THR Upstater is on the other side!

[ByGosh]

Hi Upstater Elevation and ice should help that swelling. Is it swelling now that the brace is off, or was it swollen under the brace? Is that the knee that's sore, too? The Elmore Oil with some heat helps it absorb. I use ice after that and it feels good.
LeeApril26 no dental until 6 months post-op per your OS? When you do go, do you need to take antibiotics? (I guess you can't wear sandals to the dentist, either? LOL)
I can go sooner, but need to take antibiotics before, and a couple of doses after. 3 doses total. Another OS difference, this one with dental timing. Gee, they should make some standardized, general post-op recommendations for everyone! But of course that would never work, because we all have slightly different circumstances and different surgery types. Now I'm wondering if I should wait, just to be safe? I'm supposed to go this month...I guess I should go by what's ok here, or I may become fearful of too much.

 

[LeeApril26]

ByGosh No, my dental rule is three months after my six week check up, I believe, but I will check this on Monday when I see the PA. And you can be sure I will never wear sandals to a medical professional again! I think my OS requires one dose one hour before the visit. Will confirm that, too.
Most dental associations think the antibiotic restrictions are unnecessary, so I'm not sure what to do. I usually have my teeth cleaned every four months. Don't know what to suggest. It is very confusing.

 

[Upstater]

ByGosh The back of my knee hurts when I bend my knee. It's good in sitting position by anything further really hurts. It feels like muscles or ligaments. I think it's a combination of the fixed position and swelling. It's a little better today. Hopefully it will pass and I will try to bend it more each day. It feels very tight.

 

[ByGosh]

An OS told me that when the knee hurts, the back swells first and will often hurt there, too. If it's swollen back there, that would make it hurt when you put pressure on those swollen tissues by bending, and would make it feel stiff and tight, too. Try keeping it elevated and iced as much as possible, and see if the swelling goes down. Is this the knee that was braced? If so, it's probably also stiff and tight from lack of bending while in the brace. Are you going to have any PT? They can help you loosen it up and get your range of motion back. I wonder if you put heat on it and massaged back there, then tried very gentle bending, if it would help, too?

 

[Upstater]

ByGosh Thanks! It's the braced knee. In two days it's already 75% better. All my muscles are sore. My gait before surgery was horrible! I had developed a muscle contracture in the surgery side thigh. Thankfully that is recovering nicely. I'll take this soreness over the pre surgery pain any day. Patience. I did both heat and ice today. Both work equally well.

 

[LeeApril26]

Upstater Do you know what Heel Slides are? I find them very helpful when my knees are stiff. If you need directions let me know. Glad you are 75% better.

 

[Upstater]

LeeApril26 No I don't.... please describe thanks!

 

[ByGosh]

Good idea LeeApril26 about the heel slides. That should help the knee, nice and gently while lying down. I'll let you describe them to Upstater - you're a good describer.

 

[ByGosh]

Upstater 75% better is wonderful! In only a few days, too. Gee, that's great news, very encouraging for you. I'm glad to hear that.

 

[LeeApril26]

Upstater You lie in bed with your feet flat on the bed, knees bent. Slowly push one foot forward on your heel, so you are sliding the heel straight forward, until your leg fully extends. Then bring the leg back, on the heel, until the heel is as far back as your knee can easily tolerate. I alternate legs so that one leg rests while the other extends. You can build up a rhythm, but never bring the heel back far enough for your knee to hurt. Over time you will be able to come back pretty far. Start with 5-10. I have done as many as 25 on each leg without pain. I do them in the mornings before I get out of bed.
Here's a youtube video:

 

[Upstater]

LeeApril26 Thanks!!!! That is EXACTLY what I need!

 

[Upstater]

OK Now I understand overdoing it. Attended my son in law's fire department's promotion ceremony last night. We stood around for quite a while after. I felt great. We went to dinner and got to bed quite late. Woke up very very sore. I guess it's a rest ice day. Now I know I won't know while I'm overdoing it....but later. I learned something.

 

[Upstater]

Three and a half month update: I haven't been here much since I returned to work in late July but wanted to comment/question about fatigue. I am walking unaided and I am sore if I sit too long. Also I notice if I do anything besides work it literally takes me 2 days to get my energy back. We took our first camping trip of the season in August and it was great. Friday we attended a family wedding. After both activities I needed two days of rest. I feel great when I'm at the activities but then wow the fatigue just hits me. I understand this is normal? I see my OS on the 9th and I will mention this.

 

[bottomshollow]

Still early days in recovery, and you are doing A LOT! You'll know you're completely healed when you are no longer sore from sitting no matter for how long. So healing is still going on---thus the energy drain is still in effect.

Good to hear that you are doing well otherwise, had a nice vacation, and enjoyed a family activity. Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[Jaycey]

You are very active for only 3 months out. This fatigue thing takes awhile to get over. My strategy was to plan on an active day and then allow 1-2 days of rest. Then start again. Pretty soon those rest days will decrease. You are doing very well!

 

[Peaches]

Hi, Upstater ... I'm about a month ahead of you and I would not be able to go camping at this point. I think getting up and down on the ground, sleeping on the ground, and basically having noplace to rest my body, as in, on a real bed, would be tough for me. I still get very sore sometimes. I still get very fatigued when I do anything beyond work, too. Some weekends I still have to take an afternoon nap, that's how fatigued I am. But the fatigue, in just the last couple of weeks, has occurred a little less frequently. So I think the fatigue will lift slowly and surely. Not sure about how to reach the right level of activity, though. That one has me stumped.

 

[Upstater]

Peaches Jaycey Thanks so much! Let me clarify I was in a camper...but the bed was hard. We hiked some trails and I was still using a cane and did well. Peaches you hit the nail on the head! How to know what is too much before I do too much. Easy to know afterward. I'm glad to hear it is getting better for you. That's something to look forward to.

 

[Jaycey]

Let me clarify I was in a camper...but the bed was hard.

I remember the first time I slept away from home on a hard bed. Oh man, the aches and pains the next morning!

We hiked some trails and I was still using a cane and did well.

Any new activity and muscles you haven't used before are bound to complain. Hiking, especially on uneven ground can be a challenge at first.

How to know what is too much before I do too much. Easy to know afterward.

Recovery is all about finding the limits, scaling back and trying again another day. What seems impossible one day is easy the next. Just keep trying and resting in between. You'll get there!

 

[Littlejem]

I still ache on both sides if I sit for any length of time and also when I get up in the morning, getting going is really stiff!! I was wondering when or if, that would ever get any any better. I feel tired but was just putting it down to my age, it would be lovely to think that it would all get easier. I also walk unaided but tread very carefully when I'm walking the dog out on the fields as I do worry about falling.

Still early days in recovery, and you are doing A LOT! You'll know you're completely healed when you are no longer sore from sitting no matter for how long.

This is really interesting, just how long is normal for healing to take?

 

[Jaycey]

There is no "normal healing". Everyone heals at a different rate. Some take weeks and some months. It took me over 12 months to recover.