TKR Recovery Questions

[NavyGunns]

@AliK, you are only 7 weeks since your surgery, so what you are experiencing IS normal. To all those others who insist on telling you what you should do, aren’t doing, how good others were doing at the same point in time, my advice is for you to tell them “Go get a life of their own!” Unless they have experienced what you are experiencing, they should just keep their opinions to themselves.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Even those who've been through this can't tell you where you "should" be at any given point. Every single body heals at different paces and no two knees are exactly alike. Anyone who tries to tell me where their friend, relative, neighbor or Joe Schmoe the 92 year old marathon runner who ran a 5k at two weeks, gets an eye roll from me. Even if I believed them for a second, they'd still get the eye roll from me, and maybe a laugh along with a head shake. And nothing else! I have better things to do than to listen to , let alone reply to it.

You are only at 7 weeks-49 days into at least 365 days of your recovery.....let that sink in and you'll realize you're still in the early days. I'm ahead of you in days, but I'm still icing and elevating a lot each day and all night. When I don't, I pay for it in pain and swelling. It's frustrating to feel mentally great while physically not great, but that's what it takes to get your life back. And I want my life back so am doing my time, even if I complain along the way sometimes.

Ignore the "know-it-alls" and listen to your knee and your body and you'll do well.

 

[AliK]

Mutti3, Jockette, Dizzy, NavyGunns and lovetocookandsew

Thank you all so much! I’m sorry to keep needing reassurance! I think my optimistic attitude is all used up for this week. But I just can’t express how much it means to hear from you who have traveled this road. (Did you have people telling you that you shouldn’t listen to anyone on the Internet??) I wouldn’t know who to turn to sometimes without you!! Thank you again!! Hugs to you all!

 

[Jockette]

The biggest shock of my recovery was how EVERYONE felt the need to comment on my recovery and rate it (pass/fail) and the most common phrase was “do your exercises “! That comment always sent my blood pressure up as I preferred to follow Bonesmart’s sensible and gentle recovery approach.

Bonesmart is a life saver!

 

[AliK]

@katchmo
I am basically only doing the parts of therapy that feel good. Trying to push sometimes, but that usually bites me in the behind. I enjoy peddling my recumbent exercise bike at no resistance. And I am listening to you all. Thank you for your encouragement! (And because of everyone’s input, I was able to wait until 6 wks to return to work.)

 

[Jacimarble]

I’m just hoping that someone who’s actually been there/done that will tell me this is normal...

This is normal!! Mind you what is normal for you may not be what is normal for me!!! Or for any (idiot) Joe Schmoe who is running marathons!
My TKR was about a week after yours AliK - I am still using crutches to walk most of the time, I am still icing and elevating every day, i am only doing whatever PT my knee feels like - gentle stretches and walking mostly. The only person who can tell me what my knee recovery feels like is me and while I might hope that someone can say it will all be good next week, next month or whenever in reality my knee will recover in its own time at its own pace and nothing anyone else can say or do is going to change that.
Sorry that you have come across such negative people in your recovery, AliK!

 

[Celle]

Just about EVERYONE - including me - thinks I should be doing better at 7 wks post op. People ask me what went wrong; they wonder if I had an infection; they all tell me about their elderly mothers, brothers, friends, neighbors - people who had both knees done, and they all tell me how great these said people were doing at four weeks, six weeks, etc. They ask if I didn’t do my therapy; they all feel compelled to remind me how important it is to do my therapy. I want to say, “Yes! I did, and I’m doing my therapy!!!” (Sorry. Don’t mean to kick the proverbial dog. Please know I’m just venting.) Even my husband has taken to telling everyone that I just don’t handle medical procedures well. Grr.

Everyone else has given you good advice about this, and I agree with them all.

You are doing just fine, having a perfectly normal recovery, along with all the worry and frustration that accompany such a long recovery. No one who hasn't had a knee replacement can truly understand what it's like. Even your surgeon only sees people a couple of times post-op. He/she has no idea about the daily grind of recovery.

