Become an Insider

Revision TKR Knee replacement is not nice to me...

Status
Not open for further replies.
I have heard of it, have dealt with people with that syndrome. Sometimes as a result doctors ignore such a patient, and sometimes the patient gets ignored when they truly need help. The family's best bet for getting her help is to zero in on her self harming behavior and report it to her doctor, I suppose.
 
That's called "Munchausen by proxy", Janet. A similar but different condition.
 
I had heard of the term before, but guess I had never met anyone who truly believed that they were THAT sick- when they weren't. It was unbelievable the amount of things she came up with and when talking with her sister, her sister said that it seemed like there would be one "event" and then another and then another and so on. She would say she was hurting or that she was sick, but if people suggested the hospital, sometimes she'd change the subject- probably knowing that they wouldn't see anything wrong with her. It's obvious that she does these things for attention and that she thrives on it.

It just amazes me how much some people crave attention- even if it is for the wrong reasons. These are the same people who interrupt others when they are talking, expect all eyes on them at all times, etc.

I hope I don't offend anyone on this board by seeming judgemental, as I am trying not to be.
 
It's not judgmental to notice a disease like this, Coachie, which is not the same as poor manners.
 
The last job that Mom had as a nurse was in a behavioral health unit. She dealt with this illness quite a bit. These people are truly sick, they are not the ones that we would consider lacking in manners. Mom said they were the most difficult cases to deal with, because if they heard someone else say that someone had cancer, suddenly they thought they had it and they thought they were going to die. There are treatment places available, but as you said, the family knows she is sick, but can't force her into treatment. Munchausen syndrome is a treatable mental disorder, but the family is right. They can't force her. Now it sounds like a judge could commit her if she is intentionally harming herself. In TX, this is the case. I don't know about the laws in your state. They could try a different approach to getting her to the behavioral health unit. Use what she says to their advantage, agree and sympathise, and she might think "wow I really need help!". It has worked before in several cases. Just change the way you talk to them and offer lots of sympathy, and tell them I never knew you felt so bad, let's sit downand discuss it. It takes time and patience, but it is for the good of their sister.
 
RestAssured said:
because if they heard someone else say that someone had cancer, suddenly they thought they had it and they thought they were going to die.
Click to expand...

Exactly. If someone mentions the symptoms of something, all of a sudden, they have all of those symptoms. It's quite sad, really. They just so crave attention that they doesn't know how to get it other than to create an illness somehow. Sometimes they harm themselves in the process- giving themselves an infection on purpose or eating something that will make them sick, etc.
 
I've got a cousin like that. Every illness or operation she has, it has to be the very worst suffering anyone ever had. I've had several of the same operations as she has had, but when I told her my recoveries were uneventful, she declared that I could not have had the operation, so I didn't know what I was talking about.

My mother always said that : "XYZ enjoys ill-health!"

And yes, it's true - after a while people do tend to ignore the complaints and thus genuine problems can be overlooked. It's sad really, but very difficult to help.
 
We all need to be really careful here. True Munchausens is strange but it is very, very rare. And too often people who are suffering with a mental illness do have physical ailments overlooked because we don't seem to think folks can have both...
 
My other thread has been "locked" for some reason (maybe inactivity??) so I have to start a new one.

Can any of you kick a ball? The knee I had my revision on had not recovered like I hoped it would, and I often have some pain- especially after swimming, walking, etc. Yesterday my nephew and I were playing with his dog when I decided to kick a soccer ball for the dog. I've done that before since my tkrs (I coached the Varsity soccer team until this year) but yesterday in the process of the kicking, I had a sharp pain on the inside of my knee- the same area that has bothered me before after swimming- and then I have had a few episodes today of sharp pain while stepping, especially while going up or down stairs.

This summer when I mentioned the pain at my last Orthopedic appointment, I was told by the PA (who I have always been satisfied with before) that it is hurting because my hamstrings needed stretching. I am not sure how my hamstrings being tight would bother the side of my knee, but I took that information from her and have done my stretches as suggested.

Has anyone had any similar issues? Can any of you kick without pain? I don't really have pain kicking with my left leg- and am wondering just how long the pain in my revised knee will take to subside. The PA did tell me in August that the pain I complained of could be my "new normal", but I am really hoping it is not.

Oh, and I have not talked to the actual orthopedist since last November- just the PA.
 
Hi, Coachie.....nice to hear from you. Your old thread was closed because no one had posted in it for several months. We do that just to keep new members from posting in an inactive thread and getting discouraged when no one responds.

Sorry you are hurting. I tend to agree with your PA that your pain may be associated with muscles that are tight. I have problems with my hamstrings in my TKR leg.....it gets tight and I get heel pain. I can also get pain at the side of my knee joint if I've done a bit of "twisty" motions with my leg. In my case it is lack of proper exercise for sure.
 
Coachie, I recently played soccer with some kids---I played when i was in college and then after for about 20 years.

I am not as fast as I used to be and I had some issues with controlling the ball with my inside foot, but nothing hurt me. Tight muscles sound right. I have a tight IT band on my left side and my knee sometimes feels tight from that.
 
