TKR Starting to wish I'd never had a knee replacement

[lindaladyishere]

Josephine A the answers to your questions;
I have no pain at the present moment, as i am elevating and icing. During the day\night my pain level may go up to a 5, but if i over do something it is up to an 8 .
Hydrocodon 7.3-325, i take 2 every 4-6 hours
Morphine sulfer 15 mg i now ony take for extreme pain here and there
Icing veries as i sometimes forget to ice. I try and ice 4 times a day for about 20mim.
I elevate my leg throughout the day but I just realize I was doing it wrong but now I know to do toes to nose
Activity level:
Every 2 days i swiffer the bathroom and kitchen floor . I live by myself, so I have to prepare all my meals i usually just throw something in the microwave. Almost every two days are sneak out and go to know about two stores such as CVS, kmart, etc.

 

[lindaladyishere]

physical therapyis three times a week I don't know the correct terminology of the exercises he has me doing the session. It starts with him rubbing. My calf and mobing my knee cap from side to side.
Next he bends my knee more and more each session, which is causing me more more pain while he's doing this. He then tries to make me lift my leg, while still laying down. My good knee is bent, i still cant lift my leg and he has to do itf or me. Then he puts his hand behind me knee and has me kick. We then go back to me trying to lift my leg straight up, and at tjis point i csn do it, bit i have to give it everything i have. Then he holds my foot and i have to push it down to the couch. Then it is time for me to lay my leg syraight and push my knee into the couch. Then it is time to walk up and down a flight of stairs. I then have to walk up and down the hallway with a cain ( not holding onto the wall), just got off the walker. Oh, also sitting in a chair i have to kick my leg up. Last time he added him swinging my leg back and forth, this hurt so so so bad, i almost jumped out of the chair :(

 

[lindaladyishere]

Im not sure how long therapy last, it seems like its forever. I try to do the exercises he tells me to do, but i may only do 10-20 min of them a day. Probably should do them longer

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Linda, anything which puts force through the knee is bad at this stage. Pushing, lifting, kicking -- all no good.

What you want is gentle exercise that puts as little power through the knee as possible; you are not training you are healing. This is why we talk about using a rocking chair or a skateboard (see pix in my exercises thread below) or anything which just gently moves your leg about.

Training can come much later. And yes, you will have lost strength, and yes it will come back because you'll have a nice new strong knee that won't stop you doing it!!

 

[leejaa]

You will get there and the strength will come back but not at 2wks or 3wks -- or not till the knee is ready. The biggest exercise now is practicing patience and taking it easy- this cannot be rushed - the knee rules. I have followed the bone smart mantra for 2 knees now and it does work.

 

[Josephine]

I have no pain at the present moment. During the day\night my pain level may go up to a 5, but if i over do something it is up to an 8 .

I find that very difficult to believe at only two weeks out. Are you seriously telling me that you have none of the following soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness?

Every 2 days i swiffer the bathroom and kitchen floor

Swiffer? What's that?

Next he bends my knee more and more each session, which is causing me more more pain while he's doing this. My good knee is bent, i still cant lift my leg and he has to do itf or me.

He is making you do far, far too much. At two weeks out all you need to be doing is resting, healing and recovering. Did you read the articles I left you in a previous post? There are many that address this issue from various points of view and especially the ones on the swollen leg and home PT. Not to mention the other one on activity progression.

But most of all, you must NOT allow him to force your knee so it hurts. The article on the 'no pain no gain' myth addresses this. And if you tell him not to do and he does it anyway, that means he is doing it without your consent which is against the law. In fact, it's an assault. So do assert yourself and make sure you run this show not him. If he comes up with the other old chestnut about the window of opportunity (another articles I left for you) then still tell him no. If he won't back off, fire him and get somebody else. You are paying him so he has to do what you tell him, okay?

 

[lindaladyishere]

Oh i have all of that, my leg is swollen, many bruises, it gets so stiff and tight, it is sore and hurts especially when i over do it, but when i am at rest and icing it there is sonetimes no pain. The pain has really decreased at rest, the first week the pain was unbearable. The tightness and stiffness seems to be there most of the time. I can barly bend it. I asked my physical therapist what degree am i bending it he told me only 65 degrees and at this point i should be able to bend it 90 degrees :-( today i told my physicl therapist to go easy on me today and he did, some of the exercises did cause me a bit of pain and he did tend to easier on me when i expressed a high level og discomfort. A Swiffer is like a mop, but its light and has wet soaped cloths on them. I did read the articles and found to them have a lot of benificial information. I did learn a lot from them, thanks so much.

 

[Josephine]

my leg is swollen, many bruises, it gets so stiff and tight, it is sore and hurts, tightness and stiffness seems to be there most of the time

All these are post op pain, my dear, and need medication. Just because it's not the same kind of pain you had before the surgery doesn't mean it's not pain. Please start taking your pain meds again, regularly as prescribed. You really, really need it. And the point about you only being able to achieve 65 degrees is due to you not taking proper pain medications. Remember this article Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it? You really need to read it again because this is the trap you are in right now.

 

[maryo52]

You have to remember that in the process of fixing the knee, the ortho traumatized just about every cell within 12" of the knee!! They are not themselves and won't be for many months. This degree of trauma at the cellular level needs to be taken into account in PT. If you push injured cells, they rebel with inflammation and swelling, and guess where that gets you? More pain, more swelling, slower healing. If you keep this principle in mind and give yourself over to the amount of rest, elevation and icing needed, you'll find that the recovery goes better.

