TKR TKR 8 weeks 3 days out Surgery Feb. 5, 2021

[kahoona310]

I am blown away at the info I am reading on this great forum! I wish I would have known about it before my TKR. I thought I was the only one having these problems post op!

I need both knees done as my left knee is bone on bone also but I had to make a choice and I am SO grateful I did not do both at the same time .

I am a 64 year old mother of 6 kids and soon to be 10 grandchildren...8 now and my only daughter is carrying twins with a very high risk pregnancy. She is 22 weeks along and I am desperate to recover asap to help her.

Post op in the hospital they told me if I could walk and climb stairs I could go home. I was in agony but they didn't know it. I got out 48 hours after i came in. I will continue my journey later.
Regards,
Kahoona310

 

[Jaycey]

@kahoona310 Welcome to BoneSmart! As you have probably already discovered there is just no rushing this recovery. It takes time and tons of patience. I know you are anxious to help your daughter. But your first priority is to get that knee healed and functioning for you.

Here are you recovery guidelines:
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
We are all different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for YOU.“ Your doctor(s), physiotherapist(s) and BoneSmart are here to help. But you have the final decision as to what approach you use.

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 Closure​

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.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

I am SO grateful I did not do both at the same time .

And to start your full recovery, I would say have the next one as soon as you're able. But I am prejudiced, BTKR was right for me.

I was in agony but they didn't know it

Escape plan worked but please avoid pain from now on; keep moving, but not to the point of bad pain.

 

[sistersinhim]

I am desperate to recover asap to help her.

There is no rushing this recovery. The more you try and rush it, the more it will set you back. Your number one goal should be to help yourself recover. Your daughter is only 22 weeks and should be fine. You will probably be needing her help for a few weeks. You can help her after you are well on your road to recovery.

 

[lther]

I had surgery on the same day! Doing better now. Its a slow and steady progress for sure.

 

[kahoona310]

Feb. 5, 2021. At this point, I haven't had one day without pain.

 

[FCBayern]

My first 6 weeks were pretty tough @kahoona310, but it does get better and I couldn't be happier with my results now.

 

[Celle]

Your ROM is good, @kahoona310 . It might be a good idea to ease off the exercising and spend extra time elevating and icing your knee, to see if doing that reduces some of your pain and swelling. Just use your knee during your activities of daily living (ADLs) for a while - that's exercise too.

 

[kahoona310]

I was 7 weeks 3 days out and progressing not without pain but it was bearable and getting a good 4 hours of sleep a night. PT was progressing slow and steady. My surgeon was pleased. The next day my PT decided to "break up scar tissue" at the end of my session (mind you my surgeon mentioned nothing of this the day before at our visit) and PT said "this may hurt a bit". He pushed down so hard and slowly I told him to stop and he continued "3..2...1..".I asked him what the hell was that and he said this is helping to heal the knee faster, that he was going to do it one more time, gentler (no pain, no gain, right?). I grabbed his hand and stopped him. I limped out to the car and my husband was so mad. That night I was almost in as much pain as day one of surgery. Next day I called the NP, crying (she was concerned because she never heard me in that much pain before). She said "Scar tissue?". I was told to rest and ice, for at least 2 days, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, high knee elevation, Oxy for break through pain, NO PT for 2 weeks. but continue home exercises as tolerated. If after 2 weeks no improvement call and be seen by surgeon. Getting slowly better but I am furious I was set back weeks.

 

[kahoona310]

I was 7 weeks 3 days out and progressing not without pain but it was bearable and getting a good 4 hours of sleep a night. PT was progressing slow and steady. My surgeon was pleased. The next day my PT decided to "break up scar tissue" at the end of my session (mind you my surgeon mentioned nothing of this the day before at our visit) and PT said "this may hurt a bit". He pushed down so hard and slowly I told him to stop and he continued "3..2...1..".I asked him what the hell was that and he said this is helping to heal the knee faster, that he was going to do it one more time, gentler (no pain, no gain, right?). I grabbed his hand and stopped him. I limped out to the car and my husband was so mad. That night I was almost in as much pain as day one of surgery. Next day I called the NP, crying (she was concerned because she never heard me in that much pain before). She said "Scar tissue?". I was told to rest and ice, for at least 2 days, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, high knee elevation, Oxy for break through pain, NO PT for 2 weeks. but continue home exercises as tolerated. If after 2 weeks no improvement call and be seen by surgeon. Getting slowly better but I am furious I was set back weeks.

 

[Pumpkin]

@kahoona310 ,
Sorry to hear how aggressive your PT was, and that your recovery has been set back.

NO PT for 2 weeks.

If you go back to PT, be sure to ask for a different PT or go to another clinic.
You always have the right to Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?
Myth busting: no pain, no gain

You'll notice that I have copied your newest post to your original recovery thread. A copy of your post remains in Krobar's thread.
So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here. If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.

