TKR Twinkletoes' Recovery

[Twinkletoes]

Megan ~ Thank you for that. Here I go again...wishing I was stuck at 95 like you said... I keep going backwards. When I go for my PT today, IF she measures me, I'm afraid that I'll be back to 70 or worse. I did get to 90 at the very beginning, but it was sooooo painful.

I guess I just want to be reassured that I will eventually get the flexion and extension I need...

...just kidding with the impatient smiley - sort of.

Sending blessings for your son's angelversary.

 

[referee54]

Do not worry about the numbers---let the PT's obsess with that. This is a roller coaster, and you will gain ROM and lose ROM for no apparent reason(s). You can have what I call "stiff weeks" and then go to some "good days."

Your surgical knee is fickle; it determines your ROM, and if your knee is at all like mine were (and it sound like it is) there is no accounting for what will happen---but YOU WILL GET BETTER !

 

[Celle]

Megan ~ Thank you for that. Here I go again...wishing I was stuck at 95 like you said... I keep going backwards. When I go for my PT today, IF she measures me, I'm afraid that I'll be back to 70 or worse. I did get to 90 at the very beginning, but it was sooooo painful.

I guess I just want to be reassured that I will eventually get the flexion and extension I need...

...just kidding with the impatient smiley - sort of.

Sending blessings for your son's angelversary.

Hi Twink,

I've been following your thread daily, even though I hadn't posted until now.

I'm also one who wants everything RIGHT NOW! But I've had to learn patience, hard as it is. The knee will do everything in its own sweet time, no matter how hard we wish for it to be sooner.

Please don't fret about your ROM at this stage.

In spite of what the physios would have us believe, there is no rush to get flexion. There is no magic "window of opportunity" by which time the desired degree of bending has to be achieved, or it is too late. Many of us here can tell you, from personal experience, that you can continue to improve flexion for up to a year, or even longer.

When I had my partial knee replacement, I seemed to be stuck at a certain degree of bending for months and then, suddenly, one day I found that I could bend my knee further. I had long ceased going to physiotherapy and I had not even thought about trying to bend the knee further. I just went on with life, and it happened, all by itself.

This time (just over 4 months post-op of a total knee replacement) I have found that, over the past month, my degree of flexion has improved, with little effort on my part. I have been happy to just potter around, doing the daily routine tasks, and the knee has kept on improving.

I feel your pain and frustration at this point, but please believe that it will get better.

Best wishes,
Celle

 

[Twinkletoes]

Tim ~ I came home in such pain yesterday from PT, (came home and elevated and iced the rest of the day) that I'm wondering if I should continue with it (and let them obsess over my flexion and extension) or if I should simply tell them, "thank you and goodbye?" According to all I've read in the posts at Bonesmart, I WILL get the flexion and extension when my fickle knee is good and ready... What I've been going through these past 10 weeks, doesn't seem to be getting me dance ready so far.

Celle ~ Thank you for affirming the hope that everyone here at Bonesmart has been giving me since I joined. I don't know why it is that we get ourselves caught up in the expectations of the surgeons and physical therapists, as well as our well-meaning friends and family. It is so frustrating when friends (or family) say [stupid] things like, "Gee, I don't know why you're having so much trouble when my friend of a friend of a friend was perfect at only a few months after surgery." Gee!

 

[Twinkletoes]

I need advice...I did cancel my PT appointment and spoke to the therapist who agreed with me that it was best to back off the therapy since I always end up in so much pain afterwards. And, it takes days (and terrible nights) to get my knee to stop aching so intensely.

Now, I have an appointment with the surgeon on Friday, April 20th and am still feeling very anxious because at 10 weeks, I haven't reached the 90 degree flexion. After reading so much in Bonesmart, I have decided that I do not want the MUA (actually, I never did WANT it) but believe that my knee will get where it needs to be when it's ready. But with everyone's assurance, I believe it WILL get there. I would like to tell the surgeon this with confidence, but he does intimidate me. My question is this: Should I keep the appointment and try to be brave and talk to him, or cancel the appointment? Yes, I am a coward! No, I am not 14...as you can see, I am one of the more senior members here, but have a hard time with confrontations.

 

[Jamie]

Twinkletoes, in reading your last posts from the past week or so, I really feel that you have been pushing so hard doing things that you should not be doing this early in recovery that you DO need to step back. You just cannot will your knee into healing itself.

I see nothing wrong with you stopping therapy. Have your therapist print out the exercises you've been doing (and any others they would like to give you), take them home and do them as you feel your knee is ready. You have your Big Girl Pants on and you can do this now that someone has shown you the moves.

Don't cancel the opportunity to talk with your surgoen, though. It's not always easy to get in to see them and you need to take the time to bring him up to date on what has been happeneing. Write out the bullet points you want to make and take that with you so you don't forget. Don't be afraid of him....you two are PARTNERS in your care...equal partners! His job is to know the surgical aspect of the process. Your job is to know yourself and how you're doing. You can't know his part and he cannot know yours....so you need each other's input.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Thanks Jamie! I am going to print out some of the posts from the Bonesmarties and give them to my surgeon so he will understand where I am coming from with my decisions. I have the therapist's print out of exercises and have gone over them with her, so I can do them at home as I have been doing, very gently.

