TKR Patience not my virtue

Canada35

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Hello all on Bonesmart! I had my rtkr on May 9 and thought I would be far further in my recovery by now. Thanks to reading the posts on Bonesmart, I realize that I am not alone.

I had PT in home for 8 visits and followed all of the exercises she gave me a minimum of twice daily but was not seeing huge improvements with ROM. At one point the PT said the OS would likely suggest MUA if I didn't get to 120 degrees flexion and she cranked my knee to try to get it moving.All that happened was I had a three day set back where I could do nothing. When she came the next time, I had found this site and told her that wasn't going to happen again. Since then, I have done a couple of aquafit classes, some stretching and heel slides ( minus the rope) and lots more rest, elevation and ice.
I saw my OS at 6 weeks and he didn't mention flexion, only told me to work on extension and said I could drive again. I have been going to my grandchildren's sports activities for 3 weeks although sitting in a lawn chair is hard across the back of my thigh. Swelling has gone down considerably but still very bruised and ROM only at 102. Can get to 102 but can't stay there. My question is how long until the stiffness and tight band feeling start easing up for most of you? I am walking indoors unaided but still using my cane outdoors
 
My question is how long until the stiffness and tight band feeling start easing up for most of you?
Um, piece of string question. Backing off strenuous PT will be helping you. ROM 'only' 102 is pretty good at your stage.

Relax. Take it easy and most of all don't panic!
 
I agree with Roy, you need to back off on the strenuous exercises. PTs are far more hung up on numbers and getting ROM quickly than OS! Your ROM will continue to improve for 12 months or even more. This TKR journey is a marathon not a race.
With 102 flexion already I highly doubt your OS would want to do a MUA.
 
Hi Canada35 - we are surgery "twins" as my ltkr was also on May9th and I would kill for 102 flexion - just kidding, sort of. Sorry to break it to you, but you may have to learn to embrace patience (per your thread title), I still have the tightness, but by cutting back on all the activity I was doing have seen some small improvements over the past two weeks (my thread is something like left TKR 6 weeks out). I still use a cane for long walks because of fatigue, wanting to focus on correct gait, and an annoying wobble that occurs when my quad randomly fires. If you are as impatient at your thread title suggests you may be overworking the new knee -- read the info provided by the advisors. It is a common issue for us impatient folks. Welcome to the forum - it is an amazing support and information network. As Deb M says, this is a journey -- some of us are on "the scenic route."
 
If in need of extra patience, just peek under your bed. It's in a shiny red box, right next to the dust bunnies, singular socks, stray dog toys, and that mislaid Christmas present for Aunt Edith. Really, you can't miss it. Conversely, you can just come here and rant, lol. It helps to pass the recovery time.:snork:
 
i still get stiff after sitting for too long or driving, 11 weeks post op. your r.o.m. of 102 degrees is excellent ~ i sure wish i had that. there is another member here from your home town of kitchener. i know what you mean sitting in a lawn chair, the metal rod supporting the seat, is very hard on the back of the thigh. i found those cheap fold up stadium chairs without the metal rods more comfortable.
 
Thanks to you all for your support and advice. I am new to the Bonesmart way of thinking and it is making sense to me. I was feeling very down as everyone kept reporting success stories to me of those who were back to work in six weeks and those who had amazing ROM by 8 weeks and most of my friends buy into going hard at PT if you don't want to end up worse off than you were before.
My OS wanted to sign me on for LTKR at my 6 week checkup but I couldn't even face that thought then or even now. I feel like I want to see if my RTKR is a success before I move on. Although my lefty has bone on bone op too, at least I can bend it fully and straighten it. It just hurts like hell to stand or walk!
 
Pheebs52 - I am looking under my bed. Found all that other stuff but still looking for the patience lol! I will use this site to rant and rave because I am feeling more positive already knowing we are all on this long road of recovery together!
 
