How bad did your knee get?

[Celle]

The pain after surgery is quite different. You no longer have that awful, continuous bone-on-bone pain that feels like a giant toothache.

Instead, you have a knee that is very sore initially, but feels firm and reliable. The pain can be controlled with suitable pain relief. You will know that the pain is decreasing, because you'll feel it less strongly and you will gradually need less pain medication.

Do not postpone the surgery because of fear of the post-op pain. It can be controlled.

 

[referee54]

But is the pain after surgery comparable to the pain beforehand?

There may be some pain or discomfort---any pain that I had was due to my own stupidity for not taking my pain meds on time.

Normally, the pain is minimal and well controlled by pain meds----and if there is some pain, it will subside and eventually go away---something that arthritic pain will not do.

 

[little red canoe]

Pain is controlled after surgery. With time the need for pain relief lessens.
Mine is different now. 2 months out I can walk with no pain no
There can be days of achy pain. The recovery is not linear. But it's not the knife pain of bone on bone.
No longer do I not sleep due to excruciating relentless pain
Sounds like you are apprehensive about surgery. It's quite anticlimactic and over in less time than a movie. And you are not aware of what is going on

 

[FlaGranny]

Actually, the pain is different. For most people, they do have some postoperative pain, and the arthritis pain will be gone. I had severe arthritis pain when I was on my feet too long, but was comfortable when not on my feet. After surgery, most pain is on getting up, sitting down, moving your leg position. It is painful, but should not be constant. The pain I had on being on my feet and walking was actually not as bad as the pain I had before surgery when on my feet (hope that is making sense).

 

[jaschembra]

After my arthroscopy in April 2015, I waited a year for the right to stop hurting - it never did. The left screamed at me for depending on it during recovery. I, like you, just move through my days, with the pain. I consider myself active, but - I think of my knees with every step I take and I'm tired of my knees being on my every thought. I'm tired of doing all sorts of things trying to make my knees feel better. I'm tired of thinking will there be lines, will I have to stand a long time. Bottom line - I'm tired of my knees running my life - all those things led me to making the decision to start the process in Jan. Part of me believes that is what the doctors are saying when they say, you'll know.

 

[Celle]

There are two things we read on here a lot:
Before surgery - I am too young to feel so old
After surgery - Why did I wait so long?

Once your sore knees start to rule your life, it's time to get them replaced.

 

[SuperSnapper]

My case is a bit different as I did not wait until I had significant pain.

I'd had problems with my knees for years following a fall. Arthroscopies and microfracture worked well for me and my left knee ( originally the better one) started to be a bit painful when walking, threaten to lock and would occasionally wake me up but the pain was not bad. However because I knew that the microfracture usually has a life of 5-7 years ( if it works) and mine had lasted way longer than that, I was referred straightaway to the consultant after visiting my GP. He x-rayed both knees and told me that I needed a replacement on the left but the right might hold on a couple of years longer.

Still at this stage, I had no really significant pain but the damage was compromising my ability to walk more than a couple of miles where previously I had been able to walk much further. This compromise was what made me decide to have the replacement as I did not want my muscles to deteriorate. It was a great decision! I think I was very lucky to get a surgeon who understood my needs. I can now walk as far as a want and as often as I want with a pain free left knee - the right one is another story.

If your knees are compromising your fitness, it is time to get them done. Best wishes.

 

[Hitech]

The pain after surgery was more like my upper thighs had been in a cage match with a wild animal, the knee pain was totally gone.

 

[Laurenkate]

The pain after surgery was more like my upper thighs had been in a cage match with a wild animal, the knee pain was totally gone.

Ok, that's funny; thanks for the laugh. I mean, it's really not funny but that I can understand!

 

[beledi]

The pain was bad after surgery but pain meds kept it under control. Plus, this pain was bearable knowing it was going to be gone. Some days better than others, but I'm now free again. Not the constant pain.

 

[mbrown]

I knew I was ready after about 18 months of not being able to do things that I had historically been able to do very well.


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[referee54]

I could not move on the baseball diamond---I was taking shortcuts in mechanism that were just not right. I was in pain after games, and I had enormous issues sleeping at night. Every time I would roll over, I felt sharp pains in both knees.

I also was growing very tired of the pills, and the constant icing that I needed to do. Simply going for ice cream and putt-putt made me rethink my decision to go. I knew that I needed to get them done, and I am so ever glad that I did.

 

[Mitten]

Like everyone else, I replay over and over my decision to have my LTKR done next month, and some days, I can almost talk myself out of the surgery. But then I remember what my surgeon told me as I was trying to make the decision: Right now, while my overall health is fine, my knee is the problem and it is something that can be fixed and my life can become more complete after recovery. If, however, I chose to wait another five or however many years, there's a chance that I might develop some other health issue(s) that can make recovery more difficult. No way of knowing, of course, just like no one knows how long they might live. That said, I really want to live my life without planning my days around my knee!


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[Laurenkate]

Mitten - my surgeon said the same thing. Since I made the decision to go ahead with the replacement, it's like my knee knows it's on it's way out and has decided to become more painful and turn inward more. That has helped in making me realize this is a good, if a little scary, decision.

 

[DebM]

I have had to wait 12 months (health insurance issues) for my surgerywhich was going to be a LTKR. I went through the should I or shouldn't I for months but now I am just over a month out I have deteriorated to the point that there are no more 'ifs' and the right knee has deteriorated carrying the left so I am having a bilateral!
It's not going to get better by itself.

 

[kneeper]

After I had my first knee replaced and with how good it was, I was amazed looking back, that I was even getting around at all before!

 

[beekeep13]

I'm so glad I found all of you because you're all asking the questions that have been circling through my mind for the past three years.
I also played the game of "the pain was really bad yesterday, but today it seems ok." , and trying to find the 'right' time for surgery. There is no right time for me, I've been part of a caretaking team for my brother and mother who both have cancer. My brother passed and my mother is stable for now, so after crying in the Target aisle two weeks ago (in the vitamin section--did anyone see me?) I decided enough was enough and I put ME on the schedule. My daughter is a Physical Therapist, and when I said I thought I was too young for replacement (snort) she asked me "What are you protecting your 80's for? Why aren't you more concerned about your 60's? These are the heavy years for hiking, traveling, grandchildren on the floor, etc." Wow--lightbulb moment.

 

[SuperSnapper]

What a very sensible daughter you have got there! Good luck with your surgery. And a very Happy Christmas too!

 

[RMasano]

I'm in my late 40's and am having TKR January 9th. I know what it is to be in a store and be in so much pain you want to cry. I've been struggling with my knee pain for years but a fall 2 months ago just pushed everything off the edge. I'm now walking with a cane. As scared as I am, I just don't want to live this way anymore. From everything I've heard here, no one regrets a TKR.

 

[Red's Mom]

My decision was made when my L knee started giving out without warning. I fell four times in three months. I also could no longer take the dogs for a walk. I decided to do the second knee two days after the first. My post op pain was less than the OA knee pain. I'm one who will tell you, I should have done this three years ago when the OS first said it was time. You'll know when, trust yourself.