TKR 28th December 2012

[bnelson]

I had a total left knee done on 12/28/12 and still have alot of swelling and stiffness.Is this a normal thing?Also the pt can be very painful when trying range of motion.Sleep is also non existent I was a very active cyclist before this and considered in very good shape.Just concerned that it seems like not much progress.OS says things are normal but I need some reults,starting to really get down in the dumps

 

[Nanners]

First off this is a very slow and long recovery. Unlike other surgeries, this isn't all better in 6 weeks. Recovery can take up to a full year. I am almost 5 mos out from my LTKR and I can tell you I still have stiffness and some slight swelling. The swelling and stiffness is normal for where you are at in your recovery. Sleep also is a problem for most, sometimes a sleep aide is needed. As for pain during your PT, therapy should NOT be painful, they should just go to discomfort. One of the bonesmart mantra's is if therapy makes you swell more and hurt more, then don't do it. These are not weak muscles, but injured muscles and need time to heal. One of the moderators will be along soon with some great advice and reading for you. Welcome to Bonesmart by the way! Hugs!

 

[bottomshollow]

bnelson, so please you have joined us here on the forum. What you are experiencing is very normal. Four weeks post op is very early out for this surgery. I am going to give you links to a few articles from our library that address these problems you're having and explain what's going on.

Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain
Using ice
How Long Does Healing Take ......
Energy drain for TKRs
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

The kind of results I suspect you're expecting and looking for are going to take quite a bit longer. I think once you've read the articles listed above, it will begin to make a lot more sense.

We are here to help in any way we can: answering questions and concerns; supporting and encouraging you from start to finish; giving you a place to vent, whine, complain if you need to; sharing experiences with one another; and having fun and some laughs along the way.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[bnelson]

thanks so much .it helps having so much support

 

[Florida 1]

I had my LTKR on Sept. 27 and RTKR on Dec. 11 - both last year. So I'm a couple weeks ahead of you with my latest. It is still VERY swollen looking and gets stiff if I'm in one position too long. My left, which is now 4 months along, gets swollen from time to time, but not nearly to the extent that the other does. If it gets stiff, I don't notice (probably because the right takes my attention). I just had my 6 week check up with OS's PA and she said that swelling to some extent may last up to a year. So yes, what you're experiencing is the norm.

If your OS says things are normal, you need to listen. You're feeling that you're not progressing (though the expert, the OS, says you are) may cause you to push things such as PT and ROM. That will more than likely cause a setback. Ask any of the "overachievers" (I say that with the utmost affection) here. The stories are endless of lessons learned when trying to push too hard, too fast.

Good luck to you and keep us informed on how you're doing.

 

[Josephine]

You are only 4 weeks out yet so a bit early to start getting frustrated! You've signed up for the long haul, I'm afraid so don't try and do it all in a couple of weeks!

I'm going to add a couple of articles to those Judy has left you. - do read them all for they will explain a lot of what is going on with you right now
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Progression of activity for TKRs

 

[pdx]

Sleep? What is that?
Seriously, it takes awhile to figure out an even halfway comfortable position. Then there's waking up needing to pee, because of course you're drinking lots of extra water.
Yes, this is long and slow. Slow and long. I gave my PT the royal stink-eye yesterday when he said it can take up to a year to get totally back to normal. Or rather, feel the full benefit from the surgery.
On the other hand, each day really is better. Really. Ice, elevate, do your exercises; repeat. (Oh yeah, rest, too.)

 

[NightQuilter]

Welcome to the family bnelson! We can all fully sympathize with you because we've all had to figure out how to cope with the swelling, pain, sleeplessness, and the silliness that it takes so long to recover. But heal and recover you will - just on your body's time schedule, not yours. As an athlete, you may tend to be somewhat more frustrated by that than some of us, but it will come. I found the articles Josephine and Judy linked for you to be so informative and helpful. Learn the mantra - you'll find it a key to recovery - especially the elevate and ice. Until you can get the swelling down, you will have pain and stiffness. Some gentle massage, starting at the ankles, working up to the sides and back of the knee and through the hip was key to drastic reductions in my swelling. My PT also recommends when the legs are elevated to do some deep breathing - the movement of the diaphragm encourages the movement of the lymph system in eliminating the swelling.
Good luck bnelson and keep us posted on your progress!! Here's you in good time!

 

[bnelson]

Thank you all so much for the encouraging words.I really cant thank everyone enough.I will keep posting

 

[jancat]

Congrats on your new knee!
You are still so early post-op, so please keep icing and elevating and taking pain meds as needed. It is not the time to start thinking that you no longer need them. You will need to be doing this whole process (icing, elevating, meds, and GENTLE PT) for another 4-5 weeks at least. Then you might notice that you don't need so much pain meds any more and you might begin to wean.
Don't despair if you get the blues, that is normal. Healing is a journey which can't be rushed.
Please read the articles in the library and poke around on the forum.
BTW, my OS said my knee could swell up to a year post-op.
Happy Healing!

