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TKR Yorkimom is ready to go...LTKR

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I wanted to share with you a weird thing that is happening with my knee. I did research online and found some earlier Bonesmart posts in 2009 about the same thing happening. Anyway I didn't shave my legs for quite a while after surgery with being on blood thinners because I worried that if I cut myself I might bleed too much. I've been off the blood thinners now for three weeks and have started shaving again. With being blonde I am fortunate that I don't have to shave every day, especially in the winter. So I just shave once a week. I shaved on Saturday night and on Friday morning my left knee was all stubbly like a man's beard but my right knee was smooth. Since Christine massages my knee and pushes on the knee cap I shaved my knee before going to PT. After getting my shower last night my left knee was stubbly again. I had Joe feel my knees and he couldn't believe that one would be so smooth after almost a week and the other feeling like a guy who didn't shave for a day or so. In researching I found that this has happened to others and one said her doctor said he thinks it's because of the extra blood flow to the area. This didn't happen with my first knee. It's no big deal, but I found this intriguing!
 
This is an amazingly common thing! The only explanation is the blood flow to the wounded knee....but isn't it just strange???? It does level out with time, but it might be a "furry" winter for you!! :heehee:
 
I've noticed the same thing. I have dark hair but not a lot and as I've gotten older it is finer and even thinner on my legs. But, since surgery the hair on my knees is much more coarse and seems thicker. I wish that would happen on my head!!!
 
Ditto. After I hit menopause (at the age of 45), I had a bit less hair on my legs and almost no hair on my knees. Now, it's like a forest on my knees (thank goodness my leg hair is blonde). I guess all my incision massage is paying off somewhere!
 
Hi everyone! Well at least I know I'm not alone. It just found it so intriguing. @marmora, thinking about it, my right knee that was done two years ago is like yours. No hair and smooth as a baby's bottom. The left knee, like a man's beard. Thank goodness it's blonde.
I have dramatically cut down my pain meds for the past few weeks. I normally take 2-3 oxycodone in a 24 hour period. On the days I have PT I take 3, two right before therapy and one before bed. Otherwise it is so painful to try to bend the knee at PT. On Friday Christine really pushed on my knee and said so. She also told me that I should try to cut down on the ice. I stopped about a week ago using my ice machine through the day and just use ice packs a few times a day. I was still using my cyro cuff ice machine through the night. This is what Christine told me I should stop doing. The past two nights I have been waking up in pain several times a night. My legs are elevated and now it seems that keeping my leg straight really hurts. Do you think it could be that I should still use ice at night or maybe because she has been pushing me harder is the reason. I have been going 8-12 hours without the oxycodone, but last night I only lasted 5 hours and then took a pill. I'm nine weeks out so I know I'm not cutting down too soon. Even today my knee has been bothering me most of the day.
 
@Yorkimom Anne, do you know why she told you to not ice at night? I wonder if she feels there might be some rebound effect going on. Pushing you harder could definitely make you more sore, even at 9 weeks IMO. I hope it feels better soon. It sure is no fun to be up in the night in pain. (((hugs)))
 
I think it's perfectly OK to ice at night as well as in the daytime - as long as you make sure that there is always something between your knee and the ice bag/machine.

Part of my bedtime routine was to make sure that the ice bag was in place before I went to sleep and I would refresh the ice bag with a colder one when I woke up in the night.
 
@Yorkimom. Ouch! I bet that hurts now! It's funny what can improve ROM. I worked in my grandson's Kindergarden class all morning on Thursday. 'Bout killed me. But, it got me almost 5 degrees of ROM! Of course I could do nothing but rest, ice and elevate for 2 days. My PT asked how often I sat down in those tiny little chairs. It was all morning. Sit down to get off my feet, pop up a minute later to help. All by putting my leg out a bit. Like doing one legged squats. Geez! Hope it doesn't set you back 2 days. -- Joni
 
@Djbrund, wow, I bet that did about kill your knee. I'm sure you feel that 5 ROM was worth it (as I would), but what a heck of a way to get it. I went to a reunion last week and danced (still can't believe I did that) and get a little further with my ROM this week. The things we do!!!!!!
@gr82cu2, Janet, I'm not quite sure. She was just saying that I don't need to ice for that long. I told her that it's not as cold as when I use an ice packet, but think she feels it's not good to ice for long periods.
@Celle, at night I have one of those gauze sleeves on my leg and a huge bandage type patch over the incision. They had that on my knee when I left the hospital and gave me several to use. So the area is always covered.
 
@Yorkimom my PT told me the same thing about icing too much. I didn't have any visable swelling and she said it can make the joint stiff. I was sleeping with the ice machine for 4-5 hours a night. I cut down on how long but still use the ice for an hour or so at a time. And of course I use it longer if any swelling.
 
I think that the idea that icing too long can cause stiffness is a bit of a myth.

I'm sure that @Josephine has talked about it before, but I'm afraid I can't remember where.
 
My PT mentioned not icing so much the other day and said something about the Hunting Effect. Apparently it has become controversial on whether to ice or not on injuries. The thought, from what I can understand, is that prolonged use of ice.. over 10 minutes, I read, makes the body send more blood to the area to warm it up and then increases the swelling.... that is just what I have gleaned from looking at some stuff after the PT said Hunting Effect.... that being said.. I keep my cryo cuff hooked up about non-stop and I am unwilling to give it up. But, if interested there is info on google.
 
Anne @Yorkimom

At about 4 months I still use ice a few times a week at night for about 20 -30 minutes before I take off the Cryo Cuff and settled down for the night.

Take 2 Panadol /Tylenol again about about 2-3 days each week.

My Physiotherapist has not said anything about over using ice.
But, has also suggested a few weeks ago to alternate with using a heating pad around the knee and I find it very comforting.

That's what I do, but you'll will have to be advised by your physiotherapist.

Take care,
Cathie
 
My PT says not to ice for more than 20 minutes. The joint gets too cold and rushes blood to heat it back up. I was also told by my home PT, that I could put heat on my knee to get it comfortable, but to always follow up with ice. -- Joni
 
I've looked up the Hunting Effect. What the PTs said is correct, but only in part. After the blood vessels dilate, they constrict again, so you don't get a constant rushing of blood to the injured area.

I say that, if icing helps you, do it, and don't worry about time limitations.
 
I just had an appointment with my regular PT...not the one that mentioned the Hunting Effect.. anyway.. I told her I was icing pretty much constantly and she said that is what she would do to and it is fine. I did have some very tight muscles this am.. so I have ice on the knee and heat on the muscles as per her instruction. Ice feels so good on the joint... it just seems to be part of the pain control. The PT that mentioned the Hunting Effect to me was also pretty rough on my knee and I learned today is just two years out of school.
 
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