June/JulyAugust 2012 TKRs

Helenbothknees

Update....

Just had my 8 week appointment (6 week for some people) with my consultant. He marvelled at my 120+ degree knee bend, and said he hadn't seen such a good bend in years, and I had two of them! Said he took back what he'd said about women not being prepared to work at exercising! I said I didn't remember him saying that, but if I had I'd have been at pains to disprove it!!! Otherwise he said he was very happy, that my pain and weakness would lessen up to the one year mark, and that he didn't need to see me again. He gave me an open appointment, ie if I want to see him any time over the next six months I can phone and make an appointment.

So all is well. And my new mini exercise bike has arrived and looks good (and works well too; I had a little go), so hopefully a return to normal health and fitness beckons. It's been a long eight weeks. Correction...it's been a long 14 years, since I was first diagnosed with arthritis in my knees.

Hope the news is/will be as good for all other new knees, and my commiserations to those of you who can't be helped this easily (relatively easily!!); I'm thinking of you. These forums have been an eye-opener to me; I'll never again think that I'm really badly off.

And to anyone who's wondering about a TKR, or whether to have two at the same time, my advice would definitely be to go for it!

Helen

JuliaHod12

great news Helen....... very well done :-) x

I've just got back from my 6wk physio appointment...........not such good news :-(
I appear to have pulled a muscle in the back of my calf, so have been advised to rest up, no non essential walking, back to 2 sticks and basic mobility exercises only and plenty of ice!
Fed up is an understatement, although it was self inflicted by overdoing it last Saturday.

SteveBurns

Helen good to hear your news You have done really well.

I still have only a 105 degree bend and can't go further 'cos it hurts so much.

I think when the muscle over the knee cap was cut and sewn back together he did something that was not quite right. That's what it seems like anyway. That pain starts at exactly the same place when I get to the same position.

Anyway my knee is a bit more sore today - listen to this.

I was dreaming about playing football for Everton against Aston Villa, and I had the ball at my feet with my back to goal. There was a defender behind me and I lifted the ball with a flick of my toe and then swung my leg to give it a really hard kick - then I woke up with real pain as I had kicked the side frame of my bed

Most annoying as I don't know what happened next 'cos I lost the dream. I might have scored, or been treated on the pitch by the Physio or even been carried off on a stretcher :?

Its true, hope it made you all laugh

marrianne

Hi Helen ,Julia,Steve ,Well done Helen definately shows the benefit of keeping those muscles strong before surgery ,I am off for my 6week check tomorrow and Kathbee is the same day to ,I know she wont mind my saying so good luck Kath ,Julia I am so sorry its just one step forwards two back but you will get their in the end ,Same for Steve with that tendon ,once everything settles some of us m ight need a bit of tweeking , maybe not football Steve oh dear sorry to laugh but stick to the gym ,,then again remeber the rowing machine ??? . so be careful what ever your doing ..... gentle walk for me this morning dont know about the bend because I dont do my exercises now just the odd knee bend on the bed so I will probably be in trouble tomorrow ,keep up the good work guys Marrianne

Helenbothknees

Julia, sorry to hear that. It's a warning for me, as I know I tend to overdo things, and I have one or two muscular twinges that I've been nursing for a while now. It's so hard to get the balance right.
Steve, nice story; I had a good laugh about that.
Marrianne, you're so right; we will all get there in the end. It just takes a long time. I complained to the doc about how much pain I was in, and he just said it was because I'd had both knees done, and it should go after.....a year. We're in this for the long term. That's why I'm planning a get together for next summer. I originally thought I'd come on here for a couple of months, then forget I ever had arthritis, but I can see now It won't be that quick.

I'm going to start a new thread, as I just found what might be a really helpful book for all of us. I've been convinced we ought to get more info than we're given at hospital and at physio, so I did a search on Amazon and.... well, see my new thread. I wanted to make sure it got read by anyone even contemplating a new knee.

pegleg

Youv'e done so well Helen , my consultation with surgeon is on 19th Sept so I will find out then how I'm doing , got a bit more bend than last physio so hopefully getting there now x

Helenbothknees

Just been to my last physio session for a month...or maybe for ever! She said I was doing fine, and it was just a matter of time and keeping on with my exercises. But she gave me an appointment at the beginning of October to come if I felt like it, ask any questions if I had them, or cancel if I felt I was managing OK alone. Very civilised way of doing things. I'll probably see if my new book answers everything when it arrives, and take it from there.

So if all goes well from now on I may not have much to say on here any more, but I'll certainly drop in from time to time, and we WILL have that meet-up summer 2013 for all new knees and anyone else who wants to come along!

I still have a way to go, but already feel as though I've been given my life back. I even managed to get in and out of the bath yesterday without my stool, and walking is beginning to be normal and fun instead of meaning agony. So if anyone is thinking of having a TKR and has any doubts, I'd say go for it! Best thing I've ever done.

pegleg

Well done ! , you must be chuffed .

Helenbothknees

pegleg, I'm delighted, but will be far more so when I don't need strong painkillers, can walk downstairs without feeling as though my right leg might give way, and carry in the heavy supermarket bags. Still a way to go....

Still, I'm already feeling slightly guilty at using my Blue Badge...but only slightly! Ethical question...do I hand it back before it expires in 2015 if I get back to full health and mobility before then? I suppose I should. I'll think about that if/when it happens.

SteveBurns

I think you've done marvellously well Helen.

I've brought forward my next consultant appointment to next Monday 'cos the pain in my knee is just not going away and its preventing me from increasing the bend.

I also can't straighten the leg and it gives way occasionally when walking. I still use one stick.

I think he must have done something wrong so I will ask him to sort it out.

That book looks good, it came today. The first section will be useful when I get my left knee done.

Take care

Helenbothknees

I think I've been marvellously lucky. I must send my consultant a thank you note, but I'm hoping to do that when we're on holiday in Madeira, and send him a picture of me walking in the hills or something similar.

How did you get your book so quickly, Steve; I'm still waiting for mine? Or did you pay for First Class postage, which I'm too stingy to do?

I do hope you get something sorted out with the consultant. It does sound as though something isn't right, especially as I know you've worked really hard at exercising and done all the right things. Hopefully he can put things right for you.

SteveBurns

Amazon prime.

My wife paid about £50 for the year and we get loads from Amazon so well worth it for us.

Most things arrive next day but the book took two days

Don't let the DLA know how good you are or they'll take it off you

elnafinn

SteveBurns wrote:

I've brought forward my next consultant appointment to next Monday 'cos the pain in my knee is just not going away and its preventing me from increasing the bend.I also can't straighten the leg and it gives way occasionally when walking. I still use one stick.I think he must have done something wrong so I will ask him to sort it out.

I may well be barking up the wrong tree but scar tissue can affect post op recovery. Some people produce more than others and this can hinder the knee bend/straightening it. Your consultant may well tell you to be patient as you have had a major operation and it can take 18 months for everything to settle. Most of us get there in the end but the recovery is very individual. I endured pain/discomfort for 9 months, night and day post op until everything settled. I still went back and had the second one done though and went through similar but it all came out in the wash eventually.

Elna x

pegleg

I agree with Elnafinn there Steve , I'm just seven weeks post TKR and my knee isn't straight (not sure how many weeks you are ?) so when walking my knee doesn't feel totally stable , I use one crutch when walking too . I think things just take time to settle , maybe your doing too much ? , I haven't taken any painkillers for a couple of weeks now and the swelling is going down nicely , I NEVER push myself to the point of sharp pain and I keep it iced in between exercise sessions . Obviously if your worried then go to see the surgeon and I really hope its just post op pain and nothing wrong x

Helenbothknees

Elna, I suspect you're right. As I said, I've been lucky. I guess I just don't form lots of scar tissue. Steve, you should be OK in the long run, but see your consultant; I know nothing except my own experience.

I only have DLA till early next year anyway. But I have my Blue Badge till 2015! That's the one I may have to think about.

SteveBurns

having now read part way through the book it probably is scar tissue, the tendon is cut to allow access to the knee, then sewn together.

Too much exercise can increase the scar tissue, thats what I think has gone wrong 'cos the physios were defo too hard trying to get the bend in the early days.

I'll see what my consultant says.

