Just saw the Surgeon week 9
Posted , 10 users are following.
So I saw the Surgeon yesterday. Insurance has cut off my PT. I told him I NEED the PT and deep tissue massage. Still numb, swollen, painful , STIFF, can't drive yet, very difficult getting into the tub/shower. Going down stairs tough, coming up normal. I told him the Tylenol 3 is not doing much at all. Could I get the Norco 5? No answer.
I told him my PT measured my ROM. 135 in good knee, 117 in surgical knee. Not increasing. He told, me everything is normal. THEN he says I am 2 weeks behind in healing. Isn't that special? So he says he will order more PT, 2 times a week for 46 weeks!!! Unbelievable!!! BUT it means NOTHING!
insurance makes the final decision. Have to wait and see. I sure can't do the deep tissue massage myself. He thinks at the end of Mach I should be good. REALLY????
Knee hurts all day. I do home exercises, ice keep me going but it doesn't take swelling down. It seems stiffer after.I have had 2 almost falls since surgery at home.
Oh, he said I may never get beyond the 117 ROM maybe 120 or 130. I asked him if I should try harder to pull when I do the slide on the bed. He says if I stretch it too much it will mess with the implant. Now I am afraid to stretch it too much.
Feeling down, confused, and wonder why NO ONE can tell me what to do to get better.....
0 likes, 29 replies
missmagwumps purplerlover
Posted
Sounds like you could do with the advice from our star contributor "CHICO" he was my saviour regarding exercise etc - so you could do it yourself if your PT insurance has run out.....check him out - he is a font of all knowledge - especially with knees.....Good luck....x
mary81398 missmagwumps
Posted
CHICO_ he's 'The ONE'
Elevate that leg ABOVE your heart and ice after exercise. TIME is everyone's friend when it comes to TKR. I reckon if it is very painful, don't do it.
purplerlover mary81398
Posted
How do I find Chico?????
kathleen_65043 missmagwumps
Posted
yes do look him up he is very knowledgeable and he is very happy to pass on his advice and experience as he has been through what we are going through
purplerlover kathleen_65043
Posted
Is there a search I can look him up here???? A link?
missmagwumps purplerlover
Posted
https://patient.info/forums/profiles/chico_marx-949675 Try this link - I looked him up under contributors again as he hasn't been on for a while...well worth as look at all his Posts re TKR on this forum.....our Guru....lol x
missmagwumps
Posted
Hope you managed to find him and his tremendous advice...worth his weight in gold.....xxx
karen14697 purplerlover
Posted
YOU NEED MANIPULATION! I was stuck at 117 rom after 8 weeks or so and went into the surgeons office, he scheduled a manipulation which he performed in 10 min. I healed fine after that. 2 years now and my rom is perfect. NEXT up LEFT KNEE on 5/23/19. I pretty much know, its not going to be easy, but I want to be able to play golf again and walk on the beach with my husband. Im 69 and have a lot of living to do. Get manipulated to get on with your life! BEST OF LUCK!
Kebra karen14697
Posted
Hi Karen, first best of luck on May 23rd surgery. I'm just 10 days into first knee so cannot (yet) imagine doing this again.
Second, what is manipulation? Is this a surgical procedure?
thanks k
karen14697 Kebra
Posted
manipulation is when they knock you out briefly and bend your knee to disrupt knitting that is stopping your knee from bending. IT takes 10 min and you dont feel a thing. GO right home just knocks the scar tissue up. I tend to heal/knit quickly so i was stuck at 117 rom. It helped me tremendously and im 2 yrs postop for right knee left knee soon
purplerlover karen14697
Posted
I have had tremendous pain from day one after my TKR. Week 9 and my pain is mostly a 7 or 8. Sometimes higher. I was told that because I am in so much pain now, that after manipulation I would be hurting EVEN MORE! From what I have seen here not a lot of people had good results and were in worse pain after. Glad it worked for you, but I am not willing to risk it.
jenny61596 purplerlover
Posted
dont do so much exercise thats why its swollen i did very little to start with except bend and straighten and have full movement . Also had very little swelling , I didnt really get any phsio as over xmas period so just very very slowly did my own. The one physio i did go to toldme because my pain kevels were high not to push it or swelling would increase be more stiff and painful. I think some physios push too hard and then you have days of swelling and pain. How long since surgery?
purplerlover jenny61596
Posted
Monday this week started my 9th week. I had in home PT for 3 week's after my surgery. Then started regular PT. I keep telling the PT how much pain I am in and she just keeps pushing me to do more. I feel like I am going back.wards. My knee has hurt since week 2.
jenny61596 purplerlover
Posted
Dont do so much I have had both knees done and really if you do too much it will swell and the pain will be worse! My knee was really bad from day one pain wise but by about 8 weeks the pain really decreased and movement was fine, dont let someone force you to do too much, id your knee is swollen you wont be able to get the movement , a physical impossibility
purplerlover jenny61596
Posted
You are so right. I had asked the surgeon about the slides and pulling MORE after it was hurting. He said if I did I could put stress on the implant. I talked to my PT today and she said maybe I am hurting so much and so long because I am overdoing it. So she said to pull till it hurt but not force it more. GENIUS!!!!So today when I did the slides I tried it. It hurt so much less. I am doing 5 minutes on the New Step at home several times a day instead 15 minutes at a time. I do 15 minutes at PT. So I am slowing down some . So hoping it will help.
mary81398 jenny61596
Posted
Exactly! Just keep it moving. If it's painful stop. We all know the difference between just enough, and too much.. your body will remind you pretty quickly...Swelling prevents movement for a reason. Your body is using fluid to protect that area. Move at your pace..no one is in a race.