TKR Its been worse than childbirth! Did I make the right decision?

[referee54]

One of the best exercises you can do to strengthen your quads is cycling.

I agree!!! You can either ride a real bike or an exercise cycle---I began on an upright exercise bike, but now use a recumbent one when I am not on one of my road bikes.

It sounds like you do just need some more time and a good dose of confidence in your knee with the stairs

Stairs, for me, were the last thing to return to "normalcy." It was ROM, sterngth and stamina, and confidence that finally all came together.

 

[skigirl]

I also cycle all the time---on a stationery bike and on my beautiful, lovely Orbea!!!

 

[kneegone]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I don't have a stationary bike, but I do have a groupon for one of those places like soulcycle. I went to one class before my tkr and it was too hard for me, although I just cycled according what I felt I was able to handle. So I think I can still use my groupon, so I might go back and start out slowly. My stair climbing/descending is a little better, not fully recovered though. Its like going down, that little last part of descending that your knee feels weak. I've been using heat every night, not sure if its helping. Still have that morning stiffness and after sitting for awhile. Much progress since the beginning, slow but progress. Thank you all for the encouragement and advice. Its deplorable that doctors don't tell you what to expect, but I guess if they told you it would take a year to recover, you'd never do it....

 

[sabbath]

Wow! Now l'm getting the hell scared out of me. 13 days til d-day. Guess l'll find out how tough l am won't l? lol

I'm a man but to hear somebody say 'worst than childbirth' Yeoww!

 

[sabbath]

The Dr told me the knee they are giving me has been the only one that hasn't had a recall on it. Maybe that was to ease my mind? It sounded like pvc pipe??

 

[Celle]

wow now l'm getting the hell scared out of me,,13 days til d- day,,guess l'll find out how tough l am won't l,,lol,,l'm a man but to hear somebody say 'worst then childbirth''yeoww

I think that was kneegone's reaction in the early days. Things have probably improved immensely since then.

 

[SeptemberZen]

Thank you all for the encouragement and advice. Its deplorable that doctors don't tell you what to expect, but I guess if they told you it would take a year to recover, you'd never do it....

I've been saying that a LOT lately... The insomnia, nighttime pain, ongoing stiffness and swelling, having to wean yourself off of narcotics..... Hmmm... my OS was SO enthusiastic about how WONDERFUL I'd feel after I got my mobility back after all was said and done but no one tells you about all of this other stuff, do they....?

 

[Jamie]

@kneegone ... since you've advanced now with your recovery, maybe you might want to change the title of your thread to reflect where you are with your knee. Are you still doubting your decision?

 

[kneegone]

@Jamie, lol, yes knee is finally feeling better after 6 months. I signed up for this bike ride last weekend and was able to do about 10 miles. My status quo on my knee is stiff and not being able to bend all the way back. It's stiff when I try to fully straighten out and when I bend back as much as I can. Don't know my ROM. I was really surprised my knee didn't hurt as much afterwards. A little more swelling. My butt and shoulders actually hurt more. Not sure why my shoulders hurt. This morning, I actually felt a little improvement descending stairs. I still need to hold on to railing, ascending, well descending too.

I can see my quads strengthening. My TKR leg quad area is "thicker" than my other leg, where the quads are strong and trim, but it does look like its "slimmer" than a few weeks ago. The pain I feel now, is different from pre surgery. I had a more achey, throbbing pain prior. It would swell up alot, after walking.

Now, it is only stiffness and unable to bend without feeling it. I'm still not recommending TKR's, unless you're in total pain, all the time, lol. The recovery is brutal, to tell the truth, just my opinion. Maybe it helped others to have lots of support around you, but I was alone most of the time, just saying.

You definitely need people to bring food to you. The upside is that I lost about 7 lbs, from not eating, lol. I've gained half back and now trying to lose it again!

The site and been so helpful and I want to thank all the administrators and contributors for their encouraging words! Looking forward to when I don't "feel" my knee!

btw, how do I change the title?

