Knee Infection* My L T K R Diary 2020

[Defender]

The knee replacement was 12th February and my revision was 22 April.
So as I understand it my journey starts again so back to square one.
They keep saying if I don't get that bend I will stay like this as I will get fusion of the knee.

 

[sistersinhim]

They keep saying if I don't get that bend I will stay like this as I will get a fusion of the knee.

Not so. When I had each knee cap removed, two years apart, in the 1990s, I was put into an immobilizer for 8 weeks, the first knee and 6 weeks the second knee. My knees ended up bending just like any other knees do. They did NOT stay straight. Don't let 'they' scare you. As your knee heals and the swelling goes down, it will bend on its own. It knows what it has to do. Stop aggravating it by trying to make it do things it's not ready to do.

 

[Jamie]

Please try not to worry about your ability to bend your knee. Focus on the fact that you are starting over from square one with a new recovery after this latest procedure. Be sure you are doing at least bending and stretching exercises each day. Walk about the house and use a walking aid so that you don't limp. In between it will be important to rest, ice and elevate that knee as it's been through a lot in a relatively short period of time.

Do you have a follow on appointment with your surgeon?

 

[Defender]

Yes I am walking with sticks and trying some bends but it's very painfull to try and push.
I have an appointment with a physiotherapist next week he is very good not pushy and he is aware of my journey so far.
I am getting better nights sleep now I am home but some night's I have to take morphine.
I am now able to nearly put full weight on it
Still very swollen and it's the bend that concerns me more now.
My follow up to see my consultant isn't till August

 

[Jamie]

That sounds good. You must try not to worry about the bend. When you're very swollen there is no way your knee can bend. You need to first get the swelling down.

You might contact your regular doctor and see if he or she would prescribe a device called broken link removed: https://gekohealthcare.com/. It was developed in the UK to reduce swelling and can often do wonders for this problem. Your surgeon could prescribe it as well, but I thought it would probably be easier to get in touch with your GP.

 

[Defender]

The Geko looks good but doubt it would be available on the N H S as they are really cutting back especially now with covis they are under a lot of pressure
Been getting a lot of shooting pains along the incision would this be a healing process.?

 

[Celle]

They keep saying if I don't get that bend I will stay like this as I will get fusion of the knee.

They are wrong. Try to ignore them.
We have had people whose knee has been immobilized in a brace for many weeks and their ROM has increased afterwards, and achieved a good ROM.

At the moment, it's pain and swelling that is preventing your knee from bending. There's no point in hurting your knee by trying to push against that. So stop pushing and spend as much time as you can icing and elevating your leg. That will help to reduce the swelling.
Ice to control pain and swelling
Elevation: the do's and dont's

It's not exercising that gets you your ROM - it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle, and time to heal. Your knee has the potential to achieve good ROM right from the start, but it's prevented from doing so by swelling and pain. As it heals and the swelling goes down, your ROM (both flexion and extension) will gradually increase.

Your knee has been through a lot and it will need gentle treatment and time to heal at its own pace, not on some pre-conceived one-size-fits-all schedule.
There's no need to rush to get ROM, because it can continue to improve for a year, or even much longer, after a knee replacement. There isn't any deadline you have to meet:
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

Been getting a lot of shooting pains along the incision would this be a healing process.?

This might be the zingers we get as our cut nerve endings are trying to reconnect, but it could still be post-surgical pain, too. It's still early days in this new recovery journey and you should probably still be taking pain medication regularly. Are you still doing that?

 

[Jamie]

The Geko looks good but doubt it would be available on the N H S as they are really cutting back especially now with covis they are under a lot of pressure

They are a British product, so you might check anyway. It is possible to purchase them outside the NHS if you can afford to do so.

 

[Defender]

They keep saying if I don't get that bend I will stay like this as I will get fusion of the knee.

They are wrong. Try to ignore them.
We have had people whose knee has been immobilized in a brace for many weeks and their ROM has increased afterwards, and achieved a good ROM.

