TKR Hello from the UK!

[RestAssured]

WOW Rest!! That is an AMAZING story! I'm so happy for you. Your post made me cry! Happy Dance for you!

Thanks Laura,

If you read my thread, you will see that you and I have more in common than you can imagine!

 

[Lauramacky]

I would if I could figure out which one it is, lol. Can you paste it when you have time? I'd appreciate it!

 

[Mutley]

Hi Restassured & thanks for leaving that uplifting post of your LONG knee journey! I hear what your saying...and here comes the " but"...BUT sometimes it's very hard to focus on the end part of this journey. I reached 6 months post op on Friday 1st June. In theory it should be quite a milestone & in some ways it is, yet I'm still consumed EVERY DAY with pain issues related to this damn knee Absolutely NOTHING like what you've been through since 2009 but pain is unique & individual to each & every one of us. I try to be positive, enjoy the days when my knee doesn't dominate my day quite so much & then I have nights like I've just endured last night & could barely walk down the garden to let the chickens out this morning.That's when I feel completely demoralised, depressed & angry. That's when you question will things EVER be back to normal...whatever that is? I'm sure you are right when you say I & people like me will see & experience the day when all is good, just like you seem to be doing now, but sometimes it FEELS like that day will never come I feel guilty even writing this negative post when I know people like Natalie are suffering horrifically & has been, like you for such a long time, but today is NOT a good day for me, so I have to accept it & hope that these bad days will get less & less....Sorry people, I just can't muster any inner strength today....

 

[RestAssured]

Oh gosh Mutley!

Those days hit me along my three year journey! Bones popping out to the side because MRSA has eaten through the cement, the kneecap slipping out of place frequently for the last year w no warning, and down I would go! No, no no, I am not saying you can be positive all the time, and sometimes unfortunately, it takes another surgery to fix whatever is the problem! What I am saying is even with the problems I faced, and still face w the kneecap, I am trying to be as positive as possible. If you talked to my husband or family, you would know, I have down days. I am trying to make every day better though because I want to be able to move on with my Bucket List! Some of the people have an awful time with their replacements, and the OS shrugs them off! That should NEVER happen! I do hope they find answers for you and that you will start feeling like this was a great decision! Even though it took 3 years, it was the Best decision of my life as far as living again.

 

[Hopper]

What does your surgeon think about your pain Mutley? It seems awful that you are this way and I can totally understand why you feel so down today. Big hugs.

 

[Toothfairy]

Hi Mutley, I've been catching up on your post today. Sorry to hear you are having a bad day today.
Sending a hug your way and hope tomorrow is a better day for you,
Toothfairy x

 

[turtle68]

Hi Mutley, Oh this Roller Coaster, sorry you're having a bad day today, and I commiserate, because I'm having the same kind of day. My husband is out golfing, so at least I can't inflict my misery on him. I'm still wondering, however, why I ever had this done, and think if I had found Bonesmart before my surgery I probably wouldn't have.

Hope you're feeling better as the day goes on and that tomorrow is a better day.

Dorothy

 

[Josephine]

Mutley I've just read your thread from the very start and think it's time for a reassessment. So let's start with some basics.

1. are you taking any pain meds at the moment, if so what, how much (in mgs) and how often
2. do the pain meds help at all?
3. do you have xrays of your knee you can post for me? These need to be in as large a resolution as you can manage and NOT thumbnails please as these are automatically reduce resolution whatever it is to start with
4. can you indicate the sites of the pain from this grid please? A vertical and horizontal reference is needed for each box and also if the pain is front or back

I'll come back and discuss when I have this information

 

[Mutley]

Hello Josephine & thank you for taking the time to read my thread. No x-rays to share I'm afraid. At my 5 month check up with my surgeon he said all was well with the replacement even though he only had the x-ray from immediately after the surgery. He gave it a good yank about & said all was stable. I mentioned some of the aches & pains & some he related to IBT issues & the rest he said he simply didn't know.I don't think I have a problem with the new knee, it's everything else attached to it. If I'm honest a lot of this I feel got worse after the MUA. Currently, on a daily & nightly basis I have pain which can be :-
A snapping in my groin, especially when turning over in bed at night
Pain anywhere down right hand side of thigh & front of right thigh
Back of knee, sometimes running down back of calf
Shin bone, sometimes running down into top of right foot
Inside of right knee where the worse of my bone on bone problem was. I can rub this area & it's fine yet I can lay in bed & feel these deep intense waves of pain in that area.
Also pain to right hand out side of knee.
Sometimes just walking to get a parking ticket & back to the car can leave me in great discomfort although I will walk the dogs as I feel at this stage walking can only be a good thing.
I take Ibuprofen 400mgs up to 4 times a day in the vain hope they may do something, but they don't. Allergic to nearly all pain meds & recently started taking Oxynorm 5mgs again but they made my heart feel like it was racing & my head like I'd been on a weekend stag do so decided not to try them again. Back on Amitriptyline 25/50 mgs to help with the sleep issue. I was hoping if I was getting some decent sleep the aches & pains may not seem so consuming.
As for the grid reference AR1,2 &3
DR3&4
ER3
CR1,2&3 back of knee
I ice whenever I feel it might help but the knee isn't swollen. As I type this I have pain from my groin right down to my ankle even though I'm "resting". Hope that's enough information for you.

