My progress at 5 weeks TKR

[Guest guest]

Devora.

Its been 15 years since I had a knee, but my friend had one done last

October. I think its still early days and I think you can still improve.

Have you thought about water therapy? I always go to Hydrotherapy after a

joint replacement regardless of the joint, it really does help tremendously.

I go once a week to see the therapist as my insurance doesn't cover this,

then I can go to the same heated pool and do the exercises on my own.

Another thing I did here, I know you can't as its winter, but I swam in the

ocean too for all my joints, and when you have to bop up and down from the

waves it sure helps with the bend and strengthen the thigh muscles for a hip

Are you able to get in and out of a car, whether to drive or be passenger,

as It is a discharge rule here with my surgeon , and most of the others I

know, that you have to be at 95 degrees before you can go home. This enables

you to bend sufficiently to get into and out of the car.

Also if you require manipulation under general anaesthetic, they will just

basically bend it for you whilst you are sleeping then may be put you into a

CPM machine, you won't be cut again.

I hope the more recent knees folks and help you more. Good luck. But don't

give up its only just over a month.

x

-- My progress at 5 weeks TKR

I wrote earlier about my knee not progressing in flexion enough. I am only

at about 90 degrees at this point and that is with tremendous effort. My PT

pushed it to 95, but that wasn't real because it tightens right up. I

understand that I am supposed to be farther along. When I push it with

aggressive PT, every muscle in my leg cramps up. I have developed sciatica

on the side with the TKR; it used to be on the other side. I am taking

CAL-mag and drinking plenty of water. I tried flexerol in hopes that it

would relax my muscles enough to push the PT. I get feedback that I should

have done more sooner and that I now have scar tissue that will require some

kind of surgical intervention. I couldn't be that aggressive in weeks two

and three because I was sick from the meds and exhausted from being up all

night.

I feel like they replaced my knee but didn't deal with the fact that I

couldn't straighten this knee for years, that I walked with a limp, and that

my muscles have been shortened for years.

The pain meds never worked. They make me too exhausted and spacey to want

to work. I sometimes take them at night so I can sleep, but they only make

me sleepy and don't mitigate the pain. They also make me emotional and weepy

I thought that more flexion would happen after some of the swelling went

down, but this doesn't seem to help.

I am seeing my surgeon, who is 5 hours away, for my post up check-up next

Tuesday. I feel like they (and my PT) should have told me the approximate

progress I need to make, so I would have some goals sooner in this process.

I also wish that they had sent me home with the continuous motion machine so

I could make progress while laying down to rest.

I am rather distraught and feel like I am worse than I began. Has anybody

continued to make progress in flexion later in the process? Is another

painful surgery inevitable? Devora

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