TKR 2 weeks post op - Hopeful or Hopeless?

[Limpin'Lizzie]

Hello, Shanis....I feel like I can relate to you b/c I'm 11 weeks out and can only get 90 on my own. I had brutal PT, and it wasn't until I stopped going, that my swelling began to go down. My doc is one of the worst as far as wanting you to push through the pain. When I went to see him yesterday, I was feeling good b/c I thought I'd really made improvement on my ROM, just by the way I was feeling.

I told him I could get in and out of the car easier now, and I could do heel slides better, but when he looked at it without measuring, he told me I was the same as last time! I was obviously disappointed. He told me I needed to be working on it 7 days a week twice each day. I nodded my head, all the while thinking, that's not what bonesmart says, and I think I choose to believe them! Still it is frustrating.

I just keep believing all the things I read here and have faith that my knee will bend better when it's ready. BTW I'm still on pain meds, too.

We're kind of in the same boat. My knee is progressing slowly. But we have to hang in there!

Liz

 

[Twinkletoes]

Hello Shanis!

I've been reading through your posts and nodding my head, yes, yes, yes! First, I must tell you that I don't even have a threshold for pain, so the least little pain has me crying like a baby.

Then, I found that I was allergic to all the big time pain meds stuff and ended up only being able to take Extra Strength Tylenol and one Tylenol PM at night. Doesn't quite do it for this kind of surgery!

Then, there are the well-meaning family and friends wondering why you're not working at this recovery all through the day!

Even the OS (orthopedic surgeon) the PA (surgeon's assistant) and the PT (Physical Therapist). They all went to the same school....More like Boot Camp - Push through the pain! You can't let up! You must reach X# of ROM (flexion) by a certain date or you will be stuck at that number FOREVER! Big Sigh! Then, I discovered the Bonesmarties here...

What they said made sense.

Your knee has been through the most difficult, painful assault, hammered, sawed and rough handling that anyone has ever been through! Major Trauma! This is unlike anything you will ever experience! And, they also say that if you are nice to your knee, it will be nice to you!

When I was at 11 weeks, my doctor put me in the surgical center to do an MUA (Manipulation Under Anesthesia).

He showed me a picture of my leg on the table while asleep and it showed my heel touching my tushy! Since the MUA, I kept going backwards with the ROM because I was newly swollen and in terrific pain, but I kept going to PT because my doctor ordered it. Sadly, my hubby heard my doctor saying that I had to keep working at it and be a little soldier! So, he ganged up on me too. Finally, I showed my hubby (the doctor didn't want to hear anything about Bonesmart) and he is trying to understand. I am a retired Ballroom dancer/instructor - who thought it wouldn't be too horrible for me since I was so active...

Same with you being younger. The knee doesn't discriminate - if it hurts, it doesn't matter who or what! Another thing I learned here is that your KNEE is in charge, not you, not your doctor, or your family. When your KNEE is ready, it WILL get better and not one minute before. I am at 5 months post op and I'm still not ready to say that I'm glad I had the surgery, but I am now going out and doing more 'normal' things and after reading my own thread https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/twinkletoes-recovery.13672/ I can see how far I've come in this experience! We could all write a book! Keep posting and let us know how you're doing and also to see just how much you are accomplishing in this Wild Roller Coaster Ride of Adventure!

 

[referee54]

Don't worry about "where you should be" and "what you should be doing at this day and at this time in recovery." That is fooey. Everybody recovers in their own way and in their own time.

If you are working hard and the knee is yelling at you to stop it, I would suggest that yo listen to the knee---often times one works too hard and slows down the progress.

And yes, I believe that many of us can relate---and it took time for us to learn to be patient and learn not to push too hard and too worry too much.

I can tell you this---one thing that we preach here and that I also learned from experience is to not worry about "where should I be" and "what should I be doing at this point" as my knees are different than everybody else's. Let the knees set the timetable and the schedule for recovery--because you "are not on that committee."

 

[kneeper]

Don't worry about "where you should be" and "what you should be doing at this day and at this time in recovery." That is fooey. Everybody recovers in their own way and in their own time.

I can tell you this---one thing that we preach here and that I also learned from experience is to not worry about "where should I be" and "what should I be doing at this point" as my knees are different than everybody else's. Let the knees set the timetable and the schedule for recovery--because you "are not on that committee."

