Bilateral TKR On the Other Side!

[Kprune]

Hello all! I'm in week 5 now! I think I am making great progress, but of course not as fast as I'd like!
Swelling is still a problem. I'm wearing my Ted hose (thigh) still, hoping that's okay. Has anyone heard about time limits for teds? I like wearing them because I feel like they help with the discomfort of swelling.
I am now having pain on the outer lower sides of both knees, but more on the right than left.
I was told this is nerve pain. You guys familiar? I read in the library about numbness and nerve recovery,
but still wondering about it and looking for reassurance!
Hope everyone had a Happy New Year!

 

[DogLoverx3]

You're doing great! Yes, the sharp pains on the sides of the knee are nerves coming back to life and yelling at us. ;-) No rhyme or reason as to when they're going to zing me, but although I kinda want to scream when it happens, I'm glad to know that things are coming back to life.....if only they could do so a bit more quietly! I've found that icing and gentle massage and rubbing helps....

Keep up the great work!

 

[jeano]

Sounds like nerves to me too. Love your avatar, need Arrrr Ennnn on a Tshirt to go with my skull and crossbones T shirt a former boss got me--says "pirates for hire specializing in madness and mayhem" on the back. I am an old psych nurse and she made me promise to NEVER wear it to work. DH has a jolly roger flag on our bedroom door...

As far as I know you can wear TEDs forever if you want to, cant think that they could do any harm.

 

[Kprune]

Thanks @DogLoverx3 ! It's good to know I'm "normal"!!
@jeano i love the Jolly Roger flag on the door! That made me LOL! And I LOVE my TEDs!
I guess I'm a two steps forward - one step back kinda gal. When it comes to recovery...okay maybe three forward and one back!

 

[Kprune]

Hello all! Haven't posted in so long, been working and living! I am almost 9 months out and still feel about like I did at 2 months. I still have major swelling, tightness and pain. I know it takes a long time to heal from bilateral, but is this familiar to anyone?

 

[StillShortie]

Hi @Kprune sorry to hear that you are still having pain, tightness and swelling. I'm sure someone who knows more than me will be along soon to help out but I just wondered is this pain etc. in both TKR's as if it is it would suggest to me that you are overdoing it a bit and not letting them heal? I know you say you have been working and living but I am sure the moderators would like to know how active you are - what you do on a daily basis, how long you are on your feet, what exercises you do etc.

I have to say I am in massive awe of anyone who has bilateral TKR's - well done you I'm not sure I could have managed two at the same time.

I hope things get better for you - I'm sure the fantastic folk here at BS will help.

Shortie x

 

[Roy Gardiner]

At nine months I was OK; are you overdoing things? This is a common cause of 'stalled' recovery.

 

[Kprune]

I guess everyone has a different definition of "overdoing". I am a nurse, but I only work 3 nights a week. I walk, shop, amble, stroll...all the usual stuff. I don't run or jump. I really don't think I do too much.

I did 12 weeks of physical therapy. I have great extension and pretty good flexion. I weasr my ted hose still when I work. I have more pain at bedtime and when getting up from chairs, out of cars, and the like. I cannot kneel yet, knees feel too numb and " squishy?". Hard to describe.

I've heard many people say it can take a year for swelling to go away, but surely by 9 months I shouldn't have so much pain. Its almost as bad as before surgery on some days. Especially at bedtime.
Help!!

 

[RimRoc]

Hi @Kprune Sorry to hear your knees are still so painful. My surgical date was about the same as yours: 29 Nov 2013, so I'm at the 9 month mark too. I guess I'd say you've had a very difficult time!!!

I've been pretty fortunate: I can report some ongoing sense of 'tightness' which I describe as feeling like Saran Wrap is wound tightly around my knees - feels weird but isn't really painful. Other than that, I'm pretty much back at full steam, able to hike, climb trails on weekends, stand for long-ish periods (a couple of hours) without pain. Work full time as a nurse practitioner, in and out of my car, visiting patients all day. What DOES hurt is when I try for too much flexion or do a twisting bending motion (sitting cross-legged Indian style). I cannot kneel either - it's a killer! So I bend over or sit on a low stool if I have to do work where kneeling would be required. I've got plenty of other arthritic joints that still hurt, and my back gives me some twinges...but the knees are good.

Is your pain precisely in your KNEES??? or are you experiencing pain more related to back/spinal issues or muscle/tendon tightness through out the hips, quads and hamstrings? I know for sure that the de-conditioning that comes during recovery can throw off many other musclo-skeletal systems and generate a whole raft of discomforts. I found I lost the tone in all the muscles that helped me stand upright! Took weeks to get that back.

I guess the usual intervention for continued swelling is the old ice, elevate, rest routine. That said, it also sounds to me like you're experience is pretty far outside the usual one...when did you last check in with your physician and what did she/he have to say?

I wish I had more enlightening thoughts to offer. As a pain management practitioner I would certainly tell you to use pain meds to reach your functional goals for the sake of good sleep and avoiding depression.

Don't give up - go back to the docs to get a plan to get things better!!!

 

[Jamie]

So sorry to hear you're having significant discomfort. Have you been back to have a chat with your surgeon about it? If not, that might be a good next step. My feeling is that it's just soft tissue, though, and nothing really wrong with your implants. It actually can take a long time for some folks to lose that tight feeling and the swelling. On my last knee it was over a year! And I had what I thought was a great recovery at the beginning. It was just that one little thing that held on.

Don't be concerned about not kneeling yet. That is something that can really take a while and for some people it never really is comfortable (no pain really, just feels strange).

When did you go back to work? And....those 3 "nights" you work, are they the typical 12-hour, on your feet shifts nurses usually work? And are they three nights in a row? If the answer to either or both of those is "yes," then this is quite a push in terms of activity. If you started right back with that schedule, it's possible your knees just weren't quite ready for that.

Are you taking anything for pain when you hurt? I would. And ice...just like in recovery. Both these things should help some.

Please continue to let us know how you're getting along and hopefully we can help make things better. I'm going to tag @Josephine so she can comment too.

 

[Josephine]

I am almost 9 months out and still feel about like I did at 2 months. I still have major swelling, tightness and pain

Hi, Kprune. Guess what - I have some questions!

I'm going to ask you some questions and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine)

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

5. What is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

7. what kind of PT/exercises are you doing? How much and how often? (and detailed details would be appreciated, please! Reps, sets and session and all that)

Note:
If you're not familiar with this, it goes like so:
1 lift of a 500kg bell bar = 1 rep or repetition.
Doing 5 reps and then a brief rest = 1 set of 5.
And doing 5 sets and finishing = a session.