was 2nd day post op and in a group PT and the woman next to me was first day post op and her knee was bent 90 degrees and mine was about 50. It shook me for a bit and then I had to shake myself and say, it is OK - that is her knee and mine will get there eventually and it did.

I am sorry your family did not visit - they most likely do not realize how hard this recovery road is - they see you looking OK and they think everything is under control. It is my second knee at 8-9wks and my husband who has been quite good with it still makes comments like "what have you done today" if I am home and he might not mean anything by it but it upsets me. Unless they have had something like this, most people do not understand since they see you upright - that is why this forum is so wonderful. A place where we can support each other and let our hair down and be real when we hurt or are sad.

Lee

 

[Josephine]

I think because I do not actually feel sick, I expect to be doing everything as normal. I just feel I am taking advantage of everyone's help and kindness when I am extremely healthy, knees excepted.

YOU may not feel sick but your knee does! And it needs LOTS of TLC right now. You did read the recovery articles, didn't you? They are in post #8 of this thread.

I must admit here that my leg raises are amazing - I can get the surgical leg almost vertical.

Fan-bloomin'-tastic!

I have been reading posts on here about people who had great ROM from day 1 and although I know everyone is different and recovers in their own time and way, it has made me feel so useless.

So what? You didn't have their surgery and they didn't have yours! Chalk and cheese, my dear!

Terrible day today - I am so weepy. And I hate that I appear to be turning into a whinger. Will have to slap myself out of that! I am used to dealing with stuff and just getting on with things.

Now you cut that out right now, you hear? You are allowed to feel weepy and to have a whine here and there. Specially on this forum, it's what we are here for. Besides which, when I asked if you'd read the articles, I suspect you haven't because there is one in there about 'post-op blues'. Go back and read it and the rest of them.

And please be assured you will feel better eventually. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day but eventually.

 

[Jozilla]

Hi Ellen - please do not step away! I am having right tkr in December with the left to be done a few months later. Having posts like yours to read is very helpful to me. I so appreciate your honesty! I think what keeps his forum so interesting is people like you who share their pain as well as their successes. At least for me I want to know the good and bad of tkr so hopefully I will be more prepared for whatever may come. You have been going thru so much and your story is inspiring. You may not feel like it at the moment but I think you are very strong! Peace and prayers to you!


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[RestAssured]

Ellen,

I have read of several "terrific" bends from day one, but those are the people who sometimes find themselves in the ODIC club! I have to admit, I was my own worst enemy, wanting to be back to normal! But you know, the lesson I learned was that the harder I pushed, the harder the knee pushed back. When we bought the cabin, and I started missing sessions of PT I realized that I was overdoing it! I am now working with a personal trainer and doing great! My second knee has been through a lot, but it is now getting stronger where I can do almost anything! You will get there a lot faster than I did; but it is worth the wait!

Leave because you are whining???? People need to know the highs, lows, and inbetweens! That's why some of us have stayed so long! We have been through the fire, and come out stronger on the other side!

 

[kneeper]

Yes, indeed. You are among people who understand in the way non-tkr people just can't even if they are sympathetic. Post op blues, progress reports, being cranky are all welcome here.
One thing that helped me was not to look at things so much day by day as week by week and month by month. You likely won't notice "improvement" whether in swelling or anything else over the course of a day.

Even with the best attitude some days you will just be in a funk. Totally normal.

If you don't have a rocker, do you have a wheeled office chair? You might try gently (and carefully) wheeling back and forth in place to encourage bend.
I want to say around 6 weeks to build quad strength (not yet for you) they had me pull myself along in the office chair (on carpeting) with the operated leg. Just a couple of minutes at a time. That was quite a workout for me.

 

[NetballKnees]

Thank you all so much for your posts. I was not going to leave the forum, but rather "lay low" for a while until I was more positive, but I see that is not necessary here. I was reading my posts from yesterday - boy was it a low day. Believe it or not, I actually have a pretty good sense of humour and can normally be quite funny.

Actually a funny thing happened on the way to the bathroom during the night. I woke up after my usual 75minutes sleep between toilet visits and had to get up. Luckily the en-suite is only a few steps from the bed. I got out of bed, grabbed my trusty walker, stepped forward with the surgical knee and went to step forward with the "good" knee and it wouldn't move, wouldn't bend, wouldn't let me pick it up to take a step, so I almost had a fall. Luckily the wall stopped my fall.

Once I get paid this week, I think a visit to the GP might be in order just to find out, if I can, exactly what is wrong with the non-surgical knee.

Thanks for visiting Jozilla. I am sure your surgery will go marvellously. One thing I could say though, is that no matter how much you read (and I was a "lurker" on here before I joined the forum), until you go through it yourself, it is hard to understand phrases like "it's a long process" and "medicate the pain" - things like that. What date is your surgery, so I can make sure I am thinking of you then.

Thanks again Lee. You have great insight into the moods, problems and issues associated with TKR recovery. Hope things are a bit easier with working this week.

Kneeper, I do have a wheeled office chair, so will try that and see how it goes. Thanks for the tip.

Sonja ... thanks for your visit. How are the dogs? I have two border collie x cattle dogs - Mikki and Kimbo - who are nearly 11. They are brother and sister from the same litter and are fantastic companions. The female, Mikki, especially has been amazing since I came home from the hospital - staying as close as she can to me and she actually worries when I go outside, going so far as to stand in front of the walker if she thinks I am going too far down the driveway. So sweet.

