TKR The Snail and Her Walker - A Slowpoke's Recovery<

[Teecup]

Thank you for the encouragement @flsungirl. I wish I would have been able to have that first month of gentle healing. Instead, I was faithfully doing a combination of 14 different stretching and strengthening exercises twice a day. You said it...it WAS crazy!

@LeeApril26 I am in love with your surgeon! It is so refreshing to hear of your gentle recovery approach. I'm hopping over now to read about your journey.

 

[Celle]

But with the MUA aggravating my left, it's almost as if I had bilateral replacements.

You're so right. Having an MUA does set back your recovery, because it re-injures your knee.
One more reason for refusing to have another MUA!
You don't need an MUA. Your surgeon is being ridiculous.

Let's see what Josephine says about your exercises - but I think you're doing too much. There's no need to do most of them and I feel they are keeping your knees irritated and upset, which is preventing them from bending further. Give your legs a rest from exercises an just let your activities of daily living be your exercise.

 

[Teecup]

You don't need an MUA. Your surgeon is being ridiculous.

Absolutely! The evidence for not doing a second MUA is the first MUA! The definition of insanity fits this scenario perfectly.

 

[Larryhg3]

Teecup I have to again agree with everyone else who has posted. The LAST thing you need right now is an MUA. Because of the MUA done during your second TKR you ARE essentially dealing with a bilateral from a recovery perspective. Right now giving your poor baby knees a break and yourself permission to heal should be your only thought.
The work thing kind of sucks just because you Can do it doesn’t mean that you should do it. Don’t rush into going back full time. Keep fighting the good fight

 

[Teecup]

Monday's convo with the doc promises to be an interest one, to say the least!

@Larryhg3 So true about the could vs. Should. I went back to the office full time on one crutch at 9 weeks. I shouldn't have. A lady in the office who had both knees done one after the other, I think maybe 3 or 4 months apart, took one look at me and said, "Aren't you doing your exercises?" She's lucky I didn't punch her!

 

[sistersinhim]

A lady in the office who had both knees done one after the other, I think maybe 3 or 4 months apart, took one look at me and said, "Aren't you doing your exercises?" She's lucky I didn't punch her!

 

[Josephine]

1. Pain Levels: Left: 0 at rest; 0-1 for stiffness while exercising or walking. Right: 0 at rest; 1-2 for burning and stiffness while exercising or walking

Got it

2. Pain Medications
Two Percocet (5-325 mg) every six hours around the clock
One Promethazine (25mg)/day
1 Celebrex (200mg)/day

Percocet is okay though you could take a little extra Tylenol as long as you add up that in the Percocet (325mg x2 which is a total of 2,600mg per day leaving you with an extra 1,400mg you could take any time) The safe total per 24hrs is 4,000mg.
Promethazine has nothing to do with pain management - it's an antihistamine.
If the celebrex is working for you okay but do remember it's an NSAID so you should read these
Medications: acetaminophen (Tylenol, paracetamol) and NSAIDs, differences and dangers
NSAIDs Diclofenac. ibuprofen increase risk of heart problems: new study

3. Swelling
Left: Slight
Right: Slight

4. ROM
Left Extension: +5
Right Extension: +0

Okay. And thanks for the photos. Very good. However, I make your flexion R 80 degrees and L 90 degrees. I which case I would tend to agree with your surgeon about the MUA, at least for the right knee. On the other hand, you are only 5½ weeks out on that knee so you do have plenty of time for it to improve. Your choice and I don't think you'll lose anything if you choose to reject it.

5. Icing
Left: Night: I ice most of the night with Breg Polar Care Cub. I often switch this Cube to the right knee to totally encompass the left knee.
Day: I ice two times a day with Cube and flexible cold packs, at least 45 minutes each. I ice the back of my knee at least once a day for at least an hour.

Right: Night: I ice most of the night with Breg Polar Care Cub. I often switch this Cube to the right knee to totally encompass the left knee..
Day: I ice with the Cube and flexible cold packs anytime I'm sitting down, which is most of the day. I ice the back of my knee at least twice at day for at least an hour.

All good.

6. Elevating: Night - Both Legs: I elevate a few times a week with pillows or the Lounge Doctor wedge at the start of my sleep, then remove the elevation when I take pills in the middle of the night. My bed duration is at least eight hours every night. Hard for me to sleep with elevation!
Day - Both Legs: I elevate to at least toes above hips anytime I'm sitting down, which is most of the day. At least twice a day I elevate toes above nose with the Lounge Doctor wedge for at least 30 minutes.

Okay.

7. Level of Activity
I work four hours/day from my laptop. (Boss wonders when I'm coming back to the office and full time...stress)
I prepare and clean up my own lunch and snacks, clean kitchen and bathroom counters, disinfect toilets and scrub inside with wand once/week, fold my own laundry, let the dog in/out 2-3 times/day.
Now that I'm done with PT, I only leave the house once every two weeks or so (love it) for a doctor's appointment or to take a ride. I cannot drive yet. I do not shop.

