TKR Linda's recovery thread<

[Linda1956]

I hope I haven’t offended anyone. If I did I’m sorry. I’I supposed to do anything else.
Haven’t gotten any feedback in a while

 

[SusieShoes]

You haven’t offended a soul. How are you doing? Tell us more about what’s happening on your end — if you are having pain, or triumphs, or what you are thinking/feeling about your recovery — and people will stop by to comment. What happens sometimes is that quiet threads go to the second page and fewer people see them.

 

[Linda1956]

Well I am still having pain around a 6 in my knee. Behind my knee is slightly worse. When bending my knee at about 100* it just seems to stop, like it’s glued. Forcing it is excruciating. It feels like pain from hip to ankle. Just trying to treat with Tylenol, truthfully it doesn’t do much. So just grin and bare it like my Grandmother used to say.
Thanks for listening.

 

[SusieShoes]

Having pain still at two and a half months isn’t unusual. You should start feeling less pain soon. Do you have a stronger medication you can use for pain?

If you cannot bend your knee further than 100, don’t force it. Forcing the knee runs the risk of causing damage that leads to more swelling and even less bend. How much swelling do you have? At your stage of recovery it’s normal to still have enough swelling to inhibit your bend. Try elevating your legs toes over nose to help drain the swelling; the less swelling you have, the more bend you will get, and less stiffness. (I spent the first four months of my recovery elevating whenever I wasn’t up on my feet and it really does help.)

I’m tagging @Josephine to advise you further. She’s not around for the next few days, though.

 

[Kazmeraz]

Hi Linda 1956
I had my surgery the same date as you and I think you have more bend than me. I can’t even get my leg to go straight. I don’t force it I’m just hoping once the swelling reduces the bend will improve and it will get straighter.
But the swelling is bad and whilst not really painful it is if I try force my knee to bend further than it wants to or when I form a bridge to try improve straightness.
It’s a struggle every day but I only have the TKR to cope with unlike you who has bulging discs too!
I was thinking of getting a pedal ‘thing’ gave you found it helpful?
Thanks and I hope all goes well with your epidural in your disc.

 

[Linda1956]

Thank you Susie, sometimes I feel pretty alone. I’m just so tired of being in pain, not being able to sleep and most of all I don’t feel as if I’m making any headway. Maybe even going backwards. I elevate, ice take what meds I can. I’m beginning to think I made a bad choice. The knee pain is bad however the pain behind my knee shooting up the back of my leg into my butt is excruciating at times. Really at a loss of what todo.

I do think my pedal thing does help, especially with that morning stiffness. The epidural is starting to help but it’s still early. I guess all we can do is hang in there right!

Hi all. Is anyone else having significant pain behind their knee radiating up the back of your hamstring? It’s driving me nuts. So painful, kept me up all last night

 

[sbcamp]

Hi @Linda1956

Yes I am experiencing similar pain or have been. It started out as calf pain and moved up behind the knee to the hamstrings. The first week it two it caused muscle spasms. See my thread. Now it just aches there along with the outside of the knee and top of knee cap. I have found massaging it along with some muscle relaxers helpful.


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[bottomshollow]

@Linda1956, I have moved the above post and its response from another member's thread into your own recovery thread. Questions and concerns about your recovery should always be here in your thread. You are more likely to get responses and see them here, and it keeps your recovery questions, concerns, and their responses from hijacking another member's recovery thread.

FYI: It is not necessary to use the "Quote This Message" to reply to a post. This feature should be used only when there is a post or several posts on another topic between your post and the post you want to respond to.

To reply to a post, just scroll down and put your cursor in the dialogue box and start typing.

You can quote a sentence or a section of a post by simply highlighting it and clicking on the "Quote Me" oblong that appears in gray at the end of the highlighted selection. This is frequently a better choice than quoting a whole post.

Please do not be upset by this bit of info---many new members have this very same problem---so you're in very good company---and we're not mad at you---just trying to keep the forum neat and tidy.

Take care and keep us posted, WE CARE!

 

[Linda1956]

Thanks very much, as I said still learning.

My 7 year old granddaughter (pictured) could possibly give me lessons. lol. Just keep letting me know so I can do things correctly.

I might sound like I’m a bit fragile, which I suppose I am today! Had quite the pity party today after reading Josephine’s thread about post op depression. Talk about hitting the nail on the head. I think I started crying after the first few sentences and didn’t stop on and off for most part of the evening. I feel so much better to know this is all part of the recovery. Thanks to all of you!

Just keep me on the straight and narrow, let me know when I’ve done things a bit differently than what is preferred. I’m really not as fragile as I seem, well except for today! lol I really don’t remember what I did, just give me one of those pokes and say “hey, what the heck, we’ve talked about this, goofball! But truly, thanks a million!

