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TKR gzuckero's Recovery - '6 months in<

I'm four weeks today and couldn't believe that I'm still limping!! It took everyone on this site with their kind responses to reel me back into reality. I had stopped all painkillers and started Advil thinking it would be enough, not! As for the crying, I really never cry, but found it strange that during this recovery I'd have my little person session every couple of days and then feel better after. Every single thing you've expressed, everyone has experienced!
 
Just to let mgs know that Tylenol pm is Panadol Night in the UK and can be bought from chemists, it contains paracetamol so be careful if you've got any other meds containing that drug. Advil pm is ibuprofen and Diphenhydramine (a sleep aid). Again you'd need to be careful of you're taking anything with a NSAID in it.
 
Thanks for the information and support!
 
What you're going through is normal for us Bonesmarties, I still regularly find myself waking up thinking ove been asleep for hours, only to look at the clock and see I've been asleep an hour.
My knee swells up too and gets really hot, just keep on icing. Energy drain is still going on too, don't despair you will get through this period.
 
Claire is absolutely right. It takes a good 8-12 weeks to begin feeling remotely normal, don't expect too much before then. Every knee is different, but I'd rather expect less and be surprised than expect too much and be disappointed and in pain. The energy drain is significant and the blues overwhelming, but it will pass.
 
It was not until about the sixth or seventh week until I began to climb out of my funk---some do it earlier; some do it a bit later.

The pain meds, the energy drain, the isolation, and the dependence on others all contribute---but it is temporary and it is normal---hang in there---things will get better!
 
Well, last. Isn't, I had a hard time sleeping. Took a Norco. One step forward two steps back! How did you sleep? I hope you got some but if not at least you can nap during the day!:yay:
 
I can relate to what you are going through. I was excited when I found this forum and started reading .I had my rtkr on june 22 with the ltkr scheduled for july 22. two weeks after the first one I started questioning my decision
to have both done in the same year. I was supposed to have one done last summer and the other one done this summer.But a shoulder injury changed the plan last year. Anyway I am 2 weeks after my second knee at this time and still struggle often.. seems like I am not getting better fast enough for me.. But after reading lots of posts on here I am realizing what I am going through is very normal.. Still hate the slow improvements but I feel better knowing I am doing as well as I should expect..
 
Lin said:
I can relate to what you are going through. I was excited when I found this forum and started reading .I had my rtkr on june 22 with the ltkr scheduled for july 22. two weeks after the first one I started questioning my decision
to have both done in the same year. I was supposed to have one done last summer and the other one done this summer.But a shoulder injury changed the plan last year. Anyway I am 2 weeks after my second knee at this time and still struggle often.. seems like I am not getting better fast enough for me.. But after reading lots of posts on here I am realizing what I am going through is very normal.. Still hate the slow improvements but I feel better knowing I am doing as well as I should expect..
Click to expand...

I don't think I could do 2 at once though my 78 year old mother in law did! And she is tougher than me for sure! Rancher, horsewoman and all around great lady!
 
I can't imagine what it was like having both done. I had mine the same day as your second and I'm having difficulty just dealing with the one. I have absolutely no energy and I don't want to sit in my chair anymore. My bum gets so numb! I went to lie down in bed at 4pm and I just want to stay here. I have to get up for dinner soon but I'm not hungry. I hope you start to feel better soon.
 
So, back to work I went this week. I wear a Fitbit and was able to track how much walking and how many steps and on day 1 put in 3 miles. My work building is huge and I had a lot of meetings. Needless to say by the end of the day I was exhausted, my knee had swelled prett significantly, and I HURT.the next day I did 2 miles with about the same response. My boss got me a scooter for the long hauls and I'm walking the short ones but since Monday feel like I've lost ground. I'm limping again because I'm stiff and sore.

Anyone have insights into how far we should be able to walk comfortably? I asked my dr a week ago and he said a block but that doesn't seem right for this far in, or does it? I'm questioning my expectations of myself again of course because I thought at 8 weeks id be back to "normal". Whatever that is...
 
@gzuckero 8 weeks is probably too early to go back to work, especially one with a lot of walking/standing. My OS suggested 12 weeks until I went back to teaching, I thought I could do it in 8. I ended up going back to teaching PART TIME at week 12. The stamina was just not there for a full day and my knee would swell. So I worked in the mornings, came home in the afternoons to rest, elevate, ice and a few days a week went to PT. TKR recovery can take up to a full year, so you have a ways to go for "normal". :unsure:
 
I had my 2nd TKR the same day as you and I can tell you there is no way I feel normal yet. I just last night had somewhat of a normal night sleep. With my 1st knee I didn't feel normal until 6 months and even then there were days that I would feel I had done too much. I retired after my 1st TKR, but I can tell you I worked in a huge medical center and even though I had a "desk" job I had to park in a garage 3 buildings away and often attend meetings on the other side of the complex. There is no way I could have gone back to work at the point I am at now and I'm not sure 12 weeks would have been better. I had to build up my strength, stamina and endurance with the 1st one and had just got there at 6 months, then had the 2nd one done. Now I'll have to do it all over again but it will be worth it.
 
