TKR TS’s lopsided recovery'

[Softtail]

It’s very tough not to compare your recovery to someone else’s. Hope when you come back you will have some great recovery news. Take care

 

[flsungirl]

@traceys i totally understand , and you have to do what’s right for you. Take good care of yourself my knee twin.

 

[Larryhg3]

Take some time to take care of you I wish you well in your journey. Always here for you.

 

[andpeaches]

@traceys oh how I understand and only wish you well over the next few months. I just know you’re going to pop back here in the next few months to tell us you’re doing great!! And I’ll be right there cheering for us both! Rest, relax, find peace. We will get there!

 

[traceys]

Hi all. Just popped in to check up on some people and lurk a bit.

I’m now 9 weeks and happy to report I’m seeing some progress finally after some very long stressful days. I lost almost all my ROM and my hip pain and the pain on the lateral of my knee was getting worse. Also in a battle with my disability insurance worker who wants me back to work and benefits that are running out to cover therapy costs.

My OS came in to physio to see me after I had a crying melt-down with my PT and realized how much trouble I was having. He immediately put me on Celebrex and said if no sign of any change by Nov 22 then MUA because I was down to 55 flexion and 35 extension. PT stopped all strengthening and does stretch and easy manipulation only until further notice. Rmt is slowly untangling the mess of my soft tissues and layer on layer of scar and adhesion.

48hrs after all these changes and anti-inflammatories I slept through a whole night, dropped to one crutch and made 82 flex and 10 extension AND can see my knee cap ... all first time since morning of surgery. I’m hopeful we are finally on track and he will delay MUA talks. 2 more weeks to try and improve more.

I’m at peace finally for the direction I’m heading and hope it keeps improving but time will tell.

Sending everyone happy vibes and hoping you are all well
.

 

[Teecup]

48hrs after all these changes and anti inflammatories I slept thru a whole night, dropped to one crutch and made 82 flex and 10 extension AND can see my knee cap ... all first time since morning of surgery.

That's outstanding, traceys!

So glad your care team is on the same page now, listening to you and your knee and giving you what you need. I hope your peace and progress keep on keeping on!

 

[Celle]

My OS came in to physio to see me after I had a crying melt down with my pt and realized how much trouble I was having. He immediately put me on Celebrex and said if no sign of any change by Nov 22 then MUA because I was down to 55 flexion and 35 extension. Pt stopped all strengthening and does stretch and easy manipulation only until further notice. Rmt is slowly untangling the mess of my soft tissues and layer on layer of scar and adhesion.

I think you should stop all PT and, instead, spend that time resting, icing and elevating your leg, to try to calm. It sounds to me as if over-ambitious PT is the cause of much of your trouble. PT should not make you cry - were the exercises causing pain? That's a bad thing.

9 weeks is far too early in recovery to be doing any strengthening exercises - they're best left until at lest 3 months post-op, and then only of all other progress is satisfactory.
In addition, PT should not be doing any manipulation of your knee at all.

At only 9 weeks, it's extremely unlikely that you have any scar tissue or adhesions. The cause of your problem is much more likely to be swelling and inflammation of your soft tissues. They were wounded during surgery and excessive exercising makes them angry and inflamed and slows down their healing.

It's not exercising that gets you your ROM - it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle, and time to heal. Your ROM is there right from the start, just waiting for all that to happen, so it can show itself.

 

[Josephine]

I agree with Celle.

I'd really like to offer you some structured advice but in order to do that, I also need to ask you some questions. Are you willing for me to do that?

 

[flsungirl]

You’ve been missed! Looking forward to continuing our journey together

 

[Jamie]

I know it must seem very frustrating that you're not farther along in recovery...especially if you read other members' stories that seem much rosier. But by your own admission, your knee has had problems for a very long time before your knee replacement. All that plus the impact your pre-surgery bad knee had on the rest of your body means your recovery will not be like anyone else's. It's likely to be a lot slower as there is much to correct with your muscles and other soft tissue from all those bad years.

You can do this! It's just going to require a lot of patience and sometimes that's the hardest part of anyone's recovery. But you'll get there. Go at the speed your body tells you is best (less pain and swelling is a ; pain, less ROM or swelling are a ). Everyone has setbacks and all it means is your body is signaling that you pushed a little too hard and it's time to scale it back for a few days and start again. Hang in there and know that we care about you and it's perfectly fine to vent to your BoneSmartie family. We understand!

 

[traceys]

Can anyone share their experience and descriptions of what they dealt with for swelling in the knee? On Celebrex 1 week now and def some improvements.
But I’m noticing the core of the knee still feels really tight and unbendable during normal walk and I get a burning and tingling in it.
Keep getting in my own head “what if I’m allergic to the implant?” Even tho pt says I have no symptoms.

Now that I’m much more mobile is it just normal swelling?? Anyone else get that tight full burning tingling feeling?

 

[Teecup]

I've been on Celebrex from the start, and I trust it's doing what it's supposed to do. That feeling you describe happened with both knees. Now that my first knee is 4 months old, that feeling has stopped, but it happens daily to my 7 week old knee. Quite unpleasant. I'm expecting it to pass with time like it did the first knee.

 

[traceys]

That feeling you describe happened with both knees. Now that my first knee is 4 months old, that feeling has stopped, but it happens daily to my 7 week old knee.

Bless you! The relief another human knew what sensations I meant.


I tend to get in my head worrying about stuff going wrong after one of my previous surgeries that went horribly wrong and no one caught until 3mnths later when I was in a wheelchair for 5 mnths.

Will ask OS and pt when I see them next week but right now it’s freaking me out just as I am doing so much more.

 

[Teecup]

I know what you mean! It's always something! I've shed more tears over these past months than I have in years!

I looked up symptoms of metal allergies and it doesn't sound like the feeling we're experiencing...not the same symptoms, like your PT said. Just normal baby knee "whining." But I would be super cautious and suspicious too if I went through a horrible surgery/wheelchair bound like you did! Glad your appointment is just days away so you can get peace of mind soon.

 

[flsungirl]

I experience burning still in my knee. Plus the zingers that come out of nowhere and take my breath away. After working this week I’m in the ODIC ....again. So I feel the swelling internally and my bend has regressed. I expect I’ll be doing absolutely nothing this weekend!

It also still feels warm after I’ve been at work for a few hours. This recovery is hard. I can’t wait till this knee doesn’t run my life anymore. I have gotten over getting the willies when touching the knee. It’s just a weird sensation My knee replacement recovery has not been easy. Every day is still different for me...but it’s not every hour... so that’s progress. Am I where I want to be yet? Nope....but I continue to believe that one day this knee will not dictate my life

Just know you’re not alone.

Melanie

 

[Larryhg3]

@traceys I had that with Lefty and eventually it went away. Even now 9 months out it will pop up. Righty has it too. I think that for many of us our minds go to worst case scenarios just due to the emotional effort this takes. Glad to see you posting.

 

[SusieShoes]

But I’m noticing the core of the knee still feels really tight and unbendable during normal walk and I get a burning and tingling in it.

These feelings/sensations are completely normal. You are only a month and change out from surgery. Your knee will continue to have swelling -- even invisible swelling, because it's in the tiny compact spaces inside the joint -- for several months. That's because this recovery takes a full year, plus or minus, and continues even after we impatient humans feel better and think we should be past all that. We're not past it just because we think we should be. Our knees have the last word.

My left knee lagged my right in recovery. Even though Righty felt little stiffness and no pain at six weeks, Lefty felt plenty. Pain. Tingles. Stiffness. And Lefty still felt plenty of stiffness and some pain at three months, when Righty was pain-free (but not completely stiffness-free). And Lefty was STILL stiff, though much less, at seven months. It took that full year for both knees to become completely free of stiffness.

Try not to worry about being allergic to the implant. I worried about that too (I have a mild reactivity to metals) and nothing came of all that worry. It's natural to fret about possible complications, but for almost all who do, they're more likely to wear themselves out with the stress of worrying than actually have a complication.

 

[kneeper]

Sounds like the Celebrex is helping. A little walking and taking the knee gently through its range should be fine, but if you try to do a lot of exercise that will be counterproductive if you want the swelling to come down.

 

[sistersinhim]

Can anyone share their experience and descriptions of what they dealt with for swelling in the knee?

The best thing you can do for that swelling is to ice and elevate toes above your nose. For months I iced and elevated the whole time I was sitting or laying down. This helped me have much lower swelling and pain.

 

[traceys]

Thanks all for the input on the sensations you get. Sounds like we all have forms of same thing so check that off the “normal” list too!

Today I managed to get thru my physio and a deep tissue massage, came home and baked cookies, went for a few groceries and some retail therapy... AND I got in and out of the passenger seat of our big ol’ truck with no step stool or assistance at all! Felt so liberating having this much normalcy back in one day. Shopping!? I mean

Tonight my knee is voicing its opinion loud and clear. Lol. I have snacks, great tv, a blanket and hubby to cuddle with watching the snow swirl and my

For those that are so new and wondering if it will ever improve - I can now be one of the ones to say it does!