Bilateral TKR Six weeks and still sore

[Roy Gardiner]

Re: Scary..

Yes, many of us. Your knee (just one? the prefix on your post says 'bilateral') is reacting to stress by swelling. Usual answer: rest, elevate, ice the knee.

 

[RunA42K]

Re: Scary..

Can't say that I've had such a feeling as that Hopeful, but when the swelling gets to it worst I always felt like I had a plaster cast around my knee keeping me from bending it at all. As Roy said above, rest, ice, and elevate, it helps more than anything else. Just being off of your feet some will help. One really good way to elevate is to get one of those big exercise balls and set that on your couch, lay down and put your legs up on it. I've done that at PT with an ice pack, it is wonderful! Good luck, and don't worry about the stairs, I have 14 here at my house, just take it slow and easy, one step at a time! :doggieshmooze:

 

[Josephine]

hopeful, I have joined your two threads together as I prefer recovery posts to be in one thread. This is so I can more easily check back and see what's gone before. And what I see is that I gave you some articles to read - did you read them?

So, are you applying the rest, elevate, ice and pain meds by the clock routine we suggested? If you are, you shouldn't be in so much discomfort.

 

[referee54]

Ice and elevate---take it easy---you are still very early yet, so you must fiht the temptation to do too much.

When your knee gets angry---too much too soon---it will let you know. Josephine and the others have a point; ice/elevate. and rest.

I know it is frustrating, but where you are in recovery is STILL very early in the grand scheme of things.

Ice, elevate, and rest---when in doubt, repeat as often as necessary. When yo say that the PT induces pain or crying, i would say that he is pushing you too hard---much too hard. You are in charge of your body; if there is too much pain, you need to let them know.

I also concur about the pain meds; take them, as you still need them.

 

[tashia]

Hopeful. Take a easy. Please don't push yourself. I don't have stairs to worry about however I did go up them but slow and easy. Remember your knees tell you what to do. If it was me I would rest, ice, sleep and pain meds.
That feeling of "pop out of my skin" to me says I have been pushed past my limit and please take a easy. I was told that taking pain pills are there so I could recover without being in pain and not to make my recovery longer and very painful. Please take a easy. Listen to your knees. Keep us posted on how you are coming. I know we have some ladies that have lots of knowledge and they should be coming along soon. Scary rest, ice and listen to your body. :doggieshmooze:Tashia:console:

 

[tashia]

Hopeful, Being still hurting at this point is not unually at all. Remember you had a very major surgrey. The body is just beginning to heal and i think you are still in the first stage. We have some articles that you can read and get you lots of information about the process. Remember listen to you body, it has the answers. Please keep coming back and tell us how you are doing. :doggieshmooze: Tashia:yes 4:

 

[Amahoff]

I am about a 2 months post op. (Had surgery Nov. 30th) I am still very sore, still have swelling, still feel tired most of the time. Due to stomach problems I cannot take IBU and am not on anything except extended release Tylenol every 8 hours. It takes the rough edges off, but that's about it. I don't get much sleep. I try not to get discouraged. I called my PCP this past week to see if I could get something to help me sleep, but he wants me to come in for an appt. first. He says if it is the pain that is keeping me awake, I need something for the pain. I am just now starting to get my digestive system back to normal, so don't want to get started with prescription pain meds. Will see what he says, but am also prepared to work my way through it as best I can.

I have heard that the combination of IBU and Tylenol works well, but my dr. says absolutely no IBU for me. Soooooo . . .

 

[Randi]

I have similar tummy troubles and have resisted taking pain meds after suffering from the (necessary) hard core meds I got in hospital. But after experimenting I have found that if I take one advil and one extra strength tylenol , together, WITH FOOD, that seems to to do the trick. At this stage - 71/2 weeks, I only need to use anything once or twice a day -so far so good..Maybe this could work for you ? Ask the doc first,of course..

 

[Josephine]

Well, Randi, seems you found my Tylenol/ibuprofen cocktail all by yourself!
Have you tried taking two Tylenol instead of one?
In the UK, nobody takes less than 1,000 mg for anything!

 

[Hopeful]

I did read them all Jo and thank you, I have finally figured out how to use this website and appreciate your joining the two threads. I do ice and elevate. Rt knee really doing great, left knee painful 24/7???

 

[Randi]

Josephine - I'm using 800 mg tylenol and 400 advil when I need it -which weirdly seems to be more now than before - but probably because I'm trying to do more..ahh..the balance issue again !!!

 

[rntwins]

I will be 6 weeks on thursday on the left knee and 14 weeks on the right knee. I seemed to have done well in PT, but Hopeful, as my right knee is still telling me, and others have said here. It's on the knee's time, not ours.
Getting from sitting to standing is still a huge challenge for me. Also, I seemed to have developed plantar fasciitis. That's my diagnosis, haven't been to the Dr. Yet. But heels hurt bad in the am, and now anytime I walk on them they are sore. It would be interesting to know, if when you have both knees done, does this change the actual way you walk? I didn't have the heel pain after the right knee only the left.
RICE is still very much in my vocabulary as is pain medication when needed. I have only cried in PT once and that was more because of me being emotional versus my PT hurting me to the point of tears. I say get a new one as well.
Hang in there, it's the only choice we have. lol!

 

[Ripken4233]

Have to chime in here, too. I'm 11 weeks out and today sucked (swelling and ached). All part of the process as I'm finding out. Keep the faith. I'm icing my wing right now!

 

[Hopeful]

Still less than ideal

Three months post BLTKR my right knee is working like a charm. I love it. My left knee is always painful, swollen, tight, and very disappointing. Still not able to go back to work and still not great range of motion. I don't know why the big difference in the two knees? Any ideas?

 

[referee54]

Re: Still less then ideal

Hopeful---I moved your thread to the Post-Op area so that more people could see it and offer some suggestions.

I do know that after my BTKR, my one knee was pretty good during recovery and my other one was very, very stubborn. It took me over five months before i could say that I was close to recovered.

Have you discussed this with your OS? What has he had to say about it? I hope that you find the answer soon--I do know from experience how frustrating it can be!

 

[Cynthia07]

Re: Still less then ideal

Is it swollen and tight from adhesions? if you go to physical therapy, they can teach you how to massage the scar tissue and they can massage also. I know what you mean about swollen..

 

[Josephine]

You need to read this Having TWO Knees Done? DON'T Compare Surgeries!! I know of very few bilateral knees (or hips) that have recovered totally equally.

What's the ROM like on that leg? any good?

I doubt it's because of adhesions but the massage therapy might be a very good idea.

 

[referee54]

I had a BTKR---it was terribly frustrating. At three months, I still had a major limp and my right knee was, at times, most uncooperative. At four months, the limp was still there. AT five months, i still had a slight limp---it was ever-so-slight, but it was there. It wasn't until about five and one-half months that the limp and the stiffness decided to go bye-bye.

When I went back to teaching at eight weeks (still way toooooo early!) I was called "Festus" by a friend of mine as I had a limp a la the character in the TV show, Gunsmoke.