Welcome! I'll leave you the BS recovery guidelines as well as a link to a few stretches that help with extention. 102 is not a bad # for 8 weeks!

http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/extension-how-to-estimate-it-and-ways-to-improve-it.9529/

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines


1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now; they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for TKRs


The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?

Energy drain for TKRs

Elevation is the key

Ice to control pain and swelling

Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery

Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
Glad you found us - like you I am in no hurry to get my right knee done - I need it replaced eventually but I'd rather give my left one all the attention at this point. I'm hopeful that my right one will cooperate for at least another year. Hope you have a restful night.
 
Hi @Canada35 . I'm glad you found us!

It sounds as if you weren't prepared properly for recovery from a knee replacement and you have had a therapist who is obsessed with the ROM (Range of Motion) numbers. That's a shame. :console2:

Realistically, complete recovery from a TKR takes a full year, although you will be able to do most things by 3 months and will feel almost normal by 6 months out. The recovery really is a marathon, not a sprint, though. I'm afraid patience is going to be your best friend.

In spite of what your PT has been saying, your ROM is good for your stage of recovery and there is no need to rush to increase ROM, because it can continue to improve for a year, or even longer.
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

I think it's so wrong of PT therapists to use the threat of an MUA to try and frighten you into working harder at PT, because it just makes you feel inadequate, and working harder isn't the answer.
TKR: work “smarter” and not “harder”
Knee recovery - Lose the Work Ethic!!
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.

Your surgeon obviously knows that you're doing OK, but your PT therapist wants to be able to show a good increase in your ROM numbers, because it looks good when she shows the results to your insurance company.

We'll help you through this recovery. Keep coming here and telling us how you're getting on. Rant all you want, if it helps. We'll understand, because we've been through it as well. I've had three knee replacements, so I've had to learn the patience game.
 
Welcome to the group. Patience is hard to find for all of us at times and this recovery definitely tries what little patience we may have. We are all ready to listen and be there for you when you want to celebrate your successes or when you need to vent. Listen to your knee and it will all work out. :ok:
 
I was feeling very down as everyone kept reporting success stories to me of those who were back to work in six weeks and those who had amazing ROM by 8 weeks and
These stories by people who'd themselves had TKRs? I bet you a billion gazillion dollars that these were friends of friends or people your friends had heard of. So, fiction.

most of my friends buy into going hard at PT if you don't want to end up worse off than you were before.
How many of them are physiotherapists, doctors, or people who've had TKRs? That'd be 'none', correct? So the cliche is correct, their free advice is worth what you pay for it.

You're here now, where there are in fact people who know what they're talking about.
 
Hello from one inpatient patient to another!
I think I started complaining of that annoying very tight feeling around week 2. It's week 5, still have it, still annoys me.
I would so love to hear from an orthopedic doctor who has undergone the same procedure. One acquaintance has such a brother, who at 65, after retiring, had hip replacement and supposedly was annoyed with himself for not getting better quicker. Haha. Yet 3 years later, is skiing.
I would say gently massage the achy parts, ice and elevate when needed.
Sending you patient vibes~~~~~~~~>~~~~~~~>~~~~~~>
 
You found us, yay! I had surgery the day after you and am doing quite well, and so are you from what you've said. Your flexion is good enough your OS isn't worried about it. And extension comes slowly for most. I know I'm still working on it!

Just pull up a chair here with the rest of us, and relax for a bit. Those people who were back doing heavy labor at three weeks... not true. Or else they were in serious pain, like the guy I met at PT who spent a weekend hiking in the mountains four weeks after TKR. He could barely walk and his knee was the size of a barrel. He thought he just needed to work it more to "push it through." I wince every time I think of him.
 
Oh dear, barrel knee, Susie? And here I was thinking football knee was bad; hah! Something tells me he's still trying to "push it through."
 
Can join the Impatient Patient Club?

I had mine back to back bc of lots of reasons, money/job/husbands job. It sucks. No,lie. But I will say, right about the 9w point was when I felt like the new knee was the better knee. At 6w I was still in the "why did I do this to myself" stage.
 

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