Become an Insider

TKR Dearjr's new knee

@PolarBear60 i agree if asked my pain level I say 1-3. After I swell I find it annoying but not painfull.
@analysta yes I agree. I can tolerate it but want it to go away!
 
PolarBear60 said:
I call it discomfort too, even though it's a type of pain. To me, discomfort illustrates a level of pain. For me, it's in the 1-3 range. Usually 1-2.
Click to expand...
I agree---discomfort is a type of pain---normally on the rather low end of the pain scale---where it is a bit noticeable---perhaps like having some dental work done when the Novocaine wears off---not horrible, agonizing pain, but just something that lets you now that it is there.
 
So I saw the os yesterday and have a superficial suture abcess. He put me on keflex and said no pool till it scabs

I told him knee had that band and stiff and he told me to go play tennis...was he for real

I also at times after sitting and then standing feel it buckle....is this the weak quad still??...any ideas???
 
Singles tennis is off limits for us forever. He was joking in lame way. Your knee is far from healed. Most likely you forget and treat it like it's normal and it buckles. At 11 weeks my quads are still weak and I am super conscientious about exercise. Just takes time. Be patient, don't neglect your exercise and relax. You can do this.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
 
You are definitely right...doubles for me!
But I have a while yet

The knee still buckles. You think it is from weak quads?
We started strengthening in pt last week. We will see how it goes
I'm just 6 1/2 weeks out but want more...I have to be patient
 
You absolutely need to be patient. You are still in the early stages of recovery. That was a rather bad joke from your surgeon. Glad you realized he didn't really mean you should go play tennis. In fact, the better thing to do is take things a bit easier for at least another month and then increase your activity gradually. The tight band feeling is very normal and can be present for up to a year or more. Everyone is different. But it's not something you can or should try to "push through" to feel better. Doing so will just inflame your knee and it could cause more problems with your recovery. When you get that feeling, it's a time to slow down for a bit.
 
I am trying to follow all the good advice I get here but sometimes get impatient I won't push it though. Just starting to walk and use my home recumbent bike

After icing the band feeling gets better. I guess it has to do with the swelling there. I am working and it gets swollen then. But I ice every 4-5 hours without fail except sleeping off course which is still rough because of numbness and heter sensitive parts of knee cap
 
So you are a "stitch spitter"! Sorry that you have to avoid the pool for a bit, but sounds like all is well. My knee buckles once in a while. Kind of makes you feel vulnerable, doesn't it? I have been told it is a consequence of the swelling going down combined with a lack of muscle strength. And that it is temporary.
 
I used to be a spitter as a kid but now I'm a grown man
Thanks for the info in buckling....I thought the new knee was failing
 
I agree that the buckling is normal. It will gradually improve.

We recommend no pool therapy until your wound is completely healed - and that includes until the infected area has scabbed over and the scab has fallen off naturally. It's just not worth running even a slight risk of catching another infection from the pool.
 
Dearjr said:
So I saw the os yesterday and have a superficial suture abcess. He put me on keflex and said no pool till it scabs

I told him knee had that band and stiff and he told me to go play tennis...was he for real

I also at times after sitting and then standing feel it buckle....is this the weak quad still??...any ideas???
Click to expand...

Your OS obviously has a sarcastic sense of humor :). My knee also buckles sometimes, but as my quad strength and overall leg strength has improved it has done so less and less. When the PT came the first week or two I mentioned this buckling and she would have me walk to check my gait and observe what happened and she commented that it might improve as muscle strength returned. That has been the case. Whereas it used to happen multiple times throughout the day, now it is a rare occurrence and I interpret that as resulting from increased muscle strength that has stabilized my knee.

Good news on your recovery, the need to be on your feet has to present some challenges, but you are doing great.
 
Thanks for the reassurance

I am working but find no matter what I do after 10 mins on my feet the knee is swollen. Is this the norm??
 
Dearjr,
It is normal for your knee to swell after standing or other activities. Your knee is letting your know you are doing too much too soon. Switch between sitting and standing more often at work.
The tight band feeling is normal and should go away in a few months, for some longer.
"Tight band" feeling across the front of my knee
Your quads are still shut down by the TKR, as you heal they will come back. Getting your quads going with gentle toning, and gait training to be sure you are walking properly will do more to bring back your quads than a non functional strengthening exercise program.
 
@Pumpkln thanks for the advice
I find even if I sit mostly it still swells. Thankfully most of it goes away with ice. And after I sleep Over night

Does the swelling interfere with the healing?
 
I overheard someone talking with one of the PTs while I was warming up for therapy a couple of months ago. They were talking about overdoing one day but feeling fine the next, and the PT said that was the important part -- that the joint recovered overnight.

That conversation made sense to me, and I'm going to agree with PumpkIn that the swelling you're experiencing is normal for your knee in your situation. I would take that it going away overnight is a positive sign, and I don't think it will interfere with healing in the long-term recovery of your knee. Short-term, of course, it's absolutely no fun at all.
 
I just hate that constricted feeling....but it flexes!!
 
All I can say about that is patience, my friend. This shall pass in it's own time, and that time is a lot longer than you wish. It will pass, though. Hang in there.:tennis2:
 
I agree, if the swelling goes away over nite, that is a good sign.
Patience is the hardest thing, you are less than two months from your surgery and still have some healing to do. Most start to feel normal starting at 3 months, and even better at 6 months. At a year you should feel fully healed.
 
It seems you need patience of a saint.

If I skip my exercises for a day or two like the heel slides and extension ones will my Flexion get worse?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Corganics CBD
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel

Staff online

Members online

Total: 1,773 (members: 4, guests: 1,769)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom