TKR TKR January 19

[EalingGran]

I did ask at the hospital before the op about renting one I had seen advertised but it was £190 a week and they said not to bother.

I have an aircast cryo. I got given it as part of my private pre-pay package.
But you can buy one for about £100 on Amazon. It's not one of the fancy motorised versions but it works fine and I am still using it at 14 weeks and will probably still use it for a few months yet.
I have a big ice cube maker and I fill the cask just twice/ day and the ice lasts for several hours. Because it is not motorised you will have to change the iced water jacket more often but it stays cool for a 20- 30 minute session. It has been a life saver and I wouldn't be without it

 

[JusticeRider]

IndigoKnee, I have to agree with all who have posted on the icing (and elevating!) and especially the ice machine. There are a few different brands/types but I think they are so much more effective and less fiddly than ice packs. I got mine (Ossur Cold Rush) on Amazon for about $199 US and have used it for four surgeries now plus lent it out to friends. It has been priceless. I can’t tolerate opiates so my ice machine was my pain control. Highly recommend getting an ice machine…you will probably use it for longer than you think!

 

[IndigoKnee]

Thanks so much for all the advice. I do use ice bags regularly - made some myself before hand - and I’m now using them for longer than the hospital told me. I managed to go upstairs today (I'm staying at my daughter’s) and sit in a room there that is sunnier than my downstairs bedroom and I could see the sea, so that was lovely. Trying to have short walks every day now. Progress seems slow and I am impatient, especially as pre-op my knee was having a good spell so the contrast now is greater.
Tip for others - a few things that are bought beforehand that have been invaluable are a grabber which is really useful to get hold of things from bed, a 'sock aid', and elastic laces for my shoes as bending forward for long enough to tie regular laces is hard.

 

[beachy]

I was using my ice machine and am now using ice packs. They work just fine as long as you have enough frozen. The main thing is to keep them on longer, up to 60 min. And keep replacing them. Also, keeping the knee elevated at least over your hip will help with swelling. When the swelling goes down so does the pain.
Hang in there!

 

[IndigoKnee]

Is it normal to have more flexion when sitting with the foot on the ground than when lying on my bed?

 

[beachy]

I've noticed that too. Seems easier to bend with foot on the floor.

 

[JusticeRider]

Is it normal to have more flexion when sitting with the foot on the ground than when lying on my bed?

I definitely find this to be true too, IndigoKnee. I hate the way it feels when I try to do heel slides lying down. I get the best flexion when I sit on the edge of a high bed or table and let my legs hang and then pull my heels back. But I know the lying down stretches work great for lots of people. Just goes to show that each body is different and what works for one doesn’t always work for another!

 

[IndigoKnee]

Nearly four weeks post surgery and definitely feeling more myself. I've not had the flexion measured but looks about 90* when sitting but a bit less than that when lying down and doing slides. I see the physio on Thursday so I hope he feels I am on schedule and doesn’t push the knee to the point of pain. I'm walking out every day but not very far - the longest was a round trip of only just over half a mile to my village coffee shop where I rewarded myself with coffee and a brownie .
I’m getting a lot of back pain which I assume is due do moving rather awkwardly - I am prone to back pain anyway due to arthritis plus an old riding injury.

 

[EalingGran]

definitely find this to be true too, IndigoKnee. I h

Agree with @JusticeRider and @beachy
that flexion does vary according to position of the leg. My flexion is very good but definitely slightly less with heel slides than when swinging loose beneath me. Possibly helped by gravity when seated??
The most difficult for me is crossing the leg across the other thigh for thigh stretches. Definitely still a 10 to 20 degrees difference between my good an bad leg.

 

[EalingGran]

I’m getting a lot of back pain which I assume is due do moving rather awkwardly - I am prone to back pain anyway due to arthritis

I have this problem post my pkr. I have gone back on naproxen which is helping.
I can now kneel and lie on my tummy to do back exercises but it is hard in the first few weeks post surgery to do the exercises that help your back. You can do seated cat stretches but it's not as good I find.

