TKR so glad that is over !

[mrs cricklewood]

hi maggie may..I think my knee replacement was only a few days before yours ! Sept 2nd....how could I ever forget THAT date ! hahah I am going to try to push myself just that bit more as yes there have been days where I am slack with my exercises..but I don't want to overdo it because I don't want my knee to get sore and swollen. I just took my last antinflammatory tablet this morning ....and don't particularly want to have to get another prescription for them, but h as anyone else on here taken them for any length of time ? Would it be worth me still taking them though ? Thoughts please !!

 

[Bionic woman2]

What my P/T did I simply describe as a MIRACLE! I say this because I was struggling with "The Tight Band" for 3 months and she simply massaged it and VOILA it was gone! She described it as my Patella Tendon and said it needed to be loosened up. My 1st in-home P/T never really touched me, let alone massage me, he just told me what to do and watched me exercise. My new P/T said, he could have gave me the exercise sheet and called me on the phone to do that. lol So, I had been dealing with "TTB" issue throughout the whole recovery of my right knee, that may have been eliminated sooner. As I type this I'm thinking about searching for a new Out-patient P/T with more of a hands-on approach! Hmmm It's my dime/dollar$ and my knee!

Don't get me wrong, my knee still gets stiff but the tightness above the knee cap is gone and it makes a big difference. I now have tightness in my kneecap and right hamstring. Interestingly enough, I don't have the same problem with my left newborn knee. She's been massaging it from day one and I see a big difference. I only have the tightness in my kneecap. I must say that my newborn wasn't as bad as the right knee to begin with, but I can see the progress made varies by P/T approaches.

I now know that I need to loosen up my tight, previously unused muscles, (or not use as much due to my knees) in order to increase mobility.

So what is this fantastic massage you ask??? She took her hands and made an arch, using her thumb and pointer finger she cupped the area at the top of my knee cap squeezed and applied pressure and turn it back and forth as she moved up and down the area. Kinda like you would do to open a bottle, only moving it back and forth in both directions. I use this approach now when it gets tight and it temporary loosens it up more. I can't do it as well as she does, but it helps. I still have tightness in my kneecap, but that varies on my activities. Bottom-line, my right knee has benefited greatly from the hands on approach (3 months later) as opposed to just pushing it to bend in pain. My ROM in my right knee has increased my about 7 degrees since having a P/T with a Bonesmart approach. I know the rest of it will come with time and as I loosen and build more muscle.

I wish you much success with your recovery. I hope you will get the "degrees necessary to appease."

 

[Butterfly]

mrs cricklewood Well, they can't hog tie you and MAKE you go in and get the MUA, after all, so if it were I and I felt I needed more time, I would just TAKE it. After all, it is your knee, and it's not like they will throw you in prison or anything if you just insist on more time. They always act like the world will end if you don't do exactly as they say, but it won't, and they do not rule the world. Josephine always says there is no magic window for the MUA if you need to do it, so do it on YOUR time if you have to.

What is Winston doing that's cute today?

Peace and love to you.

 

[mrs cricklewood]

hi Bionic woman2 and also Butterfly ! thanks for your messages..a couple of times my physio has massaged my knee cap ..not for long but I wonder if he is doing that for the same reason..I will try your massage techinque, as that is where it feels tight lately...thanks for that ! My surgeon said he has had people come back after a year hobbling and limping unable to bend their knee which is why he wants me to have a MUA . But to be honest I already feel like I have more bend ..I will know if it is all in my mind, as when I go to see my physio on Wednesday I will get him to measure me again..all will be revealed then ! When I make a cup of tea I am bending and squatting at the kitchen bench and doing things like that at random ...so I am hoping and praying that all this sort of movement will help me...!! Winston has been running around like a mad man..we took him into town today as we had to do some shopping and he ran around on the oval chasing his ball...I will post a few photos of him, one of them with our goat Sally..she died recently and we cremated her and Winston was forever going over to where we cremated her and sat there.......so sad ! I am going to lie on my bed now and elevate and ice my knee...hope you all had or have a great day ! XXXX

 

[new knee in June]

Hello Mrs. Cricklewood,
How is your knee doing ? Good I hope Your Winston is a cutie, such a smile.If you want to see a picture
Of our new puppy, you will have to go to my page ( Diana on the other side with my warriors) I am not
Picture savvy. He is such a good boy, 8 weeks old He falls asleep on us & is very friendly.
I am a person, but I do love this
Have a wonderful Afternoon,
Diana

 

[annabella2]

Butterfly beat me to it- It's going to be difficult for them to give you an operation if you don't show up for it. Remind yourself that you are driving this bus! Not the Dr.

 

[mrs cricklewood]

hi everyone..thanks for your support !! had another physio session today...he showed me a new exercise where I lean back against a door with my back and bum flat against it ( he said it is easier than using the wall ) and then with my feet out from the wall slowly squat down and up ( just enough to feel it pulling ) . I am always telling him about this forum and he said he can't understand why any physio would want to try to force someones knee to bend or why they would really hurt their patient...I said I don't know either..but I am so glad YOU AREN'T LIKE THAT ! or else I can assure you I would have been off and running out that door never to return...anyway he measured my bend before I started it was 63% ( bearing in mind last week when I first went there it was 55% ) and at the end was 68% so I am happy with that..he also said he doesn't know why they push the no pain no gain theory ...I told him my motto was steady steady wins the race! Anyway then I went to the heated pool and like an idiot I have over done it in the pool !! I was doing squats and knee raises and bending and walking and everything in between ..it felt wonderful in the water..I was ready to take on the world..and I was in there for well over an hour....well now tonight I am paying for it..my knee is killing me ! I am writing this lying on the bed with a heap of ice on my elevated knee. Just popped some panadeine forte pain killers but they aren't touching the side..* mental note to self...DONT DO THAT AGAIN!! * anyway apart from that I feel like I am finally getting somewhere ........what a loooonnnnggg journey this is proving to be ! Hope everyone out there in computer land is ok ! Mrs C

 

[leejaa]

Nothing like a reminder from our knee to really learn a lesson. Glad to hear you have a good PT and you are progressing slowly but surely. Have a good day.