So true.

 

[Elsie Yan]

Shanis, I can relate to your problem with addiction as I am a recovering addict. I was addicted to sleeping pills for 3 years as a result of my OA pain. I have been clean for 10 years now. When I had my BTKR, I had to be sedated for the surgery and during the first few nights at the hospital, I really could not sleep due to all the pain and discomfort. I took sleeping pills twice I think over the few days at the hospital. I did feel guilty about it but since it was for a genuine medical reason, I felt it was ok. But I continued to be strong with my abstinence when I got home so, I'm still good.

You do not have to feel guilty that you need the pain meds for a period of time after the surgery. Its natural that your family is concern because of your addiction to pain meds but at the same time, they do not know the level of pain you are going through. So you need to explain to them and also assure them that you would be able to get back to normal after a certain period of time. Of course, you have to remain disciplined in your recovery with addiction to the pain meds once this is all over. If you have seeked treatment before for recovery from addiction, then you need to continue to take all the necessary steps to ensure you get back on the road to recovery. Do let me know if you need any help. Take care. Feel free to read about my addiction experience in my blog.

 

[Elsie Yan]

Shanis,

In your earlier posts, you mentioned that you have a high tolerance to the pain meds. This could be due to your history of addiction to pain meds. During the peak of my active addiction, I could swallow 90 sleeping pills at one time (as an addict, I do have my conniving ways to get a lot of supply). A normal person would have died of an overdose. That was how high my tolerance level was on the pills.

While everyone here have openly encouraged you to take the pain meds, you and I know that it is not as easy as that. Yes, take it for managing the pain during early recovery but be conscious of your addiction problem so that you do not abuse it. The reality is that the slightest vulnerability, impatience and depression can set your addictive behavior in overdrive. So please do not let this happen to you because you do not want to end up having to deal with two recoveries.

Early recovery in TKR may not be very pleasant but it will pass. And it will get better and better. Once you start moving around and be more active, you will stop counting the time. Of course, you may still experience some stiffness many months down the line but it really doesn't prevent you to do anything and it will still improve over time. I am finding that my ROM is still improving now even after 15 months out.

So try to have a positive mind set and be grateful for your successful surgery as you can now look forward to a better quality of life. Also be grateful that you have a family that cares for you and that they are there during your time of needs.

 

[Jamie]

Try to use ice as much as possible as well as taking your pain medications on schedule. Ice is an excellent pain reliever and it's impossible to over do it as long as you have a towel in between the ice pack and your skin. I used my gel ice packs almost constantly for almost 4 months after my TKR.

 

[1ELISEA]

I am just a little concerned with my progress at this point. I know that we are all different. My new knee is just slow to mature. I realize that I need patience. I have been reading through other people's posts and I am just amazed! I honestly feel like a loser but I know that I am not. My knee is my knee and it is on its schedule, right? I guess, I would like to talk with someone who has had or is having a similar experience as me. My ROM is at 80* as of Wed. PT measurement. I read in one of the suggested readings that at 3-4 weeks I should be walking a 30 mins twice a day?? Yikes!! I am no where near this. I feel that I am working hard but knee is yelling at me to stop it!! Can anyone relate? I believe that I am going to get there!! I would just like someone who has had a similar experience to get in touch with me please.Thank you!!!

Yes, I can relate. My work on strengthening my knee came to a screeching halt a few weeks ago after the OS didn't like what he saw on my X-Ray and put me back on crutches 24/7. No bike, no walking, or anything that would strain the knee. My PT has been working since then on obtaining more ROM through table work, massaging and stretching, massaging and stretching. And believe it or not, it has been coming along. If I get the go ahead to put weight on my knee, then we'll start on strengthening the muscles and hopefully, gaining on my ROM. Getting the swelling down has helped immensely.

So yes, I know how you feel if through a slightly different series of events.
I have to keep the faith that both you and I will get the ROM we want and need!
All the best!

 

[Josephine]

I have a wonderful PT that is coming to my home ..... when she measured my ROM I was initially at 75, but by the end of the appt she pushed me to 80. I know, I know...don't pay attention to the numbers. But really? Still? I will be 4 weeks out on Sunday and I am starting to get a little worried.

