10 weeks post BTKR and doing ok - sort of

[richfriz]

Hi all

Before the op my OS told me that by 3 months I should be better than before the op. In some ways he was correct. I no longer have joint pain but I am nowhere close to what I could do before the op.

A question for the people who are further down the track than I am. When approximately did you start to feel you could do more post op than pre op?

I should say that I am doing ok. I can walk ok, climb stairs and this last week I drove over 1200Kms taking some friends on a trip around West Australia. I am still in a bit of pain getting in and out of the car but the things that bug me are the constant "clicking" in my new knees, discomfort at night when trying to sleep and just general muscle and ligament pain!

 

[Josephine]

Three months can still be early stages for some. Everyone's progress is unique to them.
Clicking: affects some people, sometimes goes away, sometimes doesn't. So long as it doesn't cause pain, you should eventually adapt and not notice it.i
Car: it's not unusual for people to still have problems with this at this stage
Discomfort at night and general aches and pains: try taking some pain meds last thing. Many people need to continue with the pain meds for several more months. General rule of thumb - if you hurt anywhere, taken them!

 

[richfriz]

Hi Jo

Thanks for the quick reply. You must be up LATE in the uk!!!

I have given up on the pain meds. The reason is I have more "discomfort" than pain. Also the pain meds make me feel wierd!

I guess I am just whinging. I want to get back to normal ASAP but this old body is taking its time!

 

[Josephine]

Well, discomfort IS pain! It's the low grade, persistent kind of pain that wears you down and saps your energy. You shouldn't need any heavy duty pain meds, just something simple. Regular over-the-counter headache pills should do it. But you obviously need something to help you get a good night's sleep!

 

[aussie]

Hi Richard,

Happy Australia Day, just said Hooroo to 20 people after the traditional BBQ. If you had told me even 4 weeks ago I would have been entertaining 20 people I would have laughed.

We are pretty close in recovery time and I experience all the same things you do. I have had the added pleasure of my HR becoming increasingly painful the more active I get. (Had xray, no loosening, thanks heavans) My GP actually put me on Panadol Osteo. She said I wasn't taking enough pain medication. I said the same thing as you, but it's discomfort not pain, in fact at the time my knee wasn't hurting at all she said about the same thing as Jo, discomfort is pain and my hip needed pain relief too.

You are actually doing a lot more driving than me. We had to go to a sports event all this past weekend and I got my daughter to drive to Sydney, I'm still not confident, and it sounds like you are walking better than me too. I have been totally scared to walk any distance because that was what caused the most pain prior to the op and on the weekend I was forced to walk 500 metres uphill to the stadium, I was soo scared but I did it, no pain etc, the next day I did it again this time I carried my own chair. Woohoo!!!

I think you are doing well Richard, maybe get some pain meds in before sleep, the good thing there is you can't feel weird because you'll be asleep!

Keep up the good recovery.

Chris

 

[Jamie]

Okay, Chris.....time to educate the Dumb American here.....tell me what "Hooroo" means......

 

[Max Wallace]

I am at 9 weeks after BI-TKR and experience the same things you do. I am however doing things that I would never have done before the surgery. I gave my six year old a piggy back ride of about 300 feet, gone shopping, attended a concert, went up a flight of 60 stairs without pulling myself up with the rail and on the way down I did not need the rail to keep from falling. I still have the muscle pain and some aches but it's 1000 x better than before surgery. i had put the surgery off for about 10 years and had given up so many things that I now have a new life.

Good luck! and keep in touch!

HOOROO?

 

[aussie]

LOL Jamie, it's just a goodbye. The opposite to G'day.

Wow Max you are doing great, congrats.

Hooroo!

Chris

 

[Jamie]

Wow, Aussie.....I can't wait to use that fun word in general conversation!!! It really beats the universal American phrase...."buh-bye."

 

[Josephine]

Jamie - how about ta ta, tarra, tattie bye, toodle-oo, toodle pip, TTFN (ta ta for now), cheerio, cheers .... any or all of which I forgot to say to you on the phone just now!!

 

[carolward]

Hi there

Happy Australia Day to all the Aussies! I am also 10 weeks after PKR and over the long weekend put my knee to the test. We went to Geelong here in Victoria where a festival was being held and I walked about 3 kms. By far my longest walk since the op. My knee was pretty good with most of my aches and pains coming from my yet to be operated on right knee and pain in my feet.

The next day walked about 1km. I still walk abit stiffly but I think it's more a brain thing than a knee thing. I haven't had much opportunity to test it on stairs but with the few I have done, my operated knee has given my no pain and my unoperated, severe pain. So no matter what, I still have to hobble down the stairs.

I look forward to the day when my knee is not the first thing I think about in the morning

Carol

 

[Josephine]

And that day will come sooner than you think! Well done on your achievments.