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TKR The Odyssey of My Newfangled Knee

@Pescara PT was just eval. He's a non nonsense kind of guy. Once we got on the same page, I liked him. I think he understands my nervousness better and I understand that if I don't get over it, I won't progress. So, with him pushing me and me trying not to fight against him, I'm hoping my leg will get stronger. He said I'm in great shape just need to strengthen above and below the knee to give it support, then I won't be such a worry wort. Yeah, easier said than done!!
 
Thanks @Kssii I agree. I think I have some tendonitis in the back of my knee. But I'm hoping some of the water exercises will help. He said we'll be doing a lot of walking in the water. I guess only time will tell.

@Slainte thanks for the good wishes. I'm hoping things go well too. This is a place with a great reputation for rehab so if I can move beyond my own self-consciousness and stubbornness and fears, I shouldn't need them for long. And @KarriB you're great at keeping tabs on us. I'm sure those numbers will return. I just need to keep up my end of the bargain. Sometimes I get lazy and think you can get physically fit by osmosis, but it doesn't work that way. Small steps, small goals and I'll do great.
 
Sounds like a good PT!

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@momweb I was at 120 at week 4 when the infection sent me into emergency surgery and an imbolizer for a month. I didn't bend my knee for over a month! But eventually got back to 120 and my OS said he'd be happy if got to 90. I don't know what my ROM is now, but I can squat in the pool, ride my bike and do lunges on the stairs. There wasn't anything easy about bending after being straight for so long and I had lost a lot of muscle tone while in the imbolizer. We are determined women and I know you will set your mind to the task at hand.
 
momweb said:
So, I'm trying to make small goals for myself. This weekend: walk up the stairs like a normal person, one foot after the other, no matter what. Each time it gets a little easier.
Click to expand...

Have you been doing heel slides? After being straight I worked on simple heel slides and that made a big difference in my ROM.
 
@KarriB I'm trying, I'm trying. Getting your mind in the right place is almost as difficult as doing the exercises themselves. I do have a goal and that's a vacation at the end of October. We are going to Tucson and I want to be able to walk and hike and shop and not feel like I need to rest every 1/2 hour. So, I'm willing to work hard in the next 6 weeks to strengthen those muscles that at this point are just pure unadulterated flab!!:groan: But knowing I have a place to vent and people who will support is what makes the process bearable.:yahoo:
 
I do heel slides in bed at night. But I can be lazy and just slide a little, instead of sliding to bring the knee back further. There is a clear difference.
 
I think once you get moving that knee you'll be ok. I got the go ahead to start non-aggressive bending Dec.26th, and went back to teaching January 29th. You can do this! After a few weeks my PT did work on building strength. They eventually had me pushing 90lbs on a weight machine with my RTKR and there was no pain at all, during or after. I was almost 4 months out of TKR surgery.
 
Start taking photos of how far you're able to slide and post here! I did that, but posted on Facebook. You'll get lots of encouragement and cheering!
 
OK now you do those heel slide correctly!:heehee: All kidding aside, do your homework, but don't overdo it.. It has taken quite awhile to get where you are right now, so no amount of work is going to get you knee "perfect" right away. This is going to take some time.
 
Of course you will get stronger! Just take it a day at a time and focus on the positive. As my wonderful mother (89 yrs old and was fully recovered from TKR in three weeks - (thanks for the genes, mom)) still tells me, "every day in every way you're getting better and better!"
 
@momweb I'm glad to hear PT went well. Even in Florida I still wear shorts and a tank top to the beach. My chunky body in a bathing suit will never happen lol thanks to Ben & Jerrys. I'm addicted. I wonder if they have a 12 step program for ice cream.Even Madison begs for it every night! How can I say no to that cute face. Today is bath and partial haircut for her. She loves to play in the tub with her rubber duck. Hope you are feeling better and enjoy the pool:doggie:
 
It's been awhile since I've posted on my own thread but today I attended my first out patient physical therapy session at 12 weeks. It was aqua therapy which is something I have never done. My therapist who by his own admission can sometimes be quite intense was great today! I did a lot of walking in 94 degrees waist deep water. The toughest exercises dealt with stairs and bending but that was to be expected. He kept telling me to focus. After 45 minutes of more exercise than I've done in 4 months I drove home. I felt relaxed and very warm. (Must have been the heat of the water!:eyebrows:) He said I might be a little sore little, so I guess we shall see. Other than that I feel like I once again, have turned another corner in my recovery. I'm looking forward to this path and hoping it will ease the tightness and pains I have while strengthening the muscles I've lost.:happydance:
 
Sounds like a great approach. But knowing that a workout in water is harder than it seems at the time, I bet you are going to be tired!!:snork:
 
I'll be curious to hear how you feel tomorrow. Good to know you feel you've turned a corner.
 
I'm sending you healing thoughts and by the time you get the happy medicine you will be relaxed. This is a great place to be for support and I'm a newbie. I've learned to be my own advocate and speak up for what I need. I'm 3 1/2 months most left TKR after putting it off for 8 years.

Good thoughts to you.
GNee
June 15, 2015 TKR
 
@momweb I've mastered going UP the stairs and working on going down. I'm doing PT 3x wk for 1- 1 1/2 hrs! Got a new therapist this week and he seems to have a great interest in my gaining all of those "normal" activites as you said "without thinking about it"! Slow and steady?! As the new PT said, "after all, this is why you had the surgery!! " :yes!:
 
Just curious folks....Has anyone had a tightness that stretched from the back of their knee through their calf and straight to their heel? I've had a pain behind my knee since day one, but as the healing progressed I've noticed that there's a real pull and sometimes strong achy pain in that area. I get in when I drive, when I sit and the chair hits the back of my leg or today it feels inflamed after working out. I stretched the calf muscle on the stairs this afternoon and my right calf is actually sore. Hoping this is all about the muscles and tendons still healing.
 
I too have had problems with the back of my knee, but it is only the back that hurts--get "pinches" sometimes and can really hurt. Although it isn't obviously swollen, PA thinks it is swollen tissue that is getting caught in the knee joint. Josephine thinks it is a baker's cyst. In either case, it hurts and leaves the area sore.

I am no expert, but it sounds to me like you might need to stretch your hamstrings. I still do that by putting my toes up on a small pillow, locking my knees, ( I hyper extend by nature) and standing there for 2 min. once or twice a day. I still do this because I had plantar fascia a week after my surgery so bad that I couldn't put weight on my foot and I still get an occasional twinge.
 
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