TKR Sleep is back - now for more recovery!

[liam2015]

@JDP ~ i am so happy for you that you have turned a corner and on your way back to "normal" life. your son must be very pleased also. you look beautiful and radiant in the photo and that is a gorgeous background. best of luck to you getting back to work.

 

[JDP]

My first day of work at 12 weeks and 3 days post-op is behind me. I managed my rehab exercises and a work-out at lunch time. I am beat , but the ol' brain worked!
My flexion is still less than 100 degrees and no bike revolutions yet (frustrating) but other than that, some constant swelling (which doc & physio say is normal), and a bit of cement knee, I feel very optimistic. In the midst of my insomnia, I never thought I'd get here.

 

[liam2015]

that's great. good to know your brain is still working...sounds like you're back in the driver's seat at work. yes, i agree the swelling and flexion stalling is very frustrating but recovery is ongoing. hope you'll get a good sleep after your first day of work.

 

[SusieShoes]

Sounds like you had a successful first day back at work! If your brain is working, that’s half the battle.

One positive about work will be that it will distract you from your knee. That won’t make your knee better, but it will make your recovery less tedious. Little by little, I hope, your healing knee will shed all the things you find annoying and become the full partner you need it to be.

 

[JDP]

Thank you so much both!
Day 2 is behind me and even better.
Would someone please tell me yet again that under 100 degrees flexion is okay, and it will likely come back? I need "the words" to refuse an MUA if it comes up at my next surgeon follow up.

 

[SusieShoes]

I'll tell you that under 100 degrees flexion is okay. Better yet, I'll post Bert's Progress. @bertschb tracked his ROM during his first year of recovery and posted it on Sunday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm 12 months out from my surgery and have some advice based on my experience:
1. Stop going to PT - all it will do is make your knee swell and reduce ROM
2. Don't worry about your ROM
3. Be patient - VERY patient!!!

Here is my ROM history (more or less):
1 month - 60 degrees
2 months - 80 degrees
3 months - 85 degrees
4 months - 90 degrees
5 months - 90 degrees
6 months - 110 degrees
7 months - 120 degrees
8 months - 125 degrees
9 months - 130 degrees
10 months - 135 degrees
11 months - 140 degrees
12 months - 140 degrees

I spent waaaaay too much time worrying about ROM. I thought I'd be riding my bike a couple months after surgery but it took SIX months!

Looking back on my surgery, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have wasted my time with PT and I wouldn't have worried about ROM.

~~~~~~~~~~

He's riding bikes on mountain trails now. We can all aspire to be Bert. You're doing just fine!

 

[Polkadot]

Hi, JDP. I'm at almost 6 months out and think that my flexion is between 95-100 most days. I was able to get it past 100 during PT, but I have discontinued that and haven't been measured in about a month. I'm choosing to put my faith in being patient and allowing my knee to become fully healed. I think I still have interior swelling, but that's very hard to prove--just feel quite a bit of tightness, and some discomfort on stairs, still.

I was worrying about flexion, as I kept seeing my surgery twins passing me in that department. Recently I realized, though, that I can do just about anything I want to with the flexion I have right now. Stairs are still uncomfortable, and going down with good form is quite the challenge. Other than that, daily activities go fine, and i can walk at least 2 miles without discomfort. Shopping, standing in lines, and extended periods of sitting in restaurants have all mostly resolved themselves. So I've decided not to worry any more. I would like to be able to ride a real bike on a real street someday, safely and comfortably. When I get there, I will feel I've "arrived." (I can pedal our exercise bike okay now.)

I had an MUA at five weeks when my flexion was around 75 degrees. Although it seemed to help me get to where I am now, it was not a "magic bullet" for me, and I wouldn't say "Go for it" unless you are completely convinced by your OS's rationales. The procedure sent my healing back several weeks and caused additional swelling with which I had to deal.

 

[JDP]

Thank you so much! What a blessing this forum is.