Bilateral TKR Whats up with NOC

[oldrugbyprop]

Hey Chris 130 is excellent. Like Maggie said I took a pair of gel packs to work and I keep some Tylenol around just in case. Where you've got the great really great range but the sore right knee my ROM needs work but no pain walking or standing. Always seems to be a trade off. Good thing will be when we both get to that sweet spot. Keep up the awesome work and you Rock Man.

 

[icep707]

@noc , consider working part time for 2 weeks initially. Dont make the mistake i made . Going back full time full bore . Keep up the great recovery , Iceman

 

[Maggie94]

great idea @icep707 Are you able to do this Chris - perhaps work mornings and knock off early... go home ice and rest - Maggie x

 

[vinny]

@noc ...Chris you go boy...130 is wonderful........love your knees Chris and they will love you back...keep icing ......

Vinny

 

[TexasTee]

Good luck on your return to work! I'm going back a week from Monday - I think I'll be ok but will definitely be armed with ice packs and tylenol - probably a hiking stick also, just in case.

 

[noc]

Good luck Teresa, I will not doubt still have my cane..funny, I just did a good 45 min on the stationary spinning bike ( I think Maggie asked what type ) - I have a very good spinning bike ( a gym model ) with a 60 pound flywheel, it was like I never had surgery - up, and out of the saddle peddling hard - I gather it is just a matter of time until BOTH my knee's are hitting on all cylinders - I would think if there WAS a issue - I could not ride that hard? Good luck T = )

 

[noc]

well,I am heading back to work on 4/6- right knee is still lacking results that the left knee has had - but, I need a change of life - starting to get depressed , work will be good for me - my job is nice, good people who will not expect me to do more then I can at this point - as a network engineer I do get to sit behind I computer, however I also have a 75 minute commute each way, I will be fine, ......right? lol.......

as I look back, what a trip this has been, I totally misjudged just how difficult this would be, BOTH mentally and physically- and still have a way to go ..

I am glad for this board, some really, really good people here - who we all share a common bond with- what a ride...

@vinny , congrats on the retirement...good for you my brother...

 

[vinny]

Thanks Chris. You will be fine next week and being back will help your mental outlook too. As Yogi Berra said 95% is physical and the the other half is mental...

Vinny

 

[Maggie94]

Hi Chris...even when you are back at work we will be here....I have to agree about having the stimulation of something outside our knees is so important. Take gel PACs with you to work...beats a lunch pail Cheers Maggie x

 

[noc]

mad respect for all of you...

 

[noc]

Hello All~!

Wow, been over a month since I checked in with you all.
Been back to work since April 1st and it has not been easy. Still using a cane. My left knee feels great most of the time, the right knee is still problematic - although I would say that progress has been made since the 1st of April til now (May5th, wow time flies ;) - it still bothers me (the right knee)

Maybe @Josephine has an idea why. Jo - it hurts right under the knee cap (like on top of my shin bone in the front of the leg).

My ROM is excellent +130 on both - looking forward to the pool to get opened and really start stretching these guys out...

From my standpoint, it has been 4 months since (1/2/15) BTKR and if the right knee DOES in fact heal to where the left knee is now - then, heck yeah - BTKR rocks! If not, that is scary. I guess I should not worry **yet** as it is still only 4 months in from a huge surgical procedure ...

Also, my Doctor has me on plan to get off of pain meds. If we all remember I was taking meds for years prior, narcotic pain meds, to just be able to work and live and take care of my family. So, we are weaning down and believe me, I want to be off the pain meds so bad, but I do not want to be in pain, that at times both knees shake or the constant wake up at night because my leg was bent too long and a HECK of a time getting up. This is why I second guess my action to have this done, my getting up in the morning still takes 5 minutes to be able to move good (with pain meds). The Doctor offered me a referral to see a pain specialist but I declined and thought that we could wean off together, thinking that the pain would be subsiding while we wean. But today, after a family night out at a baseball game, both knees are very painful and I have to be wary of my pain meds count because now I'm not due for a refill for 7 more days. Tried taking some 500mg naproxin (LOL) then I had to finally give in and take my pain med (30mg oxy). Plus, I have my son's baseball game tonight. I coach, uggg, - but, I will crawl if I have to for my kids.

