TKR 2 new knees, 3 months apart oy vey

[Jockette]

If the heel slides are causing pain then they are not helping you. Remember the beginning of our guidelines, “if it hurts, don’t do it.”

Here is how to properly do a heel slide:
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/heel-slides-and-how-to-do-them-properly.26903/ which is also in the guidelines.

And actually, you don’t even have to do any heel slides, especially this early. Time and healing will take care of things. This is because:

It’s not exercising that gets our range of motion back, it’s Time:

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Exercise as in strength training is counter-productive and in the early weeks does more harm than good. Normal activity is the key to success.

 

[winemama]

Thank you so much, the champagne is something I didn’t experience is my first knee replacement, I have no idea what I’m even worried, it’s only Been 10 days. I just think my head is full of nothing but knee replacement information, I’m really on overload

 

[winemama]

Today 5/8/19 goes down in the record books as one of the most miserable days I’ve had so far. My TKR is only 10 days old, and I know they’re supposed to be pain, but the tightness around my knee is just killing me I have been icing for hours every day, taking my meds on time, and this just hurts I forgot how much

 

[FCBayern]

@winemama Sorry you're hurting so much. The first two weeks of this recovery are brutal. I've had a number of other surgeries but nothing compares to this recovery. Hang in there, it gets better.

 

[possum65]

10 days after a TKR is pretty rough, I am hoping you will feel a bit better in a few days. Don't worry about heel slides, if they really hurt, just leave it for now. Knee replacement overload information! I know just what you mean - it is all consuming, and hard to think about anything else. It IS a big deal, just go with it.

 

[Jockette]

I’m sorry you’re hurting so much, yes, these early days can be brutal. Don’t do any exercises that hurt. Remember:

It’s not exercising that gets our range of motion back, it’s Time:

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Exercise as in strength training is counter-productive and in the early weeks does more harm than good. Normal activity is the key to success.

 

[DLR]

@winemama sounds like you are hitting the first of many “I’m so done with this days”. At 29 days post my 2nd TKR I have had several. While having gone through this before seemed like it should make it easier, it doesn’t. Each knee is different. It’s okay to feel this way, pain is hard to live with day in and day out. Be kind to yourself, See if you can have a treat in the journey.... a nice glass of wine, a piece of a special dessert, a sit in the sun with a book..all the above lol. I found around day 10 cabin fever also set in so my husband and i went out to a nice little family restaurant with padded bench seats where I could sit sideways with my leg up and enjoyed breakfast out. Little moments of normal pleasure help you through the long journey. Hang in there!

 

[Rather]

@winemama I am sorry that you are in such pain and despair today. I am only on day 3 and this morning has been a struggle for me as well. I’m elevating and icing constantly with the exception of a few short walks around the house and wanting this to be over, like yesterday. Doc says that I will have to do the left one later this year so I am reading your posts with deep interest.

I am sending you good thoughts and positive energy and hope your day and recovery gets better soon.

 

[sistersinhim]

While you are icing are you also elevating, toes above nose? This elevation will help to get that fluid out of your knee. Swelling adds a lot to your pain. Getting that down will help with that pain. Also, have your activities increases lately? That would also add for your swelling and pain. Try to rest as much as you can.

 

[winemama]

I am icing 3-4 hours daily, with breaks in between. I know in my heart that this pain will slowly go away, the RTKR I had done in February is doing a great job, Being able to take on the extra weight and giving me very little pain I’m very happy. Like I said I know things will start happening slowly I’m just burned out.

 

[winemama]

While you are icing are you also elevating, toes above nose? This elevation will help to get that fluid out of your knee. Swelling adds a lot to your pain. Getting that down will help with that pain. Also, have your activities increases lately? That would also add for your swelling and pain. Try to rest as much as you can.

The fluid around my ankles and foot has gone down like 80% so I’m happy with that , reading the information on this site I realize that doing ankle pumps aggravated the tendon down the side of my leg into my calf and ankle, so I stopped doing them, basically I am just working on bringing the fluid down in my knee It’s only been 12 days with my new baby knee so I am taking extra care of it resting as much as I can

 

[sistersinhim]

It sounds like you're doing things right. Now, it'll just take patience and time.

 

[winemama]

I walked Outside up and down my street for about 10 minutes I could feel a nice pool and my hamstring stretching not hurting and now I’m icing I have a PT appointment tomorrow and we’re going to go over some things wish me luck they’re pretty hardheaded here in the USA

 

[Jockette]

I know it can be scary going against the PT’s protocol for you, but remember, it’s your knee, your recovery.

It’s amazing how many different opinions there are between therapists and even surgeons, about the approach to this recovery. Therefore, you choose the approach you want to follow. They don’t have to like your choice, you do.

 

[winemama]

Visited PT today, he worked on my tendon around my ankle and calf, that is what is giving me the most pain, we agreed no bending of the knee, he agreed we have to get the calf muscles on board. Completely different pain from my first TKR.

 

[winemama]

Update. The pain in my ankle and up the side of my calf is excruciating, hurts way more than the new replacement. I saw my regular GP today and she ordered an x-ray, looked over my leg For clotting leg wasn’t overly warm felt natural I just can’t tell you this pain I almost feel like my ankle is broken, or that a tendon and muscle were cut and they’re trying to heal Talked to the liaison to my OS, she is wonderful, all info going to him, apt Weds. she also refilled my pain meds, so I can go back to 2/4 hours anyone else have this ankle business??

 

[winemama]

Yesterday was one of the most horrible days I’ve ever had, the pain in my ankle was unbelievable, not knowing what was causing it was even worse, I’ve been crying for two days and I’m not a crier. The rough part is one week before my surgery on April 26 my wife had a severe vertigo attack which has put her down for the last three weeks so we’ve been trying to take care of each other me worrying about her for worrying about me We’re both trying to do the best we can and we’re doing OK luckily this is the second go around with my knee so we have an idea of what’s going on but I know how hard it is I’ve never been this miserable in my life

 

[Rather]

@winemama I am so sorry that you are having such terrible pain and that your wife is suffering at the same time. There is something very special about two wounded people trying to take care of each other during a difficult time. Sending good karma to both of you.

 

[winemama]

@winemama I am so sorry that you are having such terrible pain and that your wife is suffering at the same time. There is something very special about two wounded people trying to take care of each other during a difficult time. Sending good karma to both of you.

Thank you so very much. We tease about what a pair we are, but the love is there

 

[Celle]

@winemama - I'm sorry you had such a miserable day.
It was probably a combination of things, the post-op blues, the pain, worry about your wife, a probaboy a bit too much activity as you looked after her.

Things will get better as time passes, but with two knee replacements close together you have a double whammy of all the bad consequences. Of course, when your knees are healed you'll also have the double whammy of getting two good knees, but that will be a while into the future.

Just hang in there the best you can, both of you.

You'll see that I have moved your post from Rather's thread, into your own thread.

By putting the above post in her recovery thread, you were disrupting her thread, which should be about her own recovery.
Forum etiquette: being polite when posting

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