TKR One month out from surgery, what should a typical day look like?

[Celle]

I've asked for this thread to be combined with all your others. Please don't keep starting new threads.
If you're having trouble finding your threads this will help:
How can I find my threads and posts?

 

[Bikesouth]

You probably will not have a typical day for another month or so. Listen to your knee and give it time to heal. Concentrate on elevation and ice.
I type this as I sit with an ice pack that has been on my knee for over 3 hours.

At 4 weeks you will experience ups & downs. Tomorrow you might not be able to do what you did Saturday. Cabin fever will take hold you just have to be patient.

 

[violinone]

I teach K-4 music and went back last week (6 weeks) I modified some of my classes so I was able to sit several times a day and iced on my lunch and breaks. I don't care how far along you are on therapy (I feel I am) it's hard and no way to keep swelling down. I made sure that I went straight home at 3:30 and put my knee up and iced most of the night when not doing my therapy I still use the ice machine all night too. This weekend I rested.
As for pain I was on Percocet every 4 hours and trammadol every 6. I was off Percocet by week 3. Now at week 7 I only take an Alieve to get me through the day. Occasionally I will take tramodol at night if needed but find that the ice does well.

 

[Knee2016]

I'm sorry about the new thread. Not sure of the rules, so please forgive the mistake.

 

[Celle]

That's OK. You'll learn quickly, I'm sure.
We do like you to keep all your posts in one thread, because it makes it much easier to see your history and progress and for you to see the answers to your questions. It will also serve as a diary of your recovery. If you're having a bad day, you'll be able to look back and see how far you've progressed, which can be comforting.

 

[Jamie]

I'm sorry about the new thread. Not sure of the rules, so please forgive the mistake.

It's okay....just remember that this is now your official recovery thread and the place where you will post updates, questions or concerns. I have now merged all of your threads into this one. With some time, you'll have a wonderful journal of your recovery. It helps to go back now and then and read your old posts here so you can see how much progress you've made in recovery.

If at any time you want a different thread title, just post what you what in this thread and we'll get it changed for you.

 

[Clipless]

When I rest and keep my leg elevated and ice frequently, I don't have swelling... It doesn't seem like a good idea to sit with my leg elevated all day and do nothing else...

At only one month post op you should be resting, elevating, and icing a lot. Your knee is already telling you this loud and clear. And you're not doing nothing, you are healing.

 

[shrdlu]

What should you do 1 month post op? This is what my PT told me (on my 1st knee replacement). I was allowed to go to one store for 30 minutes, and I was to ride in the electric wheelchair when in that 1 store. (I was stupid and didn't...and I paid for it in a swollen leg and pain.) I was allowed to cook quick meals. I was not supposed to be on my leg for an hour or more. I was to quit using the walker and walk with a cane for another month (not everyone 1 month out was allowed to quit using the walker, but everyone one month out still was supposed to use some sort of walking aid). I was not supposed to sit with the leg bent. I was not supposed to do much of anything around the house except occasional quick, light housework...and then I was to rest again. And yes, sitting with the leg flat or elevated was what I was supposed to be doing most of the time. The reason is that at 1 month post op, your leg still wants to swell at the drop of a hat. Control the swelling, and you control the pain. Control the swelling, and you get bend faster and the leg loosens up faster. Control the swelling, and you can do more later. Control the swelling by not being on your feet so much. By feeling like you are being "lazy" now, you are speeding up your healing time.

At exactly 1 month out, I needed to take my daughter to have oral surgery. I drove about 45 minutes, sat around the doctor's office (with the leg up on their couch), and tried not to stand or walk too much. Then I drove her back home. So I was out and about for a half day (4 hours?), but I wasn't doing much during that time. I certainly wasn't doing anything that seemed stressful on the leg. Yet, with that little bit of being on my feet and sitting in car with the knee bent, it caused problems. The result was a painfully swollen leg that took a couple days to reverse. That is an example of what you should not be doing at 1 month out.

 

[referee54]

One month seems like a long time, but, in reality, you are very, very early in recovery. We tend to get some type of "cabin fever" and think that, since it has been a month, that we should be doing more or that we should be able to do more.

Remember also that everybody is different, and that your recovery is as unique as you are.

Here is an article that may help you.

