I saw the surgeon today. 5 months out from TNR
Posted , 3 users are following.
For the **1st time in 4 visits he actually touched my knee. He knew just where to touch it to make it hurt. Everywhere.I explained it was actually getting worse the last 2 weeks. The tourniquet feeling was is almost nonstop. Chico suggested I ask for an Alignment Check. An X-RAy from hip to ankle to see if There is slippage or visible problems with the replacement knee. He dismissed it as not being an important revealing X Ray and suggested I stop following this forum that no one knows what they are talking about. Then he said he would take the x rayplus a knee x ray too. So after the X ray he shows me the X Ray. The line drawn from hip to ankle was almost straight in the middle. But then he tells me my left TNR leg is shorter than the right. Funny as my right leg has been shorter. My pelvis dips on one side. So this was an unnecessary Alignment check but look how much he found it. He said something about my knee cap tracking,up and down. it was off to one side or slipping?
When I asked him about several exercises I do, he said to stop them all. Except the Nu Step.
I was doing **all **the wrong exercises. They were o.k. for the first 3 months not going into month 6. He said I need SLR, hip abductor strengthening , and hamstring stretching.He showed me 3 exercises and said if I did them 3 times a day for a month I would notice a big difference. Of course no pictures, I trued to write them down. PLUS he wrote a script for PT. IF the Insurance company would pay for it. I called Pt and they have to get a pre determination and I wouldn't know before. next Wednesday because of the Holiday. Have to buy a straight backed office chair to do exercises in.
So I was surprised he didn't just dismiss me, or refuse to do the xrays. I feel more hopeful and relieved there was no scaring. The fluid and inflammation he claimed he couldn't do anything about. I got a script for Mobic.
So we will see. Thanks everyone for your support and input. I really appreciate it!!!
0 likes, 3 replies
CHICO_MARX purplerlover
Posted
Glad he did the imaging. The kneecap slippage is something a few people on the forum have reported but I have no experience with that. Do a search and see what you can find. For the exercises, here's the program for quads, glutes, core, etc. that worked for me...
Muscle Rebuild
It is not unusual for a TKR patient to have a leg length discrepancy. When we subconsciously change our gait to avoid pain, our hips can go out of alignment resulting in the length differential. Sometimes, a nerve gets pinched and people report a raging case of sciatica...like I got...plus a 3/4" length issue. Some people hear about the length issue and run out to spend hundreds on custom shoe orthotics. My solution was to have my chiropractor adjust my spine and hips...solved the sciatica and length problems in a few weeks. PTs can also address the leg length issue. However, these methods will not work if your legs are actually, physically different lengths. Otherwise, I'd find a good chiropractor to realign your hips. I go once a month to keep them that way. Just a thought.
purplerlover
Posted
l am sorry Chico I don't know how I missed your reply. I got to see the PT exactly 2 times more and insurance cut me off. Surgeon said I needed SLR, hip abductor strengthening , and hamstring stretching. I am doing extended knee leg raises lying on my back 2 sets of 10, extended knee raises on my side 2 sets of 10. seated extended knee raises holding few seconds before lowering, sitting in a chair and getting up.( knee clicks). I sit with one leg on the floor and the other still on exercise table. I sit straight u and lean forward for the hamstring stretch, also still using the Nu Step & icing. That's it and it is not making it hurt any less or reduce stiffness. The worst is going down stairs, trying to bend down and stay down too long. I can get into the tub a lot easier, it doesn't feel like a cement weight.
I got the denial letter from the insurance company saying : "This request does not meet medical necessity because the records sent to us do not support the treatment as requested. You are getting
PT for your knee. You still have trouble with your daily tasks. You have enough strength to do your daily tasks. (Except I am so swollen and stiff and in pain I can't bend my knee all the way) Your strength will get better with practice at home . More skilled treatment is not needed at this time. You can improve or maintain your condition by doing your home program. "
The person that read the report my PT sent was just another PT.
How dare they tell me I am strong enough to do my daily tasks? They don't know me, know the pain I have every day. I have been faithfully doing all the exercises they have given me since the beginning. I can't control the tourniquet, or swelling or numbness I have.
Do you know anything I can say in my appeal letter that may make a difference? They cut me off 2 months ago,I kept doing the same beginning exercises, surgeon says I was doing wrong ones. Now I am doing none of the original and only a few more, when will I know when to go to the next ones and what they are? I will look at your exercises thanks.
purplerlover
Posted
Forgot to mention I was told not to do squats, leg kicks, or side leg lifts standing. I need to know exactly what to do. I must be missing one or two important exercises. I am doing between 6 and 8,000 steps a day. Not bad for a soon to be 69 year OLD LADY. Rom is 120.