TKR 10 may op

[InkedMarie]

You can get a general idea of where you are by sitting in a chair and looking at the chart I shared up there.

Marie

 

[benne68]

just frustrated at lack of progress,

Hi @Parks and welcome to the recovery side.

You are very early in this year-long recovery and should not be thinking about ROM yet. Focus instead on letting your body heal from the trauma of the surgery.

Don't worry about progress right now. It will come, as @Jockette said, with time. I am 8 months post-op and spent yesterday on a 5+ mile hike. I didn't think about my knee once the entire day!

 

[Parks]

Wow 5+ miles something to look forward to. I'm aware my fitness is going downhill fast. Heart rate creeping up daily.

Rough night with pain, that'll teach me to think I'm doing ok

 

[benne68]

@Parks Be patient -- you are only a week into this long recovery!

To put my hike into perspective: my fitness level was terrible even before my TKR. My knee had been so bad for so long, that I needed a cane to walk to the mail box and could barely make it through the grocery store. So, I was a very long way from walking 5 miles!

I spent the first month of recovery focused on icing, elevating and getting the swelling to come down. When I graduated from the walker to the cane, I took "mini-walks" back and forth across my driveway. Once that was manageable, I tried walking as far as the next-door neighbor's house and back. Every few days, I would add another house down the street. Eventually, I worked up to a half-mile. Woo hoo, did I celebrate that achievement!

You will get there, if you take it a little bit at a time. But not yet! For now, you need to rest, ice and elevate and let that poor knee recover from all the sawing, hammering and other nasty things your surgeon did to it! No wonder you are in pain!

Sending hugs.

 

[hawk2go]

I tried walking as far as the next-door neighbor's house and back. Every few days, I would add another house down the street.

I remember this period. We were both walking down the block for 2-3 houses, tapping some random turning point and celebrating that we made it back home. Time really is the thing.

@Parks - be patient with yourself, you are 1 week into a year long recovery. You will likely start feeling good way before the year is up but the healing will continue. Also, you're at a point where the pain can get away from you quickly and it is way easier to stay ahead of the pain by taking your meds on schedule than it is to try to chase the pain after it has flared way up.

 

[Parks]

Now 10 days post op. Yesterday I clocked up 2,000 steps as I felt good and wanted a bit of fresh air. Today the knee is swollen and feeling so down. Trying to do exercises but am so disheartened, never realised how draining the pain would be.

Still no news of physio appointment (NHS) had visions of striding into physio and hearing gasps of admiration; now I'm imaging head shaking and painful therapy. No idea what to expect over here in states it appears to start very early

 

[Jockette]

Oh my, 2000 steps at 10 days post op is far too much for you. This early in recovery you should be resting icing and elevating so that your knee can heal. Short walks and gentle bending movements are all you need, to give your knee mobility.

Resting after Joint Replacement surgery

Even with so many advances in surgical methods that allow surgeons to replace traditional open surgery with less invasive approaches like robotic, laparoscopic, or arthroscopic surgery, any procedure is considered to be a major stress on the body and mind. Your body spends a lot of energy...

bonesmart.org

Please don’t worry that you haven’t started physio yet. Not everyone starts early and formal physio isn’t even essential, especially this early.

Give yourself time to recover, take things slow and easy, and most of all, try to relax. It’s all going to be fine.

 

[Parks]

12 days now its almost time for bed, so tired can't wait. Unfortunately when I do get a few hours sleep I wake up in so much pain and stiffness and walk around groaning! Then I can't sleep any more. At the moment I'm taking paracetamol 3 times a day as prescribed. Then before sleep stronger codeine. That's all the say to take. Not sure what others are taking would really like to take OTC tablets in night but this will mean I'm taking pills 5 times a day, would this be too much?

 

[kneeper]

You've discovered that sometimes during this recovery we don't feel too bad while doing some activity but then pay for it later. It is ok to ramp up slowly. Like Jockette said, short walks are fine at this stage.
Also don't be afraid to rest. Rest time lets your body focus on healing. I found actually lying down for a while whether I slept or not, the most restful.

 

[benne68]

What you describe about pain at night interfering with sleep is very normal, especially in the first month of recovery, @Parks.

You might be able to increase the paracetamol -- depending upon how many milligrams you are taking each dose. Unless you have underlying health issues, it is generally safe to take 1000mgs every 6 hours (4x per day) for a maximum of 4000mgs/day). You should, of course, discuss this with your health team.

These articles from our Nurse Director Emeritus about pain management may be helpful.

Pain management: importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart

The process of pain/swelling/healing and all is this In other words, it's not so much that pain causes swelling but that the after effects of surgery is swelling as the after effects of any trauma to the tissues is swelling. So you have a double causative effect (otherwise known as a...

bonesmart.org

 

[Layla]

Hello,
I’m sorry you’re struggling with pain and sleeplessness. Consider contacting your surgeon’s office if this continues in an effort to have meds adjusted so you can be reasonably comfortable and get some restorative rest.

Please notice that we have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread. Having your recovery information contained in one place will make it easier for you to reflect back on. It is also helpful for those stopping by to be able to review your history before advising or commenting.
Please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here.

I wish you all the best!
@Parks

 

[kneeper]

How are you doing this week?

 

[Jockette]

my progress hasn't been checked yet. 1st June before I see physio. Hopefully they won't push me too hard!

You control how hard they push you, not them.

People are all different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

 

[DEL2022Jun-25]

Hi! My surgery was May 9, so we're like knee cousins or something. So hello, and let's keep tab on one another!

 

[Parks]

Hello Alice, much tougher than I thought it would be, but at least pain mostly under control now. Love your dog! We have a rescue cat who is soo happy to have me lie on the bed, good stress reducer.

 

[Parks]

Progress seems to have stalled managing short walks outside with one crutch and hubby to ensure not barged into. Island is packed with visitors for TT races. Just knee bend not improving. Will see what physio has to say on Wednesday.

 

[Jockette]

You are very early in recovery and progress does not happen in a straight line, it’s more like a rollercoaster. It’s way too early to worry about your bend. Try to be patient, the bend will come.

 

[Parks]

Thanks Jockette getting very down about it

 

[Jockette]

Getting down about it is very common. Our body goes through a lot in any surgery, let alone a major surgery. We‘re hurting, tired, and just want to be done with it, but we’ve actually barely begun to heal at this point. Try not to expect a lot of progress day to day. At the end of each week look back and see what you were able to do better than a week ago.

And remember, a ROM number is just one part of recovery, even though they make such a big deal about it. Being able to do something better now than the first week is a good measure. Walking just a little further than last week is good. Things like that all count.

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Post op blues is feeling depressed, weepy, nervy, shaky, fearful of the future, anxious, overwhelmed by what is happening to you, convinced it's never going to get any better and finally, uttering that most intense of all cries "I wish I never had this done!" It arises out of a variety of...

bonesmart.org

 

[WFD]

@Parks , for 19 days out, you are doing really well. At 19 days I wasn't walking outside.

How is the swelling? This early in your recovery, it is mainly swelling that restricts your RoM. If you are doing too much and causing more swelling, that could inhibit your RoM. Maybe do an experiment - while your island (Isle of Man I'm guessing) is crowded, take a break and rest more and see if things improve.