TKR TKR with Fibro and Raynauds and RA, anyone else?
- Thread starter beralc
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2023
- Messages
- 7,071
- Age
- 71
- Gender
- Female
- Country
United States
Hi @beralc
Thank you so much for joining the Insiders Club!
I never mentioned before and after measurements, but it's a physiological fact that slightly warming up muscles via light activity prepares them to work more efficiently and to relax into gentke stretches (while stretching cold muscles may make them more prone to damage).
That's why most physios will have us do three to five minutes of no or super low resistance cycling, depending on how far along we've progressed, at the start of a session.
At home, in the earlier stages of my recovery, I would just take a short walk as a warming up.
Months later, doing slow gentle heel slides within comfort range was a good warm up for more intense activity.
Thank you so much for joining the Insiders Club!
I never mentioned before and after measurements, but it's a physiological fact that slightly warming up muscles via light activity prepares them to work more efficiently and to relax into gentke stretches (while stretching cold muscles may make them more prone to damage).
That's why most physios will have us do three to five minutes of no or super low resistance cycling, depending on how far along we've progressed, at the start of a session.
At home, in the earlier stages of my recovery, I would just take a short walk as a warming up.
Months later, doing slow gentle heel slides within comfort range was a good warm up for more intense activity.
Thanks @mendogal couldn’t find the thread but this all makes sense.
I’m trying to make my exercises a bit less ad hoc and a bit more planned simply because I can feel I can measure my progress better and feel I’m ready. Before doing my exercises today I had a walk for 10 mins then gave myself a good 10 min massage before doing my exercises. That felt pretty good.
Mostly the thigh and calf still tender and occasionally the medial aspect of the knee after activity,but I read someone said they will often do a ligament release for valgus presentation, which mine was, it settles quickly. All in all feeling mentally quite clear today and definitely feel the knee is less restrictive now the swelling has reduced so well.
I’m trying to make my exercises a bit less ad hoc and a bit more planned simply because I can feel I can measure my progress better and feel I’m ready. Before doing my exercises today I had a walk for 10 mins then gave myself a good 10 min massage before doing my exercises. That felt pretty good.
Mostly the thigh and calf still tender and occasionally the medial aspect of the knee after activity,but I read someone said they will often do a ligament release for valgus presentation, which mine was, it settles quickly. All in all feeling mentally quite clear today and definitely feel the knee is less restrictive now the swelling has reduced so well.
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2023
- Messages
- 7,071
- Age
- 71
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
My recovery has really taken off the last few days. I think once you get pain annd swelling under control you definitely progress. Flexion improves every other day. Doing proper planned exercises and walks indoors 4 times a day and reviewed pain after but no setbacks. This morning was the first morning I woke naturally and not because I was in pain!!!
Sleep is still really good and still napping in the day. Not feeling as sick now only a little light headed when standing. When I did my knee flexing today it was uncomfortable much later into the flex. Bloods done this morning for anaemia. So all going really well.
Unfortunately my joy was short lived as I slipped in the shower so wrenched my thigh and back muscles, knee swelling up and ache all over now. Very frustrating cos I was hoping to push on a bit further today, but once again have to be patient and rest.
Hope everyone is moving forward slowly but surely
Sleep is still really good and still napping in the day. Not feeling as sick now only a little light headed when standing. When I did my knee flexing today it was uncomfortable much later into the flex. Bloods done this morning for anaemia. So all going really well.
Unfortunately my joy was short lived as I slipped in the shower so wrenched my thigh and back muscles, knee swelling up and ache all over now. Very frustrating cos I was hoping to push on a bit further today, but once again have to be patient and rest.
Hope everyone is moving forward slowly but surely
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2022
- Messages
- 3,063
- Age
- 70
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United Kingdom
So sorry to hear of this setback, when you were starting to improve. Try to rest and ice.
Do you have a shower stool? I found this very helpful in the first few weeks and even months- as I didn't feel that steady standing on a wet shower floor.
@EalingGran Thanks, truth be told, I was actually sitting on a shower seat that goes over the bath that the Physiotherapy dept gave me. I can’t believe I ‘m the first person this has happened to so I will be talking to them about it.
It’s just lucky that it didn’t happen earlier in my recovery. Although I’m aching all over now, I’ve had a little time for muscles to recover a little at least.
It’s just lucky that it didn’t happen earlier in my recovery. Although I’m aching all over now, I’ve had a little time for muscles to recover a little at least.
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2017
- Messages
- 47,904
- Gender
- Female
- Country
- United States
I am so sorry you've hurt yourself and you're aching all over. It's especially unfortunate when it felt like things were looking up. This shouldn't erase the progress you made, but will likely set you back as the soreness eases. I hope with some rest, icing the sore spots and lots of TLC you bounce back quickly.
A healing hug coming your way.
@beralc
A healing hug coming your way.
@beralc
@beralc hope you're feeling better, less aches and pains. We have to be so mindful of most things we do. I am using 1 crutch now and short distance without, but really have to keep my whits about me. Still icing and elevating and little exercises in between. I have 1 inch difference in circumference to non op knee but walking feels a great deal more. Rest and be careful x
Sounding good @Andypandy keep at it 
@westiemom that made me laugh. If I end up doing all that I’ll be amazed!
