Revision TKR Wberry knee is up<

[Spencieca]

That is a great accomplishment! I am hoping to get my knee to 90 today on my own..we shall see...PT tomorrow...Keep up the good work!

 

[vinny]

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.

@Brendab1 the trainer that worked with me before surgery stressed quads and upper arms...the quads are not cut during the surgery but the quad tendon is sliced vertically so that the patella can be flipped to work on...the theory is that the stronger your quads are before the easier it is to take the load after and the upper arms make it easier to get up from a chair and off the toilet until you develop quad strength after...it certainly worked for me and no doubt contributed to my pain and drug free recovery with a big dose of luck.....congrstulations on the aha moment of getting up without arms.....another step forward on the road to recovery..

Vinny

 

[Blendab1]

Thank you @vinny!


Brenda aka Bionic B

 

[wberry]

15 days out from surgery:

Today was a really great day.
To start with I surprised my physical therapist by doing three straight leg raises. Had my staples removed all 31 of them. The only ones that hurt were the ones where there skin was pulled pretty tight. Dr. measured me at 90 which was 25 more than what I had when I left the hospital. He even gave me to go ahead to drive because I've been able stay off of the narcotic pain meds. Did no hand lift assist on both knees from a regular chair position today. also climb a flight of stairs. Went from five down to two on keeping my leg flat. This weekend I just got really upset because I couldn't bend my leg the way I wanted to get a good nights sleep. So I ended up spending most of the evening stretching my legs into positions I think I wanted them to be in. PT couldn't believe the progress I have made since she saw me on Friday. Still can't do the bend leg knee
bends. I'm up to 15 minutes on the new life knee bend machine. Going to go in tomorrow and do some private knee bend worked on the machine on my own. I have to be careful about hitting a wall by over doing it. After today's session I was so exhausted all I did was come home and go to bed. Here's my knee after staples were removed.

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[wberry]

My physical therapist is always surprising me she doesn't really great job. She's a much older lady but she really is very specific and detailed in everything she does. Every single exercise and position she has me do always seems to help me improve in some area or another rather than be just redundant. And she knows when to stop so that the pain doesn't get too great. She asked questions like what sort of pain are you feeling or is it just tightening of the muscles and tendons.


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[vinny]

Way to go..that is what happens one day something just clicks....90 at 15 days is great...only going to get better.....do you think its a good idea to work out tomorrow? Or just chill and take a walk....happy for you

Vinny

 

[SeptemberZen]

@wberry -- Sounds great! But...like Vinny, I gotta ask..are you sure you're not pushing things a bit? It's wonderful that your pain is manageable and that you're healing so well. I hope you don't mind my asking but you're just two weeks out from MAJOR surgery....can't help but wonder, why the rush?

 

[skigirl]

@September Zen is right. We can start feeling good, the the knee is still HEALING. It cannot go day after day. If you do too much the result is a lot of pain (I speak from experience here) and stiffness and swelling. It took me four days to calm my knee down after i did a too vigorous work out at 4 weeks.

Protect your knee and allow your tissues to heal. It is hard to make this recovery go faster. At 3 months I really felt like myself again---but it will take that long and even longer if you overdo.

 

[wberry]

I agree with you folks. I even didn't do my at home PT at all after today's session. I will just do loosening up stuff for 15 minutes and spend the rest of the day resting. What do you all think. Walking is still an effort with this funny bent knee. Until it loosens up, walking takes effort.

 

[SeptemberZen]

@wberry - "Walking is still an effort with this funny bent knee".... Honestly, I don't understand. I'm 9 weeks from surgery and I walk with a cane. I have excellent ROM but also a LOT of stiffness, so I have a definite limp and will probably have it for a few more weeks. Once my knee is warmed up, my leg is perfectly straight and I can bend it nearly as far as the other one, but it's still swollen and stiff and my OS is not at all concerned; he feels I'm right where I should be at the 2-month mark.

At 15 days post-op, I could barely get to the bathroom without assistance; walking correctly was the last thing on my mind. I ask you again -- from a place of concern -- why are you pushing your recovery at warp speed?

 

[referee54]

Every single exercise and position she has me do always seems to help me improve in some area or another rather than be just redundant.

These littel exercises all add up to a big victory!

Zen is right. We can start feeling good, the the knee is still HEALING. It cannot go day after day. If you do too much the result is a lot of pain (I speak from experience here) and stiffness and swelling. It took me four days to calm my knee down after i did a too vigorous work out at 4 weeks.

Yes---sometimes, gains can be made by not doing anything---resting the knee at this point in time is very important. "Less is more" will help you avoid some of the pitfalls of overdoing it.

Walking is still an effort with this funny bent knee. Until it loosens up, walking takes effort.

You are still really, really early in recovery---and, until the swelling and stiffness go down, it will be an effort.

Remember how long a recovery can take, so just take it a day at a time. Eventually, when the swelling subsides, the walking bit will take much less effort---eventually, it will be effortless---and that day will come.

 

[wberry]

Yes, I agree, that's why tomorrow is a rest day. My PT never makes me go any further than I can. As a matter of fact she mentioned that we should just maintain ice and elevate before going any further. The gains this weekend are enough for her for now. She is switching to simple stretching.


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[wberry]

Actually the swelling has gone done so much the OS said I could take the hoses off at night. PT told me to not worry, the knee will straighten more over time. OS felt the same way, says he will see me in 4weeks. Wants me off the narc meds asap, he thinks they can slow recovery. I was down to only on percet at night and Tamoral and extra strength tylonal during the day.


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[Maggie94]

hey @wberry sounds like you are acing it - good on you. BUT I will add my opinion to that of others and just hasten slowly. On the flip side you probably need one admission to the ODIC as a right of passage and also to learn the lesson.

Yey on ditching the walker - not very dignified and they interfere too much with walking normally. I use a stick but I carry it and only use it on uneven or inclined bits of terrain. keep up the good work and keep us posted, cheers Maggie x

 

[vinny]

Actually the swelling has gone done so much the OS said I could take the hoses off at night. PT told me to not worry, the knee will straighten more over time. OS felt the same way, says he will see me in 4weeks. Wants me off the narc meds asap, he thinks they can slow recovery. I was down to only on percet at night and Tamoral and extra strength tylonal during the day.


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My OS does not give out narcotics unless someone really needs them as he thinks they slow recovery as well.....real pain is one thing but if it is not as bad as before the surgery as in my case just tylenol.....the knee should straighten in time but I still do those toe points while watching TV just to be sure....good on you and keep up the ice for both the swelling and the pain.

Vinny

 

[kneeper]

Listen to your body with the pain meds. Most of us naturally decrease and the timing of that varies for each. Some can do without narcotics earlier than others.
My doc prescribed Percocet for a short time, then reduced to hydrocodone (Norco) and gradually I was able to spread out the doses, then just have one before bed and then no narcotics.

Percocet zonked me out but that was fine in the first week, because the body needs rest right after surgery. It didn't stop me from doing gentle rom exercises though.
I could be more active on the milder pain meds (but still a lot of rest, ice and elevation)--maybe that's what vinny's doc is thinking.

But it's easy to overdo and wind up with more pain.
It's kind of trial and error and individual.

 

[wberry]

Today was a rest day. I slept , iced, elevated. My body took it all in. Did a little stretching for ROM. Caught myself getting up and slowly walking to the bathroom before I noticed I didn't have my walker. I must have either sleep walked or been to tired and sleepy. I slowly turned and grabbed the dresser in case my operative knee gave out and shifted my weight to the good leg. That was close.

My doc hates the pain meds and believes they slow recovery. So he likes the fact I am restricting them already. Guess that is why he said I could drive.

 

[Maggie94]

Yey re walking unaided. Means you don't need the walker any more and can move to sticks. I had 2 for a little while before moving to just 1 Have a great day, Maggie x

 

[wberry]

17 days post op:

Well my ROM is up to 95 and PT says I am almost flat. I never realized how much ROM mattered until I try to go to sleep. Everytime you turn and your leg hits that ROM limit it hurts and wakes you up. I've had a couple sleepless nights recently. I ended up just trying to stretch and ice and elevate since I couldn't sleep. I ordered a nice wedge pillow and a knee pillow for at night. The knee pillow wraps around the knee so no matter how I turn it is there.

PT has been ok. I got the therapist I dislike last time. Boy she always finds those really hard stretches to do. I don't hesitate to let her know when it's to much. Hopefully I will be back to the older PT tomorrow. I'm gonna get dressed and go use the machine in a bit.
I have lost 22 pounds now, I'm sure my other non-op knee appreciates it. My wife has stopped driving me to PT, since I have driving clearance from the Doc.

Wife is getting a little impatient with me. Think she is tiring of my occasional requests. I try to be very thankful of everything she does and I tell her so reputable. I will try to get some flowers on my way home to see if that will help.

 

[Blendab1]

WTG!! You are doing great. I am sure the flowers will cheer her up! I actually paid for take out the other night and my son was grateful for that. I find that I can now do some chores like emptying the dishwasher and vacuum which takes some of the load off f him.
I am still on my meds so no driving here so I'm a little jealous that you can.
Congrats on the weight loss, I just love this unexpected side effect so much!


Brenda aka Bionic B