The Journey is Almost Over

9/9  Therapy today and new ways to strengthen. I was doing the Total Gym with both legs, now they want me to do it one leg at a time. Boy! That's a workout! Also did the chair squat - my "good" knee was complaining about that one - surgery knee was fine. I asked my PT when do you know when it's time to stop therapy. She said I was pretty nearly there. My flex is great, extension is almost perfect; mostly I am strengthening my legs and hips. Maybe a couple weeks more, then I am through, although I feel I'll need to stretch every day from now on.  I may have to do hamstring stretches the rest of my life. My knee is stiff without them. I've decided to start doing them first thing in the morning before I get out of bed.


9/12  Another good day in PT for me. How do you know when you've had enough PT? I think I'm headed there. I went ahead and made appts. for next week, but I think that may be the end. I'll miss it. Although it's hard work, I always come out feeling good.

9/15 Yesterday, we took an architectural boat tour of Chicago. What a glorious day for it - 70's, sunny, blue skies - great fun and a beautiful city. I walked all over Navy Pier plus driving up and back, and on the way home, I definitely entered into the ODIC (Over Doing It Club.)   I had taken my extra-strength Tylenol in the morning, but forgot to take any at noon, and by the time I got home at 3:30, I was definitely behind the pain. I almost felt as if I had the flu, achy all over. I resisted taking something stronger and waited for the Tylenol to kick in while lying down on the bed. Felt much better in the evening and just fine this morning. Just about the time I think I'm definitely over this surgery, it tells me I still have work to do.

9/19 I released myself from PT today. ROM is 141, extension -3. I'll miss PT, but time to move on and establish a routine with my knee at home and keep working on that extension. I've found that putting weights on my leg and letting it hang off the bed is as good a stretch as anything.

I told my husband several weeks ago that I would be glad when I could get up and move around without thinking of my knee. Well, that day has come. I don't think about it most of the time now. It gave me a little pain this last week with the weather change, but nothing bad. The numbness probably bothers me more than anything, but I guess I'll learn to live with that.
 
Today when doing chair squats at PT, I had to stop because of my left knee. Right knee was great!  I have OA in my left knee, not as bad as my right was, so I'm hedging my bet on having it replaced. If I have to, I have to, but I've had such a good recovery with this one, I'm afraid to tempt fate. 
If I decide to have it replaced, I will probably be looking at the left knee next Spring.

 

Stairway to Heaven? No, Stairs like a Normal Person

August 24  - Had another great therapy session on Thursday. I really love these new therapists. They work me well, but never to pain. My extension was measured at -22 on Monday, by the end of therapy Thursday, she measured -16. I drove the car twice yesterday and today with no side effects. I almost feel guilty - my recovery has been so trouble free.

August 25 - I feel extremely grateful to have had as wonderful a recovery as I have, so much so that I don't know that I want to tempt fate and have the left one done.
I'm enjoying the new knee - getting up without pain or having to ssttrreettcchh my leg out first before I could stand on it is an incredible situation!
My worst problem right now is sleeping. I have good nights and bad. I'm still trying to work out the proper medication to get me a good night's sleep. I do well on extra-strength Tylenol during the day. I take an ibuprofen at night with a Tylenol p.m., but it doesn't seem to do a good job. I hate to have to take a Norco at night, but I may try a 1/2 and see what happens. My P.A. said he would send out some Tramadol if I needed it, but I've never taken it, so don't know how it works.

August 31 - Haven't posted on this thread in almost a week - been busy! I'm still loving my PT although she brought a new torture device last Monday which was exquisite (not in a good way!) It was a platform which supported my calf and leg attached to metal bars. A Velcro wrap was put around my thigh and I was given a bulb to "pump it up." I pumped until I felt a stretch in my hamstring and then had to hold it for two minutes. I did have a release in case it was too much, and by the end of two minutes, I was more than ready to release! I then was given some time to work it out, and then went for round two. All these stretches work - I've gone from -22 to -14 in 3 PT sessions.

I'm also faithfully doing my stretches at home except for a couple of days this last week when I entered the Bad Back Club. Thankfully, some rest and warm wraps got the back problem taken care quickly.

Overall, knee is responding well - taking only extra-strength Tylenol for pain and one ibuprofen at night for arthritis in the other body parts.

Sept 1 - I am going to see my two grandkids next month. Flying for the first time since TKR - that will be fun.  Back is much better now. It usually only takes 2-3 days when this happens, and it only happens a couple of times a year.
Got back to my at home therapy the last two days, and my knee is much happier. I wonder if I'm going to have to do these daily stretches the rest of my life? Not that it will hurt me, but it's amazing how stiff my knee got without the stretches. My extension is my worst - I think my flex is almost normal. My PT doesn't measure it, but it seems to match up to my other leg. My PT told me that extension is harder to get than flex.
Last night I had the funniest little feeling on my knee - like little nerves dancing around. It didn't really hurt, and it didn't last more than five minutes, but it was strange.
We hope to drive to the Folk Music festival at Geneva and hear one of my friends on the Bonesmart.org website tomorrow.  This is a great website devoted entirely to joint replacement.  I’ve gotten up a friendship with several ladies in the Chicago area.  Dulcimer Diva is the avatar name of my friend at the Folk Music Festival, and as her name says, she  plays the mountain dulcimer as well as the guitar and other instruments. 

Sept 2 - Got to hear Dulcimer Diva sing and play her guitar and dulcimer and generally had a great time at the Fox River Folk Festival today. I drove up and back for an hour or more each way, and I walked almost a mile, and had my leg down for over five hours. A little swollen and stiff, but nothing icing and elevating can't take care of. The weather was gorgeous, and the park where the festival was held was beautiful!

Sept. 3 - Had my first therapy in over a week since my back caused me to miss last week. They worked me hard as usual, but I always come out feeling good. Today my extension measured -5! Woot! That's quite a change in only 4 visits plus the in home stretches I do. They also took me to the staircase, and I walked up and down stairs like a normal person several times. Haven't done that in years! Torture device was upped to 3 minutes.  ARRRRGGGHHH!  But it works!  Spending the afternoon icing and elevating - maybe even a nap!

Sept. 5 - Therapy today! I always feel so good after therapy - tired, but good. Today we did some new stuff - walking backward on the treadmill, scooting across the floor using my heels to propel - along with all the usual suspects. She measured my ROM for the first time since I started five sessions ago, and it is now equal with my left knee at 135. Still working on the extension. If I am sitting up and pressing my knee down, I get a 0, but if I am lying on my back, it's about -8. She also measured my strength, and I am much stronger in my legs than at the beginning. It's great to see measurable success. I love this knee!