Bilateral TKR MissViv's Recovery

[MissViv18]

Thanks, I will check out the compression stockings!

 

[MissViv18]

I've ordered the Dr. Motion compression socks from Amazon. Hope they help! Are they hard to get on? My DH has to help me with most of my socks. Do you sleep in them?

 

[MissViv18]

Well today I am 18 wks. post op. I guess I am doing better every day but still have some issues. Both knees hurt when I return to a standing position. Feels like pulling on both sides (scar tissue). Knees are still numb and still having problems with both feet. There is numbness on top of my feet and they are sore. Still have swelling in knees (probably the cause of the pain) and it does not go down even with icing. The swelling is right above the knee cap on the outside of the knees.

Medication - Tylenol, Advil or Alleve does not seem to help. I have trouble with my knees hurting at night when trying to sleep. I am taking a mild muscle relaxer to get some relief to sleep.

I was hoping for a better recovery and it seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I'm hoping I will not have to live with this forever.

Cruise is in a little over 2 weeks away.

 

[sistersinhim]

I suggest you rest as much as possible until your cruise to let your knees recover more. You are just over 1/3 of the way healed and your knees are reacting as expected. Ice, rest and elevation are the best thing for them. You can not force your knees to heal any faster than what they are going to heal. But, you can slow the healing down by doing too much too soon.

 

[MissViv18]

Back from the cruise and was able to manage even with the tightness and swelling. I iced a lot and rested a lot. We did not get off at the ports, just enjoyed the ship.

Sorry to say that my husband was sick the last day of the cruise and we saw a doctor when we got home and he has the flu. This makes twice now that we have come home from a cruise with the flu, last time it was me!

Oh well, lots of nasties on a cruise ship and this ship was new and very clean. We washed our hands frequently so don't know what else we could have done. My husband is a survivor of two cancers and I'm sure his immune system is weak. We are both on tami-flu.

 

[sistersinhim]

What a shame your hubby picked up that flu bug. It seems to be just flying around in the air looking for victims. It's good that you had good days up until then. Getting off the ship really isn't necessary. There's plenty to do on them. I hope you both heal.

 

[MissViv18]

Update … it's been 6 months since surgery!!

I am doing better but when I had my 6 month checkup with surgeon, I asked him about more PT. My hips have been bothering me and my left shoulder so he wrote an order.

I went to the PT on Friday and again today. They are mainly working on my hips at first with a little knee PT.
My numbers were really good - 125 on left leg and 128 on right leg. I'm feeling better with the two visits to PT already.

The weather is getting warmer and life is good!!

 

[MissViv18]

Update …. it's been 9 months since surgery and I feel like I have not improved much since 6 month point.

Still have pain in both knees and swelling. The numbness is just awful and goes down through my legs and feet. Both knees "crunch" something terrible everytime I get up from a standing position.

I had to cancel a Disney trip I had planned last October because of my surgery and I have another one planned this November and not sure I will be able to go unless I rent a scooter. I cannot walk long distances without being in pain and extremely tired. Not sure what to do. My next appt. with OS is early October but he really does nothing to help me at this point.

I am thinking about going back on the prednisone for the Disney trip to see if that will help. I took it before surgery and it was the only thing that kept me going.

Everyone keeps saying it takes a full year but "really" will I be much better in 3 months? Thoughts?

 

[Celle]

Don't cancel the Disney trip this year. Rent a scooter. You have ample reason to justify doing that.
I've read of people who hired a scooter and they all said it was a great help and they enjoyed themselves.

 

[Teecup]

Hi @MissViv18, I'm so sorry you're going through these challenges. I recall how excited I was to get my knees done...pain will be gone, relatively quick healing, yadda yadda. I've experienced none of that, and just wanted to share that you're not alone. July 9th was one-year mark for my left knee, my right one done 11 weeks after. OS pawned me off to pain clinic in February as he could nothing more for my pain. Am now on Lyrica, Celebrex, Norco, and Amitriptyline. This is my life now. May get better, may not, so I agree wholeheartedly with Celle. Just live your life as you are now, and do the things you want to do! This life is so short, and we don't know when we'll run out of time. Go for it and wear those Mouse ears joyfully!!!