TKR SusaninChicago’s recovery thread

[sistersinhim]

I am curious though about differing postop experiences and outcomes. Does it come down to the skill of the surgeon or are other factors involved?

I think the skill of the surgeon has a lot to do with a patient's outcome. Add that to the damage that is inside the knee that has to be repaired, and the body's ability to heal itself. Also, an important part of the outcome are the activities of the patient during their recovery. Doing too much will slow down healing in most people. Not doing anything will also slow down that recovery, too. Each patient will have to find their own balance. Everyone is different.

 

[Jockette]

I think the skill of the surgeon has a lot to do with a patient's outcome. Add that to the damage that is inside the knee that has to be repaired, and the body's ability to heal itself. Also, an important part of the outcome are the activities of the patient during their recovery. Doing too much will slow down healing in most people. Not doing anything will also slow down that recovery, too. Each patient will have to find their own balance. Everyone is different.

Excellent way to describe this recovery!

 

[SusaninChicago]

Thank you, Sisterinhim and Jockette, for your responses. I was thinking that there is a payoff to living alone in that you are more or less compelled to be somewhat active in everyday life. I had outpatient PT today for the first time. Everything is great except for balance. ROM was 0/120.

 

[sistersinhim]

Since I am and was single at the time of my surgery, I had to take care of everything. That was my PT. I never took any formal PT.

 

[SusaninChicago]

Yep, daily life is PT!
Quick question for anyone—any good experiences with scar improvement products? Last time around, I used some silicone cream I bought off amazon. It was a bit pricey and I am not convinced it did very much.

 

[Celle]

It's not necessary to use scar improvement products. If your scar and the surrounding skin seem dry, just use your normal moisturizer.

Your scar is going to improve in appearance all by itself, as time passes - all the lumps and bumps will flatten out; The scar's colour will fade and eventually you will end up with a thin, silvery line.

Old Mother Nature is pretty good at doing her job of healing.

 

[MARYCOOL]

I purchased silicone scar removal strips. I did this mainly to cover my scar in the sun.
I purchased them through Amazon! I will let you know how they work!

 

[SusaninChicago]

Thank you Mary Cool! Please do let me know. I have heard anecdotally that the strips are better than creams.

I learned a lesson yesterday. I did pt in the morning and then put in a full day of work. So exhausted today, I couldn’t do much of anything. I guess it is a reminder to pace myself a bit more. I am so anxious to get back to my normal routine after almost a month of recover.

 

[kneeper]

True--your body will tell you. A month is early days whether we like it or not. Take it easy this weekend.

 

[Celle]

I learned a lesson yesterday. I did pt in the morning and then put in a full day of work. So exhausted today,

Oh Susan, you really overdid it! No wonder you're exhausted.

You've gone back to work very early. We usually recommend taking about ten to twelve weeks off work and then doing a Phased return to work

Often, going back sooner is an economic necessity, but once you're back at work, your work is your PT. It's overdoing it to go to PT as well as work. Everything you do during you normal day's activities is exercise for your knee.

I am so anxious to get back to my normal routine after almost a month of recovery.

Knee replacement is major surgery and you can't get over it in just a few weeks. It takes a full year for all your knee's tissues to recovery completely. It's a long-haul recovery, more like a marathon than a sprint.

Try not to think of resting as "lying around, doing nothing." Instead, think of it as working hard, to give your knee the best possible chance of healing well.
In other words, when you are icing and elevating and watching TV, you are not 'lazing around' - you are "engaging in a carefully considered, proactively designed, heuristically programmed, dynamically structured recovery programme".

 

[SusaninChicago]

Thank you, Celle, for the kind response. I am working at home so my job is desk work, zoom meetings, and the like. Nothing is physically taxing, but I find just being upright and interacting with people surprisingly exhausting. I am involved in a couple of projects that are time sensitive and am acutely aware of falling behind my own expectations. On top of that, the knee itself is doing great. Very little swelling or pain, and great range of motion, so I feel as if I should be able to power through it. But, when I try to follow my normal schedule, my body just can’t keep up. Today I was queasy with fatigue ....

 

[Celle]

I understand the time pressures, but do try to be kind to yourself and your knee as well.
You're still dealing with the Energy drain for TKRs

On top of that, you probably have some residual brain fog, which prevents you from thinking as clearly as you do normally. I think that, apart from the cocktail of anaesthetics and drugs you've had to take in the past month, the energy drain affects your brain as well as the rest of your body.
Certainly, we often advise people not to make any important financial decisions this early in recovery.

 

[SusaninChicago]

My incision has been driving me crazy since right after the surgery. It‘s been very itchy and a bit inflamed looking. The only thing that helped was ice but only temporarily. As soon as I stopped icing, the itchiness began again.m Today I showed it to my physical therapist who said he thought the doctor should take a look at it. They managed to squeeze me in this afternoon and the doctor thinks I am having an allergic reaction to the glue used to close the incision. I started taking Benadryl and using a cortisone cream right away, and what a relief. The itching is gone! I guess the lesson is don’t be afraid to speak up if something seems off. I wish I’d asked earlier.

 

[Jockette]

So glad you got a solution for that! We’ve had other members allergic to the glue. It makes me glad I had stitches, but I guess someone could react to that, too. I’m definitely glad I never had staples!

 

[MARYCOOL]

Thank you Mary Cool! Please do let me know. I have heard anecdotally that the strips are better than creams.

The strips are really nice, they cover my scar, so I don't have to worry about the sun.
I think it is too soon to tell if it is diminished or not. It's really not that bad at all. I also used arnica on it..but, make sure there is no stabbing before you try anything!
Keep me posted, okay?

 

[Sisterpat]

I had 42 staples in one knee and 41 in the other, Jockette but they never really bothered me!

 

[SusaninChicago]

I had staples in my right knee and had no issues, although it looked pretty scary!

 

[SusaninChicago]

My new knee will be 5 weeks old tomorrow. Still struggling with finding a happy medium between doing nothing and doing too much. I cancelled the cleaning service I’ve been using for the last month and did my own cleaning yesterday, taking frequent breaks.I was pretty tired today, but managed to do a bit of gardening, cooked a proper lunch and dinner, and practiced piano. That is the sum total of my day and I am exhausted at 7:30. Sigh.... On the other hand, my knee is doing well. I can generally go up and down the stairs in normal fashion, unless I am carrying something heavy, like the vacuum cleaner.

 

[Sisterpat]

I think the exhaustion lingers for quite a while. You’re doing a lot!

 

[kneeper]

I started by breaking my household tasks into chunks. Some one day, some on another.