The tight heavy feeling seems to go on forever. It's a normal part of this shocking process.

 

[denpucc]

I'm so sorry to read about everything you ate going thru! Try and rest and let yourself heal. Don't overdo and take your pain meds round the clock. Ice and elevate. It may be difficult to be a couch potato for a few weeks but you need to do this so your body can heal from major surgery. We are all here for you!

Hugs
Denise

 

[possum_here]

Please focus on one day at a time. If Pt causes you to hav increased pain. Please discuss these issues before you start your next session. Hang in there, we are all been or going through your same situation. Im taking it one day at a time , today was a bad day. Tomorrow will be better.

 

[lindaladyishere]

22 days since my rtkr..the first couple of weeks were horrible. Last week i began lifting my leg on the bed and couch i thought i woulld never be able to do that again. I am also now using a cain, no more walker next week maybe no more cain. I can walk up and down stairs much better....this this the last week for in home physical therapy, next week i have to go out for it.....what i am not pleased with is i still wake up from pain at night, i also learned i was sleeping wrong with pillows inder my knees, dont know how i am going to sleep tonight the right way. My knee is still only bending aboht 65 degrees layin down, sitting in chair about 90 degrees, but it an uncomfortable. 90 degrees :( my knee stays.stiff most of the day which bugs the mess out of me. I just want my knee to bend without pain...well thats my update this week and overall a better week

 

[leejaa]

This recovery does take a while. It is a slow and steady wins the race kind of recovery and much patience is needed. You can sleep with pillows under knee but it needs to be arranged like elevation- if you check the library there will be some information how to elevate appropriately. Are you taking pain meds and icing and elevating. Pain does continue for a while and it is important to stay on meds to keep it under control. The icing and elevating will help with the pain and also if you decrease the swelling it is easier to get bend without torturing yourself.

For me , the patience is the hardest but can be done. The knee rules and not what we want. Please take it slow and easy and be kind to yourself and control that pain. Lee

 

[maryo52]

Boy that takes me back to the "good ol' days" of TKR recovery -- endless, boring, uncomfortable, and did I say endless?

Several things in your post indicate that your pain management routine may need tweaking. For instance, I set an alarm (falling water sound) to wake me for a middle of the night pill. Are you taking a high enough dose? Are you taking your next pill before the last one wears off? I took my pills by the clock (every 4 hours in the first three months). The stiffness is a form of pain. It'll bug you for quite a while. You can try a neoprene knee brace at night that offers a little pressure. The sensation of that, at least for me, masks the stiffness.

Many sympathies.

 

[armywife]

Hi! I am also 41 and had my right TKR on October 9th! I am right with you! I have been battling a bit nod depression and wondering if this was a good idea. I seem to be getting a bit better every day though - with some weird ups and downs thrown in there. I have two small children (5 and 8) which makes this harder for me. Feel free to message me - we can chat about our similarities!!

Keep your chin up. I'm thankful that my in home PT is awesome! I'm super nervous to start out patient next week though.

Heather

 

[lindaladyishere]

It's been 4 weeks and 2 days since my TKR. Out patient physical therapy starts this week, no more in home pt.. Getting really really worried that I still am only bending my knee at 84 degrees. Shouldn't I be able to bend it to 100-110 degrees? Will I ever make progress with bending it???? Very very worried, was given new exercises to do at home and I will do them faithfully. Still scared that maybe I wont get the bending back. :(

 

[Josephine]

i have all of that, my leg is swollen, many bruises, it gets so stiff and tight, it is sore and hurts

And do you still have all this?

I am also now using a cain, no more walker next week maybe no more cain

Have you stopped using your cane?

Shouldn't I be able to bend it to 100-110 degrees?

There are no shoulds or oughts about this. It happens when it happens and while I will admit your ROM is a little low, it could be because it's still swollen and painful.

Are you still taking your pain meds to the full?
Still elevating and icing?
Not doing too much or pushing on the exercises? Remember that article on the 'swollen leg' I left you in my last post.
And finally, did you ever read the articles I left you links to in my post (post #19). Your posts give me the very strong impression that you haven't.

 

[armywife]

I will be 4 weeks post-op tomorrow and am also struggling with low ROM (only about 90 if I really push it). I am elevating the right way and icing a lot, as well as taking pain meds. I believe my issues are all tied to my swelling - which is still very impressive!

Hang in there, do what Josephine says to do, and we will be better soon!! You have to believe this will be worth it. It IS incredibly frustrating, I know.

I will keep doing what I'm supposed to. Now if I could just sleep!

 

[DAJ]

Dear lindaladyishere take it easy! you are barely out of surgery and have just had a major op .Its not a race, your body is healing and adjusting. Going out is to soon, do gentle legslides and you will improve. Fire your PT guy if he wont listen! anyone who is causing you that much anxiety is not worth it,. I am one month out and am wiped out most days. only in the third week did I make small steps forward.
REST!

 

[knees]

I am 4 weeks out and my rom is only 88 :( my leg is not really swollen. My pt says everything is really tight. I'm doing my exercises and still not improving. I'm upset too. I also can't straighten my knee, it's at 15. The only time I have pain is when the pt pushes my leg to bend it. Other than that I have very minimal pain. Before surgery I was in extreme pain for 2 years so I am very happy now except for the worry about bending.