Ability to lift leg

Hello @llar, welcome to Connect. Good question about PT after having a knee replaced. I had mine replaced in 2006 when I was 19, and I had a really difficult time with recovery. I had aggressive scar tissue which really hindered my recovery. I was also battling 15+ years of muscle atrophy because my leg was injury prone from a very young age, weakening the bones, muscles and my range-of-motion early on. What I did learn, and continue to learn on Connect, is that each recovery is so different. You mention your muscles were strong going in to the surgery, which I was always told is a big bonus for post-surgery recovery. 8 days is still pretty fresh in my opinion, but I am not a medical professional. I would like to invite some members who have also had a knee replacement to share their experience with how long it took them to lift their leg. @contentandwell, recent new member who is also just a few days out from surgery @lucbeau, @connie1559, @amytro, have all discussed recently having a knee replacement.

@llar, have you discussed this concern with your surgeon or PT provider?

@llar : I think you should get in touch with your PT person. It sounds like you are not even close to what you would expect at this point - 8 days after surgery I was walking 1/2 half mile without cane, on the neighborhood roads. There is something off somewhere, at your age, and the good shape you are in. Speak up - squeaky wheel gets the grease! Specifically, lifting the leg, as in straight up from hip, was never a problem for me. If you are referring to lifting the knee while standing, that was o.k., but both exercises were somewhat tiring. Not sure this helps.

@llar I agree with the others, I think you should be able to accomplish this. Your appointment is soon but call him/her on Monday and see if you can be seen sooner.
Perhaps it's a PT issue, not something the doctor will be able to help you with. Are you seeing a physical therapist yet? I did not do as well as @ellerbracke has indicated she did, but I am sure I could lift my leg a bit. I presume that you had some PT in the hospital before you were discharged. What were you able to do then, and was the therapist there satisfied with that?
JK

@llar : I just remembered that the specific exercise giving you trouble is called a short arc (pretty sure about that). This also gave me quite a lot of trouble in the beginning, mostly because I never could find a firm enough and big enough rolled towel or blanket to give me some leverage. I did however do a lot of strenghtening exercises with the rolled towel under the ankle, tightening the butt and quads and pushing town to extend the knee. Between that and straight leg lifts I eventually managed the short arc. Hope you have gotten the hang of it, and in time it will seem easy(er).

The day after I posted this, I was able to slightly lift my leg and it has continued to improve. My only significant issue now is I can't sleep at night!! I'm not really in pain; I just can't get comfortable. Stopped taking the hydrocodone several days ago, but I might take some before bed and see if that helps?...

I am not quite 7 weeks out of TKR. I did take the Oxy at night for the first 10 days/2 weeks, I would guess. No longer have a problem sleeping at night, even without the pillow. Glad you are improving and hope you will continue to do so.

Hi @llar - Welcome to Connect! I had my 2nd TKR 1/29/19 so I'm just about 6 weeks out. I hear what you are saying about sleep. When I was weaning off the oxycodone, my last pill to go was the night time pill. I needed it to sleep soundly and I felt that sound sleep was important to my recovery. At 6 weeks, I'm just now getting to where its comfortable to turn over in bed w/o waking myself up. They gave me some Tramadol to take while I was getting off oxycodone. I would ask my doctor if there is something stronger than tylenol but not as strong as hydrocodone that you might take before bed. I think you are still early in the process. Hang in there. This too shall pass!

That might be a good idea. I have taken Tramadol in the past and that is exactly what it does - puts me to sleep. So maybe that is the right route in this situation. If I don't get a good night's sleep, I feel the next day is unnecessarily difficult! Thanx.

@llar - I agree. I am a big believer that sleep is a huge factor in helping our bodies heal! I hope you'll post again when you are a little further in your recovery to let us know how the recovery is going. Wishing you the best.

@debbraw adequate rest is a big factor in fighting germs too, I think.
When my son was a young child I would tell him he had to get enough sleep so his G.I. Joes could fight off germs. I was a huge advocate of my children getting enough sleep. It worked, he was very rarely sick.
JK