TKR First thread post surgery, four days later...

elainec73

new member
Joined
Sep 7, 2019
Messages
17
Age
64
Country
United States United States
Gender
Female
Hello to all! Had my left TKR on 11/11 and doing good. Was having an issue with dizziness, etc. so could not face reading or posting but today I took the med for this and feel great! Going to keep it simple though; surgery went great, no drain, nice clean incision, lots of bruising, typical pain and stiffness I expected. The meds keep it totally manageable. Everything I pre-planned is working as planned. PT in-house started today but I've been doing what I should since getting home. It's a long road ahead but it is what it is. No arthritic pain though and that is the bonus. Hope everyone else is doing good. Will post again as I can. We are warriors, we will heal! Love to you all!
 
Sounds like you are doing great. I had 7 at home PT visits and they were lifesavers. They got me started with gentle exercises and helped with doing full set of stairs in my own home. So many people have had unexpected bumps in the road. Here’s hoping you encounter none of those.
 
Welcome to this side of the surgery!
 
Hi @elainec73 :welome:

I had difficulty with dizziness my first few days post-surgery, too.

Let us know how you are doing when you are up to it.
 
I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Just keep in mind all people are different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​


4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access to these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
@elainec73 hope you are doing well, I just finished 4 wks of in home PT and found it to be the best thing! I started in person PT yesterday and I am very stiff today.
 
last post was at four days post surgery; now at day 18! Finally found a way to get some sleep (med management) and get a the least four hours, at the most six. Makes a world of difference to me, I was starting to get pretty emotional from the lack of restorative sleep! Walked outside the house today and walked farther than I could have before this second replacment which gives me all the encouragement I need to keep moving forward and healing the right way. Weaned myself off the morphine, I use one hydromorphone at night to help with the sleeping; otherwise celebrex and extra strength tylenol are getting me through. I have to say though that my other leg (TKR 9/11/2018) is feeling the recovery also in that for only a brief period of time did I walk unaided because of the left knee having been just as bad and I was back to hobbling. Should have replaced it sooner but both parents become sick and passed in a year and a half of each other. But I am feeling aches and pains on my right side as I recover from the left but I thank god its a good strong knee in there, the rest is muscular, the strengthening of what I haven't been using; the ability to walk fully upright without favoring a side. Pain Pain go away come again another day lol Strength to all!!!
 
@elainec73 Welcome!
What a great attitude you have! I truly believe that helps more than we think!
I just had my 2 week post op, 2nd knee in 9 months and doing great!
I feel the same as you, now having 2 soon to be good knees!!
Take care!
 
Wow. I could have wrote the above paragraph, that is my story. I have LTKR set for 1/3/2022 and as I type this I am sitting here icing after hobbling all day to do ADL's and a quick trip to the store. I too think that my RTKR is taking some wear and tear from limping all day long. I take so much meds, and ice and elevate but nothing helps anymore.

I am envious that you are on the other side. But I am glad you are doing great and keep up the good work. Soon everything will calm down and you will be strong and the pain will go away... Take care and best wishes, Schpooko
 
Way to go. Good luck on your recovery. I had my ltkr on 9-29. Feeling alot better no bone on bone pain. All muscular and tightness. But way better than it was the 1st 6 weeks or so.

Good luck
Booger
 
Hello to all those in recovery! I changed my profile photo (one month in tomorrow!) to a pic of both my now 'good knees' - the right leg was done in 2018 and is a good strong knee but having some adjusting to do too from this second surgery. I do not have a lot of swelling and the bruising (other than on my ankle) has dissipated. Doing the preferred PT at home, on my own now, and bought a floor pedaling "bike" and loving that; doing my ADL's but not overdoing them lol!! Yesterday was a huge one for me in that I WALKED to my mailbox at the end of the road (w/ cane) but without PAIN...I walked outside for more than just getting in my car. There is a slight incline in the walk that always deterred me, so I took it slow, felt it out on whether I could do it and there was no concern that I couldn't! What a thrill to not be hobbled over in debilitating pain, I've avoided walking to my mailbox for the past two + years b/c of my left knee. I felt upright like a normal human being again, I felt taller! It was exhilirating. My grandkids are going to be so happy to see Noni walk again, it makes me want to cry happy tears!
 
That is terrific about the walk to the mailbox! You can see some light at the end of the tunnel! I look forward to that walk to the mailbox! Baby steps.
 
The Mailbox is the destination! Congrats on that milestone. :yes!:
 
Hello everyone! Just checking in at the 7 weeks, 5 days post surgery mark. Overall I think I'm doing excellent; no pain meds other than Tylenol and Arnicare roll on (this roll on pain reliever really really helped me with the nerve pain sensations, especially at night! it's expensive but in my opinion, worth it) I always do my PT exercises, cycle on a floor pedaling system (I can do miles!!), walk as much as I can handle, ice as needed and elevate as a practice and have very little, if any, swelling now except when I push it walking or being on it for too long (or wearing socks or shoes that are just too snug!) - the biggest change to happen is that I am walking without assistance now for the first time in many, many years - and which feels GREAT and new and exciting and empowering!!! I think I said it before, but I feel taller now too lol I feel I've gotten the best results I possibly can aside from I am having sciatica on my left side, but I recall having that last time and it resolved itself after some time went by, hoping for that on this left side now too, good sciatica stretches will hold me over until then. One of the biggest things I've done so far is I went on a shopping spree, physically in a store, which is something I have avoided for at least 8 years... I enjoyed it, I loved being able to peruse the aisles without a lick of pain for as long as I wanted...I spent a boatload of money on that trip but it was worth every penny to me! Oh! and the other big thing is the depression and sadness and sour moods because pain was my only friend have disappeared and I feel like MYSELF again, the happy one I always was and tried so hard to be in spite of the debilitating pain. I absolutely feel joy again. I hope and pray for good results for everyone here, anyone undergoing this life changing surgery, in hopes of regaining our freedom! :dancy::yahoo:
 
- the biggest change to happen is that I am walking without assistance now for the first time in many, many years - and which feels GREAT and new and exciting and empowering!!!
A friend called it liberating and I thought summed it up. Excellent report. So glad it is going well.
 
Wow, last post was a 7 weeks and right now it's been 7 months! Life marches on of course with or without at TKR, and I've been busy. Went back to work part time at 4 weeks but my boss was totally accomodating and I had whatever time I needed, comfort, etc. and full time followed quickly. I have FINALLY learned how to get up off the floor without kneeling (because there is NO WAY I am kneeling on these things yet!) and I can do my floor exercises again (the no kneeling ones, combined with some chair yoga and I'm walking more than I've walked in years which feels good but would not impress many as to how many miles I can log (it's not about that), it all feesl great physically and has really propelled me forward in a big way toward more activity as I go. My replacements are both excellent, today I played catch with my grandson (real ball, real gloves) and I went for a catch and in any other instance Noni surely would have fell over and probably debilitated herself (actually, no, Noni would never have brought a glove and suggested playing before 11/11/22! lol) but she did not! I was able to step into it, catch my balance and recover without hurting myself in any way. I am still amazed and precisely why I thought to come here and post this - I hope and pray for anyone doing a TKR to have great results, I am grateful for the freedom I've realized (if you are on the fence of doing it - JUST DO IT!!) ~peace and love~
 
What a wonderful report! You are proof that this surgery is well worth it. Thank you for thinking of us and letting us know how well you are doing! You go, girl!
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jaycey
    ADMINISTRATOR Staff member since February 2011

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,167
Messages
1,596,864
BoneSmarties
39,356
Latest member
JanieMarie
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom