Feeling low today

pegleg

Six weeks today since my TKR , making slow progress but feel like my knee should bend more and straighten out more ?! , don't really know what stage I should be at , physio said it was bending at 85 degree's and "to work at the straightening" , not going for another 2 weeks so I guess she's hoping to see improvement . Been having a go on our exercise bike but can only rock back and forth and am doing my bending / stretching 3-4 times a day , I know I'm loads better than I was but I just want to be back to "normal " now ! :x x

stickywicket

If you're doing the exercises 3-4 times a day, pegleg, I'm not sure what more you can do. How much of a bend do you need? I ask because I never got much over 90 but have never felt the need for more. Straightening is more important but, if you're doing at least 10 repetitions 4 times a day, I'm sure it will come. I tend to find that the times when I least want to do them is when I feel the most benefit having forced myself to do them. Don't get discouraged. It isn't a race Keep plugging away at it and it will come.

pegleg

Well I'm not sure how much bend your supposed to get , enough to get down the stairs normally would be nice , I'm just not used to all this lark , every op I've had its been plaster , sofa and rest for 3 + months ! , no physio so no "pressure" so to speak . I know its no race but being younger I do have to get back to work at some point . I think I feel like this because my Mum's friend told me that at 6 weeks the swelling should of gone down and the bend will be there and I think I've kind of held onto that thinking I was going to wake up today and be loads better than I was ! , stupid I know but I think I've just let her words get to me x

barbara12

Pegleg I think you are being to hard on yourself, everyone is so different, so your mums friend saying the swelling should have gone down may be wrong for you .
I do understand your frustration, but carry on with the exercises, and I will have everything crossed for you, that when you go back they can see an improvement xx

dreamdaisy

Ah, those wonderfully elastic concepts of 'should' and 'supposed'. No-one can tell you what you should or are supposed to be achieving as your recuperation is so very personal to YOU. Your body is different to everyone else's, your op is different to every one else's, the part you have to play is this: do what you can, when you can, the best you can and I am sure that things will start to pick up. The problem when you are the one in the middle of it all is that you cannot see your own progress, let alone feel it. I was told after my first synovectomy I wouldn't be allowed to leave the hospital until I had achieved one important leg raise. I did achieve it but two years later such was the damage done to my muscles.

Chin up my lovely, only seven weeks ago you still had your manky old joint. Dont' let the fact that others are making an all-singing-all-dancing recovery get you down - I used to find that the hardest when I went to hospital physio, everybody with their new knees was so much better than me. **** 'em was my attitude! DD

JuliaHod12

aaaw Pegleg, you are doing fine, honestly!

I went for my physio assessment today (week 5 post op)

bend is fine, but straightening not so great, and i have been reassured that is normal for this stage........! The average total recovery for a TKR is 12 to 18 months, and i was advised to look at the longer term recovery rather than try to focus on how long its been since i did anything "normal"
i was also told that 5/6 weeks is a tad early for thinking about exercise bikes and the gym! The preferred method at the moment is simple exercise and not overdoing it, light swimming or 15/20 mins walking etc in a pool.
i now have exercises to do lying on my front in addition to the normal bed exercises and more walking.
a "wobble board" has also been suggested and i tried one out today

keep on doing what you are doing honey, the knee and your brain will tell you when its ready for more xxx

pegleg

I know I'll be fine , just having a bad day I think , and thank you all , sometimes it is hard not to compare yourself to others though . I asked about the exercise bike at physio and she said I wouldn't get all the way round but just the stretching/ bending was good . I am hopefully going to go swimming with my Sister , she works at Rainbows in Loughborough (a hospice for Children) , they have a lovely pool that we can use free of charge , so even better ! , I was doing 30 mins of front crawl 2-3 times a week before my op so hopefully can slowly build it back up .
Julia , your doing well , be careful on that "wobble board " - sounds lethal ! xx

Numptydumpty

Hi Pegleg,
I have no experience of this operation, but I can see how frustrating the recovery period must be. I'm sorry you're having a bad day, and hope things improve soon.
All the best,
Numpty

Helenbothknees

Swelling should have gone down!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, yeah, right.... And the moon's made of green cheese and that's a flying pig I see out there.

Look, my recovery has been great for 7 weeks, the physios are impressed, I have normal bend and straightening and I can do stairs. BUT.... my knees still swell up horribly and I need loads of painkillers. Swelling down? Don't make me laugh! Everyone is different. I came on this site originally to find out how I 'should' be getting on, and I've finally realised that. If things go in the right direction, albeit slowly, and nothing breaks, and we don't have a fall or anything awful, then we're doing OK - you, me, Julia, Steve, Marrianne, Kath, and anyone I've forgotten. We're just doing OK each in our own way. Hang in there, and look at how much better YOU are than a few weeks ago, not anyone else.

pegleg

I know and thank you . Having had no experiance of this surgery I just took to heart everything that this woman said , like I said before I have always been in plaster after ops so by the time they come off all the swelling has gone down and its back to work and normal . Must admit my pain has been minimal and I just take paracetamol in the evening mainly because my back hurts ! , but like you said we are all different xxx

dreamdaisy

Ah, the wobble board. I remember it well, I even bought one but it's gathering dust somewhere as I can't balance on it now for love - let alone money. As for the cycling, in my hospital gym they had bikes where the pedal could be moved up or down its shaft, thus easing or contracting the degree of bend. This meant I could pedal with my un-operated leg achieving its full bend ('cos that wasn't arthritic then) but my operated one only needing a bend of about 30 degrees to complete the circle. Doesn't your physio/gym have one of those? DD

julie47

Hi Pegleg

I haven't had knee surgery so I can not comment. I just wanted to wish you well

Love Juliepf x

pegleg

The bikes in the physio gym looked like they had come off an ark ! , she did say that it takes her "knee class's" about 8 weeks to get all the way around so not expecting too much there too soon ! , those ones sound good though DD x

babytiger

Just want to wish you well with your knee,we are al different in a) the operation and b) your recovery,Some peeps recover fairly quickly and others at a slower pace.Just try and keep your exercises going when you can..you will have good n bad days........ wishing you well xx
Eileen