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TKR The Odyssey of My Newfangled Knee

Today I had aqua therapy, my second session of the week. After seeing my OS yesterday, I'm feeling better psychologically and last night I took my first dose of Neurontin. I slept through the night without pain for the first time since surgery. :egypdance: That alone helps give you a whole new outlook on your recovery. I will make it through this. All is not lost.

So, on my way to therapy, I stopped at Dunkin Doughnuts, got my iced tea and a glass of water. When I got to the therapy locker room. I dumped out half the water. I gave that half glass full of water to my therapist as a symbol that I'm ready to work on recovery. He was right about everything. The surgeon confirmed I was fine. I wanted him to know that without giving him a huge head.:snork: So, symbolically the water was my way of saying, I'm here, I brought all the patience I could garner with me and with your help my knee and all its complicated muscles and tendons will improve!!

I told him I can't promise that I will always feel the way I do today, but he needed to understand that I finally understand how long the process will take and I'm ready to tackle it. And to bear with me. :good-bad: So, we laughed and into the water I went. It was the best exercise session and my knee responded accordingly!!:wow:
 
Congrats on an outstanding session today!!!!! It does take time to recover from TKR....
 
Went to pool therapy this morning after a busy weekend. I did a lot of house cleaning especially windows which made me climb up and down a step ladder and a lot of bending. I also decided to try my elliptical machine for 5 minutes which in hindsight was probably a little too long. So, into the warm water my really sore knee went. And now an hour or so later, I'm icing away.

Tomorrow, it'll be just the elliptical for maybe 4 minutes. Still building muscle and strength. The nerves in my knee are behaving themselves thanks to the Neurontin. Just got to build those muscles to stabilize the knee and rid the knee of the painful scar tissue.
Exercise, :tiredwheel:, motion of any kind is good, just not too much. Ice helps, :ice:, and so does keeping the mind heading in the right direction, (still working on that - patience, patience, patience) :chillpill:. So, for all of you looking for a quick recovery, forget it. This is fun! We get to do it together!!
 
So very true! Rebuilding those dang muscles takes a long time. It isn't just a matter of rebuilding them from the surgery. It's also a matter of rebuilding muscles that weren't used much in the months -- and, in some cases, years -- leading up to surgery. I discovered that my ongoing tai chi did help but I still have had a lot of muscle building to do.

Slow and steady wins the race!

Roxie
 
Oh @Kansas Teacher how right you are. It's like losing weight. Those pounds didn't come on overnight and won't come off overnight either no matter how much we wish they would.
 
Me three!!!! It may be a while before I feel confident enough to do that. But indeed, you ARE an inspiration! :yes!:
 
Hi there. I have been MIA around here. Glad things are doing well for you. My mom just had spinal fusion surgery, terrible nerve pain has happened after 2 weeks. She is taking the neurontin, but it has not started helping yet. How long did it take to work for you?
 
LOL! Yes, you have to work up to the time on the elliptical. I started at 4 mins. at about week 5--once or twice a week. When I last saw my OS he said walk 1 mile or do 15 mins. on the elliptical. Don't think he understands an elliptical. I can easily walk 1 mile, but am just now working my way to 12 mins. on the elliptical.
 
momweb said:
[Bonesmart.org] The Odyssey of My Newfangled Knee Today marks week 11 since my right knee underwent surgery. Looks pretty good, don't you think? I'm doing really well with only small concerns. I see outpatient PT for the first time Friday, which is a 3 week delay since I've had any PT. I don't expect to be there long if at all. They may evaluate me and send me right back home with suggestions of things to do at home, we shall see. I don't have much pain during the day until I start doing things. By the end of the day, I swell making it hard to bend the knee and get throngs of pain in the knee. I still can't sleep at night without pain control of some sort. I'm finishing out the Oxycontin, but I think I can use something different, but I will need something. How long do people use pain meds at night? Thanks again for all your support.
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Wow. Looks great.

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Been doing good. A horrible day and night but think I've crossed that path. No problems with infection or redness. . Ju.st swelling. . Lots if ice and elevation. Goal.is to try some stairs today. First am without nausea.. could finally have my coffee. Seeing dr. Thursday. . So will get his opinion then.

How about you?

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momweb said:
Today I had aqua therapy, my second session of the week. After seeing my OS yesterday, I'm feeling better psychologically and last night I took my first dose of Neurontin. I slept through the night without pain for the first time since surgery. :egypdance: That alone helps give you a whole new outlook on your recovery. I will make it through this. All is not lost.

So, on my way to therapy, I stopped at Dunkin Doughnuts, got my iced tea and a glass of water. When I got to the therapy locker room. I dumped out half the water. I gave that half glass full of water to my therapist as a symbol that I'm ready to work on recovery. He was right about everything. The surgeon confirmed I was fine. I wanted him to know that without giving him a huge head.:snork: So, symbolically the water was my way of saying, I'm here, I brought all the patience I could garner with me and with your help my knee and all its complicated muscles and tendons will improve!!

I told him I can't promise that I will always feel the way I do today, but he needed to understand that I finally understand how long the process will take and I'm ready to tackle it. And to bear with me. :good-bad: So, we laughed and into the water I went. It was the best exercise session and my knee responded accordingly!!:wow:
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Great. How many weeks post op? I love aqua excercise

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@theresav I'm quite a bit beyond you. My surgery was June 22nd. I did really well for the first 6 weeks, when I popped a stitch and tore a tendon supporting the patella. That set me back about 3 weeks. I started the pool therapy September 18th. I already had had 9 weeks of PT home therapy before that. I was still having trouble with pain at the front and back of the knee. I've never had a whole lot of swelling. The thought was that I had scar tissue that needed to be broken up and that was what was causing the pain. I was also prescribed Neurontin for the night pain I was having. That has worked wonders for the pain except now I find that it is making me hyper for a few hours so I think I will take it much earlier before I go to bed.

Before my knee surgery I went to our local Y and participated in their aquatic exercise classes. At first I was leery since so many of the people were so much older than me. But the classes got me back into great shape and I think that is why I had such a great early recovery.

I am now actually working with a physical therapist twice a week in a 94 degree therapy pool. We basically do many of the same exercises you would do with PT on land but in water. It's wonderful. I wish I had done it earlier in my recovery. You have to wait until at least 6 weeks until you are fully healed before the doctor will allow you to use the pool. But I love it.
 
momweb said:
@theresav I'm quite a bit beyond you. My surgery was June 22nd. I did really well for the first 6 weeks, when I popped a stitch and tore a tendon supporting the patella. That set me back about 3 weeks. I started the pool therapy September 18th. I already had had 9 weeks of PT home therapy before that. I was still having trouble with pain at the front and back of the knee. I've never had a whole lot of swelling. The thought was that I had scar tissue that needed to be broken up and that was what was causing the pain. I was also prescribed Neurontin for the night pain I was having. That has worked wonders for the pain except now I find that it is making me hyper for a few hours so I think I will take it much earlier before I go to bed.

Before my knee surgery I went to our local Y and participated in their aquatic exercise classes. At first I was leery since so many of the people were so much older than me. But the classes got me back into great shape and I think that is why I had such a great early recovery.

I am now actually working with a physical therapist twice a week in a 94 degree therapy pool. We basically do many of the same exercises you would do with PT on land but in water. It's wonderful. I wish I had done it earlier in my recovery. You have to wait until at least 6 weeks until you are fully healed before the doctor will allow you to use the pool. But I love it.
Click to expand...
I used to do a lot of aqua excercise. Love it. Will be wonderful to get back.in the pool. Thanks for your note. Makes me feel better!

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