PKR The Knee Replacement Train Rehab Station

[Josephine]

 

[kneeper]

If you have some numbness on the skin near the incision that's perfectly normal. A lot of that feeling will come back--it did for me gradually over the course of about a year.

Your quads may be snoozy right now but like your doc said they will wake up. Frustrating but they apparently take their own good time.

 

[dragonflywoods]

Hi,

I've just started following you today. I had my partial knee done on Jan 21, so your a little a head of me. I am struggling with leg lifts too. I am starting to get more bend in my knee each day. I don't think my pain meds are enough, but PT has me using an EMPI electrode gadget to help with pain. I hope to continue to follow you, as maybe I can learn something from your experience.

 

[glazed151]

Hi Shannon!
I just came home from my very first PT appt.
I think it went really well. The woman I am seeing is young, and very energetic! I am really glad that the first half of the hour she spent just getting to know me, and not just my knee. We did some stretches and a few exercises and then she put me on a machine for 5 minutes. It wasn't painful at all. She sent me home with a few new exercises and a 3 x a week plan of action.

I am completely blown away how tired I am! I think this is the one thing I just can;t seem to wrap my brain around, lol. I do nothing of any consequence all day. Walking around my house, my exercises and I am ready for a nap!

I have quite a bit more bend to my knee each day and the pain really is kept at bay as long as I remember to stay on med schedule. PT told me that only 2 of my quads aren't firing and that it could very well be weeks before they come back, but I am to keep trying the lifts. She said next appt I will have the EMPI thing you spoke of. She said some patients find it quite uncomfortable as the jolts to the muscles are pretty strong. Not sure what I am in for with that but I am up for anything!

I have lost all but 4 or 5 of the steri strips and my incision looks ok....I guess. Icky weird raised. No feeling per say in it. I touch it and it just feels weird. Still waiting for the numbness in my thigh to subside but again she said it may take a while.....or honestly there may always be spots with no sensation at all. She told me that she herself had knee surgery a few years ago and still has one spot she can not feel and that it doesn't even get goose bumps when she is cold! All around it will, but that one spot does not!

The other big thing I am dealing with is a total lack of appetite. I make myself eat, but I could honestly easily not at all. I know I have to eat, as I have issues with ulcers but I'm curious as to how many others struggle with this side effect, of either all the meds or just the surgery in general?

 

[Butterfly]

@glazed151 I had hips, not knee, but I also had the no appetite thing. I just didn't want to eat and it all seemed way too much trouble anyway. I made myself eat a bit of fruit and a bit of other things, especially when taking the meds. I think it was caused by the strong pain meds. Once the pain meds stepped down, my appetite returned.

 

[Josephine]

Please don't quote a post to reply to it every time. Just scoot on down to the bottom of the page and start typing!

I am completely blown away how tired I am! I think this is the one thing I just can;t seem to wrap my brain around, lol. I do nothing of any consequence all day. Walking around my house, my exercises and I am ready for a nap!
The other big thing I am dealing with is a total lack of appetite.

Did you read the articles I left you in post #33? If not, you need to as then all these questions will be answered. You might also read this one Constipation and stool softeners as this too can spoil your appetite!

 

[dragonflywoods]

I still get tired off and on. I have been going to bed around 10:30pm and don't usually get up till around 8:00 am. I have noticed some days I get more tired. When I first came home from the hospital I felt so nauseous and did not want to eat. That didn't last very long with me. Sadly I was hoping I wouldn't have an appetite, so I could lose a little weight, LOL. But I am so happy I am not nauseous, that was the worse feeling to have, when your trying to also deal with healing your body from surgery.

I've got a white patch over my incision, so I can't see it at all. I can feel the staples thou. I posted a picture on the one forum with pictures. I am curious to what it look like, but will have to wait till Feb 3rd, unless I get my bandage wet before then.

I would not worry about the EMPI. It allows you to set the sensation you are comfortable with. So when I first start it up, it would be a lower number. But when I start to get my knee moving I will have pain, so I just up the sensation and it distracts your brain, so that the pain is not what you think it is. I am glad I have it, I would say it has made my exercising a lot easier.

I'm supposed to be doing PT 3 times a week too, but we have had snow and ice the last 2 days and the Eastern shore of NC is not used to it. I hope I will get to go Friday.

 

[glazed151]

Josephine.
Not sure about the quoting. Maybe I clicked something by accident.
I have read everything you suggested....as per the lack of appetite I was just wanting to hear others stories. I have no need of stool softeners so that is not my issue. Perhaps I'm mistaken as to how this forum works?

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[glazed151]

@dragonflywoods

Thanks, good to get some feed back on the machine I'll be trying Friday.
I was nervous about the staple removal. Only one or 2 pinched a bit, the rest were nothing and I had 17 total. I've got the steristrips steps now that are driving me nuts now...starting to lift and catch on clothes and sheets. I'm trimming them per dr instructions as they lift but I really can't wait for them to be off. completely!
I should post a picture to that thread!

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[NetballKnees]

Hi Glazed ... you did go through the mill a bit, but I am so glad you are now home and coping. You can post anything on here - whining, questions, sooking, positive things, negative things - we are interested in them all and there will always be someone who has had the same thing or the same concerns or can tag someone they know who has.

I am at 15 weeks today and can't believe it has gone so fast. I was so much like you (still am to a certain extent) in that if something didn't improve in a couple of days, I was worried there was something wrong with me. I am slowly, oh so slowly, learning the patience that recovery from PKR or TKR needs. You are so much younger than me and I can only imagine how much more impatient I would have been at 43. I don't know that I had a lack of appetite, more a very laid back attitude to it - I either eat or I don't - no problem. It does get better as the stronger pain meds are weaned back and as you start to get around a bit more.

