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TKR Slow recovery from TKR

Oh trust me - neither DH nor I brought up the fact I was 9 weeks in! I just sat there and heard the words "satisfied". The doctor came back to the room when I was booking my final appointment for March and said he had thought I was only 6 weeks out. I didn't say a word about if that changed his thinking or not. And I am so happy to now just get better and better in my own time, and not worry about someone elses' timeframe and keeping to it.

Now i will be able to really enjoy my cake this weekend without worrying about possible MUA and painful PT.
 
That’s good news! Now hopefully you can relax and heal on your own timeline. I’ve had a pretty good day, shoveled our deck/ steps, cleaned my bathroom, PT exercises, shower, cleaned up hubbys kitchen mess and I’m not exhausted. However, now on the couch with knee up and iced!
 
If the surgeon is satisfied, that is all that really matters. Your doing your best and that's the best you can do. Now that the pressure of PT is off your shoulders I'm thinking you'll do your ADL's and progress just fine. Enjoy your cake.
 
Westiemom...I'm proud of you for making the decision to heal on your own terms. Trusting your own timeline without worrying about meeting unrealistic goals shows strength and determination. You can always go back to PT at a later date after you've allowed your body to heal, IF there is something specific you need a little guidance with. You can do this! :yes!:
@westiemom
 
@Oldped

You certainly managed to get quite a bit done! :ok: I'm thinking I could do more without being so blasted exhausted if I could just recover from Covid. I had Covid before but it wasn't as long lasting as this time. We are grooming dogs today; don't think we will get 7 of them done however.:doggie: So far 2 of them done and DH just left to get my birthday cake.

I'm sitting here icing and elevated and probably going to take a short nap.

Does anyone know why the inside of my lower knee hurt? I asked the OS and he just said it would get better in time. That's where it hurt the most before my TKR so ??

It's going to hit the big polar vortex tonite. I'm already all bundled up because the ice machine just makes me so cold. Afghans on and a heating pad on my back. So funny cause in my normal life I run hot. So different feeling cold.

I do feel like a weight has been lifted on my shoulders. I was so worried that I was failing the "time test" and I would be a cripple forever that I think that actually held me back from progressing. I'm now mostly walking on my own except for later at night and first thing in the morning. That's huge progress itself since Wed!:yes!:
 
westiemom said:
So funny cause in my normal life I run hot. So different feeling cold.
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Same here, before my PKR, and a friend said the same thing happened to her after her TKR. It’s been almost 8 years since my PKR and I was back to being hot again a long time ago.
 
westiemom said:
I do feel like a weight has been lifted on my shoulders. I was so worried that I was failing the "time test" and I would be a cripple forever that I think that actually held me back from progressing.
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This is so good to read! Stress negatively impacts the healing process and overall recovery. Stress triggers the release of hormones that in high levels suppress out immune system which can slow healing. It's good you're able to get comfy and relaxed enough to take a nap during the day....unless it's from sheer exhaustion from not sleeping all night long.

You're on the right track, westiemom, and I'm happy you're feeling at peace with your decision to do this recovery biz your way. :thumb:
 
Must be honest tho, at 3 am when not sleeping, the devil on my shoulder does whisper to me that everyone is wrong and I will end up walking like this forever. Not quite sure how to get that devil off. He only seems to appear around 2-3 am. :mute:
 
If you’re regularly up at 3am and sleepless, you might discuss that with your GP and see if you would benefit from something to help you sleep temporarily. It could be as simple as taking a full 1000mg dose of Tylenol (as long as you count it with any other acetaminophen you’re taking during the day and not going over 4000mg per day) or maybe some Benadryl.
 
Jamie said:
It could be as simple as taking a full 1000mg dose of Tylenol
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Even now, way past recovery, I do find that if I’m stressed in addition to feeling achy, I do this and it does help me sleep.

Sometimes I do take the Tylenol PM, but only one, with a regular extra strength Tylenol, so I still get the 1000 mg. I learned the hard way, by taking two of the Tylenol PM, that the antihistamine in two of them was way too high a does for me, when I didn’t have a problem that the antihistamine needed to address, and it really did a number on my dry eye syndrome. I actually had pain in my eyes the next morning, they were so dry.
 
westiemom said:
3 am when not sleeping, the devil on my shoulder does whisper to me that everyone is wrong and I will end up walking like this forever.
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Negative thoughts can feel overwhelming in the dark middle of the night. During the daylight hours it's much easier to distract yourself. Instead of worrying, try to focus on the milestones you've achieved. Remind yourself that you're still early into this recovery in the entire scheme of things. Instead of worrying that you'll never walk normal again, remind yourself that you're still healing and it takes time. Wondering if calming music, meditation or an audiobook could help shift your focus during those times, just a thought.
Hope you sleep soundly tonight. :yawn: :sleep:
 
@westiemom, how are you doing? Very cold here( wind chill this am -35!!). I’m about the same, yesterday very discouraged, tired want to be better, do more but crabby knee says no! Trying to have good attitude, be patient. Hope you’re staying warm.
 
I take magnesium at night, I've tried tylenol and tylenol pm, doctor prescribed me something that made me so jittery I didn't fall asleep till after 5 am. That was a night to remember!! Doctors have to be very careful with meds for me because of my bad heart problem. Usually I will just read my Kindle when I can't wake up. I just can't seem to remember when I last slept good.
 
@Oldped

It is sunny here today and 17 degrees. Not sure what the windchill is. But the trees are whipping pretty good. I'm thinking about buying a non-electric peddler to see if that will help my knee.

DH told me that when I'm walking without the walker or cane, I am not bending my knee and walking more stiff legged. So I'm back to the walker and cane. I have no idea why this is the way I'm walking. Today is 10 weeks post surgery .
 
Using your walker to help with your gait is a smart thing to do. Your body needs to be retrained on how to work after this surgery, and it is so easy to go back to the bad ways we did it before. Use the walker as long as you need to, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it!
 
westiemom said:
without the walker or cane, I am not bending my knee and walking more stiff legged. So I'm back to the walker and cane. I have no idea why this is the way I'm walking. Today is 10 weeks post surgery .
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Remember that it takes 12 weeks for all the soft tissues to recover from the trauma of surgery. As all the ligaments and tendons heal and adapt to the changes in the knee, that stiffness will dissipate.

You'll get there!
 
Happy Birthday! Hope it was a good one!
[Bonesmart.org] Slow recovery from TKR
 
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