TKR Tutters’ TKR Recovery

tutters

new member
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Sep 17, 2019
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Right TKR on 10/3, home on 10/4. Only problem really so far is that the nurse and pt we’re supposed to make their first visit, and no one showed. I’m hoping it was just a miscommunication and they come today. I’m icing, elevating and doing a few exercises on my own but don’t want to do the wrong thing.
 
Welcome to the forums!

You're only home 2 days post surgery. Don't worry about PT! Just rest, and ice, and take your meds on a schedule. Many of us here have learned that the US timeline for PT is often too aggressive and can slow healing.

I had my first knee done in July, and I followed all the recommendations to the letter. And it hurt a lot. For my second knee in September, I listened to the advice here and did much less of the early PT and it has been a much easier, faster recovery, and I'm able to do more sooner now that the early healing is settled. So don't make yourself crazy about PT not coming right away.
 
Welcome to Recovery!

As luvcats said, PT this early is not necessary. You just want to do some ankle pumps, very gentle knee movements and very short walks for mobility.

I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this Activity progression for TKRs

6. Access to these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
Congratulations on your new knee! It sounds like you were prepared for recovery! Just follow the BoneSmart Guidelines and you will do great!
 
@tutters .... if you were scheduled for a home health visit and they didn't come on the appointed day, you can contact the home health provider directly today to find out what is going on. They work 24/7 and have an answering service. If you don't have a number for them, try Googling it. If that doesn't work, contact the social services office at the hospital where you were. You should be able to get a number to call.

They probably won't come today if you're not having any problems, but at least this way you won't be in waiting mode and they will show up earlier next week.
 
I'll echo what the others have said - ice and elevate is all you should be doing. With a walk about every so often. Happen healing.
 
Surgery was 10/3, so I’m 9 days out. The pain wasn’t as bad as I feared, but pt is eye crossing sometimes. Today, with a cane, I managed some stairs. That’s been my goal so far. Next is taking my Yorkies for a short walk.
 
:welome:To Bonesmart. We are glad you found us. PT shouldn’t cause you a lot of pain. Some discomfort is normal. Be careful not to push yourself too hard. Full recovery takes up to a year. Practice walking around your house and perhaps outside if you have some even ground for short walks. I’m sure your Yorkies will be ready when you are for a walk.
 
@tutters
You'll notice that I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread. For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:
  • That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
  • If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
  • Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.
So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here. If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.
 
Surgery was 10/3, so I’m 9 days out. The pain wasn’t as bad as I feared, but pt is eye crossing sometimes. Today, with a cane, I managed some stairs. That’s been my goal so far. Next is taking my Yorkies for a short walk.
Wow, you're doing great! I'm 3 weeks out and still must use a walker. Nice to see you're doing so well. Keep it up.
 

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