And last, but certainly not least, thanks for your post Josephine - once again very knowledgeable. I know it does not seem like it, but I have read the articles you sent me over and over again, but even knowing all that information, it is very hard sometimes to just sit back and believe it will all happen.

Anyway, today's a new day and a new week, so will wait to see what it brings.

Have a great day everyone and take care ...
Ellen

 

[leejaa]

I am glad you have four footed friends also to help when you are home. They are the best. Lee

 

[RestAssured]

My two "weenie" dogs are doing great! They just got home after a trip to the cabin w my husband and BIL. I have pneumonia so I stayed home and rested!

It does seem impossible to believe that healing can take that long and this and that we give you to read seems like it is meant for someone else huh?!

Well, we have walked the walk, not just talked the talk as most OS and PT's are doing. That is why when you get to your 6 month anniversary , your 1 year anniversary, and so on, you will understand better the thought behind the BoneSmart philosophy!

Don't worry! A lot of us tested those theories and found them to be quite valid!

 

[NetballKnees]

Thanks Sonja. I bet your two fur babies had a great time at the cabin.

I have just been to my GP for script for more pain meds and to get him to take a look at the very painful non-surgical knee. He thinks I have a medial collateral ligament strain. He thinks probably Grade 1 strain and to expect to take about 3 weeks for recovery from that. He said it will make the TKR recovery longer as the non-surgical knee is not taking any weight on it very well at all.
However, as far as the surgical knee was concerned, he was very reassuring. When I explained how worried I was regarding lack of bend, he simply said "Plenty of time for that. Start worrying if it is still the same at the 10 week mark". He gave me a script for Panadol Osteo (I had been taking regular Panadol, but he explained that the effects of the Panadol Osteo are made to stay in your system for 4-5 hours rather than the 1 hour of the Panadol). He also asked me what anti-inflammatories I was taking. I said I wasn't taking any and he asked why not. I explained that I was on blood pressure medication, Olmatec, which is a mixture of blood pressure medication and dithiazide, a diuretic. After discussing further, and after he learned that I was now taking plain Olmatec and the dithiazide separately and that anyhow I was not taking the dithiazide at the moment (due to the slowness of getting to the loo ), I also got a script for anti-inflammatory Celebrex. I must admit he did have a bit of a panic about the Endone, but did give me the script.
All in all - a much better day today. Feeling more upbeat about things. Thanks to the wonderful BS members who have come on to reassure and support me.

 

[skigirl]

I have been traveling and working quite hard for the last few weeks, so today, I gave myself an "off" day. I watched the entire second season of Downton Abbey---it was wonderful and I feel like working again!! give yourself the gift of time right now. I just discovered amazon prime which has all sorts of shows like Upstairs downstairs, which I only watched a few times and could never get the story straight---on my next "off" day I think I will watch a season of that. Now is a good time to rest and renew yourself---healing is time consuming and rest is much more important that we ever acknowledge. We are so concerned with being efficient, "making every moment count" and multi tasking that we feel guilty for a day of rest!! Even the Lord rested on day seven---give yourself the time that you need and deserve to heal and to rest. And now, I am going to take my own advice and go to bed early for a change.

 

[Jozilla]

You have the most interesting posts! I love the skateboard idea and office chair. My surgery is December 9th. I have preop tomorrow and I am a wreck. I am terrified of the pain. A good friend of mine had brain neuroma surgery this summer and tkr last summer. She told me the tkr was much worse. I am still trying to assimilate that information. Scary! I have been interested in your name netball knees. Is netball the same as volleyball and did you play? Sending good thoughts your way. Peace and prayers. - JoAnne


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[NetballKnees]

Hi Joanne ... thanks for your post. The severe osteoarthritis in my knees was caused by my 32 years of playing netball, so thus I became NetballKnees. Netball is nothing like volleyball and years ago, used to be called women's basketball. There are 7 players on a team and the court is divided into thirds with defined areas for each position. Only the Goal Shooter and Goal Attack can score goals, which are worth 1 point. I love netball and played anything up to 4 times a week, and refereed as well. Unlike basketball where you can move with the ball, in netball you are only allowed to take one step and pick up your landing foot, but you can't put it back down. This causes a lots of stops and strain on the knees and ankles. Still I got far more out of it than just osteoarthritis - including friends that I have had for those 32 years.

Over here, we don't really have a pre-op appointment. We just go in to hospital on the day and go through a pre-op area where they put on the white stockings, make sure you have no open sores, ask weight etc., and from there they take you to the anaesthetist's pre-op room where he pops in the cannula and calms you if needed (which I did) and then straight to theatre.

If there is anything I can say to help, and being not yet 4 weeks post-op, I am still a "beginner", it is that the pain level may surprise you. I can't say that I felt much real "pain". Swelling - yes, tightness - yes, but the pain in hospital was so well controlled I didn't really feel it and the pain I have had since coming home (in the surgical knee) has not been too hard to keep under control. The pain in my non-surgical knee, due to what I found out today to be a medial collateral ligament strain, is another matter, but I should imagine that is something that very rarely happens.

I hope and pray that you have very little pain and the operation goes swiftly and smoothly for you.

Take Care .. Ellen