TKR New member

dlrolle

new member
Joined
Feb 9, 2020
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5
Age
52
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United States United States
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Please add me my surgery date for total knee replacement was 01/15/20.
 
Hi and Welcome!

How are things going for you?

I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
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.​


4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access to these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
@dlrolle, welcome to Bonesmart! Which knee did you have replaced? How are you doing? Be sure and not overdo any exercises. You need to concentrate on healing that knee, not training. Exercising too much causes inflammation which causes swelling and pain. Ice and elevating helps tremendously. You can't ice too much as long as you keep a cloth between your knee and the ice pack. Ice is a great pain killer.
 
Hi there! We are TKR buddies as mine was also done on the 15th. Hope you are doing well! Welcome!
 
I hope you’re able to get some relief, some rest, and some gentle movement. We’re all heading for better days here!
 
Thank You for the welcome. I had left knee replacement. I’ve had in house physical therapy for the past three weeks and have been cleared to begin outpatient therapy this week. I’ve graduated to walking with the cane and am able to walk around the house unassisted. Though the pain is brutal , my main complaint and concern is how cold I am most of the time. Has anyone had this experience?
 
Welcome! I had both knees replaced on January 15. My coldness matches up with my pain. If you can get your pain under control, you'll probably notice you feel warmer. I also get pretty chilled when using my ice packs. I hope you're able to get some relief.
 
I thought I was going to freeze to death after my surgery in December. I wore multiple layers of clothing all the time. Icing made it worse so I’d be bundled up in blankets with ice on my knee. It eventually got better but I was cold for the longest time. I even slept in a hooded sweatshirt and used multiple blankets at night
 
I am normally very hot natured. I had my surgery (LTKR) on February 4, and have been freezing ever since. I have noted over the years that people taking blood thinners are always cold. I am currently on Xarelto post op. I hope I will return to normal after I finish my course of anticoagulant.
 
Normally my husband wants the heating up and I’m complaining I’m too hot. Not at the moment!
 
Yes. I’ve been freezing and am typically terribly hot!
 
That's interesting about the anticoagulants being responsible for feeling cold. I put it down to the ice packs and wrap a blanket round me when I'm icing.

It sounds like you're doing well. Take care and don't overdo it.
 
@dlrolle if the pain is brutal, make sure you’re not overdoing it. Walking around the house unassisted probably feels good, but could it be more than you’re new knee is ready for? Are you doing too much exercise? Are you icing and elevating enough? Pain can be a signal that you’re working that new knee too hard.

Then, again, the pain can be brutal just because of the nature of this surgery. I hope it’s easing up. And I hope you’re finding ways to warm up.
 
Dlrolle - what about an electric blanket? I haven’t had my TKR yet, but have been reading here for months & noticed comments about being cold, so I bought an electric blanket this week when I spotted them on clearance. I know it can’t go on the knee but maybe over the rest of you?
 
what about an electric blanket?
I have also read that there are electric throws for when you aren't in bed. I will order one before my next tkr. I had my replacement in June and still was cold. I'd have to go outside and stand in 90 degrees to get warm.
 
I had my surgery (LTKR) on February 4, and have been freezing ever since. I have noted over the years that people taking blood thinners are always cold.
I don't think you can generalise about this. It's not what we've noticed here on BoneSmart, where almost everyone has to take anticoagulants after their surgery.

While some people do feel the cold a lot, there are others who don't.

My husband is on Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) long-term and he never feels cold. He didn't feel cold when he was taking Warfarin either. Every time he comes into a room, he comments how hot it is and opens a window, while I grab another blanket. When most people are wearing coats, he is still in short-sleeved shirts.
 
A lot of people think that anticoagulants work by actually thinning the blood. This isn't so.
Rather, these drugs cause the blood to be less "sticky," making it harder for clots to form. The blood remains the same thickness and the amount of blood in the body remains the same.

I think the "feeling cold" happens for two reasons.
One is that it's part of the way your body reacts to the trauma of surgery.

The other reason is the icing - your body perceives cold coming from an external source and reacts by telling you that you're feeling cold. That's your body reacting to an external stimulation.
 
I hear that. It's going down to 9 degree cold here and for sure I have been sleeping in long sleeve tshirt since TKR. I packed that at the hospital, to put over the hospital short-sleeved, useless gown.

Initial sleeplessness and the extra chill for sure was my body defense mode re. the trauma of surgery!!
... I even slept in a hooded sweatshirt and used multiple blankets at night.
 
I use (found online vintage used) a dense, yet soft non-itching wool blanket that I sandwich between a basic quilted cotton sheet and my top sheet. Heavenly...:yes::yes:... Yet if I get hot I can toss off the top blanket temporarily. Hard to find but there are some nice wool blankets out there.
...what about an electric blanket?
 

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