Thank you for listening - I hope ALL of you old school BS are doing great (you guys know who) - and you new peeps, do your research. I thought this was going to be a walk in the park - and maybe that's part of the problem, in reality it is huge decision....

respect.
chris..aka noc

 

[referee54]

Welcome back---it is great to hear from you!! Your ROM is excellent!! What specifically is the issue with the right knee?

I still had a limp at four months after my BTKR--no cane, but the limp took about five months to go away. My left knee was also the "angel" while my right knee was the "problem child." I can certainly understand how you feel.

 

[Josephine]

Maybe Josephine has an idea why. Jo, it hurts right under the knee cap (like on top of my shin bone in the front of the leg).

I might if you tell me the exact site of your pain using this chart?
Please note the instructions in the smaller image

I'm going to ask you some questions and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right with this? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery!

) Also don't forget to include other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness

2. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

3. what kind of PT exercises and exercises at home are you doing? How much and how often? (and detailed details would be appreciated, please! **Reps, sets and sessions** and all that)

** If you're not familiar with this, it goes like so:
1 lift of your leg = 1 rep (repetition)
5 reps and then a brief rest = 1 set
5 sets and finishing = 1 session.

 

[noc]

Jo - I would say the pain is only = between RF1E, and RF1F - practically, right in under the knee ...

1. Right leg, at work while sitting 2 on the scale, just got up to use the my FAX was around 5 in that area.. I'd say aching

2. I coach both kids baseball, not running or anything - just very much standing , I do help the wife with the laundry, I clean up after the kids, I vacuum , shopping minimal, in and out for few items to get on the way home from work. I do the "handyman" stuff at home, opened the sprinkler system this weekend,

3. Honestly, not much of PT exercises anymore, with 8 hours of work, then kids with homework, baseball - I I will occasionally ride my stationary bike 45-60 minutes

 

[Josephine]

I'm not sure you got this quite right! (grey area)
Or is this really the point of your pain? (blue area)

Assuming it was really RF2E then I think what you might have is a patellar tendon tendinitis which could be from the exercise bike! I say this because if you have it on a moderate to high resistance and maybe go at a goodish speed, this will stress that point of the quads mechanism,called the rectus femoris, which looks like this and is major muscle engaged in an activity like bike riding, particularly the patellar tendon (marked in red) which takes a lot of punishment in this activity and is right at the spot you indicated.

1. Right leg, at work while sitting 2 on the scale, just got up to use the my FAX was around 5 in that area.. I'd say aching

I would too for which you might well find 1,000mg Tylenol 3-4 times a day would suffice.

2. I coach both kids baseball, not running or anything - just very much standing. I do help the wife with the laundry, I clean up after the kids, I vacuum , shopping minimal, in and out for few items to get on the way home from work. I do the "handyman" stuff at home, opened the sprinkler system this weekend,

Oh wow! You're really up there with the handyman then! But that all sounds good then.

3. Honestly, not much of PT exercises anymore, with 8 hours of work, then kids with homework, baseball - I will occasionally ride my stationary bike 45-60 minutes

Well in that case, I would suggest that your ache is just a question of cutting back on something. The bike would be a good start! Maybe for a couple of weeks and then start back with less time, resistance and speed and gradually build it up over a period of weeks.

 

[referee54]

Maybe for a couple of weeks and then start back with less time, resistance and speed and gradually build it up over a period of weeks.

When you build back up, the rule of them is increase your activity by no more than 10% at a time---then let your body acclimate itself to the exercise, then 10% more---that way your Patella tendon can get used to the demands slowly and purposefully.

 

[noc]

Thank You as always~!! = )

much love and respect....

 

[referee54]

When you go forward and coach that baseball, remember what the strike zone is---I ask kids what the strike zone in baseball is---and they say, "Knees to here (gesturing)..." and I say, "No."" Then they try again, and I say, "No."

Then I tell them the truth about the strike zone.

"It is whatever the umpire says it is."

 

[Jamie]

Spoken like a true ref, Ref!!!

 

[kneeper]

I found night stiffness to last for a while, particularly after a busy day. But it did eventually go away.