TKR Marguette’s Full Recovery

[Spex10]

Excellent news. A good sleep and a bath!

 

[Marguette]

Excellent news. A good sleep and a bath!

not a bath... but able to get my leg over the edge to take a shower. It will be a while yet to take a bath but definitely feeling more optimistic.

 

[sistersinhim]

Yippee! I remember the joy I felt when I removed mine from the shower! Seven hours sleep is a huge blessing! You go, girl!

 

[Jajakio]

I am a fibromyalgia sufferer too. I had my TKR last July. It does get better. I was back in the hot tub 5 or 6 weeks after surgery and it helped enormously. I have my hot tub on my back deck two steps from my bedroom door. It was a big part of my presurgery workout - 20 minutes of physical therapy exercises twice a day. And I truly missed it in the first few weeks after surgery. Once the doctor said I was healed enough I went back in. It was neither positive or negative for the new knee at first but the rest of my body appreciated it instantly. I was warned by others it might cause swelling but I never had any issues. I haven't had a regular tub bath in years but I know it has taken others a while to be able to get in and out of a standard tub but it will happen. Hang in there. I think I was back to semi normal activity by 12weeks - working full time and all but I wasn't pain free and there was still stiffness. I'm 10 months out now and i can honestly say it's only been maybe 6 weeks or less since I can say no stiffness or discomfort at all. As you sleep better and the stress of surgery and healing lessens,the fibro will likely get better. Hope so anyway.

 

[Marguette]

Wondering how long it takes for bruises to disappear. At 9+ weeks, I have one bruise in the front of my leg, about 8 " below my knee, that doesn't seem to be getting better. I'm wondering if it's worth a call to the surgeon? I would have thought it would have faded by now, as all the others have.

 

[DebCoz]

I’m with Marguette and Needhope, I’m 8 weeks, 90 bend and +3 straighten, and I’m still not glad I got this done. It’s a roller coaster for sure, yesterday the new knee felt ok, I was walking decent and today it's sore and stiff and just BLEH!

 

[Mutti3]

@DebCoz
You are way too soon to feel positive with your surgery. I am seven months. Improvement is now steady, no roller coasters. You will feel positive when you are able live your life. The memory of the pain, discomfort, worry becomes very distance and not a part of your life.

 

[SusieShoes]

Wondering how long it takes for bruises to disappear.

Though bruises usually disappear in a few weeks, some can linger for longer. I have one right above the back of my right ankle that is only now, a year later, fully resolved. It kept fading but sure took a while.

At two months you are feeling closer to normal, and starting to think you should be doing much better, but the truth is you still have lots of healing to go. If you can, enjoy the progress you’ve made and know you will have less pain and much more progress soon!

 

[Marguette]

Overall a good day but finding my motivation to be lagging. It's a beautiful warm sunny day here. I should be out enjoying it. Instead I had to push myself to go to the pool. I just want to lie down and sleep but when I lie down, I feel restless. At 9+ weeks, I feel I should be walking more but again, not motivated. I neither have the desire or the energy. I did meet a lady at the pool who was 8 months post op. Of course, we compared notes and I told her about the site. Also, after doing some research, I have decided to write a letter to my surgeon letting him know that I'm not satisfied with the post op management of meds and nausea and with 5 year follow-up after 5 weeks.
I so appreciate all of you on this site, even if it's just to vent.

 

[Jockette]

At 9 weeks you are still going to have days of no energy and no motivation. It’s ok. Rest, you are still healing. Don’t worry about what you think you “should” be doing.

Because what you should be doing is listening to your body and giving it what it wants. Recovery is temporary. You’ll be able to, and want to, do things later.

 

[Marguette]

Well here we are... another sleepless night and I have an appointment late morning... sigh. The knee is not happy and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do to ease things. I've tried every trick I know and nothing worked. If my knee wasn't so sore, I would get dressed and go for a walk. Might as well get up and start my day. Maybe I can grab some sleep later.

 

[Relle]

I had my TKR 17 March, and MUA 2 weeks ago. I'm feeling motivated because I can bend my knee with a bit more ease but sleep is still not great. I have accepted the fact that it will be a slow recovery but still wish I could do more. Just know your not alone in your journey, I had a couple of days that felt ok but today my leg felt like it weighed a ton. One day seems to merge into another but hopefully in a little while we'll both be feeling much better.

 

[SusieShoes]

It is a long recovery, and not always a straight line either. Better days. Worse days. Days when you're not sure things are getting better, and days where you know for fact that they are. But I think the worst thing is how sleep gets so messed up! Months of not sleeping well just isn't fair! Sending a basket of good sleep wishes your way, @Marguette.

 

[Marguette]

I've been avoiding shopping at Costco because it's such a big store. Today I challenged myself to give it a try. It worked out ok. I found I could use the cart to steady my gait and could lean on it if I got tired. Then I debated if I should go to the pool. I decided it might be too much so I was just going to sit in the hot tub. Moot point... the pool was closed for training. So I did the next best thing... came home, elevated, iced and had a bowl of ice cream. It's been a good day despite the fact that I slept less than 3 hrs last night. Hoping for better tonight.

 

[Jockette]

So I did the next best think... came home, elevated, iced and had a bowl of ice cream.

That sounds great!

 

[DebCoz]

Marguette I had to get a prescription from my GP, at the suggestion of my OS, for Belsomra to sleep. I was getting 2-3 hours sleep a night and believe me, I was losing it. I only take the Belsomra on the weekends when my husband doesn’t have to get up at 0500 to go to work and I feel like a new woman. I don’t even mind not sleeping so great during the week.

 

[Marguette]

I will ask... the few things prescribed so far have not worked. thanks for the tip DebCoz

 

[VonnieN]

They're all the same thing. Just different brands and probably different names, depending on where in the world you live.

Whether you call them urban poles, hiking poles or Nordic walking poles, the principle is the same - long sticks and you use two simultaneously.

Similarly, in the US you might refer to a cane, but in the UK , NZ and Australia, that would be a walking stick.

It's just a difference in terminology.

I have bought a set of these poles as well. As one of the things I wants to do post recovery is hiking. WE love the outdoors but have been limited to flat walking as anything with inclines were very difficult.

 

[VonnieN]

On the sleep front. THat is a hit amend miss...I think I sleep well some nights from pure exhaustion. I generally get four hours straight and then it is restless for the rest of the night. I could not do it without a pillow between my legs. I see this as temporary and I have allowed a full year. I am not expecting miracles on the sleep front. Reminds me of when Inhad my babies

 

[Spex10]

Ah ice internally as well as externally! Good idea!