 

[bnelson]

pt had me on stationary bike yesterday and said I could do up to 30 minutes.Does this sound right?

 

[1ELISEA]

Well hello there bnelson
Sounds like a typical recovery with the lack of sleep. That will probably continue for awhile so time so get recommendations on good movies to watch.

You mentioned being a very active cyclist so what is normal for the rest of us may not apply to you.
My PT started with a lower resistance and gradually increased it. I usually did about 10 minutes as a warmup before moving on to other activities.

We have a many cycling enthusiasts on this forum, let's see what some of them say! The best kind of encouragement is to hear from members who share a similar interest and, like these members, have returned to cycling post TKR.
@Roy Gardiner BigGene referee54 kneesrus skigirl

 

[skigirl]

Let's see--you are about four weeks right now---I am pretty sure that I also did about 30 minutes at this stage. But, be practical, I did not spin at a high speed when I got on the bike---I used no resistance for most of the time. I began putting resistance on the bike at about six weeks. At eight weeks, I went on a 15 mile ride outside.

Also, if your knee swells or hurts, that is a message to back off a little. be sure to ice after using the bike and to give yourself a solid rest afterwards too. Kelly

 

[referee54]

Sleep? What is that?
Seriously, it takes awhile to figure out an even halfway comfortable position. Then there's waking up needing to pee, because of course you're drinking lots of extra water.
Yes, this is long and slow. Slow and long. I gave my PT the royal stink-eye yesterday when he said it can take up to a year to get totally back to normal. Or rather, feel the full benefit from the surgery.
On the other hand, each day really is better. Really. Ice, elevate, do your exercises; repeat. (Oh yeah, rest, too.)

I, too, had sleep problems---well, actually, sleeplessness issues; the problem was that I couldn't sleep. Just like you, I was not in any pain, it was just that I could not get comfortable. I would wander around the house looking for a place that would allow me to sleep; I finally gave in and got a script for Ambien; ten nights of that and my sleep pattern was re-established and I had no trouble sleeping.

I know that it is frustratingly long in recovery---mine took five months to lose a pesky little limp---eight months before I would say tha I was very close to "normal"!

 

[referee54]

I had a total left knee done on 12/28/12 and still have alot of swelling and stiffness.Is this a normal thing?Also the pt can be very painful when trying range of motion.Sleep is also non existent I was a very active cyclist before this and considered in very good shape.Just concerned that it seems like not much progress.OS says things are normal but I need some reults,starting to really get down in the dumps

I cycle now about 120-160 miles a week in the summer time; I also will commute to school on one of my bikes in good weather. Right now, I am using an X-Dream mtn. bike simulator at the gym (I believe that they are manufactured in England) and I ride that an hour to two hours a day, four-five days a week.

You have to be patient and understand the severity of the surgical trauma that has been done to your knee---you will be even more active again after recovery---one thing that I learned was that, regardless of how active we were prior to the surgery, the surgical issues take time to recover---all of the exercise and activity prior do not matter...I had to learn that, too.

 

[BigGene]

I found the exerise bike to be my main exercise. It helps with ROM without the pain of a PT pushing. I layed down the law with my PT. No extreme pushing. The swelling they cause only hurts. If you are riding 30 minutes at 4 weeks you are doing fine. I actually started riding my rodebike outdoors at about week 5. Only 6 miles or so but built from there.At 13 weeks I went on bike tours and rode about 20 miles a day on flat rides. I still got stiff after a ride but I listened to my body and backed off when my knee spoke to me.

The most important thing is we all heal differently and at different rates. Prior fitness helps but is not an automatic advantage.
You will be riding again by the spring and you will continue to get better and bettr all the way out to a year post-op.

Sleep was a big problem, but I didn't fight it. If I needed to stay up and read at night and sleep in cat naps during the day that's what I did. You knee is in charge, don't fight it.

I am doing things now that I never thought I would. I can ride, ski and hike like a fool. My knees are about the only part of me that doesn't hurt.

Remember to ice, rest and elevate. Don't push, improvement comes in small increments.
You are getting better every day, before surgery, you only were getting worse every day.

 

[Brownie51]

Ha! Sleep! Not happening tonight! Can't get the legs comfy today. So it goes with most of us after this surgery..at least on occasion. I remember getting discouraged at your point in time. It goes away, you don't have to do anything special...just know that it will pass! You are not alone!

 

[bnelson]

I cycle now about 120-160 miles a week in the summer time; I also will commute to school on one of my bikes in good weather. Right now, I am using an X-Dream mtn. bike simulator at the gym (I believe that they are manufactured in England) and I ride that an hour to two hours a day, four-five days a week.

You have to be patient and understand the severity of the surgical trauma that has been done to your knee---you will be even more active again after recovery---one thing that I learned was that, regardless of how active we were prior to the surgery, the surgical issues take time to recover---all of the exercise and activity prior do not matter...I had to learn that, too.

thank you

 

[bnelson]

I am so glad I found this site.I am really looking forward to new life.Thanks again all of you are amazing