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TKR Pain

Thank you Pumpkin for helping me. I have no idea what I'm doing concerning posting on the forum!!!
 
If you do Aqua therapy, do be careful that you don't overdo things. With the water taking much of your weight, it is very easy to do too much without realising it - until you get on dry land again and find out how exhausted you are!
 
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I loved, loved, loved getting in the pool. I had access to a warm water pool, but also used a "regular" one. You don't necessarily need anything formal, though it would be great to get some pointers to start. Walking & jogging in the shallow end & doing small squats (not deep knee bends) can really help. Plus, it's more social and normal-feeling than going to a PT clinic. (Of course get your doctor's OK first on whether your incision is healed enough.)
 
Having trouble sleeping was a problem for me too. My surgeon told me it is the number one complaint he gets after TKR. I was told it gets a lot better at about 8 weeks, and it did! Hang in there and sleep when you can!
 
I did aquacize with my original knees, before even that became painful. It helped keep my muscles strong. My OS didn't want me to return to the water (I also love to swim) until he'd cleared me. I'm not sure what he was looking for, but he cleared me at my 8 week appointment. Take it easy at first.
 
I love my water exercises! They really loosen everything up.
Just remember to start slowly as it is easy to overdo it in the water.
You mustn't go in the pool though unless your incision is completely healed. That is probably why you OS wanted to 'clear' you @SusieShoes. :)
 
It can be very easy to overdo exercise in the water. I love swimming and in the summer I lap swim 4 days a week, but I didn't get back in the pool until quite a while after my TKR. Water creates a natural resistance similar to using weights and that's not good for a new knee. I think waiting until you're at least 3 months post op before doing water exercise is wise. Remember, you're just coming up on 1 month post op and activity should be limited. Here's a link to the Activity progression for TKRs just as a refresher.
 
I never had official water PT; however, I was going back in the water after 8 weeks. I did light stretches and just overall movement. Actually only walked maybe 4 lengths of the pool at that time. And...very cautiously as I had read on here how deceiving it can feel while you're in the water and that over doing it can hit later. I will say, it definitely makes my joint feel better. And it was very mentally uplifting being able to work my whole body. Plus, I could swim without kicking my legs at all, so that gave me a "workout" without overdoing my TKR. During recovery, I had a stitch abscess (dissolvable knot did not dissolve) and my OS kept me out of the pool about 1 1/2 months until that stitch spit and spot healed. Can't get in that water until your OS gives you the approval. :)
 
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Hey All, sorry for all the chaos I've caused by starting a new thread with each question I've asked! I'm a total ding dong and the pain meds just add to the dinginess
 
I'm 5 weeks post op and obviously impatient! I'm so tired of the stiffness, tight feeling and swelling. Icing, elevating and medicating, when will this throbbing pain go away? Sorry, this old girl is having a bad day
 
Sorry you are having a bad day. I honestly would send you patience if I had any to spare. I find this rehab takes every little bit I can scrounge up.
 
If you find that Aqua therapy is something you like to do, but standing on the pool bottom causes discomfort, you can ask if it is possible to ease into the range of motion and other exercises in the deep end of the pool while wearing a flotation belt. Just take it easy so you do not join the O(ver) D(id) I(t) C(lub). A friend had a bilateral TKR in August 2015 and eased back into the pool in November 2015, and says that it helped him with his recovery.

Just to reiterate, clear your entry into Aqua PT with your surgeon.
 
Just wanted to know how others are fairing or faired at 5 weeks post op. I still have to take 5 mg of Percocet, 4 times each day, along with Acetaminophen and Advil. I'm I taking too much medication? Also, if I try to go more than 6 hours between meds, my knee, shin area is throbbing and shooting pain.
I do take 10 mg of Ambien in order to sleep at night, but pain still awakens me each morning. Is it normal to still have the tourniquet, concrete knee at this point?
I'm still so emotional! I cry many times a day. Shouldn't I be past the post-op blues?
Thank you for any input. After reading post from so many others, I feel I'm not healing like I should be.
 
You will hear this over and over and over again, different people heal at different rates. At 6 months post op I am still trying to grasp that! I am still rather emotional, but I am anyway, but more so since surgery.

I think your pain level is par for the course at this point. Look back over the recovery articles you got and read the one "Where are you in recovery" and take it to heart.

I was 5 weeks post op at Easter and went out to dinner and my knee down to my ankle swelled big time by the time I got home.

This is a very long slow recovery. And it's so easy to panic when something unexpected comes up. I still do! I've never done this before and this recovery is not what I expected.

Hang in there, better days are ahead.
 
Well I didn't see that article in your list but hopefully someone will post the link for you, I'm not sure how to do that on my phone.

You could try a search for it. It's an excellent article!
 
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