People who have had a TKR can forget how tedious the recovery was, and friends who see their acquaintances during recovery only see them for a short time They don't see what the other 23 hours of the day are like.

Tell your friends something like "You don't have to worry about me. My knee knows what it's doing, and it's doing OK."
If they can't take that hint, I'd be tempted to say something more blunt. I'm reminded of the woman in the movie, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", who told her husband: "When I want your opinion, I'll tell you what to say!"

Your husband is probably like many people, who expect everyone to be recovered from surgery by about 6 weeks post-op. Recovery from a TKR is different and it's normal for it to take a long time.
He might understand better if he reads this and looks at the photos in it:
TKR surgery - WARNING: real life photos

He might even watch this video:

 

[svo1956]

@AliK - my surgery was the day before yours. I have started to dread people asking how I’m doing, not because I’m not doing ok, but because if I tell them I’m walking and driving and taking care of myself, I know they are wondering why I’m not back to all the demands of normal life.

I’m lucky and not back to work for 4 more weeks, and my job will be very demanding (mentally and lots of sitting) when I go back, with a commute as well. I am concerned about it, so I can imagine how hard it is to be working now. We can all say and think just don’t pay attention to what other people think, but it affects us nonetheless.

When you look normal (whatever that means ) and it’s been 7 weeks, people just don’t understand all the really challenging invisible aspects to this recovery. I can’t even explain to anyone why I’m not sleeping and how that’s affecting me every day.

I can say I went through this 3 years ago and it was very similar for me, and after 6 months life really did seem almost normal. I hope you can do things to be good to yourself - after a horrible night last night I am starting today trying to decide what I can do that might feel good instead of all the things I think I “should” do. Take good care!

 

[NavyGunns]

@svo1956, very well said from someone who has obviously been there and done that!

 

[Josephine]

.

 

[AliK]

I see lots of old posts about post op blues, but I would really like to hear from people who are currently recovering. Right now, (8 weeks post op) I feel like the choice to have the TKR was the biggest mistake of my life. I know it’s a 52 week recovery, but I can’t really wrap my head around that... because I feel like I’m going to be struggling with pain and dysfunction for 44 more weeks. Intolerable. And what if it takes longer??
I’m writing this because I want there to be a record for the future... so that I don’t forget these feelings and tell someone, “It’s not too bad” - because it actually is.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Did you have people telling you that you shouldn’t listen to anyone on the Internet??

The people you should not listen to are those who have no experience of TKR; that's your husband and all your friends, right?

8 weeks is fairly early days. Just remember the guidelines and don't do anything that causes pain at the time of doing it, or pain or swelling in the following 24 hours

 

[Roy Gardiner]

enjoy peddling my recumbent exercise bike at no resistance.

• Set the bike to zero resistance (as you are doing)
• Set the saddle low enough so that a single rotation is a challenge; difficult but not painful. When a rotation becomes easy right from the start, lower the saddle a max of 1cm.
• Gently turn the pedals, through discomfort but without pain.
• Continue until the knee is 'warmed up' and the rotation is now easy, or for 2 minutes, whichever is the shorter time.
• Repeat several/many times a day, but don't go mad. Diminishing returns will apply; my guess is that half a dozen reps would be enough
• Do not pedal fast or for more than 2 minutes, this is a stretching exercise, not training.
• And if you get any pain or swelling in the 24 hours after doing this, cut it down until you don't

Here is a bit more chat and some pix and how 'healing' and 'training' are different

 

[Celle]

Right now, (8 weeks post op) I feel like the choice to have the TKR was the biggest mistake of my life. I know it’s a 52 week recovery, but I can’t really wrap my head around that... because I feel like I’m going to be struggling with pain and dysfunction for 44 more weeks. Intolerable. And what if it takes longer??
I’m writing this because I want there to be a record for the future... so that I don’t forget these feelings and tell someone, “It’s not too bad” - because it actually is.

I think almost everyone still feels at 8 weeks that they made a mistake in having the surgery. Later on, you'll realise that it was one of the best decisions of your life.

