TKR Pain 2 years after TKR

[mlwreader]

Palming you off on a stranger is poor customer service, IMHO, unless you okay the switch ahead of the appointment.

@lovetocookandsew It may work differently in the UK? Depends on the health care plan too.

Tomorrow is another day @Mollymax. Maybe take a day or two to process it all and think it through and then you might be able to come up with a plan of action. It is so discouraging to get all geared up and then be blindsided like that. So sorry that happened to you.

 

[Mollymax]

Just very down. Tried asking questions about where I should be at this time what do I do next. She only said knee was fine. How she knew with a 30 second feel of my knee I don't know. Just told me to carry on as normal and to stop using sticks now. Tried that today at the shop and because of wobble in thigh and pain in other knee I am not walking right. Find myself walking on tiptoe on unoperated leg. So I am limping a fair bit. I just want to cry tonight. Hubby says phone and ask to see the surgeon but if she had wanted to see me she would of as I saw her go into the next room and she looked straight at me so I was shocked when I got this stranger.
So I have no idea what to do with my knees now. Haven't done any Elevating or anything today. Just sat on sofa and been upset. I have other things going on and I think this just was last straw.
You know I want to go out for a nice long walk as that always cheered me up. Very tempted to do that tomorrow.
Sorry for the moan people

 

[mlwreader]

@Mollymax (Like @Jockette always says)

 

[Spex10]

Oh dear. That's the good old NHS for you! What would you have wanted the OS to do or say? Re the wobble - stretching/strengthening exercises are bound to be suggested. However, at least you've got a slightly sooner appt re your other knee. By November it could be so bad it could get you straight to the top of the waiting list? Or even an emergency cancellation.
Realistically, it sounds like you really need to have both knees working OK (and I mean OK not necessarily brilliantly) before you can get rehabbing properly.
Try not to be downhearted, at least you have a bit of a plan with implications for timescale and a holiday coming up soon.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Just because some stranger who doesn't know you and didn't bother to examine you properly, tells you to lose the sticks, doesn't mean you can't use them. I still use my cane when I need to and will until I don't need to. If I'm having a good knee day, I don't use them; on a day when my knee hurts or is more swollen, I use them. As long as you're still limping and wobble, you need the assistance of a cane or two. Plus, you also have a bad knee that hasn't been replaced so you really need the help. This stranger was obviously going by some formula of when to stop using a walker, crutches, cane, whatever, and didn't factor in (or likely even know) all your other issues.

The other day I was having a really sharp stabbing pain in my upper thigh above my kneecap every time I put weight on my right leg, and I got out my walker for a bit as it was so painful I couldn't walk with just my cane. After that pain stopped, the walker went back into exile. If you need it, use it-no matter what anyone else says. Period.

 

[sistersinhim]

Those sticks are just for assistance and safety. That doctor doesn't know anything about you or your knees. Use those sticks as long as you feel the wobble. You do not need to be falling. They will help you to prevent that.

 

[Mollymax]

She just said ask the physio for exercises. Didn't even ask if still seeing physio. I dont see physio till 29th. Maybe by tomorrow I will feel a bit more upbeat. Heading back to caravan tomorrow till Tuesday. Then I pick up my new car. Lease was up on the car I had so have bought an older car rather than take a new lease . Now hubby says I have to keep working to pay for my car. After my meeting with manager and things I learned about my team I am unhappy about work.
I guess too I had my hopes built up I would get other knee done soon and I could get back to my walking events next year now it looks like that won't happen. As I am getting older it will come a time I can't enter these 26 mile events and I didn't want to lose another year next year.
Think we are in for a wet weekend which is probably a good thing or I would either go out a walk or try to take my bike out. I think this doctor I saw today more or less was saying to just get on with things now as she expected me to be fit for everything. That's just the impression I got .
Have come to bed as I'm a bit of a bad mood and taking it out in hubby. Of course when I told him what this doctor said (I shouldn't have) he now says right get out for a walk round Loch at caravan tomorrow without sticks which is 4 miles and we can go cycling on Sunday. Typical man who doesn't understand.
Oh well that's life and I just need to get on with it I suppose.

 

[sbcamp]

@Mollymax Am I correct that what I remember is you are about six weeks post surgery? If so, are they kidding??? 4 mile walk or ride your bike? I can’t even imagine!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mollymax]

@sbcamp I am 7 weeks post surgery. When doctor said to get out walking hubby took it literally and he said he would take me on a 4 mile walk. In his dreams. Both this strange doctor and hubby and of course my manager are making me feel I am milking this recovery.

