TKR Six months out, healing slow and painful (not like first tkr)

[music lover]

@Jaycey @sistersinhim Thank you!

 

[music lover]

Anyone else struggling to get a good night’s (or even a half night’s) sleep?
Silly question. Of course you are. Any helpful hints? I mean I vaguely remember this from 6 years ago when I had other knee replaced but don’t recall it being this bad. Nine weeks out.

 

[Carmencita]

Hi @music lover

I’ve been reading your thread and I am sorry you’re having problems sleeping. As I am still waiting for my op I’m afraid I can’t help, but I’m sure there are lots who can and they will reach out to you. All I can offer is that there are many websites offering help with sleep - I listened to a podcast the other day from the founder of a site called Headspace and I think they have advice for sleep (although I do understand your problem is due to pain, not other issues). I’m trying to read as much as I can so I can be as prepared as possible about what to expect. I hope you are finding that laying off the PT a little may be helping you, and following the BoneSmart philosophy on PT?

I notice your history says you have osteoporosis and I was wondering if this caused any problems with your surgery? Do you know if you had to have a long stemmed prosthesis? I have osteopenia and my OS says he may have to use a long stem depending on what state my bones are in.

Best wishes finding healthy recovery and sleep!

 

[Jockette]

Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

Time and again members complain about not being able to sleep and after a while, that it gets to making them feel frustrated, despairing, depressed and even ill. I thought perhaps a short treatise on the reasons for disturbance of sleep patterns was long overdue. It won't help you to sleep but...

bonesmart.org

 

[Goma]

My surgery was one week prior to you and I've had a spot of pain on the outside of my knee to the side from the beginning. It's my last area of pain. I saw my OS at my 8week check up and he said x rays were good and that the pain will resolve in time and it slowly is. Also that area was painful prior to surgery so maybe that's why it's taking longer to heal. I find that if I do too much during the day that area hurts more so now if I feel pain I back off. Stairs are the worst so I'm waiting before I go ahead tackling those. Give your leg a rest and see what happens. No advice on sleep, some nights good, others bad, sleep equals healing so grab what you can. No stress, pain pops up and we worry but it'll get better. Last night I had a new mystery pain behind my knee, this morning it's gone so today I'm taking it easy and see what happens.

 

[music lover]

Thanks @Goma for sharing your experience. That’s why this site is so helpful to so many going through the same thing. Better each day. Sleep slowly improving. However, I make sure I do gentle stretches every day, don’t miss a day, just not too taxing if I am in pain. I feel, at this stage, it’s not wise to go too long without stretching or keeping the knee active, just my opinion...just space it out and don’t go crazy. I guess the secret is just knowing the difference between pain that you work through and that which is high and requiring rest. Keep on healing!

 

[gia2cats]

This is my second TKR and I have that same pain. It’s the only area that still bothers me, especially coming down steps, leg over leg. But it was also that area on my previous TKR that seemed to take forever to be pain free with activity. So I’m less concerned this time. I do have IT Band issues in both legs. My PT massaged my IT band and said it was really tight.

 

[music lover]

@Carmencita Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Great that you are trying to be as informed as possible before your surgery. I am not aware of any problems during the surgery due to my osteoporosis and I have a great relationship with my OS, so I think he would have mentioned it. Now you have me curious. Most of my problems are in my spine and lower back, although I did manage to fracture 2 ribs easily. Things are going to go well for you! Positive outlook is everything! Please remember that PT is crucial in the early phases...just my opinion. Doesn’t mean you go crazy, like some therapists might advise. Moderation is the key. Follow your body’s cues. If pain is excessive, back off for a bit and just do gentle stretches several times throughout the day with rest in between to at least keep your knee active in the early stages. Doing nothing at all, for long periods of time, imo, is not a good option. I have now had both knees done. First time, I did more active PT and had no serious issues. This time, different knee, different issues popping up as it was in worse shape than my other knee, different strategy, gentler but consistent. Not sure I helped you at all. You will know what to do when the time comes. wishing you a great recovery.

