Survived! Mobilisation of knee under anesthesia

You can get the cream/gel in almost all chemists - Boots and H&B and probably other chemists sell the homeopathic pills.

Thank you for reply

I did to.  I was told that my sugury is different from everyone else.  They said partial is worse recovery than total. Shorter recovery. But much harder. 

I think you are wise. I wouldn't my therapist to do that where I couldn't be zapped completely put. Too much needless pain and trauma

Thanks, it's got to the point now where I am exercising almost all day every day, riding the exercise bike and doing everything to get this bend.

But I have taken it as far as I can, now when I bend to the maximum point I feel sick with pain. I try to breath through as I have done before, that just makes me dizzy.

When I touch the area where he manipulated, it hurts in an a hey way.

Caz

Hi caz

i'm like you ....exercising every moment I can to get my leg straight 

but I don't feel I'm having a great deal of success

Jean 

One thing you might try. Instead of riding the bike with complete revolution, set the seat so when you slowly get to the top of the spin stop and slowly apply pressure to the bend hold for a count of tenten then reverse the spin and repeat the process. Do 3 sets of 15. You will feel the knee releasing a little more each time and you won't be nearly as exhausted and there is far less pain afterwards. Hope this helps a bit.

Jean....as I mentioned before but maybe you missed it, try rolling a towel and laying on your back, put it under your ankle. You should have your ankle 2-3" off the bed. Then tighten the muscles all through the leg gently forcing the knee downward. Hold for 10 count then relax. Do 3 sets of 10 each. This gently streatchs the leg straight. Another lay on your stomach with leg off the bed slightly above the knee. Let leg relax slowly when it fully relaxed hold for count of 10 increasing to 15 . do 3 sets. These are gentle but very effective. You'll know you've done something when you are throughthrough. Hope it helps

Hi 

yes I've been doing those exercises ...probably more often than I should. But I really need to work at this

i find laying on my stomach and letting the leg dangle is the most painful and I can only last a couple of minutes but I still do it

thanks 

Jean 

I would only attempt a set once a day. I think sometimes overdoing is counterproductive. Nothing worse,mentally, than feeling like you have to be overly cautious or you'll hur yourself. Its a struggle, mentally and physically, no doubt.

Yes I do tend to overdo things 

I will be kinder to myself in future

thanks

Jean 

I don't know if it also applies here - OFG, do you know? - but often doing 3 sets of 1/2 the time will achieve far more and cause less discomfort. In some things icing/warming as appropriate will also help you achieve more (ask a physio if it is OK and if so, which) and use of proper pain relief definitely is an essential otherwise you expect it to hurt and are tense waiting for it.

On the other hand - if there are adhesions that are stopping the movement all the exercise in the world won't get you there. If your surgeon really won't listen then ask for another opinion. If it is that - and I gather it isn't uncommon - then it will have to be manipulated sooner or later. The sooner it is done then the better state your muscles will be in for rehab and the less likelihood there is of back problems from walking badly. Maybe it is a physio you need to get on side? 

I know what it is like when they have their mind set not to do something - when I mangled my knee I was sent home with no plaster and expected to have regular physio to preserve the knee function plus was on heparin injections to avoid DVT and abx to avoid infection. When I called the GP in the UK for a house visit I was asked why, explained and was basically told "Wjhat a load of rubbish, you're mobile". That was a matter of opinion! At fracture clinic I was put into a massive cast so I could hardly move and when it was removed after 3 months was refused physio - just go and walk they said. A few years later I was at a completely different UK hospital for back problems and asked the physio if there was anything that could be done to improve my knee she told me what SHOULD have been done at the time. We got it a bit better but it was about 5 years too late.

I've found a little extra self indulgence is good for body and soul. I'd eat ice cream for breakfast if my wife would allow it.

Yesterday there was a news item that said a research group in England said eating dessert at the beginning of the meal was the best form of weight loss as it curbs your appetite for the rest of the meal and keeps you from overeating.........sure sounds good to me. I guess two pieces of pie would completely take away the desire for a meal at all.

I'm sure Heston Blumenthal would do you a bacon and egg icecream (if he hasn't already thought of it). 

As for having dessert first - isn't that basically what having Yorkshire pudding did? Whoever ate the most Yorkshire (which traditionally is served before the meat course I suppose I should explain just in case) could have the most meat.

Wow I live in England and not heard that one but it certainly sounds good

to me.

but ...aren't there more calories in dessert than dinner?    

