My New Knees
I just got out of a rehab facility after having my second (right) knee replacement surgery. Left knee is working very well. Everything went well and I am getting around with a walker and glad to be ho...
Forum Discussion
I had mine done on July 31 this year. (right knee). I went totally overboard, stretching and doing things that should have been impossible. I was mowing the grass on my John Deere 5 days after surgery, doing laundry, house keeping, and lots and lots of self-exercise that would blow some folks away. At 8 days, I was driving the car again. Actually, the truck. Although higher, it was easier getting the leg in the door.
Beginning of the 2nd week we were camping again. We bought a 3 wheeled (tricycle) and I peddled like there was no tomorrow. At the State Park we were at, I went to the kids playground, and climbed up and down steps, ladders, and walking on railroad tie borders to work on my balance.
The 3rd week, I realized I was walking with a limp. I was completely away from the walker (scared my wife to death), but I started using a cane, only to teach myself not to limp and walk straight.
In the 4th week after surgery, I was splitting fire wood again. (Log splitter), and that was probably one of the best things I could have done. It made me squat, over and over, stretching those tight muscles.
In the 5th week, I returned to work, and later wished I'd taken another week and gone camping (I was getting paid to be off). But I was too antsey to get back to work.
At 6 weeks, the Dr. was a little concerned I was over-doing it, and suggested i quit the deep knee bend exercises, and let the muscles heal up a bit. I did for a while, but now at 3 months, I'm doing everything I can to squat again. I can also crawl on the knee, as I've done some improvement insulation under the floor of the house, crawling around in the house crawl space.
I used the swing on the front porch to rock, rock, rock, moving that knee, forcing it to bend ever so much a little more.
Today, I'm still working on bending that knee to a full weight squat on that knee. I'm not quite there yet. At night, I bend my knee as far as I can, wrap a belt around my calf and thigh, and pull the belt as tight as I can and hold it there as long as I can possibly stand it.
Over-indulging? You bet! But I can do anything again I could do before, and actually better now ... and it's just been 3 months.
Hey man! Push yourself.. I mean HARD!
The doctor told me (several times), there is nothing I can do to hurt the knee. The artificial knee is in place and there to stay. It's not going anywhere. The "pain" you feel is all muscle. So work those muscles.
I found, that if you move your leg and it causes pain ... simply hold the leg in that position for about a minute and the pain will stop. Then move it again. Where it hurts, hold it for another minute, until it stops. If the leg hurts, that's where you need to hold tension on those muscles! Stretching them, and over a very short time, they'll be back to (almost) normal.
Now, don't get me wrong. Daytime is wonderful! I can walk now with no limp, it feel GOOD to walk again. But I also feel like my leg needs to be in constant motion. So, even at work, my leg is always moving at my desk. It just feels good.
At night is when I feel IT! But after you get off those blood thinners, the 325 mg aspirin will cut right through any muscle aches I have. Every day, it gets better and better.
So, the secret is ... DON'T LISTEN TO EVERYONE TELLING YOU TO TAKE IT EASY! Just the opposite. Let your own pain be your guide. If it hurts ... do it! You aren't going to hurt anything. Your muscles will not break, and the knee and bone is as good as ever now.
My philosophy was (and still is) .. "Pain is my friend." Pain tell me where I need to work which muscle, until the pain goes away.
Once I started working a spot that hurt, it usually took 3 days for it to stop the aching. But that mean, working that one muscle over and over. Then the 4th day... gone! Now focus on another spot that hurts.
If you do this, you'll be on your way LONG before before Christmas! I made up my mind I was getting my life back to it's normal routine. It took about 3 days to figure that out. So, anything I did before the surgery, I was just to dang stupid to stop doing it.
You can do it too.... Good luck!
Beginning of the 2nd week we were camping again. We bought a 3 wheeled (tricycle) and I peddled like there was no tomorrow. At the State Park we were at, I went to the kids playground, and climbed up and down steps, ladders, and walking on railroad tie borders to work on my balance.
The 3rd week, I realized I was walking with a limp. I was completely away from the walker (scared my wife to death), but I started using a cane, only to teach myself not to limp and walk straight.
In the 4th week after surgery, I was splitting fire wood again. (Log splitter), and that was probably one of the best things I could have done. It made me squat, over and over, stretching those tight muscles.
In the 5th week, I returned to work, and later wished I'd taken another week and gone camping (I was getting paid to be off). But I was too antsey to get back to work.
At 6 weeks, the Dr. was a little concerned I was over-doing it, and suggested i quit the deep knee bend exercises, and let the muscles heal up a bit. I did for a while, but now at 3 months, I'm doing everything I can to squat again. I can also crawl on the knee, as I've done some improvement insulation under the floor of the house, crawling around in the house crawl space.
I used the swing on the front porch to rock, rock, rock, moving that knee, forcing it to bend ever so much a little more.
Today, I'm still working on bending that knee to a full weight squat on that knee. I'm not quite there yet. At night, I bend my knee as far as I can, wrap a belt around my calf and thigh, and pull the belt as tight as I can and hold it there as long as I can possibly stand it.
Over-indulging? You bet! But I can do anything again I could do before, and actually better now ... and it's just been 3 months.
Hey man! Push yourself.. I mean HARD!
The doctor told me (several times), there is nothing I can do to hurt the knee. The artificial knee is in place and there to stay. It's not going anywhere. The "pain" you feel is all muscle. So work those muscles.
I found, that if you move your leg and it causes pain ... simply hold the leg in that position for about a minute and the pain will stop. Then move it again. Where it hurts, hold it for another minute, until it stops. If the leg hurts, that's where you need to hold tension on those muscles! Stretching them, and over a very short time, they'll be back to (almost) normal.
Now, don't get me wrong. Daytime is wonderful! I can walk now with no limp, it feel GOOD to walk again. But I also feel like my leg needs to be in constant motion. So, even at work, my leg is always moving at my desk. It just feels good.
At night is when I feel IT! But after you get off those blood thinners, the 325 mg aspirin will cut right through any muscle aches I have. Every day, it gets better and better.
So, the secret is ... DON'T LISTEN TO EVERYONE TELLING YOU TO TAKE IT EASY! Just the opposite. Let your own pain be your guide. If it hurts ... do it! You aren't going to hurt anything. Your muscles will not break, and the knee and bone is as good as ever now.
My philosophy was (and still is) .. "Pain is my friend." Pain tell me where I need to work which muscle, until the pain goes away.
Once I started working a spot that hurt, it usually took 3 days for it to stop the aching. But that mean, working that one muscle over and over. Then the 4th day... gone! Now focus on another spot that hurts.
If you do this, you'll be on your way LONG before before Christmas! I made up my mind I was getting my life back to it's normal routine. It took about 3 days to figure that out. So, anything I did before the surgery, I was just to dang stupid to stop doing it.
You can do it too.... Good luck!
