TKR TS’s lopsided recovery'

[kmak81230]

No one warns you about all the things that really make this a tough recovery - chief among them inability to get a good night sleep. I am a side sleeper and did not start getting into a more regular sleep routine until about two months post-surgery. Even then I had to have a little pillow to rest my TKR knee on when I was able to side sleep. That lasted for several more months. Take naps during the day as you can. The sleep deprivation is a real nuisance.

 

[Kiwigirl62]

@traceys , I'm right there with you re sleeping. Pre op i was an 8 hr girl every night an side sleeper. Still 4 weeks post op never had longer than 4 hr stretch and a good night means i may have got a second 2 hr stretch. Can do the side thing for 10mins which relieves other muscles a teeny bit but its still on my back for the night. Lots of stretching the rest of the body after getting up to try to compensate.
My butt is affected most between sleeping, sitting and icing, it seems i spend majority of my time on it

 

[SusieShoes]

I’m a side-sleeper and it was wretched not being able to sleep on my side at first. I slept on my back, legs up on my Lounge Doctor for 4 months! Believe me, I kept trying to sleep on my side. Tried all the tricks. The one that worked best was the pillow between the legs, but even that didn’t give me a reliable good nights sleep (four or more hours at a stretch x 2) until, you got it, four months had passed.

I don’t know why it took so long. Bilateral knees, maybe?

At one point I told Mr. Shoes he must truly love me, because he was putting up with my miserable sleep habits. He said he loved everything but the snoring. And the lack of snuggling, because the Lounge Doctor does not lend itself to a good snuggle. But there you have it. We survived.

Everyone is different, so it may not take 4 months for you. You could be sleeping like a champ in a week. Some people do manage it!

 

[traceys]

@SusieShoes @Kiwigirl62 thanks

It’s amazing how much we are creatures of habit. I have been trying to move around more today and have a funeral visitation tonight for 2 hrs that is going to drain me in every aspect. First social thing since surgery but called funeral home and they will have a chair and stool for me. Hoping that I will sleep by the time we get home and I take my half a Percocet.

This forum truly has been a god send for me. Haven’t felt this “average” in 5 weeks!

 

[traceys]

Happy Friday y’all!!!

Home from PT - love Friday’s as furthest point til next appt. lol.
Hit 90 flexion today for first time with therapist assistance but not without a lot of tears and nausea. Also a 9min prone hang.
I was on my feet waaay too much yesterday at the funeral home and had a really really rough night/morning so had to actually take meds as prescribed to get thru just moving my incredibly swollen tight leg.

Couple of questions for all tho if I may?
1. After hearing people talking about Lounge Doctor I started looking into them. Does anyone find using them or similar causes some loss of extension or hip issues?
2. I take a half a Percocet every 6-8 hrs and a full one before pt 3x a week. Been doing it for 5 weeks. Worried about dependency but when I ask OS he responded “ take them as directed. It’s Why you have them” How long were you on meds? Any trouble coming off? (As a qualifier I am 6’ tall and pretty high body weight ).

As always appreciate any inputs.

 

[Jockette]

Hit 90 flexion today for first time with therapist assistance but not without a lot of tears and nausea.

This is the #1

Any assistance in bending your knee is to be declined as it is a false number since you can’t do it yourself. It looks great on your record but since you can’t do it yourself it doesn’t help you accomplish your daily activities.

And, tears and nausea is proof it is doing more harm than good.

Been there, done that! Not ever again.

 

[traceys]

This is the #1

Any assistance in bending your knee is to be declined as it is a false number since you can’t do it yourself. It looks great on your record but since you can’t do it yourself it doesn’t help you accomplish your daily activities.

And, tears and nausea is proof it is doing more harm than good.

Been there, done that! Not ever again.

Then I am at 10 flexion. And 10 extension. So much for being proud of the gains.

 

[beachy]

The reason I like my lounge doc is because my legs stay on it. They seem to slide off if I put a pillow on LD. The memory foam is great. No idea about hips.

 

[Jockette]

You must be more than 10 flex if they can push you to 90.

You are very early in recovery and as your swelling goes down your ROM will come back. Don’t let them tell you it won’t if they don’t “help” it. .

I was on my feet waaay too much yesterday at the funeral home and had a really really rough night/morning so had to actually take meds as prescribed to get thru just moving my incredibly swollen tight leg.

Things come up in our recovery that we have to do. You had a physically and emotionally stressful 24 hours, so yes, you’re tight and swollen. Rest, ice and elevate for a few days and let things settle.

You’ll get there, really! You have lots and lots of time to improve.

 

[traceys]

I haven’t taken a “normal step” in almost 10 yrs from the destruction in my knee. My gait was so modified to accommodate my knee over decades. We discovered post surgery some muscles in hip and quad/ham were so atrophied they are dead now. Hence why I can’t self extend/flex. Right now we are joint treating piriformis syndrome and ITB issues.
The tears and nausea today was just the emotional burnout and frustration.

 

[Jockette]

I’ll tag @Josephine for you.

