TKR Time2heal in recovery

[beachy]

My tkr was Jan 11. Last week I measured at 4. PT wasn't concerned and neither was I.
Extension was the last ROM to happen for my first tkr. But, it happened after I stopped PT. Just walking and ADLs. I popped into PT office about 3-4 months for measurement and boom! there is was. Perfectly flat.

Hawaii trip. If you can rest and ice, elevate a lot it could work. But, walking on the beach and sightseeing might be iffy. My hubs had a sudden illness at my 8 wk recovery first tkr. Taking over household chores and helping him became painful due to increased activity and swelling.
Based on my experience, its iffy. But, everyone is different.

 

[Time2heal]

Thank you for this! Helps a lot.

 

[eaglemom]

Something I don't believe that has been mentioned is the plane ride. Will you be changing planes? Having to hurry through an airport? That needs to be considered. If you flying for 8 hrs that's totally different than a 3 hr flight also.

I would contact your surgeon and simply see what the response is. You might be encouraged to wear some type of compression hose, or not. But your surgeon needs to know to help you make this decision. No matter what, after a flight you will be very stiff and sore. You'll need to elevate and ice daily. No extended hiking trips I would think.

We all heal differently and frankly each surgeon has their own set of protocols for the first year of recovery. Touch base with the surgeon and then when you've made your decision do let us know.

 

[JusticeRider]

I’m at 6 months and walking on deeper sand is still a bit sketchy for me. I can do it but must be very careful. I can’t imagine trying it at 2 months. And you can’t exactly go to Hawaii and avoid the beach! That would be a travesty! And that flight…yikes. I don’t know, if it were me I would postpone. It would be such a shame to go and not enjoy yourself. But only you can make that decision.

 

[Time2heal]

Thank you all for this input. It’s been invaluable and we have decided against this trip for this year. Sad, but better to save it for when I can actually enjoy it!
Now, back to battling the blues. I’m so tired of the slow progress. Glad to have this community to lean on.

 

[benne68]

Hi @Time2heal! I'm sorry you had to put off your trip, but I think you will be glad that you did.

Yes, this is a loooonnnnggg and slllooowwww recovery. It takes a lot of patience!

Something that helped me get through the post-op blues during the early months was documenting my "achievements."

Once a week or so, I would list of all the things -- even the little ones -- that I was able to do now that I hadn't been able to do the week before. I also had a list of the things I was looking forward to being able to do in the future. As items moved from one list to the other, I saw real progress and it helped me stay positive.

Why not give it a try?

 

[Time2heal]

On Friday this week I will hit my six week post op date. I still haven’t gotten my knee to zero degrees extension, I’m at about a 4. I’m wondering if others have had this experience and then still been able to achieve zero over subsequent weeks? If so, how long might this take? I get lot of gloom and doom from the surgeon and what I read online that it’s going to be very very difficult after the six week mark. I also wonder if I don’t get to zero, will I have a limp the rest of my life? Ugh

 

[Jockette]

@Time2heal

I get lot of gloom and doom from the surgeon and what I read online that it’s going to be very very difficult after the six week mark.

I’m sorry your surgeon is putting so much pressure on you over a few degrees. 4 is very close to 0, in the whole realm of this recovery.

Many of us didn’t have full extension at 6 weeks, and often, extension takes longer than getting a better bend. Don’t worry, it will come.

what I read online that it’s going to be very very difficult after the six week mark.

Myth busting: "window of opportunity" in TKR

This "six week window of opportunity" surgeons often speak about is little more than a myth. It presupposes that all patients have the ability to create adhesions which is far from the truth. It also ignores the simple fact that in the first 3-4 weeks after surgery, swelling reactive to the...

bonesmart.org

 

[Jockette]

By the way, I merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread, as we prefer that members in recovery have only one thread.

This benefits you because all your information is in one place, easy to find, and maintains a nice journal for you.

This also benefits our staff, as your information is all in one place, and we often go back through your thread for previous details, so we know what you‘ve been through which helps us advise you better.

So, please keep all your posts in this thread. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?

Best wishes on your continuing recovery!

 

[beachy]

Your extension WILL get there. It's still super early in your recovery. My extension, first tkr, took a few months, but it got there. Just keep taking small walks, ADLs,

 

[EalingGran]

On Friday this week I will hit my six week post op date. I still haven’t gotten my knee to zero degrees extension, I’m at about a 4. I’m wondering if others have had this experience and then still been able to achieve zero over subsequent weeks? If so, how long might this take? I get lot of gloom and doom from the surgeon and what

Agree with beachy, and Jockette about extension being slower than flexion. It was for me too and I have great ROM now.
I was taught by my pilates teacher to put one of the squishy pilates balls under my knee and then gently push down into it to straighten the knee trying to engage not just the lateral but also the medial quads.
No forcing like pushing with your hands and definitely not allowing anyone else to push down on your knee- just using your muscles and slowly improving.

