Thoughts on ROM and Achieving

[skigirl]

I was in the gym today and realized that I can almost sit on my heels. but can't quite get there--and I realized that I have the achievement disease.

when I was at the University of Michigan, I had to have a 4.0---it was the most important things in my life---then, I graduated and no one in the world cared what my grade point had been. I put it on my first resume until one of the people who interviewed my very kindly told me that if I were samart, people would know it without me telling them!!! After that, I had to deal with the fact that I had spent so many hours getting something that had questionable value. I could have graduated with a 3. and gone to more parties!!!

For me, with this knee, ROM is the same as my grade point--I had my pt measure me so many times, it was crazy, I would not rest until it was 140. I see so many people on this site who worry about their rom--but, really, unless you are one of the few with a problem, for most folks it just kind of works itself out.

Now, at 14 weeks, my rom is easy--I don't have to bend it back for half an hour to get the measurement. I wonder now if I had to bend it back so far when I was in PT. As the swelling goes down and your work on strengtheing your quads, the rom comes along with it.

Some folks do need the MUA and after that, intensive ptis necessary for two weeks or so---but, really, don't be like me and get stuck in the achievement pit!!!

If you are consistently progressing and can walk normally without a limp, then your rom is increasing too. My pt worked on it for the first month or so to make sure the knee did bend,but I don't think that my extra obsessing was worth the effort!!!

During my recovery, I learned to knit---I am getting better feelings from looking at my first sock than I did from worrying about my rom. Kelly

 

[Josephine]

Wow, Kelly! That's some cathartic moment! Good on yer, girl!

 

[FrogFeathers]

My one and only goal related to ROM was to get to a 90 degree bend so I wouldn't have to go through another MUA. After that, anything I got was just icing on the cake.

I don't even know what my ROM is now, but if I walk slow enough, I don't limp.

 

[Clunker]

Kelly,
I so hear you and can relate totally to what you are saying. I read everything I could before surgery,and exercise was suppose to be the key.
Lets just say from the 2nd day in the hospital I pushed, and over pushed myself beyond belief.I know now ,I slowed my progress by trying to reach greater rom,and extension. I had a torn calf muscle from surgery,but not so sure now,I had a strain during surgery and actually tore it more myself after surgery .I remember it like it was yesterday. I actually had a journal I wrote down my exercises and the exact time I did them. I threw this journal away like 2 weeks ago. It was totally crazy. By day 5,I was trying to exercise better then 3 hours of actual lifting and extensions. I pushed myself so hard at 2 different times,I actually made myself sick to my stomach,and I don't get sick easy,lol.My surgeon would not let me go to PT for 1 month and warned me ,my body would shut down more if I continued to push.
When I could not get total extension,I actually did my own mau so to speak. I crunched it down one night,and about made myself pass out.I have learned more from other people like yourself, and this web site then all the reading I did before surgery.I wish I would have found this site and people like yourself long before I put myself through pure hell,and yes it was hell.Live and learn,and wow did I learn,lol.
I do believe,slow and steady,and not pushing,is actually better then testing oneself and pushing for greater results.
Achieving is one thing,,but to try and do what your body says you can;t do is total madness. And wow,was I mad

Very good luck,,now chill, and quit over achieving already!:thmb:

 

[loggon]

Kelly
Proud of you. I think you finally got it. Your rom will come with time. You can push and be in pain and get there maybe or maybe not sooner than some do.

I took the slow as you go and did not have intensive PT. Never hurt from aggressive PT because I would not permit it. I never pushed to ride for miles or long walks.

I have no idea what my rom is anymore but it is more than 130 for sure. I did notice when getting out of my husbands truck tonight my right let was very close to my thigh.

My left leg is 145 but I don't have to have the right leg at that. I can do what I want and I have returned to normal life.

I was always worried you were going to injure your self with all the pushing. (I know several folks that have been injured by their therapist being to aggressive and also they have injured their self from pushing to much)

Glad you posted this. So newbies out there just know you will get to a good rom and I hope it is with out having to have a mua

 

[Judles]

Numbers, numbers! I think you're ALL doing great!!! (0)

 

[Texas]

Kelly I know you are a go getter and your doing great sitting on your heels wow really thats a big big acheivement.....................)congrats.............) Truly happy for ya....................

 

[Motherofmany]

Thanks for posting Kelly. You are so right. It's not about degrees but, mobility. Given enough time and just the right amount of exercise and life will return to normal.

Glad you posted to let others know this truth.

Bless you,

 

[sykeRN]

Kelly---I really needed your post right now--you have inspired me in the last months and I have always loved to read your posts. I definitely am an overachiever too--ask my hubby!(and he's an engineer--an over achiever too--ha ha). I know I'm too anxious to get back to my former hikes and walks and it's probably too much too soon--at night I spend a couple hours experiencing some aches in my knee and other body parts. I am fairly obsessed with my own "self imposed" exercise routine at 4 weeks. I have a notebook where I keep track of each day's exercise and of course have my exercise goal list. My home PT has one more time-I'm off Coumadin this week--but I am so looking forward to more work at outpatient PT. My ROM has been 126 since week two--I did not have former surgeries on the knee. I of course have thought it needs to be more---my home PT even asked me "why" I would worry about the number.

I actually got up this morning at 3 am -as usual--and looked at my exercise routine for today-and thought "am I nuts?" I won't review it--too embarrassed--almost 2 hours all together anyway--this is stupid I can see--like clunker I need to throw my notebook away. We also are doing Walmart and other shopping today which probably is enough exercise for the day.

Perhaps I need my own aha moment today about exercise. Thanks Kelly--again.