I am exactly one week ahead of you so I'm at 9 weeks. Thank goodness I'm not going back to work until 12, and even then just half days for a couple weeks. I definitely could not walk 3 miles in one day, without being extremely swollen, stiff and sore. So I guess in short yes I think we both have a long ways to go. And I think what you're going through is completely normal for where you're at in recovery and what you're doing.
 
@gzuckero i went back at three and a half weeks. Much too early. This week, at 7, seems about right for me. Worked full time this week and seem to be hanging in there! I don't have a lot of walking to do, but sitting too long is also not good. Hope things get better for you with your scooter!
 
For the swelling and redness and soreness in the knee, I highly recommend gentle lymphatic or shiatsu massage from someone who knows what they are doing. My OS was shocked at my 3 week appt after each knee that I had no swelling; after learning what I had done, he now recommends it to other patients. You've had a lot of construction done in a very tight area; the swelling is normal, but painful. The massage helps to get the fluids in your lower leg moving again and once things start moving, the swelling is reduced. Obviously, care needs to be taken to hold the stitches/staples together so as to not disrupt the healing on the front of the knee; my massage therapist worked primarily on the sides and back of the knees.

Yes, the sleeplessness and crying jags are normal; Tylenol PM helped me a great bit as well as weaning off the opiates. Wishing you all a smooth and successful recovery. Do your PT!
 
I agree that it's a lot of walking for where you're at in recovery. Remember, you are still in recovery. Try to actually minimize your walking if you can for a while. :console2:
 
This week attempting to keep the walking to a mile or less at work each day. Have not yet been successful. There is a component of needing to walk to keep the knee healthy and sitting all day doesn't help with that so stil trying to find the right balance.

PT didn't go well Friday evening. Too much swelling and pain. I went and did what I could but my therapist actually called it off early and left me with the electrode and ice compression for a longer period. He said pushing when there are problems is no good so we'Ll just try again is week. Moved all my PT appoint,nets to first thing in the morning before any other usage to try to get the most out of the therapy.

From a healing perspective I think I've been really lucky. Half of my scar which is about five inches long has almost faded completely! The top part is a little wider and more noticeable but I'm doing what the dr said and massaging it every night with vitamin E oil and even if that works or not the massage feels good. :-)

I think knowing what I do now I'd advise a really good understanding of mobility at each four week mark. I've been keeping track with this knee so when I have to have my right one done I can just follow the path. My biggest issue all along has been invalid expectations.

I will also tell you that now everyone I run into at work knows someone or has been through this themselves. Funny how that happens. I've also met several who have said they have to get it done and I've shared this site with them because truly, this site saved me. Having others that understand what you're going through that you can talk to when your isolated and alone while healing at home.....you can't imagine the relief and the change in mindset. For that I want to thank all of you who have responded and for the links you've shared.

My journey continues. 9 weeks into it with several more to go toward total healing but I'm now finding hope (even with this rough couple of weeks) that the end result is going to be a better, more mobile me.
 
Just as a follow up, this issue finally cleared up after I quit drinking so much. Why you ask? At first yes it was the IV but also the constant thirst. It was from the morphine and OxyContin they had me on. (Confirmed with my dr). Makes you very thirsty AND you have an IV. Luckily my nurses were VERY attentive and got me where I needed to be quickly but if you have any challenges I'd go ahead and prepare with some of the undergarment suggestions above.

I continued that have the issue after I got home again because of drinking constantly - water and lemonade were all I wanted - but again was due to the meds. Once they switched me off the Oxy to the Hydrocodone the thirst went away and I'm drinking normally again and the problem cleared.

As to weight, surprisingly I lost weight the first month. 3 pounds. Was trying just little appetite and since I didn't want to eat I was just drinking protein shakes to make sure I got nutrition. Not recommending this for anyone because you need to eat to heal, but with no appetite and pain and everything else going on it was a simple solution for me. Since I had been dieting and working out for a year and a half prior to surgery trying to get ready protein shakes were already a regular staple at my house.

Find what works for you but remember to try to eat healthy and the therapy will help with the calories and you should stay about the same. Just watch out for those well meaning friends bringing all the cakes and goodies!!!!
 
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