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TKR I can’t believe I’m still dealing with this darn Knee^

@Danlovesmary

How are you feeling today? No more earthquakes, I hope!

I hope the resting and taking it easy is beginning to help your knee to feel more settled, too.
 
I posted this someplace else in the middle of the night....sorry for confusing, chalk it up to the extra glass of whine I had. lol....and I do mean whine, not wine...I don't drink.

I am always on my iPad or iPhone when I come to bonesmart. I can't seem to figure out how to navigate the site very well.
Anyway, I'm at 8 weeks, trying quite unsuccessfully to do PT on my own and am avoiding going to surgeon for check up because I know my rom isn't good.
My knee is swollen all the time and aches like a rotten tooth. And feels hot al the time. I only sleep an hour or so at a time.

Can I either get some cheese with this whine or maybe a ride in a WAH-ambulance??
And I'm getting strong vibes that hubby thinks this should be OVER. I make bed, do laundry, clean kitchen, feed dogs...but I also sit a lot with leg up and iced.


So tired of pain!!! I'm trying to offer it up for Lent....but I'm not very holy.
 
I am so sorry for your loss, Mary. Also that your DH doesn't get it. Men tend to be like that. You will do just fine with time and not allowing that mind-boggling PT torture!
 
Oh Mary! You poor knee is telling you that you are doing too much.

You won't get increased ROM until you can get that swelling down. Think of your knee as a hose full of water. It's hard to make it bend, because the water makes it firm. On the other hand, get the water out and the hose bends easily. The same holds true for your knee. Get rid of the swelling and you may well find that the bend has been there all the time.

So, how about giving your knee a "kneecation"? Do less. Rest more, elevate more, ice more, and keep taking those pain medications.

It's a shame that your husband doesn't understand. It's hard for people, because other surgeries have a much shorter recovery time. Can you talk to him about it? As a guy, he might understand the mechanics of how swelling is holding you back.
 
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I have seen so many others say this....and I just have to say it too...THANK GOODNESS I found you guys! You all GET it and always have sound advice and suggestions, but just as importantly, my heart is healed when I read your words.

As we all know, this is - for most - a grueling experience physically, mentally, and emotionally. In those dark, lonely, middle-of-the-night times when I can't find relief or escape from "THE KNEE"...BoneSmart is there, inches away, on my nightstand in my iPad or iPhone.

Even when I see no one actually online there are thousands of posts I can read. Posts that inspire me, comfort me, make me laugh, and posts that give me hope. The most important posts that I read, however, are those that open my eyes to the suffering of others; those are the posts that God sometimes leads me to...reminding me to pray for others, to be grateful for the blessings in my life, and I once again find the courage and the strength to get out of bed in the morning and get on with my life.

My husband, who I have painted as a dastardly villain here, is my hero. He will, and does, anything for me. He does it cheerfully and lovingly. In my weakest moments, when I'm struggling with dispair of ever being "normal" again, guilt worms it's way into my heart..."I'm a burden....I'm a baby....wah, wah...". And then, in the sometimes bizarre workings of the human emotions, I manage to twist those irrational thoughts and imagine them as being what my husband MUST be thinking.

So...for those of you wonderful warriors leaping to my defense against the unfeeling and stupid beast I'm married to...thank you! He truly is a loving, patient, and compassionate man...and quite charming and incredibly handsome, as well!

Thank you for understanding and pacifying the grumbling and whining of a normally quite happy and positive person.
 
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You're allowed to whine, grumble, even cry! :console2: We're here to listen.
We've all been there and we've done it, too! There were days when I screamed at my poor husband, without true cause - he ran away and hid in his office at the other end of the house!

This is a long, tedious, sometimes painful recovery. It's all worth it in the end, but sometimes the end seems so far away. Patience is your best friend, but patience is so hard to find!

Hang in there. It will get better. :flwrysmile:
 
One of the difficult things about this recovery is for others (and ourselves!) to understand what a long term process it is. I am so grateful that my OS gave me a realistic sense of this--and even then I had my moments of :tantrum:
 
Something that makes this more difficult is that there are some people who have had TKR's and either had those unusually fast and relatively pain-free recoveries, OR they think they are being encouraging by greatly minimizing the whole thing....
So that kinda set me up for being a slacker...in my own mind. I so wish I had found this site BEFORE my TKR.

But I'm here now, and am so glad, not only for myself but also so I can offer it as a resource for anyone else who is facing this.
 
I burst into tears at dinner one night when I bit into the lasagna and it didn't taste good to me. (I had made it and put it in the freezer before I had surgery. Same recipe I always use.) My poor husband didn't know what to do. I was just so sick of not feeling good, food not tasting good and feeling like I wasn't getting any better. When I look back on it, it is actually funny because I was only 3 weeks post surgery! Those emotions get the best of all of us. Hang in there.
 
Ah yes, Mary, those people who had "miracle" recoveries are so discouraging! Be assured that they are not like most of us. Most of us struggled with slow progress and small steps on the road to recovery.

I think that one of the things that happens is that, once you are recovered, you tend to forget the days when you had felt that you were getting nowhere.

You're not behind in your recovery. You are just where your knee needs you to be.
:flwrysmile:
 
Does anyone have any advise for helping with the pain/burning/pins & needles all around the whole knee?
Having anything - clothing, blanket, sheets - touch it....driving me up the wall! It makes it hard to keep icing it for very long.
 
Hi Mary,
Sounds like your knee has become very sensitive, be sure you are walking, and start desentizing it by lightly rubbing (or firmly if that feels better) with a wash cloth, softer material is OK if needed. Be sure you are using your knee for walking, and during sit to stand. If you are still in PT tell them about this, they should be able to help, if not they should ask if another PT or OT in the clinic can help.
Instead of Ice try cool packs from the refrigerator.
Good luck,
 
I had the same problem and talked to my p/t about it. I couldn't stand for anything to touch it. He told me to rub it pretty vigorously with lotion or vitamin E oil. Every time I sit down, I rub my knee all around the incision, not always with lotion or oil. It really helps. My knee isn't so sensitive anymore. Not perfect, but much better.
 
I'm doing it off and on...and yes, I think it's helping! Thank you! It seems to feel better for me if I just use my hands...no lotion or vitamin E.
 
I still do both. I have a numb area about the size of a quarter with no feeling at all. Don't know if that will ever come back. After massaging around the incision for about a week, I wasn't so hyper sensitive. Good luck!
 
Thanks for the hope! It's really been awful! I know that awful is a strong word....but it really is making me miserable....on top of the rest of the stuff that comes with this recovery.
It's exciting to know that I can maybe get rid of most of THIS thing!
 
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