TKR Thank You - hubby has had both knees done

[tiredwife]

Everyone, after I visit a few more threads it will be bed time. So.......

 

[msmechanic58]

Good morning and goodnight.

 

[tiredwife]

Well, PT today numbers are a little backslide. Extension still a 3 for both, old knee was at 123 flex and new knee was at 127 flex. Different PT today than last measurement, I think they each measure differently. Here is what a 127 bend looks like:
.

 

[msmechanic58]

How interesting. Mine would only measure me sitting up and bending back under the table.

 

[tiredwife]

@msmechanic58 He has better ROM sitting, but they like to do it this way there. Home PT always measured sitting up.

 

[gr82cu2]

Wow!! The best I've measured is 117 and it was nowhere close to looking like that. Does 10 degrees make THAT much difference? How is his stiffness these days?

 

[tiredwife]

@gr82cu2 Hi Janet, 10 degrees does make a difference, plus he has chunky legs. He still has quite a bit of stiffness, but that is normal. For some reason with this knee he is often stiffer after PT for a while. He only has a week of PT left, they said he could go longer, but he doesn't see it making much difference now.

 

[letsgo]

@Jamie we have a lake house 1 cove past the 6 mile marker on the point directly across frm the Gravois Arm. It is a few coves toward the dam from the Toad Cove on the same side as the toad cove. In Horseshoe Bend. Small world. Lol

 

[tiredwife]

@letsgo Hi there, it really is a small world! How are you doing?

 

[tiredwife]

HI everyone, calling it a night. Pleasant night to all!

 

[gr82cu2]

I guess this is what I don't understand and it's probably my fault. Maybe I am using the wrong words or something. When I say I'm stiff it means I can't push past a certain point in my bend. No how, no way! Not happening. So, I guess I don't understand if Steve is still stiff how can he bend to 127? Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled for him but I don't get it. For me, it's like I hit a brick wall and it just won't go past a certain point. Maybe I'm using the word stiff in too many contexts, it just occurred to me. Because I also get stiff when I've been up on it too long and my rom definitely decreases temporarily until I get it up and iced. Maybe I'm at a ROM stop

 

[Pumpkin]

Janet,
Stiff can mean you have the tight rubber band feeling, or you knee does not move a smoothly after walking, or sitting still, but you still have your ROM.
When you say stiff, you mean your ROM is limited, and you can not go any further than your stiffness allow. I hope that makes sense.
English, same word many meanings.
You are at a ROM plateau, as you heal it will increase.

 

[gr82cu2]

Thanks @Pumpkln You've got it! I wouldn't describe anything I've ever felt as being a tight band feeling that I read so much about on here though. I guess I'm just at a different degree of stiffness than Steve, LOL. I know I shouldn't compare. I'm just OVER it. If I could bend my knee as far as Steve I'd be in heaven right now.

 

[Minnie's knees]

@tiredwife thanks for posting a picture of Steve' bend. He is doing so well. The bend after surgery is something I have worried about. I have good bend at least 3-5 days a week now and hope to get it back after surgery. Today my knee is stiff and swollen and I can't bend it anywhere near as much as usual. I can only imagine how it must feel the first few weeks after surgery. How was Steve's bend before his surgery? I wonder if that makes a difference in recovery? Goodnight, sleep well.

 

[letsgo]

@tiredwife I am doing pretty well if I would quit pushing my limits. I thought I would do some baking yesterday. ?.....way too long standing . Hurt all night and still killing me. I was cutting way back on meds but took full dosage this morning and it is not working to well. Now I will ice and elevate and be lazy AND stay on top of meds. Started feeling like super woman. Knee let me know different. It sure is a mean boss today. I keep telling myself it is just discomfort but noooo I have accepted it.....it is REAL pain.

 

[tiredwife]

@gr82cu2 His stiffness comes and goes. He is measured after a bunch of stretching exercises. His stiffness and his tight band feeling are right above the knee. Don't you still have swelling? You aren't going to get your ROM until the swelling is gone. It was a lot slower coming with his first knee, when he had first knee PT he also exercised this knee. I think that helped. I think the stronger the legs are before surgery the easier the recovery. I could be wrong, but that is the impression I get from the threads.

@Minnie's knees They didn't measure his knees before, but his first was bone on bone and was slower to get it's ROM I believe it was about 78 at the hospital. His second knee he worked out with the first at PT and I think that helped a lot. Second knee was 91 in the hospital. I was almost bone on bone.

@letsgo It is hard not to overdo it when you have a day where you feel better. Just increase your activity a little at a time and no huge jumps forward! It is hard to get back on track once you overdo it!

 

[tiredwife]

@gr82cu2 You said you measured 117, that is how Steve was at 7 weeks with his first knee. It was a lot slower getting ROM. He stalled out a lot with that one. He would have little leaps forward and backwards with the ROM with that leg.

 

[gr82cu2]

@tiredwife Yes I still have swelling. It must be swollen although it isn't squishy under the skin anymore. My skin is tight, mostly on and below my knee. And of course my incision is still tight but loosening up some now. I've been massaging it with bio oil trying to loosen it up. My tightness/stiffness is coming mostly from the sides of my knee, in the tendons I guess. My quad has really never hurt past the first few days. When I really push my bend my hamstring tendons get hard as a rock like they are stretched to the max and I think that is also a big part of why my knee won't bend further. I know it will come. There is no reason it shouldn't but what I wouldn't give to forget about this knee for a month or so before doing the other one!

 

[tiredwife]

@gr82cu2 If the skin is tight it is swollen. Try messaging the tendons. Hubby was having tight tendons behind his knee and I rub them every night. Often his PT will rub them too. I wish I had some magic formula for you. Maybe you just need to go a few days just resting it.

 

[tiredwife]

Everyone have a great weekend!