TKR Zakie's TKR Recovery Thread

[zakmick]

I know! I know! I deserve the lectures. Think I feel guilty sometimes as hubby wants to get out of the house too.

I've been very good this week so far, lots of ice, rest and elevating.

Even though its sore I'm still progressing. Finally reached 95degrees today, slow....big sigh.... but it's happening. PT was happy I went back to two crutches and recognised I was doing damage by not.

Pt has shown how to massage the knee too, as she thinks due to fluid pockets (I can actually feel the tightness difference) my knee cap isn't gliding correctly which is stopping me from locking the knee straight and getting more bend and contributing to the buckling. So fingers crossed the massage will help too.

Gee last night though, kept waking up in pain, first night in awhile I haven't had continuous sleep, have realised today I actually had started cutting down my slow release pain tablets... they were having more of an effect than I realised.


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[sandi4213]

I hope the massage helps. I feel like I have a couple of pockets of fluid around my kneecap too. I wish my pt had shown me how to massage it.

 

[zakmick]

@sandi4213 it's more just small circular motions going as deep as you feel comfortable. You can feel the areas by touch that have fluid. They're really smooth and tight compared to other areas that are more of a soft feel. I massage the scar each night, so have just added the extra massage, just felt it got quite warm tonight so applied ice afterwards.


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[flyaway79]

I massage my knee and leg all the time. First thing when wake up in the morning before I even get out of bed I stretch my hamstrings out and just massage my knee and leg. It really seems to start the day off right. Then throughout the day I just massage it and always before I ice it.

 

[sandi4213]

I actually massage mine throughout the day , too. I don't think about it , I guess . The spots I was concerned about are soft and punchy, not smooth and tight. Not sure what it is. Not really bothering me that much.

 

[zakmick]

Has anyone been getting headaches? My shoulders, neck and head are so tight.. think it's more tension headaches as it feels like a hand is grabbing my head from behind. They have developed into migraines too.
I have made the crutches a little bit higher. I'm hoping it will help. (With my height I'm in between the two heights on the crutches if that makes sense?)
I think I'm bending over and looking at the ground too much when walking, causing stress on the shoulder, neck area.
Has the knee buckling been happening regularly still with others?


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[debbyS]

Hi Zakie. Sorry to hear to you are not feeling well. I had some headaches a few weeks ago but I think it was due to my allergies. Hope you feel better soon


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[Jennszoo]

Look into getting a massage, because our body mechanics are so out of whack from this surgery. Everything is misaligned and we are favoring one side and it's bound to mess things up.

My buckling is definitely getting better and it mostly happens when I am tired. I still walk with my cane or hold something pretty much full time bc I dont trust my leg.

 

[zakmick]

Yeah I think a massage is the way to go.


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[flyaway79]

I'm booking a massage tomorrow!

 

[mechellec]

I find myself massaging mine all the time. It seems to help. Went to church today and put my leg up with ice. When ice wore off I massaged it until the service was over. I hope your headaches go away @zakmick!


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[zakmick]

Please remind me why I did the operation? Hard day here today, tears streaming. Frustrated!!

The leg is hurting daily again, I've been taking endone. Headaches constantly. I'm just sick of it all.

Had pt and I knew I had gone backwards from 95degree bend I'm back to 90. I've got severe pain at the back of the knee where the hamstring connects, pt thinks I've been concentrating on bending too much and have aggravated it and still not being able to lock and adequately do straight leg raises is not helping to further strengthen my quads. Need to get back on that church Pew exercise too.

She took me for a walk outside today for my mind (she knew I was flat) and to see me outside walking she was happy and I had a smile when we got back. She wants me to give driving a go, as the strength I do have and the bend are acceptable for driving. Thinks it will help my mood and the leg.

I'm elevating, resting, icing as the knee still swells at the slightest thing and gets warm. Still using the two crutches mostly.

I need to get out of the house more it's doing my head in, so will try driving over next couple of days.

My sister in law is coming tomorrow to give me a massage, so hopefully that will help with the headaches.

One week till I see the OS for my 10wk check up, I don't know what he is going to say as I have made improvements in my bend since I've seen 3wks ago but will it be enough??


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[Celle]

You've made improvements in your ROM, Zakie. Try not to worry about your visit to the surgeon. If he suggests an MUA, just say that you know your knee is still improving and you would like to wait a while longer and see how it goes. You've past 90 degrees anyway and most surgeons don't consider a MUA once you reach 90.

