TKR New left knee

[sistersinhim]

Those naps a very good for you. While you're sleeping, your knee is healing even more, so sleep away!

 

[AnnieC]

Napping = healing

 

[Suzette]

Hi All

I will remember the napping and healing, and do more of it, as I am feeling exhausted at the moment.

I cancelled my 1st physio appointment today for 2 reasons, the first being I didn't particularly want or feel like going and the other reason was because I actually couldn't get there.

My husband's dad was suddenly taken into intensive care with pneumonia, so he has had to make the trip 130 miles away to get to see him there.

The physio lady was fine until I mentioned that I had had extreme pain over the last 3 or 4 days and she immediately started lecturing me saying ' just because your knee hurts doesn't mean you do not follow the exercises for extension and flexion...' I did point out that I left hospital with an extension of 0 and a flexion of 95 and this it is now 105 ish ..and that I thought I was doing ok.

She ended with oh um carry on with what you are doing then!! That says it all really !!

Haven't met her yet and I already have a negative opinion.

Today the pain has been a little easier and I am still icing and elevating and medicating. It feels like this 1 step back may be moving into 2 steps forward. But I will not be pushing myself .

Keep well everyone and thanks for to everything.
X

 

[kneeper]

The physio lady was fine until I mentioned that I had had extreme pain over the last 3 or 4 days and she immediately started lecturing me saying ' just because your knee hurts doesn't mean you do not follow the exercises for extension and flexion...' I did point out that I left hospital with an extension of 0 and a flexion of 95 and this it is now 105 ish ..and that I thought I was doing ok.
X

You are doing ok. She can blather on all she wants. A lot of us let our physios think we were doing more than we actually were. Less fuss and feathers that way.

 

[Jockette]

The less discussion with the PT the better!!!

 

[SusieShoes]

You and your knee are doing great! 'Tis true, many of us are guilty of telling our PTs we were doing our exercises when we, um, weren't. If the PT doesn't ask directly, say nothing. If you're progressing well, the question might never come up.

 

[Suzette]

Great advice everyone. I will keep stum and smile

I am still icing elevating and trying to rest. Still a lot of throb going on.

The knee actually has less pain standing up then when elevating.
As soon as any pressure is released off the knee The Throb gets to the fairly horrendous pain stage. Oromorph doesnt seem to be helping at the moment either.

I will keep on icing and medicating.

Ooh I have the knee support wedge. It isn't actually as high as I was expecting but I place a pillow on it and its spot on and doesn't move . I think it may have been designed for a taller person than my ever shrinking height of 5 ft 2 and a bit!!

Thanks everyone.

 

[Suzette]

Hi everyone

Today the pain seems less often than it has been. Phew.

I am now getting pains in the back of the thigh when doing some very gentle heal slides. Not sure if this is due to being on my back elevating and icing for the last 6 days or not.

It feels really tight and sore there now..should I be stretching a bit in the hamstring area?

Still terrible sleep pattern or rather no pattern at all . Wake up every few hours.
Am going to try and get out the house tomorrow as I have been stuck in it now for over 3 weeks; besides the 20min trip to have staples removed; I will not be doing much just need a change of scenery for a short time with my son and 2 walking sticks.

 

[SusieShoes]

Changes of scenery are highly recommended! If nothing else, they feel wonderfully normal, and that’s something you need.

You’ll feel all kinds of quirky new pains. For the most part you don’t need to do anything special for them. If your knee hints that it would like to move, stretch, or bend, do what seems best. Your body is your best guide.

 

[Suzette]

Thanks Susieshoes.

I am now beginning to work out and understand what the knee needs. Massive learning curve and nothing like the hip replacements. The actual pain from this one knee is worse than the bilateral hips!

The pain I had with the hips was more soft tissue pain (Still have problems with that now over 2.5 yrs later) but the knee is a pain, I can't even describe sometimes, its deep and keeps changing and kicked in 2 weeks after the op, plus the weirdness of not being able to bend the knee!!

Then my work colleague said it's been nearly 4 weeks..I don't know where that time went.

I thought I would be at work by week 6.

I don't think that's going to happen. I wondered why the Dr gave me a sick note for 8 weeks.

Such a huge learning curve....

X

 

[Space Knee]

It's amazing how time flies during this healing. I am back working, but with frequent stops to stand up and keep my leg from cramping -- which it does if I sit in one position too long. Since I have a home office, I can go ice whenever I want, so I do.

The back of the thigh pain might be a nerve pain, or it could be that muscle "waking up" and getting used to motion. As someone else pointed out, we have all kinds of quirky new pains as these muscles heal up and the incision heals, etc.

Hang in there!

 

[Suzette]

Well 4 weeks post TKR and first physio.

She was actually ok today. Have flexion of 110 and 0 extension. Good gait and I was very happy with that. Just from doing some heel slides and quad sets.

