Knee replacement. Help!

Arghh you poor thing. They won't let your drive until you have at least 90% bend- where are you at now?

Is there anywhere near you with a warm pool - exercising under water is so much easier and comfortable. If you can afford it at all- perhaps ask the family to put all prezzies together to treat you to a fw days at a spa where you can exercise in warm water. I am so sorry you are having a horrid time of it.

Water is good because it provides more resistance too.

I wonder how many people are driving without a 90% bend (and no-one realises).
Perhaps you could ask about the swelling, Jane, maybe the swelling would be worse at first but gradually lessen as your knee does become more mobile. I find that first thing in the morning is a good time as by mid-afternoon my ankle and foot are too swollen to try to straighten my foot out. However, the physio pushed it further down than I had dared to do on my own.
But I'm not sure how far you can go with a knee replacement.

Yes. I've been fantasising about exercising in a warm pool. The surgeon said I could exercise in a pool which is fine but, as I can't drive, I can't actually get there!!! My sports centre doesn't even have a jacuzzi unfortunately.
On the bright side the family are going to a resort hotel for a few days during the hols and, coincidentally, I'm already booked in for a session in the spa area there.
Meanwhile, I plan to try extra hard with exercise, elevation and icing then at least I can tell the Dr I've done my best. He did say that its not my fault but due to my metabolism-trying too hard to heal and protect the knee.

Perhaps you have a friend, sibling, child, neighbour- who would enjoy going to a warm pool with a jacuzzi too?

Must say I was so lucky to be able to get a blow up jacuzzi for the Summer to use, it really helped. Am trying to get my niece to take my mum's piano so we can install it again in a spare room at the back of the house- as I so miss it. It can't be left out with minus temps- so we had to empty it and store it- but I'm desperate to get it back. Lucky too that we have a pool in France I can drive to with water at 29C - and with a spa area with a jacuzzi.

My new knee still feels a bit 'foreign' but no longer painful (op at the end of March so 8 months now- and during our hols in Cape Town I walked for miles and miles, mostly with nordic sticks which really helped.

Hugs x

Jane10, did the surgeon say to carry on with the exercises ? You may well find your knee swells a bit afterwards but if you don't try the bending exercises surely the muscles around your knee will forget what they are supposed to do. When I had my knees done I did the exercises and then the elevation and ice. Hope you soon get things sorted.

Oh yes I carry on with the exercises, ice and elevation. Maybe it'll be OK. The Dr does have me over a barrel though if he says I can't drive unless my ROM improves. I might have to agree to a MUA which might just lead to more inflammation and swelling. Am pretty despondent.

Didn't want to go to knee class this afternoon, glad I did. Talking to the others there is helpful, as is coming on here. My flexion is not brilliant but physio I saw today thought I was doing all right, reassuring. I'm going to walk more, on the flat, I'll try for 10-15 minutes tomorrow. One woman is going 30 minutes each day. Her worry is when she can drive, she's glad she's had an automatic for years!
I think I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and resentful that my knee isn't painfree yet. Getting out a bit should help!

Doom gloom and misery. The very good physio says there is nothing more they can do for me. Looks like the dreaded manipulation under anaesthetic is inevitable. Am really scared and not happy. I've done everything I was supposed to. If I had a bad reaction to the knee op last time who's to say that the tissues won't overreact again. Just venting general misery. Och!!

Jane I do feel for you. What a worry if, like me, you hate the thought of a GA. But once the manipulation is done you will start to feel so much better. So here's to an increasingly happier and pain-free new year. Of course you'll worry. Why would the tissues overreact? It won't be surgery, just manipulation. It's bad luck that it's gone this way for you especially as you did everything right but at least you've been offered a solution. Maybe someone else on here has had it done and can offer some wise words. I can only sympathise and understand how the situation must make you feel but I'm sure you'll be writing more positively in a few weeks' time, after you've had it done.

Jane. So sorry to hear that your knee isn't progressing well. I know you've been doing all th right things so it does seem unfair. You must be very down to know that driving isn't possible at present.

At my 6 week meeting I was told by the surgeon that he'd see me in another 6 weeks and if insufficient improvement in flexion it could be the same as you. I'm trying hard to improve the flexion but the result seems to be far more discomfort, less sleep and a disinclination to do much at all.

All good wishes ?, thinking of you, x

The physio actually told me to do less as the more I pushed myself the worse it got. My ROM has actually reduced. I just seem to have the sort of tissue that overreacts.
GP phoned re meds. No point in taking any more anti inflammatories as they're not helping. She didn't help much by saying that in all her years in practice she'd never heard of anyone needing MUA. Not very comforting!

The only bright side is that now I'm sleeping much better. Also if off meds I can have a glass of bubbly on Christmas day!

You enjoy that glass of bubbly! ?

But you can still take paracetamol- the only drug I was given post op once the tramadol was stopped on day 3- and have a glass of bubbly.

In fact the physio advised me to take paracetamol about 30 to 40 mins before doing my exercises and before physio too- and it did help.

Go for the manaipulation under GA - it can only help. And perhaps worth asking about renting a Kinetec machine- where you lie on your bed and strap into a splint whihc bends at regular interval (which can be increased) and at an angle that can be slowly increased during the session and which each session.

Well the worst has come to the worst and I'm booked in fo MUA next Friday (13th!).
In a way I'm almost glad because its been hanging over me for so long. Just hope it makes a (positive) difference.
I'm to be in hospital overnight and on a CPM. The surgeon said that longer than one night wouldn't make a difference but physio ++ in the weeks after would. Time will tell...

Very best of luck - you deserve it after all this time. (My physio daughter says the continuous motion thingy is a waste of time as the motion is passive not active - but I was given one in hospital) please get as much physio as you can, I used a practice specialising in sports injury as they seem to have better expectations of long term outcome. I've climbed mountain jungles, and all sorts since my TKR - you go for it.

The CPM thingy in my case is not for muscles but to try to stop adhesions forming as I'm apparently genetically prone to overreact to such trauma. Gulp.

Jane -thinking of you and hoping it goes well ?

Thanks Elrel

will be thinking of you on Friday - I do hope this is the start of sorting it all out - you deserve some good luck this time.

Good luck for Friday Jane you've certainly been through the mill. I hope your knee really improves after Friday.

I am so sorry Jane10. I've only just caught up with this thread again and am sad that you are having problems.
My progress has been reasonable, I am lucky, but it's not perfect.
I'm driving and walking ok now, but it still hurts if I do too much.
I do wish you all the very best and hope they can sort you out very soon.

I'm not suffering. Knee's not sore, I sleep well etc its just that my leg still won't bend more than 50 degrees. Too rapid overhealing. Genetic tendency apparently. Its going to be painful I gather but it has to be at least tried.

Well todays the day. My heart is racing. Manipulation under anaesthetic is what I've been dreading having throughout the whole recovery process.
I'm sorry to be going on about it. People must be sick of me moaning on about my knee. I'm sick of it myself. The only positive thing about it is that I caught a cold last week and was surprised to find how much I worried about the procedure being cancelled.
Anyway. Thank God for Gransnet. Its a great distraction!

Good luck Jane hope it goes well and you can start your real recovery.