I will be prepared...

 

[Jamie]

Love that artwork!!!!!

 

[Jazyb]

Hi Twink
Jamie is so right with all her advice. Be strong with your OS and don't let him intimidate you, it's your knee after all! Keep us posted and you never know he may agree with you

 

[Twinkletoes]

Thanks again Jamie and Jo! I don't know how strong I'll be, but my hubby will go along with me. I have a lot of information printed out to show the surgeon in the hope that he'll have a better understanding of a patient's view from the inside. But, he's the one who told me to 'push through the pain!' I'm sure he thinks logically that since I've been through childbirth, this shouldn't be so hard. And, if it is hard, do it anyway! Just do it!

I will let you know how the appointment went.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Yesterday, after having to do a lot of work in the house when the workers left, I was in immense pain. I elevated and iced for over an hour before going to sleep.

My hubby went with me to see the surgeon today and he (the surgeon) explained to me the importance of doing an MUA. We decided that since the adhesions are not allowing me to bend my knee, this was the best course of action. I'm going to do the out patient way, Tuesday, April 24th and hope to be back going to therapy and carrying on with my life soon thereafter.

The surgeon was impressed with my walking unassisted...so that's something!

A friend just made this for me. I'm using the thumbnail size so it shouldn't be too big to post...


"Keep calm and carry on..."

 

[referee54]

You are doing fine--both mentally and physically. It sounds as if you have made an excellent, well-informed decision and that you have a great attitude! Keep it up, and keep posting so we know how you are doing!

 

[PooShay]

Twink! What a wonderful attitude. I think the experience will go smoother.

 

[Jamie]

Twink....one thing I want to caution you about and that is activity like "having to do a lot of work in the house when the workers left." Please, please don't do this to yourself....especially following your MUA. You are still in the early stages of recovery. You've had some pain and swelling. You NEED to look after yourself for the next couple of months.

 

[karmigirl]

Twink,

I'm glad to hear that you have come to decision with your OS. Sometimes we just need the extra little help of an MUA to jump start things. I did not realize you were having a problem with adhesions, and from what I have read you would definetly need the MUA to break them up. Please be kind to yourself and rest, especially after your procedure.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Tim ~ I have finally gotten to the place where I think I can see a tiny light in the distance (is that the end of the tunnel?)

and I have moments when I realize that I'm going to survive this ordeal!

PooShay ~ Somehow, talking to the surgeon gave me the feeling that this is my turning point and with the MUA, and I will finally get over that "flexion" hill!

Jamie ~ I plan to do some relaxing, but there are a few things that only I can do. It's rather complicated and I'm between a rock and a hard place. My hubby is great but he's not exactly the most helpful around the house. We don't have a live in housekeeper anymore and our cleaning girl had to go away for two weeks... I can assure you that I won't be doing any heavy cleaning

but I have to have some order here. We're having house guests from the U.K. in two and a half weeks and they know that I'm in the middle of my recovery, but I really want them here to visit with us. It's only for a few days and we'll play everything by ear as far as entertaining.

Rose (Karmigirl) ~ I like that term, "jump start" when talking about the MUA! I do intend to be kind to myself after the procedure. I think that's why I'm kind of rushing around getting things done now. I do rest in between as much as possible.

 

[Jamie]

Awww.....Twinkletoes.....you don't really have to explain. I just want you to take it as easy as possible and not do things you don't have to do right now. Remember, those folks are coming to visit YOU and not to pass judgement on your home. But I do understand....

 

[kneeper]

Good to hear you had a good OS appointment. Keep us posted but take it as easy as you can.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Jamie & Kneeper ~ Thank you! I am going to do a couple errands and then come home and do the whole relaxing and being kind to my knee for the rest of the day! I may even catch up on some missed movies and/or TV programs...and of course a nap.

I will come back and let everyone know how the MUA went and what I'm up to!

 

[Twinkletoes]

My MUA tale: I did wear my BIG GIRL PANTIES ...

I had the MUA on Tuesday, April 24th and the surgeon said that he got me to 130 degrees under anesthesia. I was doing fine when I woke up in recovery, but when I got home and the anesthesia wore off, the pain was through the ceiling!

I hardly slept that night because I was in so much pain and I had to get up to go to PT in the morning. *Now remember, I am the one who cannot take pain meds other than Extra Strength Tylenol and Tylenol PM before bed. The therapist got me to about 80 degrees yesterday and then I had to go home and do a lot of exercises in my dance studio several times before the end of the day. I didn't sleep a lot better last night either. And, then off to PT again this morning. I have to go every day until I see the surgeon on May 2nd. I did reach 84 degrees today, but it's still very painful.

It's time to ice again, so I'll see you later!

I guess you could say that I'm still stuck in the Cranky Stage!