TKR TS’s lopsided recovery'

[Celle]

@traceys - I've moved Dolly girls's post into her own thread.

 

[traceys]

Anyone else get a membership in the ODIC for Christmas? I’m trying to return it but can’t find a gift receipt.

Spending today trying to get back on track icing and elevating. Perfect time to indulge in all my goodies at least. This was brutal on me.
Thankfully my family understood and tried so hard to accommodate me.

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

 

[Jockette]

I’m trying to return it but can’t find a gift receipt.

Forget that gift receipt, I want to know where that magic wand is that fixes all our issues!

 

[Mom2Lucy]

@traceys , I’m so sorry you’ve joined me and @beachy in the ODIC, but here we are! I think it’s not only non-returnable, it’s the gift that keeps on giving
Hope you can take it easy today!

 

[sistersinhim]

Anyone else get a membership in the ODIC for Christmas? I’m trying to return it but can’t find a gift receipt.

You are a hoot! But, I think you can return it without the receipt. Just rest, elevate and ice as much as you can! That should calm that knee down. But, you have to do it!

 

[traceys]

Don’t worry. I’m on the couch propped on my Lounge Doctor, iced hip to ankle (also good place to rest my eggnog and keep it cold) and surrounded by sweets and cookies.

Question. Does anyone wrap their knee in compression bandages and find it helps? I was told not to by my pt as it causes adhesions and poor circulation but I find I feel so much more comfy.

 

[sistersinhim]

I was told not to by my pt as it causes adhesions and poor circulation but I find I feel so much more comfy.

I think that's a question you should ask your doctor. PT love to talk about adhesions! Yes, the number-obsessed PTs will rattle on about it as if the big. bad "scar tissue" is just sitting there, waiting to pounce if you don't do enough exercise.

Actually, it's quite the reverse. The infamous scar tissue (which is more correctly called adhesions) is very rare, and one of the easiest ways to develop it is to work your knee too hard. Over-worked knees get inflamed and hot, and hot tissues become drier than normal and more likely to stick together and form adhesions.

This article explains the difference between scar tissue and adhesions:
MUA (Manipulation under Anaesthetic) and Adhesions

You need normal scar tissue. That's what holds your incision together, and it's part of the normal healing process. Without it, you'd always have an open wound.

 

[kmak81230]

I find it comfortable to wear the ted socks or a thigh high compression stocking or wrap in an Ace bandage when I am going to be on my feet for a long time - I don't think it is bothering me at all. Hope you get out of the ODIC soon. I recovered well from my visit a few days ago.

 

[Larryhg3]

@traceys move over and make room on that couch young lady. Apparently I have renewed my membership in the ODIC. Apparently Righty is not yet a fan of Christmas Eve Mass. I have been icing elevating and willing myself to not take a pain pill since 5 pm last night. Sometimes you have to live life and pay the price is how I look at it. Feel better soon......pass me a cookie please

 

[Jockette]

Sometimes you have to live life and pay the price is how I look at it

I agree. We can’t always indulge our knee, and we need to try things to see what our knee can handle. If it doesn’t handle it, we know how to treat it and try again at a later date.

 

[ebungalow]

I find compression really comforting too - and believe it’s really helping with swelling. I do a kind of light lymphatic self-massage (while wearing compression and leg elevated) from my knee area toward groin area, hoping to encourage any extra fluid to drain. I think it helps.

Your setup sounds great - enjoy!!

 

[Kiwigirl62]

Does anyone wrap their knee in compression bandages and find it helps? I was told not to by my pt as it causes

Yes i used one heaps so disagree re PT @traceys ....I've used one heaps....so much so was worried i was too attached but a couple of weeks ago only started ditching it unless I'd done more than normal on knee. Ditched it first at night but after 5 nights put it back on as i was waking in morning with slight ache an swelling - think I'm a mover in bed. Now one waking i whip it off as knee feels great, no swelling and really flexible. Try it. A PT told me at 7weeks i should ditch it but i ignored her- I'm about 14weeks and use about 40% now compared to 80%

 

[traceys]

Thank you @Kiwigirl62 ! I noticed I felt better when I had it on to hold ice packs so wondered why I couldn’t use one on the days it was super stiff or swollen. Not tight of course but to help with the swelling.