The book seems good, lots of good exercises and reasons for the different pains etc.

dreamdaisy

Scar tissue is thick old stuff (deep too) and it can make the wound feel 'tight' inside. Exercise is important but even more so is a steady return to life as one feels it should or could be lived. I have a double lot in my left knee after the two synovectomies and I remember well the sensation of it 'giving' as I worked at regaining some bend - it wasn't fun. :? Don't force matters - and don't allow a physio to do that either. Keep working at it Steve, I am sure all will be well in the end. DD

SteveBurns

I saw my consultant today, he said I have post op pain :? , it is the tendon and the pain will go away eventually

In the meantime I have to ignore the pain (easier said than done) and keep on trying to bend the knee . Use the bike and force the knee to bend.

I can do anything in the gym except the treadmill.

I can do every swimming stroke and should do lots of walking in the pool.

He recommended using anti inflammatory gel so I bought a tube of Ibuleve. (If it works I will buleve)

He said I should come off the Tramadol before I get hooked, so wean myself off from now, but keep taking the paracetamol.

I am now ten weeks post op and he said the next three months are crucial to me getting a decent bend or having a stiff knee joint.

So here goes - if you hear someone screaming in agony you know its me :x

Helenbothknees

My consultant said something similar about the pain, ie that it would go away in a few months! But nobody's asked me to come off painkillers, and expecting you to manage with just paracetamol sounds a bit hard to me. He's clearly never been in pain himself.

I'm still taking codeine, but I'm trying to cut it down; I was on 240mg a day, been down to 180mg for a bit, now trying 120mg a day starting today. Maybe you can cut back the tramadol gradually like that, or is that what he meant? And I wouldn't worry too much; I read up about tramadol when I was taking it, and only a minority of people get hooked, and they've usually taken it for years. It made me ill before I got anywhere near the addiction stage; that's why I refused to take it after the op.

SteveBurns

Tramadol instead of 2 four times a day I'm trying one four times a day. I'll see how it goes. Gym later and think I'll do loads of the pool exercises and try a bit of breaststroke

pegleg

Well at least he diddn't suggest manipulation Steve , they bang on about it a lot on some websites , having had my ankle manipulated twice before they admitted it had already part fused itself after many months of my leg in plaster I don't fancy having it done to my knee . I just can't get my knee to bend anymore than it will go at he moment , it doesn't really hurt but just feels "stuck" , it won't go straight either but hopefully that will come eventually (she hopes!) x

SteveBurns

pegleg he told me it was up to me to bend the knee, he can't do it for me.

I went to the gym this afternoon and did lots of the exercises in the book. They seem to be working while in the water, stiffened up afterwards and loosened up again now.

If I'm not too sore tomorrow I'll go again and do some more.

The consultant has given me lots of confidence in the knee, I swam breaststroke without worrying about damage, even did some jumping up and down in the pool. No adverse after affects - yet.

I used to do a 25m length breaststroke in 45 seconds. I timed myself today - 40 seconds. Couldn't believe it

pegleg

Wow ! , well done with the swimming , I'm looking forward to going again although front crawl is my stroke . Glad the consultant was good with you and everything is ok , I'm sure we will all get there eventually , everyone is different in their recovery

SteveBurns

I went to the gym again this morning, 25 m pool and the water was very cold brrrr

Did a couple of lengths walking then ten breaststroke/crawl. A little sore in the upper arms but not in the knee I don't like people going faster than myself so kept up with everyone

Did some exercises in the family pool - nice and warm walking, hopping, side steps. backwards, step ups, kicking etc. Then into the hydro pool just like a hot bath

I actually managed to kneel on the new knee while in the hot pool, I felt the scar on the floor, then tried it again on a metal part of the floor and no problem.

Can't do it now I'm home but it does prove you can kneel (if I can you can)

Very positive though

Steve

Helenbothknees

All sounds good, Steve. On kneeling, I can now kneel with both knees, though as with everything, one is better than the other. I still need a soft surface, but can manage without my airfilled cushion, and use kneeling as an intermediate step when getting on to the floor or into the bath, which is so helpful. And it seem to get better the more I do it, though I don't know about a metal surface...yikes!