8. Exercises.
I've simply made up this routine based on my BoneSmart reading. Been doing it for a week now, ever since my final PT torture, I mean visit, last Tuesday.

BoneSmart Library's supine heel slides - twice/day, five reps, hold 15 seconds.
Exercise bike twice/day five minutes/per leg separately (both are full rotation, but right is tighter; will lower seat when it becomes easier).
BoneSmart Library's standing hamstring stretch four times/day, four reps, hold 30 seconds. I do this following the heel slides and the bike.

Left Leg: Seated leg raises twice/day, 10 reps, no weight.
Twenty minutes NMES on both legs' quads once/day.
Walking for five minutes after each exercise set, focusing on good form and trying not to lean on walker handles. Ends up being about 30 minutes of dedicated walking/day.

That's okay.

Questions:
Should I be spacing out the heel slides from the bike so that they're not done in the same exercise session, e.g. do them at least two hours apart?

No, I think what you're doing is fine.

Should I be doing more or different exercises for my left leg since it's older (despite the MUA)?

I don't think so.

 

[Teecup]

@Josephine Many thanks for your review and feedback! I have just two more questions:

1. Should I avoid adding the seated knee flexion on a T-ball?
2. Should I be concerned that I still require the walker?

Just found a YouTube video of you from 2011! Is the flag for sporting events?

 

[Josephine]

The answer is a firm NO to both your questions.

As for the flags, which video did you catch?

Didn't you notice that the music was a worship song and that my username there is "flagsforworship"? So the flags are not for sporting events but for worship. Read this "flags for worship"

 

[forbesy]

Jeezo Teecup sounded more like a boot camp rather than a PT, great pics and really helps to see where people are at rather than numbers keep up the good work onwards and upwards

Billy

 

[beachy]

Wow! Is right.
I'm catching up on recovery threads and just read yours. Slack jawed at what they put you through.
Hope you find improvement very soon.

 

[Teecup]

Got the NO loud and strong, @Josephine, and very glad to hear it!

It was the BoneSmart video, no music.


I went to your site. Now I get it! What a tremendously beautiful testimony! His banner over Ian and you is love.
The King has been in residence in my heart since 1979. Couldn't get through a moment without him.

I must ask if you've been to worship with Lou Fellingham? I worship with her CDs and follow her on Instagram. Such anointing!

No kidding, @forbesy! I HATED going to the PT! She's a lovely person and truly wants to help her patients, but she was killing me slowly! I went to her for my THR in 2015. My recovery was very slow then, too. I thought the common denominator was my slow-to-heal body. Turns out it was likely her! Wish I could do these knees over and have that beautiful first month of healing like @Celle and others, but at least I'm on the right track now.

Thank you, @beachy! After hearing it over and over again from the awesome and incredibly patient BoneSmart staff, and other experienced BoneSmarties, I've finally reprogrammed my brain to accept the less-is-more and no pain more gain logic and put it into practice. Took me long enough!

 

[beachy]

Yes, reprogramming the brain is a perfect description! I tried Pt 4x. 3 out of 4 appointments were counter productive.

 

[Josephine]

His banner over Ian and you is love.

That really touched me! Ian has been on my mind quite a few time this last week or so. Odd how that happens.

The King has been in residence in my heart since 1979. Couldn't get through a moment without him.

Know what you mean. It's the same for me.

I must ask if you've been to worship with Lou Fellingham?

'Fraid not. My tastes run towards Matt Redman, Delirious? and SonicFlood!

 

[sistersinhim]

The King has been in residence in my heart since 1979. Couldn't get through a moment without him.

I'm right there with you! Except I met Him in 1960!

 

[Jockette]

I'm right there with you! Except I met Him in 1960!

1962 for me!

 

[Teecup]

Hallelujah @sistersinhim and @Jockette! 1 Peter 2:9!

 

[sistersinhim]

I found that during times of extra pain and stress, if I just sat down and prayed, my body would relax and my mind would find peace. Many, unfortunately, don't believe in God or the power of prayer, but we who know Him do know the power of prayer! Be it our bodies reaction to it, or God's reaction doesn't matter. What matters is it works!

 

[Jockette]

There were times in my early recovery that I was in pain and exhausted, physically, emotionally and mentally, and overwhelmed with the recovery that I was unprepared for. Thankfully I knew my friends and family were praying for me, because at that point I just couldn’t. Like that Footprints in the Sand saying.

 

[beachy]

I could not have gone through devastating, life changing times in my life without my faith. I find giving thanks for everything keeps me going. It’s all for a reason.
Thank you ladies, for your testimonies. Count me in.