TKR Zammie24 recovery time!

[dianehelen]

Had a weird "stitch portion" pop out yesterday

huh what does that mean? did it open up, bleed? glad doc thinks its normal. You must be some kind of super woman to be healing from tkr and managing kids.

Feel good, rest when you can.

 

[zammie24]

Thanks Diane! No no blood my incision is in great shape - I've been putting bio oil on it twice a day cause it feels tight - onward and upward!


Mercedes Z - RTKR Aug 15th

 

[zammie24]

So warmth and a bit of swelling returned yesterday - also took my temp and have a low grade temp- wondering if the intense pt on Monday did something? Grrrr painful straightening with therapist pushing down on knee - left a msg with surgeons office - hopefully nothing to worry about! Hope everyone is doing well! Thinking about those of you going through or getting ready for tkr #2!!


Mercedes Z - RTKR Aug 15th

 

[KarriB]

Why is the therapist pushing on your knee? I'm not sure that would cause a fever, but it will cause swelling within your knee. What does the incision look like?

 

[zammie24]

@KarriB the incision looks good - he was trying to improve the extension or how straight my leg can get


Mercedes Z - RTKR Aug 15th

 

[sistersinhim]

No one should be touching your leg but you. You need to be in total control and not let them cause you any pain.

 

[zammie24]

@sisters in him you're right- but you know how it is/ they told me it needs to improve and I believed them meanwhile I was doing great! No pain and My rom is 125- I'm so annoyed I hope it gets better- icing right now- so glad I have you all to vent to


Mercedes Z - RTKR Aug 15th

 

[sistersinhim]

A rom of 125 is great at your short time out! It took me over 2 months to get that much bend! Why should they say you need to improve when you're doing so well? They love to bring you down instead of lifting you up where you belong! You should be very thankful for that 125 rom!

 

[zammie24]

The 125 is rom and they say that's great but they say my extension needs help/ well canceled my pt for tomm!!!


Mercedes Z - RTKR Aug 15th

 

[KarriB]

Don't let them push on your knee. You're just over 5 weeks, it'll come, but not overnight. When you're relaxing at home let your leg bridge between the chair you're sitting in and an ottoman or other seat. It wit happen immediately, but it'll happen.
True story...my dad, BFF and I all went to the same pt group, but they had their knees done before me. Both said the pt pushed on their knees, causing unbearable pain. I watched the pt with hawk eyes, just waiting for her to push down because I was not letting it happen to me. Apparently, my infection came before she had a chance to do damage, then I changed pt groups where no one pushed or pulled my knee, everything was done under my own power.
Give that extension time, let gravity do the job.

 

[zammie24]

@KarriB sorry to hear you had an infection! How did it clear up?


Mercedes Z - RTKR Aug 15th

 

[KarriB]

I had emergency debridement surgery with a washout and spacer exchange a month after the TKR. The washout and infection compromised my soft tissue so I was in an imbolizer for 2 weeks originally, however the seeping began again as soon as the staples came out, so 2 weeks turned into a month. Through lots of prayer, following my Drs orders to a T and twice weekly Drs appointments the seeping stopped after a month which is when the non-aggressive pt was ordered. I also took two different antibiotics oral and through a PICC line for 6 weeks and am still on 100mg of doxycycline. But for a two week period my body stopped producing white cells due to the high antibiotics and I went off all antibiotics until the white cells were found in m blood work.

The amazing thing is that the incision stopped seeping on Dec. 27, I was told to begin bending my knee and could use the imbolIer intermittently and I went back to work part time Jan. 29, almost a month later. I was able to bend my knee because there was no swelling. It did swell when I began using the knee, but the recovery from Dec. 27-Jan. 29 was quite exceptional. I didn't begin non-aggressive pt with a therapist until mid January.

 

[zammie24]

Wow KarriB you've been through so much!! I'm so sorry but happy to hear you are better


Mercedes Z - RTKR Aug 15th

 

[zammie24]

So heard back from OS office and they think it should be ok that the pt did the right thing and prob tore scar tissue which is necessary ugh!! Waiting to hear from a nurse now as well!


Mercedes Z - RTKR Aug 15th

 

[Suz]

If Nurse Josephine here on BoneSmart reads what they 'think' @zammie24, Mercedes, she will type; 'RUBBISH', LOL! They're so wrong. Hope you feel better and are soon back on the road to a 'proper' recovery away from aggressive PT.

 

[KarriB]

She could've torn scar tissue, but I wouldn't want that to continue. What happens when he scar tissue isn't there? Don't let her push on your knee again. There are easier, less painful ways to get extension, to say nothing about it being only 5 weeks since surgery.

 

[Celle]

There are easier, less painful ways to get extension, to say nothing about it being only 5 weeks since surgery.

And here they are:
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Just choose on or two of these, and only do them gently.

Since it's only 5 weeks since your surgery, you still have plenty of time for extension to improve. ROM - both flexion and extension - can continue to improve for a year, or even longer, so there's no need to rush. There's no magic "window of opportunity".
ROM: it's worth the wait for ROM
ROM: it's never too late to get more ROM!
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

 

[zammie24]

Hi all! Just an update after my 6 week appt today/ p.a. at surgeon's office said pt was extreme - no need to work on straightening knee!! I don't really need to go back to pt as long as I'm doing exercises and staying active! What do U guys think??


Mercedes Z - RTKR Aug 15th

 

[dianehelen]

I say I totally agree. I broke up with PT after the massage they gave me, left me with almost a week of swelling and pain. Im DONE. You should be too. Good words from your surgeon!!

 

[KarriB]

I think it's great! Work is probably all the pt you need. What will you do with all that extra time?