I know it's a very long recovery, but what you're forgetting is that you aren't going to continue to feel as bad as you feel now for a whole year. Where you are now is not where you will be for another 44 weeks. Your knee is a work in progress, not the finished article.

Your body and your knee are healing and you will gradually feel less and less pain and discomfort.
You will gradually be able to do more things, without feeling sore or tired.
You're going to experience a progression of improvement.

Yes, you'll still have good days and bad days, because this recovery isn't a straight linear progression,. It's more like a roller coaster - but the general tendency is towards an overall improvement.

Don't anticipate feeling bad for a whole 44 weeks more, because you won't.

Plan little treats for yourself, short outings to give you a change of scenery.

Think of all the things you will be able to do, that you couldn't do with your arthritic knee. What did you give up doing because your arthritic knee stopped you? Chances are you'll be able to do it again when your knee is healed.

I know that before I had my first knee replacement I had become almost housebound.
After that PKR had healed, I started to travel again. That new knee gave me back the life I had wanted, and I travelled the world.

And if your recovery takes little longer than a year - some do, but most don't - you aren't going to feel like you do now. You may just have a few minor problems that will gradually resolve themselves.

 

[Josephine]

I see lots of old posts about post op blues, but I would really like to hear from people who are currently recovering.

Well that would be most of us! You could browse this thread though even that is not uptodate currently Depression/post-op blues - open for all

I feel like I’m going to be struggling with pain and dysfunction for 44 more weeks

I'd really like to offer you some structured advice but in order to do that, I also need to ask you some questions. Are you willing for me to do that?

 

[DLR]

@AliK i think as much as we read ahead and think we are prepared the blues still surprise us. I am just over 4 weeks and I told my husband I am just feeling done with this...with pain , lack of sleep, lack of normal social interaction, even the comfy recliner nest isn’t so appealing anymore...even 4 weeks feels like so much longer...keep on holding on everyone here says it gets better, we are just not there yet

 

[AliK]

@Celle Thank you. I know these things, and I thank you for your encouragement. I just want to remember the struggle because it is extreme. I do have to work. It is not an option, and I had to return 2½ weeks ago. I know that this is not helping my attitude as I am exhausted. I have used up all my sick leave with the knee, and my paycheck is docked severely for each day I miss now.

I do feel that I should have trusted my own gut a bit more. I wanted to wait another year (until school is out next summer), but my family really pushed me to go ahead. They had seen my times of struggle, but I’m not sure I was ready. When my knee flared, I couldn’t take one step without pain, but when it was calm, I could do quite a bit pain-free. So maybe my family caused me to take the leap before I - or my knee - was ready. In the future, I will never let anyone - even those who love me - push me into such a big decision.

Thanks for reaching out. I know it will get better.

@DLR Thanks. You said it! I am so done with this. I get up every morning, wishing that somehow, my knee would just magically feel better. But when my foot hits the ground, I am painfully reminded of the difficult day ahead. It is a real struggle for me to be chipper and see the bright future right now. I’m so sorry to be a downer.

 

[Josephine]

Did you see I asked you if you'd like me to leave my questions?

I had to return 2½ weeks ago.

So let me ask you -

how many days/hours are you working?
how far do you have to commute to work?
are you still having to do your household chores, family meals and shopping?
are you still doing exercises/PT?​

 

[DLR]

@AliK dont apologize for being down, you encourage me because it feels very lonely..my posts have me saying sorry over and over for being a whiner.. but this is hard. Hang in there my friend

 

[AliK]

@Josephine I am working regular hours - 5 days a week, M-F. I have to be there by 7:40 AM, and I leave about 4 to 4:15 unless I have required meetings. Work is only 15 mins away.

I am not doing much at home - feeding my dogs, making my lunch, occasionally straightening things up, doing a bit of laundry, and I am not shopping.

I am doing exercise because the knee feels worse if I don’t - very stiff and tight. Still using one crutch because of pain and because I can’t really walk correctly without it.