She showed me the exercises to do which were..heal slides and quad sets. And to try some standing in tip toes .

Next week I am a bit worried I will be put on some exercise machine...we shall see.

She did manage to hurt my knee when I was doing a heel slide by pushing my leg to bend more....umm...that caused my knee to be swollen and painful the rest of the day and forcing the knee to bend will not be occurring again.

I still have problems sleeping which is exhausting. I can't nap in the day anymore either.

I can go up stairs ..carefully..not down as knee bend isn't sufficient yet to do that. Not funny when I forget my knee bend isn't normal yet and go and do it by accident !

I hope everyone is well. X

 

[Celle]

And to try some standing in tip toes .

No, don't do that . It's too early to be doing that. wait until about 3 months post-op.

She did manage to hurt my knee when I was doing a heel slide by pushing my leg to bend more....umm...that caused my knee to be swollen and painful the rest of the day and forcing the knee to bend will not be occurring again.

You're right.
Don't allow any pushing. It's only going to irritate your knee. Remember this:

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

I can go up stairs ..carefully..not down as knee bend isn't sufficient yet to do that.

Going down stairs one foot at a time does take longer than going up. Some people don't manage it until about 4 months post-op - and they're having a normal recovery.

 

[Suzette]

Hi

Good job I haven't done any tip toes then. I will stick to heel slides and quads I think !

I am still trying to settle my knee down again from the earlier knee forcing, and so far it's been 12 hours if pain.

Thanks for you advise.
X

 

[sistersinhim]

What a shame. You were doing so good until that therapist put her hands on your leg. The next time you go tell her no touching at all. You are to be in total control of what happens to your knee. You are the one that has to live with the pain afterwards. Besides, the extra swelling decreases your bend. Please, tell her, "Hands off!"!

 

[Suzette]

Today I am on a downer, everything seems to be depressing and I am fed up. I have had a good cry but feel there is more to come and I feel sorry for myself. The weather is cold, I can't drive and I feel trapped and confined to lying down !! The weather is no where near as bad as in the USA where some you out there literally are trapped in their homes. I feel bad that I can even feel sorry for myself when there are others out there in the world who are so much worse off than I am.

The pain is possibly made worse by stress after my father in law died the weekend and now there is the potential family argument about to start ...

I have asked my son to bring his frenchie bulldog, Arnold, over for a cuddle as I always find that helps !

My knee just throbs inside and round the back. I elevate and I ice, I take my pain meds. The pain at 4.5 weeks is worse now than 2 weeks ago. The funny thing is, the pain goes when I put weight on my knee and as soon as weight is off , such as when I lie down and elevate, the throb and ache is at an 8 and at times unbearable.

No position I place my leg in eases this pain. Which also goes up my thigh and into my back. I take gabapentin and amitriptyline for on going back problems (OA). Pain also radiates down side of my calf. I am now thinking my sciatica has raised its ugly head again and the nerve block injection I had into l5 and 4 have now worn off. ..worse luck.

The knee isn't noticeably swollen, there looks to be a slight swelling above the knee. It's not red but the usual hotness, that does change position. My knee cap throbs as well as the inside throb.

I am hoping to get some sleep tonight or at least 2 hours before I get woken up by pain, I did manage 2 hours today after taking morphine.

I have been catching up with others who had their knee replaced in December, and it does seem that this up and down process with feelings and pain is all part of the recovery.

On top of this I keep panicking about work and when I can return. I am the only earner in our home and I am feeling pressure, even though I will get sick pay for some of my time off. I work for the NHS now, and the sickness policy etc is very good, luckily, but I don't know how long I will get paid ! I miss my colleagues too and being normal.

Just out of interest, does anyone else experience the pain going away once weight is put on the knee but comes back with avengence once the leg and knee are relaxed and elevated etc?

Phew that was a rant , thank you everyone for reading my up and down progress, I am going to read more posts to see how other December TKR are getting on.

Xx

 

[sistersinhim]

Have you tried icing the other areas that are hurting? You can also ice the back of your knee. It's worth a try.

 

[Suzette]

Hi
Thanks for the reply.

Yes I use 2 ice packs one front and one on the back. If they are still cold after 45 mins. I move them round to the sides.

If necessary I get new ice packs and do it all again.

As I am writing this, my eyes are drooping (it's 1.40am here) and the pain is one! I am just hoping that all the icing and elevating keeps it at one so I can sleep !

Fingers crossed x

 

[sistersinhim]

If you can, put new ice packs on before to go to sleep. That should give you more painfree time and the ability to get some sleep. Could you get one of those ice machines that circulate ice water through a baffle that goes around your knee? With frozen bottles of water in the reservoir, it cold water will last for at least 4 hours. I used mine all night long. It really helped.

 

[KarriB]

I didn’t get a good night’s sleep for about 3 months. Try to sleep or take naps throughout the day because your body needs sleep to to heal.