TKR TS’s lopsided recovery'

[sistersinhim]

It's so good reading your getting back to doing normal things!

 

[traceys]

@sistersinhim
So grateful for everyone that keeps pulling me along and hopeful I’m helping some of the “new knees” coming up now. I will always have hurdles I think but as long as I can find something each week that is improved I’m happy.

 

[sistersinhim]

Helping others coming up behind you if not only helping them, you're helping yourself, too!

 

[Larryhg3]

@traceys it is very nice to see you turn that tough mental corner. Some of us are very very hard on ourselves and our own worse critics. Finding that positive place to focus our attention is very hard. You are rocking this my friend.

 

[traceys]

Does anyone use any sort or muscle rub or linament on their thigh and calf? If so how often and when did you start?
I don’t want it around my knee incision but the ITB and quads are so hard and actually aching to touch last few days, and that sharp burning and swelling is back on the lateral side of my knee as well as a new pain on the medial side of the knee when I activate my quads.

If I could just get the muscles to relax I could deal. I know I’ve been using it more and doing more of the flexing stretches and that irritated the knee in the past. I’m still icing and elevating and wrapping but ...

 

[Larryhg3]

I use BioFreeze on muscle issues. I keep it away from my young scar but I use it on any muscular issues.

 

[Jockette]

I had a very major set back at 4 months, it took a whole month to improve, then my son got married, 3 days of wedding activities 90 minutes away, back and forth travel (this was at 5 months post op) and my leg was really tight again and my ROM reduced quite a bit.

I considered going for some massage but was afraid to let anyone touch my leg at that point, (long story) so I just waited it out and it relaxed in its own time.

My personal opinion is that we don’t have to always “do” something, and that less is more, and let the leg/knee sort itself out. It’s that Time thing that we keep hearing about.

I know it’s hard, been there, done that. But my leg did settle down in its own time.

Any time I had a busy day, I took the next day off. (except for that wedding weekend, I didn’t have a choice then) I do have the “luxury” of being retired, so I could do that. I’m also not a super active person, so it was easier for me to take that strategy than would be for someone else.

It worked for me, but as always, we are all different.

 

[hegel]

Tracey, in regards to your 11 hour nap: I have sleep apea. In the many months before I was diagnosed, I would only get into rem sleep for a few minutes at a time. One of the things that I was told when I began using a cpap machine to threat the apnea is that I most likely had a sleep deficit. As I began deep dreaming for hours again because of the cpap machine, I did in fact find that I had that sleep deficit. And it takes some months of normal sleeping to overcome it.

I'm certain I have that deficit again now! My sleep patterns are getting better, most nights, but I still rarely get in three full hours at a time. (A normal sleep that includes a full rem cycle typically takes three hours to complete).
So those 11 hour naps? Have at them! I bet that most of us here have at least some sleep deficit. For our health, we need to catch up. Who knew?

 

[traceys]

Thanks @Jockette I’ve always struggled with muscle issues. Hubby just went to massage my leg for me and was not subtle upon seeing the swollen lateral knee and how hard my quad/calf was. It’s been building up for a few weeks. Even the slightest stretches or ADL set it off now. Can’t stay immobile forever so have to find help to work thru a bit

@Larryhg3 ive heard about biofreeze. May need to try and find some.

 

[Mom2Lucy]

@traceys , I also use Biofreeze, and recently tried a Canadian one called Motion Medicine. The Motion Medicine seems to have a bit warmer feeling than the Biofreeze(but just slight warmth) I like them both. I buy both from my chiropractor,not sure if they’re in the drugstores.

 

[Kiwigirl62]

@traceys i use magnesium oil as a muscle relaxant-just finished rubbing into calves, quads and butt -i do this every night before bed. Also used to do a self massage on calves at night for about a month, but now just oil. Massage helps along with oil and then a good stretch first thing in morning

 

[traceys]

@Mom2Lucy biofreeze seems to be popular. Any idea the difference in the retail vs professional product listed on their site?

@Kiwigirl62 magnesium oil? Never heard of that but I do know my pharmacist mentioned magnesium supplements to me once for my fibromyalgia pain so.... may have to look at that again.

Last night before bed I soaked my leg in some green eagle oil I had here (Asian medicated oil-smell is so strong but use it for hubbys migraines) and slept thru the entire night. Woke up walking my “normal” again. Also did no stretches yesterday so not sure which was more effective.

Don’t want to use all his oil up either tho as stuff hard to find around here.

 

[beachy]

I use Arnicare on my calf and knee. I give both areas a good massage with it. Seems to help temporarily. Sometimes a lidocaine patch on my calf or side if knee.

