TKR Jeanienewknee's Recovery thread

We describe this recovery to be like a rollercoaster, up and down. Increased pain and swelling is an indication that you are doing too much. Try to decrease some of those activities. You don't even need to do PT right now, just walking around taking care of your own needs is enough exercise for now. Your #1 job now is to let that knee heal not exercise it enough to cause swelling and pain.

Watch your knee's reaction to things you are doing. If it swells and hurts more, then your knee isn't ready for you to be doing that right now. Slow down and let it heal and you should see a decrease in that pain and swelling. Remember, there's no rush, and besides, you can't rush it. Your knee will heal in its own timeframe, not yours.
 
I thought I would share my experience with elevating, in the hope it will help someone else. I am 19 days post op. I’m very pleased with my progress and have 0 extension and 123 flexion. My second week was awful with greatly increased swelling and stiffness in spite of icing and elevation. When I went for staple removal and discussed with the RN, I realized that elevating in my recliner, in spite of toes over nose, I wasn’t back far enough. I started elevating on the couch or bed and had terrific improvement. My biggest problem now is with sleep, or the lack thereof. I usually slept on my side pre-surg and although I can finally do that, I only sleep about 2 hours before having to get up, change position, and try again. A REM cycle would be great! I know this is common, I’ve read all the articles, but would be interested to hear about other’s experiences. It’s not pain, but discomfort. I fantasize about a good 4 hour stretch of sleep.
 
I only get more than 2 or 3 hours sleep in a row every couple of nights. I am just over 5 weeks out. Try not to stress and rest when you can. It will come.
 
I had odd sleep patterns before surgery anyway, so the lack of sleep post op wasn’t much different, I just got up and took a walk, then sat somewhere else and did something on my phone or whatever, until I was sleepy again. Try not to stress out about it.
 
There is hope!! For all of you in the first two weeks from hell, it does get better! I am 4 weeks post op and I’m finally sleeping 4 hours at a time. I had my 4 week check with my OS and he was impressed with my progress. All restrictions lifted and I am free to drive and swim which makes me so happy. I’m off all meds. I did the work to get here, always in line with not doing too much, but I did gentle quad strengthening and rom three times a day along with icing and elevating all the time. I’m walking and riding my recumbent bike. I am now supposed to massage my scar, and use lotion or cream. What are some recommendations for this? Thank you and keep plugging along everyone. This month has been a long year.
 
There is no reason to massage your scar. It will only cause you pain. Be sure you have no scabs at all before you use any lotion on your knee. You don't want to take the chance of allowing bacteria inside.
 
Once the scabs are gone it doesn't hurt anything to massage the scar but it isn't necessary for healing. For my first knee (back a few years now) they recommended cocoa butter with vitamin E. But really any creamy lotion is nice. So long as you don't get too intense it may feel good.
I was much less religious about it with my second knee and my (faint) scars look the same.
 
There is hope!! For all of you in the first two weeks from hell, it does get better! I am 4 weeks post op and I’m finally sleeping 4 hours at a time. I had my 4 week check with my OS and he was impressed with my progress. All restrictions lifted and I am free to drive and swim which makes me so happy. I’m off all meds. I did the work to get here, always in line with not doing too much, but I did gentle quad strengthening and rom three times a day along with icing and elevating all the time. I’m walking and riding my recumbent bike. I am now supposed to massage my scar, and use lotion or cream. What are some recommendations for this? Thank you and keep plugging along everyone. This month has been a long year.
Congratulations on your recovery so far!

I'm so glad to hear there is hope! I'm 9 days post surgery, and while I would guess I'm doing well, I can't walk normally and the pain has moved from my surgery site to the R side of the knee joint itself. It's great to hear that in a few more weeks I might be walking and biking and even swimming. Thanks for sharing your story!
 
Hi everyone, I am 10 weeks post left tkr. I’m doing great but have a question about my quad muscle. I’m able to walk about 2 miles close to my pre surgery speed but once in awhile my knee will lurch forward. I don’t lose balance, but it is disconcerting. Also I get tightness, not really pain, but discomfort, behind my knee. Normal for recovering quad muscle?
 
You are doing phenomenal. Keep walking as best you can while your knee is healing. It takes up to a year to fully heal. If you are concerned, you can bring a cane for back up. I can't wait to be walking that far again and I am ahead of you at almost 14 weeks out.
 
Maybe 2 miles is still a bit much for your knee, causing the knee to lurch forward. 10 weeks is still pretty early in this year long recovery. If it was me, I’d cut that distance back until more healing has taken place.
 
If you're feeling discomfort and have experienced some lurching forward of your leg/knee, I would say that 2 miles is too much at this point and I agree with Jockette, to cut that distance back. You might try walking with one or two "urban poles" (if you are cleared by p.t.) to take some strain off your left leg or at least take a break and sit down every so often on your walk. The pole has really helped me with my post op femur break, which is right above my 4 y.o. knee replacement.

Good luck.
 
Yep, I just did a short walk around a garden center Which had very uneven terrain. I headed back to the car before my Sister was finished - at 9 weeks it was still a challenge.
 
I’m not concerned, just wondering if anyone else has experienced that lurching thing. Thanks for the advice, I don’t feel like I need to cut back. I was walking 5-6 miles before surgery, albeit painfully.
 
You're doing incredibly well. Yes I had that lurching but it resolved and eventually my knee became completely stable, no issues once totally recovered, which I would say was at 7 months post op when I could ride my bike, go up and down stairs and walk the dog, up and down hills, uneven terrain, with no pain whatsoever. I didn't really think much of it at the time as I had setbacks in various areas after overdoing it with certain home exercises but yours could be something different.

Let us know if it resolves. Good luck.
 
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How long until the quad muscle fully heals? I’m doing great but still have the occasional lurching forward. I’m doing all my exercises for quad strengthening, but it’s such a weird feeling. I’m 5 months post left tkr.
 
I’m walking about 3 miles, recumbent bike, or elliptical 5-6 days a week. I’m doing isometric quad exercise, 2 sets of ten, as well as up one stair backward and forward 2 sets of ten, side lying hip extension, 2 sets of ten, heel slides, same, mild squats same, bent knee with towel roll extensions, quad stretching. I do the exercises once a day.
 
That sounds like a lot of exercises for less than halfway recovered in this year long recovery, especially since you say you still have the occasional lurching forward. Maybe you should consider cutting back a bit and giving your leg more time to heal.
 
My PT said I didn't have to do all the exercises every day. Maybe reduce the number of repetitions or alternate which ones you do.
 

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