At the moment, it's pain and swelling that is preventing your knee from bending. There's no point in hurting your knee by trying to push against that. So stop pushing and spend as much time as you can icing and elevating your leg. That will help to reduce the swelling.
Ice to control pain and swelling
Elevation: the do's and dont's

It's not exercising that gets you your ROM - it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle, and time to heal. Your knee has the potential to achieve good ROM right from the start, but it's prevented from doing so by swelling and pain. As it heals and the swelling goes down, your ROM (both flexion and extension) will gradually increase.

Your knee has been through a lot and it will need gentle treatment and time to heal at its own pace, not on some pre-conceived one-size-fits-all schedule.
There's no need to rush to get ROM, because it can continue to improve for a year, or even much longer, after a knee replacement. There isn't any deadline you have to meet:
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

Been getting a lot of shooting pains along the incision would this be a healing process.?

This might be the zingers we get as our cut nerve endings are trying to reconnect, but it could still be post-surgical pain, too. It's still early days in this new recovery journey and you should probably still be taking pain medication regularly. Are you still doing that?

Yes I am still on pain med sometimes I do take morphine if I have difficulty sleeping
I have about 10 degree bend which is worrying me a lot.

 

[Defender]

Elevating and icing but knee still very swollen obviously this is limiting my bend dramatically which is very poor
I really want to get this under control
I know it's 3 weeks since my revision due to an infection which has gone from 93% down to 28% but feeling really low as knee replacement was done 12th February just seems like an eternity now.

 

[Jamie]

I know it's difficult, but you really must try to not think of your recovery in terms of the February surgery. Everything resets when you have a revision.

Have you ever looked into mindfulness programs? This can really help when dealing with major challenges in your life. It helps you to relax and focus on what is important and what is within your control. This puts your brain on a positive path instead of the negative one where you're thinking about how long you've been dealing with your knee. The infection and additional surgery were not within your ability to control. Mindfulness training can give you skills that help you take your mind somewhere else when you feel yourself getting depressed about things you have no ability to do anything about.

Here's a link to one site that talks about the program. There are many out there and lots of YouTube videos as well. Give it a try - I've seen it really help some folks.

 

[Defender]

Not quite the reaction is was expecting
I am aware the clock has been reset to 22nd April as my post suggested.
But in reality i have been going through this for 3 months.
Thanks anyway.

 

[sistersinhim]

Three months is nothing for what your knee has been through. A normal knee healing takes about a year. You have the infection, that's not normal. Try to look at the good instead of the bad. Your infection was caught and you're on the road to being completely healed.

 

[Jockette]

I’m so sorry for all you’ve been through with this replacement. I’m sure it already feels like it’s been forever, and there’s still a ways to go before you are healed.

Due to some personal circumstances I’m not spending as much time on Bonesmart as I usually do, so my posts are few and far between these days, but I want you to know I think of you often, even when I’m not online here, and I pray that all will be well in time.

 

[Defender]

Update
I am now back in hospital the nurse was round changing my antibiotics bottle which she does everyday.
When I came over faint then lost conciseness for just over 3 minutes she called am ambulance they did all the tests including E C G by then everything was back to normal.
I have had a swollen wrist and elbow and sore shoulder which I thought was a sprain the ambulance crew said I should go to hostpital to get it checked.
They suspect it's a infection from picc line or D V T in the arm.
Further tests being done today.
When will this all end.

 

[Jaycey]

So sorry you are having such a bad time with all this @Defender . Hang in there! Please keep us updated.

 

[Jockette]

Oh I m so sorry you have another complication.

 

[sistersinhim]

Prayers being sent up for you. Please keep up informed.

 

[Defender]

Prayers being sent up for you. Please keep up informed.

Thanks I have never prayed so much in my life then over the last few months.
Last time I was in they did covis test had another today they do this to everyone that comes to hostpital.
They won't do scan until results come back.

 

[Lindylee]

How are you doing Defender? This year has been a nightmare for you. You must wonder when it will all end. I hope there's been some positive news since your last post. Take care.