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

@Teecup
I am so happy for you!!! :loveshwr:

I had the same experience last week at my checkup so I know exactly how you felt and the relief and happiness. (Doing a one legged happy dance for you):yahoo:

Ditching the crutches is your next celebration.

For walking my gait therapist has me pretend to be pedaling a bike when a walk to get me thinking outside of the heel-toe mantra and more of an up-bend-kick-bend cycle. Looks kooky but it’s working well for my case.

Can’t wait to hear more from you
 
Celle’s suggestion is great! My PT had little short hurdles he put in a row for me to step over. It helped me to lift my leg instead of lifting my hip which I had been doing when walking for quite a while. At first I did use a cane to help with my balance.
 
That puts a whole new "spin" on walking, @traceys! (bad, I know.) Thanks! I'll give it a try. So glad we've made it this far. What a journey!

If I can move from two crutches to one cane, that would be fabulous @KarriB. I'm probably lifting my hip and don't know it...it's so hard to look at myself while trying to walk, plus I don't really know what I'm looking for. My right hip is a replacement and I know I favor it when I walk, so having a therapist evaluate me for gait specifically is what I need right about now. Thank you!
 
My PT is currently using the same exercise Karri describes. He sets up 6 inch high hurdles 18 inches apart. I do four laps alternating the leg that leads and the leg that follows. Goal being bending knee and not hiking hip while walking through them. It is much more difficult than it sounds but my gait is much better.
 
@kmak81230 :rotfl: Just watched that video! OH MY GOODNESS! Made my sides and my knees hurt! It's amazing what healthy knees allow us to do--and how we can abuse them. :loll:Thanks for the good laugh!
 
Oh that sounds VERY difficult, @Larryhg3! The day I can do that I'll be in great shape! Congrats on your excellent progress!:yay:
 
@Teecup I am sure that you will be there before you know it. For Righty I went right from PT on Lefty to conditioning and preparation on Righty. It accomplished 2 things Lefty got much stronger because I did the exercises on both legs (there was absolutely Zero weights for the exercises just my body weight). Righty got stronger and we began stretching those muscles prepping for the TKR. I am convinced it put me into a much better place starting out.
 
You may want to use a new pair of shoes now and when working on your gait. Your old shoes will carry your old gait pattern and can influence the way you walk now.
 
New shoes are both reward and therapy!

I did the marching cones in PT too. They were useful in that I discovered I had to completely relearn how to balance on my two new knees. That involved making certain muscles stronger. It took a few weeks before the cones became easy. I practiced a little at home using big cans of tomatoes (the Big Italian Family ALWAYS has big cans of tomatoes!).

Sounds like you're doing fine and your attitude is 100% winner. :cheers:
 
I'm so disappointed. Met my new therapist today with high hopes that he would listen to and help me. I told him right up front that I was happy with my ROM and just wanted help with my gait and getting off the crutches, and that I only had four insurance-paid therapy sessions left, so I wanted to focus on walking-related exercises.

First red flag: While he was measuring my own flexion, he started pushing for more flexion. I told him I did not want to be pushed, he responded that he just needed to see how far the bend went before pain, and to tell him when it began to hurt and he would stop. I immediately said STOP! He moved to the other knee, had me bend it on my own, then proceeded to start pushing it. I had already bent it far enough that my calf was hitting the bottom of the table, but he pushed it even more. It didn't hurt, so I didn't say stop, but regardless - he ignored my request completely.

Second red flag: He sent me home with a (wait for it.....) seven-page printout of 25 exercises and told me to do one set of 10 reps of all of them twice a day, moving on to two sets as I was able. He only showed me how to do four of them: straight leg raises, bridge with ball between knees, standing on toes then bringing up toes and standing on heels, and standing on one leg, alternating legs. Mixed in among them are the old favorites: clam shells, heel slides with belt, etc. He also had me sit on a regular chair and asked me to try to get up without assistance. Said I should be able to do that by now. I realize this is all part of his evaluation, that I need more strength, and that I'm being very cynical. :bored: But really. What part of getting up from a chair without my hands is actually walking unless, of course, I'm getting ready to walk on my hands? Hey, now there's an idea! :idea:

On the flip side, I did like that he had me ditch my crutches and hold on to his arms while he walked backwards around the room several times. After that, he put a gait belt on me and walked to the side of me with me holding on to just one of his arms. It was sketchy and stiff, but I did it. So in that respect, he was observing my gait and needs. No surprise my muscles are weak and need strengthening, but 25 standard exercises?

He also moved the patellas around, which hurt, but he said they needed to be worked so that I could walk freely. Don't know what to think about that. And something else new - he used heat packs when I first arrived. I'd always been told heat was a no-no because of swelling, and I am always a bit swollen, especially my 9-week-old knee. The heat did not feel good...my knees give off enough heat on their own! I need ice, baby!

I don't think I'm going to go back. Instead, I think I'll just continue with what I was doing, adding in the elliptical very soon. I'm seeing progress and just need to be patient. I had my hubby walk backwards with me this evening and told him he could charge me $100! :heehee: It's the closest we've been to dancing in years! Then I got a wild hair and started Frankenstein walking around the kitchen, holding my crutches out to the side to catch me if I fell. Hey, I was walking unassisted! It worked for Frankenstein, it can work for me! I just want to walk!!! :bawl:
 
Oh my gosh, what a sadist therapist you had today. Don't go back. He has no idea how to rehab a knee replacement. That type of therapy will only inflame and traumatize your knee. You are certainly correct in saying that heat is bad on a young knee. You need ice. All your post is proof that this is not the place for a knee replacement recovery. You can do it yourself just by doing your daily activities around the house.
 
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Oh @Teecup i am so sorry for all that! How discouraging.
:console2:

But look at what you discovered you could do! Free walking!! Who cares how you look - world has enough runway models walking perfectly - start a new fad!!!

Congrats on holding your line - very inspiring.
 
Thank you for the encouragement and confirmation @sistersinhim! I left there limping and swollen. Just the effect I was after! :blackcloud:

I'm now iced and elevated and comfy in bed with a good book. Looking forward to a new tomorrow. :SUNsmile:
 
Thank you, @traceys! You are so right! That visit had me practically spitting bullets that I will walk just to spite all those *:/! $@ PTs out there!

I will start a new fad, my own version of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks, courtesy of @kmak81230. :rofsign:
 
Sorry about your awful experience @Teecup and glad you can find a glimmer of humor. Does it work for you to use a cane?
 
Wish it did, @kmak81230. I used a cane for my right THR in 2015, but the MUA I had on my left knee during my right TKR set them pretty equal in disability. I don't really have a "good" leg to depend on. I'm simply bilaterally unstable. It's an all or nothing situation. :shrug:
 
I walked out of pt because of the therapist. He was wonderful for my back and hip bursitis, but was a sadist for the knee....great description from sistersinhim!
He wanted squats at 2 weeks. Left me on my own to check on another patient. By the time he got back I was gone! Had to hold the Hubs back....he was going to find the therapist.

I hope your therapist backs off or you find one that won't set your recovery back.
 
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