# 46 KNEE REPLACEMENT PHASE 4

AROUND MID OCTOBER I GOT DISCOURAGED AND WASN'T DOING MY EXERCISES VERY MUCH. BUT A SOBO HIKER NAMED MAGIC KNEES RE-INSPIRED ME. HE HAD BOTH KNEES REPLACED AND WAS DETERMINED TO HIKE THE TRAIL.  HE SAID HE WORKED VERY HARD TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE. WHILE HE WAS HERE HE BUGGED ME TO DO MY EXERCISES AND SO I DID AND HAVE GOTTEN BACK INTO MY REGIMEN.

HE HAD TO GO HOME AND TAKE A BREAK BECAUSE OF SHIN SPLINTS. I HOPE HE'S ABLE TO GET BACK ON THE TRAIL SOON.

THANK YOU MAGIC KNEES

ON  OCT 5 I SAW DR POLACHEK AND HE PRESCRIBED A NEW SHORT TERM MED THAT HE SAID WOULD CALM THE EXTREME PAIN I WAS STILL HAVING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY KNEE, BELOW THE KNEE CAP, AND THE BACK OF MY LEG ABOVE THE KNEE. HE ALSO PRESCRIBED TRAMADOL FOR PAIN, WHICH I WAS ON BEFORE THE KNEE REPLACEMENT.

SO TODAY I WAS THINKING WHAT CAN I KEEP IN MIND TO KEEP ME INSPIRED AND I REMEMBER WHEN NIKKI ASKED ME ON THE FIRST DAY OF OUTPATIENT THERAPY WHAT MY GOALS ARE CONCERNING MY KNEES AND I SAID ABLE TO HIKE AGAIN AND BEING ABLE TO GET IN AND OUT OF KAYAK BETTER.

 

 

# 45 KNEE REPLACEMENT PHASE 3 OUTPATIENT THERAPY AUG 23 TO OCT 1

BIG THANK YOU TO MY OUTPATIENT THERAPISTS SUPERVISOR NIKKI, NOELLE, JILL, AND ANGIE. AND GOOD LUCK TO NOELLE IN HER FUTURE VENTURES. HER LAST DAY WAS SHORTLY BEFORE MY THERAPY ENDED. I APPLAUD HER PATIENCE, UNDERSTANDING, AND SKILLS WHILE WORKING WITH ME. SHE ALWAYS TOOK THE TIME TO LISTEN AND EXPLAIN THINGS TO ME.

MORE EXERCISES ADDED TO REGIMEN AND NOTES

WED., AUG 23 -TIP FROM NIKKI - TO RELIEVE PAIN WHILE SLEEPING PLACE PILLOW BETWEEN LEGS. MEASUREMENTS - BEND 106, STRETCH 10

AUG 24 - TOLD NOELLE THAT I WALKED A MILE. SHE AND THE OTHER THERAPISTS WERE AGHAST! SHE SAID THAT'S TOO MUCH RIGHT NOW. THEY WANT QUALITY NOT QUANTITY! SHE REMINDED ME THAT I NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERY STEP IS HEEL-TOE. 

 BICYCLE NOTES: 

DATE     RESISTANCE     TIME     DISTANCE

8/28                  1                 7 MIN           1 MILE

8/29                  2                 7 MIN           .7 MILE

8/31                  1                 5 MIN           .5 MILE

8/31 TO 9/3 - PAIN 7

TUES., SEP 5 NOTES - ADDED 1 LB WEIGHT TO ANKLES. NOELLE SAYS STRETCH IS FLAT. SHE RECOMMENDED I INCREASE OR CHANGE PAIN MED TO CONTROL PAIN BETTER. LABEL SAID 1 OR 2 TABLET EVERY 4 - 6 HOURS. I WAS TAKING 1 PERCOSET EVERY 6 HOURS. I CHANGED IT TO 1 1/2. NOELLE SAYS MY RANGE OF MOTION IS GREAT AND PAIN AND SWELLING IS NORMAL. 

LEG RAISES WITH TOE TURNED OUT ADDED TO HELP GOING DOWN STEPS.

