TKR Toni Lee Recovery Thread

[Macknit]

Vacuuming??? I still haven't touched ithowever, I will give DH credit... he has vacuumed a couple of times since the surgery (we also dry mop often with our wood and tile floors!)

I do feel like a bit of a schluffer, because for the past 3 years, I've had to avoid the vacuum...all because of surgeries! I think DH has even commented that it's a "conspiracy!" Oh well, what a gal to do?
Please ladies, do try to take it easy.... this is called recovery for a reason

Blessings!

 

[tlfiore]

@Macknit Oh how I envy you for having a husband who helps with vacuuming. I must confess, one of the biggest breaks I've had, which I wouldn't change for anything, is the break from scooping cat litter. Since surgery, I've scooped now and again if any of the boxes need scooping and I happen to be in the area. By-and-large, husband has taken over the cat litter chore.

So, another disruptive night on Thursday-Friday but the day got better. I've succumbed to the fact that I will not have good sleep for many many months. Took oxycodone, Tramadol, acetaminophen, ice, elevate, massage, etc prior to bedtime last night around 10:30 pm. AWAKE and uncomfortable. Tossed 'n turned for 90 minutes. Up, read, watched television. Repeat oxycodone around 2:00 am, up, awake, etc. for many more hours.

Finally fell off to sleep around 5:30 am. Husband woke me as he prepared for work around 7:00 am. Iced, elevated, acetaminophen, Tramadol around 8:00 am and I slept from 9:30 am 'til nearly 1:00 pm. Woke feeling somewhat rested. Three to four solid hours of sleep make such a difference for me.

PT rescheduled to Wednesday, 11/27/19 @ 2:00 pm. Somehow, I'll manage a ride. I'm actually looking forward to PT's assessment and perspective but not their infliction of pain.

Little by little, I can slowly see the movement, strength and ROM returning in my right knee! Just around the house, where I can grab onto stuff if need-be, I'm trying to transition from walker to cane. I am still rather unsteady with a cane, so I just amble around where I can keep my left hand on the cane, my right hand on a surface.

Especially when I have a day of rest like today, I can actually see small, steady improvement in my knee! Yeaaaaaaa!

Overall, not a terrible day! I'll take it and I'm grateful!

Thank you friends. Continue to improve and feel well. We will get there!

 

[Jockette]

I'm actually looking forward to PT's assessment and perspective but not their infliction of pain.

Don’t allow them to inflict that pain. You have the right to say no to anything you don’t agree with. Don’t allow them to “help” you bend, no matter what they say. It is not necessary.
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

 

[Helizabug]

I wish you could get some help around the house. Your activities sound like labor, not rest, recovery, and gradual return to daily activities. I wish people were nicer and more encouraging, too.

 

[Macknit]

I happy to hear you were having a good day!! I'll be thinking of you next Wednesday at your PT... a word to the wise though, explain to them your belief that pain is causing more inflammation and aggravation to the knee....I said that up front and they were in total agreement (and have proved so!)

Ask about lymph massage, too. It really helped me with the swelling and pain...

Have you thought about hiring someone short term to help with your house work? It really is OK to let someone else clean the toilets!

Good Luck!

 

[Mrty2019]

I kept the walker next to the bed for safety reasons until this past week. I liked having it nearby to grab onto when first getting out of bed and to steady myself while putting on my slippers.

 

[caredFL]

PT rescheduled to Wednesday, 11/27/19 @ 2:00 pm. Somehow, I'll manage a ride. I'm actually looking forward to PT's assessment and perspective but not their infliction of pain.

I hope you get the right therapist. I am so happy with mine but I will tell you I went in there letting her know during the assessment what I would and would not tolerate from her. She was very receptive and we are working together just like it should be. Also, she is really good with the massage therapy and as @Macknit said the lymph massage is really helpful. I was so happy yesterday I finally made a complete rotation on the bike! You will get there!

 

[Jockette]

I kept the walker next to the bed for safety reasons until this past week. I liked having it nearby to grab onto when first getting out of bed and to steady myself while putting on my slippers.

I did the same thing for a long time.

 

[TheSloth]

I still keep the cane near the bed for getting up in the middle of the night. Before it was much worse with having to navigate a leg brace, compression stocking which slipped on the wood floors, grabbing the holter monitor and hoofing it to the bathroom.

 

[tlfiore]

I wish you could get some help around the house. Your activities sound like labor, not rest, recovery, and gradual return to daily activities. I wish people were nicer and more encouraging, too.

Thank you for the kind comments and for taking time out to reply to my post. Yes, feeling solo and on my own has been the way of my life for me, seemingly forever. If I thought about people, places and things long enough and tried wrapping my brain around it all, I'd go crazy.

Wishing for a positive recovery and outcome for all of us! Thank you.

 

[tlfiore]

I happy to hear you were having a good day!! I'll be thinking of you next Wednesday at your PT... a word to the wise though, explain to them your belief that pain is causing more inflammation and aggravation to the knee....I said that up front and they were in total agreement (and have proved so!)

Ask about lymph massage, too. It really helped me with the swelling and pain...

Have you thought about hiring someone short term to help with your house work? It really is OK to let someone else clean the toilets!

Good Luck!

Thank you for your reply! Ugggghhhhh...yes...hiring someone else to clean the toilets. I hear you! You would think we live in the Outer Tundra here...well, almost. I still cannot process the fact that Uber, or Lyft will not operate here. Got to work on obtaining a ride to PT come Wednesday.

There are some folks that do cleaning. I've hired people from time-to-time when I've felt incapable of managing things myself. I hate to think I cannot even scrub a toilet, or sweep a floor.

 

[tlfiore]

Just popping in briefly to read everyone's threads and recent posts. I also try supporting some of the new people who are just beginning their recovery journeys.

So, a typical day here. I realized last night/this morning that after 3-4-5 sleepless nights (90 minute naps, or so), I feel MISERABLE come Day #5 of it all. So, after one of those spells, I managed to sleep from about 9:30 am this morning 'til 1:00 pm. I woke feeling a bit better.

I'm just going with the flow and trying NOT to force the impossible. This includes getting regular, restful sleep. If sleep comes, I'm grateful. If not, I get up and do my thing with icing, elevation, reading, Rx, Netflix, Amazon, drinking seltzer, hobbling to bathroom (smile), praying, meditating, snacking. Then it's back to bed...try again...repeat.

Now on a positive note, I spoke with my dear niece tonight (my only family) and I shared pics of my knee(s). We laughed 'n laughed 'cause my niece said (I agree), "Auntie it's tragic but your OPERATIVE right knee is looking a whole lot better than your LEFT knee (will be getting a Left TKR in 2020)."

And my right knee was in MUCH worse shape and much more deformed than my left knee is currently. That's why I opted to do my right knee first...the pain & dysfunction.

So, I'm looking forward to my PT eval come Thursday. Interested to see what they have to say.

Feel better, friends.

 

[caredFL]

Scar looks good...very similar to mine. I don't envy you the thought of going thru this again next year.

 

[flacie1]

@tlfiore first I have to say, love your slippers!! I want a pair of them but I got a new pair from ll bean that are the moccasin style, so I have to wait to get a new pair.

Knee looks good. Mine is so dry and itchy. I’m having a hard time with sleep too. I fall asleep during the day and my phone goes off with either a family member checking on me or my boss calling because he needs something. I almost can’t wait to go back to work, then when I’m home I don’t have to worry about working.

 

[tlfiore]

Hello to all my friends and Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all are having a warm, comforting and memorable day.

Just a quick update. So, I had my PT Intake yesterday and it went about as well as I anticipated. Of course, no one was thrilled with my recovery, or progress, which I anticipated. Good news is an "acquaintance" of mine, actually the realtor who sold us our old house here three years back, is a PT at the facility here in town. Dave is a nice guy and he knew I was having a TKR. So, he recommended his Rehab Facility and took on my case. He didn't do my Intake but somehow, he managed to have my case assigned to him, which is fine.

So, for starters the Intake guy says, "Oh...your extension is at 0...gotta get it to -3." I'm like, Uh-huh...okay, right, sure, I suppose." Then of course, my FLEXION. Bob, the Intake guy completes his ruler measurements and says "Hmmmm and uh-huh and errrr." I didn't ask, I don't want to know what the numbers are. Bob says, "Oh we will DEFINITELY get this knee to 125 degrees easily." I'm like, "Uh-huh...right, SURE, I suppose."

Now, both Bob and Dave DID say I have over 2 inches of edema still in my operative knee area...edema has to much lessen until anything with ROM, flexion, etc can be expected.

RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

So, it's been recommended PT x 3 days weekly x 4 weeks Does appear we are all on the same page with no aggressive PT, no pushing, pulling, popping, no, no and no.

We'll see. Husband is taking me in for Session #2 tomorrow, Friday @ 1:50 pm.

Take care everyone!

 

[Macknit]

Intake is always so "clinical"! And sadly, done just for the insurance.

