TKR Coming along<<

[sistersinhim]

Geez, seems like its always something.

New aches and pains popping up here and there is all part of this 'game'. Everything in and around our knees is affected by this surgery. Try to not worry about it. If something gets really serious, then contact your OS.

 

[Elad1002]

@sistersinhim
Thank again. I have a follow up apt with my OS on Monday. I'm never sure what to say to him. He is always upbeat and says, lookin good! The last time I saw him was when I broke my foot. I asked him all my questions and most of his answers were, "I don't know". He's young, well 44, and the reason I chose him was because he did my complex shoulder repair and it ended up being perfect, no problems.
It's just that, with this surgery. he never mentioned anything about considerations such as metal allergies, or the challenges of this recovery. I do understand that is common practice for some OS's. He only cautioned me about bloodclots and infection. I didnt even know what questions to ask. Also read on this site that that isn't unusual either. So here I am trying to wrap my head around the reason I put myself through this to begin with...
Ok, best knee news of the day! Even though I'm 8 weeks out, I bought one of those curvey wedges (not really intended to be a wedge, more like a reflux pillow) and it is like heaven. Feet are up and legs are comfy.!!! Think I will stay like this for awhile.

 

[Jockette]

Feet are up and legs are comfy.!!! Think I will stay like this for awhile.

I’m almost 2 years out and sleep all night with my legs on my wedge! My body loves it.

Surgeons are excellent at installing our hardware but many know very little about the day to day struggle called Recovery.

 

[Elad1002]

@Jockette
Amen.

 

[Elad1002]

I know this post will be weird and too personal for some, but this group is my support through this recovery, so here goes. I spent the entire day resting with legs up, ice on and off. I only got up to make tea and use the restroom. Knee seems to have calmed down some but will know more when I actually walk around. I talked to someone from my work today and they asked me how I felt having a foreign body in my body. Wow, I realized when she spoke that this is my deepest feeling of regret, I cant believe she named it. I've always taken the natural route in my life, relied very little on medication. In fact one grandmother was an herbalist, my other grandmother, a midwife. I put this surgery off for so long because it wasn't "natural" to have a metal knee. I had a good cry, it's hard to go against your grain.
In a moment of clarity I then recalled my beloved Uncle who is alive due to his pacemaker implanted in his chest and my Dad who lived 20 years after having a valve replacement in his heart. Maybe I should be grateful for the technology that allows us to keep going rather than being limited by our worn out or malfunctioning body parts. Now that I identified the core issues of my sadness, grief and nervousness, I can begin to heal.

 

[Dolly Girl]

I felt exactly the same way with my first TKR, 2 years ago, and I think that I went into it with a very stiff knee was a big part of the problem. Right now, this knee is great, and I'm so glad I did it. The 2nd TKR is 6 weeks old, and the recovery is so much better, but the important thing to remember is it takes time! You're doing better than you think!

 

[Elad1002]

@Dolly Girl
It's so good to know that someone understands how you feel. It's a rough recovery, but for me the psychological has been equally as difficult. So glad you are doing well, and yes I too went into it with a stiff knee. Sounds like your second tkr is coming along great too. I love to hear of successes, wonderful!

 

[ebungalow]

@Elad1002

I think I do know what you mean. I was having this very convo with a friend a few weeks ago.

I commented to her that I’d spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over the past years trying to find some exercise, herb, vitamin, non inflammatory diet, etc. that would help me avoid surgery and having something so invasive (as I thought at that time) done to my body.

My first line of defense is usually a more natural response to illness. Whatever natural means.

But there’s definitely a time when allopathic medicine is the way to go, and what a blessing it is. Think of antibiotics.

I’ve come to see my surgeon’s skill, education, and experience as just as natural as any of the herbs or foods or whatever I’ve tried.

His skill and the medical and scientific advances that have made my new joints possible are a natural outcome of the years of science and his years of education and experience.

I’m so grateful. Please note that I’m not saying you’re not grateful - I’m just trying to say that I think I can relate to your feelings/thinking and am trying to explain the philosophical shift that happened for me.

 

[Elad1002]

@ebungalow
Thank you for your well written response. I am so glad to hear from others who have traveled that natural route. In Connecticut, Naturopathic doctors practice freely and I've been to many good ones. The best anti inflammatory Ive ever taken is Boswellia and Curcumin together with Omega 3 vitamins. That combination really held me from needing further intervention for a few years. I detoxed and took magnesium baths. The last NP doc I went to warned me not to have this surgery because of the potential dangers. I agreed at the time. So, here I am, struggling to keep out of pain at 8 weeks po. I believe I can turn a corner, all these positive comments certainly help. I believe a positive outlook helps to have a positive outcome. Thank you. I'm glad you are doing well, you have a gift of intervening in a meaningful way...many blessings to you.

 

[ebungalow]

@Elad1002

I’m still in pain too!! I’m at just over 6 weeks, so just a little bit behind you.

Haha - yes, my response sounded serene, but there are plenty of times when I’m extremely un-serene and ready to be fully recovered. And over the pain.

I contacted my GP doc today and he refilled my tramadol prescription - with warnings that I need to really work on weaning off.

For my last knee, I think I was still taking the occasional 25 mg of tramadol at night at 11 weeks.

Anyway - it’s a long haul and yeah it can get to me too.

I think it sounds like you’re doing really well on this long and crazy road!

 

[Elad1002]

@ebungalow
Didnt realize you were only 6 weeks out!!! Sorry you are having pain. I havent been on pain.med since week 2, just Tylenol since then. I should probably take 25 mg of Tramadol when I have pain.
Today knee started "catching" and pinching while walking. It's raining, that might be part if not all if it.

 

[Elad1002]

I have been taking Tylenol since week 2 but at 8 weeks po, I'm having a little resurgence of pain. I will take 25 mg of Tramadol tonight and see how I do.

 

[Elad1002]

@Josephine
I am now taking 1,000mg of Tylenol every 4 hours and quit PT as you suggested.

When I woke up this morning I noticed a painful pinching on right lower side of my kneecap. I first felt it when I naturally stretched upon waking up and contracted my knee cap - ouch! Difficulty walking, felt like kneecap was pulling to the right again. I taped with McConnell taping as I did several weeks ago upon your suggestion, it helped a little.

I now cannot contract my knee to lift leg out of bed or off chair without pain. This is new and I'm a little concerned. I'm also getting a catching feeling when I bend my knee, like it cant go further because my knees not lined up right. I iced and rested all day today. Didn't expect this sudden regression at 8 weeks p/o.

Don't know what happened, did I walk too much in the house? What can cause this? All I did yesterday was my recumbent bike at 0 resistance for 10 minutes, slight muscle pain behind knees but not bothersome.

Any ideas about the pain on the side of my kneecap? Feels like little electric shocks when I touch there. I managed to get the kneecap to behave for 2 weeks after the initial McConnell taping, hoping to have the same luck this time. Do you think this can resolve by taping alone?

 

[Elad1002]

So I spent a good part of the day elevating and icing again and reading many posts on this site regarding kneecap tracking issues. I have 2 questions for anyone out there.
1. Has anyone had a kneecap tracking issue ( pulling to the right) that resolved on it's own, with simple measures like taping?
2. How soon after a TKR can you see a revisionist specialist?
(My present doc did an xray and said everything looks good but still experiencing symptons.)

 

[Jockette]

Most knee replacement surgeons won’t see someone else’s patient until they are one year post op, mostly I think, because many issues resolve over that first year of recovery.

 

[Elad1002]

@Jockette
Thank you! I am hoping that this will resolve too. After reading a lot of posts, not so sure. But there again, people tend not to post their successes, which makes sense, that's why I asked question number 1.

 

[Jockette]

Lots of members here post their successes, you have to read further into their Recovery threads to find them.

The beginning of many threads is the early days which are difficult for most. But as time goes on there are many successes and you will find that true in your own recovery.

Pick some threads that have lots of pages and jump to pages towards the end and you will find things turned out well.

Just as an example, here’s something from one of our members wrote about his ROM. I was not a member when he was going through his recovery, so I haven’t read his thread, but here’s what he recently posted:

One of our members, Bertschb, kept a record of his ROM process. He agreed for us to post it for those of you that are afraid you're stuck. The key is to have patience! Bertschb says:

“I'm 12 months out from my surgery and have some advice based on my experience:
1- Stop going to PT (all it will do is make your knee swell and reduce ROM)
2- Don't worry about your ROM
3- Be patient - VERY patient!!!

Here is my ROM history (more or less):

1 month - 60 degrees
2 months - 80 degrees
3 months - 85 degrees
4 months - 90 degrees
5 months - 90 degrees
6 months - 110 degrees
7 months - 120 degrees
8 months - 125 degrees
9 months - 130 degrees
10 months - 135 degrees
11 months - 140 degrees
12 months - 140 degrees

I spent waaaaay too much time worrying about ROM. I thought I'd be riding my bike a couple months after surgery but it took SIX months! Looking back on my surgery, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have wasted my time with PT and I wouldn't have worried about ROM.”

 

[Celle]

1. Has anyone had a kneecap tracking issue ( pulling to the right) that resolved on it's own, with simple measures like taping?
2. How soon after a tkr can you see a revisionist specialist?
(My present doc did an xray and said everything looks good.)

Kneecap tracking issues often sort themselves out as recovery progresses.
Taping certainly helps. What it is doing is holding your kneecap in the correct alignment until all the soft tissues around it have regained their strength. As the muscles strengthen, they should hold the kneecap in the correct position without the tape.

At this early stage in your recovery, I don't think there's any need to think about seeing a different surgeon.
Jockette told you correctly. Surgeons usually don't like to see someone else's patient until at lest a year has passed since surgery, because it could be seen as poaching another surgeon's patient.

The other reason why it's unusual to get a second opinion before a year has passed is because many issues that worry you in the early days of recovery will have resolved by the time a year has passed.

I understand the weird feeling of having a foreign body inside you. It's strange.

However, as time passes and you find that your new knee is doing a better job than your old knee, you'll get used to it.

I've had three knee replacements, a PKR that failed after 11 years, a revision to a TKR, and then a TKR on my other knee.
My natural knees failed me. They caused me constant pain and I would have been in a wheelchair by now without my new knees.

My knee replacements are 7 years and 4 years old now. They work so well, and so painlessly, that I forget that I have large foreign bodies in both knees. I get quite a shock when I see them on an X-Ray.
I'm so grateful that I live in an age where it has been possible to replace my old, painful knees.

 

[Elad1002]

@Celle
Thank you for your timely response. I am doing what seems like nothing at 8 weeks po but elevating, icing and getting up every few hours to do a 5-10 minute walk around the house. I do make dinner, 3o-45 minutes up on my feet. Empty dishwasher in the am, make bed, light clean up, shower, sit to fold laundry. I am going up and downstairs one step at a time. I go out to dinner a few times a week with husb. I guess that's more than nothing, it's just that my mind thinks I am capable of doing more. I am hesitant to drive because of the popping and tracking issues I'm presently having, so the days are long. Thank you for your thoughts on the weird feelings around having the knee implant, it helps to be able to identify with someone.
I have Hope that everything is going to calm down and work out well. I will just keep taping my knee for now.

 

[Celle]

That sounds about right for 8 weeks out.
If you can sit down sometimes while getting dinner, that might help, too.