 

[DIYSteve]

TS, I am still learning to walk properly. Although my knee wasn't as beat up as yours, advanced OA prevented me from having a normal gait for 3-4 years pre-op. Knee pain, stiffness and lack of flexion forced me to swing my leg instead of bending it. I managed to walk and run hundreds of miles with that ugly gait -- although at the cost of aggravating my hip and back. It's wonderful being able to walk with a near-normal gait again.

Sleeping gets better. First few weeks each night I tried to sleep a few hours in bed, never a deep sleep and waking often, then moved to a recliner and icing machine at 3AM - 4AM each morning, then snoozed off and on in the recliner. I did not get a deep sleep in bed (with a few wakeups each night) until week 7 or so. I'm now 13-1/2 weeks and finally sleeping through the night -- to the extent my aging prostate allows : ) I'm finally at the point where I'm sleeping better than I did the 2 years pre-op (waking each hour or so with bone-on-bone pain).

 

[Larryhg3]

@traceys
Your scenario is why one answer or thought process doesn’t fit all.
Rule #1 Do not under any circumstances let anyone steal your successes from you.

CONGRATULATIONS on the achievements you made today.

Everyone is different. Everyone’s scenario is unique. You should be ecstatic that you have made progress.

I used stacked pillows for Lefty but heard so many good things about the Lounge Doctor that I bought one for Righty. I have not heard of it negatively affecting someone’s extension. My in home PT doesn’t measure ROM but says that mine looks fine right now.
As far as the pain meds, my doctor has the same philosophy as yours “ take them as prescribed they will make your recovery easier”. For Lefty I think it was 6-8 weeks before I was completely off pain meds and 14 weeks ( end of PT) before I stopped muscle relaxers. Requirements around pain meds are a decision between you and your doctor. Any other opinions are just that opinions.

Good luck and again congratulations on the gains you achieved today.

 

[traceys]

 

[Pumpkin]

TracyS,
Good news is your PT got 90 degrees, when you swelling goes down you know your ROM is there waiting to be revealed. No need to push it, as you heal your ROM will increase.
Here are two gentle activities you can do for ROM, there are several options, try the ones you feel are right for you.
Heel slides and how to do them and Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it .

 

[Jockette]

So much for being proud of the gains.

I’m so sorrry that I caused you discouragement.

When you said that getting to that 90 degrees was with tears and nausea, it brought back painful memories of my own PT, especially the first time they force bent my knee. I hung on to the table for dear life as he just kept slowly pushing. After using my arms for so much because I had no leg power after surgery, that pushed me over the edge to a very painful shoulder, which a few days later, after X-rays, was diagnosed as acute tendinitis. The shoulder pain was a 10 and the Dilaudid I was taking didn’t touch it.

It was weeks later that I found Bonesmart and learned that not only did my PT not have to do that, but that they shouldn’t hurt me like that, and that my knee should be treated gently so it can heal.

I get a bit overprotective when I read of experiences like yours, as I’ve been there myself.

The fact that they got you to 90 shows that you have the potential.

I wish you the very best.

 

[traceys]

It’s ok. This ordeal could cause PTSD type reactions in anyone.
My PT is incredible. She checks my mental and emotional state every appt. we have both verbal and hand signals for stop, hold and go. She manipulates only until she feels any sort of resistance and then holds it until I signal what’s next and only 2x of any stretch.

What you went thru is so wrong on so many levels and I am so sorry that was part of your adventure.
Rehab is such a grey area and people have their camps of belief. I still am glad you’re here

 

[Jockette]

This ordeal could cause PTSD type reactions in anyone.

I was definitely scarred by that experience, more so than I realized at the time.

My surgeon was also a fan of pushing my knee to a painful place to measure. Finally at my 7 month check I refused to get up on the table, where he had easy access to my leg, and stayed in a chair and bent it myself, for the first time to be measured, in my recovery.

I’m glad you like your PT and have a good communication system.

 

[MtnSearcher]

I agree with @Larryhg3 that everyone is different, and with @Pumpkln on heel slides. A bit more advice if I can: Walk. I know it's difficult, especially after needing surgery for so long, but it really loosened up my leg. Just getting off the couch was horrible until I started forcing myself to do it. The other advice is just the opposite. If you need rest, rest. My last day of PT was Wednesday, and that combined with a chair that collapsed with me that night left my knee so sore, I wasn't sure I could get up yesterday. Reasonable walking, rest and ice and I'm pain free tonight. Let your knee tell you what it needs. It took me a long time and a lot of advice from people on this board for me to figure that out.

 

[traceys]

Thanks @MtnSearcher
Sorry to hear about the chair collapse. That must have been frightening!
I am learning to be kinder to myself. I do walk about our small apt every hour out of necessity. I am home 10hrs a day alone as hubby has to work so if I need the bathroom or food or a diff magazine I get it myself. Conversely I have my recliner I spend a lot of time in (although I am looking for a lounge doctor now). It’s been a juggling act balancing my knee needing rest and my atrophied hip needed movement. Lol. Folding and unfolding this 6’ frame up and down off furniture has given me triceps of steel tho.