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TKR 1 week post op, new forum member

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I'm so glad you are getting out of the house....I think I can understand the meaning of that! My surgery was 6-22 and my husband just asked if I might want to go out for Thai food tomorrow. I promptly said.....we'll see! Honestly, today was the first day I felt like eating anything.

Hope you feel up to going....let us know!
 
Best of luck. Don't overdo it. Xxx


FaithMitchmommy
PKR December.1,2014
TKREV MARCH.2,2015
 
Couldn't do it. Feeling pretty low this evening. My calf is so tight, walking is very painful and I just can't get around. I can't stand up straight because my muscle just won't stretch. I'm not seeing the light right now.

Everyone says "it's so early into your recovery, it will get better". But tonight, that is hard to believe. It feels a little hopeless. My calf seems to get tighter by the day. A call to my dr is in order tomorrow.
 
Sadly, that's pretty normal, but it's very uncomfortable. Can you reach it to give it a gentle massage? Just place your hands on the calf and pull them up from the ankle toward the knee with firm strokes (but it shouldn't hurt very much). If you can't reach, maybe you have someone who can?
 
@mimi_frog
I'm sorry you're having a lot of pain in your calf. It's a good idea to have it checked out by your doctor.

The tightness could be caused by swelling. Are you doing lots of rest, elevate, ice ?
Also, it sounds as if your pain relief medication is not as effective as it might be. Do remember to
take your pain meds by the clock.

You'll probably get sick of hearing this, but it really is very early days in your recovery. This recovery is more like a marathon than a sprint and it can take a full year for all your soft tissues to heal completely. Things are going to feel better long before that, though.

Please will you make a Signature, in which you put your surgery and its date? That's so we don't have to keep going back to your first post, to see what you had done, and when. Here's how to do it:
How to create a signature
Thank you. :flwrysmile:
 
Cindy knits said:
I'm so glad you are getting out of the house....I think I can understand the meaning of that! My surgery was 6-22 and my husband just asked if I might want to go out for Thai food tomorrow. I promptly said.....we'll see! Honestly, today was the first day I felt like eating anything.

Hope you feel up to going....let us know!
Click to expand...
PO:ß


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Please let us know what the doc says.
 
Just got back from an ultrasound- not a clot! Hurray! But I do have fluid in my calf that is causing the pain. The results are on their way to my surgeon so hopefully I'll have some remedies and suggestions soon.

What a relief, but I'm dying to get rid of this pain!
 
@mimi_frog So pleased that it's not a clot, what a relief for you. Let's hope you get everything settled soon.
 
I'm sure now that they know what it is, they will find a solution to the problem! Good luck and hang in there. Please let us know?!?
 
Very good to hear it wasn't a clot!

sent from my Galaxy 4
 
Yes indeed--good to have a clot ruled out. Maybe more elevation and/or some lymphatic massage would help. keep up posted.
 
Still waiting on solutions from my surgeon but my PT is focusing on knee only, giving the calf a chance to heal - just walking, ice, etc for my calf but continuing on strengthening my knee and ROM. My knee is coming along nicely, I was able to lift it off the ground many times!

So, feeling good but would feel so much better if my calf would improve. Fingers crossed!
 
I agree - my OS was very clear about how difficult a recovery this would be, especially since I had already recovered from a BTHR. He kept on telling me it was harder & even got very specific about the how's & whys. And I believed him but I just didn't get it till I went thru it. And then I was less than happy! I don't think I really understood till it was happening to me - not his fault or mine - this is not an easy surgery but I did go back for my second knee. Looking for that long term gain!
 
Hmm, have you tried heat on that calf, mine was sore from the tunicates they used during surgery. A forum member recommended heat and it did the trick for me.


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mimi_frog said:
Couldn't do it. Feeling pretty low this evening. My calf is so tight, walking is very painful and I just can't get around. I can't stand up straight because my muscle just won't stretch. I'm not seeing the light right now.

Everyone says "it's so early into your recovery, it will get better". But tonight, that is hard to believe. It feels a little hopeless. My calf seems to get tighter by the day. A call to my dr is in order tomorrow.
Click to expand...
It is very, very early in your recovery to be thinking about going out to eat. You are in the "Dark Days of Recovery"---the first four weeks are the roughest.

I am very happy to read that you do not have a DVT---but just make sure that you are icing and elevating properly and resting enough.

Things will get better---but it will take a while. Please reflect on the facts that you have had two bones awed off (amputated!) and an implant not-so-gently pounded into your bones ---and that the knee joint capsule itself is very, very tight and naturally restrictive. Your knee has been thorugh a tremendous amount of surgcial trauma, and going out to eat right now probably would have been very counter-productive.

At this stage of the game, simply resting, icing, elevating, and repeating is the best---and take your recovery one day at a time.
 
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It is sad to say this, but it is true, you can not hurry this recovery along---but what you can do is slow it down. How much and how often are you icing and elevating?
 
referee54 said:
It is sad to say this, but it is true, you can not hurry this recovery along---but what you can do is slow it down. How much and how often are you icing and elevating?
Click to expand...

I'm icing my knee for 45 minutes several times a day - maybe 5-6? Gentle stretching of the calf 6-7 times a day with icing maybe twice? It's hard to ice the calf since I have to wear the DVT pumps 20 hours a day. Tomorrow is the last day and I might just do a jig when I take them off for the last time.
 
referee54 said:
It is very, very early in your recovery to be thinking about going out to eat. You are in the "Dark Days of Recovery"---the first four weeks are the roughest.

I am very happy to read that you do not have a DVT---but just make sure that you are icing and elevating properly and resting enough.

Things will get better---but it will take a while. Please reflect on the facts that you have had two bones awed off (amputated!) and an implant not-so-gently pounded into your bones ---and that the knee joint capsule itself is very, very tight and naturally restrictive. Your knee has been thorugh a tremendous amount of surgcial trauma, and going out to eat right now probably would have been very counter-productive.

At this stage of the game, simply resting, icing, elevating, and repeating is the best---and take your recovery one day at a time.
Click to expand...
Thank you, truly. Sometimes it's hard to remember that is what happened. We have to give ourselves a break. Thanks so much!
 
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