Yes I’ve been really encouraged, my husband can’t believe the progress I’ve made in the past week and all really taking things slowly and building momentum. Gauging everything by the absence or presence of pain and swelling.
Feel pretty banged up at the moment but hopefully a temporary set back.
How are you doing?
Yes I’ve been really encouraged, my husband can’t believe the progress I’ve made in the past week and all really taking things slowly and building momentum. Gauging everything by the absence or presence of pain and swelling.
Feel pretty banged up at the moment but hopefully a temporary set back.
How are you doing?
@Andypandy sounds like more encouraging news for you too. Slow and steady. How’s your sleep?
@GibsonGirl1948 Hi. Hope you’re feeling a little more lifted today. Don’t know if this will help but…..
It’s not the same as having surgery but there are parallels to any recovery our bodies have to make, even non surgical recoveries. It’s easy for our brains to take over a little, creating all sorts of horrible scenarios, that things are getting worse and this will never end.
I was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases in my 30s and I’m now 63, so I’ve had a very long time to experience and learn from that. I was a midwife with 3 young daughters and very active and was stopped in my tracks.
I would say I spent the first couple of years in total denial, fighting against my situation ( and actually making things worse by doing so) and imagining every new ache and pain was some terrible worsening of my conditions. After this point I realised I could either accept what was happening or could continue to allow my brain to keep reminding me how dreadful it all was and continue struggling. Once I was able to be more accepting of the situation, my conditions didn’t improve, but my perspective and attitude towards them did.
I found by accepting it was going to be a long journey, things somehow became less scary and more manageable. As some of the moderators have pointed out the surgery we’ve had has corrected a situation that’s our bodies have already adapted to. Our gait changes when the cartilage in our knees has worn down and our bodies usually compensate, by shifting the weight of our bodies either inwards or outwards. Then the surgery aligned everything back again, but our bodies have to have time to adapt back again too, so we’re bound to feel discomfort etc in places that seem wholly unrelated to our knees.
Our brains will be on hyper alert after the surgery and will continuously send out messages of pain, it will likely heighten pain too, while it works out that whatever the threat was,has now passed and it gets on with healing. I think over time I became less of a victim to my situation and more of a participant.
I’m not suggesting any of this is easy but I think in time if we can help ourselves to accept what’s happening we will feel a little more in control. I think a feeling of loss of control is behind a lot of our fears and why people often feel they wish they’d never had the surgery done.
The big difference with our situation and the great hope is,we’re all on the road to…
“Recovery“!!! We’re going to get better and we have some control over that with exercise, pain relief, information and mindful movement forward. We’re not standing still our bodies are moving and changing everyday, we just need to see each day as a day nearer to our goal “.
Sorry didn’t intend for that to be so long x
It’s not the same as having surgery but there are parallels to any recovery our bodies have to make, even non surgical recoveries. It’s easy for our brains to take over a little, creating all sorts of horrible scenarios, that things are getting worse and this will never end.
I was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases in my 30s and I’m now 63, so I’ve had a very long time to experience and learn from that. I was a midwife with 3 young daughters and very active and was stopped in my tracks.
I would say I spent the first couple of years in total denial, fighting against my situation ( and actually making things worse by doing so) and imagining every new ache and pain was some terrible worsening of my conditions. After this point I realised I could either accept what was happening or could continue to allow my brain to keep reminding me how dreadful it all was and continue struggling. Once I was able to be more accepting of the situation, my conditions didn’t improve, but my perspective and attitude towards them did.
I found by accepting it was going to be a long journey, things somehow became less scary and more manageable. As some of the moderators have pointed out the surgery we’ve had has corrected a situation that’s our bodies have already adapted to. Our gait changes when the cartilage in our knees has worn down and our bodies usually compensate, by shifting the weight of our bodies either inwards or outwards. Then the surgery aligned everything back again, but our bodies have to have time to adapt back again too, so we’re bound to feel discomfort etc in places that seem wholly unrelated to our knees.
Our brains will be on hyper alert after the surgery and will continuously send out messages of pain, it will likely heighten pain too, while it works out that whatever the threat was,has now passed and it gets on with healing. I think over time I became less of a victim to my situation and more of a participant.
I’m not suggesting any of this is easy but I think in time if we can help ourselves to accept what’s happening we will feel a little more in control. I think a feeling of loss of control is behind a lot of our fears and why people often feel they wish they’d never had the surgery done.
The big difference with our situation and the great hope is,we’re all on the road to…
“Recovery“!!! We’re going to get better and we have some control over that with exercise, pain relief, information and mindful movement forward. We’re not standing still our bodies are moving and changing everyday, we just need to see each day as a day nearer to our goal “.
Sorry didn’t intend for that to be so long x
@beralc I love your post above (#159) so I put a copy of it here in your thread, as it fits in here, also.
Thank you for that heartfelt post that I’m sure will encourage many.
My PKR, which will be 8 years next month, has had a lot of problems. I felt just like you did, a victim, but, long story short, finally accepted that it is what it is.
Thank you for that heartfelt post that I’m sure will encourage many.
