Close to 4 months & discouraged!

[Barb123]

I'm close to 4 months post-op and am starting to get discouraged. I've
finished all my PT a few weeks ago but my ROM doesn't seem to have
changed at all even though I walk and do exercises. When I bend it
back it is always the same. I'm able to do anything I want but I expected
after surgery and a recovery period, I would have all my ROM back. The
doctors don't tell you about the stiffness, lots of PT and all. My surgeon
said it could take up to a year, but I don't want to wait that long.

 

[JenniferG]

That's how I feel about the pain in my knees with stairs and getting up from sitting position. I whined today in PT. Q:Why does it still hurt. A: Not strong enough yet. Q: Am I not doing enough or too much? Or wrong things? A: No, just takes time. Q: How long? A: Could take up to a year, but it will get better, I promise. Q: Sigh A: I know you want it now, but you have to be patient, you have healed so fast already you want the strength to come that quickly, but it takes time. Uggggggghhhh!
We'll get there Barb. 4 months is not too far from half a year. Hang in there!

 

[Doug]

Barb, I'm at 4.5 months..This past week, I was out of town and really got surprised by how quickly my knee stiffens up if I don't work the ROM. However, I worked it yesterday and today and I'm back to my best post op ROM.
I'm doing almost everything I want to and have had to evaluate if I really needed to keep practicing Kenpo. The bottom line is I don't. So, I'll go to photography. What the heck, life changes on us.
Try and concentrate on the lack of constant pain we had before surgery. If it takes a year, it takes a year. Keep working it and in the end we will be rewarded. I was shopping this morning and it suddenly hit me that I hadn't even thought about the knee and there was no limp.

 

[Rowdy66]

I Know You Are Way Further Postop But I Am Going To Dare An Answer. My Husband Says, In Effect, We Have Had Our Legs Sawed Off, Hammered On, Whittled, Shaped And God Only Knows Whatelse And We Expect To Get Right Back Up On Them Painfree. I Feel Fortunate That I Have As Much Quality Time As I Do Considering. We Just Want So Much, It Is Our Nature But We Need To Give Ourselves Time To Heal Right. I, Personally, Do Not Mind That I Am Having To Be Babied And Waited On And Take Naps And So On. Frankly After All That Happened That Was Expected And All That Happened That Wasn't It Is Amazing We Got To Where We Are.like When You Leave The Hospital You Have To Leave In A Wheelchair, Some Young Thing Came In With A Wheelchair That Was Way Too Small, Would Have Been A Tight Squeeze For A Thin Woman, Which I Am Not. I Am Not Fat But I Am Not Thin Either. She Came In And Stuffed My *** In To The Chair And Then Grabbed My Right Foot And Bent My Leg A Good 130 Degrees Or More, If It Is Possible. I Barely Had Time To Grab Her And Stop Her From Doing The Same Thing To The The Left Leg. To Say She Put Me Into A Painful Syndrome That Was Still With Me When I Got Home. I Know She Didn't Do It On Purpose But It Still Hurt Like Hell. You Get My Drift About The Things That Hurt That We Can't Plan For. Got To Go Hurt Like Hell. Rowdy

 

[JenniferG]

Hey Rowdy, I'm so sorry you got the dumb little ding dong to send you home. You'd think they would be better trained.

 

[jb94102]

im a lil over 3 months and not real happy either i can sit 5 mins and get so stiff and it really hurts when i go to get up ,i also notice alot of pain on the outside of my knee when i go to walk or stand on it ,im in aqua therapy for my back and MAN o MAN my knee is giving me fits in the water i thought it would be better in the water but so far it isnt ..... well nuff said about me LOL i havent been on for awhile i sure hope is well and gettin better for you all ......... GOD Bless JIM :O)

 

[Skeet]

I'm at a little over 5 months and feeling pretty good, so hang in there. If I stay in one position too long, I am stiff for a few steps, but then it loosens up and feels fine. I don't take anything for my knee anymore. No pain meds or NSAIDs, etc. Haven't had to ice it much lately either. So be patient. At 4 months, I was still having some of the issues you stated.

ROM is helped mostly by continuing to do the PT exercises, riding a bike, etc. Just walking and such won't do it. You have to push the knee to that maximum ROM on a regular basis, I think. I bend it as far as I can and hold it for 30-60 seconds, then relax and do it again and again - in the hot tub. That really helps me along with the bike. Stairs are also good. Don't give up!

 

[edk]

One of the things that happens is that big milestones come quick (2 weeks you do
wal-mart, 3 weeks you drive, by about 5 weeks if you run into someone on the street
they don't know you had a TKR) in the beginning. But after that it takes longer for
little bits of progress. For the last week I've been trying to figure out if going up
stairs has gotten any easier? And I don't really know. But I'm confident that some
day I'll go up some stairs and when I get to the top I'll say "hey you did those stairs
like they weren't even there"

 

[JuneBug88]

I swear it does get better. I am almost 5 months post op. I have days that if it was not for the scar I would not even realize I had my knee done. I do have the few days that it is stiff and painfull but now I just need to get up and move and it gets better. My main problem was when I was recovdering I had to realize that my old knee hyperextended and my new knee will not. That was why I thought my ROM would never come back, but it does.

