TKR TS’s lopsided recovery'
- Thread starter traceys
- Start date
Australia
OP
OP
traceys
graduate
Oh my Lord. Yup. Overdid it yesterday. Feel hungover without the benefits of the alcohol first!
Slept 7hours last night and was so disoriented when the alarm went off this am. If it wasn’t for massage after my physio/gait this am I would have poured my water bottle over the clock.
K. Off I go to update the therapy team and see what hurdles I can jump over today (ok. More like crawl under!)
Slept 7hours last night and was so disoriented when the alarm went off this am. If it wasn’t for massage after my physio/gait this am I would have poured my water bottle over the clock.
K. Off I go to update the therapy team and see what hurdles I can jump over today (ok. More like crawl under!)
OP
OP
traceys
graduate
One thing with gaining more use of the knee - you tend to do more and not monitor it! Still feeling the effect of Thursday’s looong day and then add on Friday pt and today’s stupidity.
I was super stiff and tight yesterday at physio. There was almost no movement in it and backslid in rom a LOT. The extension stayed the same at least.
My massage therapist even commented my entire leg looked really swollen and my calf was rock hard. She said she couldn’t even find my patella to massage it.
All night the patella tendon hurt and was tight , and every muscle in my body was telling me off still but I slept on and off 11 hours.
Today went to the store for a few items, got my hair cut waaay short (first cut in 10wks!) and grabbed lunch out, came home and did laundry and made dinner.
Now sitting here can feel that super tight feeling above the knee again.
I am that person that tends to go at warp speed at all times - have to remember I still have to take it easy and rest/nap thru the day. Patience is not my forte!
I was super stiff and tight yesterday at physio. There was almost no movement in it and backslid in rom a LOT. The extension stayed the same at least.
My massage therapist even commented my entire leg looked really swollen and my calf was rock hard. She said she couldn’t even find my patella to massage it.
All night the patella tendon hurt and was tight , and every muscle in my body was telling me off still but I slept on and off 11 hours.
Today went to the store for a few items, got my hair cut waaay short (first cut in 10wks!) and grabbed lunch out, came home and did laundry and made dinner.
Now sitting here can feel that super tight feeling above the knee again.
I am that person that tends to go at warp speed at all times - have to remember I still have to take it easy and rest/nap thru the day. Patience is not my forte!
KDIMATT
junior member
Such great news for you!!! I know you were stressing about the appointment, so now no need to worry anymore....time will heal you and your OS was right to keep you out for another 2+months. Now you can focus on getting better on your own timeline....
Tracey: I'm right there with you over the last three days in terms of over-doing. It didn't take much! Maybe for me part of it is just the normal two steps forward three steps back nature of this recovery. My calf and foot muscles are super tight--guess it's just their turn to complain. And ice isn't really working for some reason.
I'm glad that you got another couple of months to just heal and work things out--fantastic! Now breathe deep and relax knowing that there's no pressure with the extended time line.
I'm glad that you got another couple of months to just heal and work things out--fantastic! Now breathe deep and relax knowing that there's no pressure with the extended time line.
OP
OP
traceys
graduate
Everyone (read that as my OS, my treatment team at first, my insurance caseworker that keeps saying I only had a TKR and should be back by now) is really hung up on my job title of “reception” and then they see my job description from our HR dept and respond with “oh”. 
I know as soon as I go back it’s gonna be a train wreck and OS agrees so he’s being my voice.
I know as soon as I go back it’s gonna be a train wreck and OS agrees so he’s being my voice.
You are seeing the cause and effect of your overdoing. Having to learn and have patience is one of the hardest part of this whole recovery. We want to be back to normal now! I know I did!
kmak81230
post-grad
TKR is like line dancing . . . two steps foward, one step back or visa versa, with a few side steps thrown in. With my first knee I would sometimes get into a cycle of feel good, do more, feel bad, back off, repeat. I think it's easy to do. Glad your OS is on board with a healthy transition back to work. Hang in there.
OP
OP
traceys
graduate
A little better day today. Woke up with a perfectly looking knee - same size as my other one even. 
As the day went on and after doing a full grocery it definitely ballooned up and got soooo tight feeling. I used my crutches for errands but nothing around the apt and hardly any limp. My muscles were exhausted!
After dinner my hip got so sore and that tightness behind the knee started up again.
I tried doing my stretches and it really was pulling on the patellar tendon again. That’s something new the last few days when I try to flex but other sensations and pains are vanishing so
Instead I decided to lay on the couch and drape my leg off the side to see what it would do. It eventually dropped after 5-6min so my knee was about 80 and foot reached the floor and hip was fully extended. Left it there for about 15min and then iced up.
I’m so frustrated today. It seems like I’m stuck or regressing in movement and yet doing more “living”. I know it’s normal and temporary and expected but - it’s so scary
Will see how the night goes now and pt tomorrow. I get the forms the pt and OS and rmt filled out for my return to work /insurance claim so that will be interesting!
As the day went on and after doing a full grocery it definitely ballooned up and got soooo tight feeling. I used my crutches for errands but nothing around the apt and hardly any limp. My muscles were exhausted!
After dinner my hip got so sore and that tightness behind the knee started up again.
I tried doing my stretches and it really was pulling on the patellar tendon again. That’s something new the last few days when I try to flex but other sensations and pains are vanishing so
Instead I decided to lay on the couch and drape my leg off the side to see what it would do. It eventually dropped after 5-6min so my knee was about 80 and foot reached the floor and hip was fully extended. Left it there for about 15min and then iced up.
I’m so frustrated today. It seems like I’m stuck or regressing in movement and yet doing more “living”. I know it’s normal and temporary and expected but - it’s so scary
Will see how the night goes now and pt tomorrow. I get the forms the pt and OS and rmt filled out for my return to work /insurance claim so that will be interesting!
Kiwigirl62
member
@traceys your post reads like my life for the last few weeks. ..unfortunately seems to be the norm....the more we heal and do more....well that brings on a whole lot of different aches an pain with the muscles/tendons /ligament stretching back.
Its a bit like Forest Gumps chocolates.....each morning is a new surprise but we get closer to the prize of normal
Its a bit like Forest Gumps chocolates.....each morning is a new surprise
but we get closer to the prize of normal
Larryhg3
senior
1 year
That is the number that is so very hard to comprehend. I think our surgeons (even mine) fail to emphasize that number. If you ask them they will confirm it but not unless you ask. There are many goals and expectations like “the optimal window for range of motion is (insert number here)” which anyone who has gone through this process knows are different for everyone. And in fact different for every knee.
Recovery from knee replacement takes a year for the average person. We take steps towards normalcy but often our knees remind us that it is not quite ready. However if we ask our OS, our PT or our peers about it we hear that “it is normal”. I find it is easier once you wrap your head around that date. Even people who had “great” and “incident free” recoveries will acknowledge that it was a Full Year before they felt 100%.
Keep trying new things. Keep doing daily life activities. Rest and ice and baby that knee when it complains. But don’t be afraid. We are not anywhere near a year. We are not even half way there. Come here share your successes, share your setbacks, share your fears. But remember that number.
1 Year
That is the number that is so very hard to comprehend. I think our surgeons (even mine) fail to emphasize that number. If you ask them they will confirm it but not unless you ask. There are many goals and expectations like “the optimal window for range of motion is (insert number here)” which anyone who has gone through this process knows are different for everyone. And in fact different for every knee.
Recovery from knee replacement takes a year for the average person. We take steps towards normalcy but often our knees remind us that it is not quite ready. However if we ask our OS, our PT or our peers about it we hear that “it is normal”. I find it is easier once you wrap your head around that date. Even people who had “great” and “incident free” recoveries will acknowledge that it was a Full Year before they felt 100%.
Keep trying new things. Keep doing daily life activities. Rest and ice and baby that knee when it complains. But don’t be afraid. We are not anywhere near a year. We are not even half way there. Come here share your successes, share your setbacks, share your fears. But remember that number.
1 Year
I think that more living is causing extra swelling and pain. That restricts ROM.
