Knee Replacement Surgery - Anyone?
- Thread starter mezz
- Start date
jakester23
Member
Mezz, is your therapy at home ? Did they give you the "I believe it was called a ACM machine" for bending? Make sure you ice after working on it. Yesterday I started therapy in a pool. Was pretty nice .Water 92 degrees. They had me doing some crary workouts in the water but it felt good. By the way Mezz, I'm a 68yr old going on 40. Still in decent shape, for old fart. Just beat myself up when I was young. I also played golf yesterday and hitting the ball decent. I've been coming up to the u.p. sledding since 82. I love up there. I'm hoping to come up with my kids this summer, we will see. My yougest daughter wiill be graduating H.S. sunday. She will be going to college in fall. Then it will be me and my youngest son. He will be a sophmore in H. S. this fall. Right now he is ending freshmen yr. of Baseball. His love is snow and snowboarding. I also have older son and daughter from a earlier marriage. 43 and 41. Have 5 grand kids that are great. Just thought I would share some things. Stay strong, you'll be amazed how well you will feel in a few week!! If ya have any questions feel free to ask.Hopefully site will stay up.
mezz
Well-known member
Physical Therapy is at our local Hospital, my wife is able to leave work for a spell to bring me, her work is real close to the Rehab Center, so it works out for now. I hope to be able to drive myself in a couple of weeks. Right now the PT is stretching & conditioning, nothing harsh, but, nonetheless, you feel it. I don't have an ACM, just good ole fashion stretches, concentration right now on getting the swelling down to improve range of motion. I do have an ice circulation pump for icing the knee, surprising how long the cold lasts vs. the gel pack, using them both as much as possible. We are hoping to get our pool set up for the summer real soon. I don't know how quickly I'll be able to climb into it, but at least I will be able to eventually have some water aerobics here at home in the near future. Thanks again for your input & hopefully, the site issues are resolved fully real soon.
BigSix
Active member
You are past the worst of it. As said above, ice/cold water will take care of the swelling/pain. Those ice water recirculating devices are the best because you won't get ice burns from them. They also distribute the coolness evenly. They use lots of ice, though, so buy about 2-3 bags of ice per day.
Good luck and you will be soon telling use that you wish you did it sooner.
Good luck and you will be soon telling use that you wish you did it sooner.
heckler56
Active member
Glad your procedure went well! Ice ice and then ice. We have a ice machine for my former rotator cuff surgery that I bought the knee wrap for the wife, she complained it was “too cold”.
Wife still has allot of pain 8 months later but I reiterate she used a “trauma“ surgeon. Since she has not found a single person that was still having any issues after 3 weeks, she has decided to meet with a different sugeon for second opinion and the other knee.
Wife still has allot of pain 8 months later but I reiterate she used a “trauma“ surgeon. Since she has not found a single person that was still having any issues after 3 weeks, she has decided to meet with a different sugeon for second opinion and the other knee.
mezz
Well-known member
Thank you guys, I had my 2nd round of PT this afternoon, again, preliminary speaking, headed in the right direction, just wish the swelling would decline at a rate greater than it has. I am trying to be patient, this is what I need to overcome. I don't want too fast, nor too slow, learn as I go.
heckler56
Active member
Slow, ice, slow, ice. I personally feel my wife gave up on the ice machine too quick and went to ice packs wrapped in towels so she wasn’t so cold. Once my nerve block went off from my rotator cuff surgery it felt cold but once it got numb, awesome. I now race to get my docks in just after the ice on the lake breaks cuz it feels great after the initial shock.
jakester23
Member
Mezz, How are you doing. Hope you're getting better every day. Thought I would check in ,catching the site while it is working.
mezz
Well-known member
Thank you for asking, Yes, site availability is still & hit or miss issue, as such I will take advantage of it right now. I'm doing OK, I had my third round of PT yesterday afternoon. I am now free of the walker, therapist tells me I am ahead of the range of motion expectation at this stage of post-op, though I don't feel that way, but, this is all new to me. I do feel a bit better every day & do see improvements in the healing each day as well. The swelling & bruising was pretty ugly, but has now come down quite a bit. I am trying to stay on course with the recommended exercises, stretches & movements. I look forward to having this fully behind me. I have my 2 week follow-up with the surgeon on Friday, hopefully they will give me the green light to drive myself.