 

[Time2heal]

Thank you, that’s very helpful.

 

[Time2heal]

I’m at seven weeks today…. Woohoo! Things are finally seeming normal-ish. I’ve not managed to walk more than twenty to thirty minutes (at most) to accomplish a shopping trip or two. I’m really wanting to get back to my daily, for fun, outdoor walks. Any tips or insights about how to speed that along, how soon til I’m back to my two to three mile neighborhood walks? Even better, how long before I should hope to start walking on uneven surfaces such as mild hiking, etc?

 

[Jockette]

7 weeks is still very early in this 52 week (one year) recovery. I couldn’t walk much more than twenty to thirty minutes, either, at that timeframe. There’s nothing you can do to speed up your healing, but, there’s lots you can do to slow it down, by trying to force it to do more before it’s ready.

No one can tell you when you’ll be ready to do more, we all recover on different timeframes. I know it’s hard to be patient, but this recovery really does require a lot of patience.

You will notice that I merged your newest thread with your original Recovery Thread. While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?

 

[IndigoKnee]

I’m at seven weeks today…. Woohoo! Things are finally seeming normal-ish. I’ve not managed to walk more than twenty to thirty minutes (at most) to accomplish a shopping trip or two. I’m really wanting to get back to my daily, for fun, outdoor walks. Any tips or insights about how to speed that along, how soon til I’m back to my two to three mile neighborhood walks? Even better, how long before I should hope to start walking on uneven surfaces such as mild hiking, etc?

Very interesting for me to read the replies to this. I am also at 7 weeks and still only able to walk for 30 minutes maximum - a pathetic distance of three quarters of a mile round trip. Walking for pleasure is my passion and one of the reasons I had this surgery done, so I’m desperate to get back to walking down to the sea or along the cliff paths. Seems I have to be more patient! When I read beforehand that 'You will be back to all your normal activities at 6 weeks' I believed it! Ha!
So pleased to have the support of this group.

 

[Layla]

Happy Two Month Anniversary, Time2heal!
Unfortunately we can not speed up our recovery. I'd suggest you increase your walks by a little each week and see how it goes. If you find you overdid it, scale back. You'll get there. It does take patience and of course time. All the best to you!
@Time2heal

 

[Time2heal]

Surgery was on Jan 19 this year. Finally near zero for extension and at 135 for flexion. I’m still hoping to get my surgical knee to match my non-surgical knee for flexion which is 155. I continue to have extreme tightness in my knee. By outward appearances I have very little swelling. I wonder if this is just the way it’s going to feel now or if that’s the part of recovery that takes a whole year? I just hope for it to start to feel somewhat normal again. Anyone have similar experience with this tight, banded feeling? How long did it last?

 

[sistersinhim]

Oh yes, I had that stiffness for many months. It was the last thing to go for me. I hated it, but knew that it was all part of the healing process. Even though you don't see swelling outside your knee, the inside still contains some extra fluid. It is a tiny space inside your knee and any amount of extra fluid will hinder its movement.

Even though you had your surgery in January, I will leave you our recovery articles to help you in your journey of healing. On average, this surgery takes a year+ to heal from.
Each person is different as is their recovery. Most find that the Bonesmart approach works best for them, but others find that a more aggressive therapy helps them more. It's your recovery and your choice on how you recover. As you read more on other members' recovery threads, you’ll get a better perspective of what to expect. The following are our basic guidelines and should help get you started.

If you want to use something to assist with healing and scar management, BoneSmart recommends hypochlorous solution. Members in the US can purchase ACTIVE Antimicrobial Hydrogel through BoneSmart at a discount. Similar products should be available in the UK and other countries.

KNEE RECOVERY GUIDELINES

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary

2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
Activity progression for TKRs

6. Access these pages on the website
Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications
Wound Care In Hospital

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here

Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

Try out our great new opportunity to improve your gait. It's OneStep. It's free and you will find it to be a huge help to you. Click here: OneStep
average, it takes a whole year+ to heal all the way from this surgery.

 

[EalingGran]

Surgery was on Jan 19 this year. Finally near zero for extension and at 135 for flexion. I’m still hoping to get my surgical knee to match my non-surgical knee for flexion which is 155

I am sure it will come. My surgery was in October 22 - so well ahead of you.
I had good ROM from early on 130+ flexion. But in the last 3-4 weeks it has definitely improved. More like 145. I can bring my operated knee further across my good leg to put on socks for example.
I can bring it virtually back to my buttocks on heel slides but still not quite as good as unoperated side for standing quad stretch.
I only now have any tightness by evening.
You sound as though you are doing really well.

 

[EalingGran]

I think the tightness is inner swelling which isn't always obvious or visible.
And this is what is restricting the bend.
It does improve.