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TKR New knee for Fancy Pants

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Was on another site and someone said you know your knee is fully healed when your scar turns white and flat.....interesting! Any input from "healed" BS people?
 
That's certainly a part of it.
My right TKR is 3+ years old and its scar is white.
My left TKR is almost 5 months old. While it's functioning normally, with only an occasional twinge of pain, the scar is still pink. The left knee still feels warmer than the right knee, so I know that healing is still going on.

It does take about a year before healing is complete.
 
Hi Mel(Fancypants)
I was reading your post and it looks like your replacement was just four days after mine. How are you doing now? I keep looking for patients that are close in time with their recovery as where I am. Just in the past four days or so I finally feel like I'm starting to turn a corner and think things may be on the way to getting better.....thank goodness! I sure do not want to relive this past five weeks...glad that is behind me and I bet you feel the same way. I still feel I have a ways to go. Not getting the leg as straight as I need it to be and still working on the bend. I want to get past all this where I feel normal, but from what I hear that can take quite a long time....guess I need more patience.
Are your sleep patterns still messed up. That's going to be the hard part for me to get this all turned around before I can think about going back to work. I slept in half the morning today....I'm starting to see a pattern of sleeping half the day away and that's Not a good thing.
Hope you're doing well with your recovery!
ConnieJo RTKR 1/05/2015
 
I'm at about 8 months and my scar is pinkish, but the knee feels good. I'd say my first knee didn't feel this good until a bit later. I can't remember when the scar faded, but any injury takes a long time to fade for me.
 
Hi @ConnieJo I have the sleep sorted by taking Tramadol 100mg last thing at night and if I wake up I take 2 Co-codamol which is codeine 30 mg with paracetamol (tylenol to you?) A pillow between my legs and a bed-cradle which keeps the blankets/duvet off my legs and feet. I am having problems for a while now which include aching in my buttock, thigh, calf and foot and discomfort on sitting. My O/S said yesterday it is a form of sciatica, which i have looked into and it seems to be something called Piriformis syndrome - though he didn't call it that! It fits me to a T. I'm seeing a chiropractor tomorrow for advice/treatment. The knee is fine! Bend is 120 and almost straight. I don't sleep during the day but have never been able to do that!!! I am prepared for this to take a while but mow it's complicated by this other type of pain! Grrrrrr
 
Oh, I hate to hear that you're having problems with your sciatica. From some of the things that I've read, I guess there are a few that end up dealing with that. You poor thing. It's bad enough to deal with the knee, without having that pain to contend with, as well.Hope the chiropractor can give you some relief. My husband had this left knee replaced almost nine months ago (May 22nd) and I remember that he was having some problems with his sciatica before his surgery. His has progressively gotten worse since then and he had a MRI in December and he has some back issues he's dealing with now. I know how uncomfortable he has been dealing with that. We just went last Sunday and he bought an inversion table and he's been using that. I think he may be getting a bit of relief from it, from what I can tell. He seems to be walking a little normal.
I'm afraid maybe I did a little more today than I should have. By evening my knee was a little achey and my husband and I were watching television and I pulled up my Jammie leg and my knee felt warm. I really haven't had much of that to deal with. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow and I will back off and take it easy.
We're supposed to get a little snow the next couple of days and it's supposed to get cold, but if it's not snowing, I wouldn't mind getting out of the house for a little bit tomorrow afternoon. I've been home everyday this week, since last Sunday. Guess that's a sign that I'm starting to feel a wee bit better. Do you celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14th there like we do here? I was telling my husband maybe we could go to lunch tomorrow afternoon and then rent a movie and order pizza tomorrow night and stay in. All the restaurants will be packed tomorrow night......Take Care!
ConnieJo RTKR 1/05/2015
 
Hi @ConnieJo yes Valentine's Day is the same here.....and I forgot to get a card for my partner when we were out during the week! I'm not driving yet so rely on him and we didn't go out again.( I told him to choose a card and I'd sign it and give it back!!!!!!) I'm seeing a chiropractor today so hopefully get some help with the sciatica . Dreadful ache in my thigh and calf and foot. I don't do too many exercises but I must be doing enough as I can bend and fully straighten now. I can do a few stairs up and down properly but hang on so my full weight is not on the knee yet. I walk a block outside then turn round and walk back. My O/S said 2 crutches or no crutch as you lean sideways into the single crutch. I walk holding on to my partner as the pavement is not good! I can walk around the house without limping and I have put a mirror at the end of a corridor to watch how I walk, to make sure I'm not limping!!!! Oh, meant to say, if you're messaging someone if you make sure you put the @ sign and then the user name like @Fancypants the person will be alerted to say someone has messaged them! That way you can message a few people in one post. Err - does that make sense?
 
So have seen a chiropractor today who thinks my buttock, thigh and calf pain is from my sacro-iliac joint. She said the joint gets irritated by exercises like straight leg raises etc and the change in body positioning and new way of walking after a long time spent limping with the pain of arthritis. (When she prodded around the buttock area I nearly hit the roof in pain!) So she did a treatment and advised lots of ice on my bum and am going back in a week.
 
I'm sorry you're having sacro-iliac pain. It's the pits, isn't it? I'm sure your chiropractor is right, and that she can help you.

Once you can do straight-leg raises, there's no need to keep on doing them, so you can stop. That could help your back.

I had sciatica about two years ago and my chiro eased that. It took several visits, but the pain hasn't come back (for which I'm truly grateful.)
 
Thanks @Celle .... my pain is a dull ache from my buttock right down to my foot....it feels almost like a sprained ankle! I've been blaming the bruising, which was extensive, and I do still have bruising on the calf and behind the knee. Not much now though still got it on the ankle too, after 5 weeks! I will stop the straight leg raises as of now! Thought I was being so good ! Straight leg raises have never bothered me though, no pain anywhere. None of the exercises cause noticeable pain in the hip or SI joint. Weird. I'm glad you got relief from your chiropractor though - mine seemed very confident.
 
That pain does sound like sciatica. Even though you feel it right down to your foot, it originates in your back - and then follows the path of the nerve. It can take a while to settle down, but it usually does.
 
Sorry you have to deal with that. The right side of my bottom has been bothering me the past couple of days. I figured it was from the leg extensions and can feel the pull when I try doing them. Iv'e been sitting on a heating pad all day....guess I should switch to ice pack.
 
Hi @ConnieJo I've stopped the straight leg raises for the moment, and concentrating on the walking. I've been round the block again today, not quite so easy this time though. Haven't needed any painkillers today - yesterday I took one before the walk and it was easier, so that's a lesson learned! I've been alternating ice and heat on the sacro-iliac and also on my thigh and calf. The ankle pain has gone - yippee! I'm pottering round the house like a normal person but not doing any jobs or cooking yet.
 
Walking really is the best exercise for your knee - just don't do too much.
 
Thanks @Celle I missed my daily walk today and really feel it! I do find it tires me out though and am a bit shaky by the time I get home! It's only round the block though.I can't imagine how it must feel to have to go back to work!
 
Decided to go back on regular painkillers becauee of the sciatica. My knee is fine unless I turn over in bed without thinking! I have about 120° flexion but not quite straight yet. Letting the knee "dangle" (by resting foot on a rolled up towel or on a chair) is so difficult and can't do more than a few minutes because it really pulls behind my knee past discomfort and bordering on pain. Should I just bite the bullet and do it? Any other ideas to get straight? I'm walking about 500 yds at the moment going a bit further every day but again the pain in my hip and thigh bothers me. Also do 15 mins of "indoor" cycling with no problem.
 
Just do it for a few minutes at a time and stop when it gets painful.
 
My Physical Therapist told me to only do those until they started getting painful and then to stop....I Liked her! She came to the house three times a week for three weeks and after that I've been on my own, but the doctor ordered more PT for me, when I was there last Friday. That won't be in home visits though, I have to actually leave the house for those.....I think I'm spoiled now.
I only walked outside once so far, back in January when we had a really nice day. I walked up to the corner and back. I , like you, have had the problem with my left hip hurting if I walk for long. In fact I asked the doctor if they could X-ray it and they are going to do that when I go back in three weeks. I was noticing that before my surgery and I was thinking that it may have something to do with the way I was walking back then (knob kneed) and was hoping it would be better after my replacement. I wasn't thrilled when I couldn't even make it up to the corner without it bothering me. Our weather has been too nasty lately to where I would want to walk outside. Anytime that I've done a fair amount of walking it's when I've gotten out to a store. My husband made me get ready and leave the house last night, to get me out and moving more. We walked a bit at the mall and my hip was bothering me again tonight. That was the first time out since Friday, when I went to the doctor. I know I need to try and do that more often, but I think I've had a bit of a stomach bug or something and haven't felt up to par. I cut back on a lot the knee exercises I was doing since Friday when I started feeling bad.
Hate to hear you're still having problems with your sciatica . Is it getting better at all? The pain I was having in my rear finally let up, thank goodness. We have an exercise bike in our basement. I think I may see if my husband can move that upstairs and I can try riding that.one of my friends said to peddle backwards, when first trying to use it, because it hurts less and is easier to do I got a feeling if I go for more PT visits they will most likely have me doing that, or at least will suggest it. Take Care!
 
@Fancypants my sciata pain was killing me until the surgery...turns out my right leg was bowed out and it effected my gate...after the leg was straightened and my gait became normal the sciatic pain left...I hope yours feels better ..and who is the chap in the photo with you..? looks a little like Stan Laurel who was British by birth....

Vinny
 
Hi @vinny my sciatica-type pain came on a few weeks AFTER my surgery! Am seeing another doctor next week so will report back. The lovely fellow in my photo is indeed Stan Laurel. He was born in Ulverston in Cumbria (it used to be called Lancashire, and is in North West England) where I now live. The whole statue is of both Stan and Ollie but couldn't fit it in!I 'll try and find the original and post it.
Mel
 
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