Hi
@Go go girl
I'm glad you found us. We'll be here to help and advise, and listen to you. I'm sure you'll find some friends here who are at about the same stage of recovery as you are.
It does take about teh same length of time to recover from a partial knee replacement (PKR) as from a total (TKR), so don't feel frustrated if progress seems to be slow.
Do make sure that your pain is well controlled - phone your doctor if the medication combination isn't working properly, and ask for it to be reviewed.
Your main job right now is to spend lots of time resting,m icing and elevating your leg, and taking your pain medications on schedule. Getting yourself the odd cups of tea won't do any harm, but try to avoid cooking meals.
It's probably safer to use both crutches for now, and only walk with one when you really have to.
Never let a physio (PT) hurt, force, push on, or overwork your knee. That is counter-productive. Instead, speak up to protect your knee, so that it gets a chance to heal well.
Here is the BoneSmart recovery reading list for you - lots of useful information here:
First are the BoneSmart mantras ....
-
rest,
elevate,
ice and
take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist (PT) - to do it to you. Exercise only gently
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lie down!
Next is a
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) thread.
And here are some very crucial articles
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Activity progression for TKRs
Heel slides and how to do them
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
So that we can see it at the bottom of every post you make, and thus advise you appropriately, please will you create a Signature, in which you put your knee surgery and its date in full? Write the name of the month, so there’s no confusion.
Hover over your username, top right of the page, and select Signature from the drop-down box. Enter your surgery details and then save. This article also explains how to do it:
How to create a signature
If you can’t do it, please let us know, so that we can do it for you. Thank you.