Guest viewing is limited

TKR Yorkimom is ready to go...LTKR

@Nana moon 27, good luck at the doctors on the 27th.
I think I really overdid it yesterday. I worked so hard to get to 120 and I gritted my teeth when Christine pushed on my knee to get there and I have been paying the piper today. I know,I know, we should never let the PT hurt us, and she really didn't. I just kept telling her I was okay and to go on.
The back of my knee is swollen and very tender. I'm sure I didn't do any major harm, but just enough that my knee is not happy and is letting me know it.
I plan on going to the gym tomorrow and ride the bike and hopefully I can loosen it up and it won't feel so stiff. We'll see. Anne
 
Anne, I hope your knee settles down. Sounds as if it needs a few days of TLC - tender loving care.

You got to 120 degrees with a bit of help, so you know it's possible. Don't forget that your ROM can continue to improve for months yet (mine is still increasing gradually) so there's no need to rush.

Best wishes!
 
Hmmmmm take it easy if you must do.bike v gently. Its swollen for a reason so don't ignore it respect the pain ooooops had a stsr wars Jedi moment

Legin THR Sep 14
 
Thanks @Legin and @Celle.
Well today is my four month anniversary. It seems hard to believe that it's been that long, but I do have to say it has been a long road. The past month I have really improved but I still have a way to go. This recovery has been much slower than my first surgery two years ago. I know that every knee is different and you shouldn't compare, but it is hard not to.
I am having more good days than bad and at times I even forget about my knee. That is a good thing. I still have the tight band feeling around my knee. The weather has a great impact on how my knee is feeling. It can be very stiff and achy on cold days.
I can now walk up stairs comfortably and walk downstairs, sometimes hesitating because of the bending, but still going down alternating feet. I do my exercises on the floor and have no problem getting up and down. It took some practice at first, but now I'm a pro.
This past week I have been more uncomfortable with my knee after my PT session last Wednesday. I let Christine really push it to get to 120 since I wanted that number so bad. But in doing so, I think some tendons were stretched to the point of causing me pain. Most of the pain that I do get, maybe a 5, is right in the back of the knee where it would hurt when she would try to bend it. For some reason last night was a bad night with me tossing and turning and in pain. I was hesitant to go to the gym today to ride the bike but I pushed myself. I told myself that it was what I had to do while in therapy and it would be good for me to try. I made a deal with myself to try and if it was painful, I would stop. I rode the bike for 20 minutes and I am so glad that I did. After a few minutes my knee started to loosen up and it has felt good all day. We should never push through pain, but sometimes we just need to try and see what happens.
I walk with no limp, unless I'm hurrying (like crossing the street in the rain) and then the limp will appear.
Yesterday my husband and I went to see American Sniper. It was over two hours long. The theater was packed and I had to sit in an inside seat. I did stretch my leg over my husband's lap a couple of times, but others than that I was fine. I was stiff when I first got up, but was fine after walking a few steps.
I'm still occasionally dealing with the RLS but it has I proved dramatically compared to a month ago.
So overall I am finally starting to be happy with his knee. Like I said it has taken way longer than the first, but it is what it is. I figure within the year I'll hopefully forget how long it's taken me to get where I am.
So for all of you who are struggling and thinking it will never end, it will. It might take you longer than others, but you will get there. The biggest thing that I have learned in this journey is that patience is your best friend. Just remember slow and steady wins the race. Anne
 
@Yorkimom , congrats on your 120°! My knee gets sore & swollen right in back. I can't figure out what I do that causes it. Whenever it happens I try to back off activity for a day or so until it feels better. Not sure if that's the right approach, but I'm doing okay I guess.

Your post was very inspiring. I look forward to a time when I'm mostly not limping. One step at a time, right?
 
Nice one its posts like this that help take away.the.stress and worry for so many. I bow my.head to your inspiration.
Ooooops sorry about reflected glare

Legin THR Sep 14
 
LOL @Legin ....the glare! You're a funny ogre :)

Anne, I'm just so happy that things are looking up for you and you are getting snippets here and there of normalcy and even forgetting for brief moments. How awesome is that? My July 29th knee, while still sort of stiff barely hurts anymore; it does seem to tire easily but I think that's from losing strength and muscle mass through recovery. I really need to be better and focus more on exercises now and get brave and join a gym. My November 4th knee is still cranky a lot and stillllll won't straighten. I'm beginning to feel a bit desperate about that thinking the longer it goes on the better the chance it never will. I don't know if that is fact though or just something my mind is scaring me with. At least the fire has gone out in it. Wow! That knee was hot for a long time! I know one thing I'm definitely guilty of is not reminding myself of how my knees felt before these ops or how far I've really come since the end of July. This is a very long journey we are all on and it's nice to read when someone like you posts that things are going well and starting to feel glad you did it. I think I'm getting close :)

(((Hugs)))
 
Thanks, @Legin. You are too kind. I just wanted to let others know that even though it may be tough at times, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
@gr82cu2, thanks Janet. It does feel wonderful to feel like I'm getting my life back. I can completely understand you worrying about your extension, but try not to worry. You are still early in your recovery. After my first surgery, extension was my biggest hurdle. I was down to a 2 when I completed PT'. I thought that it would never get straight. But I kept on working on it and sometime in the summer I was exercising at the gym and realized that when sitting on the floor my leg was completely extended. No space between the floor and my leg. That was about 6-7 months after surgery.
It's funny thinking about it. I had trouble with extension with my first surgery and trouble with flexion on my second one. Heck, if I had three knees, maybe the next one would just be no problem at all.
So just keep working on it and it will happen. Anne
 
There will be NO next one, LOL!! The weird thing is when I flatten my leg as much as I can I can't get my fingers under the knee crease area but it looks humped up on top. I don't notice it too much when I'm walking but it drives me nuts when I'm standing. I just can't stand on that leg or even distribute my weight evenly between the two because I'm lopsided because of it. It's like I'm taller on my right side because the knee won't go into locked extension. My left knee at last measure was -3 hyperextension so I'm sure that is exaggerating the whole thing too. Thanks Anne, I'll keep working and try not to worry that it won't straighten. I'm not even 3 months yet so if you got there around 6 or 7 that gives me hope yet that it will.
 