 

[DAJ]

Hi glad to hear your op went well and youre feeling better,Im always amazed how the therapies are different.im still injecting bloodthinner I have to for a month.
Heres my walk.
Glad to hear your op went well. i had mine on the 3rd october andnd still recovering from the shock. Interesting to read what different doctors have as a standard.
I acheived a 90 deg bend as soon as I got up to bathroom in wheelchair 2nd day, hospital started me on CPM from first day and by the time I left I was at maximum that the machine could do which was 115 . that was the rule 1 hour a day. no excuses . with staples in it pulled like hell at the top. you had to be walking with crutches by day three. and climbing stairs twice a day 10 mins. I couldnt wait to get home. My bend is still at 100/110 most of the day. now working on extention to get it to -5. sleep is still too short.
Im doing my exercises daily and hope to get on the stationary bike next week

 

[speedy2]

Thanks for that new exercise @mrs cricklewwod -I am definitely going to try that one! Your Physio sounds great, perhaps we could all share him... It's so easy to overdo it without realizing isn't it? Never mind , you wont do that again in a hurry. Keep that leg elevated and iced.
I know what you mean about a long recovery, it feels like an eternity that I had my TKR...Never expected to be like I am at week 11/12...
Have a good day

 

[mrs cricklewood]

hi everyone...hope I am not boring you with my updates! Well as you know I overdid the exercises last Wednesday doing physio and then going bonkers in the heated pool...well I was sore and hurting for days!! Never again. !! .I didn't do any exercises for over 4 days so when I went back to physio yesterday ( I go once a week ) I was stiff and swollen ....he measured my bend ..it was 60% when I got there....after my session I got to 65 % ... He showed me some exercises using one of those large blow up balls...I put my feet on it while lying down and then pull the ball towards me bending my knees abit....My surgeon thinks I will be going back for my MUA in 3 weeks but I am still sticking to my guns and won't be getting it done...I know I am at 8 weeks and only have a pathetic sort of bend..but I am doing the right thing not getting it done ..aren't I ?? I walk around home all day without my crutch and only use it when I have to go out ..just in case... I spoke to someone today who had a MUA ..it didn't work for her but she said I would be mad not to get it done..... I told her I want to just do what I am doing and that I don't care if it takes a while to get more of a bend but then she put doubt in my mind saying but what if it doesn't improve.....I don't want to go back in and have it done but now I am stressing out about it because there is so much emphasis on the amount of knee bend you should have at a particular time....help me please I need desperate reassurance !!
Just to cheer myself up I am going to post a photo of my beautiful boy Winston that I took today..looking forward to your replies.. XXXXX

 

[maggie may]

Winston is beautiful and I know a comfort to you!!!!


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[bottomshollow]

mrs cricklewood, Note this does not say to go out and beat yourself up exercising. TKRs do not like to be overworked and they let us know it in no uncertain terms. Just stick with stretches and bends---and push to bends only to discomfort----not pain. Some of us are just slower than others, but we usually get there in the end.

I would not consider a MUA until at least 12 weeks post op. If you are still unable to get to at least a 90 degree bend, you might want to seriously consider it at that time.

Love you pic of Winston---he's a happy looking fellow Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[mrs cricklewood]

thanks for replying....I have just been outside pottering around and went into the chickens house and cleaned out their water bowls and did a few other little things...I am getting around ok , albeit slowly , without any crutches and could squat down to an extent when I was in the chicken house and I said to my hubby you can see why I don't want a MUA.. I will get set back a few weeks..at the moment I can coping fine and to think of going back to a really swollen leg and not being able to do anything..well I just feel like I have come this far already..I don't want to go backwards. He understands..I think he was getting sick of me lying on the bed crying because I couldn't do anything and I was getting so fed up, now that I able to get around I am loving it !..Trust me I will not be overdoing it, but I am going to keep plodding on like I am now.....I am going to the heated pool again this afternoon for half an hour... when I phone to cancel my MUA ( they said I could phone a week before it if I don't want to go ahead with it ) I want to be able to say with a clear conscience that my bend is alot better ! ( well to ME anyway!! )

 

[maggie may]

I admire you for your courage and fortitude. Yes, wait for the MUA until you are ready. Hopefully never!!
Take care!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[leejaa]

It must have felt fantastic to go and do something and be able to do it. Another milestone for you. Congratulations.

 

[speedy2]

That sounds like a big achievement to me @mrs cricklewood- well done you!

 

[referee54]

Nothing like a reminder from our knee to really learn a lesson.

WE have all been there and learned that lesson several times---(at least for me... )

 

[referee54]

Our Dogs---or cats---have all helped us get through these tough times. I am glad to see the picture of Winston! My four (now three) helped me get thorugh those dark days six years ago, and I am sure that the pups helped lighten and brighten your darker days!

 

[DAJ]

take it easy. all in good time