Correct Liz. Maybe you could use the gym pool,going steady with help. I was a regular gym goer before and want to do so again. Problem is I dont really know the timeline that this is advisable.
Also living where you do I hope its not long before you can find somewhere where its easy to get in the sea, ie no rocks. I would imagine even a little paddle in the Med might be therapeutic! A bit cold in Cyprus at the moment for that,but maybe around June?
Regarding physio and bending.
Try this exercise.
Sit on the bed with a tea tray at your feet and keep your socks on.
See how fr you can move yur leg up the tray bending your knee as you go.
Mark on hte tray where you have got to.
Next time try and push a bit harder and get slightly nearer the top of the tray.
I was given this exercise by a physiotherapist when I had my TKR 3 years ago.
Good luck.
Take care and keep in touch
Sarah
Hi Liz
I concur with everything that has been said here, so I won't repeat.
I'm 13 wks post op and one of the exercises I found invaluable in getting a full bend (my op knee is the same as my other now) was using a resistance (Thera) band. Standing on your good leg, loop the band around the front of your op foot, and pull the band up over your shoulders, causing your leg to bend and your foot to come up towards your butt. At first, you may not get very far, but the resistance band is doing all the work, so you should be able to just 'hang' there. I actually enjoyed the 'hanging', but maybe I'm odd 
The more you do this the further you will get towards your butt. After a while you will be able to pull the band very tight and then push against it (pushing your foot away from your body) thus strengthening your muscles. Do this as many times a day as you can; in the beginning you will probably want to stand behind a chair or something that you can lean on if you're feeling a bit wobbly.
Good luck, you'll get there in the end!
hi liz i must agree with most here you really over done it but thats ok the knee will always lets you know , what is important is that you now know that it will take time ,the fact you survived all that and had no real set back is fantastic ,the leg will tire alot for a good while yet just listen to your body ,and obey it !!! .i have to admit its very frustrating when you want to do these things and your knee refuses to co operate .i like OFG have been through my fair share of ops for one knee in paticular (mind you not as many as OFG) but we know how this works . he is so right about your physio i too have had a great relationship with her and after all ops ive asked for her and so glad i did as she got to know me very well and she picked me up when i was so down after set backs .i could ring her and she would fit me in and re assure me when i needed it ,as well as pushing me when i needed that extra bit .so i would say if you dont like or not sure the physio is helping you as much as you need change maybe someother person can recomend a better one go for it as the physio needs to be your friend .
Hiya Liz,
Tend to agree with you. My scenario is slightly different - I'm now 5&1/2 weeks out from a partial knee replacement (UKR) and am doing fine - no thanks to my physio ! I'm in Britain and was admitted to a private hospital as a NHS patient. No problems with my surgeon or general care - excellent in fact. BUT, physio care was at best - very basic !
Prior to admission was given an NHS publication (a little white book) describing the surgery process, hospital processes and excercises that I will start in hospital and continue as part of my Rehab at home. Sent home after 3 days, no sweat !
Physio in hospital went through all the exercises with me got me up to basic speed to meet requirements for discharge and that was that. 2 weeks later back to hospital physio for a check up and got more exercises to do in addition to those already on my programme. Told thats it, ring us if you have a problem. Next trip will be back to meet surgeon for a check up at 7 and half week mark on 29th Dec.
It is my good fortune to have worked with physiotherapists in the past and so am well aware importance of the exercise part of rehab BUT my biggest complaint is that 'the little white book' only gives you pictures and a brief narrative as to what to do - and thats it - end of !!. I have found Youtube much more informative in that it tells you the name of the exercise, gives a short video demo AND most importantly describes what the exercise will do to your body and how it will help you. I was also fortunate in that 6 weeks or so before surgery I went to my sports therapist and got her to work on me to prepare my right leg for surgery - strengthening etc. I have been back to her since for gentle massage to help with swelling of knee and ankle. (Lymphatic system)
Am now just fine BUT - no thanks to NHS physio, which as I said earlier - was at best just BASIC!
I had trouble with the bend in my knee and all I can offer is to work through your exercises, particularly the heel slides and the one where you sit upright on the bed, put a belt, or a large towl around the foot of the operated knee and gently, slowly but steadily move the knee toward you and repeat the movement. Some PT's I note advocate doing this even when it causes extreme pain and in fact I note that the tendency seems to be for PT's to advocate filling yourself up with pain killers then an hour or so later doing exercises to the point of enduring extreme pain. My view is that is TOTAL RUBBISH ! I do the exercise to the point where I feel the onset of pain and then back off, rest and repeat and with each repetition gain slightly more and more movement each time. Once the exercise session is finished I conclude by rewarding my body with rest and ice pack therapy.
