PKR 2happy's Recovery<<'

[2happy]

I had partial knee replacement 11/21, it has been a tough an I was not prepared for the daily pain and blues. My hubby has been great with support. Does it get better??

 

[2happy]

I am almost 6 weeks post op, just getting to 90 degree flexion, still having pain and swelling, walking short spurts with cane. Frustrated

 

[Jamie]

@2happy .... you'll notice that I've moved your two posts into a new recovery thread I've created for you. This is where you need to post your updates and any questions or concerns you may have as you go along. Your first post was in another member's recovery thread and any responses you might have received would have taken that thread off topic....something we try to avoid. The second post was in a thread on depression in the hip recovery forum and, since you are a knee patient, it was not appropriate there.

So please do continue to report on how you're doing here! We want to know how you're progressing and if you have any questions. And don't hesitate to post supportive comments to others in their threads or share similar experiences. That's what BoneSmart is all about. In the meantime, I'm going to give you our basic recovery articles from the BoneSmart Library to read:

First are the BoneSmart mantras ....
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

Next is a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) thread.

And here are some very crucial articles
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs

Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Activity progression for TKRs
Heel slides and how to do them

Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling

Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

Looking forward to learning more about you!

 

[Red's Mom]

@2happy - yes it will get better but it does take time. Be gentle with yourself. This is a great site to get realistic patient experiences and to know your not alone on this journey. Keep reading you'll be supported and inspired.


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[2happy]

Sorry, New here. I have read most of the articles and they are helpful. I go for 6 week follow up next week and I am nervous they won't be happy with my progress or lack of.

 

[Jamie]

Hon, you're doing just fine! Don't let anyone try to put deadlines or set goals on you. Your body will heal at its own pace and the best course of action is to let it do just that. No amount of pushing, exercise or therapy can "hurry up" your recovery. But such things can set it back if your body is not ready for that level of activity. Your ROM is there in your knee. It's swelling (even if you can't see it, it can be inside the joint) that is holding it back right now. When the swelling disappears, your ability to move will increase.

 

[mlp1960]

Hi 2hsppy, we had the same surgery date. It does get better! Last night, I slept for 7 straight hours and I can't tell you how much that improved my outlook.

Hang in there. Sites like this really help in feeling supported.



Laura
LTKR 21 November 2016

 

[2happy]

Thanks fir encouragement. I have had little to no night time sleep.
MLP 1960---?? Are you still needing pain meds?
Jamie--- thanks for kind words.

 

[zzevi]

Things will get better, it's just a slow recovery process..........let me say extremely slow, frustration, depressing, rollercoaster of a ride recovery.
Those first few weeks are some of the hardest.
Those blue feelings come and go, as well as having a really good day followed by days that seem to be set backs. Measurement for this recovery of a month to month, although you will see good changes in the beginning, it takes time to regain normal sleep and eating patterns. RX medication is needed at least for the first month if not even longer, and of course I think this all effects are spirit. I think the trauma of everything we go thru in surgery catches up with us and of course the winter season of shorter more cloudy days doesn't help.
Be patient with yourself, feel free to access this site anytime for suggestions and helpful advice. Were all here for you and pulling for you.
Take care.

 

[2happy]

@zzvei - thanks for encouragement. I am a RN, and embarrassed to say how unprepared for post op period. I am trying hard to get flexion greater than 90 but it's not bending, I am walking with cane and at times without.. I elevate and ice throughout day..I dread night time....th e restless leg and incision discomfort is always bad..I am lucky to sleep 4 hours straight. I am hopeful that it gets better

 

[Celle]

Hello @2happy
Don't worry about feeling unprepared for this recovery. It's one thing being a nurse and a completely different thing being a patient, as many of us have found.

Unfortunately, many surgeons don't prepare you adequately for the recovery. They reassure you how much better your life will be when you've recovered, but they don't prepare you for the very long time it takes to recover.
I think you actually have to go through a TKR and a recovery before you understand that.

I'll ask someone to make a signature for you , so that we can see at the bottom of each post when you had your surgery. That will b e easier than having to go back to your first post to find your operation date.

I gather you had a PKR on November 21, 2016. Is that correct? And was it your left or your right leg?

Don't worry about that flexion yet. There's plenty of time, so don't push or over-exercise your knee. ROM (Range of Motion) can continue to improve for a year or more after surgery. So, continue to rest, ice and elevate your leg, dn only exercise gently, to try and help the swelling to go down. It's the swelling that inhibits ROM at this stage.

Since you're still getting pain at night, it's too early to reduce your pain killers. You're still taking them on a schedule, I hope?

 

[newlybionic]

I'm another RN who didn't know what recovery would be like. You are doing fine. Make sure you're elevating and icing correctly and try not to let yourself get too frustrated. 2017 will be a good year and in a bit more time you will begin to do everything that you want to.

 

[KellyBob]

I too was woefully unprepared for what this surgery involved and the recovery process. It seems utterly ridiculous now, but I really thought I'd be up and about in 2-3 weeks! I'm 2 months out from the surgery and still in the "regretting I did this to myself" phase. If I had known what recovery would be like, I absolutely would have waited 10 years until my kids were off to college. This forum has helped me realize that recovery is an up and down roller coaster, not a steady upward progression.

 

[zzevi]

@2happy I am glad to see people from the health care positions speak up about being unprepared. To me in general it shows that even tho there are pre-op classes, and handbooks, and the dr/surgeons going over what to expect, things are still not covered as much as they should be in the line of information. I just had a survey the other day from my surgeon and I answered the questions honestly, but there was not space any where for comments. Although all my answers made everything look positive and like it's been a cake walk, it hasn't been. I should probably contact the company they go thru to say it would be helpful to have areas to comment. Hopefully in the future health care finds a way to better info the patient of what to expect. It's one thing to know recovery is going to take longer, and be painful, but the lack of the dr, or p/t taking into account what they've put the patient thru and to help us to realize that what we feel, how they feel is real, not un-normal. Too many of us have the same symptoms to know that it's just our experience. Think the process of information right now is to vague and sugar coated. For those of us that are ready for tkr I don't think knowing the honest, unbias truth of the procedure would change our minds, it could actually lead to being better prepared. I was prepared to give this 10wks and thought at that point things would be back to normal, even the handbook doesn't go into much depth after the first few months, it's a longer process than that, everything out there that is given to us to prepare for the surgery lacks the amount of time that recovery takes and that even months out we may need help and assistants from our caregivers. That would make them understand also that at 2-3 months out where not being lazy or lacks, that we truly continue to need help from them.

 

[zzevi]

I kind of look like this whole process like so many things in life, everyone wants to make a sale. People tell you what you want to hear, what will work for them to make the sale. Sometimes after the sale we find out that the customer service on the other end is lacking, for some people little additional information or help may be needed, but for some of the rest of us, we need the full manual and customer service.

 

[2happy]

I can't tell you how relieved I am reading all the posts.
I omitted that is what my right knee, I have had a scope with meniscusectomy/chondroplasty in 2013, recovered in 2-3 months. Then November 2014, due to co-worker carelessness I slipped and tore meniscus again in right knee, had 2nd meniscusectomy/chondroplasty, this recovery was complicated..I had 2nd opinion and had surgery for neuoroma of inferior saphenous nerve in Nov. 2015. Due to repeated scopes & OA 3, it was recommended partial knee replacement.
After reading all the posts I realize it's okay to take pain meds and if ROM is slow to recover I will need to be patient..

 

[2happy]

@KellyBob. I too have had moment s of regret, especially when I have people tell me they were back to work at 6 weeks.. I am 6 weeks post op and need a cane, can't stand for than 10-15 minutes and can't put a sock or shoe on right foot by myself. I am trying hard to laugh

 

[2happy]

@zzevi I had to take a class prior to surgery.. The nurse who gave class never touched on post op after first week. At my 2 week appointment I had staples removed but no mention of recovery.. there has been many opportunities for patient education that have been missed. When I go fir appointment Tuesday I have my list ready with questions

 

[Celle]

I honestly think that most surgeons have no idea how long recovery takes and how much of a test of patience it can be. They do the surgery, so in their minds they have fixed your problem. Then they see you a couple of times post-op. But they don't see the slow daily grind of recovery.

Until you have knee replacement yourself, you just don't realise what it's like. I know that, as a nurse, I expected to be fully recovered by about 6 weeks. It was a revelation to me to find that it does take much longer than that.

 

[2happy]

6 week post op appointment this afternoon went well. The PA and Ortho doc were happy with my progress. Doc said my recovery will not be typical due to previous surgeries and stressed to not overdo it.