I do laugh at even the PT I love, when she asked me at my day 3 day Post Op PT..."so, how is the pain?" I couldn't even answer her... between my pain meds and the lingering pain my brain could not quantify it!! Luckily, she just said, "Oh-h-h, let's just do a lymph massage" My 6 weeks of PT were great and though the silly goniometer came out, it was just recorded and never pushed!

Good luck tomorrow!

 

[tlfiore]

Hi friends...just checking in with everyone who is following & recovering! I hope to receive all the input I can and I am wishing everyone continued wellness.

So, after a good FIRST full outpatient physical therapy session on Friday, the 29th with flexion, extension, knee bends, etc (I refuse to discuss numbers with my PT), recumbent bike, recumbent stepper, treadmill, quad exercises, stepping steps, etc, etc...today was NOT so good.

My PT was openly discouraged that the flexion in my right knee is showing little improvement. He says, "There's a tendon, or some type of band that he's gotta break through that's holding things up (?), if not I will have problems, blah, blah."

Yes, of course I still have generalized pain in my knee with most of it being the lateral aspect just adjacent to the knee and a tight, burning band feeling across the top of the knee (which others seem to experience). My right knee measured nearly 2 inches larger than my left one last week due to swelling. All of this I expected, accepted and anticipated.

Well, my stomach and my spirits sank today when this was the first thing out of my PT's mouth after heat was applied and bending/flexion started. He was also upset that I did not pre-medicate with oxycodone before my PT. Therapist said, "If you do not pre-medicate, we won't get anywhere."

Again, today I accomplished:
-5 minutes stretching & flexion after heat applied
-8 minutes Nu-Step recumbent step machine
-8 minutes recumbent bike, forward & backwards
-8 minutes on treadmill
-15 repetitions on step blocks
-15 repetitions quad strengthening
-15 minutes icing

I felt I was doing well up until today. I'll pre-medicate for my next PT session come Wednesday. I'm still having some nighttime pain, which does either keep me awake and/or waken me every few hours but oxycodone and/or Tramadol seem to help at night. I dislike taking narcotics during the day 'cause they make me drowsy, which furthers disrupts my nighttime sleep (if I doze during the day).

Am I doing something wrong? I'll be 5 weeks post-op come Thursday.

Thanks everyone for caring

 

[Jockette]

You are not doing anything wrong, your PT is. He is expecting way too much of your 5 week old knee.

Where does he put the heat? Hopefully not directly on the knee.

He wants you to pre-medicate because he believes in aggressive “therapy” that is going to hurt you. Don’t allow it! Not only will it cause you immediate pain, you will have more pain and swelling later on that night. It will not help you. Do not let him bend your knee for you. I guarantee you won’t like it. (Been there, done that!)

I suggest you call around to some other PT facilities, maybe small private ones, and find one with the gentle approach that Bonesmart recommends.

 

[sondrals]

I would run, hobble, crawl away from anyone who suggested I need to take pain killers prior to PT to be able to stand it. I'm sorry he made you feel poorly, perhaps you can find a different physical therapist? I found it comforting going but I know a lot of people on here didn't go at home they just did their own thing at home.

 

[Molly59]

I’m one day after you. Had TKR on my right knee Oct 31st. Went in at 11:30 in the morning, they had me do some PT and I was home that same evening at 6. I felt great and sat down and started cycling. Hubby thought I was crazy and couldn’t believe it. The next day the “block” wore off and I was having one of my worst days. The next wasn’t so good either. I did try to take my meds and stay ahead of the pain, but sleeping on my back was my biggest challenge. I still don’t sleep well. The intense pain started to let up and I went off my pain meds after the first week and only took it when I went to PT. I love my PT... they believe in passive stretching. I go 3 days per week but also do my exercises and cycling on my own when I’m not at PT.
I have my 5 week checkup tomorrow and my biggest issue is with flexion. I can bend it pretty well during PT and it seems all warmed up and moving and bending and I think, Wow! Progress. But within a few minutes it tightens back up when I walk. I can bend it sitting but when I’m walking it gets to a certain point and it won’t bend and I end up limping. It’s starting to wear me out. I did a stupid thing and decided to start my Christmas decorating without my hubby and I paid for it that night. I was in a world of hurt. So I’ve learned to take it a little easier. I’m not the most patient patient and did not realize how long the recovery was going to be. My Mom had her first TKR at 80 4 yrs ago and the second one done 4 months later and she was great at 4 weeks. I’m very active and workout everyday and thought I would do as well as her. I’ve learned never to compare. Well wish me luck tomorrow, I’m hoping I’ll be able to drive again.