TKR My Journey

That is so cool! What a way to start the day! Thanks for sharing that photo with us.
I hope you have a wonderful day. :SUNsmile:
@FourCats
 
Discouraged and frustrated by the terrible pain and swelling in both knees. Trying to be hopeful that this will pass but as the days pass with no relief, that hope is fading. The pain is equal to that which I had before starting this journey over a year ago. Trying to be positive in my outlook but, deep down inside, I am questioning if I made not just one but two wrong decisions and I will have to learn to accept the pain for the rest of my life.
 
I loved your fawn photo! Nature can be so uplifting!

I'm sorry you're in so much pain. Have you tried backing off your activities for a few weeks to see how your knees feel? Cutting back won't cause you a setback but overworking them can and usually does.
 
I am questioning if I made not just one but two wrong decisions and I will have to learn to accept the pain for the rest of my life.
I've posed that question to myself early on, usually accompanied by lots of tears. :console2: I have no answers for your pain but wanted to let you know I feel ya and that I am sooooooo happy I got both knees done. That feeling was a long time coming (you can see how long it took for me to decide on the 2nd knee even though the OS wanted to do them 3 months apart).

I have to say I used meloxicam for both TKRs and never felt a difference but was afraid to stop taking it, thinking the swelling might be worse without it. Back in April, you were feeling pretty good (reading through your notes). Then you started low impact gardening using muscles you haven't engaged for a while. Have you tried spreading your gardening out more or limiting how much time you commit on any given day? Have the rest days helped?
 
I am working on accepting that I will be in pain for the rest of my life. It appears I have fibromyalgia.
 
Oh, @FourCats -- I'm so sorry to read this. Did you just get the diagnosis? I'm sure processing this information is overwhelming. I hope your doctor(s) have recommended a treatment plan so you can begin to manage it.

Please know that the diagnosis doesn't mean you have to live in constant pain. I have a dear friend who was diagnosed with it 10 years ago. With medication and self-care strategies, she is doing really well. Yes, she does have bad days; but she is able to lead a full and happy life.

Please tell us more when you feel up to sharing. In the meantime, I'm sending hugs. :console2:
 
Doctors are very hesitant to diagnose fibromyalgia; my mother had it so my doctor feels this is why I am hurting so badly. She is consulting with my OS to determine what, if anything can be done for the knee pain. It is very discouraging to have gone through having both knees replaced because of osteoarthritis (bone on bone) only to have this bomb dropped on me.
 
I’m still battling swelling and stiffness in both knees despite icing and elevating frequently. I’m taking acetaminophen every six hours which keeps the pain at a five rather than an eight or greater. The last dose is the PM variety which has helped with sleep. I also split my restless legs med in half, taking it every twelve hours to keep it in my system as my reduced activity is causing it to be more active and I was having muscle spasms trying to calm it down. I’m trying to be positive and am doing a lot of reading to keep my mind occupied.
 
I’m trying to be positive and am doing a lot of reading to keep my mind occupied.
Yes, a good book is such a great distraction! I just finished Circe, by M. Miller, which is a fun retelling of the Odyssey from her POV. Are you reading anything you'd recommend?
 
Good morning, @FourCats. I was sorry to hear that you are having a tough time. I’m hoping your Dr will be helping you find some good strategies to work with your new diagnosis. Years ago, I worked as a PCP , basically working in homes of elderly & disabled folks, doing just basic chores to help them. I had the privilege of getting to know some really wonderful people who had many different challenges. One little lady, in her 90’s, had an incredible history of overcoming some pretty rough circumstances, and a great wit and much wisdom. I still miss her. Another lady had fibromyalgia. She was very sweet, & gave me some wonderful cooking tips from her growing up in Mexico. I only saw her 2-3 times a week, but she did seem to have a full life. She was widowed & lived with her daughter & family, & was obviously a much-treasured grandma/ Mom, and contributed to the family well-being in a lot of ways. I know she did have bad days, but I’d say that overall, she experienced a rich, full life.

