TKR Questions 8 months from surgery

[Mickimouse]

Gosh darn, you start to feel good, then the hurting is back, ugh…..this is my 12th week post op, my ROM is 110 flexion, 0 extension….. it is such a slow recovery for me, ugh……still hurts to bend knee and walk. I have surgeon appointment next Wednesday and hoping he will give me the ok to take water therapy! I would like to start driving too but a bit scared that my knee may not hold up……my si nerve won’t heal until my gait gets better as with my Achilles’ tendon. How many people have all those problems after tkr? So sad, I can’t seem to get out of the depression…….

 

[Arjay]

Sistersinhim: Thank you! For that link to the IB band info. I've had on again-off again 'pinch' in outer mid-thigh. Some PT work (now, a good 6 weeks or more ago) seemed to help, but it's been rearing up again, sometimes multiple times a day. Self-massage does seem to help and will def try the stretches.

 

[Mickimouse]

For anyone who didn’t push your knee to bend, when did you achieve good flexibility and what was your ROM?

 

[Jockette]

I don’t know what my number is, but after a very slow first year, my ROM improved quite a lot in my second year, as did my function (ROM is not everything!) as my whole leg continued to heal and relax.

Remember, you just had a busy weekend with a wedding, early in your recovery. You will need extra time of get over that extra activity.

I stressed and worried about every little ache and pain in my recovery, because it wasn’t going “like everyone else’s” and other people made me feel like a failure. I’m very sensitive (look up “the highly sensitive person”) so I took it hard.

Two and three years later (it’s five+ years now) with much improvement, I got pretty angry about all the stress people caused me early in recovery with their opinions about how fast I should do….(fill in the blank)

Try to relax. Many of us felt just like you do at 3 months. Your recovery is not slow, it’s actually quite average.

 

[Mickimouse]

Thanks Jockette! This is why I love BoneSmart!

 

[Mickimouse]

Can anyone tell me when they could start sleeping in their side especially with the surgical side up? I have been trying but at times I get a weird pain on the outer back of the knee that aches for a bit, and also sleeping this way just still doesn’t feel right‍. I never liked sleeping on my back but now find it the only way I can sleep….also I start out in bed, but always around 3 am go back to recliner.

 

[Jockette]

I never got back to sleeping in on my side.

I’m comfortable on my back if I keep my legs elevated, and I still sleep this way.

 

[Rain Dancer]

It probably took 5 months until I could sleep on my side. I still put a pillow between my knees when the operated side is up because of a tight popliteus that causes the exact pain that you have described. Popliteus release exercises have helped quite a bit and I recommend that you research them. For example, placing a foam roller under the painful area or using a tennis ball and then moving back and forth really helps.

 

[Mickimouse]

Thanks , I will look up popliteus, I see my surgeon on Wednesday it will be interesting to see if he can give me that same answer or will I get the answer it will take a year and no explanation.

 

[hawk2go]

I slept on my side from the beginning and it started to get comfortable after several months. Of course it was very painful for those 1st couple months. Sleeping in a recliner or on my back just didn't work. I used a long pillow with an indentation sewn down the center that was perfect to keep my knees from touching and my feet aligned with the knees. The pain was unbearable early on when the foot dropped lower than the knee. I also learned to not stack my knees (place one leg slightly behind the other) at some point when that no longer hurt. Unfortunately, if I needed to switch sides, it required so much effort that I woke and stayed awake for hours.

 

[Mickimouse]

I am still having trouble with the shooting pain in the back of my knee when I move in bed. It sure sounds like the popliteus tendon problem. I pray i can get it to go away …if that pain would go away and the tightness at the knee would subside, also a bit more energy I would be good to go…..I really want to start driving but a little apprehensive. Doctor appointment tomorrow, will be interesting what he will say about everything.

 

[hawk2go]

Keep us posted on what the doctor thinks.

 

[Mickimouse]

Well can you believe it, my surgeon had a death in the family so appointment was cancelled but I am seeing his PA on Thursday. Behind knee pretty swollen…… I am really depressed and feel I will never get better I am so sad

 

[Dancingqueen]

I’m sorry. Hang in there. Pain sucks!

 

[Mickimouse]

Am I behind significantly? ROM 98 flexation, -5 extension.

There is no such thing as "ahead" or "behind" when it comes to recovering from knee replacement surgery. Each of us starts this recovery in a different place and each of us recovers at our own rate.

This is a year-long recovery. I found this chart really helpful in understanding why it takes so long:

At just 7 weeks, it's very likely that you still have a lot of internal swelling -- and that prevents you from bending and straightening your knee! If you are overdoing the exercises, that may be making the swelling worse.

Your knee WILL get better. It just needs time.

In the meantime, we are here to help and support you.

Sorry I did something to post this I just wanted to see the chart. Lol I didn’t know how to get rid of it

 

[benne68]

Here you go, @Mickimouse. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Jockette]

Sorry I did something to post this I just wanted to see the chart ‍ Lol I didn’t know how to get rid of it

I’m not sure how that sign happens, but one of the staff members will edit it out.

 

[Mickimouse]

Saw Dr’s Physician yesterday and he felt pleased with my progress…….I don’t get it, I mean I am walking better but with some pain, I tore easy, he felt that is part of the proceeds. he did say pains should subside within 5 months to a year. He said he will address the pain in back of knee to butt if it doesn’t improve by 5th month. He thinks it could be ITBand. He also said stop worrying about ROM #’s……he said I am walking and that is what is important now. I can also start water therapy! So the appointment went good, I just don’t feel like the knee will ever get there. Also my Achilles is flared on other leg, I’m falling apart, ugh…….anyway at least he was not pushing the ROM, which I got to 108 without PT pushing and 0 extension. Tuesday will be 3 months, seems like 6.

 

[Jockette]

You are coming along well. You are having an average recovery. 3 months is 25% healed.

Be careful in water therapy. It’s easy to overdo and not realize it.

Recently I compared this recovery to baking cookies. My chocolate chip cookies take 12 minutes to completely bake. If I take them out earlier, at 2 minutes, 4, 8 or whatever, they will only be partially baked, and not all that tasty, because they’re not done yet.

The same is true of our knee at 2 months, or 3 months, etc. It needs time to finish healing.

 

[Mickimouse]

The PA said when your knee stops radiating warmth (he had me compare my non surgical knee vs the one surgical knee to feel the difference in temperature) that tells you that the knee is still healing…….when it is the same temp as the non surgical knee, the knee is healed!

Also, PA after examining the back of my knee said I have a bakers cyst, he said not to worry about it…….anyone have this after tkr? He said it’s common……is there anything I can do to make it go away? I can’t find it….asked if it could be drain, PA said it would only come back….that prognosis kind of scared me….even though he said it is not something to worry about…..