TKR Vicky's TKR Recovery

I watched a TKR video on YouTube. That helped me to understand why we have so much pain. It is definitely an eye-opener!
 
After 12 knee surgeries, I know that I do not need PT, and neither does anyone else if they do their own daily activities.

12, OMGoodness! Since day one I have been able to get up and use the bathroom with my Walker. I get up every hour for "potty break, and the scenic route"... Couch to bathroom, through kitchen....oops dogs need water....there's enough dishes for a load...grab a snack. And so forth every day doing a little more than the day before. I can't sit still ALL day!
 
All that is what I call “natural PT”. It gives your knee and body movement but in a timely manner, instead of a list of reps of exercises that can sometimes prove to be too much, too soon, for a healing knee.
 
OMGoodness! Since day one I have been able to get up and use the bathroom with my Walker. I get up every hour for "potty break, and the scenic route"... Couch to bathroom, through kitchen....oops dogs need water....there's enough dishes for a load...grab a snack. And so forth every day doing a little more than the day before. I can't sit still ALL day!
Yep, you are doing PT will all these activities and that's all the PT you need.
 
Good afternoon fellow BoneSmarties.

At my first PT visit on January 11th, one week after surgery, my flexion was at a 40° angle. Extension I was quite happy with because I can press the back of my knee all the way down to the table.

My second PT visit was this past Friday the 15th. I tried doing my PT exercises at home two out of the four days that I was told to do them. The day before physical therapy I freaked out again and I pushed myself way too hard at home. Not only was there swelling at the surgery site, my hip, thigh, and calf hurt the way it does when you just over exercise. And they were extremely tight the day of physical therapy. So I just told her I got scared I didn't think I was doing enough physical therapy and I way over did it yesterday my hip, my thigh, and my calf are tight and sore and killing me. She's not a big talker she's a quiet person the first thing she did was get my knee warmed up on the exercise bike and started slow stretches, trying to get it to flex nice and gentle, then she put me on these slanted boards that I put my balls in my feet on and leaned forward to the wall and I had a really nice stretch all the way down my back my thigh and my calves. She then proceeded with physical therapy. She was so gentle and slow, and she just casually mentioned to me that she was so surprised that my surgeon would have scheduled all out physical therapy the same week as surgery. After her gentle touch with my overdoing it at home, and letting me know that she didn't feel physical therapy should have been done the first of surgery, it was at this, I began to trust her, and I think things are going to go very very well. I am not going to do my home physical therapy to the point of pain, I'm a BoneSmarty now. :wave:

When she measured my flexion, it was at a 60° angle. That was an increase of 20° in 4 days. She told me not to get used to that. But we'll see because I'm up and about and living life pretty darn good for considering what I just went through. In the last 3 days my frame of mind is returning to positivity,I'm handling the pain and better, AND I found Bone Smarties. I'm also getting a good night sleep thanks to the lounge doctor.

Yesterday was two weeks post-op. I'm walking without my Walker I'm going up and down the steps and I'm doing approximately half of the PT prescribed.I've been doing lighthouse work last week they load the dishwasher fold the clothes put some meat in a crock pot type of thing very light.

I purchased The Lounge Dr it arrived Saturday. Saturday night was the first night that I slept through the night using the lounge doctor I can't recommend this highly enough. I get very cold using my ice machine. I have found if I keep my iced leg outside of my blanket I stay warmer. so I had some trial and error but I slept with my feet elevated with my icing machine on my knee only covering up my other leg and the rest of my torso. is pure heaven my back hurts so bad from sitting in a recliner it was like pure heaven laying down in my bed. And it feels really good to elevate my legs I was not putting my toes above my nose there's no way I was doing that. So I just have to say it was worth every single penny and I know that they sell other ones out there but when I was researching this the angle that the lounge doctor is at for my height it looked healthier I don't know how to explain it it conformed more to my doctor's orders about putting pressure behind my knee that's how I can put it.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to get my Staples removed I'm very excited. I'm a bather vs a shower taker. I can't wait to get the okay to soak in a hot tub & soak my poor back it's just a mess because of not sleeping properly. I'm going to mention my back and my hip to my physical therapist when I go today. Turns out she's in my corner more so than my surgeon.
 
Glad you found us here at BoneSmart @Nana_Vicky. It's fantastic that your husband is onboard with a BoneSmart recovery. I attended one PT session post TKR, the next day I was significantly more swollen and the pain was much worse. I adopted the BoneSmart recovery that day and have had great results. Don't listen to those who say you must do PT, they are wrong and with the support of your husband hopefully it's a little easier to ignore them. Listen to your knee, it will tell you when to back off. If it hurts the next day you probably did too much and want to evaluate what you did your knee didn't like. Sounds like you are on the right track to a good recovery. :flwrysmile:
 
My staples were remove today. My surgeon had a meltdown because my flexion is at 55°he wanted it at 90°.

Just reaching out for reassurance and support. I go back in 2 weeks and if I'm not at 90 he wants to do a manual manipulation
 
Vicky, I am so sorry that your surgeon is not willing to let your body heal on it’s own timeframe. It is far to early for him to be wanting to do an MUA. If it was me I would decline. Just because he wants to do it doesn’t mean you have to consent to it, and he can’t do it without your consent.

Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

As we have said before, your body needs time and gentle treatment so it can heal from all the trauma that this surgery causes. Please go back and reread all the responses you’ve had from us. When your swelling goes down and your pain settles down, and as you heal, your ROM will improve by default. If, and its a big if, your ROM does not improve, an MUA can be done months down the road. If you have it done now it is only going to further traumatize your leg, and it won’t help anything.
 
Here is what TortiTabby wrote:

“At my six week appointment this is what my OS wrote in my visit summary: "She reads an online website called Bone Smart which states to not push through pain following knee replacement. If she were to follow this direction, she will have to learn to live with a knee that only reaches to 85 degrees of flexion. I believe this website is very misleading."
It has now been 20 weeks and all I do is ADL and this is what my ROM has done:
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks (where I am today): 110
I am so thrilled it keeps improving and improving and I know now that I will get to my goal of 120 (or even better, dare I say!) :egypdance:
So, if a OS or PT bullies you into thinking your ROM will not improve over time they are wrong. By the way, I haven't been back to see the OS since that horrible appointment at 6 weeks, but I sure am going back when I reach 120 just to say, "Ha! You were wrong, BoneSmart was right!" :yes:

And,

“Just an update for those who are apprehensive about gaining ROM:
It has now been 26 weeks and all I do is ADL and this is what my ROM has done:
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks: 110
26 weeks (where I am today): 120!!!
I did it! My goal of 120! No "pushing through pain", no PT after the first 3 visits, and most importantly to me: No MUA! My surgeon who said I would never get beyond 85 ROM without pushing through pain was wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm excited to see if it gets even better. :happydance:
 
My staples removed today. My surgeon had a meltdown because my flexion is at 55°he wanted it at 90°.
Well, that's his problem. 55 at 2 weeks is OK. His wanting 90 is absolutely ridiculous. The majority of surgeons don't expect that until at 6 weeks or more. You do not need a MUA you need to heal. A MUA will cause a setback in your recovery. All those soft tissues that are sewn together are just starting to knit back together. A MUA will tear those soft tissues apart again, causing more pain and swelling. That pain and swelling will cause a worse ROM. What will improve your ROM isn't exercises and PT, it's gentle movements with your ADL, (activities of daily living). Every time you move you are doing PT. Normal walking around is all your knee needs to get back its ROM.

Everyone here has been through a joint replacement and we know what works. We wouldn't lead you wrong. We are here because we care about you and your recovery. We know what aggressive PT and MUAs do to a baby knee. Please let us help you have the best recovery you can.
 
@Nana_Vicky I hope you will take the advise above, it's WAY too soon to think about an MUA. Give that knee a chance to heal and improve without trauma.
 
I had robotic surgery. The camera gives the surgeon a 3D image inside your leg to assist with a more precise placement of the implant. I have two small incisions in my shin where the camera was inserted. I also have a smaller cut and no staples or stitches. The cut is very fine. The surgeon checked my ROM in surgery and showed me photos of the knee bending and flexing on the operating table the next day. He has to this day never measured my knee or asked about PT and said to recover slowly and I'll be fine. He's an excellent surgeon who I researched before I chose who I'd use. I think the surgeons skill makes alot of difference.
Pain, swelling and stiffness is the same as everyone here, it's no easier.
 
I'd like to thank everyone for your sharing your experiences and education as well as encouragement and support because it's difficult sometimes to tell your doctor no. Again thank you. I really appreciate you all. I'm not having that MUA done. That's just stupid I guess I'm still in shock that he even treat me like that. I told Hubs, I think he just wants to be Super Doctor or something. He always gets everybody the benefit of the doubt. He said yeah well maybe he truly believes that and he is worried for you. But the bottom line is Hubs is on my team.Tank goodness. Thank you for sharing that timeline with me that's extremely encouraging and helpful.
 
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I think that's a really good choice @Nana_Vicky. It's wonderful that your husband is on board, having support from my wife really helped me through the tough spots of recovery.
 

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