OP
OP
Relle
member
AustraliaI will take all your advice onboard. Certainly won't be pushing myself too far. Ive been told it's a great exercise to do for life.
TKR So grateful to have found this community
- Thread starter Relle
- Start date
OP
OP
Relle
member
Yes I agree, hopefully I'll be back to more outdoor exercise soon. Think it will be a good standby though.
Gel-girl
member
Depends what you’re looking at. I watch the birds in the garden or Friends on Netflix! Not the same as outdoor cycling I agree.
It took me weeks of rocking to and fro. I can only just do a full turn if I lift my hip up slightly.
Don’t rush it.
It took me weeks of rocking to and fro. I can only just do a full turn if I lift my hip up slightly.
Don’t rush it.
OP
OP
Relle
member
I'm lucky my newly acquired bike is in a garden room. My husband has had a great time on it this afternoon, a bit of a novelty I think. I Managed to do a little rocking back and forward. Certainly have a long way before I can go the full way around. At least it's a start.
OP
OP
Relle
member
4 weeks and 2 days post op and I feel like I'm staring to make some progress. Not as much as I would like, but this is forcing me to be patient.
It's taken me until 2 days ago to stop fighting with myself at night to sleep. I find it works for me to have my meds at 10pm, sleep 3 hours, watch something on my iPad while icing, wait for my next meds and have another 3 hours sleep. It beats getting agitated and depressed.
For the last 2 days I've been walking in the house without a stick most of the time but don't feel safe outside without it. This will come with time.
My ROM is not great, I tell myself this will improve with time but I still have a few people telling me I should be doing more at this stage. I find it really upsetting. I know they just want me to get back to normal but I can be hard enough on myself and it leaves me second guessing my recovery.
I keep coming back to Bonesmart and reading how other people have recovered and it gives me confidence that I can do this.
I have agreed to see a PT on Thursday but I am scared that I will be hurt after having a bad experience early on in my recovery. i am going to let him know my feelings and hopefully he will be kind.
It's taken me until 2 days ago to stop fighting with myself at night to sleep. I find it works for me to have my meds at 10pm, sleep 3 hours, watch something on my iPad while icing, wait for my next meds and have another 3 hours sleep. It beats getting agitated and depressed.
For the last 2 days I've been walking in the house without a stick most of the time but don't feel safe outside without it. This will come with time.
My ROM is not great, I tell myself this will improve with time but I still have a few people telling me I should be doing more at this stage. I find it really upsetting. I know they just want me to get back to normal but I can be hard enough on myself and it leaves me second guessing my recovery.
I keep coming back to Bonesmart and reading how other people have recovered and it gives me confidence that I can do this.
I have agreed to see a PT on Thursday but I am scared that I will be hurt after having a bad experience early on in my recovery. i am going to let him know my feelings and hopefully he will be kind.
OP
OP
Relle
member
I'd like a little advice. Is it ok to use a heat pack at this stage of recovery. I haven't heard mention of it and I know that icing reduces swelling. I put heat on my knee last night and found it was a good pain relief, can I cause problems by doing this?
I’m glad you’ve come to terms with the post surgery sleep cycle, you’re right, it’s better than getting mad at something we can’t control!
We all feel more comfortable at home than out somewhere. I used my cane for a long time anywhere outside my house.
I’m sorry others have unrealistic expectations for your recovery. That one is harder to accept even though we can’t do anything about that either. I’m shocked how people, some I hardly knew, voiced their opinion to me about that! Somehow we have to ignore them.
I was never able to use heat on my knee, it hurt a lot the one time I tried it, and I was about 4 months by then, so I never did it again! I was told it can cause more swelling, too.
Be very firm with your new PT. Let them know you were hurt in the past and that you will not permit that again. Remember, it’s your knee, not theirs. If you don’t like their response, don’t stay. PT can be helpful, if it’s the right PT, but it is not a requirement for this recovery.
We all feel more comfortable at home than out somewhere. I used my cane for a long time anywhere outside my house.
I’m sorry others have unrealistic expectations for your recovery. That one is harder to accept even though we can’t do anything about that either. I’m shocked how people, some I hardly knew, voiced their opinion to me about that! Somehow we have to ignore them.
I was never able to use heat on my knee, it hurt a lot the one time I tried it, and I was about 4 months by then, so I never did it again! I was told it can cause more swelling, too.
Be very firm with your new PT. Let them know you were hurt in the past and that you will not permit that again. Remember, it’s your knee, not theirs. If you don’t like their response, don’t stay. PT can be helpful, if it’s the right PT, but it is not a requirement for this recovery.
OP
OP
Relle
member
Your ROM is not great? You’re only a month out from surgery! Not even. No one’s ROM is great at that point. Your OS got great ROM from your knee in the operating room when he tested it, and you will get that great ROM again when your knee finishes healing. It’s thoughtless of therapists and well-meaning family members to expect too much right out of the gate. Just tell them you plan to amaze them later.
