8 weeks post TKR unsure
Posted , 9 users are following.
Had my replacement on5/15 at the age of 52. Came home on a Thursday with home health. By Monday the Cumbiam had raised my blood to a 6.8. So the Dr thought I probably had some blood on my knee. My extension was only a 70.
Started out patient the following Tuesday and by that time my extension was a 66. The therapist was very aggressive but really only focused on straightening the leg. I would literally cry during one of the procedures he would do. I could not been my knee hardly at all. When he tried I screamed and the pain of a feeling of a sharp knife going down a up from knee was unbearable. He then decided that I had scar tissue.
My bend at that time was 75.
At 6 weeks I had a MUA. I go tomorrow for my 7 day check up with Dr. With the therapist forcing I can get 111 but I can only get 93 by myself. I do my exercises and ride a little bike but feel like I have failed in my recovery. So I am pretty sure I’m going to get chewed out tomorrow by my Dr tomorrow for not having the outcome he expected.
0 likes, 10 replies
robin15577 jennifer2528
Posted
No, no you haven't failed at all!It's very early in your recovery and it sounds like your PT is very aggressive. Relax. Recovery for this brutal surgery is 12-18 mos. I am still recovery myself and this month it will be 11mos post op. Still I practice my heal slides , walk and I find going down stairs hard lol but I practice. At 2 mos I was in bad shape and still doing pain meds. I am a Little older than you. Many on here will be able give you great advice. But please know you have not failed at all.
Wishing you all the best. Be patient it's not a sprint. It's a marathon. 😘
martha08360 jennifer2528
Posted
You have NOT failed. Not sure what you mean by blood being 6.8. Are you diabetic? Anyway, don't you let that doctor make you feel as if you aren't doing enough! You are the patient, not his servant. You are paying him to do his job. All these ppl getting MU A is frightening to me. It seems everyone that lives in UK that has a TKR gets a MUA. Just keep doing your exercises and do what you can do. I told my PT that she could NOT force my knee any longer. I would cry too! She stopped doing it. Work at your own pace
jenny80029 jennifer2528
Posted
Are you in UK or somewhere else?
The idea of forcing the knee sounds like a bad idea to me. Personal opinion only.
Make sure you tell your Dr how aggressive your therapy had been. And what happened, as you have done here.
Professionals have their own opinions and experience. .try and expect help from your Dr. ..,
Reduction of swelling is important, are you icing and elevating your knee too?
It's still early in the process of healing.
My bend improved significantly around 12 weeks post op.
Read around the forum as much as you can and be kind to yourself.
As the other posters have said, you have not failed.
It's early days,
Improvements happen long term, not just in the first few months,
janet59360 jennifer2528
Posted
marilyn10235 jennifer2528
Posted
Hi Jennifer, is it your INR that is 6.8, being affected by Cambia (diclofenac)? That would make sense of the blood on the knee, but if so what are they doing to bring the INR down? Most important!!
It makes me so cross, the attitude of some physios & surgeons! They who have never had this op themselves, making us feel bad!
Please do not worry about your surgeon's attitude, you had the op not him! You have done ALL in your power to reach the standard they want for you! It is not your fault that things haven't gone the way he hoped & if it is because of diclofenac altering your INR, it's totally out of your control & more to do with whoever prescribed it for you! As anti inflamatories certainly can cause bleeding I cannot for the life of me understand why it would be prescribed for someone on warfarin. I had to give up NSAIDs for 2 weeks prior to & after the op & I am not on warfarin.
If you still are under the physio who was sooo rough with you, FIRE HIM! Do not put up with torture, it's counter productive & does far more harm than good. If it is the case of bleeding into the joint then over enthusiastic physiotherapy has not helped.
You have not failed yourself, its more like you have been failed! I hate the way aggressive physios & surgeons put the blame on us! You have done nothing wrong! You have done all that was asked if you. TKR recovery is a marathon not a sprint, it can take up to 2 years to fully recover from, so at 2 months you are still at the start! Sorry to say but true. You have much further to go. Unfortunately some people take longer to reach full recovery than others. But for every day it it's wonderful. To be able to walk again without a limp, without 24/7 constant pain is truly wonderful & I for one am truly grateful for having been given the boon of 2 new knees.
So please don't beat yourself up over this. Don't worry about what the surgeon will say, you have done your best, Rome, as they say, wasn't built in a day.
Do your best, if you keep on icing, elevating & doing your exercises you will eventually get there. Don't forget to rest too, your body is still recovering from a brutal operation, it needs to regroup & recover from that!
All the best to you, keep us updated.
Marilyn
XX
sarah87162 jennifer2528
Posted
No you have not failed.
I had TKR 6 years ago and only just managed to get to 90 degrees bend for my 6 week appointment with consultant.
Hang in there girl.
Everyone is different so don't compare with other people who seem to be doing better.
Not sure what you mean by 6.8 are you diabetic?
Take care and keep in touch
Sarah
lmacfrd jennifer2528
Posted
I had my tkr last may. It's tough and you must do the excercises three times daily and more if you can. I skied on it in January. It hurt. I worked thru it. After the ski season in April it started healing well. I could finally walk up and down stairs without a huge issue. I still have some intermediate pain.. going down stairs. I am 56 years old. One day the pain just goes away but it is a long hall! Just keep doing the exercises!
pat86848 jennifer2528
Posted
If a physio forced me to try and do exercise that caused me as much pain as yours has he/she wouldn’t be back.
martha08360 pat86848
Posted
O wow, no PT.?? That's amazing, but you did say you were doing exercises on your own, which is good. Yes, I had PT for 3 months. Excruciating pain!!!!! There is one ortho doc at Duke, that says, PAIN<, NO GAIN. He sounds like your docs in N. Ireland. Dr. Kelly's patients do as well as those of us that go to painful PT.... To each his own, I guess. Good luck; keep up on your exercises. My knee has a mind of its own. haha. I am doiong better thought, but I should be. I had my surgery on Jan. 31. Geeze......
jennifer2528
Posted