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What happens when the consultant & physio abandons you at 6 weeks?

Posted , 9 users are following.

glenda29798
glenda29798

Hello all! It's me, Glenda, now 6 weeks and yesterday consultant said he didn't want to see me for a year and my last physio appointment is tomorrow! Consultant happy that I almost have a 90' bend and can sit in a chair, but the physio warned me of this and said I need more sessions to bend my knee much further and he'd negotiate more physio sessions with the Consultant but that's now clearly not going to happen unless I pay for private. I feel a bit abandoned and worried about how I'll progress from now on. Did this happen to all of you folks out there please and do you now just get on with it yourselves?

Many thanks!biggrin

1 like, 29 replies

29 Replies

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  • lynn08926
    lynn08926 glenda29798

    Posted

    Morning Glenda,

    I was treated through the NHS Choose & Book Scheme i.e. Private care via the NHS.

    It was fantastic, but only included six physio sessions in the package.  That was three hydrotherapy sessions and three in the gym.  Thereafter, I opted to pay privately.  Not cheap at nearly £50 per session, but I had formed a great relationship with my physiotherapist and choose to continue with her.

    If that is not an option, suggest you get to your GP asap and ask for sessions on the NHS.  Saw from an earlier post that you are in Buckinghamshire - me too.  Whereabouts are you out of interest?

    Hope this helps.

    Lynn 23 weeks post TKR

    • glenda29798
      glenda29798 lynn08926

      Posted

      Hi Lynn! Thanks for replying and I'm in Aylesbury and also had 3 hydrotherapy and 3 physio sessions. I think it might be a good investment for me to pay for extra physio sessions as like yourself, I get on very well with my physio and so I'll speak to him tomorrow at my last funded session.
    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 glenda29798

      Posted

      Hi!

      I live in Stokenchurch, so not far from you!

      Had my op in The Chiltern, Great Missenden, which was very good.  Well, as good as this miserable operation can be.

      Back there in March for knee number 2.😰

    • glenda29798
      glenda29798 lynn08926

      Posted

      Wow! That's where I went too! What a small world it is! The staff were really lovely there, and although I was in a drugged, painful haze I did appreciate the great facilities and care.biggrin Mind you, I'm grateful that I only have the one TKR to deal with for a while I hope!
    • glenda29798
      glenda29798 lynn08926

      Posted

      Snap! What a lovely person he is too, but as lovely as he is I don't really want to see him again until next years check! He carried out an arthroscopic op on my right knee in April this year which thankfully is fine and it's managed to help me get through the TKR on my left knee. Jane, his secretary was really helpful too, especially when I had a problem with the wound opening up after my surgery removed the clipsbiggrin My last physio with Neil is at the Chilterns tomorrow (but I'll probably pay for a few more myself)
    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 glenda29798

      Posted

      Whoa!  Too spooky!

      Yes, they were both great.  

      My last physio session is with Jo on the 17th December.  Felt I needed to see her til now as my 'security blanket'.

      She's promised to still be around for knee number two.

      Have a good weekend - supposed to be really cold up here in The Chilterns. when it snows in Scotland, we have it here too.

    • glenda29798
      glenda29798 lynn08926

      Posted

      I'll let you know how tomorrow goes! Keep in touchbiggrin I understand completely about "the security blanket" thing! Currently under the influence of every pain killer I could find in the cupboard as I've over done it today!cry
    • glenda29798
      glenda29798 lynn08926

      Posted

      Hi Lynn!

      Went to physio at the Chilterns today and Neil managed to get my bend to just over 90'! I've booked two more sessions with him that I'll pay for myself, but I feel that it will be worth spending the cash as I need him to keep me motivated and to help me reach a really good bend! Good luck with your appointment on the 17th!

    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 glenda29798

      Posted

      Good news!  Do you know you get a slight reduction in price if you book a course of four sessions?  For the past couple of months Jo (my physio) was happy to spread them fortnighly as I didn't need to see her each week.  That kept me in touch, but lessened the cost.  A course of four sessions is £192.

      Got the date of my next appointment wrong - it's the 10th December.  That's jetlag for you!  Feeling pretty tired at the mo.

      Keep in touch.  You never know, might bump into you at the hospital one day!

    • Annodoremouse
      Annodoremouse lynn08926

      Posted

      UK its available on the NHS no one should be paying for it. Im certainly not. Ask the GP for referal if the consultant hasnt
    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 Annodoremouse

      Posted

      I agree, nobody SHOULD be paying for physio, but when there is a waiting list for physio on the NHS in your area, then I didn't have that time to wait and I am fortunate that I can afford to see a private physiotherapist.
    • glenda29798
      glenda29798 lynn08926

      Posted

      I didn't know about the reduction in price if you booked four sessions so thanks! I know that in theory we shouldn't have to pay for physio but there's about a four month wait in Buckinghamshire to be sent to the clinic in Aylesbury for physio and by then it will be too late, so, like you Lynn, I'm willing to part with a few £'s to get this new knee working as well as possible. It's an investment really, as it changes the quality of your life for the better.
  • jean95756
    jean95756 glenda29798

    Posted

    Hi Glenda

    my Physio abandoned me too but I bought myself a little pedal exerciser which can be used while sitting and watching telly etc...

    you must keep up the exercises or your knee will sieze up ....I'm talking from experience

    i am still seeing my consultant though but how long for I don't know.

    Jean

    this knee Op is definitely not for the fsint hearted

    Jean 

    • glenda29798
      glenda29798 jean95756

      Posted

      Hi! My husband has an old exercise bike in our lounge and I've been trying to pedal that but I can't push the pedals all the way round which worries me a lot. I can't get any further than just before the top, then back the same way to the bottom. At what stage could you do a full turn please?
    • lynn08926
      lynn08926 glenda29798

      Posted

      Don't worry at all about a full revolution at your stage.

      Keep going on the bike (which is also good going for six weeks post op) and just rock backwards and forwards as far as you can comfortably go, then a little extra.  Work to the pain, NOT through it.

      I was much later in recovery before I could do a full turn and, even now, it is a little painful.  My physio gets me on the rowing machine before the bike which I finds loosens the knee.

      When you manage the first full revolution, the sense of achievement is immense - but you are too early in recovery to worry about that just yet!

    • glenda29798
      glenda29798 lynn08926

      Posted

      Thanks very much Lynn! It's such a relief to chat to other people who have " been there and got the T shirt", as I have been thinking that I was doing really badly on the bike and was wondering if I'd ever be able to ride my bicycle again! 
    • jennifer86104
      jennifer86104 glenda29798

      Posted

      I was about 7/8 weeks I think before I could do a full turn on my bike and then it was quite uncomfortable. It was some weeks later that I raised the seat a bit. It was so much easier. Have you tried that? Jen 19 weeks 
    • jean95756
      jean95756 glenda29798

      Posted

      Hi glenda 

      when I went to physio I could only move the pedals backwards and forwards

      i bought a little pedal machine which I can sit on a chair to use and now I can do quite a lot of revolutions ...but I am at 13 weeks post op .

      all I can say is just keep trying and one day it will happen

      good luck 

      Jean 

    • glenda29798
      glenda29798 jean95756

      Posted

      Thanks Jeanbiggrin I'll keep trying with the pedals as I'd like to ride my bike again in 2015 if possible!
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