 

[beachy]

You're doing great! I truly believe walking is the best for tkr rehab. And yes, once you're more active the old back starts up. Mine is starting to talk to me now.
I'm 5 weeks post op today and this is the best I've felt. Hopefully, it only gets better from here.
Be very careful not to join the ODIC....over did it club now that you're more active.

 

[LD of Michigan]

I’m getting a lot of back pain which I assume is due do moving rather awkwardly - I am prone to back pain anyway due to arthritis plus an old riding injury.

Yes, I too noticed this. I somewhat attribute it to holding my body so rigidly those first weeks - alot of that going straight to my back. I'm starting to relax more and settling of my body in general around my new friend (implant).

 

[IndigoKnee]

Thanks for everyone's input and advice. This site is SO great and it’s lovely that people respond with their own stories of recovery and really useful. Much better than the sites or YouTube videos that I had found written by physios or surgeons, who were all saying 'no pain no gain'

 

[sistersinhim]

I see the physio on Thursday so I hope he feels I am on schedule and doesn’t push the knee to the point of pain.

Tell your physio, "Hands off my leg and knee!"! Never let anyone push your leg in any way. Doing so just upsets the soft tissues and slows down your healing. Besides, any number the physio gets while pushing your knee doesn't count because you didn't do it on your own. It's not the numbers that matter, it's the function of your knee that is important.

I never went to PT and just did my own daily activities to rehab my knee and I recovered just fine without all the extra pain and swell of doing repetitive exercises that aren't necessary anyway.

 

[Jockette]

Thanks for everyone's input and advice. This site is SO great and it’s lovely that people respond with their own stories of recovery and really useful. Much better than the sites or YouTube videos that I had found written by physios or surgeons, who were all saying 'no pain no gain'

Myth busting: No pain, no gain

With rather blatant snitching from a couple of other sites, I give you the lie to this saying! Wikipedia No pain, no gain (or "No gain without pain") is an exercise motto that promises greater value rewards for the price of hard and even painful work. Under this concept, competitive...

bonesmart.org

 

[IndigoKnee]

I see the physio on Thursday so I hope he feels I am on schedule and doesn’t push the knee to the point of pain.

Tell your physio, "Hands off my leg and knee!"! Never let anyone push your leg in any way. Doing so just upsets the soft tissues and slows down your healing. Besides, any number the physio gets while pushing your knee doesn't count because you didn't do it on your own. It's not the numbers that matter, it's the function of your knee that is important.

I never went to PT and just did my own daily activities to rehab my knee and I recovered just fine without all the extra pain and swell of doing repetitive exercises that aren't necessary anyway.

Thanks sistersinhim - I feel more confident now to be able to say 'stop'. Set off for the physio in about an hour.

 

[sistersinhim]

Let me know how it goes.

 

[IndigoKnee]

The physio said I was making good progress. The knee bend is 87 and he said that he would prefer it was a bit more but that will come soon. He gave me more exercises - standing ones. He also made me do a straight lift of the leg while lying on the bed. I managed a couple inches lift with a struggle then he took the leg to about 18” up and I was saying "please please don’t let go of it" He was determined that I should manage to lower it myself but he did still keep a gentle hold. So there is still lots to work on but he said I was doing well and can now use just one crutch indoors and even few paces of no crutches but only indoors, still use both outside for at least 2 more weeks then try short distance with my Nordic Walking poles that I used pre-op.

 

[sistersinhim]

I agree that you are doing well with that bend of 87 already and you're not quite a month out!

made me do a straight lift of the leg while lying on the bed. I managed a couple inches lift with a struggle then he took the leg to about 18” up and I was saying "please please don’t let go of it" He was determined that I should manage to lower it myself but he did still keep a gentle hold.

I think you'd be better off not letting anyone touch your leg or knee as he did. If he had let go for some reason, that could have set you up for an injury. Besides, it's too early to worry about strengthening those muscles. As your knee heals, it will naturally get stronger. There is no rush and trying to force it too soon can cause you to have a set-back. You don't want that.

 

[IndigoKnee]

I seem to have got muddled and added two many quotes! Just wanted to reply to sistersinhim's quote and say thank you. The physio has now said he doesn’t need to see me again unless I'm worried so I shall just carry on at my own pace. I was really scared that he would let go and cause me a lot of pain and possibly injury.