Frustrated w/knee replacement progress; critical internal voice

Although I'm getting around the house okay without a crutch or cane, and have less pain than I had the first few weeks, I can still only bend that knee to about 92°. They want it to be at about 110°.  I have good strength and balance (my large thigh muscles have been an advantage in this situation!), but I a, just not able to bend it much despite doing the exercises they have given me twice a day.  Granted, on days when I have a LOT of pain, swelling, and stiffness from doing too much the day before (I didn't expect it to be so sensitive about "overdoing" it!), I only do them once, but still... it just feels like I am never going to be able to bend it more than I can right now.  No matter how much I grit my teeth and push through the pain, it just doesn't want to bend more. The surgeon said something about having to drug me up and "crack" it if I didn't get more flexion, and just the thought of that freaks me out, especially after the incident last year in the ER with getting that bone in my sinus cavity broken when they were packing my nose.  I know the threat of "cracking" was probably just to scare me into being diligent about the exercises, but still...

I am realizing how little I asked before surgery about the recovery timeline.  (I was too worried about the surgery and postoperative pain levels!). I know that the surgeon said to expect it to take up to 6 months to be completely healed, have full use, and be pain free, but I don't know whether what I am experiencing with being "stuck" at how much I can bend the knee is normal.  Feedback from any of you who have had knees replaced...?

The worst part is that I have that nagging little critical voice in the back of my head that insists on reminding me that I did this to myself by remaining obese for so many years and destroying my knees. I hate that little voice.

Lora

Sorry to say, but I never had any problems with either of mine.  Mine were both replaced in '09 and I was 57 at the time.  I only had minimal at home PT and never needed outside PT after that.  I remember having to show the therapist that I could get in and out of a car before he could discharge me from his service and I had to do it, even though I had been driving for awhile!

Hope things take a turn for the better for you.  Have you tried swimming?  I have a huge jetted bathtub and I add Epsom Salt and baking soda and some essential oil and aloe.  It makes the water feel like silk and I would aim the jets right at both knees and I think that it really helped.

I wish I had a jetted tub!  My mom had one in her previous house, but she just rented it out again, so I can't use the tub, LOL. I trod a hot bath this knife and that seemed to help a bit, so I may try that more often before my exercise sessions.  I don't think I need any outside PT... I know what I need to do, and have several different exercises to accompli**** Just need to figure out how to make it happen, I guess.

Lora

I am sorry that it is going so slow, it sounds horrible.  I know that voice, I have the same one about my hip, especially when I am in tears the pain is so bad but I am afraid to ever get it replaced.  I keep hoping a miracle will happen and it will heal itself, how is that for delusional.  Good luck and I hope it gets better for you.

I know what you mean. I tend to make my mistakes in twos...once by making the mistake, and then next by mentally beating myself up for making the mistake in the first place. Congrats on the new knee. I had one in 2009. how long ago was your surgery?  Do you have access to a hot tub? one of the things I did when I was incredibly frustrated with the flexing not being enough was getting in the hot tub and letting the jets pound at the scar tissue for a while, then icing it, and working some more on the exercises. I did that as soon as they let me get back in the pool..Timed it right before I was due for my pain meds, cause I won't lie it hurt...and it helped...but I am not a doctor, just sharing my experience...I had that threat too, and it pushed me to try it. At the same time, I was swimming daily, and going to PT, and doing the prescribed exercies....I have 100 percent flexion now.  One day at a time, be gentle with your mind, and stick with the exercises...it's totally worth it.

I am 5 weeks out.  It seems as if the ice makes it stiffer (but does help with the swelling),  so this morning I had a nice, really hot bubble bath before I did my exercises and that helped a bit.  Unfortunately. I don't have access to a hot tub. :(

Lora

Lora, are you still in therapy? i went for a good 6 weeks, i had a partial revised to total so may be different, but i would see about going to more PT for a  few weeks, do you have a slide board? lay flat and slide the knee up as far as you can and then flat? that was a huge one for me to get back the range of motion, good luck, i hate to see them have to loosen it for you,, bummer, Denise

I have my final appointment today with the in-home physical therapy folks.  It will be one of the supervisors who will have reviewed the data from the PT I had been working with and we will discuss whether there is a need for outside PT. My usual PT didn't think it  was necessary, that I just needed to continue with what I have been ding but pu**** more.  We will see what the supervisor thinks.

Lora

The other thing I did was wrap it in warm towels (loosely) or if its more comfortable, take ace bandages to wrap a bag of frozen peas around it and get on a stationary bike as much as possible. Even if is just rocking it back and forth, and not going all the way around, it helped me a lot.

My knee took quite a while to get good flexion. I took PT outside my home for six weeks and they put me on a machine that I strapped my leg in it and the machine bent it for me. I will say it hurt but they let me control the flexion so I could work my way up. I did finally get good flexion-it just took some time!