TKR missing my knee

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relda

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It's been 8 weeks.I miss my knee. Bumps have appeared on my skin near scar and one stitch is trying to come through scar. I can't sleep thru the night. Pain wakes me. But I am walking better and all the doctors say I'm right on target with recovery.
 
Hi @relda . It's wonderful that you're doing so well after 8 weeks. What do you miss about your old knee? I miss the ROM, but nothing else. A friend of mine (had TKR before me) reported that her body "spit out" a couple of internal stitches. She's an RN and it didn't seem to bother her at all!
 
Hi, @relda .....welcome to BoneSmart! I'd be curious to know too what you miss about your old knee. Surely not the arthritis pain! That's all gone now and the pain you are feeling is only temporary. You're still fairly early in the recovery process even at 8 weeks.

Difficulty sleeping through the night can be a problem for some folks, but it does get better with time. Are you still taking something for pain at bedtime at least? If not, I would suggest that you do. It also can help to ice your knee while you're sleeping. You don't necessarily even need to take prescription pain meds. You can take 1000mg of Tylenol. Just be sure you take no more of the acetaminophen (active ingredient in Tylenol) than 4000mg in 24 hours and the 1000mg doses at least 4 hours apart. Acetaminophen is in a lot of products these days - cold and sinus meds and other over the counter meds - check labels!

Here are our basic recovery articles for you to read. They will help you understand the entire recovery process. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have.

First are the BoneSmart mantras ....

- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

Next is a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) thread.

And here are some very crucial articles

The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Activity progression for TKRs

Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling

Home physio (PT) and activity progress: suggestions
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

And finally some wise words from members who have shared their experiences ...
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)
Five “P’s” of knee recovery
TKR: work “smarter” and not “harder”
Recovering a knee - from one who knows!
It's never too late to get more ROM!
It's worth the wait for ROM
 
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Hi @relda I bet what you miss was knowing what to expect from your deteriorating knee everyday. When the pain comes on slowly over time, we have a great capacity to live with it. After the surgery - as others say - it's all about The Knee. We become slaves to it for awhile. You'll find it hard to believe, but it will settle down. It can take up to a year for recovery so don't fret.
 
I remember someone on the hip side grieving over the body parts they had "lost." Is this what you're feeling? Major surgery can cause/ worsen depression. You may want to mention this to your doctor. Lack of sleep (very normal at this point) can affect your emotions. I also had sutures that popped out of the skin- your doctor can remove them for you. It appears I had surgery about the same time as you (you can add your surgery date to your signature line) and I'm still having a lot of pain. I take pain meds when I need them and try to focus on the quality of life this surgery is going to enable. :flwrysmile:
 
I get it. I'm just a little ahead of you (almost 10 weeks) (EDIT: I'm only at nine weeks. Would you believe I've been walking around all day thinking it's Saturday? Nope, it's Tuesday. I have no idea what's going on anymore! :rotfl:) and my knee has been poking out little bits of the stitches, my scar is wicked ugly (compared to some I've seen. I don't heal well), and I'm tired of feeling like my knee has been replaced with a rock. I'm also wondering when I'll be able to sleep through the night (except for potty breaks), and when I'm going to get my stamina back! :sleeep:

But it is better. And it will get better still. I do still take my pain meds at night, which probably isn't helping with me the sleeping, but makes me more comfortable; and am a pro at the 4 a.m. ice pack run. I got completely frustrated over the weekend, as my knee just wasn't happy and I felt like I was taking more drugs than I had been. (I was.) Today? Not so bad! I feel like I can go out into the world and deal pretty well for a while.

Hang in there, a few weeks can make a huge difference! It WILL get better.
 
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Hi Paisleydoll,

I had my surgery the day after you--RTKR. I was doing pretty well emotionally until the last few days.
I feel like my replacement is the enemy. Mentally it is just so foreign to me. Now, I am starting the blues and driving my husband crazy. Physically, I seem to be doing well. I was walking unassisted after 3 weeks, driving at 4. Not much swelling. Doing PT 2-3 times a week. At home I do similar stretches and exercises and use a treadmill. I just miss what I was born with--didn't seem to bother me with other non replacement surgeries.
Can anyone advise as to when these feelings might go away?
Thanks guys
 
I think these feelings are all part of the mental and physical adjustment we have to make after such major surgery.
It's all part of this:
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

I know that some people do feel that their knee prosthesis is an alien foreign body, but try to think of it as something that has made it possible for you to look forward to a life without that awful bone-on-bone pain you had before your operation. That pain was never going to get better on its own, unlike the post-op pain, which will decrease as you heal.

I now have two knee replacements and I wouldn't be without them. If I had not had them, I would have been looking at life in a wheelchair before too much longer. As it is, I can walk around without even using a walking stick.
 
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@reallylola - I'll admit, I'm kind of a weirdo. I was grabbing my teenage daughter's hand last night, and putting it on my knee as I flexed it going "Feel that? That's plastic between two pieces of metal!" (She just rolled her eyes and was like "Mother, you have a strange way of entertaining yourself.")

I, personally, don't miss the original pieces. I couldn't walk on them. They caused me more pain than I can explain to anyone. Granted, the pain of surgery was tough, but I knew it was going to be a finite pain: If everything went well, it was going to go away! And, for the most part, it has.

I'm finding what's dragging me down is the lack of ability to just get up and go. I'm usually fine in the morning, provided I didn't over do it the day before, and can go out and run errands or meet a friend for coffee. But a friend's band was playing this past weekend, and I was just too out of whack to be able to go. I hurt, and had to dose myself with meds and darn it, I had this done because I was sick of The Knee being my reason for not doing stuff, and I want to go dancing and whinewhinewhine.

I find what really helps is knowing I'm not alone. All the wonderful people here have gone through the same thing. We're all at different stages in the journey, and for some people it will take longer than others (and I find myself feeling guilty because I know I've had an easier time of it than many people), but we all have the same goal: To live without pain, and be able to walk normally.
 
@Paisleydoll We have the same surgery date and knee side! I don't miss my old knee but I am soooo ready for this thing to hurry up and heal. It's taking considerably longer than either of my hip replacements.

My scar is still red. It hasn't faded to the light pink like other's have. Do you need your other knee replaced, too?

Robyn
 
Wow! You're all so early in your recovery, so don't expect miracles. This recovery takes a long, long time, up to a full year even.

The scar that is still pink is going to fade as time goes by, but it will still take some time - just as your energy takes ages to come back. At first, all your body's energy is directed at healing your knee. This article helps to explain it.
Energy drain for TKRs

And yes, recovery from knee replacements does take longer than recovery from hip replacements. The knee is a more complex joint than the hip.
 
@MotownGirl66 - Yup, I need to have the other one done as well. (Thanks, genetics, for the osteoarthritis!) I'm thinking March of 2015, so I can have it done under the same insurance co-pay and have PT covered by the next year's coverage. And my scar is really unattractive, but it's better than being on disability because I can't walk!

@Celle - I know it's still early days, but I find I have to keep reminding myself! I think it's because I have I have no experience to compare it to, and I'm wicked hard on myself about doing things, I "feel" like I should be further ahead of where I am. This forum has been a Godsend in reminding me just what my body has been through, and the fact that it's going to take time to heal, and that's ok :)
 
Welcome to the forum family! It is great that you found us and we will be here for you throughout the entire recovery and beyond!
.I miss my knee.
When you are fully recovered---I am willing to bet a large sum of money that you wil have changed your tune.

Right now, you are going through the dark days of recovery---the first four weeks are the toughest, and recovery can take longer than we would like it to, and longer than we thought it would.
I can't sleep thru the night
Sleep issues are very common---I also had to deal with it. While I was not in pain, I could not get comfortable.

Since you are in pain---are you taking your pain meds on the clock---on schedule---if you are doing that, then I would contact your OS or your GP and let them know that your pain is not being treated effectively.

It is vitally important that your pain be treated effectively and efficiently.

you have been given great information, and those articles and advice that other have given to you will help you out.

As for me, I had a BTKR seven years ago this past Saturday---and I had a tough recovery---I did not understand how long it takes to be fully recovered---but, in looking back, I am so ever glad that i had both of my knees replaced----my life now is better than it was three years prior my BTKR, and I have no pain, nor do I have to take pills, wear braces, or restrictions!

Give it time---please be patient---you are still very, very early in recovery.

It can take upwards to a year to be fully recovered---mine took close to eight months---maybe a tad longer---but boy, was it worth it.

I am sure that you will be pleased with how you feel later on!
 
Gosh, it's never occurred to me to miss my old knee - good riddance, I say. I miss it about as much as I'd miss a cavity in my tooth! And the new metal and plastic knee is most welcome so long as it behaves itself and doesn't come loose or anything! Can't wait for the other one!

It reminds me of a friend of mine who went into a serious stage of depression grieving the loss of her uterus after surgery. She was 48 for goodness' sake but she still wailed and beat her breast like a mid-Eastern mourner! For me it was a useless piece of tissue that was causing me endless problems and illness and I was only too delighted to be rid of it. Funny how different people react ....
 
Hi @ Relda
I think what you are feeling is normal for you. It's a part of depression and maybe some anxiety with it. They can run together.
The knee that's gone was diseased. Kind of like when a person needs a transplant like a kidney. Our knee may not kill us if we keep it, but the pain can make us totally dysfunctional. And that isn't a way to live. I was dragging my leg because the arthritis was so bad. I had it removed. I'm almost 7 weeks out and there is still pain and that's normal. I know that in the coming months I will be able to walk without pain and keep up with my grandkids.
Your new knee is now an important part of you now. Totally yours. No it has no bone but it won't have arthritis either. And think about what it would be like to not have it and several years or one year goes by, what that pain would be like. I waited a year to decide to do this and in that year my knee got so much worse. I had to use crutches to be able to get around a mall or the fair. So when the negative thought comes about missing your old knee, change it to the positive. Out with the old in with the new.
We are all here for you. Take it one day at a time.


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