You mentioned reading. A thought. Obviously, you are a cat lover. Same here, although we just have the one rather spoiled little “ princess”, as we have dubbed Miss Felicity. We have always had a kitty throughout our 52 years. When we had our woodworking business, we’d often listen to books on tape, particularly during long hours of sanding , there was a Lot of sanding required! We both loved mysteries. Somewhere along the way, we discovered a series of mysteries written by Lillian Jackson Braun titled. “ The Cat Who” series. We LOVE them! They really helped pass those long hours of some of our more tedious chores. In fact, my husband is now reading the entire series again, in order at night. They are easily available in both hardback and paperback, on Amazon, and even used, very reasonably. Also on audible, I believe. The woman who wrote them was brilliant! She would regularly educate the reader of some new area of interest, she must have had a rich life of curiosity and research. And she had a sense of humor! Her characters are well developed, a number of them you get to know well. I highly recommend! There are 29 books in all, so can keep you well supplied with reading. I’m thinking of starting them myself, it’s been a long time. Right now, I’m scanning some of my old Cooking Light magazines for some favorite recipes, the older ones have some wonderful classics that are “lightened”.
Well, I should get our breakfast started. We slept I a bit today, as we were both pretty worn out from covering all our newly planted tomatoes, tomatillos, & bringing in flowerpots to protect them from a late winter storm! We’ll probably get snow tonite! Then, I Think our warmer weather is here to stay! Thinking positively!!
Do take care, and know you are in my thoughts and prayers that you will be feeling better soon. You are still a little more than 3 months since your knee surgery. It Will get better. I still struggle some with my balance, and still working on my ROM. Mine has been over 7 months. We have been working hard on getting our garden started, so I’ve been a bit lax on some of my exercises, and, due to the really strong winds here, and my being under the weather for a bit due to a reaction to our 2nd Covid booster, we’ve missed a lot of our walks. But, better weather should help that. Even if my knee is not perfect, I’m still so very glad I had the surgery, and would definitely do it again. That bone-on-bone pain was really becoming unbearable.
Take care, & I’m thinking positively for some better days to come for you. ❤️
 
I'm so sorry about your fibromyalgia diagnosis, @FourCats :sad:. I will just restate what Catalein said. You are also in my thoughts and prayers that you and the doctor can figure out how to navigate this with positive results.

Thinking positively for some better days to come for you. :prayer:
 
Nothing is providing pain relief and I am exhausted. Both knees are more painful than they were pre-surgery. I have to mentally condition myself for the intense pain when I stand up then grit my teeth before trying to take the first step. My back, hips, and feet ache all the time and my legs are sensitive to even the lightest touch. Swelling and stiffness in my feet, ankles, and knees are worsened by the extreme heat and humidity plaguing my area.
 
fibromyalgia
Could all this pain come from your fibromyalgia? Are you taking anything for it? I have read that there are meds to help with the pain. I pray you can find relief. Constant pain is exhausting.
 
@FourCats I am sorry. If you can, try massage. I get a therapeutic massage every week or two which has helped my ROM and muscle cramps from TKR. Second, Is there a place you can get in the water near you- like a city pool, lake? The buoyancy and hydrostatic pressure may help with swelling and pain in your legs. Sometimes I go and just stretch in the shallow end of the pool during “lap swim” when everything hurts and it’s hot out.
Hoping you find peace and something to look forward to that relieves your pain.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh boy, your discouragement is palpable on your recent posts. I am so sorry you are struggling... Please try to keep your spirits up, from what I know about fibromyalgia, it can "flare" and cause intense and painful symptoms. It sounds like that is what you are experiencing.
So hopefully, it's temporary and will go into remission soon.
Would you consider finding a Lymphatic Drainage therapist? They can help ease your painful swelling and the inflammation that accompanies it.
The recommendation for floating in a pool is a good one, also.

I wish for you some relief. Please keep us updated?
 
Thanks for all the support. Living alone sometimes has its negatives with no one to vent to so very pleased to be able to share with folks here.
 
I hope you're having a better day today. :console2::flwrysmile:
 
I’ve got an appointment with my primary care doctor on Tuesday to talk about pain management. Praying for some success!
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jaycey
    ADMINISTRATOR Staff member since February 2011

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,181
Messages
1,597,065
BoneSmarties
39,365
Latest member
Dave4562
Recent bookmarks
0

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom