TKR Freddie's Recovery

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Freddie88

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Hello, I will finally be having TKR on my left knee on Tuesday 17th November. My right knee was TKR'd in September last year and in March when my left knee surgery was due other health issues intervened (not the dreaded lurgy - Covid19). The other health issues have been resolved, thank goodness, so on with left TKR. I have been following the exercise sheet the physotherspist gave me after the last TKR hoping this will give me a head start with muscle control etc. I have also had the usual pre - op bloods, MRSA, ecg etc and I get to have a Covid swab on Saturday! And I have been using Surgical Scrub (it dries my skin out dreadfully) to shower and wash my hair with, twice a day, watching what I eat to try and loose some lockdown weight gain. Re-reading advice sheets from bonesmart and preparing the house, stocking freezer etc etc.
I have watched and read with great interest a lot of posts on recovery and had a lot of questions answered. However, I am aware that everyone says no two knees are the same, how do you know if the first knee operated on is the worst one - in terms of pain and recovery?
 
I'm having my covid test sunday, and surgery two days after you. Different issues and surgeries, but we'll be recovering at the same time.

There's really no way to know ahead of time how your knee will recover, but it will likely be different than with your first. Just take it one day at a time; sometimes one hour at a time, don't over do and follow the guidelines I'm leaving you now. We usually leave these after surgery, but decided to give them to you now so you can get a head start reading them.

Here are your Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access these pages on the website



The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds


We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.
While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
how do you know if the first knee operated on is the worst one - in terms of pain and recovery?
Impossible to predict. Every TKR is different, even on the same person. Has your surgeon indicated there are any problems?

Get those ice packs in the freezer and prepare where you are going to spend your time elevating. We will be here for you!
 
My opinion it would depend on whether its the same knee or a different one. As others have said impossible to predict and I will also suggest either reusable gel packs/ice packs in the freezer. Now if it was the same knee yes they do get worse with repeated surgeries as in the recovery takes longer.
 
how do you know if the first knee operated on is the worst one - in terms of pain and recovery?
As the others said, there really is no way of knowing.
Now if it was the same knee yes they do get worse with repeated surgeries as in the recovery takes longer.
Not always. It often depends on how much work had to be done during surgery.
 
That's your experience @NFenske, and it's valid. But you have had far more revisions than most people and your knee is already tired..
 
That's your experience @NFenske, and it's valid. But you have had far more revisions than most people and your knee is already tired..

I must drive everyone nuts including myself. Maybe the best thing is to not voice any opinion since I am in a different situation then most. Your comment on " knee is already tired " is an understatement if we did not have to be civil there are plenty of other things that could have been written. Bad thing I agree.
 
Thank you all. My right knee had surgery in September last year and I was unprepared for the difficulties with recovery. Within 30 minutes of being at home I had a fall which shattered my confidence and it took another two to three weeks to before I began to try to bend my knee. 14 months later, I still have a little pain when the weather is wet. My angle is 105 to 110, which I am happy with, it allows me to drive. I hope when my left knee is done I will be able to walk a little more normally than with a limping gait. Freezer loaded with ice packs.
 
Covid test ugh! Definately a reminder of 80's Chicken Song from 1980's "Throw a chicken in the air, stick a deck chair up your nose..." Good news I'm Covid free lol. Left TKR tomorrow, be glad of the respite from surgical scrub, it plays havoc with my hair. Good luck to anyone else in surgery this week.
 
Good luck tomorrow- please let us know how your doing as soon as you feel able to.
 
Best wishes!
 
Hello all, thank you for your good wishes. I cannot believe how different I feel. Surgery went well and now on ward having toast. I can move my left foot and do paddling exercises, but this is probably morphine induced euphoria. A little soreness and tightness around the incision but hopefully it stays this way. BP has returned to my normal levels. Nursing staff say full impact will hit me tomorrow. Tbh I'm just so pleased its done and wont have bone on bone grating when I move my knee. But you know what they say "Pride comes before the fall". Hope others who are in/having surgery over the next few days have an easy time and little pain. X
 
Hello sorry I haven't posted since Tuesday, forgot to pack charging cable. Please can you leave my thread as it is? At least I can find it - not good with techno stuff. Saw my Surgeon on Wednesday morning and he said everything went very well I asked if I could go home "only if the physio's agree I can go home". Physiotherapyist only let you go home if you have over 60° bend! Physio's arrived at 11am, measured 0° and 75° flexion, yes I could go home. I was very relieved, had to wait for medicine, including clexane injections (anticoagulant), oxycodon(1 week only), paracetamol, lansprozole, and macrogol. Then it was a case of patient transport, (husband does not drive) it took forever. But arrived home by 5pm, a bit tired but generally ok. Had to do some organising as husband not good at that sort of thing. Today was spent catching up on sleep and lying on the sofa resting, icing and elevating. Wonderful to have a valid excuse.The new knee clunks a bit walking but its so good not to have the bone on bone scrap eveytime I bend my knee.
I sincerely hope all those that have and had surgery over the last few days weeks etc, that it goes well.
 
HI @Freddie88 ,
I have copied your post, above, and used it to start your recovery thread for you.
I'm sorry, but we don't keep recovery threads in the pre-op area.

Here is the link to your new recovery thread:
Freddie's Second Knee Recovery
(Just click on the blue writing and you'll be taken to your recovery thread.)
Please write about your recovery in your new recovery thread. I've left our Recovery Guidelines in there for you.
 
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