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TKR Late Bloomer<

You will be feeling tired after surgery for some time. Your body is using all your resources to heal your knee.
Since it's only just over a month since you had this major surgery, you will still feel tired for some time. That's because most of your body's energy is going towards healing your knee and there isn't much left for anything else:
Energy drain for TKRs
 
Being exhausted is part of the game, it happens to all of us...if you can get some good sleep between 9 p.m and 7 a.m that's better than most of us... Just be patient!
 
What you are experiencing is energy drain. Your body is using so much energy to heal itself from the surgery it's leaving you tired. Sleep whenever you can, your body is craving it. It will take a few months to get over the energy drain and there's nothing you can do but give in and sleep or nap whenever you can. I spent the better part of two months napping, but have barely napped since then. Here is an article on energy drain with some really cool illustrations to explain what's going on inside your body.

https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/energy-drain-for-tkrs.11953/
 
What you are feeling is perfectly normal. I'm 3 weeks ahead of you, and I still get extremely tired and can do about half of what I would normally do. But, it's gradually getting better. Be patient, you'll get there!
 
Thanks everyone for letting me know the tiredness is normal. Had such a great day yesterday, no stiffness, didn't feel any swelling and then last night after doing some stretches I felt the swelling return. This morning the swelling is there again. At least I know what it feels like not to have swelling that's been the first day since my surgery to feel normal and it was wonderful.
 
Well folks a new issue has come up. I've from the start had some drainage from my incision and it's been getting better. The other day while trying to put on a sock on my surgical leg, I made it start draining again. I was off to P/T so I covered with a bandaid from home and went to P/T. P/T changed it to a Mepilex bandaid while at P/T and gave me a few extras for use. It's kind of gross looking so I decided to keep it covered, changing that bandaid out on Tues to a new one (after showering).

Now Wed showered and had P/T he told me those bandaid unless covered with blood or drainage can go a week without changing so I didn't change Wed, showered again Thursday and hadn't changed the bandaid but late Thurs afternoon I noticed this odor. It was the bandaid with the drainage that smelled. Removed bandaid, cleaned with peroxide and re- covered so I could keep my ice pack clean during the night, uncovered this morning, but wondering since it smelled if it meant I should try and see the dr. Hoping I don't have a start of a infection.

Noticed the removal of this morning's bandaid a regular one, slight smell to it, not a strong as yesterday as it became noticeable to me, this wouldn't have this morning. No heat around the incision, not overly red, no more than there has been. Don't feel ill or like I am running a temp. Have a call in when I am done with therapy may go over to see the O.S. (maybe I don't think these mepilex border bandaids are to get wet and maybe my 2 days of showering with it caused the issue.)

What do any of you think?
 
For a start it would have been nice if you're posted a photo for me. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words! But I do think it needs a professional eye on it as what you have told me gives me little or no information to offer an opinion on. Sorry.
 
Sorry @Josephine, not exactly sure how to post a photo, but it's not hot, not inflamed, I don't feel sick, it's just that the bandaid developed a smell, thinking from the discharge. Although I had gotten it wet at least twice and it had been on since Tuesday. ( I will look into later today on how to post a photo.)
 
A band-aid that has been on a while and has drainage on it is always going to smell. Get it checked out for sure. It could be just an internal suture giving you a problem. I had a breast biopsy once and one of the dissolvable sutures did that. I had some drainage and then a piece of suture came out and the wound closed right up afterward. You do want to make sure it is nothing more serious though.
 
Josephine is the pro here, get it checked. I had an infection about a month out of surgery, it started with a bit of seepage I covered with a band aide. I never called the OS, thinking it was not a big deal. As far as smelling, not at all sure as my smeller sometimes doesn't work very well. A week later, massive seepage, high fever and a washout/spacer exchange surgery with 6 weeks of different antibiotics. My family/friends did say there was a smell to the seeping and they cleaned the house top to bottom while I was in the hospital. I don't say this to scare you, chances are it's not an infection, but I say this to encourage you to see your doc.
 
@KarriB and @Josephine thank you both for your replies, I really scared myself. I did go over after p/t to see my O.S. and he said it was all fine. He said one big mistake was listening to the p/t about leaving it go for days with out cleaning the wound, ( that was with using these special bandaids) he wants me to clean it daily and not to cover it. Unless I really need to if it bleeds. When he cleaned it today with the peroxide I could smell the smell that made me question my incision but he said he couldn't smell anything. ( my only wish is that health care professionals were on the same page, I will clean it daily from here on out.) But so happy I got it checked out and the surgeon took the time to see me, even tho it was just a few mins, It was very much appreciated to put my mind at ease.
 
I'm happy you got it checked today also. Now you can rest easy over the weekend.
 
Now, knowing you are OK, you can have a good weekend!
 
Glad you had the OS check it out. And a reminder to everyone that PTs are not the people who know about medical issues like wounds.
 
My new thought for today, wondering if I will be ready to return to work, by the end of Aug/ beginning of Sept. I am currently 6wks out, tomorrow will be the start of the 7th. Have returned to most of my regular activities, still tire easily some days, some days I am fine. On days of P/t I seem to have a more restless nights sleep, so then the following day I am tired. Last 2 wks have had p/t 3x's a wk as my ROM hadn't been the greatest, now I am up to about 95, it varies it increased a lot last week and is at a stand still this week. Today my leg seems more sore and swollen have p/t in a few hrs. Walking up steps better, able to bend my knee further except today it feels like a catch in the left side of it and it's a sore spot. See I have almost 18 days available for taking off if needed, know the p/t keeps talking MUA, which I am not interested in, can't get a full rotation on the bike, think everything will come in time, last week I made great strides, this week not so much. Not sure what I should be doing to make it more likely to be able to return to work on time, days varies almost thinking I will go back but depending on how things go may need a day off here and there. I walk ok, sitting seems fine although I do think it increases swelling if I sit to many hrs at a time. It hasn't been that many weeks that I haven't had the swelling from the extra fluid on my knee, and when the swelling goes down or is less everything is better, think it's just a time thing. But P/T can be pushy seem to have that MUA, in the back of their mind. Sometimes I think I need to live by my thoughts of how I am doing instead of listening to P/T, I seem to be easily influenced.
 
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Also still dealing with a area of about a inch that has some drainage yet, lightly. Cleaning daily with Peroxide and showering and letting the water run over it. Keeping the bandaids off as much as possible to let it dry out. Rest of my scar from surgery above and below this pt that runs directly over the knee cap looks great. Would like to go back to work on time if possible, how long does it usually take??? ( probably like everything else regarding the knee it probably varies......right???)
 
zzevi,
We usually recommend 12 weeks off, and a Phased return to work .
zzevi said:
Sometimes I think I need to live by my thoughts of how I am doing instead of listening to P/T, I seem to be easily influenced.
Click to expand...
If you feel this way, why are you going to this PT? You should find someone else, or just cancel your appointments.
 
Does your OS know about the drainage? Please don't let anyone push on your knee, you need to let this wound heal without being stressed.
 
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