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TKR The Odyssey of My Newfangled Knee

@SarahJane I have an entire routine that was established by my PT. It begins with walking forward, walking backwards, walking sideways. Then I march in place. Keeping hips steady, all of these are done on both sides. Kick leg out to side, pull knee in and kick back in one motion, circle leg. Keep knees together and kick one leg back towards butt. Leg squats, hands at sides, squat, hands come up as you come up. Stair step up goes like this: step up with right leg, step up with left. Step down with right leg, step down with the left. Repeat with other leg. All of this is done in waist deep water. At the end of about 40 minutes i go into the deeper water, hang on to the side and do bicycle motions for a few minutes, followed by legs opening and closing and ending with kicking legs straight up one after the other to work the quads.

By the end I'm exhausted and my legs are really tired. At the last session, my PT added side steps followed by a squat, side step followed by a squat across the pool and back. That killed me and my knee. I not only was hurting but swelled by the end of the day. He gave me a printout of all these exercises. If I can figure out how to copy them, maybe I can share them here someplace. I'm sure they'd be useful for many of us. Tomorrow is my last pool therapy. Next week I transition to land for 4 more classes and then I think I'm done. Hope this helps.
 
momweb said:
By the end I'm exhausted and my legs are really tired. At the last session, my PT added side steps followed by a squat, side step followed by a squat across the pool and back. That killed me and my knee. I not only was hurting but swelled by the end of the day. He gave me a printout of all these exercises. If I can figure out how to copy them, maybe I can share them here someplace. I'm sure they'd be useful for many of us.
Click to expand...
If you were hurting and your knee swelled, then you did too much. It's very easy to do too much in the water, because it's supporting much of your weight and you don't realise that you are getting tired.

I think with hydro therapy (like most PT) it's best to start with just a little exercise and gradually work up to doing more.
 
@Celle Oh I agree on that particular day I definitely did way too much. I even realized it half way through but pushed my way. I should have known better. The next class the therapist gave me an option of doing half the squats in shallow water or double the squats in deeper water. I chose the deeper water. It made a huge difference and I did really well. No pain, no swelling and I was proud of myself.
 
They say water therapy is awesome and a warm pool is even better.Really hope it helps.A friend who teaches water aerobics said to be careful as you are exerting more pressure than you think.Be careful but enjoy


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@Healer01 The water therapy I was in was run by a Physical Therapist. The pool water was 94 degrees so it was very warm. All exercises were monitored by the therapist. When I return to the Y in a couple of weeks, their pool is 84 degrees and you are right I will have to be careful since I will be taking classes open to everyone not classes run by a therapist geared just for me.
 
Please take it easy when it opens to members. Lots of germy germs. If anyone looks sick or has a wound don't go in. It's all about your recovery not theirs.
 
Well, another day in the journey....At almost 4 months there are things that I am thrilled about and things that make me extremely frustrated.
The positives:
  • I can walk for fairly long distances provided the land is fairly flat without any discomfort
  • I can kneel without discomfort (this was a pleasant surprise) - just don't lean back
  • I have excellent ROM and extension
  • According to PT I am strong and have good stability
  • I can go go up the stairs like a normal person without holding on to the handrails
  • I can use the elliptical machine for about 10-15 minutes depending on the day
Frustrations:
  • Walking on slopes whether up or down create pain in the front of the knee making it difficult to walk and in New England no where is flat
  • I cannot walk down the stairs normally no matter how hard I try without pain, even with the handrails
  • I have pain behind my knee which is felt when I sit or lay down which is a problem when I try to sleep at night. I haven't slept through the night in weeks without some type of pain med relief
  • The pain behind my knee moves to my calf which also becomes painful
  • If I bend my knee standing straight I'm fine, any sideway movement of the knee causes pain
  • I still have pain in the front of the knee if weight is put on it, such as bending down a little
I see the OS next week who will probably tell me I'm doing fine and I guess I am, but the frustrations, at times, can be hard to overcome. I will end PT next week as well. He's done all he can do to help me. I still have fluid at the top of the knee. There are days, I am so frustrated I want to cry. I am still glad I did the surgery but I am not where I want to be physically at this point.
 
If you can I would print or copy r this for your OS. I still can't walk up the stairs like a normal person and still one by one down . After 4 months pain in the top of the knee and no kneeling. I was asked if it was worth it but I'm not there yet. Because of my back I can't bend over or stretch or reach for anything. Did you have a porch or deck? Maybe a few walk around would help with the walking on flat land
 
I hear ya, there's no direction for me to walk where I don't come across a hill where I have to go down. And with the dog... ay! It's almost a dicey proposition. I take very small steps. Going up is fine.

I agree you should print out your post and take it to the OS with you to see what he says. I'm interested in his answers!

I think for me looking back a week for comparison isn't as helpful as looking back two weeks to see where I am now vs then... and can see more of a change. The journaling here is very helpful for the journey. :)

Hang in there!
 
I will say I was 7 months before I began to feel no pain at all. I stopped taking pain meds including Tylenol or Aleve when I stopped the oxycodone, around week 16 (4 months), except for at night when I took Tylenol pm. The pain wasn't bad enough to take something and I was trying to get my liver and kidneys back to,some semblance of health after so much Aleve before surgery and all the meds I was on after both surgeries.
My balance is still bad on uneven ground, but that could be partly due to my plantar fasciitis on the same side as my TKR. When I was sore I thought it was from using muscles etc. that I hadn't used in quite a while. Eventually it just went away, but I agree, bring it up to your OS and see what he says.
 
8 months post op was my turn-around- my first day without pain. Everyone's recovery is different; some of us take longer than others.
 
Dear Patience:
Lately I have not seen you, at least that's what I've been told. I've heard it said people should be prepared for the long recuperation. What does that mean? Knowing it takes a long time, accepting it and dealing with it involves so many psychological mind boggling dilemmas that I'm not sure anyone can prepare. So many of us were in pain before surgery and dealt with it, yet since the surgery it's hard to deal with the leftover new pain. That's psychological. I wasn't prepared for that. I'm working on it. So, patience, you are the one thing that is supposed to help us all of deal with this recovery. Where are you when we need you the most? AHHH....I get it, you are spread so thin helping others....well, when you get a chance, please send some my way... I could sure use some now.
Thanks.
 
Yeah the OS when I originally inquired about a TKR mentioned something like a three month recovery, but at my post op he said six months to a year to feel back to normal. I felt a bit duped!

(It doesn't help I had no pain pre TKR, just a very unstable knee!)

sent from my Galaxy 4
 
My OS never told me how long it would take and about patience. Guess I still have a lot to learn. I was not prepared for the pain that goes with it. The only thing I was told was I would feel a lot better. I now have trust issues with him. I feel the same as Tigz
 
My OS said it could take a year and it'll probably never feel like my natural knee, but the pain would be gone. So far he was right. I do wonder if it'll feel more natural after I get the other knee done. We can ask @Slainte in a few months.
 
My first knee already feels like a normal knee. I never even think about it. It hurt so much for so long that I am amazed and so happy. The only thing I have not learned to trust it for is climbing stairs. It does not hurt when I do it, but my brain is so convinced that it will hurt that I am super hesitant. As my second knee heals, I will be working on that. My second knee still keeps me up at night, and gets really stiff. It gets mad when I accidentally bend it too much. But now that I have stopped PT and am babying it I see improvement. Only 17 days out, and I think by the end of next week we will have come to an understanding. I figure after Christmas I will be genuinely working out at the gym to get my body back in shape. That will be the test of the two new knees. I think they will be terrific. I wish the same for you.:friends:
 
[Bonesmart.org] The Odyssey of My Newfangled Knee

Good things may take time, but they're worth it in the end.
 
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my new knee feels like my other knee when sitting. But still feels different and clicks when walking.
Everyone tells me give it a year to see. Even though I never had pain and only discomfort I am happy now I did it. I can walk up and down steps like a normal person ( I will always hold on ). I can ride bike and lift my leg to put in cloths
Don't loose hope and continue to work on gaining strength and balance and normalcy will come
 
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