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MUA Sleeping on my side, 5 weeks post TKR

Do you have a recliner? I found that helped me not sit so much on my coccyx bone. The difficult part though, was getting up and down with the wedge pillow on the foot rest. I'd have to take off the wedge, then lower the foot rest. But, all-in-all it was worth it.

Another option for the butt, is to sit on a ring pillow. That is a pillow that has the center cut out. I used that after my POP surgeries.
 
Those longer strides, with a heel to toe gait, will also help your extension. I used those to help with my lagging extension in my third month. My bend came in well, but that straightening was lazy! The longer strides helped with that.
 
Andypandy said:
is it ok to sit at the table for meals at 5 weeks,
Click to expand...
I'm wondering if you eased into this if it will be less painful as far as swelling. Starting with short periods of time and gradually increasing, only as tolerated. In addition, adding light movement when you attempt sitting at the table such as ankle pumps or gentle stretches in an effort to keep the blood flowing.

Also wondering if alternating between sitting, standing and walking every 30 minutes or so will help reduce the pressure on your coccyx and reduce the leg swelling. I'm guessing you're icing for both issues, if not doing so on a regular basis, dedicating more time to this will hopefully bring you some relief, Andypandy, :console2:
I am sorry you have to deal with this and hope brighter days are on the way...soon! :friends:
 
@sistersinhim I have a corner sofa with 2 recliners on each end but been really wary to try it. Will I get up as doesn't give you the forward tilt. Suppose you never know till you try as long as hubby here to pull me up! Yes, I read your section on the bigger strides and again, great advice. Ordered coccyx cushion with cut out at bback as doughnut not good for my back. Also ordered a body pillow for side sleeping x
 
@Layla thank you, worth a try. Yes up and about regularly. That's why I slept on my side the other night to give the coccyx a rest and it helped. But last 2 nights spent with legs elevated and back and coccyx not good. Will try side sleeping again. Just ordered a body pillow, fingers crossed.
 
I found that body pillow to be extremely helpful when attempting to sleep on my side.
 
@Andypandy I’m almost 3 months out. Back is better today. You’ll appreciate the pillow with cutout, I have 2 of them, use them when sitting at table, also in car with small pillow on floor for foot. It took me a while to be able to sit with leg dow, I would get tingling on outside of foot, knee would be sore. Maybe the last 2 weeks it’s been better. Still can’t stay on my side in bad very long, knee feels stretched no matter how I prop things with pillows, ugh! Hang in there, spring will eventually come, supposed to be -15 F here this weekend.
 
I couldn’t sit on a dining chair comfortably for many weeks. 10 minutes was enough. If I sat for more than 10 mins boy did I know about it later! It would hurt for the rest of the day and night. I’d have my dinner on a tray on the sofa with my leg stretched out on the sofa. It was a good 8-10 weeks before I was comfy sitting on a chair with knee bent.
 
Regarding sitting to eat- it really depends on how quickly you swell up.
I certainly couldn't sit and enjoy things until later.
I think I posted here at about 10-12 weeks that I had gone out with friends and managed to sit for a more prolonged period over coffee/ cake and not been botheredby my knee. It was sufficiently memorable that it was a real achievement.
 
6 Weeks today Bit of guidance please(think I know the answer, but old worry pants!). Last couple days been quite good, managed to get into shower, getting leg over bath, bliss. More walking about apartment, couple of very light activities and most if all sitting heel slides. So, going that tiny bit more, 5/6 slides, gentle rocking, 4 times a day. Today, swelling and stiffness!!! Oh no, 2 steps forward, 50 back. Do I try some gentle slides today to keep it moving? Icing elevating and praying. I have my appointment next Monday with surgeon and just so concerned this swelling is coming with me!!!!!! So worried re the bend, but probably got to about 70 last couple days. Not today. Dont want to even think about MUA, but i have cause i have mentioned it. All advice, guidance and anything else appreciated. Thank you x
 
@Andypandy I can relate. It’s so hard to know how much is too much exercise without trying. I’m trying to listen to my body. If I’m in more pain or swelling I do less the next day and just rest and ice and elevate. Usually within one or two days I feel much better. I just take it slow. I’m at 8.5 weeks now and I tell myself that I’ll be healed much more by 12 weeks, so be patient.