And don't work too hard on those exercises. Sometimes trying too hard can actually hold you back.
It's not exercising that gets you your ROM - it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle, and time to heal. Your ROM is there right from the start, just waiting for all that to happen, so it can show itself.

Take a break from all that measuring - it only makes you worried. Your knee is going to bend in its own sweet time, and that is not the time that you or your PT want. There's no need to rush, since ROM can continue to improve for a year, or even longer after a knee replacement. There's no deadline you have to meet:
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

 

[flyaway79]

I believe we had our surgeries on the same day (3/20) and I can totally understand your frustration. My ROM is a little better but not by much - 113 last week. I feel great one day and then the next - down and frustrated. It seems the moment I try to do anything more than elevate and ice the stiffness and tightness comes right back twofold. There is never a time that I don't have it. I was having the same hamstring problems, but those have seemed to have gotten a lot better once got a little massaging roller ball and I really started massaging my muscles and tendons. I also do that every morning before I even get out of bed. That seems to help.

I'm not going to PT anymore for right now and I'm trying to just concentrate on everyday things. I have driven a few times, not far but it's nice to know I can do it. I don't see my doctor again until June 13th. That will be close to 3 months. I hoping by then a lot of this stiffness and swelling has gone away.

For now I'm still icing and elevating most of the day even though I don't feel like it's doing much good. My husband doesn't really understand why I'm not "pushing" more. After all by now I should be much further along right??? We have gotten into some "discussions" about this and and he has now promised not to give me any more advice!

Hang in there! We will both get through this. We have no choice now! And for the record, I am not anywhere near being happy I had this done :-(

 

[Celle]

Just to try and encourage both of you who are concerned about slow progress of ROM - it can still happen.

This is what one of our members wrote about the slow development of her ROM. (Thank you, @Campervan )
As you can see, her flexion continued to improve for a long time.

"I had a slow recovery. Here's my flex measurements at various points:
92 - 8 weeks post op
105 - 10 weeks
107 - 5 months
110 - 6 months
112 - 7 months
116 - 9 months
119 - 11 months
118 - 1 yr
120 - 1yr 2 months
125 - 1 yr 8 months"

 

[sistersinhim]

I agree with Celle. You are worrying needlessly and stressing yourself out. Stress slows down healing. Just enjoy what improvements you have already achieved! Improvements will continue to come. Just don't worry about it!

 

[Cybil62]

Aw! @zakmick you sound a lot like me right now. Our surgeries were at the same time and my Rom is also at 90. I have been having the muscle problems too, many here told me to massage or get a massage and back off on my exercises. I think we want to see progress so bad, it really plays with our emotions! I also suffer from migraines, these headaches on top of what we are going through sure makes it harder to concentrate on recovery. I just wanted to say I am thinking of you, sending you Positive, Encouraging thoughts We will get through this together with the help of all these wonderful people on the forum!

 

[KarriB]

There is no window of opportunity for ROM, so don't stress over it. The reason I could bend my knee after a month in an imbolizer is because there was no swelling. I hadn't done any exercises and had just elevated my leg for a month. So please don't over exercise your knee. If the PT is concerned with working on bend too much then you should definitely back off.

 

[mechellec]

I have felt like you a lot lately. It is a very stressful recovery period. Today is the first day I just kind of decided to act like I was okay (except for taking time for icing and elevating) and it felt so good. When we are used to being active it feels so depressing to be inactive. You going outside and enjoying it was great! I hope your headaches go away and that you have less stressful days ahead!


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[zakmick]

Thanks wise ones!!
Oh @Cybil62 are you still using a walker? I think the dropping of the head (looking where we are going)!and my pt described it yesterday that you tighten all your muscles to protect the knee from being hurt but then the tightening affects the rest of the body. 90degrees bend fellow frustrator, it's hard when your body won't heal as quickly as your mind.

I didn't think I was bending it too much, I sit on my shower stool that is now in the kitchen (shower standing now), and use the high chair to use my pedal bike and do a few stretches on as I can push my legs under the chair and try and get more flexion. Think this is aggravating the hamstring.).

I have booked a psychologist apt for June 1st as I haven't seen her since week before surgery, so 10wks. I usually would have seen her twice in that timeframe.
I know my depression is creeping back in, and I know it's common in recovery, so need to check in with her.
Massage today was cancelled as I have a migraine with nausea and she didn't think it would a good idea. So hoping it settles and she will come tonight or tomorrow night.
Trying not to focus on the ROM or OS, but I just have those frozen embryos calling our names, to bring them home. It will happen but just want to start the ball rolling...impatient much??!!