PKR MrsJW's Recovery Thread, stitches not dissolved.

Hi I'm now coming up to 6 months. I still have tight band like feeling. Unfortunately fell on my operated knee 3 weeks ago which has set me back. It's very early days for you. Try not to over exercise just do gentle stretching
 
You are doing fine MrsJW! You are VERY early in this average 1-year recovery. Mother Nature is a terrific healer but she does it at her own pace, which is usually eons slower than we would like! Relax. Try for patience. You will see continued improvement.
 
Hello. I have only just seen these messages but they fill me with hope. I’m just over 3 weeks post op now and feeling more positive. I slept for 6 hours last night with my husband in the same bed (he’s been in the spare room since I got home) and feel so much better.
I had physio this week and have another couple of sessions booked. Everything seems ok apart from the bending. I can get to 90 degrees when sat in a chair (although very uncomfortable) and can’t quite get to 90 from a reclined position. I hate doing the exercises but am worried the scar tissue will heal and I’ll never get the full rom back.
It feels like such slow progress but when I look back to where I was 3 weeks ago I’ve improved so much. I can move around the house without crutches and have even done a little housework and a bit of cooking (I’ve really missed it) I am still elevating and icing regularly because it still gets swollen after any activity.
What I think doesn’t get discussed by the medical teams is the emotional and psychological impact something like this has on you. I am a positive active person but I’ve had periods in the past month where I have felt so low, hopeless, useless and fed up. I have missed the most basic things like pottering about and being self sufficient. I’ve also missed being able to be physically close to my children and husband which is very difficult when you’re in pain all the time. I hadn’t factored any of that in. I just hadn’t expected it to be such a long process. Someone said on here that it’s a marathon and not a sprint and I think that’s very accurate x
 
yes it takes its toll on our mental and emotional health. after 7 weeks of putting a brave face on it to protect my family's mental health and keep my husband out of afib from stress, I am ready for a good cry even though I am doing well physically. I think I should earn a gold medal for coming down the stairs normally with only one hand on the railing.

Don't worry about the bending, it will come in time!
 
I hate doing the exercises but am worried the scar tissue will heal and I’ll never get the full rom back.
If you don’t like the exercises, don’t do them. They are not essential! What is essential is movement for your knee, which it’s getting as you move around the house. Please don’t worry about “scar tissue.” It is not the threat everyone says it is.

None of us can bend our knee laying down as well as we can when we’re sitting up. It really doesn’t matter, a bend is a bend and a number is just a number. You’re having trouble bending, like we all did at 3 weeks, because of swelling, not “scar tissue.”

3 weeks is very, very early in a recovery that takes an average of 52 weeks (one year) Your bend will return in time, and that time frame differs for all of us.

Here are some articles from our Recovery Guidelines that you might want to reread:

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
 
very interesting articles thank you xx
 
You’re welcome! :flwrysmile:
 
Hello everyone. I just thought I would update you on my recovery. I am over 5 weeks post op now and definitely improving although I still have good days and bad days. My sleep is still hit and miss, but I can lie on either side now providing I have my knee cushioned by pillows. I am not doing my physio every day. I didn’t do any yesterday because my knee felt hot and sore. I also took pain medication yesterday for the first time in about a week. In theory I can drive this week but I don’t think I’ll be ready. My knee still feels very far from normal. The scar has healed quite nicely (a bit lumpy in places but hopefully it’ll smooth out) and I’ve still got swelling and stiffness- I’m still icing and elevating a few times a day. On the whole though, I’m feeling more positive. Looking back at my first few posts (and the texts I sent to my friends a few days post op) I realise how far I’ve come. Reading about other people’s experiences on here, it seems that the physio here in the UK is more gentle than what some of you are experiencing elsewhere? Regarding the scar, does anyone recommend things like bio oil to reduce the appearance of the scar and if so when is it safe to use it? Hope everyone is ok.
 
Regarding the scar, does anyone recommend things like bio oil to reduce the appearance of the scar and if so when is it safe to use it?
No need to put anything on the scar. It will soon fade into a very thin line.

Sounds like your recovery is going very well!
 
Regarding the scar, does anyone recommend things like bio oil to reduce the appearance of the scar and if so when is it safe to use it?
No need to put anything on the scar. It will soon fade into a very thin line.

Sounds like your recovery is going very well!
Thank you.
 
Does anyone know whether it’s possible that one of my stitches has not dissolved? My scar is healing ok but I have a lump at the top, slightly puckered. The physio has told me to massage it in circular motions which I have been doing. She said something about the scar tissues being stuck to something (can’t remember) but I feel like there could be an undissolved stitch. If there is will it just dissolve in time? I’m 8+ weeks post op. Thanks
 
It has been a while since you updated us. (normally this is great news as people tend to move on when they are over the hump and getting much better).

I am slowly improving, I read one of my posts saying that I hoped to be close to normal at 3 months. I have reset that and my goal is to be back to normal by spring which will be 10 months. This means riding a real bike, sitting in chair for with leg not propped up, playing tennis, no ice, and getting through a day without thinking about my knee.
 
Does anyone know whether it’s possible that one of my stitches has not dissolved? My scar is healing ok but I have a lump at the top, slightly puckered.
I guess it could be a stitch, but I think most of us had a lump, or hardness, at the top of the incision for a while. Mine went away with time and I didn’t massage it or do anything else to it. In fact, I forgot about it until a member asked about this a very long time after my surgery.

Time and patience fixes a lot in this recovery.
 
Yes, I've got that lumpy hardness at the top of my incision just under the skin. I've also had a couple of stitches come through the incision or maybe push through as the scar shrinks down? My OS snipped it in the office at 6 weeks post-op but I seem to have another very tiny bit pushing its way up in the same spot. I had another tiny stitch pushing out at the bottom of my incision but it seems to have sloughed off by now as it dissolves inside and is pushed out (if this makes sense)
 
Glad your doing good. How about an update on your ability to move around? I hope its better.
I wouldn't worry about scars. They are COOL:yes!:

Take care and good luck in your journey onward.
 
Please can anyone let me know what happens if one of your stitches doesn’t dissolve? It’s over 4 months since my pkr op, my scar is still quite purple but I can see what I think is a stitch just under the skin. Will it dissolve or will I have to face it removed? Thanks
 
Let your surgeon know about the stitch. Since you can see the stitch through your skin, it should be fairly easy to remove if needed.
 
Last edited:
You'll notice that I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread. For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:
  • That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
  • If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
  • Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.
So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here. If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?
 
Please can anyone let me know what happens if one of your stitches doesn’t dissolve? It’s over 4 months since my pkr op, my scar is still quite purple but I can see what I think is a stitch just under the skin. Will it dissolve or will I have to face it removed? Thanks
I'd have your doc take care of that stitch. As far as scar, mine done 3 weeks before yours is starting to fade. Still slightly red. In time it will turn silver and be hardly noticeable. Nothing that panty hose will not cover.
 
Glad your doing good. How about an update on your ability to move around? I hope its better.
I wouldn't worry about scars. They are COOL:yes!:

Take care and good luck in your journey onward.
Thanks, I know the scar shouldn’t matter really. My mobility now is generally much better. I’m using my exercise bike a few times a week and can walk up and downstairs normally (not been able to do that for years) the swelling has gone too. I still get stiffness some days. Sometimes it feels so great I forget I’ve had a new knee and other days it’s stiff and uncomfortable. I haven’t tried to kneel on it so haven’t gone back to my Pilates yet. I can bend it better than ever though. I still need to build up the strength in my leg muscles to help me with getting up off the floor etc but I’m amazed at how far I’ve come. Merry Christmas to everyone xx
 

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