TKR Snowdrop made it to the other side!<

[snowdrop]

@Clipless .... woo-hoooo!! Can't wait to be able to do things that have been shoved aside for ten years! Stuff like walking my dogs, gardening, hiking and camping! Oh, and all without that horrible pain! I am liking the glimpse so far!

 

[newlybionic]

That sounds great! I too am looking forward to the same things you are. My little dogs crave a nice leisurely walk with me. Hopefully I'll also get to that point.

 

[snowdrop]

Hang in there @newlybionic ...I know you have had a rough go of it, but I hope your new OS will make it right for you!

 

[kneeper]

full rotation!

 

[snowdrop]

Today I am 29 days post-op. It has been a rough week. It began with extra exercises added at PT on Tuesday. I was able to do them all without too much trouble, but I sure paid for it in the days afterwards. Add to this, my stupidity in thinking that I could do the grocery shopping on Wednesday. My hubby was with me and all I did was walk around with my walker and point at stuff to place in the cart. Halfway through, I should have listened to my body and given up...but noooo. I keep thinking I am Wonder Woman. I suppose you can guess how the rest of my week went. At PT on Friday, I told of all the extra pain I was in and they backed right off the extra exercises...they are very patient and gentle, thank goodness. Besides the increased pain in my knee, I am having a lot of pain in my thigh, almost as if the bone is healing. It does not make for a good sleep. So, long story short, I am truly taking it easy, taking my meds, icing Max and elevating. But I am sure down about not having the energy to do such simple tasks like peeling potatoes or making my bed. This energy drain is nuts.

 

[sleepilu]

I think we have to overdo it so we know how far we can push ourselves!


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Celle]

You certainly joined the ODIC (Over Did It Club), @snowdrop . Never mind. No permanent harm done. I think we all do too much for our knees from time to time - learning how much is too much is an ongoing process.

I'm glad your PT facility listened to you and they were gentle. It was probably too early for those new exercises. Maybe you could try them again in a month or so.

As for the energy drain, it does linger for ages. Most of your energy is still going towards healing your knee. Do you remember this article? Energy drain for TKRs

 

[snowdrop]

Well, admittedly, I am a slow learner...and a member in good standing of the ODIC! Sometimes I feel like I will just be living in this recliner for the rest of my life, attached to my ice machine and taking pain meds. It just feels like Max is really angry with me now...lots of deep pain, as if in the bone, and huge sensitivity around the surgical scar. I realize that this is "normal", but I cannot wait for the day that all of this goes away. I have such burning/stretching pain when I bend my knee after it has been extended for a while. I am hoping that this is a normal process of healing. The most positive thing right now is that I do not feel much pain at all when I stand with my weight evenly distributed on both legs. My leg has been so bent and painful for the last ten years, that I find myself automatically standing with all my weight shifted to my left leg. But I make a point to stand evenly and am always surprised at the lack of pain and the straight leg! Yay!!

 

[Celle]

I'm sure you're going to do OK. Remember that it's only been a month so far and, tedious as it is, recovery can take as long as a year.

 

[snowdrop]

Thanks @Celle. I am so happy to have found this forum and all the support. Here, I can vent and be understood. My family is so very patient with me, but there are times that I know they just don't get it. That said, I feel so very lucky to have them see me through all of this...I owe them big time. Now to just be more patient with myself...

 

[snowdrop]

Well here I am, five weeks out. I can't say that the first four weeks were easy, but things are still improving, and that's a very good thing! At PT today, my extension was -3 and flextion was 116...PT is so please, as am I. I feel my energy slowly starting to come back. These days I can cook dinner, clean up around the house a bit, and have started to sleep in a bed again( last night was my first night, woo-hoo!). I still have pain in my knee when walking around though. I imagine this is from the lack of strength in my muscles. A new thing for me is a searing hot pain kn my knee as I try to bend it after having it straight for a while. This lasts for the first few bends and then eases up. Could this be scar tissue breaking up? My PT massaged the scar on Tuesday, and it was extremely painful in one spot. Idid not let her do it today. However, I am massaging it myself each day with vitamin E cream. She showed me how to massage it properly so that I can do it to my own tolerance of pain.

 

[Timetolive]

You are doing great! I can't answer about your pain, although I will say that along the way, I experienced (and still do) aches and pains that bring tears to my eyes and then are gone in a week. Be sure you don't let PT hurt you. Good for you speaking up.

 

[Celle]

I still have pain in my knee when walking around though. I imagine this is from the lack of strength in my muscles. A new thing for me is a searing hot pain kn my knee as I try to bend it after having it straight for a while. This lasts for the first few bends and then eases up. Could this be scar tissue breaking up? My PT massaged the scar on Tuesday, and it was extremely painful in one spot. I did not let her do it today.

I'm afraid you're going to have some pain in your knee for quite a while yet. You had major surgery, with bones cut and hammered and lots of soft tissue damage. That's all going to take some time to heal. It's not lack of strength in your muscles that's causing the pain. It's trauma.
I think that part of your problem is that you're simply doing too much for this stage of your recovery. Have another look at this article and you'll see that you shouldn't be doing housework yet. Housework on top of PT s just too much for such a new knee.
Activity progression for TKRs
Ease back off all your activities and see if doing that helps.

