TKR TS’s lopsided recovery'

[traceys]

@sistersinhim
The knee’s temper tantrum resulted in it being grounded for the night. My Percocet saw to that.
And I’m sure all the treats and egg nog helped emotionally.

Pt tomorrow - Then I can relax for a few days.

 

[gecko]

So pleased you managed to enjoy your outing, and yes it is starting to sound a lot like Christmas:reindeersleigh:reindeerlights:
:santa sleigh::santa hug:can you tell I love the new emoji's

 

[SusieShoes]

Your outing sounds lovely! A little snow is so pretty, and getting out just brightens the soul. Your husband sounds like a romantic gentleman, too.

So yes, sometimes in recovery we will push our limits just a little bit because the reward is so worth having. We do it. We deal with the swelling and pain after (eggnog is heavenly!) and we are happy. Many a time during my recovery I knew whatever I was doing was going to mean I would hurt a bit later... but that was my call, and I don't regret a single one of those times. The key is to do it only occasionally! :chrissy grin:

 

[traceys]

@gecko I know. I’m crushing on the seated reindeer! Makes me smile (like your gecko)!
@SusieShoes im blessed to have that big goof in my life everyday!

So today was pt and she had to take rom measurements for one of my insurance forms.
It seems I lost 20 degrees since her last measurement. She said it visibly looked way less swollen and didn’t seem to be resisting her gentle movements like it used to so may be reacting to the increase in ADL but she wants to monitor it to make sure something else isn’t going wonky. But she still stuck to the gentle approach we agreed upon Monday which made me so happy!

Then I had massage and today was the day she started to work on my quads and knee itself. Since surgery I do NOT like anyone touching my scar and the knee area - I just get about it for some reason, like they are going to damage the hardware or hurt me. The pain was so incredible! Burning and stinging and I let fly with a few and donkey kicks with lefty.
She said around my medial knee and lower quad it was like running her hand over corrugated tin , all the scars and adhesions built up over 35 yrs. and she was surprised OS didn’t address that when I was opened up. I know in the past I’ve had to have deep tissue work to release things and forgot how intense it is. 20min of swearing and it was over but you know what? It feels looser. Can’t wait to see the bruising!!

Now to ice as long as I have cold stuff to put on it, stack as high as the pillows will go and medicate to sleep through what I’m sure is coming.

 

[Larryhg3]

Sounds like your outing was well worth the repercussions! You are just a week of doing it the slow gentle way. I would say that had they measured you the day after the post where you surrendered she would have gotten today’s number or worse. As your swelling goes down you will slowly add more things like your outing. As you do your ROM should improve. Your therapeutic massage sounds tough but then the muscles all relax and it is so very nice. I hate it when they mobilize the scar for me it doesn’t hurt just freaks me out. Keep up the great work. I know you well enough that this is tough for you but it seems to be giving better results.

 

[sistersinhim]

The pain was so incredible! Burning and stinging and I let fly with a few and donkey kicks with lefty.

There is nothing good happening to your knee when you are having this much pain. Remember pain is your knee telling you that it is not ready for what is being done to it. Pain is BAD for a recovering tkr. Discomfort is OK, but incredible pain isn't. Please don't let that PT do that again until it can be done without that pain.

 

[traceys]

@sistersinhim
You may have misread my post

It wasn’t my pt - it was my massage therapist and it wasn’t my knee it was my quad muscles into my knee. I’ve had deep tissue massage for about 20yrs because they are filled with damage due to the history of my poor leg. Every time I do anything with my quads it causes micro tears and they in turn get nasty quick. The mri of my thigh muscles is sorta cool actually. This rmt has worked with me forever and she is an and fixed sooo many things. I’m fine with it. Knee is normal owie tonight - thigh is cranky

My pt doesn’t really do anything to my knee as rehab except hold it while I move it through some gentle stretches.

 

[sistersinhim]

It wasn’t my pt - it was my massage therapist and it wasn’t my knee it was my quad muscles into my knee.

Oh, sorry for the misunderstanding. I'm glad it wasn't your knee that was having all that pain! I pray you have a good night!

 

[traceys]

No harm no foul @sistersinhim - I appreciate how much everyone looks out for each other here.

 

[sistersinhim]

We try cause we have been there and we care!