Feel like I’m losing rom again lately as harder to bend it to what I was the day of the incident. I know I’m on it a lot last few days and internal swelling and all but still scaring me a bit. I’m supposed to check in with pt tomorrow so will see how that goes.
This is such a roller coaster.

 

[Jockette]

Feel like I’m losing rom again lately as harder to bend it to what I was the day of the incident. I know I’m on it a lot last few days and internal swelling and all but still scaring me a bit

It’s hard not to be scared, but you answered your own comment, extra activity=extra swelling=reduced ROM. Swelling doesn’t go away as quickly as it comes. Rest and elevation is the best remedy.

Even so, ROM can fluctuate easily even over the course of a single day. Mine did!

You are still in early days. Where you are now is not where you will end up. Try not to worry.

 

[sistersinhim]

This is such a roller coaster.

You've got that right! It's also a 2 steps forward and 1 step backward. Even sometimes a 1 step forward and 2 steps back! That's why that patience thing is so important. We think we're doing well, then do too much. Our knee humbles us and lets us know that it's in control! But, after a while, you will be in control and you can tell that knee to behave!

 

[traceys]

Thanks all. So I wrapped from mid calf to above knee today and have done nothing except sleep and eat. Every time I put my head down I’m

Noticed the knee feels more....stable. Not as tight. I’m walking a bit better (although still not bending a ton thru my stride) but getting there again.
All that’s left if that weird pulling tearing feeling I’ve had for months. The red circles are where I get the rippy feeling when I bend to about 90 The blue circle is where I get a big visible swelling after flex/extend a lot. Anyone else encounter these?

 

[Jockette]

I had my left knee replaced and most of my issues are in the lower part of your blue circle. Early on I could literally feel swelling pop into that area with certain movements. I also had a lateral release done with the partial replacement, which is why I think that area bothers me so much.

 

[beachy]

Happy after Christmas and congrats on returning to the ODIC!
I started using a compression sleeve today. I had necessary (hubs) errands to run and wore it. It definitely helped. I'm dealing with pulled muscles and it kept them from being overworked.

 

[sistersinhim]

The outer red circle is where I have most of my pain, along with the back of the knee.

 

[traceys]

Ok. So just back from physio after a week away and all the Christmas stress on it. The clinic manager sat in with my pt and me to look at my treatment plan going forward.
When I got there I didn’t really warm up other than my two extension stretches when they popped me up on the bed to look at it so I was pretty stiff. First off they were amazed how less visible swelling I had and it wasn’t hot to touch. Then out of nowhere he said “heel slide for us”. They took a quick measurement and got 70 so they figured if I was warmed up proper maybe a 75-80 so no loss since last time like I thought.


We made the decision the ONLY time we will be measuring rom going forward is once a week only to ensure I’m not losing. We ARE instead taking different measurements. She will be recording the circumference of my knee at 3 points to monitor swelling and then stride length at what point I can no longer heel strike proper to monitor functional extension.
We all agreed anything else is useless for my case as long as I’m functional and they can get my hip corrected.


Massage and gait training continue as normal.
I tried recumbent bike then and no rotation today but really close so oh well. Another day maybe.

Got home to get a call from the national HR disability manager for my work. Seems she heard I was there last week to visit and had seen our onsite HR person who then called her and said I was not even close to moving well enough to return to work Jan 8 like they have planned. The HR mgr said they have decided I stay off until I feel ready to return BUT I still am waiting to hear if I am going to get $$ for Long Term Disability. If not we can’t afford my being off.

I’m supposed to hear from them Monday afternoon so praying for another miracle like the one last week.

Now to go ice and elevate this poor joint and get ready for date night with hubby!