Maybe as you say 

2 desserts and No dinner would be a dream come true 

 

That's awful how they treated you .sometimes I think they take it upon themselves to choose who gets the best treatment ...it's like playing God.

 I only had 5 physio sessions and they discharged me with a bend of not much over 90 degrees  but one lady who was discharged at the same time was given a phone number to ring if she needed help

no such luck for me I think it's just a lottery 

I suppose if my knee is one that does require manipulation then I will willingly have it done 

Jean 

 

It was in the Daily Mail (that well known medical journal) 2 days ago! Google "eat dessert first daily mail" and it will come up at the top of the list!

Depends what your dessert and your dinner are and how big the portions are I suppose as to calorie count. Desserts are a treat for me, wouldn't bother every day. 

On the other hand, here where I live the main course often comes under the heading "Flour dishes" - and includes Kaiserschmarren which is a BIG thick pancake with raisins, sprinkled with icing sugar and served with cranberry sauce. Yummy! The locals tend NOT to be fat - big, solid outdoor manual workers who work hard so need that sort of food, but not blubbery. 

I will google that thanks 

I don't usually have dessert every day  and I don't eat massive meals   But...I may change my diet ...( not). 

 

Here the routine is out of bed the next day after surgery and some form of therapy starts immediately 2x's a day. As I have mentioned, the day after I had my revision (9 years after the original tkr) I was over reaching my ability, doing something on my own that I shouldnt have been and fell breaking my femur. This required another surgery the following day an 18" plate and 8 screws were needed to put me back together. They just wrapped the leg, sent me to a rehab unit for 3 weeks where I could only put 25% of my weight on the leg. Because the break was above the joint they still had me in PT 7 days a week/2 x's a day. I was doing all the stretching and balance work with no weight on the leg. They brought me a wheel chair but made walk behind it sort of hopping along to build stamina. When I started I could make it half way to the door of my room. 3 Weeks later I was making 75-80 feet. The therapist used a heavy mesh belt around my waist to keep me from collapsing. I must have looked like a dog on his hind legs being taken for a walk. 10 months later I had the hardware taken out, 30 days later back in with staph and the leg opened, cleaned and flushed. This time they put a removable soft cast because they wanted it to heal. Again to rehab for 2 weeks and immediate therapy but with a stiff leg. I have now had to undergo physical therapy 4 times, each with a different protocol and only once was it over done and subjected me to real severe pain. Input a stop to it after 3 sessions. Since then its been slow, gentle, steady but very firm and extensive work. My therapist also puts a lot of emphasis on balance and movement not just bending and straightening

Hi Jean, my first physio gave me the hanging over the bed exercise to do in the early days. I found it sooo painful. When I went to knee class I told the physio there how painful I found it and she told me to leave it and gave me a few others instead.

1. Sitting on chair with foot on another chair & pull down knee & hold for 30 x3 times.

2.  Stand and put heel on footstool,  straighten leg then bend forwards from waist and hold for 30 x3 times.

3. Lie on bed /floor and push down with knee and hold for 10 x10 times. 

I had trouble with straightening but after persevering with these and the other exercises it is straight (practically) now. 

I just couldn't cope with that hanging over the bed one and have had a lot of trouble with weak hamstrings and sciatica type pain since and often wonder if that exercise put too much strain on my muscles. Jen (20 weeks) 

Hi Eileen

I'm from Yorkshire so I know all about the Pudding

 during the war the more yorks pud you ate the less dinner you needed

and sometimes we ate cold Yorks put for tea with Jam on it 

Oh dear! I am showing my age 

Yup - much the same in Germany and I suspect here too. In the UK they do tend to assume a few days physio will teach you what to do but there isn't the same driving force and supervision to make sure it is done right. When I mangled the knee I returned from OP late afternoon and at 9am the next morning after ward round was strapped into the knee bend machine and that was repeated every day to discharge. I had over 90 degree bend already - I had to regain that after the plaster cast was removed in the UK. It had been a 2 piece cast with a hinged knee but I only had a 45 bend. I guess I should be grateful I had that.

When I totally tore my collateral ligament a few years ago it was a bendy brace, no cast. A couple of weeks allowed a 35 bend, a couple of weeks a 60 bend then up to 90 - fully healed, totally stable and no operation so no risk of infection. Worth every penny of the 250+ euros the brace cost me. Though the physio offered by the orthopaedic guy amounted to "go ride your bike". When told I didn't do bikes he said walking was pretty good too.

Worth all the work.