Coachie, you might try something called "The Stick" in addition to stretching your hamstrings. Your PT should have heard of it. It is of great benefit with tight IT bands and I can also use it to isolate small areas that are tight. I find it a huge help in addition to stretching, especially on knots.
 
I don't go to PT. I went for 5 weeks after my TKR revision and that was all insurance would cover since I had used 5 weeks earlier in that year.

As far as my knee pain-it has been bothering me a lot. I found that I was limping a lot last night, and my chiropractor said he felt swelling- more than usual. I did not swim yesterday, but will be back in the pool tonight and am hoping to not have the pain I have been having.

I appreciate the three of you who responded. Thanks.
 
Coachie, your chiropractor may know of "The Stick". You can get them on Amazon and they cost about 30 bucks.
 
Coachie, here are a few things that help me with swelling. ONe, of course, is the pool. I put on a weight belt and pretend I am running in the deep end. Somehow the pressure of the water, helps with the swelling.

Second, I often wear thigh high support stocking. I think I am going to wear them when I ski this winter. Since, I am old, the old lymph system is not working as well as it might. I cut the feet out of my ted hose and I can still use them under things, but I also have black ones.

Third, I had some lymphatic massage---I found her in the yellow pages. She was awesome and really taught me a lot about the lymph system and how to maximize it. For instance, I now put on lotion from the foot up, which stimulates the lymph system to drain.

Finally, I make sure I put my let up when ever I sit down. I often lie on the couch where there are three pillows which prop up my leg very nicely. An hour of leg up does make a difference. Kelly
 
I swim a 1/2 mile usually three-four times a week and sometimes have to just drag my legs due to pain, and I have had to give up swimming the breaststroke altogether as my knee can't handle the kicking. It's kind of frustrating because I didn't think I would still be struggling with pain issues at this point- and the breaststroke is one of my favorite strokes, now I have to add that to the list of things that I am no longer able to do :(

I've been working hard to get my muscles stronger again, but pain issues have kept some of the exercises to a minimum. I am unsure of what to do at this point- my OS has told me that the way I feel could very well be my "new normal".

I am talking with my chiropractor again tonight about what else we can do. Hopefully he has some ideas.
 
Hi Coachie.
I am also dealing with a "new normal".
I dislike swimming, but when I do, I do the breast stroke motion with my arms, and a scissor kick with my legs. I also have pain on the side of my knee, but my hamstrings are not tight so that is not the cause. The hams insert on the back and sides of the knee so it makes sense that ham trouble could affect your knee.
I also use a roller stick to work out knots in my legs.
I doubt that kicking a ball would be OK with my knee, so I don't do it, but then again, I would not have any reason to do so. Your situation is different. Maybe give it a try gently?
What are you doing for pain control?
Best,
Sandy
 
My hamstrings aren't tight so I am not sure why they (at the Ortho's office) told me that the pain I am having is from my hamstrings.

I end up doing a scissor type kick during the breaststroke, but the strength that I am kicking with bothers me knee. When I do the side stroke, if I kick with my left leg on top, my right knee cap will hurt, but if I lead with my right knee then it doesn't hurt as much.

All I take is some Tylenol. I don't have anything else to take and don't want to. My back has suffered greatly from these knee issues. I have herniated discs at L4/L5 and L5/S1 and the bones there do not look good. My chiropractor said that I have very advanced degenerative disc disease- that my back looks more like an 80 year old's than a 39 year old. I get adjustments and such- sometimes I'm at his office as much as 3x a week. In July, I went to the emergency room because I could not move without screaming in pain. My husband made me go and once we were there the doctor on duty gave me a muscle relaxant. One hour later I was still sobbing in pain- so he gave me a shot and kept me there for another few hours. I was unable to move without extreme pain for 3-4 days (and I am usually really tough about pain. I was taking just Tylenol less than 2 weeks after my tkr.)

It's quite frustrating for me...
 
Coachie,

When I tore the meniscus in my knee they told me to not do a breaststroke as that was too hard on the knee, so I only do backstroke and freestyle. I suspect that action may be too much for your new knee. I know when I return to swimming I will not try the breaststroke.

Just as some ideas which you may have thought of, it sounds like your back could be aggravating your knee as it could be throwing off your gait. Some gentle yoga to help with alignment issues and some Pilates to help improve your core strength would help with your back and possibly also the knee. But expect it to take some time and maybe work with a practitioner in those areas who can help you develop work arounds your back issues.

If you are weaker inside of the thigh that outside and if you have tight IT bands, they can put tension on the knee which might account for pain inside the knee, particularly if that inside is weak. You might need some additional PT to get some exercises to balance out the inside and outside of your legs. You might also want to see someone who specializes in the biomechanics of walking and have them watch you walk.

These are just some suggestions. I am sorry you are in so much pain. I know how frustrating it can be. Ultimately, you may have to modify your activities and allow the pain to calm down, and then you may be able to resume them on a limited basis. Hope these ideas give you food for thought.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Corganics CBD

Members online

Total: 1,251 (members: 1, guests: 1,250)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom