I am now 4 weeks post surgery and going to my knee group twice a week. I have passed the bending test of 120 degrees at four meetings but need to continue to work on the stretching. I don’t like the pain meds because they made me dull but if I don’t take them, I don’t stretch so I appreciate that they are a necessary evil. My understanding is that scar tissue is like frosting on a cake. it is pliable at first but sets up harder so you need to get the stretching done early before it sets up tight.
For the poster who asked about “getting a leg up” onto a horse… imho, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. I tried once to have my trainer give me a leg up, and it was a REALLY BAD idea… same thing with getting off. To be safe I will ALWAYS use a mounting block getting on or off…it ain’t worth it to re-injure it!
I had my knee replaced sept 11, 2012 and (with help) I drove my pony at end of october, was up on my horse by december, back to lessoning by january, & attained my goal of showing by may 2013.
My doctors all emphasized the importance of physical therapy… and I continued on my own (after 10 weeks of PT) by joining a gym & working with a personal trainer for several months. The best part of TKR is the cessation of PAIN! I can walk, I can post the trot, I can do so much more than I could before. But the key to rehab is DOING your Physical Therapy!!!
Good luck with your Recovery!
J
I’m now 10 days post surgery and I guess I’m doing pretty well. Still a lot of pain, of course, but today my therapist measured my bend at 117 degrees. The therapist at the hospital told me that I needed to be really careful about not overdoing it at home because everything seemed to be coming very easily to me - like steps. I’m starting to understand what he meant because as well as I know I’m doing, I still feel like I have so far to go and I’m never going to get there. Silly, right? But I should be released from at home therapy to out patient therapy in another week so that should help me put things in perspective.
Jingo-ace, that was my question. I had a feeling - I just can’t imagine anyone lifting me by that knee ever, but I’ve heard people say that there’s a point when you forget that it’s not your own knee. Oh well, if that’s the worst thing I have to deal with, life must be pretty good. I will be glad when I don’t need the pain meds on a daily basis though.
About physical therapy - before I had rotator cuff surgery in 2008, someone here told me to approach therapy as if it was my full-time job. That was the best advice I’ve ever received. That got me through that rehab, through spinal fusion in 2012 and I know it will get me through this
It has been three months since my total knee replacement. I had my first ride last night. I was a little worried, my horse was great, and my left leg was wonderful. I started walking, and by the end of my ride we were doing flying changes. My leg actually felt better than it had in years. Today I am a little sore, mainly calf and inner thigh muscles. I am glad I did it.