I used heat to relax my calf muscles and I think heat is good for that kind of use: on the muscles above and below the knee. The heat can feel good, relaxes the muscles, and increases blood flow. We suggest not to use it directly on the knee for now, for the same reason: increase of blood flow can lead to increased swelling and pain. However, if you feel it is helping you, and you’re not getting that increased swelling and pain, then maybe you can enjoy a short session once a day. Most people, though, find it better to wait until another month or two have passed.
I used heat to relax my calf muscles and I think heat is good for that kind of use: on the muscles above and below the knee. The heat can feel good, relaxes the muscles, and increases blood flow. We suggest not to use it directly on the knee for now, for the same reason: increase of blood flow can lead to increased swelling and pain. However, if you feel it is helping you, and you’re not getting that increased swelling and pain, then maybe you can enjoy a short session once a day. Most people, though, find it better to wait until another month or two have passed.
kmak81230
post-grad
I agree with Susie -- I used some heat above the knee to loosen up the quads and hamstrings in the mornings -- never right on the knee. I think you are doing great for this point in your recovery. Be patient and nice to your new knee and you will begin to improve.
OP
OP
Relle
member
I spent an extended period of time standing and tidying up my wardrobe yesterday. Big mistake! Had a bad night with a lot of pain and no sleep at all. Lesson is learnt, won't be trying that again for a while.
Ut oh, you joined the ODIC, the over did it club. We've all been there at least once. Normally, one time is enough. I hope you don't go there anymore! Take a few days to rest, ice and elevate, and let your knee calm down before you attempt anything extra again.
HoneyB
senior
My PT sessions always start with a Tens unit hooked to my knee with a moist, warm heat pack over my knee and thigh. It feels as wonderful to my knee as a warm steamy shower (which is where I have my best ROM). Each PT session ends with an icy cold pack that feels great, too.
Speaking of ROM in the shower, one day I almost told my therapist that I wished she could see my ROM in the shower, but stopped myself because I thought for someone as young as she is, she'd probably not like that mental image.
Speaking of ROM in the shower, one day I almost told my therapist that I wished she could see my ROM in the shower, but stopped myself because I thought for someone as young as she is, she'd probably not like that mental image.
Wavin2Ya
junior member
I did agressive PT on my right leg no PT on my left cause it was 75$ a week and I wasn't working but I'll tell you my left leg feels WAY better than the right and I'm having complications daily 14 months later. Take it easy on yourself I like swimming it helps you stretch more than you think without massive pain.
Good luck this community is awesome take advantage of the information you get here and the shoulders lent through the ruff times!
Good luck this community is awesome take advantage of the information you get here and the shoulders lent through the ruff times!
OP
OP
Relle
member
Just back from PT. He was good and didn't try to push me too far. He is very concerned about my rom which is only at 55 and my extension is not the best. I really thought I was doing ok. Is hard to know when everyone is different.
I go back to my OS in 2 weeks and was told he would want to do a MUA if I'm not grately improved. This has really upset me as I'm still in a fair bit of pain even with my meds and the thought of taking a step back really scares me.
I go back to my OS in 2 weeks and was told he would want to do a MUA if I'm not grately improved. This has really upset me as I'm still in a fair bit of pain even with my meds and the thought of taking a step back really scares me.
I'm glad the therapist didn't push you. That would have done no good. 
Of course you're disappointed. Your knee is swollen and not able to provide the ROM your team would like to see. Remember that on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning your knee was painful and more swollen because of your wardrobe tidying. As good as your wardrobe adventure felt at the time, that means you went into the PT session with an unhappy knee. (I did the same thing! It felt so wonderful to try on and swap out my spring clothes for my summer ones. And my knees did what yours did. My therapist didn't understand the impact of wardrobe swapping.)
You are only a month into a year long recovery. Give your knee more time. Two weeks can make a big difference! Stay away from the temptation to revisit your wardrobe for tidying and just do the gentlest of exercising, along with lots of elevating, icing, and resting. Seriously, I spent the first two months of recovery practically on my back, legs elevated and knees icing, for several hours a day. And they were up all the time when I wasn't doing daily activities. You can do it for the next couple of weeks.
Of course you're disappointed. Your knee is swollen and not able to provide the ROM your team would like to see. Remember that on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning your knee was painful and more swollen because of your wardrobe tidying. As good as your wardrobe adventure felt at the time, that means you went into the PT session with an unhappy knee. (I did the same thing! It felt so wonderful to try on and swap out my spring clothes for my summer ones. And my knees did what yours did. My therapist didn't understand the impact of wardrobe swapping.)
You are only a month into a year long recovery. Give your knee more time. Two weeks can make a big difference! Stay away from the temptation to revisit your wardrobe for tidying and just do the gentlest of exercising, along with lots of elevating, icing, and resting. Seriously, I spent the first two months of recovery practically on my back, legs elevated and knees icing, for several hours a day. And they were up all the time when I wasn't doing daily activities. You can do it for the next couple of weeks.