Thank you 

 I will start again tomorrow I think I've done too many today 

but no more hanging my leg off the bed it's just too painful for me 

Jean 

That'll be the Falklands war you mean?

I only explained for the US members - they miss the best things in life ;-)

I thought you always made extra so you could have them with jam...

My father in law used to tell the story of when he worked as a farm labourer when he was young. They used to give him apple pie to eat first (and the men would polish off the whole one) so that they'd eat less meat for the main meal 😊😊

Ha ha Eileen

I'll pretend it was the Falklands war

Bless your heart

Good luck.  I know what yA mean Jean. I dread do lift my off the bed. Can't wait for ir to be easier.  

I can't do that. This pt that I had before said lay on belly put sheet on ankle to arms and lift leg. And ouch made me cry. 

Bless your heart. I hope things get easier for yA. 

Thank you OFG, I read your advice about the exercise bike before and that was why I got on ours, so I have been following your advice for a while now, thanks. the seat really hurts my bum!

My knee is so painful today, the only thing that eases it is a hot water bottle. Do you still need to elevate if you are using heat?

Hope everyone feels a bit better today.

Caz

Thank you, bless you too. I hope your pain lessens soon. 

Keep exercising, keep smiling

Caz- 11 weeks post TKR Australia

I believe elevation helps the circulation no matter what you do. otherwise the blood doesn't circulate as well and blood flow is very important to healing

Hello

I hope you're feeling a bit more positive today.

keep doing your exercises and you'll get there

it's a long hard road ....I think most of us in the early stages have said we wished we'd never had it done ...it believe me it does get easier

take care and be kind to yourself

Jean 

Thanks Jean Its just hard.  I hope your doing well to. I tell yA I've had lots trouble with my ins and med equipment. Just discourages me. But I am trying. At 11 days I'm 74 on own and 85 on machine. It's so hard. But I know in the end be easier.  I have ache pain. Ans it still pops painful. But guess they said that is swelling. How tell you it's really really hard to understand why people doesn't want to help you. They gave me a bedside commode that it pinches me every time I sit down, and it's too hard to even use and it's a small one. Guess be easier. Sorry complain. 

❓ how do u all elimate. Put pillow from hip to foot. Or just behind leg?  I can't find no position to help. 

I was told to not use heat. My leg swells bad. Best luck. 

I see everyone is farther than me. Lol I'm olny 11 days. I was told my recovery is harder than total. Shorter but harder. Any one had partial?

Have you had partial?

I too use heat as well as ice 

today I feel as if I'm back to square 1 again

it's the back of my knee where the pain is not the front and the whole leg today aches like mad.

 Surely at 14 weeks I should be nearly back to normality not limping around like this.

today is a fed up day

another rant over 

Yes I did. He said that he could not do total. He said it would damage me more.  

He took my patellia completely out.  And that my knee cap was bad.   Ans this is awful. He said that this is shorter time..

But real painful. 

I may have told you before - find it difficult to keep track of these long threads! - that I have suffered with pain behind the knee. Also back of thigh and calf. It was very uncomfortable when walking. The physio diagnosed a combination of weak hamstrings and pressure on the sciatic nerve from piriformis muscle in buttock. I've been doing special exercises and stretches and it is improving. I still get the nerve pain off and on but the hamstring is stronger and it's not so painful walking. Might be worth you asking your physio? Jen (20 weeks)

My physio discharged me after 5visits I came home with a sheet of exercises and told I could do them myself..but that's the UK for you...I do the exercises regularly in fact they have taken over my day. 

 I did see my GP and she said it was pressure on the sciatic nerve

i have exercises to do but I have to be careful as I have a problem in my spine

i'll get there I guess but it's a slow process

Jean 

 

I'm in the UK too - in Wales - but I've been really lucky that the physio dept has kept persevering with me as I told them of this back of leg pain. It's so unfair how treatment varies so much across the country. I hope your exercises work for you. Yes, as we've all found, progress is slow. If it's any consolation I was feeling very much like you at 14 weeks and I'm definitely better now 6 weeks later. So, keep up the exercises. Jen x

Hi SonnysGirl, My physio told me, if the knee is hot, use ice. If the knee is cold, use heat. I just didn't know if I was supposed to elevate with both. Oldfatguy put me right on that. It's a yes.

I have woken up early and today seems to be a bit cooler, so I might take a walk outside.