Shanis, I just don't know what we are ging to do with you! You are all rush and push and exuberance but you have got to SLOW DOWN! Really! You are doing far too much so your leg is swelling more than it should. Don't you understand the connection? 4 weeks is nothing, nothing at all. If you cut back on the activity - and I mean REALLY cut back, not just stop one little thing - and get a handle on that swelling, then you just might see some progress.

How can I also get this through to you - you are still VERY early in your recovery. Very, very early. Your knee is not refusing to bend because it's stuck, it can't bend because it's swollen. Read this Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it? and understand the mechanics of what is going on in your own body.

I guess I just had expectations for myself. Expectations are bad!

Expectations are okay but they have to be realistic or you will get into this pointless blame game where you are working yourself into a frenzy of anxiety and fear. Stop it. Realise that four weeks is nothing at all and you still have oodles of time to get some progress IF YOU DON'T TRY TOO HARD!

I thought that I would be walking, driving and off of pain meds at 2 weeks! That is a big fat laugh!! I am still on crutches. I did buy a cane last Sunday. I have been using a bit this afternoon and it feels better. C'mon baby - I want to graduate to the cane!! Now, how about some driving!!! Yahoo! I am good spirits! I will get there. I have got to!

Two weeks? Are you for real? This is major, major surgery that has all kinds of consequences on your body never mind your knee. I know Judy posted a lot of articles for you to read - they are in post #3 of this thread. Did you ever read them? Really, REALLY read them? You don't seem to have. I think you should go back and read them all again. TKR recovery takes upwards of 3 months to be getting anywhere near back to normal and things go on from there. It will probably be a year before you can wake up one morning and around midmorning, suddenly realise that your knee was not the first thing you thought about today. In other words, it's a long, long job.

I don't want to squash your enthusiasm but consider yourself well and truly told off!

 

[Debbie_joints]

" I did buy a cane last Sunday. It was a little wobbly, I certainly was not feeling secure on it. My boyfriend took me to the store today and I bought a new bottom for it that is bigger for more stability. I have been using a bit this afternoon and it feels better. C'mon baby - I want to graduate to the cane!! Now, how about some driving!!! Yahoo! I am good spirits! I will get there. I have got to![/quote]"

Did you show your cane to your physical therapist? You have to have it at the right height or it will be very wobbly. I know when I first was going to try using mine after my RTHR I thought, how can I walk with this, my hand was shaking all over the place. well, as soon as the therapist lowered it to the right height I was much better at using it. Good luck to you.

 

[kneeper]

^good point. my PT made sure mine was the right height too.

 

[Dulcimer Diva]

Yike! So that's what a MINIMALLY invasive surgery looks like. Mine (and probably yours) was the "full Monty:" longer incision, more muscle needing to be involved; and in my case, 4 screws and about 1/2" more of my tibia removed because it had begun to re-fracture after a car shattered it 16 yrs ago). It took 3 hrs.

If I were you, I'd force your family to watch the whole video (I couldn't get past the first 5 minutes) and then tell you with a straight face you "should be off painkillers by now." I am 4 wks post-op and still taking one 10mg. Norco every 6 hrs. (plus a Celebrex in the morning and 2 Arthritis-Strength time-release Tylenols a day)--and I'm told that's considered lighter-than-average pain control for 4 weeks out. I'm 61, which means my nerves are tougher and less sensitive than yours. And if you needed a TKR so young, then you had to have had really severe damage, which makes recovery slower & more difficult. It's YOUR knee, not your family's. And I know the addiction/recovery community may disagree, but I see nothing wrong with being "addicted" to not being in agony, and no purpose or nobility in needless suffering. "Addiction" comes when one is taking opioids and opiates for reasons other than relief of the physical pain for which they were prescribed. It is a fact that an alcoholic receiving general anesthesia requires a larger dose to be sufficiently "under" for surgery to begin--but we don't force alcoholics to undergo surgery awake, aware and in pain. So why should we mandate that someone with a dependency on opioids or opiates forgo them when they are in very real pain after surgery? The specialty of pain-management has a long way to go, and much of the medical (and most of the legislative) community is ignorant of how vital pain control is to full recovery!