One of the major problems with total knee replacement can be stiffness. It is almost 8 months since my tkr and I continue to have stiffness. It is not just a morning problem, it can be a middle of the day or evening situation also. I woke up at 4 this morning and was so stiff I decided to rock in the rocking chair.
One of the reasons for my stiffness is not going on the bike or rocking in our wooden rocking chair lately. Work has been all consuming what with the upcoming opening of our exhibit on Sunday.I have spent countless hours working until 7 or 8 and come home too tired or it is too late to exercise. One thing I decided to do yesterday, should have done this LONG time ago, is to take a walk in the morning while my car is warming up. In Minnesota, it is not uncommon to warm one's car for 10 to 15 minutes in the winter before you drive it. It warms up the transmission oil and the motor oil giving the car a chance to lubricate better. Yesterday was the first morning I headed down the road for about a half mile plus walk. Last night when I got home at 8:30, I again headed down the road. This gave me about a mile walk for the day, a help for sleeping and exercise but did nothing for my (rom) range of motion. I also did not ride the stationary bike when I came home.
When I woke up at 4 this morning I decided to rock for a while, then put a weight on the ankle of the knee with the tkr and work the bend. That helped quite a bit. I do not have the greatest rom, only about 105 degrees. I have pain when I come down the stairs normally, but force myself to do this anyway. Another thing that is bothersome is the swelling, this of course affects the rom, and my knee is always swollen still. Even after icing it is swollen. I encourage anyone who has tkr to purchase a stationary bike and ride it! Also a good old fashioned wooden rocker or a glider rocker is imparitive to your success in regaining rom. I still do the exercises that I received during physical therapy, not every day but about 3 to 4 times a week. They help with strength and rom.
Now a little about what is going on at the museum for those snow birds who are interested. We have about 3/4 of our signage completed. I believe that we will be done by Friday, better be it is my 65th birthday and I am having a pool party with my "girl friends" and I will not be available amy more! Sunday at 2 pm is the ribbon cutting ceremony and the introduction of the one woman township and city selections. I am excited for the One Woman nominees and look forwad to seeing how many family members and friends come out to honor these women. Lots of work and planning has gone into everything. What a great group of women we have worked with on this program! It is phenomenal to see how things have come together. If you aren't home by Sunday snow birds, you will be missing something very special!
Well, it is time to try and go back to sleep. This is the first morning that I have not gotten up and worked on exhibit signage. I even get to sleep in, well until 7:30 anyway.
1 comment:
The stiffness is quite normal unless it's painful and obstructs most of your daily activities.
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