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TKR 2 years on and in more pain than before I had the surgery<

Hi everyone, into my 6th week and whoopee! I think I've turned that 'corner' my pain level has suddenly gone down to maybe a 2-3, almost a 1 at short periods through the day, feel so much better in every way, pain is an awful depressant, it was really getting to me, felt it would never subside. I didn't think I was a softy but I felt it was the worst pain ever and I've had 4 children! Just to make me feel worse I read so many times about how a lot of people had hardly any pain at all
 
Well, I'm really, really, pleased for you.

But now don't go and mess it all up by doing too much. 6 weeks is still only half way through the 'angry tissue' time and there's still plenty of time for it to turn around and bite you on the bum!
 
@Josephine okay. Today is my six weeks anniversary! and I drove my car for the third time this week. But this afternoon and all evening my knee has felt very tight and swollen, finding it very difficult to bend it, no pain as such but feels strange.

For sure it's been swollen and stiff regularly but for the last week that seemed to have been so much less than today. Feel I'm going backwards again! My knee cap is very sensitive as well, feel very aware of it, again not painful but feels as though it's about to burst through the skin and any close fitting clothing feels very uncomfortable (been sat in my baggy PJ'S all evening!)

Could it be the driving? Although I hear of other people actually going back to work by 6 weeks as well as driving
 
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If you did a short drive, I wouldn't think that would be a problem. By the way, if you want to tag someone, use the @ symbol. @Josephine , see two posts above this one for the question.
 
Thanks for that polar bear, it was just a strange day, today knee feels ok again if just a bit stiff. It was a 20 mile drive three times last week, but probably just a coincidence that the knee played up. I've taken it easy today, no pain which is such a wonderful thing!!
 
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@Josephine 8 weeks post op now and have taken a weeks holiday to a caravan in Norfolk. Don't feel as though I am overdoing things but knee feels as though we are back in the dark days of week 2! Knee is very swollen and stiff again, not a massive degree of pain but pain there is. And last couple of days the skin around the knee is dark and bruised looking. Doing very short journeys driving and regular short walks and my exercises in moderation ( never really went to extremes with those, but PT and consultant seemed very pleased with my progress 2 weeks ago). I'm moving very slowly again and relying on my walking stick a lot. Why am I going backwards at week 8?
 
joey5898 said:
have taken a weeks holiday to a caravan in Norfolk. Don't feel as though I am overdoing things but knee feels as though we are back in the dark days of week 2
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Whereabouts in Norfolk? On the coast?
joey5898 said:
regular short walks and my exercises in moderation
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What exercises? Oh never mind - better you ask my infamous questions!

I'm going to ask you some questions and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery!
[Bonesmart.org] 2 years on and in more pain than before I had the surgery<
) Also don't forget to include other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

5. What is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

7. what kind of PT exercises and exercises at home are you doing? How much and how often?

Can you detail it like this

Exercises done at home: 3 sessions a day
Heel slides x10 (reps)
Strait leg raises x10
Steps x10

At PT
Squats x5 (reps) x2 (sets)
Wall slides x5 x2
Clamshells X5 x2
 
Hi. I am a couple of weeks ahead of you and have also had times when I think I'm going backwards. Quite often, in fact!! For me, I think it is because I have constantly wanted to be further ahead than I am so I have pushed a little too hard and then had a couple of sore/swollen days afterwards. Also, at this point in our recovery we are generally feeling ok in ourselves, are getting fed up of our limitations and just want our regular (or improved) lives back so it is easy to get frustrated and feel like we are not making any progress at all. Patience is the name of the game and sometimes it is very hard to find!
 
Help! 12 weeks now post op and I'm fed up. I've been taking ibrufen, paracetamol and codeine for the pain but pain is definately easier through the day but still unable to sleep at night. Began to feel pretty groggy so went off to docs and she has suggested I stop taking the pain killers and prescribed Amitriptyline 10mg at bedtime. She said it's a painkiller and sleep aid. Took one and got no sleep at all and leg was bad all night. Next day felt very poorly and had 3-4 very loose bowel movements. Spoke to doc and she said stop taking Amitriptyline and see if you feel any better. Now day 3 and bowel still very loose and back on ibrufen but still no sleep! Feel like this will never end. Depressed Joey.
 
The loose stools may be related to the narcotics. I noticed that happening to me for a couple of days after reducing the dosage.
 
Thanks Tigz, I tend to agree with you, withdrawal symptoms? Trouble is I realise knee is still giving me pain although I thought it wasn't it was the pain killers doing their job! So now I'm in a complete muddle, do I put up with feeling rough and headaches by taking the drugs for so long or do I stop them, deal with the withdrawal symptoms and pain but go slowly insane by the sleep deprivation! ?
 
I was back to work at 12 weeks and had stopped the narcotics prior to that. Although they helped me sleep, I didn't like the slightly muddled feeling combined with a low grade headache the next day.

Sleep can still be a problem for me occasional nights... but I know how important it is because I'm a bear if I don't get enough!
 
That's sums up just how I feel Tigz, muddled and constant low grade headache. I'm concerned as I too have to get back to work, 12 weeks is long enough I had planned but without sleep I can hardly function at home let alone work, did you find getting back into a routine at work helped?
 
Going back to work helped to a degree. I found I was exhausted enough that I'd sleep five hours at a shot but the pulling behind the knee from the knee being bent while asleep and then straightening was very painful. That has gotten better very slooowwwly.

I've tried various products for sleep, but none have been able to get me all the way through the night (still). I really don't want a prescription sleep aid.
 
[Bonesmart.org] 2 years on and in more pain than before I had the surgery<
@joey5898, you may notice that I have merged your two threads. We like to keep our members' recovery posts all in a single thread. That way it's easy for us to go back and read your history before responding to a question or concern. In addition, the thread becomes a journal of your recovery for those who come along later and want to read about you. So, please post in this thread from now on when you want to give an update or ask a question. If you have questions or concerns that need an immediate answer, please tag an admin, a mod, or other members or all three.

If you decide you'd like a different thread title at any point, just post what you want here and we'll get it changed for you. THANKS!

If you are having a problem locating your thread, here is a link with how to do it: How can I find my threads and posts?
 
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