 

[music lover]

@gia2cats Funny you mentioned coming *down* steps. I am having that same problem, more this time than last. Just really kills me. I kept trying to do it anyway, but decided that it won’t hurt me to wait and heal a bit more and try again. Going up is okay, not completely easy yet, but at least I am not in pain. Going down is just going to take awhile for me and that’s okay. I also have IT band problem and am going for massage treatments. Weird that we have same problems.

 

[FCBayern]

I one footed stairs for quite a while after my TKR @music lover. When I felt like I was ready to try there were some steps to a local building that had short steps. When those felt ok foot over foot I was ready to move on to full size stairs. I felt like the short risers let me both step foot over foot but gently work the strength in my legs. I took it slow though, up and down the first day and them some ice just in case.

 

[sistersinhim]

Going down steps is almost always much more difficult than going up. It took me at least 4-5 months before I could go down the adult way. Even now, if I am carrying something I'll do them one at a time just to be on the safe side.

 

[music lover]

Thank you @FCBayern . I actually was lucky to have a step I used to use in aerobics classes way back. It’s like the one they use in PT offices. I will just keep trying a few at a time. Going up is okay. Coming down causes pain. Won’t worry about it too much...for now. The side of my knee is not painful all the time anymore, just sometimes. Still have the clicking when I walk that I didn’t have with my other knee. But, I am hoping that will go away with time too? Still trying to sleep through the night, but a little better. I find it is worth it to get up and walk around and stretch a bit and then try again. Not an easy process, is it? I don’t think anyone who has not been through it would really understand.

 

[FCBayern]

I agree with you @music lover, nobody that hasn't been through this doesn't really understand, and that includes way too many OS and PT's. But that's the beauty of BoneSmart! We've all "been there done that", both staff and members. Support from people that DO understand can be comforting and helpful. You have the right approach, no need to worry, you are seeing gradual improvements, and that is the path to a successful recovery. Clicking and clunking are quite common, I'll leave you an article below from the library.

Clicking/clunking knee joint after surgery

Revised March 9, 2021 by Jamie Many patients who undergo knee replacement surgery will describe noises that come from their replaced joint. People commonly mention a clicking or clunking coming from their knee replacement when they walk, and they often worry that something is wrong with their...

bonesmart.org

 

[music lover]

Thank you @FCBayern . I will read it right now.

 

[music lover]

So frustrated. Just not progressing like I did with my first TKR on my other knee, no matter what I do, what I don't do. Just extremely discouraged.

 

[Jockette]

I know how easy it is to get discouraged in this long recovery. And every knee is different, even on the same body. Try to hang in there, it really will get better.

 

[music lover]

Thank you @Jockette! Just so confused because I was doing okay up until 5/6 weeks, then took a nosedive with pain up and down on outside of knee still, knee stiffness and clicking/snapping. Not sure how much at home physio (stretching) to be doing 3 months in. When I had check up with surgeon at 8 weeks X-ray good. See him again in 3 weeks. Ultrasound treatments were helping as well as muscle stimulation at the therapist’s office but hard to get in with COVID. They need their space for new surgical patients and other physiotherapist I use has to space us so far apart, not worth it at the moment. Just needed reassurance. I know 3 months is still early, right? I mean I think, in reality, it’s 6 months to a year? Thanks.

 

[Jockette]

I know 3 months is still early, right? I mean I think, in reality, it’s 6 months to a year? Thanks.

Yes, this recovery takes an average of a year. 3 months is 25% healed.

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.

Just so confused because I was doing okay up until 5/6 weeks, then took a nosedive with pain up and down on outside of knee still, knee stiffness and clicking/snapping.

Have you been more active recently? Added in something new? I named my knee the Drama Queen, as it really let me know if it didn’t like something I did, and still does! Sometimes I didn’t even have to do anything new for it to get a bit dramatic.

By 3 months we are very tired of recovering, and still having issues that are very common to all of us. Many of us are still not sleeping well, which doesn’t help matters. So hearing that we are only 25% recovered doesn’t really help either, but, it really does get better.

 

[Goma]

My surgeon says 18months for full recovery. Hot knees and swelling for up to 6months, no pt other than daily life, hang in there, it'll get better.

 

[music lover]

Thank you @Goma!!