 

[sistersinhim]

he now says right get out for a walk round Loch at caravan tomorrow without sticks which is 4 miles and we can go cycling on Sunday. Typical man who doesn't understand.
Oh well that's life and I just need to get on with it I suppose.

Don't you dare let your husband talk you into that! That would not only set your recovery way back, it would be dangerous!

 

[Mollymax]

@sistersinhim I won't be doing it and I told him that. He was used to me walking big miles and he can't understand this not going out. He is the kind of guy who runs through pain and thinks everyone should be the same as him. So I can shut him up what kind of timescale am I looking at before being able to do a walk of a few miles? I wish that doctor today hadnt more or less told me to get on with it. She told me to walk as much as I could to strengthen thigh muscles so hubby took her literally.

 

[sistersinhim]

Do it as much as your knees will let you, then stop! Remember, however far you go you'll have to turn around and come back.

 

[Spex10]

I suppose that they're not wrong about walking being good for strengthening thigh muscles but I'd have thought little and often would be more sensible. I use my stick when I'm outside the house.
Before the op the physio gave me some exercises to strengthen my quads. Are quads what you mean by thigh muscles?

 

[Mollymax]

@sistersinhim I must remind hubby about the out and back.
@Spex10 I will be taking my stick or my trekking pole out with me after all I did all my walks with trekking poles prior to surgery because my knees were too sore. I presume quads are what I mean. When I try to tighten my leg you can see the muscles up the front of my thighs shake. I wish I was seeing physio before 29th but I will be asking her all the questions as she was really lovely.

 

[mlwreader]

I would read @SusieShoes shoes thread re: walking as it was a big part of her recovery. She did it very sensibly and consistently. Started with a walk down her driveway as I remember, and she gradually increased it over time, all the while listening to what her knees were telling her. I second everyone else's comments that at 7 weeks a 4 mile walk and/or bike ride is not advised. I fear you would be paying for that dearly. Just walk around your caravan using your sticks as you said and you will be doing great!

 

[Mollymax]

Had another bad night. This not sleeping lark is getting beyond a joke. At least I had recorded a couple of TV programmes so I got up and watched them. I then went back to bed but was restless the rest of the night as both knees hurt and couldn't get comfy.
Went out a short walk. 15 mins out and 15 mins back with one dog and one stick. Tried to remember to bend my knee. Other knee was causing me more bother than operated one. It was sore walking. Operated one pain wise was only maybe a 1 or 2 at most. It did give way at one point. I wasn't sure if it was the knee that gave way or the thigh muscles but let's say it was bad enough that without my stick I may have fallen.
Hubby is trying to pressure me into phoning surgeons secretary in Monday but I think I will leave it for now. If other knee gets really bad I will go see doctor. Today it just kept clicking and it felt like it was moving and was very uncomfortable and painful. I don't know how much worse it might get though. So glad that I don't have that feeling in my other knee now.
Have got a nice chicken curry in oven for tea. At least I am back to cooking and getting nice meals again.

 

[Spex10]

Why not phone the OS's secretary? All you can do is ask? It might be worth a try?

 

[Mollymax]

Not in a good place today. Slept OK last night but in waking I knew my knee hurt. It's a pain on outside of knee but to the top of it rather than right in the knee. Hard to explain. It's painful to touch, very sensitive. The easiest way to describe it is if I say for the first time I feel I havent my own knee but I false one which feels hard. Does that make sense? Other knee is just pure agony. Walking on tip toe on it and when I am trying to walk I notice it is rigid, straight with no bend. It hurts too much to bend it. Took a short walk round caravan site and that was as far as both knees wanted to go.
Feel I have gone backwards. Thought I was doing really well too

 

[Spex10]

Oh dear. Did you have the cold damp weather we've got here? It rained all night and the mist hasn't lifted all day. I wondered if the general damp atmosphere could have had an effect on your knee joints? The other one really sounds in a bad way.
At least you slept OK!

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Remember-this recovery is a roller coaster. Some days you'll feel like you've made a lot of progress, only to hit another day where you feel you've gone backwards. The best thing to do instead of measuring progress on a daily basis is to look back a week, or two weeks, and so on.