I guess by doing more than I should makes me feel normal, but if I hurt what do I gain…..
That's a wise thought. You may feel "normal" for the moment, but at what cost? You're fooling yourself to think you can bounce back quickly from this very major surgery just because you want to.
You cannot force your body to heal. It will do so on its own terms despite anything you do. Instead of thinking you need to be "normal," consider that you ARE normal for whatever stage of recovery you're in. Take time to actually listen to the signals your body is giving you as to what it needs to successfully heal. When you have pain and swelling, that's your body saying "I'm not quite ready for that yet. Time to scale it back and try again in another few days or so." This is a conversation between you and your knee (or any other parts that hurt). It shouldn't involve input from anyone else, as they are not you. Each person and their recovery is unique. Please try to give yourself
permission to heal on your own terms instead of the expectations of others or even yourself, if you're trying to get back to your old lifestyle too soon.
Many patients have difficulty giving up "control" over their situation when they have joints replaced. But you must. You simply cannot control how fast you recover. Instead, your "control" lies in the strength you show to tell others you're healing on your own schedule and you're listening to your body's signals before attempting to increase your exercise, social activity, or anything else in your life that requires you to move, sit, or stand at a level that will result in pain later. Remember, all this is temporary and you will heal and get back to the life you want. How fast you are able to do that will depend on your strength to pay attention to your body signals and not continue to keep your knee and leg inflamed like it is now. That only delays your recovery even more.
You do have this strength. We're here to help and support you once you make the commitment to pay attention to what your body is telling you. Everyone here has been through at least some of what you're going through and we do understand. It's obvious that what you've been doing the past few months isn't working. Please consider trying our recommended approach for the next couple of months and I'm betting you'll start to see the improvements you're looking for. Hang in there! This is tough surgery and recovery for most people. You can do it!
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