Just had tkr surgery---about PT

Oh damn. Yea, the home PT lady is good on training but pushy on how far i could bend it.

Outpatient therapy starts Friday.

Wow...for the 1st week, i couldnt move much,,,wanted pain &swelling to decrease...

That sounds just like mine, i had 5 home visits, with an exercise or additional task added at each. I found this just right. And the generous encouragement I received was much needed and appreciated!Then I had a six session class, once a week, which was fun, though VERY exhausting!

Hi Amy - same here, am at 6 weeks post op and do 3 times a week plus exercise at home and ROM is preventing me from progressing. Swelling is terrible.. so i wont be graduating anytime soon either  

Hi MarieMichelke! At least we are not alone!! 

But isn’t it brutal? Watching people who had surgery 2 weeks after me get to move on with life has been frustrating. Oh well, one day at a time! Had your surgeon mentioned manipulation under anesthesia yet? Mine said he wasn’t worried at 6 weeks but I bet he will be now......

Hi Amy , no he hasn’t and hope he doesn’t as i know 2 people who went through a MUA and said it was brutual and set them back by 3 weeks , YES its brutual and so frustrating when others have no swelling and up and about like nothing happened. One of my Tennis friends had a double TKR last year and she was back at work in 7 weeks and had ZERO swelling... like how does that happen ????

I really don’t know how that happens! Not in my experience unfortunately. 

When you say that the 2 people that you know said the MUA set them back three weeks do you mean as far as pain and mobility go? Did they actually get range of motion though? I’d hope...?

I don’t want it either but I’m not sure of this knee will bend or I’ll break through scar tissue without it.....? 😕

They both said that when they woke up from it , the pain was just like right after surgery and then both had to start PT all over again 3 days a week and the pain was worse than before - got range - but at a painful cost , honestly the thought of it has scared me so im icing 8 hours a day and elevating my knee a lot... praying for the both of us... 

Oh good Lord that doesn’t sound good! I also think swelling part of the reason we can’t bend but what scares me is the scar tissue building up as well....I still have quite a bit of bruising too. I definitely do not elevate it as much as I used to...and have been up on it a lot lately. Maybe I shouldn’t be...? .PT mentioned possibly using heat to loosen it up before exercises....may try that too. I know that everybody’s journey is different...but from what I’ve seen - this is a bit more work and frustration than the average TKR. Lucky us! (😬

Amy - dont lose hope - i haven’t - we are so close - start icing with the leg reallllly elevated like on the top of the sofa for 20 min 3 x a day - it has helped me - i too have a lot of bruising but think thats from the PT guy pushing me WAY past my limit ..i have stared to ice my knee and put a heating pad on my quad now - they don’t recommend it but it helps me a lot... and last right before i go to bed i take a pain pill and wrap and ace bandage with and ice pack wrapped inside of it and fall asleep with my foot on 2 pillows ( elevated ) and fall asleep like that . Has seemed to help , good luck and stay in touch please - feel like we are in the same boat - so lets make it swim instead of sink !!

Hello. Yea, my swelling was really bad at first but went down after 1st week. Still some on thigh. Heat before PT and Ice after. PT was really tough at 1st but NEed to move knee, muscles, tendons &strengthen thigh/calf. I walk for most time-- keep up w/PT everday or 6 out of 7. Hang In There!!

I am going to Golden Jubilee on Wednesday and Friday to see Surgeon & Pre Med. Are they good , and any tips ?

David

Excellent stay , all the staff introduced themselves but after care sadly lacking.