Where are you in recovery?? (tkr)

 

[referee54]

I can tell you that, at about 4 or 41/2 weeks, I was cleared to drive.

I ran an errand for about 1/2 hour, and it wiped me out for the rest of the day. I slept and iced my knees for the entire afternoon and into the evening.

Your day is much like a day in boot camp. Don't look ahead---do not worry about things---just get through the present time.

 

[Josephine]

If you are on FMLA and your OS says you need to be out from work then legally there is no way you can be fired.

I know our two countries are different in many ways, but here in the UK, a company is able get rid of an employee who is unfit to do their job. It's termination on health grounds and is usually spelled out in great detail in the employment contract. In this country, the employer has to get evidence from sickness absences and reports from whatever medical agency they have at their disposal, being the patient's GP, the surgeon and also an Occupational Health Advisor (doctor or nurse), to confirm that this individual is presently unable to carry out the tasks their employment contract depicts. If this be the case, it is perfectly legal for the employer to terminate their contract.

 

[sleepilu]

. It's not just the work, but getting showered, dressed, getting there all add to the exhaustion.

Haha! You're soon right @KarriB! I was trying to explain to a friend of mine only this morning, how getting up showered and dressed is my new part time job!!


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[referee54]

Haha! You're soon right @KarriB! I was trying to explain to a friend of mine only this morning, how getting up showered and dressed is my new part time job!!

We do not recognize, in the early days of returning to work---of all of the effort that actually does go into getting to work. As @KarriB stated, there is a great deal of logistical issues involved---and then we have to remember either driving, taking public transportation, etc.----and then reversing everything at the end of the day!

 

[KarriB]

I just remember after I pushed to to go back to work part time, I'd stand at the kitchen window at 5:30 am looking out into the blackness and think, "why did I want to go back?"

 

[karol723]

@Knee2016, I had my RTKR on Dec 7th. one week before yours. I find it difficult knowing how much activity is the right amount too. My knee lets me know when I've overdone it, but by then its too late. Sometimes even if I've done all the right stuff it still hurts. Need to remember what our knees have gone through and hang in there for awhile. By dinnertime I usually am looking for my recliner and ice pack, I think this is fairly normal. Need to know when to stop for the day and just take care of ourselves. I take 50mg of Tramadol every 5 to 6 hours. I can't handle most medications, so I try not to take anything additional. Thank goodness for ice !!! Hope you're doing OK.

 

[sleepilu]

By feeling like you are being "lazy" now, you are speeding up your healing time.

6 weeks today since my op and a visitor this morning found it hard to believe that I'm not bored. I think after years of running myself into the ground, working hard and pushing on in pain I am quite enjoying the luxury of "being lazy" too much to get bored.

 

[Knee2016]

@karol723, I can so relate to what you said. Last night I didn't get to sleep until 3AM. And to think bedtime used to be something I loved every day! Today, I propped and iced for most of the day. I tried to not stay up for more than 30 minutes at a time. This site has made me think and helped me to re-evaluate what I've been told. I'm going to start listening to my knee instead of pushing myself. My hope is for sleep tonight. I don't think I can take another sleepless night.

@sleepilu, Both of my knees are shot and I have spinal stenosis and bulging discs in my back. I can so relate to years of pain and pushing through. I was looking forward to recuperating from surgery just so I could rest a bit. But instead, I have been pushing myself like before. I think it's time for some laziness for both of us!

 

[theresav]

That seems like a lot of activities for 4 weeks out. I would pull back a bit and rest more. I think the more you rest in the beginning. .the better the outcome. Just because scar is healed doesn't mean inside is. I'm 6 weeks today and get lots of pain if I am out for too long. Ice.. put leg up and I still need more pain meds than you. My doctor said best to plan 3 months to heal. Good luck!!

left knee 9/21/15
right knee 11/30/15

 

[theresav]

You need to rest more. Your leg is talking to you and it's angry. My dr told me that my leg would tell me when I did too much. You seem like the type that can't sit still. Get into a good book. Nap. Watch TV or music. This recovery is about patience.

left knee 9/21/15
right knee 11/30/15

 

[Knee2016]

Went to outpatient physical therapy today for my first visit. She was talking to me about needing to walk every day, increasing how far and the time that I walked each day. Was curious also what exercises you did at 4 weeks?