No that searing pain isn't scar tissue breaking up. You don't have scar tissue that needs to break up. It's just a normal pain that is a sign your knee is still in the very early stages of healing. and it needs to be treated gently.

There is no need at all for your PT to massage your scar, no need to break up any scar tissue there. The scar tissue in your scar is part of the normal healing process. It's what holds your wound together and it's a good thing. You don't want it broken up or your wound could open up again. Ask your PT to leave your scar alone. Hands off and it will heal perfectly, because nature is good at doing her job and knows what she's doing. In time, all the lumps and bumps in your scar will flatten out, without any intervention.
I don't know why PTs feel they have to try and interfere in normal, natural processes.

 

[snowdrop]

Thank you @Celle . I am quite concerned about that searing pain. I will do as you recommend and back off my activities. My house is full of stairs ( a five level side split ) and I have been climbing them quite a bit lately. Even though I am only using the non-surgical leg to go up and down, I'm sure that I am still putting stress on the surgical leg. My PT keeps stressing that scar tissue will build up if I don't massage it. Why do they think this if it's not true? I am perfectly happy to leave it alone...it is way too uncomfortable to touch it right now. It feels so very bruised in that one spot with the hot/searing pain.

I also find it very interesting that my ROM and extension have improved each week without doing any physio at home. All I have been doing for the last two weeks is my two weekly visits to the PT at the hospital where I spend just over an hour each time. Of course, they think I am still doing my exercises twice a day at home...but really, I have taken the Bonesmart advice! Normal activity around the house is plenty of PT for me right now (some heel slides included though)...actually, maybe TOO much activity, now that I have this pain happening.
I am taking my hydromorphone again and icing a lot more...I hope this will help.

 

[newlybionic]

I found that when the therapist started massaging and moving my kneecap it really hurt. I had them stop doing it. I have no idea why it seems they all want to scare us with ' you will get scar tissue' if we don't follow all their guidelines no matter how painful it is.

 

[Celle]

My PT keeps stressing that scar tissue will build up if I don't massage it. Why do they think this if it's not true?

Your PT keeps on about scar tissue because that is what she/he was taught. Unfortunately, they were taught wrong.
Can I suggest you read these articles? There is a huge difference between normal scar tissue, which is completely necessary, and adhesions, which PTs inaccurately call scar tissue. In spite of all the PTs' fears, problem-causing adhesions are quite rare.
Scar tissue and adhesions - what's the difference?
MUA (Manipulation under Anaesthetic) and Adhesions

I also find it very interesting that my ROM and extension have improved each week without doing any physio at home.

I did no physio or exercises at all after my last TKR and only minimal exercises after my revision. I only did the occasional Heel slides and how to do them when I remembered, which wasn't very often. Instead, I concentrated on lots of rest, ice and elevation, and I did a bit of walking around the house.
Both my knees work just fine. I have full extension and I estimate my flexion is over 125.

While PT can be very useful if you have a particular problem, I just don't think there's any need for the emphasis on exercises that some PTs advocate.

I did nothing at all with my scar either, except put a bit of moisturizing cream on it once it was healed, if the skin looked very dry

 

[snowdrop]

Thanks for the links and advice. I am leaving this scar alone!! I am terrified of creating a greater injury.

 

[Clipless]

Good for you for letting your scar heal without further aggravation. You'll be surprised how good it looks in about a year. If it's raised, for example, it will flatten out all by itself.

 

[Freedom]

Hi Snowdrop! Glad to read you are doing well with recovery. I also just read the links provided above on scar tissue vs. adhesions. Very helpful! I live in fear of needing the MUA, as I do develop keloids. (I noticed the link says these are common to the Afro - Caribbean population -- actually folks descended from the Mediterranean area like me -- Sicilian -- also have a high rate of keloid development). I have Bio Oil to use on my scar area.

Here and on other support groups, I often see folks mention muscle pain, cramps and spasms. While it is true we all heal differently, I've not had this (only 4 weeks out) and wonder if partly this is because I eat a banana daily. Vitamin K is supposed to help with muscle tone. I've done this for over 6 years. I buy the smallest I can find, 6 to 7 inches long is plenty. I just can't imagine doing all that you are doing now, Snowdrop!

Newly Bionic, you mentioned the knee cap movements by PT hurt. My PT does this here at home, it feels great. I have set clear limits with my PT -- she was not allowed to touch me at all her first 5 visits, so she knows to be very cautious in anything she doesn. Then that night I know she was working that area ha haaa.

 

[snowdrop]

Thanks for your input @Freedom . I guess it can never hurt to eat a banana a day! I like them and often have them as part of my breakfast. Good to know that it helps with muscle tone!

I have been taking it easy this weekend, really babying myself. I need to ice more often though. The overall pain has eased up somewhat, but that hot searing pain is still there on occasion. I did not have this before the PT massaged it last Tuesday. I truly hope that it will heal with time...it is not as painful as a few days ago, but it is definitely still there. Spring is teasingly around the corner and I can't wait to feel better and get outside walking! In hindsight, I think it was a good thing to have this surgery in the dead of winter. I would have been going bonkers if the weather had been nice and calling me to get out there!