May the force be with you all.
John
I found your post interesting John as we have something in common apart from the very common name. That is,going in a private hospital as an NHS patient. When I found out this was going to be the case I considered myself very lucky. I was even told I would have my own room throughout my stay. I am not a naive person but I believed it. In actual fact,I was moved into a room for four the morning after my total op,which finished at 7pm. I wasnt best pleased,but as it turned out the company was great. The physio i got,however,was minimal. I would say around 20 minutes in the 3 days i spent there. The nursing care was very hit and miss also. I did a week in another hospital for rehab and it was marvellous. Im really glad i went as i live on my own. One minor thing: I had to pay for a taxi for my transfer from the private hospital to the other one,and the journey was a comedy of errors that I wont go into here,as Ive already gone off topic.
Sorry to but in here (Just checking personal mail while waiting for a thing to load!!)
Your PT department should give you at three A4 size paper of stick drawings and guidance on what you should and could be doing. It is standard practice, no matter what is wrong with your leg. To make you go through the pain will create more swelling, which is stupid. By all means take your painkillers as they are there as part of the healing process and help keep inflammation down to an acceptable level. What you are doing is ok, just remember to work on your quads (more important) whilst your leg is straight. Good luck
Hi Sue,
Many thanks for your comments. No A4 paper stick drawings, although I have found them on a knee surgery related website and they correspond to the NHS 'little white book' I was given by hospital PT Dept. Because I'm on Warfarin for a cardiac related condition I can only take Co-Codomol 30/500 for pain relief which means a max. of 8 a day. Nowadays I use them as a pill in the pocket and use only 1 or 2 a day and then mostly at night after my last of the day exercises - but not every day, just as needed. Operated leg/knee is going fine, still a bit of swelling but manageable and I accept this could well be around for up to 6 months etc. I still do all my exercises as per the 'little white book' which includes Quads and tend to concentrate on the straight leg stuff and the flexion and extension stuff to. Leg feeling good now. Many thanks.
Hi John,
Yes I thought I was lucky too, and indeed compared to you I was. Yes, I had my own room for my whole stay (3 days) complete with en suite bathroom. The Physio I got was good, professional and knowledgeable and did explain when I questioned the PT's. But it was all very cursory and one couldn't help but think that the hospital management weren't prepared to put money into rehab. Once I had the NHS 'little white book' I was better off on Youtube. Nursing care was excellent as was food. Not that I had that much of an appetite.
Good luck.
Hi John, I am impressed, the pieces of paper have been promoted to a handbook, whatever next!! Sorry to hear you cannot take anything stronger. If you find your pain does increase, please take the pain killer on a regular basis as they will work better. Keep on keeping on.
Thanks John
My experience as said was very hit and miss. But at the 2nd hospital i spent a week at it was a different story. Double helpings,I was eating like a horse and having a laugh with the nurses. NHS.
regarding what my physiotherapist ddi . . . not a great deal . . massage first, then lifting and bending the leg, pushing it as straight as possible, then, while I was seated in a chair, forcing it back as far as possible until I literally screamed 'STOP' at her . . then also showed me how to go up and down steps, watched me walk, and gave some advice about concentrating on the proper movement. . showed me a few exercises to do, such as lifting the leg about a foot off the bed and holding, drawing the foot back as far as possible using my own muscles, . . that was about it really. On my own at three weeks. Seven week post TKR is very early to be trying to walk around town let alone without a stick! Pottering around at home and the garden is a very different scenario from being out and about isn't it! You are way ahead of how I was at seven weeks. . couldn't even have considered such a thing! I'm now a year post TKR, and it more or less feels like my knee!
I just found out that I need a double knee replacement. What exercises should I be doing to get my knees ready. I can't afford to go to a physio thereapist
Not sure where you live but here in Wales and in England Physiotherapy is free.
You can even refer yourself here without having to go through a doctor.
Regarding exercises I think if you can just keep moving as much as possible.
There are particular exercises that a trained physiotherapist would give you, but I am not a trained physiotherapist and do not want to be giving you wrong advice.
Do take care and keep in touch.
Sarah
Strengthen y
Strengthen your quads. Get a picture from your Dr or even off you tube. Lie on your back, using your upper leg muscles, tighten the muscle a and do leg lots. Go slow at 1st b: start by holding to count of 5 and increase. Slowly, gently lift the leg and hold to count of 5. Every few days increase time, height and number of reps. Ice the leg when you are through. Hydrate excessively.