TKR TKR January 19

[sistersinhim]

Sometimes we just have to get back to the things we love, even if we join that dreaded ODIC. You are doing the right thing by icing and elevating. I suggest you do this until your knee returns to the way it was before joining that club. That will allow that inflammation to die down some.

 

[IndigoKnee]

I’m at 10 weeks now and feel like my progress has stopped. My flexion is about 90 (I don’t have a way to measure accurately) which is the same as several weeks ago. My walking is very slow, takes roughly twice as long. My main concern is that walking is causing pain in the knee, which is stiff and also pain my lower back. I walk about a mile a day using hiking poles, do slides and also sit on a high chair so the leg is off the ground and try and bend the knee a bit more. I don’t have any physio sessions. Be grateful for thoughts please.

 

[JusticeRider]

I feel for you, IndigoKnee I remember 10 weeks being an absolutely awful time. I still had an ugly limp and was extremely slow. On my walks through my neighborhood, people would stop and offer me a ride. I hated going out in public because of the stares. My friends all thought I should be doing better. Other people were measuring their progress over days or weeks…I was stuck measuring mine over months. It was pretty depressing!

I’m sooo sorry you’re going through it. It probably feels like it will never end and you’ll never get better. For me, I turned a corner after 4 months. Another big change around 6 months. At that point, I finally felt the surgery was worth it! Now I see improvements every week. Life is good. I’m going to tell you what I told Cinders: just be relentless and keep grinding away, and refuse to give up until you’ve beaten this stage of recovery. Keep doing those walks, no matter how slow you have to go. Just keep going. Keep icing and elevating and doing your daily stretches. Your determination will pay off in the end I’m sorry it takes so long. But I am rooting for you!

 

[sistersinhim]

Some found that putting their foot on a slippery bag, skateboard, or any other moveable item, they could slide their foot back and forth helped their bending. We would not force anything, just move it gently without pain, just a little discomfort. This helped the bend to increase, as long as the swelling went down.

 

[IndigoKnee]

Thank you @JusticeRider that is reassuring. I am starting to feel really depressed at my lack of improvement. Early on I accepted the slow walking etc but did expect to be a lot better by now. I know we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others but so many people on here seem to be at a better stage so I was feeling something must be wrong. I was pretty fit before surgery and despite problems with the pre-op knee I was walking much further than I am able to now so I have been regretting the surgery, though I do realise the knee would have continued to deteriorate. Like you were I am limping which then puts strain on the opposite hip and my back. Thanks for taking time to reply and for being encouraging.

@sistersinhim - I have been using a bag under my foot to slide the leg but will try to do it more frequently. I have also been sitting on an office type chair with the height raised so the leg is free and trying to bend it further.

So glad I have found this site and I will try to be more patient.

 

[EalingGran]

Some found that putting their foot on a slippery bag, skateboard, or any other moveable item, they could slide their foot back and forth helped their bending.

Agree with this. I have a rocking stool ( left from my daughter- who used it with a rocking chair for nursing her baby).
I used it from the beginning when sitting watching TV. I mainly used it because it relieved pain. I still find sitting for too long in one position uncomfortable. I think it also helped flexion- although I didn't have a problem with this.
As for pain/ walking distance- have you tried pilates as an alternative to physio/ PT? There are lots of free classes on YouTube- my pilates teacher has some great ones for glute/ leg strength. Google Katja pilates

 

[IndigoKnee]

Thanks @EalingGran I’ll have a look. I used to do yoga but it became difficult because of my knee, pre-op, and standing poses cause me problems as well. Never done pilates. Done yoga much of my life and taught it at one stage.

 

[Layla]

Happy Three Month Anniversary!
How are things going for you? I hope you're feeling a bit more encouraged about your recovery.
Even though its been three months...it's only been three months and I believe you can look forward to many more months of improvement. Hang in there and have a wonderful Spring!
@IndigoKnee

 

[IndigoKnee]

Thanks @Layla
Progress still seems a bit slow. I’m walking about a mile and a half each day including hills at more like a normal speed but still with a bit of a limp. My flexion is only about 100 degress (can’t measure accurately) despite daily slides using a plastic bag and sitting on an office chair high enough to bend the knee under me, plus of course ADL. I can fully straighten the leg. I've sent an email to my surgeon's secretary to check if he feels I am still on course. I find if I sit in a normal position, say at the table, for longer than an hour the knee becomes very painful which doesn’t bode well for a 7 hour train journey planned in a few weeks.

 

[Layla]

Hello and Happy Monday! @IndigoKnee
S-l-o-w-l-y, but surely you will get there. It sounds like you are accomplishing some nice walks daily and even navigating hills. Good job!