Forget the ITB for me. It's so tight. And the hip bursitis is back. Trying not to sleep on the left side or cross my legs. Stretching and doing the exercises, but it needs time. I doubt any cream would help mine.

 

[Mom2Lucy]

I’m sorry @traceys , I’ve no idea if there’s much difference. The one I use is the professional label. I have it in the spray, the gel, and the roll-on, lol.

 

[traceys]

408am and I’m wide awake. Haven’t had a night this rough in a long time. No pain more than normal but mentally sorta beat up on myself today.

It’s funny because I can cheer everyone on and remind them about how long a process this is and there will be bad days ...and then I have a few bad days and .....
Lately leg feels thick and heavy. Knee was so tight could barely flex at all. Stretches hurt so much today and now that stupid bursitis on lateral border is back. Worse thing? I’ve discovered I’m becoming very self conscious of my walking....like everyone is staring cuz I don’t bend the knee at all and the heel strike may or may not be there. I’m stalled out at the same flex/extend range. Haven’t done a bike rotation since that one day weeks ago - not even close.

Worse is I miss my photography so much. Been 4mnths since I shot. Tried mimicking some motions as if I was shooting and couldn’t. Broke my spirit a bit. Scratch that - broke me a lot.
I know it will improve and I HAVE had some good days and normalcy but .....

That sept 14th deadline I have seems so close and looming too. 9mnths away and I keep thinking “what if I can’t make it..?” Ya I know it’s 9mnths but it’s such a huge thing and I may never get the chance again if I blow it.

would run away but ...can’t run either and won’t get too far lurching.

 

[Jockette]

I’m awake also, though I wouldn’t call it wide awake.

I’m retired, so I don’t have a job to worry about my ability to get back to, so the closest I can relate is when I got back into bowling.

I started bowling slowly and carefully at 12 weeks. Only one game the first day, a week later I started doing 2 and took a month to work up to the normal 3.

I was very self conscious of my new, un-choreography-ied approach to the throw line. I felt like people who didn’t know me thought I didn’t know what to do. I was embarrassed about it for a long time. I couldn’t put any weight onto the knee while it’s bent, which most people do when bowling.

I, too, felt very self conscious about walking slowly, but not so much about my style of walking.

I understand the depression of how long this recovery takes. I was led to believe I’d have a 2-3 month recovery. In reality, at my 2-3 month marks I was still extremely limited and struggling and feeling like such a baby because I was so uncomfortable. Each month that went by I would think, it’s been X months, and this is all I can do? or I still feel like this? etc.

Then I had those 2 major set backs at 4 and 5 months and my friends and acquaintances made comments, as people do, about my “slow recovery “.

I started to stay home from activities. It was easier to be alone than face others, especially those who’d had TKR’s in the past and (I felt) looked down on me because I wasn’t as functional as they had been in their recovery. (if indeed that true)

I think what you are experiencing right now is par for the course for some of us, if not many of us, maybe even all of us.

September is a long way away and where you are now is not where you will be then.

 

[Larryhg3]

@traceys these are the times that I wish I could carry your load for you just for a little while. I agree with Jockette in that I think most of us struggle with the mental part of this way more than we share about it. I know for certain I do. 9 months from now you will be in a much different place than you are today. At PT they have gotten creative in trying to get me more flexion. I have stalled at a specific spot and can’t break through it. It takes the wind out of your sails. For the second week in a row the therapists ganged up on me trying to drive home that this is not about work ethic. I am here for you , I get where you are. It does get better hang in there.

 

[donnag1108]

Awake here too. I'm sorry your having such a rough night. Seems in the wee hours when I am sure I am the only human awake in the world I start missing the activities I love the most. I thought it was only me who was feeling self concius about people looking. I'm still on my cane when I leave home. I awoke from a 3 hour sleep which I'm grateful for too see your post and I didn't feel so alone at the moment. We're all going to make it even if we don't think so sonetimes!

 

[traceys]

I started to stay home from activities. It was easier to be alone than face others, especially those who’d had TKR’s in the past and (I felt) looked down on me because I wasn’t as functional as they had been in their recovery

I wish I could carry your load for you just for a little while

. I awoke from a 3 hour sleep which I'm grateful for too see your post and I didn't feel so alone at the moment

Yup - when you are tired you definitely bawl easier. Thankyou isn’t enough for those words

 

[Dolly Girl]

Good job! Have you tried sleeping in recliner? It has really helped the dreaded sleep position delimma for me!