 

[patient 99]

Hi Mutley, I understand how you are feeling. There comes a time when a shoulder to cry on just isn't enough. Just how much can a body take! The fact that there are others worse off is irrelevant. You are in pain.

I wondered if it might be worthwhile contacting your GP. They could arrange for you to get a second opinion. At least that way you would get up to date Xrays. The GP could also refer you to a soft tissue specialist (given that that is what you think is the problem). If it then turned out that time is all that's required, it would put your mind at rest. I apologize if my suggestions are stating the bleeding obvious, but I have nothing better. Hopefully, Josephine will offer you something tangible. Take the very best care of yourself. Pat99

 

[Mutley]

Thank you patient 99! Any input is welcome believe me! My Dr did say go back to her if things persist but "us women" are rather bad at assuming things could be better tomorrow, therefore we put it off & put it off Having gone through the whole TKR process & the MUA I just want to get on & enjoy life WITHOUT my knee/leg being the 1st thing I think about in the morning & the last thing at night...& during the night Your right though, a visit back to the Dr is probably a good call
Anyway, enough about me, HOW ARE YOU DOING?

 

[patient 99]

Hi Mutley, just wanted to check how you were doing? Was Josephine able to throw any light on things? Pat99

 

[Mutley]

Hi Pat99.
Things are still the same. I guess I should take comfort in the fact that it's not getting any worse! No, Josephine hasn't come back to me. Probably too busy trying to stay up to date with all the other dodgy hips & knee's!
How are you doing?

 

[patient 99]

Hi Mutley, you haven't been back to your GP then? Sorry, somebody nagging you is not what you want. I guess like many of us you are just taking each day as it comes - because you've no other choice.

I'm not going to burden you with how I am, well not today at least. I am being taken out for Sunday lunch. I'm going to have a few whiskies and sod the knee. I'll just leave it sitting under the table, where it will increasingly turn into a piece of wood. I'm looking after my head today. Take care and be good to yourself. Pat99

 

[turtle68]

Hi Mutley,

Just checking in on you and letting you now I've been thinking about you. Hopefully, a year from now we will be reminiscing about how far we've come, andwe'll be able to say what knee.

 

[Mutley]

Hi Mutley, you haven't been back to your GP then? Sorry, somebody nagging you is not what you want. I guess like many of us you are just taking each day as it comes - because you've no other choice.

I'm not going to burden you with how I am, well not today at least. I am being taken out for Sunday lunch. I'm going to have a few whiskies and sod the knee. I'll just leave it sitting under the table, where it will increasingly turn into a piece of wood. I'm looking after my head today. Take care and be good to yourself. Pat99

...some of my better days are the one's that involve the sun & alcohol or just alcohol on it's own I hope you enjoyed the Sunday lunch & the whiskies & get a good nights sleep later! I too left my knee under the pub table & found I could hardly walk straight afterwards AND that wasn't too do with having one too many either!
Tomorrow is another day. Lets hope it's better than today for ALL OF US

 

[Mutley]

Hi Mutley,

Just checking in on you and letting you now I've been thinking about you. Hopefully, a year from now we will be reminiscing about how far we've come, andwe'll be able to say what knee.

Well that would certainly be something to look forward to Thank you for thinking of me, that's really nice to know. How are you doing at the moment? I really hope things are going well for you

 

[patient 99]

.some of my better days are the one's that involve the sun & alcohol or just alcohol

A girl after my own heart. The sunday lunch was a disappointment. Its increasingly hard to find some where that serves decent english food. Who has ever heard of onions with a sunday roast. But to be honest I wasn't that bothered. For me its getting out of the house that's important, and the wine a whisky can generally be relied upon. When it comes to alcohol consumption I really am a light weight. But if a little does the trick, its a cheap night out - oh yes, let's not get too frivilous. That's when I used to have NIGHT'S OUT. Pre TKR. xxPat99

 

[Mutley]

Pat99 GUTTED FOR YOU Sunday lunch outing & it was a let down! I'd be fuming as I also LOVE my FOOD! I have to say even now I'm reluctant to go out for an evening as I generally just don't have the energy or the inclination to go...and I'm only 48 Now your worrying me about no good English food down your way as I'm just on the point of moving to West Sussex! I did enjoy a rather tasty chicken, Brie & cranberry warmed baguette in a pub while house viewing, but that might be because the sun was out & the beer was COLD

 

[patient 99]

Hi Mutley, house hunting with your TKR only 6 mths old and giving you pain. I don't believe it. You don't by chance message on the S&M websites as well? Moving house is up there with death and divorce in terms of stress. So there must be a very good reason for it. I remember you saying you were off to feed the chickens? Are you moving to a farm/small holding? Pat99