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?

 

[sistersinhim]

I agree with Chris. Ask for a different therapist. This guy is not schooled on how to rehab a joint replacement. No pain=more gain, not no pain=no gain.

Don't go back to PT until your knee settles back down to where it was before this abuse happened.

He pushed down so hard and slowly I told him to stop and he continued

This is an assault on your body and he could have been arrested for his continuation after you told him to stop. Refuse to ever see this guy again. He has set back your recovery because you have to recover from what he did to you before you can get back to where you were before he touched you.

 

[kahoona310]

Well, 2 days after "scar tissue" therapy and still sore (by the way, I called the office and told them I had to cancel 2 weeks of appt.s as per my MD due to swelling from PT) I slipped and fell knees and hands down forward. Back to MD today. Thank God no fractures, etc. just bruised soft tissue injury. Home PT only after swelling and pain subsides. Going to wrap myself in bubble wrap until I can do a high kick. I hope everyone puts yourself first and learn to not ignore the best advice on here. Time is your best friend.

 

[Jockette]

I’m so sorry that not only did your PT harm you last week, but that you‘ve now fallen. Falls are one of our worst fears!

Vent here all you want, we are here for you.

 

[sistersinhim]

Oh no, our biggest fear has happened to you. I'd say probably about 10% of us have fallen after our knee replacements. It is so easy to do since our gait is off so much. We suggest using the walker until a person feels secure in their steps. I fell when I stepped in a hole and broke my foot and ankle on the same leg as the TKR. Also, during that fall, I fell directly on my new knee. The knee was OK, just really bruised and swollen. After that fall, I went back to watching where my feet are going. There is a cane in my car, just in case.

It will probably take lots of TLC to help those angry soft tissues. Daily activities is all you'll need until it settles back down.

 

[kahoona310]

Thank you for sharing and caring and it really helps that you all can relate to me. At this point I feel my family has forgotten about my surgery, except my one and only daughter who is 25 weeks pregnant and is home alone a lot because her husband is a NYPD detective and very busy. I live 15 minutes from her and I know if there was an emergency with her twins I would run like the Flash character and not feel any pain! We found out last month that one of her twins ( Johanna, after my tough as nails Irish Nana ) is significantly smaller than her twin brother ( Ronald the IV, his family name would have died if they didn't
have a boy). Each week Hannah has a heartbeat our prayers are answered. Ron is healthy thank God. I only tell you this as the urgency of my TKR healing fast is so much greater than before. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

 

[MARYCOOL]

I would say the only way to speed up the recovery process is to slow down. You will feel better!
Best of luck!

 

[Jockette]

I only tell you this as the urgency of my TKR healing fast is so much greater than before. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

I would say the only way to speed up the recovery process is to slow down.

I agree with Marycool, at this stage take care not to overdo as setbacks can happen quickly, and setbacks lengthen recovery. As another member recently posted, “slow is the new fast.” Not so much slow healing, as healing is up to your body‘s make up, but a slow “rehab” will allow your knee “the privilege of sorting itself out.” ( another quote, this one from a wise woman who recently retired from our staff.)

Best wishes to you and your family and prayers for that sweet tiny baby girl, that all will be well.

 

[kahoona310]

Thank you all so much! My daughter is 26 weeks today and this Monday goes to see the growth of her twins. Her son has been right on course but his sister, my "Tiny Dancer" is still very small. They may give my daughter steroids to mature the babies lungs on Monday. I am riddled with guilt as our baby shower gift to them is the cribs, dressing table, etc. and though the baby shower isn't till June my daughter dropped hints about getting the nursery ready. I put off buying the cribs as I feared my Tiny Dancer will be "born sleeping". Something clicked in my head and I just said screw this, they both will be coming home, maybe not at the same time but they will not only survive but thrive. The cribs come May 5th and my daughter and her husband are thrilled. Okay, now for my knee! I am still in pain, pillow under knee, hard time in and out of shower, etc but obviously much less than before. Stairs are still one at a time, ice machine 3-4x daily, I can walk a coupe of blocks but pay for it later so my question is, what is taking it easy? Making a bed then sitting, vacuuming then sitting, etc. I will be 3 months out on May 5th. My range of motion is not complete ie lower left leg have to keep it straight to get into shower, putting on pants, etc. New PT on Tuesday! He was great when I had my rotator cuff surgery.

 

[Jockette]

If walking a couple of blocks causes pain later, don’t do it unless you have to. Let the walking you do within your daily activities be your walking. Every step is exercise, whether it’s outside or in the house.

My husband wouldn’t let me vacuum for many months, so that wasn’t an issue for me, and I’m sure I would have struggled to do it at 3 months post op.

At this stage why are you seeing a new PT? I was discharged from PT at 8 weeks post op, even though I was not ”fully healed.” Time took care of the rest. So much of this recovery is just time, rather than “rehab.”