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TKR Needy Knee's Recovery

I have been reading through some of the recovery threads and it is so great to know that we have all been down the same road, some a little differently than others, but hopefully to the same end.

I will be at 3 weeks tomorrow and have been starting to feel what I can only describe as sparks coming from my knee. Not constantly, but enough to know they are there. Is this part of the healing? Or should I just take some pain meds and hope they go away?
 
Those "sparks" are what we call zingers. They're tiny electric shocks, made by the cut nerve endings as they are trying to re-connect or build new pathways. Yes, they're normal. They will go away eventually. Keep taking the pain meds.
 
@Needy Knee the sparks sound like zingers. I think that it's a sign that your nerves are growing back together after all the cutting that went on. Lots of people seem to have them. They do feel odd but nothing to worry about. Just another thing that can happen . I was hoping that when I got them the numbness at the side of my knee would go away but after two years it's still there but rarely bothers me.
 
Thank you Celle and SuperSnapper! I will appreciate my zingers now that I know what they are!
 
Went to my doctor today for my 4 wk check up. Doc was very impressed with my results so far. I have been OK'd to go back to work starting an hour a day for a couple days this week, 2 hours next week and then to half days if I am tolerating it. Even got the OK to drive! but he said I had to be able to use the brakes and to practice in the driveway a bit until I felt I could handle it!

I asked about my ROM (which was 0-110 last week) and he told me they consider 110 to be functional, but if I was at 110 now, he knew it would increase as I still have some swelling and it was only 4 weeks. I couldn't ask for a better report!!

I am so happy I listened to all of you bone smarties and didn't try to wear myself out with exercises! Spent more time in bed elevating and icing than I did anything else. I still spend the better part of my day that way and imagine I will for weeks to come. Thank you all for your input!
 
Just catching up on your thread @Needy Knee and it sounds like you're in good hands and are progressing really well! :friends:
 
:yes!:You're doing very well indeed. You have found the right combo of activity and resting to help your knee heal. There will be more advances to come.
 
Great to hear you're making such good progress!
 
:yahoo::yahoo:@Needy Knee What good progress! You must be thrilled. And you've worked out a recovery plan that suits you and is not too painful. Remember that you are still in early days yet though - your knee is still healing so take things slowly but I'm sure from now on you'll be on the up! Best regards from the UK
 
My first day back to work for 1 hour went just fine. Spent the hour sitting at my desk going through the pile of paperwork. Even my first day of driving wasn't bad, but I only live 7 minutes from work, so it wasn't anything major. Came home and went straight to my ice and elevating.

Second day was different. People were coming in to chat and I was standing and moving around a bit more. Needless to say, my knee swelled up pretty much by the time I got home. Still swelled at PT today. Continue to ice and elevate.

I'm guessing I need to stay on the 1 hour a day, 2 days a week until I can do it without swelling. I have PT twice a week and it is much more physical than my desk job...
 
I agree. One hour a day at work is more than enough right now. Really, you should still be spending most of your time resting, icing and elevating your knee.

We usually recommend not going back to work until about 12 weeks, and then a Phased return to work
 
6 weeks today. Still ice and elevate most of the day. PT measured me at 122 today. I liked that. My knee is still swelled, it has never gone all the way down. I was allowed to try half days this week for 3 days. I only made it 3 1/2 hours. My knee started to feel stiff and sore. I put it up in a chair for a bit, but then just gave in and went home. Does the swelling and stiffness ever go away? I know I have to ease my way back into activity, but my knee sure let's me know it's in charge.
 
The stiffness and swelling eventually will decrease. You are not even 2 months post op. You can have some swelling for up to a year. Right now the only thing you can do is to continue to ice and elevate as often as you can.
 
Of course your swelling will go away and then your flex ion may get even better - it's great already but you still need to rest, ice etc as above and listen to your knee. If it swells or you have pain, it's warning you to slow up a bit. My surgeon told me 12-18 months for a full recovery and it took about ten months so you have a way to go but you are getting there Best wishes.
 
Oh, thank you for responding @newlybionic and @SuperSnapper. It's nice to know there will be light at the end of the tunnel. However long that tunnel may be...

How about trips? I have a trip planned in a couple weeks to visit my kids and grandkids. It is about a 5 hour drive. I will be at 8 1/2 weeks when we do this. I will be a passenger, not the driver. Should I plan on sitting in the back seat with my legs up on the seat?

Then I have a longer trip planned in June. This one will involve flying. What happens at the airport when you go through security? Will I set the alarms off? Or do these new scans they are using show them that it is indeed a knee setting off the alarm?
 
For your trip in June request a wheelchair from the airline in advance. You will be a lot better off than standing in lines and walking around than walking through the airport. When you get to the TSA checkpoint just let them know about the knee replacement. You will go through the body scan and then be on your way. It's really no real problem at all.

For the driving trip I would make sure you can get a couple of breaks about every hour or so to get out and walk a little. You might be more comfortable in the back. Try to bring some ice wraps in a cooler as you will be more comfortable.
 
I think by June you'll be so much better. Ive never set anything off on a scanner at airports but there's always a first time! I would just say take your time on journeys- allow time for stops and a good stretch. For the car trip frequent stops are a good idea and some ice packs too.
 
It has been a while since I have posted, but nothing has changed very much. Back to work full time, knee still sore and swelled. Was told the swelling could take up to a year to subside. The soreness is not all the time, just part of the time. Yes it is there every day, but not all of every day. Some days are worse than others, some days are great. Seeing a chiropractor for the pain in my low back, thinking it is part of my gait changing after the surgery. Chiropractor thinks I am doing great and also said, my knee is still a baby and will take a year or better to fully recover. He is doing something called the Graston Technique to my knee and back occasionally. Seems to help for a moment. He has done it 2x so far. My question to all is this: When is the next turning point? Will it be at 6 months? a year? longer? How long did it take for your knee to feel like a normal knee again without the soreness and pain?
 
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