OP
OP
Titianlady
post-grad
United Statesnew knee in June. Hi Diana! Well, you sound like you are doing fabulous too!! As far as the swelling goes, icing and elevating are about it. The knee tightens up after you use it..I found that when I started to do the PT,the movement would move some of the fluid out of the knee and it would loosen up. But since the knee and soft tissues are still healing, after being used they will inflame again.
I did not use a CPM machine at all..my surgeon does not see any value to them, and research does not show any difference in outcome by using the CPM.
You will find that sometimes just standing and walking will cause the tissues to swell. That tightness is swelling of the soft tissues in and around the knee compartment.
The swelling will eventually go away..the tightness too, but it doesn't happen overnight. There is a lot of serious healing going on and we do use that knee while it heals. My advise is to elevate, ice, walk short distances periodically. If it were me, I would stop using the CPM. You have a great ROM so far, and it really isn't necessary now in my opinion. Let your tissues relax instead of being in constant motion so much. Just keep up the gentle stretches.
Are you using a cane now? My PT told me that When you use the cane instead of the walker, you are putting more demand on the tissues in the knee..more weight directly on them, and more demand as we use the knee for balance. He said that I may find the knee would get tight and swell a bit more temporarily until the tissues heal and settle down. I found he was right. So his advice was to use the cane during the day, but go back to the walker in the evening when the knee tissues were tired.
Other than that dear one, ice, elevation, and going about things slowly and not rushing is it. I still have swelling, and tightness,..it is absolutely normal and to be expected. Out knee tissues have taken a major hit. They have to heal, and that takes time and much patience.
Great to hear from you!! Please keep me up to date on your progress!! It sounds like you are having a great recovery!!
I did not use a CPM machine at all..my surgeon does not see any value to them, and research does not show any difference in outcome by using the CPM.
You will find that sometimes just standing and walking will cause the tissues to swell. That tightness is swelling of the soft tissues in and around the knee compartment.
The swelling will eventually go away..the tightness too, but it doesn't happen overnight. There is a lot of serious healing going on and we do use that knee while it heals. My advise is to elevate, ice, walk short distances periodically. If it were me, I would stop using the CPM. You have a great ROM so far, and it really isn't necessary now in my opinion. Let your tissues relax instead of being in constant motion so much. Just keep up the gentle stretches.
Are you using a cane now? My PT told me that When you use the cane instead of the walker, you are putting more demand on the tissues in the knee..more weight directly on them, and more demand as we use the knee for balance. He said that I may find the knee would get tight and swell a bit more temporarily until the tissues heal and settle down. I found he was right. So his advice was to use the cane during the day, but go back to the walker in the evening when the knee tissues were tired.
Other than that dear one, ice, elevation, and going about things slowly and not rushing is it. I still have swelling, and tightness,..it is absolutely normal and to be expected. Out knee tissues have taken a major hit. They have to heal, and that takes time and much patience.
Great to hear from you!! Please keep me up to date on your progress!! It sounds like you are having a great recovery!!
Yes, you can give your Dr. some credit but, give yourself a pat on the back as well for a job well done. You took over when you left the hospital. 
. I'm still calm and collected. The only decision left to make is to have a spinal or a GA. I asked the Dr. what he would choose and he said "I'd be put under so I wouldn't have to think about it,but then again I'm male. Women are the stronger sex!" He wasn't much help.
I think i'll go for the spinal and happy juice. 
good i hope
do I dare say I have been thinking of
what an entrance I'm gonna make.
anxiety I suppose.
all the time.
