TKR Stairs and heavy lifting

[Jaycey]

@Painpaingoaway at only 4 months out you are not even half way through a recovery that can take one year or longer.

Yes, new joints do not like heavy lifting. And unfortunately there is no predicting when you will be able to lift without discomfort.

I feel like I should be able to do more at this stage.

No, your knee is in charge. And no amount of pushing is going to shorten your recovery. Relax and let that knee settle.

You will notice that I merged your newest post with your 2 original recovery threads. For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:

• That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
• If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
• Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.

Please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here. If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we will get it changed for you.

If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.

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[sistersinhim]

How long do I still need to be careful with lifting things? I am so tired of feeling not healed when I do the slightest extra thing. I feel like I should be able to do more at this stage.

Everyone is different and it's a trial and error thing. I would say it's much too early to be doing what you did on that baby knee. You are just 1/3 of the way healed from this year-long surgery. Tread lightly, as they say. With your knee being so angry you need to ice and elevate until it calms down.

 

[Ginger1210]

Hi painpaingoaway I am 5 months out from PKR and still struggle with managing what I can and cannot do. One day is good so I overdo it then the next I am in pain again. Boy this is a tough recovery

 

[ski_bum]

Oh dear….I am nearly four months post my TKR . I carried quite a heavy bag down a flight of stairs and today I have very bad tightness and pain on my knee. Obviously not a good idea I realize in hindsight. How long do I still need to be careful with lifting things? I am so tired of feeling not healed when I do the slightest extra thing. I feel like I should be able to do more at this stage.

I feel the very same as you, 14 weeks out. Good luck

 

[Painpaingoaway]

Nearly 5 months out and feeling very depressed. No real progress with the knee yet. After a day at work I feel desperate to just get home so I can ice and elevate it. I miss being able to do things- my new normal is starting a chore and then feeling worn out and having to rest in between doing it. I feel like I am an old, old person. And my other knee is letting me know that it too needs to be replaced so I feel like I am looking into a void of endless pain. There are honestly days that I wish I had not had the TKR.

 

[BBCG]

Oh, I’m so sorry you are still hurting as much as you are, @Painpaingoaway!

I suspect your working again, probably full time, yes?That’s a big part of the problem: these new baby knees need more gentle, kind, easy rest and time to heal! They really are not ready to be back at normal activity so soon as you are needing…

I’m a few weeks ahead of you and I’m still really tired at the end of the day, too, and I did not resume “normal” activity for about 3 months, and I’ve changed my sleep schedule, going to bed far earlier since I’m usually awake for an hour or so in the middle of the night. I seem to need at least 8 hours to get enough rest to get my knee back into a happy place by the next morning.

What could you do to be able to ice your knee and rest in the middle of your work day? When I was working full time with my first TKR, I took ice gel packs to wirk and kept them in the freezer to use when I sat at lunch. I put my leg up at a sharp angle on a cushion on a higher-than-my-chair stool. That icing regime seemed to really help my knee handle the rest of my day. I’m in retail so it’s lots of being on my feet!

Is there a way for you take this type of break?

Let us know if we can help you brainstorm solutions to get your knee some rest mid-day!

 

[Ginger1210]

Totally agree BBCG i have been back at work since early June and this has delayed my recovery. I have a small freezer at work and I have ice packs in them. This helps me tremendously with out them I would not have returned to work at that early stage.

 

[Painpaingoaway]

Thanks, all. I am a teacher so my job entails quite a bit of standing. I have begun to take an ice pack to work but it isn’t always practical for me to use. I will persevere.

 

[Mannd]

Have you thought about buying the ice packs that you can strap on your knee during the day? Disposable ones. They might help. Amazon sells them.

 

[FCBayern]

I used a large Ace bandage to hold ice packs in place @Painpaingoaway. They allowed me to stand and move around while still icing, a big help going back to work.

 

[ski_bum]

Nearly 5 months out and feeling very depressed. No real progress with the knee yet. After a day at work I feel desperate to just get home so I can ice and elevate it. I miss being able to do things- my new normal is starting a chore and then feeling worn out and having to rest in between doing it. I feel like I am an old, old person. And my other knee is letting me know that it too needs to be replaced so I feel like I am looking into a void of endless pain. There are honestly days that I wish I had not had the TKR.

I feel exactly the same as you state. June 10th. and I feel like I have gone backwards. Cancelled my second surgery Oct. 21st. as New Knee feels worse than old knee. My Dr. prescribed CBD oil. After one month of CBD I have had 3 good nights sleep. Good Luck.

 

[Ginger1210]

I too have a ice pack at home that straps to my leg it is really useful i can work for longer with no pain or stiffness.