 

[kneegone]

@sabbath, which knee are you going to get? Lol, I said it was worse than childbirth and I had two really bad ones! First one, about 30 hrs, then c section and then 2nd one, labor over 3 days, on and off, then pitocin which kills, then another c section. But knee surgery pain and recovery was months. You wake up in pain and you're in pain all the time. Don't want to scare you, but I wish someone told me. Make sure you have pain killers and that you have enough to last you. I was taking 4 dilaudids every 3-4 hours, and didn't realize I didn't have enough to last the day, and had to go to 4 different pharmacies to fill, since they don't carry them in stock all the time. Since it is a controlled drug, they couldn't even call up other pharmacies to see if they had it, so I had to drive around. (even though I wasn't supposed to drive). Also, make sure your doctor sends you a new script when it looks you're running low, since they can't call it in. Good luck and best wishes for a short recovery.

 

[Celle]

You wake up in pain and you're in pain all the time.

For the sake of members contemplating surgery, I'd like to point out that the above is not typical. While everyone feels some pain, it is not usually such a problem.
Certainly, my experience was not as bad. If it had been, I would not have had three knee replacements.


If you wake in pain, it needs to be dealt with, and it should be. Your medications need to be adjusted, so that you are not in constant pain.

The question of pain control should be discussed before surgery so that you know what to expect. And you have a right to expect that your pain will be dealt with, promptly and appropriately.

 

[sabbath]

thank you for your reply ,,l have never took anything stronger then advil,,so l'm facing a whole new experience next tuesday,,thanks for the info l will ask my doctor,,

 

[Celle]

@sabbath

Would you care to have a new thread of your own, in the Knee Replacement Pre-Op Area? That way, we can address your worries without disrupting kneegone's thread? I'll ask the moderators to do it for you.

 

[kneegone]

Hi all, I'm 8 months out and still stiff. It seems like the stiffness is not gonna go away. I also don't have feeling on the lower quad of my knee area. Sometimes I would have sharp pin prickly feeling there, but lately, that doesn't happen anymore. I'm thinking I will never have feeling there any more. Not a huge deal, I guess. Just wondering if anyone else has thoughts on this. Stairs are sometimes still hard, and I was able to play some tennis and run after some balls. But my ROM is still at about 125-130. Not really improving, even though I try to push it back myself. Knee still swells. And my stitches sometimes itch. They do look terrible, dark brown nubbly, not at all like some of the nice pink lines I've seen posted here. Should I use Mederma? The very expensive compounded stitch cream that the Dr. prescribed didn't do a stitch.. (lol, joke) Thanks for any input.

 

[kneegone]

@jaime, how do I change the name of this thread?

 

[kneegone]

@Jaime, is there a way to lump bonesmarties thread by timeline? I'm always searching for those who had the surgery around the same time I had mine....

 

[Pumpkin]

kneegone,
To change you name click on thread tools, upper right of the thread. Or tag a moderator with your new title.
@Jamie will be along soon to assist.
You are still healing in this year or more recovery, the numbness you are feeling is normal.
Numb area after TKR: how long will it last?
This may be part of your stiff knee. "Tight band" feeling across the front of my knee
Your ROM is GREAT! There are member who would give up their first born to have ROM like that. Your continued pushing on your knee for more ROM is only flaring up your soft tissue and causing swelling, which makes your knee feel stiff.
At 8 months your stitches should be gone?
Everyones scars fully heal differently, yours just may take longer than most. It should end up the same color as other scars you may have.

 

[Jamie]

I'd be happy to change your thread title if you tell me what you want. I think time has passed now and you'll not be able to change it yourself with Thread Tools. We have a limit on how long that option is available.

I agree with Pumpkln. Your scar will change with time. You can use whatever you like on it, but it probably won't make much difference. This is something your body does on its own schedule.

The best way to find members who had surgery at the same time as you is to go in and search for your month's team thread. You'll have a whole list of members to check out.

 

[vinny]

@kneegone I am a few weeks after you and would tell you that if you are 125-130 that is wonderful and more than a lot of people achieve...I would be very careful trying to run down tennis balls if you are still experiencing stiffness....singles tennis was on my forbidden list but I can do anything else and have been playing golf since 4 weeks post op.....stairs should be ok with that kind of ROM...are you trying to do too much?

Vinny

 

[speccybecky]

I still have a numb patch 3 years on, your ROM is fabulous and your scar will fade to pink in its own time