@Nanmo1228 I had a right TKR on July 19, 2021. Then I had a right THR on March 23, 2022, and a left THR on June 27, 2022. All of this is shown below. Having had bothknee and hip replacements, I can tell you with no reservations that recovering from a TKR is more complex and takes longer than recovering from a THR, at least my THRs because they were anterior. The articles that are listed above are excellent.
I joined Bonesmark
after I did everything the physical therapist, who was an advocate of "no pain, no gain" told me to do or rather did to me. That included letting his PT assistants bend my knee so far back toward my hips that I screamed at the top of my lungs every time it was done. I suffered as a result of the overly aggressive physical therapy.. As you will read in the articles,
do not let anyone bend your knee except you and do not do anything to the point of pain; some discomfort, yes, but NOT pain. I quit physical therapy with that rehab clinic and changed to home health therapy. After my daughter found Bonemart, which I joined on September 27, 2021, it made all the difference in my attitude and my progress. I realized there is no one time table; we all progress at our own rate. I found that overly aggressive PT creates trauma in the joint and slows down recovery. I so wish I had found Bonesmart
before my recovery was compromised. There are others on this forum who have been the "victims" of overly aggressive physical therapy who learned the hard way, as I did.
I live alone, with my rescue black Manx cat Willabelle, so I did not have anyone telling me when I should be able to do anything. I progressed at my own rate of recovery. My sister came over every day for about five weeks except when my daughter came in from out-of-town on weekends. I elevated my leg and iced it a lot during the first few weeks. I spent nearly all my time in my recliner. My recovery was a bit more complicated than normal because, unknown to me before my TKR but shown by radiographs after my TKR, my left hip was end-stage DJD and my right hip was AVN collapse. You are fortunate that you do not have those complications.
Please be patient with your recovery and let everyone in your life know that you need tender loving care while you are recovering, no matter how long your recovery takes. No one else can know exactly what your recovery is like, not your husband, your daughter, your son, or your son's wife. And for your son's wife to have said you should be off the walker by now is not acceptable. And it's a bit ludicrous. Most people I know who have had a TKR use the walker for up to six weeks, and sometimes longer. If you push yourself to quit using the walker and start using only a cane before you are ready, you might become discouraged. It is only
2 weeks and 2 days since your body suffered extreme trauma . A TKR
is extreme trauma for your entire body, not just your knee. Be kind to yourself and tell that your family and friends that they need to be kind and supportive.
When I changed to home health physical therapy, I was fortunate to get Chris, a physical therapist that is of the discipline that one should not be pushed to the point of pain. He was aghast that the first physical therapist had insisted on my having pain. He said that is old-school and not the prevalent attitude today. Because of the complications of my hips, my therapy required Chris to research and come up with ways to deal with my unique situation. Before my right THR, he did deep muscle and tissue massage on my right leg, which I think made a great difference in my recovery from the right THR. I am so fortunate to have his expertise and caring. I am still working with Chris and think we are on the verge of the constriction in my knee completely releasing. We have made great progress. I have not had pain in a very long time, but the constriction that resulted from some muscles overcompensating for others for four or five years because of the weakness of the other muscles has been challenging. It is all worth it. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
My situation is unique. I think that your recovery from "just" a TKR will be a cake walk compared to mine with complications. I tell you all of this because I want you to know that recovery is just something you have to do. Be kind to yourself, be patient, and do not push yourself beyond what is comfortable for you. Help others in your life, most if not all of whom have not had a TKR so they have no concept of what is involved in recovery, to understand that pushing you and trying to perhaps make you feel guilty for all they are having to do, is not going to speed up your recovery in any way. As you will read in the articles, your body will still be making progress after a year. Just give it time. That's what you need.
Once you have been through the recovery, and as you experience it, you will be able to help others in their recoveries through this forum. That is a wonderful thing to be able to do. Onward and upward! Brighter days are ahead!