 

[Shanari]

I experience the tightening and firmness of the muscle as a muscle spasm, you perhaps could ask your docs if that is what you are experiencing? There are meds that will help with the spasms IF that's what's happening to you. If it's swelling due to overuse, you just will need to back it off, use rest, ice & elevation to get back on top of it. Best wishes for continued improvements in your healing process!

 

[traceys]

Hi @Shanari
I see we have a common TKR date in sept!

 

[Shanari]

Hi @Shanari
I see we have a common TKR date in sept!

Yes! great minds think alike? :D

 

[traceys]

Happy Sunday all and welcome to the start of another week.
For all you smarties that have gone back to work - have a great week!
For those of us still at home - here’s to a new day of fighting the good fight, small victories and big successes.

I’ve had a rough weekend. Since Friday morning I’ve had about 7 hrs sleep total.
I’m in a bit of a funk - a bad mix of anxiety and fear that where I’m at in recovery is where I’m going to remain. That my life is not going to be what is was or what I wanted. I know it’s probably not but lately I’m noticing more what I can’t do than what I can as I try to keep up with life.
Hubby is being as supportive as he can but I feel like a broken record going thru this every few weeks.
Maybe it would have been easier had my surgery been in spring /summer. I just feel cooped up, can’t get out to Christmas shop at all and decorating will be tricky, the house feels cluttered and dirty and too small, and work is now on the horizon possibly and I don’t feel at all ready.

Seriously, this surgery really needs to have a psychiatric recovery component too.

 

[Larryhg3]

@traceys More than 50% of this is mental. We can choose to dwell on how far we have left to go or we can focus on the day to day wins. The first one is very easy to do but is also very dangerous for continued success. The second is much better for us and our knee but also much harder to maintain. I honestly believe that the younger we are the less patient we are with the process. One of my things is to look at the posts around this being too slow and almost all of them are from people who are early 50s or younger.

You Have This Tracey’s. You can do it. Hope that your day is better and that you get some sleep.

 

[SusieShoes]

You’re just reaching the point in recovery where most people — most, not all — start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Your body has done the urgent repair work it needed to do. There’s still repair going on, but unless you’ve done something to set yourself back, your body has finished with the big stuff.

In the next few weeks you should start to see your energy return. Your sleep will likely start to improve. Chances are you’ll start to feel your knee getting better and better, too.

This recovery is a grind. It’s slow. It can feel like forever before you see improvement. But hang in there!

 

[traceys]

Thanks.

Last night I got a decent 6hrs after hubby woke up and found me bawling in my bed (I have had to stay in our spare room since surgery as well so very alone at nights too). He said that he sees little changes that I may not realize and he will prove it somehow.

This morning I woke up to find a text with the pic attached that he took when he checked on my as he left for work at 5am. Apparently at night when I am out cold I instinctively lay in my fav position - stomach with new leg bent pretty darn far on a body pillow.
All his text said was “I told you so”.

As soon as I take 3-4 steps BOOM massive swelling and tightness in the same spots every time and back to waaaay less bend.

I think I know what that means.

 

[hegel]

Tracey, given your long history of surgeries on that knee, it stands to reason that your recovery would take a bit longer than 'normal'. But that's a good thing! In the sense that you have a very good answer for your anxieties. A slower recovery doesn't mean NO recovery. Not at all.

Of course being housebound in the dead of winter can only add to your gloom. My guess is that your husband wants you to forget all about the usual Christmas stuff. More, that's what he wants for Christmas! Remember Christ was born in a barn. I suggest that you tell everyone that you're going authentic this year. Maybe get a few plastic cows and chickens. Done.

My therapist helped me to try to break the cycle of anxiety and depression when they struck. Easier said than done. I hope that you can find some happier thoughts to dwell on soon. And remember that your friends here and at home are hoping for nothing more than your well being. Who cares about the holiday ****? We want YOU to take care.

 

[traceys]

I suggest that you tell everyone that you're going authentic this year. Maybe get a few plastic cows and chickens.

I read this while laying on the treatment table and literally burst out laughing to the point my pt had to stop.

I get where you were going with the reason for the season but the image of the plastic barn animal amongst my mess and

My therapist says thankyou as do I!

 

[kmak81230]

I agree with @hegel. I put a wreath on the front door, got out some holiday napkins and declared "nursing home central" decorated for Christmas. Because of all the prior work you had done it stands to reason that your recovery would be more challenging -- hang in there, we are still in the very early stages of recovery.