@Yorkimom so glad you are finally liking your knees! I have read several recovery threads, including yours @gr82cu2, where one knee is easy with either good flexion or extension and the other harder and the opposite. You are both fortunate to be done with both knees. I haven't gotten past this one yet even though it is finally improving. A friend asked me when I was having the other one done. My reply was hopefully not for a long time lol. I'm looking forward to the day I can finally say I'm glad I did it. Your report is very encouraging for those of us progressing slower than others.
 
Thanks @Minnie's knees. How is your knee doing since the MUA? Have you seen any improvements? I know you have had a tough time but you will get there one day at a time. Anne
 
@Yorkimom I am slowly improving. Thanks for asking. The mua helped the cement feeling, it band pain and hard knot at the top of my knee allowing me to walk better. ROM stayed same and even decreased back to 75. 4 weeks later I am up to 92 which is the highest its been so hopefully it continues.
 
@Minnie's knees, that's wonderful news. It sounds as though even though it is taking some time, the MUA is working. Hang in there!
 
Another milestone. I finally started back on my bowling league yesterday. I was so nervous as if you are right handed you slide and bend your left leg (my new knee). The first two frames I threw four gutter balls. But after that I settled down and ended up bowling a 142 average for the three games. I'm normally a 150 or so bowler so I was very happy. My knee did feel a little ouchy and I took a couple Advil while bowling. I was limping a little when I got done. Once I got home I elevated and iced. My knee felt fine. I have been going to the gym three times a week. Today while there I rode the bike at a faster clip and even Iincreased the resistance. In addition to my knee exercises I also did some weight training and TRX training. It was all upper body and core. I can feel it tonight and my knee is a little ouchy tonight but I'm sure it will be fine. I'm so happy that I can do a little more each day....one day at a time! Anne
 
Anne you are a rock star! I used to love to bowl but the last time I did my elbow said, ummm NO you may not do that to me, LOL! You are so disciplined going to the gym and regaining strength. Good for you :)
 
Thanks @gr82cu2. But believe I don't really want to go. I make myself because I know that in addition to working on my knee, I know without a doubt that if I didn't workout I would gain back all the weight I had previously lost. I did gain some back, but this was the first time ever that I lost weight and kept most of it off and its because of the exercise. The funny thing is that I don't like to go, but once I'm there and start working out I feel so much better and then I actually enjoy myself and am happy to be there. It's just the initial push I have to give myself at times to get there that's hard.
 
Hi @Yorkimom

Oh love the avatar. That is the best news you getting your 120 rom well done. Do you ever ice the back of your leg and elevate when it swells? That used to help me a lot. Your doing terrifically well with stairs and returning to bowling, well your an inspiration to us all. Seriously.

My revised knee proved itself yesterday. I tripped over a vacuum cleaner hubby's using to keep the dust down while he's working in our kitchen. My left none TKR foot got stuck under the vacuum, the right knee took the full impact as suddenly my left foot freed sending me crazy legs crane style, one leg after the other out of control. I managed to smack the wall to slow down and then I grabbed the door frame. My revised TKR is fine but a teensy bit stiff, my left swelled but the pain in my foot was uncomfortable. It's ok as long as I dint touch the bones on top. They're sore. My left hand, shoulder and back ache but I'm ok with that. I was just so pleased that clearly now this revision has worked. If id done that before the revision the swelling would have been huge.

Love Nana moon 27 x x x x
 
@yorkiemom - congratulations on the 120, that is really great, well done. Your whole post is so encouraging for the rest of us, thank you for posting.
I was reading through some of your posts and came across: -
Yorkimom said:
. I do my exercises on the floor and have no problem getting up and down. It took some practice at first, but now I'm a pro.
Click to expand...

Would you mind if I asked how you get up,and down from the floor? My PT has given me several floor exercises, but I daren't do them, if I go down onto the floor I'm like a stranded turtle on it's back, completely stuck there until my husband comes to help me. I have asked the PT how to do it, but she couldn't tell me, she said do them on the bed if I have a problem, but that's just not firm enough. I am positively terrified about tripping in the street, I will never be able to get up! Is there a way I'm just not thinking of? I would be very grateful if you could let me in on the secret.
 
Hi @Nana moon 27! It's good to hear from you. What a tumble you took! Thank goodness you are okay. Isn't it wonderful that your revision did what it's supposed to do! Now you have to get your left knee done and you will be all set.
I have put ice on the back of my knee at times, but it seems like the heat makes it feel better. And the one exercise that you do for extension where you lay on the bed with your leg hanging off....well when I was at PT Christine put the heating pad on the back of my knee while doing that ever use and it really helped loosen up the back muscles.
Thanks re the avatar. When my neighbor saw that picture she couldn't believe it was our wedding picture. She said we looked so young that it could be our Communion picture. I wouldn't go that far, but we sure we're young back then.
I am so happy with the progress of my knee, finally. It still gets stiff and this. Old weather isn't helping, but I can see progress daily. I still keep riding the bike and doing my exercises. I have noticed that if I go too long without exercising my knee stiffer. So that only tells me that ai need to keep working on it.
You go to the doctor about your left knee soon, don't you?? Take care, Anne
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Corganics CBD
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 1,074 (members: 0, guests: 1,074)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom