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TKR So much harder than I expected

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Great news! Hope you can sleep tonight and feel well enough to do some water walking. I love water walking!
 
very true that exercise in water can be deceptive. Probably try a little less than you *think* you can do the first day just to test the waters :wink:
As you just learned, the 1.5 hours gardening after your other activities was pushing your limits a bit. Glad you could do it, but maybe try a bit less next time--or not that on top of other things. Happy:ice:
 
Ditto on the water exercise! I did that about 3 months after my surgery when the doctor said I could start exercising, thinking it would be easier to start in the water. Boy was I wrong! I went to that first water aerobics class and did fine during the class. That night I felt like I had been jumping up and down on concrete for an hour(which basically I had). It took me about 2 weeks to recover from that. I haven't been back, but just bicycle instead. Once I have the 2nd knee done, I may try it again but very LOW impact the next time.
 
I would also agree on the water warnings! I had the one warm water pool session at PT before I was released because he wanted to show me some of the things I could do on my own in the pool. It felt magnificent and I loved it. But I was so sore the next day and really didn't think I did all that much. Start out with about 1/4 as much as you think you can do!!

Roxie
 
Thanks everyone about the warnings about the pool! I will be careful! My PT just wants me to do gentle exercise by myself in a pool, not in a class. (She instructed me to walk in the pool and do some knee flexions and extensions in the pool.)
 
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I had increased pain yesterday afternoon after doing way to much the day before, so I made sure that I rested, elevated and iced for the most part all day yesterday. I only did 1 set of some of the exercises- the most important ones and rested the rest of the time.

This morning when I woke up and began to walk to the bathroom, my knee felt the best it ever has so far. I felt like I could walk almost normally, without pain and it didn't feel that tight. I was so excited. As I am walking, I can feel the tightness again, but just the fact it felt that good initially, was wonderful! There is a light at the end of the tunnel! :loll:
 
it is so exciting when you see improvement and it is easier to move. Just remember you are still very early in your recovery. This is the time when many people try to do too much.
 
I know you're right, @skigirl . Speaking for myself only, I know I feel like I should be getting on with things -- and life -- even though I know better! Then we suffer because of it.

Roxie
 
I had a PT session today with the PT who evaluated me initially when I began outpatient therapy approx. a month ago , rather than the PTA who has been treating me 2 times a week with the exercises that the PT laid out in her initial eval. (The first month post-op, I received home PT 3 times a week.) The therapy session today was almost an hour and 15 minutes, (which frankly, was too long as I am quite sore now.) I began by warming up on the bike for 10 minutes like I usually do, but then she had me work out with 2 machines with weights on them. (One to strengthen my quads, the other machine, unfortunately I forgot the name of. ) I was able to do both of the machines without any problem.

To my shock, in addition to multiple other exercises, she also had me practice walking up and down the stairs normally, a few steps at a time, first by using a small platform with steps that were about half as tall as a normal step. I was so nervous to even try though, afraid I would fall, as I had not been able to walk up or down stairs normally for about 5 years! When I realized I could do it, I had tears in my eyes! It felt wonderful! I know no one but those of you on the forum here, would be able to understand the accomplishment that I felt today!!! The PT then took me outside to the staircase in the hallway and encouraged me to climb up and down a few of those steps too. Of course I had to hold on the the banister, but I was able to do it!!!! The PT advised me to begin climbing a few stairs normally at home now, up and down each day and said that gradually over time, I will work my way up to being able to climb up and down the entire staircase normally. It felt like such a break through!!!
 
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I'm really glad that you discovered you can do steps normally. :yes!::happydance::yay:

It's too early to be using weights for strengthening, though.
 
@Celle, thank you! As far as the weights though, they set them on the lowest setting and they did not hurt at all while I was doing them. I think what bothered me today, is that the session was just too long!
 
OK. Just try to make sure they make your PT gentle.
 
Awesome! I am getting better at steps, once I get the other knee done I'm sure I'll be able to go down without any problem. I can climb up steps normally now. As for the weights, my doctor didn't start those until after my 90 day appointment and even that turned out to be too soon. It sounds like you are doing the leg extension machine(I did that with my op leg only and set at 10 lbs) and the leg press machine(I did that with my op leg only set at 40 lbs). I didn't have any trouble when I started these, but after a couple of weeks I had excruciating pain about 4 hours after a workout. It was so bad my doctor was afraid I had a stress fracture in my tibia. But xrays were fine and it was just too much too early. I took a couple of weeks off and iced and rested my leg and incredibly, all that soft tissue damage healed during that time. Since then I've never looked back. With this next surgery I'll wait to start weights until my tissues are healed.
 
I would lay off the PT and focus on walking and going up and down stairs if you have any swelling....going down stairs requires more ROM than going up(105) and natural activities are a good gauge of progress like not holding on going up or down......

Vinny
 
How does your knee feel the next day? My PT added weights at around 10 weeks and I felt no pain from it at all, just some discomfort while exercising. I still can't go up and down stairs normally, but not because of my TKR, my natural knee is just too weak. So I'm definitely jealous of that accomplishment!
 
@MidwestTKR, congratulations of doing the stairs! Doesn't it feel wonderful to be able to do something you haven't been able to do for years?? Now you know for sure that it was worth it! I wish you continued success!


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Thanks everyone. Just to clarify, I did not climb up and down the entire staircase. I only am able to do about 3 steps now and I will slowly and gradually work my way up.

I had to take increased pain meds yesterday evening due to the PT. I don't think it was any specific exercise that caused it, since none of them caused me pain while I was doing them, but I believe it was the length of the therapy session. Way too much in 1 session!!! Why they do that, I don't understand. They obviously have been trained to believe that is the right way. I still have some light pain today so I am taking it easy.
 
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