MUA Tigz's Lessons in Patience

[tigz]

No. ROM is not what it's all about.. Function is far more important than the numbers.
Look at all the things @bluejuju can do. With the ROM you have, I bet you'll be able to do those too.

As long as you're happy with your progress, your PT needs to be happy too.

I took that to be the point of @bluejuju post as she listed all she can do.

I am impatient (hah! Hence the thread title change) to be without the cane as I still have gait issues, and to do steps in a normal fashion, so I guess maybe I'm not happy with some aspects of my progress.

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[KarriB]

I agree with @bluejuju and Celle. Focus on what you can do. A watched flower doesn't bloom, I bet once you get on with things and don't worry about ROM and extension (especially measuring) all of that will come naturally. I wasn't allowed to bend my knee for over a month and months later could do all the things bluejuju listed and now more. I realize the daily pt is forcing your focus on the numbers though. Can you request they not measure?

 

[tigz]

She measures every day @KarriB

I suppose so she has numbers for the OS for the weekly report.

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[KarriB]

Mine only measured every few weeks. You just need time.

 

[tigz]

T G I F!!!

I've never looked so forward to a Friday in a very long time!

I told her I didn't want to hear any numbers today. :-D

She had to do an eval to send to the OS.

I came home with a present today. Well not really - it's a rented Empi Continuum - a muscle simulator. The PT place will submit to the insurance company. Bottom line of the agreement I signed says it's worth $1375.00! PT wasn't very patient in explaining the machine to me and I kept asking questions. I told her if I electrocuted or burned myself my husband had plenty of insurance benefit papers where he could find her name. She gave me more attention then.

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[tigz]

Just pasting something I copied from elsewhere...

My biggest problem following TKR is that I couldn't, and still can't, stand from sitting, or indeed sit, without heaving myself up and down using my arms.

I'm having that problem, too, Judlepip. The exercise they gave me that seems to help is to hang off the kitchen sink (or some other firm structure), bending as low as I can comfortably go, then pull myself up to standing. Hang onto the sink, standing back at arm's length, slowly bending knees and lowering as far as comfortable. After holding for a brief time, pull yourself up to a standing position. They had me do thirty reps of this, and it did feel good.

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[KarriB]

Good for you! Let her take the measurements, but keep them to herself. On another note I read what you cut and paste. Two years later my dad still has a hard time getting up from a sofa or chair. I've been thinking my difficulty is due to my old knee.

 

[Celle]

Measuring your ROM at every PT session is a waste of time. It's so easy to get small variations - you even get variations during the course of one day. Then you worry if your ROM has gone down a degree or two.
Progress should be measured by what you can do, not by the numbers.

If your PT is hooked up on the numbers game, ask her to keep it to herself, or only measure once a week at the most. I think that PTs keep measuring because it is the only way they can prove, on paper, that their ministrations are effective.

My surgeon has never asked about my ROM. When he saw me at 6 weeks post-op, he said "Show me what you can do." He does like his patients to reach about 90 degrees by that stage, but says that he can tell how well your bend is progressing, by looking at it.

For my Revision to TKR, my PT only measured my ROM once, found it was over 90 degrees, and discharged me from PT a week later.
I didn't have PT at all for my left TKR and the ROM has never been measured.

Both knees work well, and are painless. i can do anything i want with them and I estimate my ROM is over 120 in both knees.

 

[tigz]

@Celle

Pre-MUA she didn't even measure me once a week but since the MUA I've been measured daily for the ROM and extension. I have a feeling this is the one time the OS is focused on numbers. The PT has really worked on the extension the last two days (except for the weekend I've had daily PT since July 1) because passively I can't get to 0 but she can get me there with no problem.

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[tigz]

I'm thinking I'll sleep much better tonight. The knee has woken me up at 2 and 4 every night this week, after having PT that previous day. After weaning myself off the narcotics and now taking a regimen of ibuprofen and Tylenol I didn't want to resort to the narcotics. I can't take the middle of the night Tylenol as it really messes with my stomach.

Might ask my family doctor when I see her next week for a sleep aid.

One night of melatonin didn't help, I have no problem falling asleep, and benadryl didn't manage to keep me asleep for two hours (usually that really knocks me out)!

I had a feeling the great pre MUA sleep would be gone. Couple nights of decent sleep with "as needed" meds post MUA, But he wrote the script so sparingly, I used them just as sparingly.


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[tigz]

So much for the theory of a good night's sleep with no PT. Achy knee woke me up a couple of times again, but did feel much 'looser' than yesterday morning.

Yesterday it was really stiff and a bit swollen all day. Not exactly sure what I did on Friday that made it that way. I went gentle with the exercises and iced and elevated (haven't stopped the frequency of that yet) yesterday.

Oh knee, you truly have a mind of your own, hm?

 

[tigz]

Week 11 yesterday, 13 days post MUA.

At physical yesterday doctor gave me a script for a muscle relaxant to help with my sleep issues. I did wake up last night, but feel back asleep relatively quickly.

OS follow up this morning...He wrote a month of six hour shifts at work. Hopefully that'll go over ok with my manager! He measured me...115°. Said more should come. He wants to see me back in three months.

Still pretty stiff in the morning. I know I will need to do some stretching (peddling?) before work. Something to fit into my morning routine!

My car's in the shop so hubby will be chauffeuring at least the first few days next week!


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[Kansas Teacher]

Oh I'm so sad your time has come to go back to work. You are only 3 days ahead of me and I can't imagine going back to work in 3 days. Hopefully the 6-hour shifts will make things more doable. Hope you sleep well tonight and are less stiff tomorrow. Mine was stiff today too for some reason and when it swells and gets stiff, I start to get some pain. Yuck.

Roxie

 

[tigz]

It's been fast and maddeningly slow at the same time, hasn't it @Kansas Teacher? Throwing the monkey wrench in the middle made an interesting change.

Busy week of doctor's appointments and PT and dealing with return to work issues. I guess that's helping to prepare me for next week though.

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[Angel1978]

I am so glad that your doing so well. Xxx


FaithMitchmommy
PKR December.1,2014
TKREV MARCH.2,2015

 

[tigz]

Sorta @Angel1978 - refusing to think about next week's challenges because it'll overwhelm me. Taking each busy day one day at a time...Still including a fair amount of icing when I can!

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[Kansas Teacher]

You know, it's possible that going back to work might actually be therapeutic. It will return you to a normal routine that will revolve around something other than your knee.

Roxie

 

[bluejuju]

Very well said Roxie.... I think work will keep your mind off your knee, @tigz ..but you will remember it when you get home, I'm sure. 4 more weeks for me, then i'll be crying I'm sure!

 

[tigz]

You mean there's life beyond "me" says the knee?

I mean it's only been ruling my life for 11 weeks and who knows how much time prior to surgery?

Absolutely right, Roxie.

Signed,
A very tired Julie

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[Kansas Teacher]

Julie and @bluejuju , I am mostly glad that I am retired but the downside of that is that, it's easy to get over focused on your knee and you have to work to keep yourself out of that funk!

Roxie