Hello all! It's me, Glenda, now 6 weeks and yesterday consultant said he didn't want to see me for a year and my last physio appointment is tomorrow! Consultant happy that I almost have a 90' bend and can sit in a chair, but the physio warned me of this and said I need more sessions to bend my knee much further and he'd negotiate more physio sessions with the Consultant but that's now clearly not going to happen unless I pay for private. I feel a bit abandoned and worried about how I'll progress from now on. Did this happen to all of you folks out there please and do you now just get on with it yourselves?
Many thanks!
Morning Glenda,
I was treated through the NHS Choose & Book Scheme i.e. Private care via the NHS.
It was fantastic, but only included six physio sessions in the package. That was three hydrotherapy sessions and three in the gym. Thereafter, I opted to pay privately. Not cheap at nearly £50 per session, but I had formed a great relationship with my physiotherapist and choose to continue with her.
If that is not an option, suggest you get to your GP asap and ask for sessions on the NHS. Saw from an earlier post that you are in Buckinghamshire - me too. Whereabouts are you out of interest?
Hope this helps.
Lynn 23 weeks post TKR
Hi Glenda
my Physio abandoned me too but I bought myself a little pedal exerciser which can be used while sitting and watching telly etc...
you must keep up the exercises or your knee will sieze up ....I'm talking from experience
i am still seeing my consultant though but how long for I don't know.
Jean
this knee Op is definitely not for the fsint hearted
Jean
Hi Glenda, I've been very lucky. I'm 19 weeks post op now and am still having physio on th NHS at the hospital. Isn't it wrong how things vary across the UK? I'm in Wales - not always regarded as the best for NHS care - but I can't complain at all. They continued with me because I had this pain at the back of the leg so I was referred from the knee class to some individual sessions. Talk to your physio again and see if you can get more sessions. If not, ask which exercises you should concentrate on. After all it's the actual exercises that will help to improve your bend which you can do on your own at home. Good luck. Jen
In the UK contact NHS Choice on line make a review. Contact your GP Contact safeguarding of the county you live in. Write to the Chief executive of the hospital. I had my op at a private hospital under NHS and dont pay.
Im 9 weeks. I dont see the consultant again until February but Im happy with that. If I think I need physio I contact her to make arrangements
Hi Glenda - l was like everyone here - had physio for 4 weeks and then left to my own devices. Kept carrying on with the muscle strengthening exercises and bending as best I could - using oil and massage to help. I've also bought a small cyle machine which I wish I had bought earlier, but didn't know they exiisted! I still try and use that 3/4 times a week - I am now 6 months post op. I think walking as well is one of the best exercises to do. I do still have days which are stiffer than others - affected by the weather as well. Good luck.
Hi Glenda . I had a bend of 97the next morning from my op. first pysio it was 107,2nd two weeks later was 130. He discharged me and said keep doing excersises at home which I did. Iam 16weeks, my walking is good and I haven't used any aids since 2weeks post op, I have also only had paracetomal as pain relief. We all heal at different rates. My knee is still painful, hot and swollen but it is now bearable. The emotional side of the op hit me very hard, and I am still not feeling 100per cent. I would suggest you just do your excersies at home for a while and see how you get on. The knee will get there in its own time wish you all the best .
Hi Lynn! Thanks for replying and I'm in Aylesbury and also had 3 hydrotherapy and 3 physio sessions. I think it might be a good investment for me to pay for extra physio sessions as like yourself, I get on very well with my physio and so I'll speak to him tomorrow at my last funded session.
Hi! My husband has an old exercise bike in our lounge and I've been trying to pedal that but I can't push the pedals all the way round which worries me a lot. I can't get any further than just before the top, then back the same way to the bottom. At what stage could you do a full turn please?
Hi!
I live in Stokenchurch, so not far from you!
Had my op in The Chiltern, Great Missenden, which was very good. Well, as good as this miserable operation can be.
Back there in March for knee number 2.😰
Don't worry at all about a full revolution at your stage.
Keep going on the bike (which is also good going for six weeks post op) and just rock backwards and forwards as far as you can comfortably go, then a little extra. Work to the pain, NOT through it.
I was much later in recovery before I could do a full turn and, even now, it is a little painful. My physio gets me on the rowing machine before the bike which I finds loosens the knee.
When you manage the first full revolution, the sense of achievement is immense - but you are too early in recovery to worry about that just yet!
Hi Jen! I think that I'll have to pay for a few more sessions ( a Christmas present
to myself!) The physio seems genuinely interested in getting my knee fully functioning again & so I think he'll give me some handouts to help me, but to be honest, this forum & my weekly physio have kept me going, knowing that I can ask questions etc. Thank goodness I've found you all as it's wonderful having the support of other folks in the "TKR boat"!
Thanks for the info. It's really strange how the NHS services vary so much across the country, you'd have thought that there would be a standardised package for certain operations such as TKRs.
Thank you for replying. I was down to using one stick for walking, but the consultant said to get rid of that too. Although I can walk without sticks I find myself hobbling if I don't concentrate and I'm not going to risk walking too far without them in my bag just in case I can't get back to my car or home!( they fold up which is handy).
Thanks Tucks! Your progress sounds like my Father's! He was in his mid 70's and took one lot of painkillers and 3/4 weeks after his operation he was back to normal- no swelling, able to pedal a bike etc! I'm 57 and seem to be the complete opposite, but as you said, every one heals at different rates! (By the way, my Father went on to have a second TKR, two hip replacements and in January this year, at 80, an ankle replacement and he's fine!)
Thanks very much Lynn! It's such a relief to chat to other people who have " been there and got the T shirt", as I have been thinking that I was doing really badly on the bike and was wondering if I'd ever be able to ride my bicycle again!
Wow! That's where I went too! What a small world it is! The staff were really lovely there, and although I was in a drugged, painful haze I did appreciate the great facilities and care. Mind you, I'm grateful that I only have the one TKR to deal with for a while I hope!
Your consultant? I had Sam McElroy.
Snap! What a lovely person he is too, but as lovely as he is I don't really want to see him again until next years check! He carried out an arthroscopic op on my right knee in April this year which thankfully is fine and it's managed to help me get through the TKR on my left knee. Jane, his secretary was really helpful too, especially when I had a problem with the wound opening up after my surgery removed the clips My last physio with Neil is at the Chilterns tomorrow (but I'll probably pay for a few more myself)
Whoa! Too spooky!
Yes, they were both great.
My last physio session is with Jo on the 17th December. Felt I needed to see her til now as my 'security blanket'.
She's promised to still be around for knee number two.
Have a good weekend - supposed to be really cold up here in The Chilterns. when it snows in Scotland, we have it here too.