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TKR DLR recovery #2

Tomorrow will be 6 weeks. The knee itself is feeling pretty good, no more locking with extreme pain or gear ratchet bone on bone pre surgical pain. I am back sleeping in my own bed, still toss and turn but it is much like presurgery where you wake uncomfortable find a new position and fall back to sleep, hoping for continued improvement but thankful for 7 hours in bed. I am learning the balancing act of a rest day after a more active day, though my activity is still fairly day to day living stuff so still a ways to go. My husband made the comment this week “it seems the pain comes from a different place every few days”. I would say that is accurate, my chiro visit helped my back and piriformis and I will see him again next week to keep that in check. This week is a burning pain on the lateral side of the knee. It is an old familiar unwelcome pain. I have been so thankful it has been missing since surgery until this week. I suspect it may be IT band related. Burning pain. I also still have a moderate band of swelling in the thigh right above the knee.
My ROM is great and slowly improving each week. I see my OS on Friday.
Well my Bonesmart Family I hope each of you find something to be thankful for today, something to find joy in and moments of laughter. Praying for you all as we journey together.
 
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Glad you’re sleeping better. I desperately need that. The last halfway decent nights sleep I had was 9/16. I did get five hours at one time the other night but it ended at 2:30am and I was up for the day with a one hour nap.
Last night I got bout an hour...in minutes. No I’m not kidding. I’m hoping I can follow you and sleep better at the six week mark (I’m 4)
 
@InkedMarie i remember that happening around 4 weeks and yes even the 1 hour in minutes it makes the nights so long and the days hard to cope. Nap when you can, I found napping didn’t change my nights, and actually once I was sleeping better I still need naps, the sleep deprivation is hard to recover from. Thinking of you
 
I see a great number of us deal with sleep problems for one reason or another. It sucks being up most of night as I was last night. Just drags things out farther. Here is to better nights sleep for all of us.
 
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Well what I thought was IT band irritation is not following the pattern. On standing I now have 3 inch wide band of swelling that runs from my lateral side of the knee upwards on a 45 degree angle to 5 inches above the knee mid thigh. About halfway down the band off to the lateral side is a deep burning pain. It feels like I have a bubble that should burst. I also have a bubble of swelling behind the knee. The knee is pink and quite warm. I can still bend but everything is stiffer. Anyone else had this happen..definitely feels like a backward step.
 
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Dlr. odd how the pain moves about. I went two days early this week with very little pain then on Thursday woke from nap and any twisting hurt like hell . New pain in lower calf showed up, and I am wondering if muscles and tendons are acting out as they heal and strengthen. My cockiness about my pain experience has been tempered slightly the last three days lol.
 
Just back from my 6 week post op OS visit. First let me say I love my OS he has worked with me for 15 years doing my 2 hip surgeries, 2 knee arthroscopic repairs and now my knee replacement. It is nice to have an OS who knows you well and takes time with you and who you trust. This morning I expressed my concern about the bubble of swelling that has appeared, he looked at it and said “Diane, a knee is not a hip. People will have new swellings and pains for at least 6 months. The pain move around so does the swelling, it is a more complicated joint and this is all normal.” He went on to say, “ l look at you walking and sitting on the side of the table with a comfortable bend, and see this is a good knee”. So the continued message to myself is be patient I am doing great.!!.. @Softtail i guess we just need to keep going and realize changing pain locations and intensity are the norm for knees..rollercoaster riding
 
Yep made my day hearing that. We tell ourself this is not like anything else we have done , but then want to think we can be back to “normal” just like a minor surgery. Not happening.
Pretty consistent having bowel trouble , and I remember spending one really awful night feeling I had to go but couldn’t. 2 days earlier I had started stool softener 2 times day and benefiber. Took 2 laxatives that final night and was finally able to go. What a relief lol. Anyway if not on stool softeners ,I would recommend. Also my home nurse told me of other patients of her’s that swear by this home remedy. Glass of warm prune juice with tab of butter added. Didn’t need to resort to this ,but there you are.
 
Well I am learning this isn’t a straight path. Yesterday I felt like I had been run over by a truck, rest, ice, nothing was helping. I suspect, though not aware, I have done the double whammy of ODIC and reducing pain meds. Too soon for both of these. Back to 1000 mg Tylenol every 6 hours during the day and pacing my activities. Week 7 starts today with meds, rest and the reminder to be kind to myself and listen to my knee. I also realized it’s easy to get down on myself and start thinking maybe I am not trying hard enough, maybe I am wimping out too easily, maybe I need to push through the pain. This morning I am convinced I need to listen to the knee and remind myself I am doing well, I have great flexion, the extension will come. I have made progress, it’s so easy to lose sight of that. I still need my cane outside the house BUT that is okay! There is my pep talk to myself, hopefully it can encourage some others who are struggling on this journey.
 
DLR said:
it’s easy to get down on myself and start thinking maybe I am not trying hard enough, maybe I am wimping out too easily,
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I felt that way, too. It took reading many, many posts on here for me to “get it”. I was always thankful the forum advisors never seemed to tire of telling us over and over and over that the Bonesmart approach works!
 
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@Josephine need your help! This afternoon I was walking in the house and very suddenly felt a ripping pain R lateral knee at level of knee cap. I could hardly bear weight, held walls to get to recliner, have been icing and elevating since. I can bend the knee up toward chest while in recliner, I have no pain when elevated but when I stand it jumps to level 10. I have pulled out my cane again, considering going back to crutches to maneuver. Ther e is still a diagonal band of swelling moderate to huge level from above knee to lateral knee, the pain is right below the lateral end of swelling DRF1 to top of ERF1
Thoughts? Suggestions?
 
Oh no, Diane! Sorry about that pain. And the prang :shrug:
 
Thanks @beachy this is definitely a backwards step. I am back on crutches and had to sleep in the recliner last night instead of bed. Wish I could pinpoint what I did to cause this so I can avoid it ...:what:. oh well I guess it is ice, rest, elevate, medicate. God is definitely working on my patience meter through this lol. Hope all these stories don’t discourage you.
 
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