jakester23
Member
I had my 12 week follow up yesterday. I can say no pain unless I push the bending more. I will continue some water therapy a few more times and then say goodbye to that. I feel I can push myself and let them help the ones that need it more than me. DR. told me I will problably never be able to hit my heel to my butt because of how long I waited and that the three major surgeries I had over all the years took there toll. I have started riding my bike. Seems to get better with time. Also playing golf, and playing without any trouble. Now I have decide when to do the left one. I have to wait at least three more months. I will see how it goes because my daughter that graduated sunday will be starting college around that time.I would like to get it done before the snow flies. Take care and keep updating when the site allows. 
a question the Doc might ask-- What pain meds are you taking? IF you are taking any opiates, not likely to give you a medical clearance to drive. Doc for my surgeries said I had to be off that kind of meds for 24 hours before driving.
mezz
Well-known member
Right you are, I have been off of the opiate meds for 2 days. I drove myself to PT for round four this afternoon, got scolded for not bringing my cane in. I tend to push myself, sometimes. I personally feel no real value to it, when I walk, I walk upright & heal to toe. I probably should just do as I am told, but, so far so good. I am slowly gaining range of motion which has increased some since my last session. I guess I need to study the art of patience.
G
G
Guest
You should not be so tough. Do as the Dr says. Use your cane. Pushing yourself is not going to speed up the healing process. The Drs know more than you and have years of results to help determine what is best for you. I can tell you what happens to tough guys though. You will still have swelling a year later. Do exactly what they tell you to do. No more. No less.
mezz
Well-known member
Good solid & sensible advice grub. Thank you for that. I have always pushed myself & now realize that I have been pushing harder due to the physical limitations I have had for the last 3 years. I will try harder to not try so hard.
jakester23
Member
Mezz hope your follow up goes well for you today. I had 3 different therapist over the time of my therapy. Each one a little different than the other. All were good. I'm sure they told you ,but you also have to work on getting it straight too. The therapist that I have now has me working both bending and straightening. I am happy to say that I can finally go down strairs one step at a time without doing baby steps.That has been over ten yrs. since being able to do that. I never had a problem going up steps. On normal steps and the steps that were on the printing press I use to run. I am at the point where I can say "I wish I did it years ago." Two weeks was a good turning point, you will get better fast. Stay tough and have a great holiday weekend!! I will be teeing up in the morning and a wedding in the evening tomorrow. I never would have thought I would be this pain free 12 weeks ago!!
mezz
Well-known member
All went well at the 2 week follow-up. Bandage removed, everything looks good there as well. Doc says my ability to bend & straighten are right where they expected me to be at this time. I will continue with PT & home exercises as recommended & try to expand my daily activity a little at a time, after all, spring is here & there is yard work to do, so a little at a time. Speaking of stairs, I was actually able to go down & up my stairs (carefully) one step at a time rather than two stepping to each step for the first time in over 3 years. I am excited about that, but, cautiously optimistic, all I a can say is it sure feels good. Have a great long week-end.
mezz
Well-known member
I had round 5 of PT on Tuesday, all went well, though I will say that during one of my home exercises that morning (heel slide) I felt a pop. It was disturbing to say the least, now tender on the left side of the knee when I draw it back. I hope it was just one of the internal stitches letting go, I sure don't need a set back now. I was told no walking in the yard, uneven ground will cause issues, so, no more yard work for a while. Other than that, everything else seems to be progressing OK. I'm trying not to rush the process. I am learning as I go.
G
G
Guest
Make sure you tell the doctor about your 'pop'. Not meaning to hound you. Hoping for the very best. But any 'pop' is something you mention.
mezz
Well-known member
Round 6 of PT yesterday. All is going well so far. Increased straightening & bending. I was told that the pop was most likely one of the internal stitches that released as there are no other signs of weakness in the joint. This is a timely process, though I have to say I feel pretty good. I have been back to the office for a week now, no pain meds in over a week. I just wish I was able to do more, but, I have to adhere to what I am told, again, I have to remind myself, I am only 3 weeks post-op & I am happy that I am making forward progress.