Last week I was worrying about what my Surgeon was going to say when he saw me. My appointment was Wednesday. I lost sleep over it. It gave me anxiety wondering whether he was going to suggest another MUA as my second knee doesn’t have great ROM and he did an MUA on my first knee when it was like that. But he didn’t. He only said to keep working it. They’re just trying to be helpful but they don’t really know what works best for your body. He had suggested the use of a JAS brace for my first knee to help with the ROM. I tried it but found the added weight just made my knee hurt so gave up on it. He never asked me if I was going to try it on my second knee. We feel anxious saying no to the expert (Surgeon) but we’re partners in our recovery and ultimately we’re the ones going through the process so have the right to say what approach we’re ready to handle. Same goes with the Physiotherapist. It’s easier to feel more confident with speaking up about our approach with experience under our belt; also, with the support from the experienced team at BoneSmart.

My body swells easily. It did before the surgeries too whenever I walked a lot. Also, whenever I fly. My Surgeon didn’t know that it would react that way. Neither did I. So, we didn’t prepare for that outcome. Just dealing with it. It’s a big part of the recovery process that I wasn’t prepared for. My Surgeon doesn’t offer solutions for my swelling. He acknowledges it and says it can take a year to go down.
 
@Focuspositively thank you for such a heart felt post. Learning from others certainly helps, how fortunate we are able to do this. The swelling is such an issue and it certainly is catch 22. Damned if we do, damned if we don't. Just resting and using the ice machine, up and about regularly to keep it moving but just feel so flipping down. My next PT is Friday, but I will not allow them to push me in any way. Been doing the exercises here and I have no intention of wall slides and squats, so there's not too much more to do. Of course, we are all individuals and heal differently, I am a slow healer, plus very limited to meds. Just taking paracetamol now, codeine destroys my stomach, suffer with GERD and can't take antinflamatories. 5 years ago I had a PKR and compared to this!!! Was a walk in the park, well maybe not a park but you know what I mean. So, it just comes down to the fact, we want to be normal, again. Will keep in touch and wish you well x
 
@Andypandy I here you, I’m so tired of thinking all day ( and night) about my knee, wondering if it will ever work right. It’s hard to be patient, seems like 2 steps forward, 10 steps back! I mainly rested this weekend, today new pain below outside of knee! Very cold here today, wind chill here today -35 F , luckily house is warm. Hang in there sending you positive thoughts, we’ll get through this , maybe later than we’d like.
 
@Oldped It's so hard to focus on other things. I have rarely picked my tablet up to watch anything, can't concentrate on a book, let alone try to do puzzles. I do plug my earphones into phone to listen to the Smooth radio stations, good when icing. Everything is such an effort and very hard to get motivated. At least we can converse on this fabulous site, certainly helps doesn't it. Are you still on pain killers, I take paracetamol every 6 hours codeine not good for my stomach. Sleep is a faraway dream, get a couple of hours. Try to sleep on side but knee doesn't like it, so on my back, back doesn't like it. Are you sleeping on your side. So yes this is a journey and not easy. Stay warm, hope a little easier for you today. Perseverance comes to mind, but then the knee interrupts!!! Wish you well x
 
Catch 22. Seated heel slides 4 x per day, hang leg on edge of bed, quad sets, results in Swelling even more than before. So do I carry on with gentle exercises or just give up. Sorry but really on a downer.
 
Oh, @Andypandy no need to apologize... you're legitimately having a hard time!

It sounds like you had a fine milestone just a couple of days ago - a shower!!! - and it's likely that overtaxed you enough that doing the same amount of exercise as usual put you into the increased swelling.

So .... It's fine to skip exercises for a day! Honestly it is! Just take your walks on a skip exercise day.

Then, on an exercise day, do fewer heel slides, and only do them two times a day. Your body isn't saying "do nothing." It's saying, "please do less."

And if the choice on any given day is between the shower and a bit of puttering versus the exercises, seeing as doing it all is currently too much... My vote is firmly for shower and puttering.

You'll get through this. And yes we're here for good news but more importantly we're always here for your frustrations and fears.
 
@mendogal oh thank you for your support. As mentioned, Saturday and Sunday improvement with heels slides, but thinking on it taking in other things, too much. I think that's one of the hardest things to grasp with this, too much? Was it? In our normal life, we just get on with housework, shopping etc.etc. so this is like our bodies on a wind down. As I mentioned before, ACCEPTANCE, but that's not easy. Steady few exercises today, virtually nothing yesterday. Ice x
 
@Andypandy
It IS hard to navigate daily rest/activity.

The bottom line is each of us has a finite capacity any given day.
If you add an activity, you need to subtract an activity.
If you increase one activity, until you know your capacity is increasing, it's prudent to decrease or omit another activity.

You might try doing a web search for "spoon theory" as it explains this pretty well!
 
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