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
davidjk22 purplerlover
Posted
There is no such thing as 2 weeks behind in healing or on target or on in front. Recovery takes as long as it takes, there is no linear time line for it. Read Chico Mark's many posts, which all give good advise.
kathleen_65043 davidjk22
Posted
because i had a nasty abscess at the top of my scare i was also told i was 2 weeks behind what a load of rubbish we all heal at different stages i'm 8mth today and its still hell RoM IS ONLY 95 pain all day every day just had more x-rays done as new surgeon thinks it could be a deep infection as the replacement looks good!! the knee is stiff locks gives way but i'm still told its early days! going up/down stairs is absolutely a nightmare walking is just as bad but i have to work so its put up and shut up untill its been 12mth then they will re look at it!! due to have 2nd knee done but not rushing into it
CHICO has been a great help with his advice along with others i thank them all I have also made a few new friends from england Ireland and the usa
purplerlover kathleen_65043
Posted
So the swelling, stiffness, numbness and horrible pain are still with you at 8 months? OMG!!!! I am so sorry. I ice 2 or 3 times a day. I have an ice machine that I use when I sleep for an hour, 3 hours later when the pain wakes me up I put ice packs on it. Thing is the ice feels good but my knee is stiffer than ever after. I can't IMAGINE waiting a whole year with no improvement now.I have a tremendous fear of falling. Now my insurance company has cut my PT. Surgeon increased my visits to twice a week 46 visits, BYT that means NOTHING as insurance decides. So I am without PT and the deep tissue massage I need so badly.
davidjk22 kathleen_65043
Posted
It really does get better. I'm 20 years & 18½ years since my opps and all is still great. My last check up was 2 years ago & the xrays were fine.
purplerlover davidjk22
Posted
How long did you have pain till you started having less pain, numbness, stiffness and could straighten and bend your knee? How often do you have to have X-Rays? Wow!!! So happy for you. What advice can you give us having all these after surgery problems? Thanks for commenting David.
davidjk22 purplerlover
Posted
I was back working full time after 6 months. Thinking about it my last xrays and check up was over 3 years ago, I was told I don't need check up unless I have a problem. After over 20 years it's hard to remember the time scale of my recovery, but I was ok when I returned to work. As I said before everyone is different and recover at different rates, you won't be behind or in front of other recoveries it is an individual thing.
purplerlover davidjk22
Posted
Oh wow, so maybe 4 more months of this torture for me? Do you still have any of the symptoms like in the first 3 months? I have tried not to overdo it the last few days. Saw the PT yesterday my knee was swollen , numb, hard to bend. After 20 slides she measured my bend/rom. Good knee 135..... surgical knee which was last measured at 117, she measured it and " refused to tell me" what the number was. She said she did not want me worrying about the numbers. So it must have gone WAY down trying not to exercise till I was in too much pain. So now I am losing ground.
jenny61596 purplerlover
Posted
as i said in previous post you are doing too much and if your knee is very swollen it will not be able to bend! Rest it and just gently bend and flatten it when in bed or where ever , if soft tissue is really swollen how can it bend? It cant
purplerlover jenny61596
Posted
Jenny I am taking it easier but evidently my rom has decreased since I am trying not to over do it. When i wake up at night I do slides and flatten my knee. Then I ice. The ice makes it swell, the New Step makes it swell, the exercises make it swell. Whether I do 5 or 25 ....any idea why???
jenny61596 purplerlover
Posted
I think its all a matter of time , I know mine I couldnt get flat some days and the bend wasnt good , but I just went very slow and my movement now after a year is as good as it gets. Strange it swells after ice , I just used ice packs put one on my knee and kept pushing it down on bed , as I said some days good others not . But I did have a sudden improvement at about 8 weeks , pain levels decreased a lot and so did movement . I would go slow , if there is a problem it might be scar tissue and that can be broken up by a manipulation by your specialist , you will be asleep! My surgeon said I was lucky I dont make scar tissue . Hope you get some improvement soon , keep us posted . You asked about xrays , I had one in hospital after surgery , saw surgeon six weeks post op, but didnt have another xray until yearly check up. But I had no problems really , if I had then would have seen surgeon before the year was up
ann18637 purplerlover
Posted
Hi purple lover I'm 10 mths tkr and sue to get my right knee done next week. You do have to be patient with this op. I think the most important thing is to listen to your knee. Exercises are great if it means they don't cause you pain but I believe you must listen to your knee. Maybe give it a rest for a few days just walk a little more but you still need to rest. As Chico would tell you we're all different there's no same healing period for any of us. I've been lucky I'm fine occasionally a little discomfort but I walk and cycle fine. I would say to you done expect a lot just persevere and suddenly one day you'll realise your knee is fine. So good luck all on this forum know what it's like and hiw tough it is. X
purplerlover ann18637
Posted
Thanks Ann. I am trying to be patient but I am the kind of person that wants to accomplish things quickly. This has been the most disruptive , demeaning, and painful thing
to ever happen to me in my life. I finally started to drive. again. Its hard to get my leg out but at least I can get around if I want to. Something positive for sure.
CHICO_MARX purplerlover
Posted
This will help with your ROM...
ROM Work
#3 will straighten the knee...guaranteed. A ROM of 117 isn't bad at all. You can still work on it for more improvement. I left PT at 12 weeks with a 123 and now (2+ years later), it's more like 133.
Now the work has to start on rebuilding the dead muscles that support the knee...quads, glutes, core and more. The work is mandatory to take the pressure off the knee and put it back on the muscles. This takes the remainder of year one post-op. It's a very slow, gradual process...
Muscle Rebuild
Do the work...get the results. It's sooooo worth it.