OP
OP
traceys
graduate
Yup @sistersinhim
Gotta love this cyclical recovery
Gotta love this cyclical recovery
OP
OP
traceys
graduate
So physio today went well despite me being a tad “cranky” today due to lack of sleep and a lot of discomfort.
It was pouring rain and hovering right around 0 degrees. Every old injury I ever had was just nasty.
While I was laying on the treatment table with my pt my OS wandered in to see how things were with a few of his patients.
All of the “hippies” were on one side of the treatment room and the “kneesies” were across from them. Like high school cliques all over again
OS proceeded to tell us a story...
“A wise old surgeon i trained under told me if I wanted a practice of hip replacements only, expect that come the 6wk checkups the waiting room would be empty because they heal well and forget why they had to come back BUT the pt’s have them all because they have to gain strength quickly to walk again. If I chose a practice of knee replacements only I would be on stress leave in no time because these poor patients take forever to heal and every appt will be something numb or swollen or frozen or.... something. If I wanted to be successful make it a 50-50 split so I’m busy at different points. I heeded his words”.
We all started laughing and applauding as he got up, waved and walked out.
It sort of put us all in the frame of mind that all of us are struggling and it takes time. We all want where someone else is in their rehab.
I love my surgeon.
It was pouring rain and hovering right around 0 degrees. Every old injury I ever had was just nasty.
While I was laying on the treatment table with my pt my OS wandered in to see how things were with a few of his patients.
All of the “hippies” were on one side of the treatment room and the “kneesies” were across from them. Like high school cliques all over again
OS proceeded to tell us a story...
“A wise old surgeon i trained under told me if I wanted a practice of hip replacements only, expect that come the 6wk checkups the waiting room would be empty because they heal well and forget why they had to come back BUT the pt’s have them all because they have to gain strength quickly to walk again. If I chose a practice of knee replacements only I would be on stress leave in no time because these poor patients take forever to heal and every appt will be something numb or swollen or frozen or.... something. If I wanted to be successful make it a 50-50 split so I’m busy at different points. I heeded his words”.
We all started laughing and applauding as he got up, waved and walked out.
It sort of put us all in the frame of mind that all of us are struggling and it takes time. We all want where someone else is in their rehab.
I love my surgeon.
Larryhg3
senior
I now officially love your surgeon
Your OS is super!
OP
OP
traceys
graduate
Woohoo!! Another great physio appt which was totally unexpected considering how stiff my knee is and out of sorts I’ve been past few days.
Hardly sleeping again with insomnia, bored, bit depressed and the knee just wouldn’t move well during stretches. I figured today’s appt would be a disaster but.....
No real change in my amount of movement but she said it’s gliding much smoother and no catches.
Also saw the gait therapist and moved off of the traditional underarm crutches onto the ones with the forearm cuff. It’s like a whole new freedom taking normal strides upright and being able to let go of the crutch and it not falling away. Feel like I’m running now instead of lurching along.
Lastly....got cleared to hit the pool starting tomorrow!
I used to swim every night about 2.5km and had to stop a year ago. Now I get to go twice a week for about 30min, just walking she stressed, but I’ll take it. Will be interesting to see how the leg and hip react to this. Thankfully I have massage on Friday - have the feeling I’ll need it by then.
It’s crazy how those little things seem like such a reason to celebrate.
Hardly sleeping again with insomnia, bored, bit depressed and the knee just wouldn’t move well during stretches. I figured today’s appt would be a disaster but.....
No real change in my amount of movement but she said it’s gliding much smoother and no catches.
Also saw the gait therapist and moved off of the traditional underarm crutches onto the ones with the forearm cuff. It’s like a whole new freedom taking normal strides upright and being able to let go of the crutch and it not falling away. Feel like I’m running now instead of lurching along.
Lastly....got cleared to hit the pool starting tomorrow!
I used to swim every night about 2.5km and had to stop a year ago. Now I get to go twice a week for about 30min, just walking she stressed, but I’ll take it. Will be interesting to see how the leg and hip react to this. Thankfully I have massage on Friday - have the feeling I’ll need it by then.
It’s crazy how those little things seem like such a reason to celebrate.
. I hope they continue for you.