Caz-11 weeks post TKR. Australia

Hi Caz 

I've just got into bed and its. Cold night here 

Jean 

Hi Jean, Lately I have been getting a lot of relief from the spa. If you have a gym near you that has a spa ( jacuzzi) it might be an idea to go just to sit in the warm water with the massage jets.

Baths are lovely as you can put smellies in, but getting into and out of a spa, especially a gym one, is a lot easier.

I hope we all feel in better spirits soon.

Caz

No Caz there is no such thing near me 

 Sigh.....but it sounds lovely

Jean 

Goodnight Jean, sleep well x

Im 8 hours in front of you

Caz

I'm not tired yet ...I'm waiting for my painkillers to kick in 

you have a good day and I hope you manage to go for a walk 

My knee is very stiff this morning, I think maybe I overdid the exercises yesterday. I have the physio this afternoon.

Im waiting for Hubby to wake up, it's so quiet, except for the kookaburras. They are really noisy today, probably laughing at me hobbling around the garden earlier.

Caz

Mine is stiff to. I use the machine today and it hurt me for the first time. I am hoping my pt will get we losened up tommrow.   I want to go out of the house for a Christmas party tommrow. I'm hoping I can. 😄 

To all who has had TKR after bandage is Øff. What is the best way to get the wound clean? My doc says don't clwqn it yet leave it under the dressing for a few more days. It olny gets changed 1 time a week when nurse is here and any one know if that's noraml. I was told not to touvh it. Island dressings Is what they use. There long white thin ones. 

Blessings to you. Hope u get some relief. I am laying with my hub all propped up ice pack on it.  Think when I go back to doc. I need to get some inflammamitorys. My pain and muscle pills is make me sick. And I don't know how to not get that feeling to go away. He had try 3 with me. I said I just take a tylonal 

Jean I hope your doing well. I know I got so scared today. I was walking with crutches ans my knee locked an I almoet lost balance. That was the weirdest thing. 

Garden sounds lovely. Where my house is we don't got nothing to look at lol.   What kind stuff u plant? 

Thanks a lot. I need to elevate more. I nostice at night I get more swelled. I ain't alloud to use heat cause I still have open wound. I have a ice pack on me. That I use all night.  

I tell yA it's been rough. But I see lots that is longer time than me. Ans is still having issues. Worried me. But guess that comes with the sugury.   I was not optional to gwt total. My ops said hat I still had good parts in my knee. And he did not want to take chance and damage good parts. I had partial. He said shorter recovery but what he did not mention is it would be hard as total.  He said cause I am so young and I have patellia disorder that would be safe way to go.  But later in prob news full. That is what scares me. So he said baby it for 10 yrs or so.  I'm have trouble with my other one so.  Lol I am on a road to swing what it's like to walk normal. I would walk and fall. Or walk ans knee be huge and hot. Or Lou's paindul pops. So in hopes as I get through the weeks the pain and POp will stop.   Best regards.  Xxx

Wow we all is far away. I am from Ashland Ky. Is it all different everywhere?

My pt today measures me ans she said it was 11.2 this week was 11.9 1st week. Guess that is just the size of knee ans scar.   Each one of u all I pray for... 

1st time I lift foot off floor yay me. Pain but yay. 

Xxxx to u. Me sane. My leg hurts ans back of knee cap. Why does the knee when I stand fill like its move to position to walk lol? 

I am very lucky to have a big garden. We have a pool and a spa. The spa is under a jacaranda tree, which I love. We don't use the pool and have turned it into a fishpond with big goldfish, waterlillies and two fountains. We bought two statues that stand by the pool/pond. The law here means we have to have a safety fence, but we have a high wall.

i have made a rose garden, with a table and chairs and a fountain. I like plants that smell nice, gardenias are my favourites.

On the other side, my hubby plants vegetables and salad stuff.

We get a lot of parrots in the garden, green ones and rosellas. And kookaburras, they laugh.

Caz - 11weeks post TKR Australia

Here I am laid awake 4-20am having a cuppa  and reading all the posts n here.

i wish I could sleep through the night instead of  waking every few hours.

i'll no doubt go back to sleep soon 

Jean 

 

I am up down all night. I get spaZisms. 

Wow sounds beautiful. You should Post a photo.  Xxx hub like veggies. Me cantaloupe 😄 strawberrys ❤️ What kind of tree is it? 

A Jacaranda, beautiful purple flowers. I love mango, strawberries and grapes.

Caz

That's cool.  Me to.  I love fruits over veggies. My hub like veggies raw mine had be cooked.