Try not to lose sight of the fact that you're only a tad over three months post op and this recovery lasts a full year for many and even longer for some. While your range of motion is currently limited, it will naturally increase as the swelling subsides and the pain eases. Possibly you can't sit for long periods of time just yet without the need to get up and move around a little. I don't think that's abnormal. I am sure you'll be able to get up on the train and walk the aisles at regular intervals so it's bearable for you.

Here’s a tip for the limp -
Try heel-toe walking when you're limping.
This involves striking the ground with your heel first, then rolling through your heel to your toe, and pushing out of the step with your toe.
It takes a concentrated effort, but I believe you'll notice a difference. Give it a try.

I am glad to hear you're in communication with your surgeon's office and hopefully they're able to offer you some reassurance. There's nothing like peace of mind.
Safe travels on your train journey! Please let us know how it goes.

 

[Layla]

Here is a visual of heel-toe walking.

 

[IndigoKnee]

Thanks @Layla for the diagram. I am trying to do that. I contacted my surgeon's secretary as I wanted to make sure that I was still making reasonable progress as I didn’t seem to have moved forward much from when I saw him six weeks ago. They kindly fitted me in to see him yesterday afternoon, which I was a bit hesitant about as I already had a local hospital appointment that day so to then the drive to the orthopaedic hospital a further hour away I knew you would cause me pain. Anyway I bit the bullet and went to see him and he said that the flexion is fine, he didn’t measure it but it is only about 100° I think. He said although externally it looks like the swelling has gone down there will still be a lot of inflammation inside the joint and I must just be patient. He said it’s not helped by the fact I live in a very hilly area but I won’t damage the joint just causes pain. I was very reassured as I was getting concerned that maybe he would suggest a MUA. He said some people are slower healers than others and the ballpark figure of 'back to normal in three months' really shouldn’t be banded about as for most people it’s six months or longer. He really is a very nice, kind, gentle person – lucky to have had him to do my surgery I think.

 

[EalingGran]

He said it’s not helped by the fact I live in a very hilly area but I won’t damage the joint just causes pain

I had the same issue. Not hills but a house with lots of stairs and no downstairs toilet. This definitely meant I had more pain than some people post surgery who lived more on the flat.

 

[Layla]

Hello and Happy Saturday!
I'm glad they were able to schedule an appoint for you to see your surgeon and that his words were reassuring. Peace of mind is everything! I hope the extra time in the car didn't negatively affect you. I remember from my recovery that it took me several months to be comfortable in the car for longer than 30-40 minutes, it felt so confining. Thanks for the update!
Have a nice weekend, IndigoKnee.
@IndigoKnee

 

[beachy]

My surgery was Jan 11 so we're pretty close. The last 2 weeks have been a steady improvement. This past week has been the closest to normal. It's going to happen for you very soon. I haven't tried walking 1 1/2 miles so that's great that you can do that. My flexion was surprisingly good early on, but the extension lagged.
I really think your ROM is going to be just fine. Give it some time. We're still pretty early for a total recovery.

 

[EalingGran]

ballpark figure of 'back to normal in three months' really shouldn’t be banded about as for most people it’s six months or longer

I think a lot of surgeons know this really but don't advertise the fact because they think it will discourage people.
My surgeon told me something similar.
I am supposed to be getting a survey from the NJR ( National Joint registry) at 6 months - although no sign of it yet.
My surgeon said he thought this was too early as most people continued to improve up to a year.

 

[beachy]

Discourage people? I think they would run out of the office screaming. LOL

 

[Tino2You]

When I told my surgeon that he should have warned patients about the recovery, he just gave me a sly smile. Push come to shove, it's a business.

I played golf last Monday and I flew into the realm of ODIC. I charted 4.5 miles on my watch just walking to my ball. across very uneven terrain (I'm not very goof at golf). All the swinging and walking took a toll on my knee. This past week, there was lots of ice. some swelling, not much pain but very uncomfortable.

I am due to go to a golf trip in 6 weeks. Four days in a row. I think I am packing ALL my ice packs. Maybe buy a couple of instant ice packs to ice down on the way back to the course. Fingers crossed.

On the BRIGHT side, I got cataract surgery on both eyes now. I am glasses free for the first time in 65 years! Hope I can see the ball when I hit it in June!

Cheers,
Tino

 

[sistersinhim]

He said although externally it looks like the swelling has gone down there will still be a lot of inflammation inside the joint and I must just be patient.

Where have we read this before??!

 

[Layla]

Hello IndigoKnee,
Happy Four Month Anniversary!
I hope you're enjoying a nice Spring. Take good care!
@IndigoKnee