15 weeks post TKR

Ali, that is so reassuring - I got worried about too much ROM too!  I'm SO relieved to hear that.  I've got about 135 at the moment but the surgeon said that would increase over two years so I was getting a bit concerned!  That's all I've ever done - pushed to feel the stretch, but never to pain, but then I guess you and I are lucky that we don't have to.  Maybe some do, to achieve the amount of bend they need for normal activities.  Ah - thank you for giving us the warning too!!!!  That's such useful information!!!!  Maybe that's why my surgeon said I didn't need to do any more stretching the bend bit, since more would come over two years.  It makes sense now.  Thank you so much for this - I found it really helpful!

I'm relieved too Chris as I was beginning to think I'd done something wrong and may suffer, but no, you are quite right, we are both very lucky indeed x

You still should be giving yourself a pat on the back Ali - you have done so well!  It's very encouraging to others too, to hear how well some do!  I LOVE it:-)))  You give me hope for my next one too LOL!

It was so useful to get clearer information as to what's a 'safe' bend and what takes it too far - that was invaluable!

Ali, do you avoid doing extreme bends now?  I just measured mine (or husband did).  He asked me what I was hoping for and I said around 130 or just over would be fine because I've been very relaxed about it for a week or so and thought I could probably get it tighter, but wanted to know what it was where it was then, and he then said it was 137, so it's gone further since I measured last.  Since the surgeon said it would bend more over the next two years, I'm just slightly concerned that it will bend too much.  My surgeon did say I didn't need to worry about doing the bends anymore but I thought I did in case it went backwards, but am now wondering if it's not likely to be the case, so it might be better to avoid going to the extreme anymore.  So are you avoiding going to the extreme now?  I know you said your surgeon said not to push it, but I've only been doing a slight stretch - I guess for you and I though, that IS 'pushing it'.  So did you get the feeling it's unlikely to go backwards if you don't do anything to maintain it?

Hi Chris,

I think I'm just going to do my norm like lying watching tv in the evenings with my knee bent.

I can't see us going backwards Chris, well I hope not anyway.

I'm not sure if we should be concerned now if ROM improves over the next months as surely that's just nature taking its course.

I've never forced my knee like you, we are just build that way I'm sure ... lucky us.

I also said about my swelling to my consultant and he said he doesn't class mine as swelling now but puffiness 😂 

He said 'puffiness' and heat is very normal and loss of sensation around the knee may never come back. 😱But I'd rather have that than poor ROM and pain any day x

 

Oh good Ali - I'll do the same:-)))  I tend to sit with that knee bent and the foot against the other knee so I'll just leave it like that or bend it up like the other one at times (I tend to do that in bed when I wake in the mornings). and not stretch it at all now.

Funny you mentioning heat - I hadn't felt mine for a few weeks until yesterday but noticed there wasn't as much difference between the two knees as there had been before.  Still looks a fair bit bigger though but I expected that.  In fact, I expected a LOT worse in the way of swelling, so like the rest of it, it's been a pleasant surprise!

Yes, the hypermobility has been a curse sometimes - so many pulled ligaments in ankles, knees, elbows, underarms but it came into it's own this time LOL!

Was your knee feeling very unstable before the op and now feels much more stable?  Mine does.  It feels SO strong and stable now - here I go again - a politician LOL!  There's no feeling that it's going to twist now like it did before.

I DID have a mini panic when the reality of having the other knee done was looming up after I went for the pre op but walking about today as though there's a knitting needle sticking in it just below the unoperated knee made me realise afresh what a blessing this is!  I want my date!!!!!!

My knee pre op sometimes gave way but also used to wake me if I turned during the night ... used to feel like my knee cap was moving out of place.

I had key hole 18 months ago where my consultant cut away jagged cartilage. It felt better for a while but then I had a course of injections which eased the pain for a couple of weeks at a time but after having the max course over a few months I had to come to the conclusion that I needed a TKR.

One of my main concerns was that it became very bowed and gave me a complex so my consultant said he had to do quite a bit of alignment while doing my TKR x

Ah - I didn't have that kneecap feeling, but just if I turned over other pain all over it!    I still wake my husband sometimes groaning with the non operated knee.  Sometimes it doesn't wake me but but wakes him!  YES my knee that was recently done was very bowed out.  The other knee, not so much so.  I had to raise my shoe on the one that's been done because the leg was 2 cm shorter than the other one.  Now that leg is a bit longer:-))))  So we'll see how they end up after the other one is done:-)))  You do get the look as though you've just got off your horse when it gets bowed like that LOL!

😂😂 I'm sure you'll get there Cynthia.

A bakers cyst repturing brought my knee problem to light 2 years ago. I still have it but my consultant said it should go on it's own accord as I now don't have a knee problem x

I had a very good ROM pre op and I still do on my other knee. I rowed for years and so I guess I'm very flexible.

Not sure if age has anything to do with it aswell, I was 58 a few weeks ago so realatively young for a TKR x

Thank you thank you Jenny ... I'm very relieved x

😊?😀😁😂😃😄😅😇😯😐😑😕😴😢😡😮😣😤😬😠 you have gone through it all no doubt!🌟?🌟?🌟?🌟?🌟?🌟?gold stars all round! And I just love pasting these little pictures!