TKR Winner winner, chicken dinner! Bionic Liz's new RTKA

[L.I.T]

Well, today was a very interesting day....

The week of rest and change to moderate icing did the trick, and I woke up today with less swelling in my left fat pad - the right is just being stubborn. But it was enough to respond to the ultrasound, and I could walk *almost* normally before my leg 'caught' on my fat pad. Plus one for a tiny step toward improvement.

I did the usual - nustep and the shuttle (horizontal squats). But the big kicker today was the anti-gravity treadmill. They dress you in these biker shorts with a little zipper skirt around them... Then they take you to the treadmill which has a frame with a plastic tarp around the middle. You zip in, and what it does is blow up with air, and the frame lifts you (to whatever point the PT requests) so that you are not full weight bearing. The tarp is opaque (from the top) so that you can't see your own legs or feet. There are, however, cameras all around that display your feet and legs on a monitor in front of you.

Then they make you walk.

Talk about an out of body experience! It basically serves two purposes - one, to let you actually 'see' your gait from a third person point of view. Two, to take 'weight' off while you are walking, to determine if pain is factoring in to your gait.

Well, pain was not a part of mine - but I realize my leg was doing all kinds of things I had no idea about! For instance, once I step through with my right leg, it 'kicks out' to the side as I bring it back forward for the next step. I tried so hard to control it, but sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't. Basically, it confirmed for me that I really DO have an alien in my knee, and HE is in control! It also showed that in spite of my efforts, I am walking with a slight limp - mainly because my right leg only extends to 0, while my left leg hyperextends to - 10. It probably will have to be something I live with until I get my left knee done.

When we were finished with the machine, I turned to look behind me, and there was this HUGE puffed up 'tent-like' plastic cover extending about 3 ft behind me. I couldn't help myself, and I said "Roger, does this machine make my butt look big?" Argh, sometimes I'm such a dork!

We did 'work' my knee today - but more strength vs a lot of repetitive motion. It was a test of sorts. A test to see how much it makes me swell vs things like flutter kicking (ugh), and also to see how much confidence I had in my knee. PT said that I'm fairly confident in it, and that my knee is functioning very well and is quite stable. If I don't swell much from today's work, he has given me the OK to take some longer walks... And even for me to start stepping 'off' the pavement to get ready for hiking again.

If I DO swell (most likely) then we will take a couple more weeks doing gentle exercises until the swelling goes down some more. It sounded like a fair deal to me.

So we shall see how Mr Plant behaves tonight. All in all, not a bad day - some minor progress, and a lot of interesting information.

And now we wait

 

[Celle]

I found your information about the anti-gravity machine very interesting. Thank you for posting that.

Even if your knee swells, don't be concerned. Since full recovery takes a year or so, you have plenty of time and there's no need to rush anything. It takes as long as it takes and it's worth getting your gait correct, right from the start.

 

[Mireille]

@L.I.T That's great! Improvement is always a welcomed relief! Glad things are moving along.

The anti gravity treadmill is pretty awesome. I used to joke with my PT that everybody in the gym was so turned on by my "space pants" that she was going to have to hold them back.
I used it quite a lot right before my TKR while doing therapy of the hip.

You'll be hiking again soon!

 

[L.I.T]

@Mireille @Celle
It is a very neat, and helpful machine. Although I will say, at first when it 'lifts' you by the biker shorts, it does feel like you are about to be given the world's biggest wedgie

 

[Cratchit]

That's a fabulous description @L.I.T ! I've never even heard of an anti gravity machine though l'm pretty certain it would be more than my butt that looks big in it!

That kicking out to the side sounds similar to what my TKR leg was doing. In horses it's called dishing! Anyway, l think it was Celle who advised ensuring that l lifted and made sure that l bent the knee with each step, even if l had to exaggerate it at first as this would help correct my gait. She was right and it did so that now l don't have to think about it. I still use the stick to correct gait and correct my balance - l have a tendency to lean to the right like the Tower of Pisa, apparently!

Sounds like yesterday's PT was really positive. Roger and out!

 

[Spex10]

Amazing machine. Who would have thought to invent it. Bet its extremely expensive!! Helpful outcome though.
@Cratchit have you thought of human dressage? Could be an interesting new sport for you!!

 

[Cratchit]

@Spex10 Nope, not thought of that! I never was much good at ballet so l can't imagine l would be any prettier a sight than l would be in the anti gravity machine! Shudder the thought!

 

[Mireille]

@L.I.T Hi Liz, How are you doing today?

 

[kneeper]

Sounds like easing up on the activity is helping.

 

[L.I.T]

Well, the experimental results are awfully confusing.... All was stable until about noon yesterday - then swelling galore! Icing and elevation didn't touch it. Then, about 6pm, it all went down to somewhere in the middle of good and horrible. And that, my friends, is where it was this morning when I woke up. So all in all, a slight bit better than from before I went to PT on Thursday. I'll take it! Conclusion: don't even TRY to figure any of this out because it just plain doesn't make one link of sense, at all!

The great part is that my arch enemy fat pads have (so far) seen the error of their ways, and remained in the shadows. The benefit being that I now have enough range (before it catches) to actually take a normal step That makes me so happyyyyyyy, oh, so happyyyyyyy!

@kneeper, yes, I think staying away from the pool was definitely the solution! Also, maybe not having to wait in line or be on my feet for an hour at a time!

It's beautiful and sunny here today - Temps in the low 50's but the desert sun makes it feel like a nice warm 70. Spring is almost here, for us - the rabbits and birds are getting 'frisky', the bees are already out, and I caught a lizard sunning itself on a rock two days ago. We've had a very wet winter for the desert, so hoping for lots of wildflowers this year. (and for those of you not familiar with the desert, our wildflowers also include what most people call 'weeds' - hey, we have to take what we can get! Lol)

 

[Mireille]

@L.I.T Glad you're doing better! This recovery is like a box chocolates, you never know which one you're gonna get.

We'd go crazy trying to figure this out. Unless??we're already crazy. Are we crazy? No, I don't think so. Anyway, nowhere to go but forward.

The weather sounds nice and peaceful. I miss the crisp winter, early spring days up in Chicago.

Hope the knee treats you well today!

 

[KarriB]

It was probably good that I wasn't able to go to aqua therapy because I live the water so much I would've felt the ill effects just as you did.
This recovery isn't linear, it's all up and down with no reasoning at all. I found it best too look back at a few weeks to compare where I had been to where I was at that time. It's easy to forget how far we've come.

 

[L.I.T]

@Mireille, oh, I'm definitely crazy! I gave up trying to be normal years ago. These days, my motto is "embrace the crazy - it's more fun!"

And it's true, you never know what you are going to get - my fat pads are down, but now I have some sort of lateral upper knee pressure type pain. I'm ignoring it at this point. I've given up, thrown in the towel, and will accept whatever oddity comes my way! I just hope I eventually get to the dark chocolate buttercream - those are my favorite!

@KarriB, yes, someone should have banned me from the water. I'm such a dolphin that I'm surprised I was able to limit myself to flutter kicking even! I was being so careful not to tread water or to scissor kick (beast stroke) HA!

I will be glad to get back in, though. Not only is water aerobics good for me, but it's also my 'social hour' here. Plus, I want to be able to play in my pool come summer... Our home and pool are quite small, but our architect did manage to take advantage of the views - nothing like swimming with Mt Kinesava in front of you!

Have a good night everyone!

PS - hubby also bought water bottles, a camping stove (I think we have 10 already), some paracord, and 40 bandanas

 

[Mireille]

@L.I.T Wow, that view is amazing! I'd never get out of the pool! Love it! Have a good night!

 

[RMasano]

You crack me up!!!! I love "embrace the crazy"!!!! I should start doing that with myself!! Love your view!!!!

 

[L.I.T]

Funnies for the night....

 

[newlybionic]

Humor is the best way to get through recovery from replacement surgery. I always was expecting the unexpected and managed to keep smiling. I did scare my dogs one night when I got a sharp pain and let out an ouch loudly. The all started barking and running around the house.

 

[L.I.T]

@newlybionic, I wish my default attitude was as good as yours - it took me 6.5 weeks to get to a place where I expect the unexpected. I always seem to be late to the party!

And JUST when I thought I had run out of new sensations, last night I woke up in the middle of the night and had this incredible urge to bend my leg. So, like usual, I get it all nice and positioned (like I usually do when I check my flexion ROM), and mid bend, I feel this RRRRIIIIIIPPPPPP on the medial surface portion of me knee. You'd have thought my knee was a piece of beef jerky the way it tore apart!

Needless to say (I mean, this IS me we are talking about), my knee blew up in swelling - so I've been icing all I can this morning. The great part was, instead of worrying about what I ruined, or if I hurt something, I just thought "Hmmmmm, I think I just foiled some scar tissue!" The even greater part is that it was a LOT easier to walk this morning!

So here's a good morning to everyone on the boards, and may I (we) have many more beef jerky moments! (it's after 5pm somewhere right?)

 

[Spex10]

Gosh! Sounds traumatic. Hope all OK.

 

[L.I.T]

@Spex10, I think it was a good thing! Just now, I got up and walked up and down our 6 half sized steps in the hallway. Before, I really had to fight to go up, and coming down required a lot of balance - it was like my leg was hitting a wall of rubber. This is sooooooooooooo much nicer - even if it does hurt like the dickens! Now if the other stiff areas will just tear or go away... I might not have a hydraulic leg anymore!