Survived! Mobilisation of knee under anesthesia

deal fellow TKR champions ... i just wanted to give you an update on how my much dreaded mobilisation went. first of all, thanks to all of you who where thinking and rooting for me. all the positive vibes reached me!  for anybody new joining, i had my TKR exactly 12 weeks ago and really, really struggled with the bend.  my physio said it was like a wall.  on a bad day we would get 90 degrees, on a good one, 100.  and this was with bendy machine at home, physio 3 times a week, acupuncture once a week and kinesiology once a week.  

i went in on tuesday morning, very nervous and worried so they gave me a calming pill which helped until i went into anesthesisa where they struggled to place the spinal catheter (similar to women going in for a long birthing process).  this was very,very unpleasant but the next i knew, they were putting me under and 10 minutes later it was all done.

once i got to my room - very swanky room which i had to myself for 2 days on my own, a complete bonus and a gift from the gods as i should have been up with the masses -  i was immediately put on the knee bendy machine which i quickly got a 125 degree bend on.  my doc came and told me that i could have been at the physio for a thousand years and i wouldn't have got the necessary bend, it took considerable forcing to get the scaring to give and promptly upped the machine to 130! this is where it stayed for 48 hours solid, minus pee breaks and sitting on the side of the bed to eat.  during these 48 hours i was on the pain catheter PLUS my usual meds so zero pain ... also zero sleep but hey ho!  they then turned the pain catheter off and i was really, really concerned the pain would kick in but no and so i stayed on the machine for another 12 hours, always at 130 degrees.

i came home yesterday, walking without sticks but with a limp.  my leg feels like it has run the marathon.  or gone under the steam roller.  very, very sore but not stabbing pain.  i came in, greeted the cats and collapsed in bed for 3 hours, dead to the world.

today i went and got some arnica c200 globuli, some homeopathic stuff recommended for sports injuries and healing of scars, and was told to take 10 globuli once a week as it is powerful stuff.  i took it and the effect was immediate.  amazing stuff if you can get your hands on it.  i continue to go on the bendy machine at home as well, but this model will "only" go to 120 degrees and because the knee is sore, i have to gradually get up there but get there i do.  remember, this is passive so i will be working on my active bend as well.  my leg feels like it has NO muscle strength at all.  am seeing my phsyio 4 times next week as my doc is determined it won't go back to my paltry 80.

so that is it.  time will tell if it was worth it but so far i am delighted.  and the way the pain got managed was fantastic.  so far, no regrets!

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