 

[skigirl]

Wow, Mark and Nancy---you two are even more obsessive than I am!!! I so agree---Nancy, put that book in the trash. If you already have 126, you do not need to spend another day thinking about your rom--or worrying about numbers---think function. Do I want to sit on my heels at yoga--then, work on that. Do I want to squat down and look eye to eye with a three year old--then work on that. Decide what you need and then gear yourself towards that.

At 14 weeks, I still can't sit with my legs crossed in front of me comfortable--but I can see it is partially because my quad is tight, so I am working on lenthening my quad.

I just completed a16 mile hike that I have be dying to do in Glacier Park and never did because of knee pain. Today, no knee pain!!! The hike took all day--we started at 5 am and ended at about 6pm, but, what a glorious day.

We heard Big Horn Sheep smashing their heads together--that is their way of attracting females--and deciding who is top sheep. We saw (from a distance, thank goodness) a mother grizzly and her cubs. But, it was one of the best days of my life---and nobody asked me what my rom was!!!!

Nancy---I had a lot of fun taking a knitting class at your stage of recovery! I have just finished my first pair of socks and had a great time knitting them!!

But, we are all united in our ideals to be the best---and it is a relief to rehab these knees and you do need to be faithful to exercise (except for Jo, of course--although I think that she walks a lot more than we do in our car culture) Just be equally careful to give yourself a break--don't skip the parties for the gym. Kelly

 

[calling_all_angels]

Ahhhhhhhhhh Kelly,
I remember it like it was yesterday!!!! Your first post!!!! Wow I was just glad you did not have a gun and we all were not in a mall talking to you!!!! LOL But you have turned into the "MOST BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY I HAVE EVER SEEN" and you give such wonderful advice to all the newbie's. I am so glad I had the pleasure to meet you Kelly.

 

[BigRed]

Kelly,

Thanks! Your words mean so much.

 

[cindy88fan]

I'm so glad you posted about "numbers". Right now I am walking with straight legs, no more waddling from side to side. I walked into the store today where I work and a gentleman looked at me and said "Wow, you are walking better than you were before surgery, that is great!" Yes, it is great but like a lot on here I want more...more #'s...higher #'s! But after reading all the post, I don't feel I HAVE to get that huge #. I have stronger legs and I am able to take walks!!! It's been over 7-8 years since I have gone for a walk! I'm loving it!!! Everyday I get on that bike and ride and then I ride some more for that extra ROM! Like Nancy, I went to Walmart, got my hair cut and colored, got my nails done and also worked this morning for a couple hours so I think I will take the night off from everything else, including the bike!:hehe: I'm already at the mark my PT said I would reach. So, I'm going to get some cheese and crackers, put my feet up and watch some TV!!!

 

[Judles]

Mmmmmm!!! Sounds good to me!!! (0)

 

[Jamie]

Kelly, what a beautiful, thoughtful thread you have going here. Thanks so much for posting and being so honest about yourself. Others will learn so much from your words. I tell you what....I'm smiling while reading them. You have really succeeded in recovery on so many levels!!!

 

[Josephine]

:amen:

 

[FrogFeathers]

I've been extra tired the last few days- I think a combo of the heat/humidity and there's been an air warning for a couple days (I have asthma).

So, I was laying around on the sofa, sort of on my side, and I had my legs pulled up so they were off the floor. I bent my non-surgical leg and my surgical leg... then a little further and a little further...

My calf was touching the back of my thigh. :D It didn't hurt and I was just laying there, not trying. Its nice to know that ROM can come even when we're relaxing.

(I have to go "little" at a time because my scar gets pulled tight and if I pull too fast, it will crack and start to sting).

 

[Surfsister]

I gave up on the ROM a long time ago. I still go to massage therapy in an effort to break up scar tissue, but I don't much care about the ROM number. As you said, I geared myself toward the things I can do. I can surf. I can ride my bike. Those were the two things I wanted to continue doing after the surgery. My ROM was 114 when last measured by the physical therapist. My response? A shoulder shrug. I realized the number, and my inability to reach one I considered acceptable, was going to drive me to distraction. So, I chose to concentrate on getting back to my normal life.

I surfed for about an hour and a half today. Then I came home and walked the dog for an hour. My knee is aching. I think I may have tweaked it a bit while surfing (which is not bad because if I did I can tell it was scar tissue that I "injured" rather than the joint itself).

When I last saw my OS, I told him I was content. The reduced ROM, which was just a tad better prior to surgery than it is now, is not something I care to obsess about. Accentuate the positive. I gave my OS a big hug, whispered a sincere "thank you" in his ear, and went on my way.

Life's too short to worry about numbers. I'm happy with what I've got.

 

[Josephine]

Well said, sis! Very well said. Results and health are not measured in numbers but in achievements of living.

 

[hollie9]

I'm an overachiever too. So much so my PT keeps telling me to back down and writes notes to my OS that I try to do too much. Doing too much got me in big trouble on this second TKR, I strained my knee at 7 weeks and it really still is not resolved at 5 months. So overachieving can hurt you!

I took part in the ROM race and thanks to my hypermobility achieved 135 at about 6 weeks and 150 at 3 months. I asked my OS how to get to the 155 the prosthesis says it maxes out at. He told me to keep pulling my leg in and I'd eventually get there, but he also said the 155 is a marketing ploy and nobody ever uses over 150.

Unfortunately hypermobility is probably why my knees went bad in the first place.

This second TKR I don't even care what my ROM is especially after my 7 week knee strain caused me to lose a lot of ROM from swelling. I can walk fine.

It's the over achieving part that is difficult to make go away.

Hollie