TKR my knee replacement journey

[referee54]

"It took many years to get so bad, I have to at least put in a few months of healing."

This is an excellent point of view and observation. It took, most likely, many years to get to where we were prior to the TKR or the BTKR, so, while the months may tend to move frustratingly slowly, the few months are actually quite worth it when we finally are totally recovered.

 

[Josephine]

@thebullockpen
I merged your threads as per this request One thread for your recovery please?
As you can see, it means that both referee and I have posted the recovery threads for you.
So please don't keep starting new threads about your recovery - many thanks.

btw, have you actually read the articles?

 

[thebullockpen]

Hello, im 18 days post op now.ive had a lot of swelling around my knee and because of that ive done minimal physio.I can stand up and put full weight on my leg. I have 90 degree bend.my concern at the moment is I have a numb area around the ligaments on the outside of my knee.I get pins and needles sensations up to my thigh if I move to sit up.these pains are quiet sharp and somtimes happen when I walk.ive also noticed I cant stand ice packs on it.I have to use damp wet warm tea towel to ease the throbbing.should I be concernd? the muscles feel tight and knotted up.

 

[bottomshollow]

@thebullockpen, please note that this is the second time that we have merged recovery threads for you. Post op we like to keep all your info in one thread. It makes it much easier to answer questions and deal with concerns to have all the info in one place.

Please go back to the beginning of this thread and read all the posts---and particularly read the articles from the library that have been posted for you. They will answer a lot of your questions and some you didn't even know you had.

Please take care and keep us posted (in this thread). We care.

 

[Mbone]

@thebullockpen I am 17 days post op. My surgery was march 31. I also have swelling. I know what you mean. I just want it better. I'm uncomfortable most of the time due to this TKR. PT is very hard for me also. I feel like I'm always complaining!, but boy is this ever a painful recovery!



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[bottomshollow]

unfortunately, does not end at the next exit. Your knee has undergone major surgery that has caused severe trauma to bone, muscle, ligaments, and tendons. It is going to take months to fully recover from this. The first 3 to 4 weeks should be spent resting, elevating, icing, taking pain meds on a schedule, and doing a minimal amount of walking about and exercising.

Even with minimal activity, swelling is a given for the first couple of months for most of us. With too much activity, swelling just increases. And with increased swelling comes increased pain and discomfort.

THE SECRET OF SUCCESS with joint replacements is TIME & PATIENCE. We have to have (or find) the PATIENCE to give our knees TIME to heal at their own pace. Nothing else works like these two things and nothing can take their place. But it is a very hard truth to absorb in the beginning of our recoveries.

Recovery is what it is, and it's going to take as long as it's going to take. So be PATIENT and let TIME take care of things with some assistance from you. You just have to relax, take deep, deep breathes, and roll with the slow flow of the healing process. If you don't, you become very, very frustrated which will only make your mental outlook worse than ever.

Go back and read all the Library articles you were given---several times if necessary. They have the answers you need to have the best possible recovery. However, it is necessary to accept that it is going to take a lot of TIME.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[Mbone]

Thanks... I have read the recovery articles a few times. I will reread.


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[thebullockpen]

im now 8 weeks post op.seem to be going backwards.when I do my pt knee gets swollen.sooo fed up.beginning to think theres somthing wrong.ligaments on outside of my leg just wont let me bend enough to come downstairs without going sidways a little.now getting calf muscle pains too!!!!!! regreting surgery at this point.poeople say I seem to be doing really well .....but I dont like feeling like this.all I seem to do is cry these days.

 

[Jozilla]

Sorry you are in so much pain. Why don't you try a week or two off from PT? You may be surprised to find you have less pain!

 

[Wednesday]

Don't be upset. You are not going backwards; just moving more slowly than you might like. Calf muscle pains are normal, and it will get better.

I stopped PT about a week ago, and I feel much better. Maybe you need some rest too.

 

[bumknees09]

Well, I'm on the other side now in post op. Where do I start? Will keep it short and sweet.

Op was brought forward to Saturday 29th March. Had a general surgeon tried to talk me into a spinal but I stuck to my guns. All went well. First day after op, no sickness. Pain managed. Second day I fainted as the pain was not managed very well but from that day to discharge has been plain sailing.

I can tell it has been a good choice for me. Swollen but managing physio ok. Layed down a lot. Iced and elevated. Ice is my new best friend. After discharge I have over done things and had pain. When I say pain it's discomfort really. At the first sign I medicate, rest and ice.

It's now day 6. Nurse showed me how to bathe at home using waterproof dressing. I've overdone things again. Out come any pain meds I can take and ice. After elevation I'm back on the mend. It's going to be a long journey but you have to learn what you can do and at first it's not much.

I massage my leg to comfort myself. On the whole I'm happy I had this done. I feel positive and can't wait to get back to cycling.

Anyone thinking about TKR, I would say go for it sooner rather than later. Don't wait 5, 10, 15 years. I know it;s very early days and things could still go wrong. These nurses, doctors & surgeons do this every day and on my ward were first class. I can walk round the house easy but have to make myself sit down before I do too much.

 

[thebullockpen]

im now 13 weeks post op!!!! just gone back to work this week.doin ok just get tired so easy but im being allowed to sit when I need to.im off major pain meds now just take paracetamol if needed. I can cycle again but hav had to put my seat alittle higher.my only concern is I seem to have something sttopping my bend .If I push/pull gently I can manage abit more but I cant physically get full bend without pulling/pushing slightly is this normal???

 

[bumknees09]

@thebullockpen - glad you're on the mend. I wonder what that inability to fully bend it is. Had you been able to fully bend it before? Maybe check w/Dr on that. I'm having mine done one month from tomorrow yikes! Went to the joint replacement class the other day, was pretty informative. They did say it's a minimal eight months to year before you're completely back to normal. I'm kind of wishing the surgery was sooner rather than a month away. It's making me nervous waiting. Oh well. Onward!

 

[Texan]

@thebullockpen, I have something on the back of my knee that stops me from bending my knee further. You mentioned that if you gently push/pull you can bend better. Where are you pushing/pulling? Where is the pain that keeps you from bending? I don't have any pain in the first TKR other than the darn pain in the back of my knee when I bend it. My doctor isn't helpful at all about it. He pretty much told me that he cuts and saws and after that he is done.

 

[thebullockpen]

if I pull on my ankle alittle while placing my other hand behind my knee bend it seems to go further.it dosent really hurt it just wont bend anymore!! I was told it can take up to a year to get back to normal.scar feels fine too.no tightness anwhere.I still get general swelling after standing for a while.just wondering if I should see doc about it.

 

[Betsy-Knees-7-2014]

Hi @thebullockpen , I wondered if that JAS system would help. Maybe see @scaredinCA 's thread incase you haven't. Good luck and keep wondering.. and working. Will make for a better life-after....