Revision TKR Wberry knee is up<

[wberry]

@vinny, can you be a little more detail on the pillows under the knee you used? I'm trying to get that situated.


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[wberry]

Okay, so what is the itchy feeling under my bruises, @referre54 or @vinney you guys have any idea


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[Blendab1]

Glad to hear your fall did not cause any damage, that must have been terrifying! The itchiness under the bruising is because it's healing as I am experiencing that right now. PT showed me how to get in and out of the shower today so that is on my agenda today and it will be heaven.

Have a great day!


Brenda aka Bionic B

 

[wberry]

Thanks, yea it was sheer terror. My back side still hurts, so I feel it when I do my PT.

I have a shower bench that extends out of the tube. I sit on the end, do the old turn and lift with mi left under my right and swing into the in tub side and scoot over. The just close the curtain and I am all business.

Ok, itching is good.

Help for the Experienced folks
@referee54, @vinny, @Josephine I need some advice on using my walker. Apparently when I put the operative foot forward and down I unintentionally tense and try to use the walker to support instead of the operative leg. so when I bring the non-operative leg forward to step, the weight and only partially on the operative and the rest on the walker. Mt PT is not happy and doesn't understand why I am doing this. I told her the operative leg feels like it is going to go because I have so little control over the joint, thus naturally tense and shift weight to walker for balance. I have seen others with their walkers and they seem to just walk and roll it forward at the hospital. I just can't figure oout what I am doing wrong. Now I am getting frustrated and desperate.

 

[vinny]

It just takes a little practice. I found myself just picking up the walker and carrying it to the next step for some reason...don't worry about hurting the implant...first thing my OS said when I woke up was it is every difficult I.e.breaking a bone to hurt the implant it is everything else that heals around it...you will be fine it is just muscle memory and most of us have a dominant leg and if you are right handed it is most likely your operated leg...not to worry..

Vinny

 

[vinny]

And the pillows were between my knees. I sleep on my side and when my knees hit it other I woke up so I put a pillow between my knees and it worked great for me....and the itchy feeling could be nerves trying to reconnect....sorry about the fall but you seem to be fine...I fell off my motorbike after 4 weeks which is not recommended but went right to the OS and he giggled it around and said good to go don't so it again....it is hard to trust the implant at first but it is the muscle not firing yet that causes the wobbly feeling...you will do great...you are up and moving that is the main thing....most of us never used a walker before.

Vinny

 

[wberry]

Yes, my right leg was my dominate. So are you saying the right knee just needs to remember how to do some things again? That' s why when he says lift your knee, I try and get nothing but a twitch. Or sliding my knee back on the slide board it hardly moves.

Thanks

 

[Josephine]

what is the itchy feeling under my bruises

Dab witch hazel on the bruises. It calms the itching.

when I put the operative foot forward and down I unintentionally tense and try to use the walker to support instead of the operative leg. Mt PT is not happy and doesn't understand why I am doing this

I don't understand why a so-called 'fully qualified' PT wouldn't know why you are doing that! It's perfectly normal to be bearing weight on your hands on the walker while you feel a bit insecure with your leg. You're only one week out. How else would you cope with it! Don't worry about itor try to analyse why. Eventually it will return to normal but don't try to rush it.

BTW, your PT is ignorant!

 

[vinny]

Yes, my right leg was my dominate. So are you saying the right knee just needs to remember how to do some things again? That' s why when he says lift your knee, I try and get nothing but a twitch. Or sliding my knee back on the slide board it hardly moves.

Thanks

More like your quad needs to start working not your knee that's fine......

 

[wberry]

Hi all:

So looks like I'm seven days out from surgery now. I started physical therapy last Friday the week of my surgery had a session on Monday and another session today. Still not able to do that straight leg lift. The knee mind is Deadweight. Their biggest concern is my inability to straighten my knee. If anyone has any suggestions in that area I would love to hear them. My thanks to @vinny for the sleep position recommendations with the pillows.
My thanks to @Josephine for recommendations about my physical therapist, fortunately I had the more senior therapist today and she was more understanding. I asked her if she thought my case was different or about the same she said everyone has their own issues after knee replacement. She said I have a lot of weak muscles in my quads area. Strange that, because I spent a lot of time at the gym working out and doing leg lifts and straight leg lifts and really trying to build those muscles up. Perhaps that off loader brace I was wearing on my right knee for almost a year caused the weakness of the muscles. More than anything because the brace was taking away the load instead of the muscles. They have one of those bikes where you sit and just push your feet forward them back that's not like a recumbent bike. They got me on it for 10 minutes. The PT ask if I could come in on Saturday and Sunday and use this push bike for about 20 minutes since I don't have PT again until Monday. She thinks it'll be good for me and also help with the rate of her physical therapy.

That's it for a day seven out of surgery


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[Spencieca]

Sounds like you are progressing nicely! You will be able to lift the leg soon, it will just happen..I wore an off loader brace for a while and I noticed that I didn't have as much strength in my quads..but the muscle memory will come back when the muscles are healed and ready to go...Patience....lots and lots of Patience...Have a great night!

 

[kneeper]

It sounds like since you can't do a leg lift your quad isn't completely "awake" yet and so you're feeling wobbly when you walk. That will improve. Just keep trying and using the walker to keep yourself stable and safe.

I didn't have a totally sleepy quad with my first knee but I would get these little giving out sensations sometimes when I was walking with the walker early on. I learned here that that was part of the quad recovering from surgery and many people get that. Saved me from some panicky moments thinking something was wrong.

 

[wberry]

Day 12 out from surgery has come to an end.

I have noticed a couple of what I call significant changes.
1. I have started carrying the walker and only putting it down at the end of both steps.
2. Before when I let my recliner down I needed to have my left leg under my right so I wouldn't have a painful drop. Now I just let it down and my knee seems to be giving enough control to keep the leg from dropping so fast.
3. Getting up to do daily things seems easier. Even surprised myself by standing up without my arms to push me up.
4. Today at PT we started with the usual stack of four pads when I was sitting. I did the stand up unassisted. But this time she pulled a pad after each four stand ups. It was work and I could tell I had used muscles that had been quite since the surgery.
5. I am finally getting some increased rest. The challenge is to make sure I am pain free before bed and that I have my pillows properly positioned. I sleep best on my side. But getting the knee so it is properly supported is the greatest challenge.

One bad mark for today was the PT played tag team on me. So I had the senior for the first 3/4 and the one I don't like for the last 1/4. They have zero' din on my leg straitening. My goodness they put me through so many stretches and leg hangs and leg press downs. I defiantly could feel it. There was maybe twice I told them it was to much on the pain and discomfort scale and they would stop and move on or let me rest.

I went to church yesterday, that was good. They had a recliner for me in the balcony. Had some come by with best wishes.

So that's my day on day 12.


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[vinny]

sounds like you are ready to ditch the walker @wberry I hated it and used it once for about 3 minutes as I realized I was just carrying it around anyway.....you will find the same with the crutches pretty quickly as I found out right away that I was just carrying them too...I probably would have used a cane longer than a week if it was a bit more cool looking instead of a stick.....maybe something with a silver wolves head ......seems like you have turned the corner dude......and what church has a recliner in the balcony? or do you just have pull? glad you are feeling better you will continue now to have those moments when you say "hey I could not do that before and now I can"

Vinny

 

[Spencieca]

Sounds like a great day 12!Those are the small details that you will notice more of every day. Just be sure to keep telling PT when it is TOO much..I am learning that lesson right now myself.and I think I want to go to your church...a recliner???YAY!! Keep up the good work and remember
.YOU GOT THIS!!!!!

 

[SeptemberZen]

@wberry - Yikes! Glad you weren't hurt too badly!

From what I've read, it really doesn't matter how much quad strength you had prior to the procedure; I've read two articles that state that the surgery itself-- the way they cut to get to the knee -- causes extreme trauma to the quad muscle. I'm not a medical professional but that makes sense to me because nearly everyone who's had this procedure reports the same thing: an inability to move their leg at all the first 2-3 weeks post-op, and then - voila! -- one day, out of the clear blue, it responds on its own. I'm 8 weeks post-op and still occasionally stumble because that quad muscle is a little lazy and doesn't always wake up when I need it; sometimes there's a little lag. Luckily I don't go anywhere without my cane and it has so far, kept me from falling.

Re the wobbling: In those first few weeks when I was still on the walker, my in-home PT gave me two suggestions that you might find helpful. As with all advice, as a friend of mine used to say, "take what you need and leave the rest behind":

1. The walker is meant to steady yourself, not really to be weight- bearing. It's too lightweight for that. Try to hold yourself as upright as possible when using it; avoid leaning forward OVER the walker too much if you can.
2. My PT had me do a weight-shifting exercise that helped with my wobbling. While holding onto the walker or a sturdy piece of furniture, shift your weight slowly from one leg to the other. Don't move your feet. Just stand as straight as you can and shift your weight from one foot slowly. ..to the other. Felt weird at first but it was really helpful for me to get used to letting my new knee carry some of my weight.

Additionally what has helped me in more recent weeks was to avoid gripping the cane in a stranglehold. You are probably not there yet, but at 8 weeks, now that I have a little more strength, I am learning to trust my legs and make them work a little and use the cane for steadiness, not to lean on.

 

[Blendab1]

Woo Hoo Wberry!!!

Isn't it amazing when you achieve a first with the new knee? I too surprised myself by getting up without my arms, I had to stop a minuted to take that in. I am intrigued that your PT crew actually works on that. My PT is generally just weight bearing and bending exercises. I actually like when the PT takes my leg and stretches it, it feels so good after.

Hope your day today is as productive, I am on my own for PT the next three days so at least I know I won't push myself to hurt.

Take care.

 

[wberry]

I'll do a longer post after I go to church and PT. Noticed something last night. I was sitting in the recliner with my feet on the floor. And by golly I didn't have that usual ache that makes me want to get my feet propped up right away. This position use to be so uncomfortable, now it's not to bad. What ever is going on in the knee is good for me


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[SeptemberZen]

Yay! That's what is SO interesting about this journey. You really can't plan it by saying: "by this date, I will do this". It doesn't work like that AT ALL. One day you swing your knee or your leg into position without thinking about it and a full 10 minutes goes by before you realize, "Hey, wait a minute! How'd I do that?" LOL!

 

[Blendab1]

Good for you! I still have not achieved my foot on the floor as it is uncomfortable in about 5 minutes. That will be today's main focus.
Enjoy your church service, Happy Sunday!