Almost 6 weeks and scared!

[preteach]

Monday I`ll be six weeks and scared! I have been doing pt 3 days out of the week, and work out at home, it seems as if I just can`t get this knee to bend!!!! At least no more than 70 I push soooo hard I`m I a wimp or what! I am only taking one pain med a day and that scary, I`m scared of being dependent on them, I`m a former AA member, and been sober for over 10 years now. Don`t want that again!
My co worker is dying for me to return to work. But I`m not so sure, I am a preschool teacher, and 3 year plds are alot to handle!!!

 

[Doug]

Pre,
At seven weeks, you still have a ways to go before you get too frustrated. Time is the big healer with this operation. You have to keep the effort up and do your P.T. You probably still have a pretty good bit of swelling which does restrict your range of motion.
As for the pain pills, I was on them for the better part of 3/4 months. I simply weaned myself off of them as the pain in the knee lessened. Since you have had a problem with addiction previously, I would recommend you talk with your surgeon about other options such as a tens machine.(I think that's how its spelled.
Nurse Josephine can give some advise on that.
An I would certainly say that seven weeks is way too soon to return as a teacher.

 

[slader]

I am at 6 weeks as well preteach. What you decribe is close to what I have and its really frustrating. I also have alot of pain when I bend the knee but it gets like 2% better everyday,which means we both need to give it time and no matter how bummed you feel it will get better. Good luck

 

[Hope810]

Hi Preteach - Welcome to the group. Glad you posted. Try to relax a bit. At 6 weeks, I got all antsy about getting out and about but wasn't making it. I started getting pretty discouraged and the folks here really picked me up. They are a great bunch.

Make sure you rest and ice and elevate that leg as much as possible. I actually laid in bed watching tv for 2 hours each day (mostly the history channel). Boy did I feel like a lazy lout - not my style at all. As for pain meds, I switched to tylenol arthritis taking one every 4 hours, not more than 6 per day. Don't wait for the pain to start. I take pain meds maybe once a week.

The swelling needs to go down to improve your motion. The leg just cannot bend if it is all swollen. Rest, take it easy, and don't worry about getting back to work for now. I can't imagine running after those little ones all day yet. (My 25 yr old is a preschool teacher so I know it is hard work and they always need you to come in.) Try not to get discouraged. Even 2 weeks will show big improvements. I'm at 8 weeks post op and can't believe the progress in just this short time. It does get better each week. Live one day at a time. My best to you.

Hope

 

[Josephine]

Pain meds don't have to be problem meds. Why don't you try a cocktail of Tylenol and ibuprofen 4 hrly. You need something. Pain is going to be a big part of why you're not getting better flexion. Do you make full use of icing as well? I had my knee iced several hours a day.

Hope - only 2 hrs a day! jeepers, I couldn't exist with so little of my electronic wallpaper!

 

[Hope810]

Jo - That's 2 hours actually laying down, not counting recliner or couch or sitting. I didn't sleep but I just needed to get in that lie-down mode each day to really feel better the rest of the time. I couldn't read or sit up in bed, but it really helps. Now I still need even 20-30 minutes flat out each day. /Hope

 

[Jamie]

Welcome to the forum, Preteach....so glad you joined us!!!

Information provided in the post is excellent!!! You need to do what works best for YOU. Even though you had an alcohol addiction problem before, I'm not sure that would automatically translate into problems with the prescription pain meds when you really ARE in pain. I agree that you need to discuss that with your doctor. Adequate pain management is CRITICAL to your successful recovery. So call your surgeon up and have a chat.

Don't let your coworker pressure you into returning to work before you are ready. This is time you need to take for YOU. My daughter is in the daycare profession and I KNOW what challenges there are to managing a room full of kids like that. It's too soon even IF you had more ROM!!!

Please continue to post as you will find TONS of support here. It's a caring group with lots of experience.

 

[Texas]

Hi and welcome. I am in a similar boat. I am 3 weeks out and doing about 65..I try hard as well. I hope to this fixed soon. But as they tell me here and I tell myself is I need to keep trying. I am even going to hydro therapy on monday to see if that would help' ( in the pool exercises) I do take pain med but not enough. I am going to do as I am told with the pain med from now on and work hard. You can do the same. I agree just speak with your Dr he can help you, if he knows about it. Take care and continue to post. I will keep up with you and see if we can do this together. Take care ...

 

[Josephine]

Time for my pain management chart, I think ...

 

[stives]

All this is SO true. I've learnt the hard way with my first TKR - tried to get off the painkillers as soon as I got home from hospital. So.....more pain, less exercise, slower recovery. At 6 weeks post-op I was just about ready to give up the crutches, but wasn't very confident, and my bend wasn't very good. Having said that, six months post-op my new left knee is pretty good - it is strong, and I'm able to stand and walk without pain. My new right knee is now 4 days old, and this time I'm definitely going to take all the pain meds that I have been given!

Listening to others on this brilliant forum, it seems that everything will come right in the end, it's just that the end is sooner for some, and later for others! I got very frustrated last time as the progress seemed so slow - forward 2 steps, then back one or even three! The left knee still has a way to go - but I've a feeling that the extra exercise it is now going to be forced to do because the right knee has now been replaced is actually going to be good for it. Best of luck - hope you will notice that slow but sure improvement.

 

[Nana55]

Listen to Jo about those pain meds. No pain no gain is probably true during exercise after TKR and since most of us won't self inflict pain, you need to stay ahead of it so you can do the exercise.

 

[Rowdy66]

Sorry you are frustrated, but keep in mind we all heal at different rates. What I could do after surgery or at six weeks is totally different that what anyone else can or could do. I would listen to Jo about the pain meds. Can understand your apprehension since you are in AA but this is a surgery that requires pain control for you to get where you want to go. I don't think taking pain meds as directed would be considered the same thing as uncontrolled use of alcohol or drugs. It is the inablitiy to control the use of substances that makes the problem. I have taken pain meds for years, don't have much of a life without them as I have severe osteoarthritis in my spine along with moderate to severe stenosis but I take according to the doctors directions and I never drink with them. As I said Jo will give you good advice and she does know what she is talking about. Good luck. Rowdy

 

[Texas]

Hi Rowdy i hope you are doing well..........She is right everyone is different, please dont compare. As long as you see you are making progress. Write it down . I didnt think I was till I started writing and looking back I did, we just tend to foget. But you will see improvement. Hang in there. Post often and we are here for your questions...Kim

 

[lakelover]

Keeping a diary is a good idea. Seems silly at first, but just write a couple of lines. You can really see how you improve. It might not be noticeable to you day by day, but it sure is week by week.

 

[Texas]

I thought the same but when my husband would say do you rememeber when you did this great thing, and I didnt so yeah just a lil something..I sure hope you feel better. And there ya go for the weeks something to compare yourself, not anyone else too............Kim

 

[hollie9]

Preteach, swelling and inflammation are the biggest blockers of flexion, you can only compress that stuff so much, simple physics. So I would look to why you have swelling and inflammation, it's often because of overdoing...the prescribed exercises, PT and whatever else you're doing. I would take a few days break, if I were you...ice and keep leg elevated and watch TV or something, just lay down.

This usually helps my inflammation. I haven't been "going at it" with my exercise at all, just walk a bit and ride an exercise bike about 10 minutes a day. My flexion is 125 and full extension, I am 4 weeks.

Give it a try and see if your flexion improves.

Rest is underrated, your knee needs to heal internally.

Hollie

 

[Josephine]

Keeping a diary is a good idea. Seems silly at first, but just write a couple of lines. You can really see how you improve. It might not be noticeable to you day by day, but it sure is week by week.

I kept a journal from the day before surgery. Stopped it a couple of weeks after getting home but it was good to check back and see how I'd been doing.

 

[Texas]

Hi Pre Teach, just checking in to see how you are doing. Hope you are feeling better................Post when you can......Kim