My surgeon told me: "You will hate me for 3 months and then love me for many years."
TKR Now two years post op and still recovering from nerve damage
- Thread starter Campervan
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My surgeon told me: "You will hate me for 3 months and then love me for many years."
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Campervan
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I emailled my surgeon asking if acupunture would help stimulate my weak quads. His response - only if we hook the needles to mains power!
Then he went on to tell me just keep going walking, exercycle and stairs and they will get stronger. Underlying message - be patient, they will get stronger.
Then he went on to tell me just keep going walking, exercycle and stairs and they will get stronger. Underlying message - be patient, they will get stronger.
rntwins
member
I think I can attest to this statement, at least with my right leg. The left leg is still only 8 weeks out.....holding out one more month:hissyfit:
OP
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Campervan
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Hi everybody, I was going to wait until next Wednesday, 3 month anniversary to write a post as to what I can and can't do.
BUT, today our weather is raining and cold, only 12 degreesC even though we're at the tail end of our summer! And you guessed it - my knee is sore and achy and stiffer and there's some pain in the medial area a bit like the old bone on bone pain. Yesterday was so much better when the sun was shining!
BUT, today our weather is raining and cold, only 12 degreesC even though we're at the tail end of our summer! And you guessed it - my knee is sore and achy and stiffer and there's some pain in the medial area a bit like the old bone on bone pain. Yesterday was so much better when the sun was shining!
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Hi Campervan,
Same weather here, nice and sunny yesterday, today cold and windy. Tail end of winter, my knee is sore and achy. Hope tomorrow is better for both of us!
Same weather here, nice and sunny yesterday, today cold and windy. Tail end of winter, my knee is sore and achy. Hope tomorrow is better for both of us!
megbabyrn
senior
Margaret, my knee never bothered me with weather changes until the TKR!! I hear you. Now the cold weather hurts !!!! What part of New Zealand are you in. My sister-in-law was a pediatric cardiologists there somewhere, and has a house as well. She lives with my brother Sean, and toddler Emma ( who is 2 1/2) in Ohau , Hawaii. I started a trend, had Sarah@ 48, they adopted Emma @ same age, but she is such a love. I will find out from them where they were in NewZeland . Tomorrow will be better!! It has to be, I am 4 weeks behind you, so, it has to be!!!!
megbabyrn
senior
Margaret, thanks for the quick response!! What is our time difference? It is 20:18 here.
speccybecky
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Everything is better when the sun shines!
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Campervan
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Well, tomorrow is 3 months since op date.
Today I walked down the incline to the river, along the river bank and back again. 45 minute walk in total and its a trail not a footpath. No pain, just some stiffness and a bit of instability coming back up the incline because of my weak quads. Longest walk I've done since before TKR and not directly before either, probably 4 or 5 months before. I had my hiking poles with me and used them on the inclines. It was such a lovely day, beautiful sunshine and felt great to be back down there. Gave me the feeling that my life is finally coming back together.
In the evening my knee still hurts sometimes when I lift from the couch or bed if I've sat with it in one position for too long - pain both around kneecap and particularly the quads for a good 4 inches up my leg. Still can't get leg fully straight for straight leg raises. Quads still weak and sometimes seem swollen. A couple of nights ago I started rubbing Voltaren Gel into my quads just before going to bed. I've stopped the evening Diclofenac pill (only one in morning now) so I think I'm ok doing this as I know not supposed to use the gel along with the pills. Also still taking paracetemol, but maybe twice a day at most. Still using ice when needed and using heat for quads and hammies.
Extension still an issue. Can get to zero but hammies just want to shorten again. Extension was greater than +10 before the surgery. During the night if I sleep with knee bent then can be painful to straighten but I have noticed this is getting less and less and now generally limited to pain with the hammies.
Climbing stairs - getting there! Can now do one foot over the other, holding the rail and hiking pole in other hand. Once I get the momentum going the hiking pole doesn't get used. Because we don't have any stairs at our house, I go to the local primary school and use the outdoor stairs and climb all 50 steps four times.
I'm still doing my little exercise routine of stretches etc, riding exercycle 20 minutes a day on minimal setting and usually walking once a day for up to half an hour.
Haven't had ROM measured for about 2 weeks, but I think its improved. See physio next week. See surgeon again at end of May (5 months post op).
So there it is. I'm certainly not recovering as quickly as others and this did get me down a couple of weeks ago, but now I'm just getting on with it at my pace and hopefully once the quads improve I'll be home and dry!
Today I walked down the incline to the river, along the river bank and back again. 45 minute walk in total and its a trail not a footpath. No pain, just some stiffness and a bit of instability coming back up the incline because of my weak quads. Longest walk I've done since before TKR and not directly before either, probably 4 or 5 months before. I had my hiking poles with me and used them on the inclines. It was such a lovely day, beautiful sunshine and felt great to be back down there. Gave me the feeling that my life is finally coming back together.
In the evening my knee still hurts sometimes when I lift from the couch or bed if I've sat with it in one position for too long - pain both around kneecap and particularly the quads for a good 4 inches up my leg. Still can't get leg fully straight for straight leg raises. Quads still weak and sometimes seem swollen. A couple of nights ago I started rubbing Voltaren Gel into my quads just before going to bed. I've stopped the evening Diclofenac pill (only one in morning now) so I think I'm ok doing this as I know not supposed to use the gel along with the pills. Also still taking paracetemol, but maybe twice a day at most. Still using ice when needed and using heat for quads and hammies.
Extension still an issue. Can get to zero but hammies just want to shorten again. Extension was greater than +10 before the surgery. During the night if I sleep with knee bent then can be painful to straighten but I have noticed this is getting less and less and now generally limited to pain with the hammies.
Climbing stairs - getting there! Can now do one foot over the other, holding the rail and hiking pole in other hand. Once I get the momentum going the hiking pole doesn't get used. Because we don't have any stairs at our house, I go to the local primary school and use the outdoor stairs and climb all 50 steps four times.
I'm still doing my little exercise routine of stretches etc, riding exercycle 20 minutes a day on minimal setting and usually walking once a day for up to half an hour.
Haven't had ROM measured for about 2 weeks, but I think its improved. See physio next week. See surgeon again at end of May (5 months post op).
So there it is. I'm certainly not recovering as quickly as others and this did get me down a couple of weeks ago, but now I'm just getting on with it at my pace and hopefully once the quads improve I'll be home and dry!
Hi Margaret,
You're making steady progress and have been able to do much more than you could a few weeks ago. That's great!
Isn't it nice to see the sun, after the poor summer we've had?
Celle
You're making steady progress and have been able to do much more than you could a few weeks ago. That's great!
Isn't it nice to see the sun, after the poor summer we've had?
Celle
First of all, each of us is unique . We didn't go into the surgery the same and won't recover the same. Secondly, who cares how fast the recovery comes -as long as you (and I) are progressing ...and you certainly are. I'll bet that in a year none of us will remember exactly when we could walk down the stairs or even what our beloved ROM measured at a point in time. We will know that we are far better off than before and enjoying life-and isn't that what counts ?
OP
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Campervan
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Oh my god, here I am prattling on about what I can and can't do an hour or so ago. And now I'm exchanging text messages with a girlfriend from my choir. She texted me to say she's not coming to practice tonight. I know she had an urgent gyni exploratory last Friday and was waiting for results. I've texted her asking if she wants to talk on normal phone but she said "not yet, its too raw". So I'm sitting here trying to work and thinking that my friend has received the worst news. I've texted her that I'm here when she needs me.
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