Revision TKR Turtle's Revision scheduled for July 19, 2016

[turtle68]

Josephine I appreciate your response to my posts, and apologize for starting a new thread. I promise to spend some time learning to navigate around the site more efficiently, and I have read the article.
I had posted previously about the PT, saw my OS shortly thereafter, and he agreed that I could drop the PT and do it on my own. Unfortunately all it took was a few leg raises with no weight to make the groin strain complete. As far as the meds, I am taking tylenol, but not in the amount you mentioned, and take Norco at night. I am going to increase the tylenol dosage to 1000 mg. I am no longer taking the anti-inflamatory.I asked the OS about this swelling and stiffness affecting my ROM, and he said not to worry about it - I am walking without a limp and have good ROM.

Thanks for your help.

Dorohy

 

[Josephine]

Honey, I wasn't being cross or chastising you. Just saying that's how you can do things, that's all.

And I agree with your surgeon - don't worry about it, it will settle down but it will settle down a bit faster with proper pain meds. So do let me know how you get on with a larger dose of Tylenol.

 

[turtle68]

Josephine I wasn't the least bit offended nor did I think you were chastising me. I will keep you poated on the larger dose of tylenol.

Dorthy

 

[SadKnee]

Hi Dorothy, glad things are going well with your walking and ROM. I hope you recover from your groin pull soon ... it sounds awful. Rest and take care of yourself! The Tylenol will hep.

 

[eastside85]

Hi Dorothy, sounds like a similar experience to mine, over doing a bit, and muscle fatigue causing a strain or pull, even though you didn't do anything much different as far as exercise is concerned. That's what surprised me about my muscle pull, I had swung my leg up on the CPM many times before, with no problem, but the two days prior to it had been exhausting, that's what we have to watch out for. Lessons learned, eh??

Take good care and hope you feel better soon!!

 

[turtle68]

SadKnee Thanks for your good wishes. This groin pull is like the TKR - it reqires RICE to heal, and it seems like it's 2 steps forward and 1 back, but it is better most days. My husband had cataract surgery yesterday, so I spent the day at the surgery center, sitting with getting up to stretch periodically. It was better yesterday, but resting today, as it is very tight.

How are you doing? Your TKR was one day before mine, but as we know these knees have a life of their own. I wernt to the eye dr. this morning with my husband, and her assistant gave a good example to him. He's had that lens in his eye for 72 years, and now it is going through inflamation in healing. We've had these knees for a long time, and now our bodies have to adjust to living with a new, better knee, and all that goes with that.

eastside85
I hope I've learned my lesson. In my frustration with not being able t exercise, I have gone back on the recumbent bike - my PT had me riding one for 15 minutes one week after my surgery - and my groin and abductor muscles don't like that, so now I am waiting patiently for the weather to get hot and for our association pool to be open so I can go everyday and do my walking, etc. We live in Houston, and the pool will be at therapeutic temperature soon.

Enjoy your weekend with the shower, etc. I'm looking forward to seeing a picture of those diaper cakes.

Dorothy

 

[RunA42K]

turtle68, Hi Dorothy!! What a small world. We looked for a new home recently in Treeline, I have a friend who lives there. I have ridden my bicycle through there (while I had enough ROM for cycling). Anyway, we bought just up the road in another Ashton Woods neighborhood called Park at Arbordale. So we are very close to one another. We move in on May 24, but yes I still do work on Louetta. Instead of being .5 miles from work I will now be 8.6 miles from work if I travel Louetta all the way from Spring Cypress though Longwood and Lakewood, past the Vintage HEB, etc. We are neighbors!! No more stairs for me, we wanted a one story!

 

[Kavan]

The jump from nothing to 45 reps of a new exercise is anyway far too great. The fact that you have backache and groin pain shouts that very loudly.

Absolutely. I've had years of knee rehab and the first time you do an exercise you should do 5-10 reps at the most. I'm not surprised Turtle had pain.