RAISE ON TIP TOE EXERCISE NOTES - 9/4 TO 9/7 ABLE TO DO 10 WITH NO HANDS; 9/8 17 WITH NO HANDS; 9/9-9/10 ALL 20 WITH NO HANDS.

FRIDAY, SEPT 8 NOTES - INCREASED ANKLE WEIGHT TO 1 1/2 LBS.  

MON., SEPT 1 - STRAIGHTENING PUSH PAIN 10. I WAS TOLD THAT ICING HELPS NOT ONLY THE SWELLING BUT ALSO THE PAIN.

WED., SEP 13 - ANGIE DID EVALUATION. BEND 115, STRETCH 3. 1ST DAY SWELLING 4 CM CIRCUMFERENCE; TODAY 2 CM. RESULTS BEING SENT TO DR POLACHEK. 

BICYCLE NOTES: 

DATE     RESISTANCE     TIME     DISTANCE

9/5                     2                 7 MIN          .9 MILE

9/7                     2                 8 MIN         1 MILE

9/8                     2                 8 MIN         1.1 MILE

9/11                   2                 8 MIN         .9 MILE

9/13                   2                 10 MIN       1.2 MILE

9/15                   3                 10 MIN       1.4 MILE

PAIN MEDICATION - SEPT 21 - DR POLACHEK SAID PRESCRIBING LAST PERCOSET. I SHOULD START WEANING OFF OF THEM. DECREASED FROM 1 1/2 TO 1 EVERY 4 HOURS. SEPT 24 DECREASED MEDS FROM EVERY 4 HOURS TO EVERY 6 HOURS. 

BICYCLE NOTES: 

DATE     RESISTANCE     TIME     DISTANCE

9/19                  3                 10 MIN          1.9 MILE

9/21                  3                 10 MIN          1.9 MILE

9/26                  3                 10 MIN          2.2 MILE

9/28                  3                 10 MIN          2 MIN

 

#44 - KNEE REPLACEMENT PHASE 2 HOME THERAPY AUG 11 TO AUG 21

I WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 11. THE HOME THERAPIST CAME ON SATURDAY. 

A BIG THANK YOU TO MY NEIGHBOR AND FRIEND WHO HELPED ME ADJUST MY COUCH SO i COULD GET OUT OF IT! SHE ALSO HELPED WITH PADDING ON MY BED FRAME.

 

 

 A BIG THANK YOU TO THERAPIST DEB FOR NOT ONLY GUIDING ME THROUGH PHASE 1 OF THERAPY BUT ALSO BEING MY CONNECTION TO MY DOCTOR AND GETTING ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS. SHE GOT CLARIFICATION AND CHANGES PRESCRIBED TO MY PAIN MEDS. THAT HELPED MAKE DOING THE EXERCISES MORE TOLERABLE.  I HAVE A PICTURE OF HER SOMEWHERE! MUST BE IN THE WRONG FOLDER!

• GOALS SET BY DEB WERE BEND 100, STRETCH 5.  

• SAT, AUG 12 - 72,18; 

• MON., AUG 14 100,15; 

• WED., AUG 16 - 103, 13 (NOTE - ICE AND ELEVATE 1 HOUR, 3X DAY); 

• FRI., AUG 18 - 105, 12 (NOTE - GRADUATED FROM WALKER TO CANE); 

• MON., AUG 21 - 110,10, (NOTE - STAPLES REMOVED, HOME THERAPY DISCHARGE TO OUTPATIENT THERAPY.

HERE'S THE EXERCISES FROM FRIDAY AUGUST 11 TO MONDAY AUGUST 21. THE MOST PAINFUL WAS WHEN DEB PUSHED DOWN ON EITHER SIDE OF KNEE TO STRAIGHTEN. THAT BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES! 

FRIENDS TOLD ME IT WAS GOING TO BE PAINFUL. THAT WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT! BUT I KNEW THE KNEE REPLACEMENT WOULD ONLY BE SUCCESSFUL IF I DID THE EXERCISES.