Debbi

 

[Snarvela]

I'm a Newbie Blogger, so I don't know if I just jump in or knock politely. Jumping's not an option right now so.. Knock, knock! I don't think this is a new thread... is it? I'm post 2TKR Feb 19. I'm discouraged as well. I'd like the pain to stop, the stiffness and the all round discomfort. But considering the trauma of the replacement, I suppose I'm lucky to be able to walk at all. I have a few questions for recovery people. But I'll just ask one for now. I've developed a red bumpy rash on my lower shins. I had been taking oxycodone for pain and although the docs said it wouldn't cause a localized rash.... I stopped all topicals and contact dermatitis suspects and then stopped the oxy and the rash went away. I started percoset and the rash came back.. it's hard getting by on tylenol or advil alone. Did anyone have this reaction?

 

[Doug]

Snarvela, welcome and just jump in on any thread you want to or start a new one.
I had my TKR on Jan 17. I just got off of the Oxycodone a couple of weeks ago. I didn't have any rash but when I first started, I would itch like crazy.. The only difference between the Oxycodone and percoset is that percoset contains tylenol. So you might be allergic to the base narcotic.
I would call your surgeon and request some other option. Perhaps Ultram. I used it for about seven months prior to surgery.
Best of luck

 

[JenniferG]

Hi Snarvela, welcome. Your 2 new knees are one month older than my 2 new knees. Yeah for us! I'd ask for a med switch. My OS moved me to vicodin from percs just to move me down the druggy ladder. Maybe that will help you. It is still narcotic strength but not as strong as percs. I also take tramadol/ultram during the day and save the big Vics for night. My stiffness is like this constsnt awareness of something "in there". And nights are tough cause I'm afraid they'll break when I roll and push with my legs. I know they wont, but the sensation of them and awareness gets me thinking and feeling... I'd say my discouarged is more moments than a general feeling. All I can do is trust my PT OS and all these folks here with similar experience that it gets better in time.

 

[Snarvela]

Thanks for the welcome. I'm aware of the percoset/tylenol combo.. in rehab I was taking oxy+tylenol anyway. I have tramadol and vicodin. The tramadol doesn't seem to help and the vicodin has the oxy in it.. I haven't tried tramadol for awhile, maybe I'll give it a whirl.
My primary gave me celebrex because he claimed the heat in my knees was inflammation.. maybe... took it for 5 days and no change so I stopped. The surgeon said no, it's just the blood vessels working to reestablish themselves... what a cute image! Anyway I'm right there with you, Jennifer. Sometimes at night I think my legs are attached to someone else.. or something else.. and GOLLY! THEY ARE! Very creepy feeling. The work "CLINK" comes to mind when I sleep on my side. Anyway. I start back at water therapy down from 3x/wk to 2x's and a mid week deep tissue massage. One month at a time... I'm glad to be here. Been lurking because I didn't have the time to figure out how to join. Thanks again.

 

[JenniferG]

Clink and sometimes a klunk. There's oxy in vic? Not enough then! lol. My OS said teh celebrex takes a week or 2 to start making a differnce, so maybe if you had given it a few more days...?... Anyway, glad your not alone with it all anymore. We have started the process of selling and moving and Inground pool is high on the list of features that are desired. So, I'll be doing my own aqua theray maybe this summer if it goes well. No bathing suit in public here.

 

[ship4]

I have been allergic to percoset for years. I did not have a good reaction with Vicoden either. My doctor knows in advance I am allergic to it. I will have my bilateral TKR on June 18. The last thing I need is my whole body itching with hives while I am trying to recover from major surgery. I agree, you should ask for a medication change. On another site it was suggested to use Ultram. Apparently it is not an NSAID and is equivalent to morphine.

 

[Snarvela]

JenniferG - I think it's hydroxicodone a step or 2 removed and I agree doesn't do much for me. But if it's a relative of oxy... I'd just as soon lay off for awhile. My legs look hideous from the rash.. not to mention the 2 nightcrawlers on my knees. Good luck findling a home therapy pool. What a plus! esp the no public bathing suit part .... We live on Lake Champlain.. so I just have to wait until July for it to warm up and I'll bike with my noodle until it snows.
Ship4 thanks. Good luck with your surgery. I am going to try the tramadol again. Docs said that my rash wouldn't be so localized if it was from the drugs, but I don't think they can persuade me. I've never been allergic to anything and oxy is a new part of my life.... wish I took take more and still carry on a conversation.

 

[Snarvela]

Last night I took 2 tramdols and slept like a rock for the first time in months.. but felt very groggy today and wanted to fall asleep all day.. grocery shopping, driving, PT.. i can't believe that 2 tramadols, which never worked before could knock me out... maybe i got a taste of sleep and want more?

 

[Doug]

I don't think there is any logic to sleep cycles. A good nights sleep is influenced by so many different factors. I'm just happy when I get one.

 

[Skeet]

Having new knees is like having a new baby - in so many ways... just sayin'

 

[Doug]

Well at least diapers aren't involved.