TKR Anxious for recovery

[lunula]

Hi there, BigDaddy - I completely understand. I had my 1-month TKR anniversary yesterday and I am beyond ready for this to be over. I am nowhere near where you are, despite working my heiney off. In fact, my in-home PT was way too aggressive and kept telling me to more, more, more...and I did. Now my out-patient PT told me I was doing way too much. Arg! I am at 85 flex and 10 extension and still taking oxycodone every 6 hours and OxyContin extended release every 12 hours. I will literally do anything they tell me to do at this point, hah! I would literally break down in tears of joy if I had 120.

In other words, you are doing tremendously well!


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[Angel1978]

I am I month 16 days. Pkr. I wish that it would go faster to. Best luck on recovery. Need a friend I'm always around. Xxx


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[vinny]

@BigDaddy you are doing great...I felt it was ok to push myself to the point of discomfort but it is difficult to not cross the line to pain when you pushing yourself..if I did have a day where my knees got a little stiff I took the day off and did extra ice..

Vinny

 

[referee54]

If it hurts and aches more after you've done it, rest, don't do it again for a while.

Take a look at the Bonesmart Mantra---
- 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

Trying to do too much so soon after TKR can cause the pain to increase. Resist the urge to overdo.....it can actually slow down your recovery.

Trust me---many of us have learned this---better to slow down and not hurt than to push too much, and hurt---and be forced to slow down.

Thanks, I think I may be trying to rush it. I am just too impatient.

You had a major surgery and much surgical tram less than a month ago---yo9u have to be patient. Do not work harder---every time you get that urge, you have to fight it---do not work harder; work smarter.

Patience, Grasshopper, Patience!!

 

[treypops]

Hey @BigDaddy

I am 44 and four weeks post op on my left TKR. I have seen early successes similar to yours with regards to rom. Ive also been doing a lot more activity at this point than expected. I quit taking pain meds during the day a couple of weeks ago. I only take percocet at night.

like you, the big challenge for me is lack of sleep.

Even though my recovery progress sounds great, I can still say with certainty that this is the most difficult thing I've ever endured physically. The pain still comes and it is no joke. I think I am similar to you in that I am highly competitive and impatient....and sometimes I do too much. When that happens I feel it later...in spades.

Good luck to you. Follow the link in my sig if you are interested in reading my recovery thread.

 

[BigDaddy]

I am 4 weeks post op and am curious about pain meds. I am still on Vicodin and an occasional muscle relaxer. What are others timetable for getting off pain meds?


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[BigDaddy]

Hey Treytops-sounds like we have much in common. I stopped Vicodin during the day for a while but have had to start it up again. I am 46. What PT are you doing?


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[treypops]

@BigDaddy

my therapy sessions this past week included:

15 minutes on the stationary bike
calf raises...3 sets of 10
knee lifts with ankle weights...3 sets of 10
hamstring stretches....five times, holding each for 30 seconds
hamstring curls...3 sets of 10
heel slides...3 sets of 10
free squats...3 sets of 10
quad presses...3 sets of 10 at 80 lbs

I also walk every day and go up and down my staircase several times a day.

Lots of elevation and ice, too.

 

[kneeper]

My PT told me it was ok if it hurt a little doing an exercise but if it continued to hurt afterwards that was a problem. So for example being a little sore after PT was ok, but if it didn't get better with ice and rest for an hour or so that was too much.
Also don't worry about needing pain meds sometimes, you're only at week 4.

 

[Elizabeth U]

Hi @BigDaddy

I am 3 weeks out tomorrow. Regarding pain meds, I haven't been able to wean myself down as quickly on this knee as I did on the other knee that I had done in November. I tried to decrease, but ended up increasing again.

I am currently taking one 5/325 Percoset every 4-7 hours. I'm also taking 1 OxyContin 15 mg twice a day. I'm going to try to stop taking the OxyContin tonight as it really seems to knock me out.

 

[bottomshollow]

@BigDaddy, we are requesting that you put your surgery date in your signature, as well as what surgery you had (i.e., LTKR, RTHR). You can find the instructions here: How to create a signature. This information is very helpful and necessary when answering your questions and concerns.

Please also remember that our membership is international and for clarity use the International Date system being Jan. 10, 2014 or 10 Jan. 2014 rather than 1/10/14 or 10/1/14.

Thanks so much for your cooperation.

 

[BigDaddy]

I have my first visit with my surgeon tomorrow, Feb. 17th, since leaving the hospital December 24th. I went to his office a week after surgery to have stitches removed, but only saw the surgical assistant.
I am going to ask him about sciatica issues I am having, mostly while trying to sleep. Have other had sciatica issues post TKR?
It is 8 weeks post op today. I haven't taken a pain pill so far today, and may not until time to try and sleep tonight. I am suffering a little from the post-op blues. I am anxious to go out and hit some golf balls. Anyone on here have experience trying to play golf after only 8 weeks?

 

[shelli22]

Hi. I think @vinny played golf early


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[shelli22]

And @Phil75070. But not me. But I have had sciatica issues. Just do stretches and have trigger point massage to relieve it somewhat. One day it will go away for good!


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[referee54]

I am suffering a little from the post-op blues.

We all get to this time period and think that we should be fully recovered. Eight weeks seems like enough time. but in the grand scheme of things, there is still a ways to go.

I went back to teaching at eight weeks, and, at the end of the day, I was stiff and sore.

I am glad to see that you are thinking of hitting golf ball, though---I live a little bit SW of Cleveland, and we have a foot of snow on the ground, and on Sunday, it was -17!!

This week it is supposed to get worse, too.

 

[Phil75070]

Anyone on here have experience trying to play golf after only 8 weeks?

@BigDaddy I had my right knee replaced last March. I was out hitting balls on the range at around 8 weeks and played my first full round of golf at about 9 1/2 weeks. Being right-handed and with it being my right knee it was probably easier to do as, if done correctly, you basically finish with all of the weight on the left leg with little to no torque on that trailing knee. With my left knee I also started back playing at 9 1/2 weeks but only hitting balls a couple of days before. Being the lead leg I think subconsciously I have favored that knee due to the weight and torque put on it and am struggling to get my game back with any consistency.

My OS's concern with playing golf is not so much what one does to the knee during the swing, but the risk of falling going up and down slopes, getting in and out of sand traps or slipping on wet surfaces. I am now always very careful of where I step and conscious of what I am doing on the course.

 

[vinny]

Hi. I think @vinny played golf early


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I started playing on day 29 which was Dec 13 rode a cart for a month playing 20 rounds and started walking at week 8 have played 4 times a week since then walking the course...love these knees and stress my recovery has not been the norm as I have not needed any pain meds since day 3 and can basically do anything at this point..amazing life changing procedure.....very fortunate..

Vinny