I was the opposite of you and a few others on the forum. I could raise my leg straight up in the air about the third day after the op - while still in hospital BUT I couldn't bend and still at 15 weeks, my bend has not reached 90degrees, but gosh the leg raises are still great. I actually attribute this to all the bike riding and bike classes I did at gym up until the op. I think my quads were particularly strong from that.

Most of what you are concerned about is normal, but when you are going through it for the first time, of course it is very abnormal and you get concerned, stressed and sometimes agitated by it. Just jump on here and someone will help you out. On my thread there are so many sooking posts and posts where I sound positive and "yes, I'm going to be more patient from now on ... more laid back etc etc", but the very next post is "Why, why, why isn't it happening YET. It still isn't happening - what's wrong with me".

All in all, you seem to be doing very well and your flexion is tremendous, so take comfort in that and try to wait for those quads to wake up. I hope they give you some warning before they do though. I would hate to think you would be lying there all innocently and giving a huge effort to lift it and it flies straight back up over your head.

I sincerely hope everything goes well for you and that the quads are awake and firing really soon.

Take care and be kind to yourself ...
Ellen

 

[Josephine]

I still get tired off and on. I have been going to bed around 10:30pm and don't usually get up till around 8:00 am. I have noticed some days I get more tired.

considering yiou are only 9 days post op, that's hardly surprising. This energy drain can last a many weeks.

Perhaps I'm mistaken as to how this forum works?

You seem to be doing very well actually - in what way do you think you are mistaken?

 

[kneeper]

I remember PT being like an "event" in those early days. Not that I was worked so hard just that any uptick in activity knocks it out of you. As others have said, totally normal. Sounds like you're sleeping well at night which is good and don't worry if a "napping impulse" strikes too.

 

[glazed151]

Oh my goodness....Holy cow. I knew it might make noises...the doc's talked about that. But I just heard it for myself.
I was massaging my scar as instructed and it was like tapping or clicking 2 quarters together! !
Ick!
That's normal noise yes? I'm not sure exactly what it's supposed to be like?
I'm such a spleeny dork sometimes!


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[glazed151]

Today has been a bad day. I am so tired of not sleeping at night. I'm not sure if I can watch one more episode of The Golden Girls at 3 am. I sent hubby out in the snowstorm today for benadryl so I am going to take that tonight. I hope it helps. I know the no sleep thing is something we all seem to deal with and that does give me some comfort knowing it's not just me.
PT is 3 x a week and they are wonderful. Yesterday was only the zapping machine because she was so concerned about my swelling and pain. I am like clock work with meds but the.pain seems to shift at will. Yesterday it was all medial, which was where I felt the majority of my pre surgery pain. Have felt nothing like that since surgery until yesterday. I gotta say it was concerning and I immediately went to worst case scenario. I've read all about feeling sad and all...so I know it's all normal but it's hard for me because I am normally so happy and upbeat.
I can't begin to tell you how many people say Wow you're only 43...you should recover from this like a champ in no time. Makes me want to either scream or cry.
I'm sorry...All I'm doing is complaining which I hate. This is partly why I haven't been posting on here very often. I internalize everything and have a hard time admitting when I'm not in full control of my life like I have always been.
Can you tell i am a Type A Virgo much???
Will happily accept any and all advice or slap up side the head....
Thanks for letting me vent.

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[glazed151]

Wow, from one extreme to the other. Yesterday was completely sucky, a big ole pity party. Not only a pity party for myself, but for my family who have taken on so much extra work. As you can see from my previous post I was whining and complaining!
Then today I had the most awesome session at PT. My quads started firing and I actually did a handful of straight leg lifts!!!
It was completely out of the blue. The therapist I have been working with as been away this week at a PT convention in Las Vegas, so I've been working with another woman. This lady is much older and I can just tell that she has seen it all. Today I asked her how long she has worked at my hospital and she said 35 years! So anyway, she had me on the table with the bolster under my knees doing some lifts, or trying to at least. She started out by helping to lift my leg, and then gradually I was able to do it on my own! She was so funny, started cheering and dancing around the room, lol. Then she removed the bolster and asked if I could do a straight lift....and I tried & tried but nothing. She said "Not a big deal, I am going to go get you some ice." and left the room. Well, I layed there, really concentrating and before I knew it I was lifting my leg!! I yelled to her that I was doing it, and she was like WHAT? NO WAY!! and came running back in. I did a couple more and she yelled out to the other therapists that Caryn did it!! and they came running too. Everyone was cheering and it was awesome!
I am so proud of my quads and myself! My leg is super tired right now, but feels good too. Like it's finally waking up. I made sure I took my pain meds before PT, so I think that helped.
I am going to make sure I don't over do it, but my family and I are going out to dinner for Thai food to celebrate my accomplishments. Yum and Yay!

 

[hbacres]

Woo Hoo! Great job! You and your quads are awesome! Enjoy your dinner out tonight!

 

[kneeper]

Yay quads! and yay to your PTs!

 

[Josephine]

I can't begin to tell you how many people say Wow you're only 43...you should recover from this like a champ in no time. Makes me want to either scream or cry.

It would me too. Typically 'young' patients actually find this a lot tougher than us oldies!

Can you tell I am a Type A Virgo much???

Noooo not much!

today I had the most awesome session at PT. My quads started firing and I actually did a handful of straight leg lifts!!!

But now don't go mad and overdo it!

 

[speccybecky]

My GP told me that younger people expect more functionality while some older people are just happy to walk without pain. I was convinced I'd never walk properly again and the surgeon had made a mistake during surgery! Once I accepted that I had to just wait till it healed I actually started to feel better

 

[amab]

My ORS said the same thing that speccybecky just mentioned above!