Zimmer Knee - Gender solutions - DEC 6 2006

[L. Thomas.net]

I know that day is coming for me....I just can't wait to say "What, oh yeah that knee surgery."

[UK Girl !]

and then you get days like today when it's very cold and wet and ouchy ouchy so just sitting in my armchair with a cuppa and choccies now

[dmturner]

Hi,

I can't wait for the day when my knee is not the uppermost thing on my mind--I'm hoping by this summer.  I'm sitting in the CPM machine right now, then have to do my knee exercises and take a shower.  My knee was really hurting last night, and my hip is hurting quite a lot too.  I think I have to make sure I'm walking straight on with the walker and not throwing my leg out at all.  I just sent my husband to pick up another prescription of pain meds.  Thank god for pain meds!!

Well, have a good Sunday!

Donna

[UK Girl !]

Hi Donna - by the summer you will be just like me!

It is early days for you!
Using a walker is not the easiest thing to make you walk right..  I too had hip pain at the start - just where your whole leg has been used to being in the wrong position and takes time to get it retrained - some days I still get him pan - but less and less often now!

Enjoy your day!
anj

[Janet]

Donna: I agree, pain meds are my best friends now....well, except for my cyber friends! Remember, not only are you healing from a major surgery, but your body has to relearn how to do things correctly. Before your TKR, you were probably compensating because of pain and now you have to try to do it "right."

Anja: Just relaxing with a cup of cocoa and chocolates sounds really good right now. I did have fun this afternoon going to a movie with my daughter and my son's girlfriend. Just a girls' afternoon out. But then I got home and did my exercises then made dinner and cleaned up. Now I'm pretty sore and ready to take it easy.

Have a good night. Talk to you all soon.

Janet

[lilly_kc]

Donna - for sure, keep on top of the pain. Have had days now (3 1/2 mos post op) when I dont think about knee - it is almost weird. BUT gotta get the other one fixed in couple weeks, OUCH .... better short term ouch I think.

I found that the CPM machine hurt hip if it was set too high. PT okayed keeping it down under100 or 110 (I am pretty short and it was really whacking me around). Doc didnt have any problem with that either. Others on here have better flexion than I do, but I can do anything I want so that is my measure.

Take care, you are on downhill side now. Hugs, Kathi

[L. Thomas.net]

Hi Donna - by the summer you will be just like me!

It is early days for you!
Using a walker is not the easiest thing to make you walk right..  I too had hip pain at the start - just where your whole leg has been used to being in the wrong position and takes time to get it retrained - some days I still get him pan - but less and less often now!

Enjoy your day!
anj

You have no idea how encouraging it is to hear someone say in 6 months it will be good.  I see improvement but I’m not where I want to be.
Thanks

[Janet]

My OS tells me that everyone is at about the same place by six months post-op. I keep thinking three more months and I'll feel good! And the next three months will definitely be better than the last three. By six months I expect to be on with my new life!

I always used the CPM set no higher than 100. The machine's not really meant to help increase your ROM as much as it to keep your knee moving and loose. And if you have the CPM set at 100, that doesn't mean you will measure at 100. And Kathi's right that what really matters is being able to do what you want, not what your final measurements are. My OS told me that people don't need more than 90 for most daily activities, but they really miss the extra flexion for those activities where they need it. To get up from a chair, you need 105. He likes his patients to get at least to 110 because it is better not to be stressing your prosthesis at its end points. So I think the more flexion you get, the better it is...but you don't need to get "normal" flexion to be happy with your knee. On the other hand, it is vital that you get full extension or you won't be able to walk without a limp.

Janet

[lilly_kc]

I second all that Janet said; we get older and wiser, huh?
Kathi

[knee deep in Goo]

 I noticed that after I stopped going to PT three days a week my requirements for medication have gone down.  Yippy.  Maybe one darvacet a day and an ultram.  Not yet three months yet..  but I suddenly feel that walking and braking the car are a bit easier than it was two weeks ago.   I think I feel my left knee cap moving around more and notice the pain from that much more than my implant knee. 

Believe me I am not looking for any problems with my left knee and I know I may have a few years with it and it is going to be a pretty hard sell to be under 40 and have both knees replaced. . I dont want to hear the words.. or my OS tell me to save my walker or my canes or my bathtransfer seat or my walker..     


I am zooming along pretty good and hope the better weather allows me to take long walks that I can enjoy.. 

[Patty0513]

It is great that you have been able to cut down on the pain meds.  I hope that you are continuing to do the PT exercises at home.  If the patella on the left knee is "moving around" then I would suggest doing the PT exercises with the left leg as well, as it sounds like the quads are weak on that leg. 

If you truly want to prevent or at least delay a TKR on the left leg, then now is the time to start doing everything that you can to keep your knee from deteriorating further.  You probably know all of these, but here goes any way...........

Lose weight - the single most important thing you can do to slow the wear and tear on your joints.
Keep your quads as strong as possible.
Use the joints by doing knee-friendly workouts - biking, walking, swimming.
Eat a healthy diet that includes the good Omega fats.
Take glucosamine/chondroitin supplements (can't hurt).

Good Luck.

[L. Thomas.net]

My OS told me he didn’t ask anyone to do anything different before surgery (diet) but after surgery he would keep after me.  I need to get rid of about 20 pounds.  Did you know that for every 1#over your weight range that it add 3# of stress to your knee.  That got my rear in gear!!

[dmturner]

Hi,

I saw my OS on Tuesday, and he's happy with my progress.  I am now allowed to drive as long as I'm not on the drugs, so I'll have to be careful with that.  I start out-patient PT on Monday.  I'm trying to go down on the meds, but the last couple of days I've been very teary, stiff, and hurting when walking, so I may have to go up a little again.  I'm walking around the house now without help although limping a little and slow going.  I just worry that it won't stop hurting, but I just need to get that out of my mind.

Going to bed now--just so tired out but not really doing anything.

Take care.

Donna T

[L. Thomas.net]

Gee Donna I never thought I would get to the palce that I would say it will get better.  I am two weeks ahead of you so you can look forward...not too long

[dmturner]

Hi,

Many people have said that between weeks 4 and 6 I'll see noticeable improvement, and that's where I'm at now.  I can't believe it's been a month already since the surgery.  I know I'm doing well; I'm just impatient.  That's probably a good thing cause I'll work harder to get back from this.

Have a great day all.

Donna