 

[DLR]

@Linda1956 dont worry about seeming fragile...we are all allowed those days. Pain infiltrates every part of our being and is exhausting. Be gentle with yourself, celebrate small triumphs. As I have read your thread, you are doing really well, i go in tomorrow for my surgery. Looking forward to keeping on encouraging each other. By the way I am a 1956 “model” too

 

[Laurenkate]

This recovery isn't for the faint of heart and it involves so many unexpected things. You can read and read and read about them but until you go through it, you don't really understand it. Things get better slowly but it was at least 8 months before I felt remotely normal after the first tkr and it's truly a full year recovery. There are so many odd aches and pains which are individual to each surgery...add that to sleepless nights, possible medication issues, depression, and it seems endless. In addition, (supposedly) well meaning people think you aren't really "sick" so they tend to make unhelpful comments. That's the great thing about Bonesmart...everyone has been through all this junk and understand it. Just be easy on yourself and truly take each day at a time. That was one of the hardest things to learn; today has nothing to do with yesterday or tomorrow. Well, that and the fact that recovery isn't a straight line....lots of twists and turns.

 

[Linda1956]

Thanks all. You make me feel so much better. Well all of you and 12 hours of sleep!

 

[sistersinhim]

12 hours sleep! What a blessing!

 

[Linda1956]

Finally, pure exhaustion!

 

[sbcamp]

@Linda1956. So glad to hear you’ve finally been able to sleep and are beginning to feel a little better.


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[Josephine]

Linda, I'm sorry to have been so tardy responding to your answers!

1. My knee pain is between 5 and 7. However that pain from my disk is around a 8-9. And to be honest it is hard to tell between the two starting in my upper leg. Also on the inside of my knee I’ve been getting these intense stabbing pain, it doesn’t last but 10-15 seconds, pain level is a 9+. Still have trouble going down stairs.

Going downstairs is not easy for anyone. But your pain scores are high for 11 weeks out.

2. Currently I take Norco 10-20mg 10mg 3x a day
NSAIDS are not an option because of heartburn, same with Celebrex.
Also Tylenol if pain isn’t too bad.
600mg 2x daily of Gabapentin.

I fully understand about the problem with narcotic pain meds.
I forgot to ask you how much Tylenol you take so will advise that you make sure you take 1,000mg 4 times a day which is 6hrly. Taking any less won't get you relief.
And the Gabapentin - 600mgs twice a day is good. Just remember to wean off it when you come to stop.
See this Weaning off pain medication

3. Swelling of course is dependent upon what has happened during the day. Mostly moderate to slight. Terrible swelling the first 3 weeks

Okay

4. Flexion is 120* to 123*, extension is -3.

That's pretty good!

5. I ice daily, anytime I notice swelling off and on no more than 20 min. Heat sometimes it just makes it feel better.

Good!

6. Not elevating as much, unless it is swollen.

Gotcha

7. Activity levels are doing okay. Most household chores, shopping eat. I stop when I get tired or start to hurt.

Okay


I have one of those pedal things 10 minutes x 3 - okay
Heel slides 3-5 X daily sets of 10-20 - I suggest you don't need to do these any more - your ROM is excellent!
Walking anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour - okay
15 stairs at least 2x day - don't do this. Just do the stairs as needed besides which you don't need it!

PT 2x week, just today told once a week. - I suggest you quit PT. Your ROM is excellent and you don't need it!
Calf raises 2 30 sec holds x 3 - you mean half leg raises? You don't need them!
Toe raises same - don't need these either
Practice stairs 2x 3 up and 3 down - or these
Sometimes bridges - NOOOO! Never do bridges! VERY bad for you
Practice balance - is that using a board or something? The stop, you don't need it
Bike 10 minutes - okay so long as zero resistance
Ending with ice/heat or both - okay
Then she would work on the muscles 10 to 15 minutes - if this is massage, then okay

There are many on this forum who never did any exercising and still got a great outcomes. I was one of them and I recommend you read my recovery thread to see how little exercising I did for either knee! Knee recoveries UK style Parts I & II (Josephine)

 

[Linda1956]

Josephine, thanks for the direction. Reading your posts about your TKR and no PT was what drew me to this site.

I still have pain (4-6) in my knee, especially when using stairs. We have 16 stairs that I have no choice to use as this is how I must use to get outside. I am down to one PT visit per week which I’m certain will end within the next visit or to.

I am still dealing with some issues with my emotions, explained more in my private message. Which I apologize for. I was a very active person before my knee started getting so bad. I would hike, bike, travel and train my dog. The TKR was done so I could return to those things I loved. So far I dread just going down the stairs.

And going back to work seems impossible. I stand all day, walking with a quick pace in my area. And there are no modifications that can be made. You have to do 100% of your job upon returning to work. I always have been the type of person the PTs tell you to slow down. I just don’t feel like I’m getting anywhere.

Sleep is still another huge area of trouble because of the night time pain most of which is in my hamstring. No amount of stretching, ice or heat help. Most of the time I just get up and walk around the house. Mostly 4-5 hours of sleep. Sometimes none. Then from pure exhaustion 12 hours.

Well thanks for the advice. I’ll keep plugging away.