 

[turtle68]

Yes, it is a small world, and you are definitely my neighbor. We have lived in Treeline for almost 4 years (in a one story Ryland), and we love the area. We moved here from So. CA 16 years ago, and this is the 4th house we've built - no more. And yes, there are many runners and bikers here in Treeline. Someone even organized a 5 K awhile back. I hope you get the problem of your ROM solved soon. I have been concerned because 3 weeks ago while doing leg raises, I felt a pull in my groin and my thigh and abductor muscles immediately tightened up. It's better sometimes in the morning but then tightens up. My ROM had been at 121 with no effect at PT but who knows now. I went to the DR. and he said not to worry about it - it wasn't my knee and that my ROM was fine.

Good luck with your move. Take care and I know you will truly enjoy being in a one-story once you get settled. Let's stay in touch and maybe we can get together after you're settled in.

Dorothy

 

[patient 99]

Hi Dorothy

I've been on some journeys in my time but goodness, nothing beats this one! Up one day, down the next, happy, crying over my cornflakes (English breakfast cereal!) 17 weeks post op tomorrow & still my journey continues What I have read on this FABULOUS forum is that you need patience & lots of time as NO ONE can tell you when you will be better, except your knee. You sound like your doing everything the right way. Rest a bit, ice a bit, exercise a bit & elevate a bit! Thank goodness for supportive husbands, even if they don't quite understand the emotions involved! Wishing you all the very best for your continued journey

 

[patient 99]

Hi Mutley, I found your message to Dorothy so helpful. I am 12 weeks post op and finding it tough going. I would be interested to hear more on how you are doing (including the emotions).

ps: I am just finding my way round the forum, so hope quoting your message is the right way to do things. If not pl. let me know Patient 99

 

[turtle68]

patient 99
Mutley

Thanks for your good wishes. I try not to whine or winge, as you say in the U.K., but I've been really discouraged this week. Can hardly keep from crying, and just trying to do the best I can. I wonder if part of it's because I'm only taking tylenol and norco at night. Also, my GP wouldn't renew my prescription for ambien, so I haven't had a decent night's sleep for a couple of weeks. I tried to sleep on my side last night and ended up having a sciatic attack which kept me awake, finally fell asleep after wandering all over the house.

SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, your kind words came just when I needed to hear them and are keeping me going for today. We're having some friends over for dinner this evening, so that always helps. I love to be around people so looking forward to that. Have a good weekend, and thanks again for your good thoughts.

Dorothy

 

[RunA42K]

Dorothy, try taking some OTC ZzzzzQuil to help you sleep. My husband was on Ambien (another story) and his refills are gone now too. ZzzzQuil really helps, I took some last night and slept like a rock.

 

[Mutley]

Hi Mutley, I found your message to Dorothy so helpful. I am 12 weeks post op and finding it tough going. I would be interested to hear more on how you are doing (including the emotions).

ps: I am just finding my way round the forum, so hope quoting your message is the right way to do things. If not pl. let me know Patient 99

Good morning patient999!
How are you doing today? I am now 5.5 months post op. thankfully the emotions are now pretty much under control I've found this recovery very challenging & frustrating to say the least! Being a slightly " younger" patient & also very active, it came as a HUGE shock when after the TKR I couldn't do what I did before ROM is " stuck" at around 100 although the surgeon did manage to get it to 120 during an MUA. The Extension is also rather annoying at around 5. Unfortunately I'm still suffering with some pain issues which is quite draining. My head is ready to do a marathon but my leg doesn't want to play the game...at the moment! I've just got to go with the flow & " accept" that I'm looking at another 6 months or so. Good days, bad days and in-between days still for me at the moment. Trying to be positive that it will in fact all be good IN THE END! Really hope you feel like your making progress ? Sometimes it can be something so small that you don't actually notice it yourself! Wishing you all the best & just remember, this time next year it will be a completely different story

 

[Mutley]

Hi Turtle68!
Hope you had a lovely evening with your friends last night? Sorry to hear you've been feeling down recently. I can honestly say that when your not getting any proper sleep & your pain medication isn't enough, the two combined can make you feel very down The more well rested the body is the more able it is to cope with the recovery. I'm still not sleeping properly & some days I can cope & some days I CAN'T & DON'T! You just assume that things will get better so put off making that call to see the Doctor. Even I had had enough so have been to seen the Doctor who has now prescribed some medication! Lets hope it works!!!
Hope the groin problem settles down & you can get back on track with some gentle exercising. Take care, jaki

 

[turtle68]

RunA42K - Hi Bonnie, Thanks for the tip on the sleep aid. I will pick some up. I have had atrial fibrillation, so I have to be careful with what I take. We had a nice relaxing time with our friends last evening. Must venture out today to try and find some shoes that fit. None of the stores in NW Houston carry narrow, so I'm going to see what I can find at DSW. Do you work in one of the stores at Champions? I also want to visit Chico's and Coldwater Creek - I've lost some weight so poor me (lol) must buy a few thingsl.

patient 99 - Hope you're having a good day. You're in the U.K. so you're well into the day. I feel much better today. It doesn't take much to make me happy, so just talking with my BoneSmart friends and getting together with good friends are just what I needed to do. I even had a glass of wine, and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Mutley - Hope you had a good nights rest - it does make such a difference. Unlike many on this Forum, I slept great until recently. I did turn over and go back to sleep this morning which was lovely. I hear what you're saying about putting off that call to the DR. I have been guilty of doing that in the last few months, and he lectured me the last time I saw him that I should always call him with symptoms - it is always better to rule out problems rather than letting to too far. Going to try walking on the treadmill gently and slowly today, and looking forward to a bright, happy day.

Dorothy

 

[turtle68]

Hope you're all having a great, relaxing Sunday. I took that short trip to the shoestore, and now my knee is swollen up like a balloon, can't bend it, and it hurts. Have been resting, icing and elevating but I'm just so discouraged - it seems like I'm getting worse instead of better. Can't figure out why the swelling but it just occurred to me that it's hot now, and I haven't been drinking enough water. Guess I'll never learn. Also, I was getting up and down off a low bench trying on shoes. Guess I'll just have to stick to internet shopping.

 

[bottomshollow]

turtle68, that's what we get when we're feeling pretty good and go out and forget that we're ONLY 3 months post op. They tell us that complete recovery takes at least 12 full months----and they do mean 12 full months and sometimes longer for some folks. So when you consider that you're only 1/4 of the way down recovery road, you have to expect these little set backs when you over do it.

So REST, ELEVATE, & ICE. The secret to the recovery business is TIME & PATIENCE. You have to have (or find) the PATIENCE to give your knee the TIME it needs to heal. This is a case of not being able to tell a book by its cover. Just because the incision looks great and all healed up---it's whats going on inside that knee that's taking so long. Remember that your OS didn't just use a scalpel---he also used a hammer, a saw, and a drill. Bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and other soft tissue were subjected to MAJOR trauma; and this all takes TIME to get back to "normal".

You'll be surprised how much better everything will be in another 3 months. So relax and roll with the slow, lazy flow of recovery.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[trailspud]

Hope you're all having a great, relaxing Sunday. I took that short trip to the shoestore, and now my knee is swollen up like a balloon, can't bend it, and it hurts. Have been resting, icing and elevating but I'm just so discouraged - it seems like I'm getting worse instead of better. Can't figure out why the swelling but it just occurred to me that it's hot now, and I haven't been drinking enough water. Guess I'll never learn. Also, I was getting up and down off a low bench trying on shoes. Guess I'll just have to stick to internet shopping.

Is this the swelling you referred to in my recovery thread? If so, let us know when the knee effusion gets better. I understand the effects of Levaquin can linger a bit. Thanks for your wishes in my thread and I hope you are doing much better soon.

 

[turtle68]

trailspud, yes that's part of it. It started 4 weeks ago --the last day I took the Levaquin--it was instant where I felt a pull in my groin and my thigh muscles in the operated leg instantly tightened. Called dr. on Monday, he put me on anti-flamatory, then went to see his P.A. on that Friday. He prescibed a compound cream of anti-inflamatory, muscle relaxer, and a couple of numbing agents. Anyhow, long story short, the symptoms will lessen and then when I try to do anything it just tightens up and swells. It is a lot better today. Thanks for your input, and you helped put my mind at ease that this is just a small part of the process and this too shall pass.

Dorothy