TKR Sudden Knee Pain 8½ Weeks Out (Jan 21)

[maryo52]

Sounds like a good problem to have . . . you've already sorted out your conundrum. Hope it's a wonderful trip.

 

[pdx]

If you change your mind, I'll go! I'm sure your husband won't mind ...

 

[puffin]

Tea at a top London hotel is such a wonderful luxury. Last time I went I certainly needed no dinner after eating sandwiches, sconesand cakes with copious amounts of tea (I think me and my friend got through 3 pots of tea at the Savoy)

 

[Fernie]

Hi, congrats on your recovery so far.

London is a fabulous city, so much to see and do and spring should be a good time, before the real summer crowds arrive. As Roy said, it's great if money is no problem as it can be seriously expensive, even for locals like me ! . SoUnds like yo are sorted with Airports etc, the London tours are good. Book one on the London Duck if you can. Hope you have a wonderful time .

Fernie

 

[kbraz]

Taking the wheelchair along would be a good idea. Unfamiliar airports can be a challenge! And if nothing else, being in a wheelchair will tend to encourage people to move out of your way!

London is a fabulous city! What are your plans for things to do and see while you're there?[/q
uote]

We have a long list of things to see and do. As Roy suggested, cabs are going to be our major mode of transportaation. I'm still having quite a bit of thigh pain. I just hope and pray it is mostly gone by the time we leave. I'm groaning inwardly this morning as I know everyone is tired of my complaining about it. The Valium was doing the trick for a while but healing seems to have slowed considerably. Maybe I am just impatient but owie!

 

[kbraz]

By the way, thank you all for your encouraging words - and the offer to go in my place. Haha!

 

[Meezermom]

Having a wonderful vacation to London sounds like great incentive for doing all the right things now. Congrstulations on yourrecovery. I'm also 10 weeks out but not in such goodrecovery shape. All mybestwishes for an outstanding trip. We are booked on an Alaska cruise in July out of Seattle, wa. We live in Northern Cal6. A longdriveto get there but we plan on breaking it up. Somethinfun on the horizon is a good thing.

 

[kbraz]

Meezermom, that trip sounds wonderful! We went on a cruise a few weeks before my surgery (Carribean). My husband insisted on ordering a lightweight, foldable wheelchair from Amazon. It was inexpensive but I didn't think I would need it. Oh, man, was I glad to have it. Our cabin was mid-ship but a long way from the dining room. We had rough seas several days and I couldn't keep my balance walking. I finally caved and used the chair. What a relief! If you are struggling when cruise time comes, you might consider getting the chair. Now we are loaning it to a friend who is going on a Viking river cruise and who had a stroke while recovering from a hip replacement. We can rent one overseas if need be. My mom used to say bad things about the "golden years." I don't think you or I have reached those yet but maybe our surgeries will help us be better prepared! I am still suffering with thigh pain and can't sleep well. I'm hoping things improve in the next month. I bet you surprise yourself by the time for your cruise. Stay on the road to improvement!

 

[1ELISEA]

Great that you got to talk about something other than your knee with your friend. It's good to be able to do that and not think about it for awhile.

Having said that, how is your knee doing?

 

[kbraz]

I am 10 weeks and 1 day out from my RTKR and, many thanks to this forum, I feel like my knee is doing great. However, I have such pain and tingling in my thigh that it is driving me crazy. It often feels like muscle spasms but sometimes just sharp pain, burning or tingling. My OS put me on 2 mg of Valium three times a day and now has cut it to twice a day. Have any of you had an experience like this? It is so sharp that it makes me jump sometimes....well, not jump like jump rope but jump in pain. haha Any suggestions or ideas? I don't go back to the OS for two weeks. I would love for it to be gone!

 

[maryo52]

Hi K, you are describing sensations suggestive of nerve pain. Is the valium working? I'm surprised an ortho would prescribe valium, a benzodiazepine, which is used to help sleep, reduce anxiety, and ease muscle spasm. I think doctors prescribe valium sometimes when they really don't know what to do.

Are you still using pain meds? What are you doing for exercise or PT? Please tell us more about this pain, where exactly it occurs, what brings it on, along with what you're doing for activity and pain meds.

 

[kbraz]

Hi, maryo52! I'm walking and riding a stationary bike. Still doing some gentle slides in bed when it is time to get out of bed. I'm off of pain meds except for Tylenol and Aleve because I was on hydrocodone and it did nothing for the thigh - and my knee pain has improved to the point that Aleve takes care of it. I wish I could pinpoint exactly what causes it or when it occurs. It used to be much worse and I would end up flat on my back on my bed crying my eyes out. Now the really jabbing pain is mainly on the outside of my thigh with the burning on the front. I remember my dad suffering from gout a long time ago and everything that touched his foot brought terrible pain. That is sort of how I picture the front of my thigh. It isn't "terrible" but it burns and feels irritated. There is no outward evidence of any irritation, however. Let me say that after I began this forum I slowed down the push for exercise to a large degree. I was irritating my knee and paying the price. Life is much better now that I am more moderate -minimal knee problem unless I go crazy with activity. This thigh pain has me so concerned - I don't want to be left with it forever. Any ideas?

 

[kbraz]

maryo52, the valium did seem to be working some when I was taking it every 8 hours. Forgot to answer that. It didn't totally take care of it but the pain was less sharp.

 

[Josephine]

​

One thread for your recovery please?​

 

[referee54]

If it feels like sharp shocks and electrical jolts, I would say that it is the nerve ending making connections again. While horribly frightening at times, they do subside and eventually disappear altogether.

 

[Josephine]

I have such pain and tingling in my thigh that it is driving me crazy. It often feels like muscle spasms but sometimes just sharp pain, burning or tingling.

Yes, I told you before - it's IT band syndrome.

I wish I could pinpoint exactly what causes it or when it occurs.

I can help you with that. You can use the grid references on this image to tell me exactly where the pain is. You could also read this article ITB (ilio-tibial band) issues and treatments.

 

[60mom]

After my manipulation I had terrible thigh pain. They called it my IT band and it goes down the outside of the thigh to just below the knee where the muscles and tendons attach. I am taking Celebrex now and that has helped a lot. It is expensive like $200 for one month. My insurance didn't pay for it but I found a clinic where I could get it for $60/ mo. I tried rolling that area but for whatever reason it did not help me. That seems to help many people though. The thigh occasionally aches at night and occasionally if I walk too much the outside hurts just below my knee. Could be what your experiencing. Some of my thigh pain was from my back after I resumed sleeping on my side. Didn't realize that till the pain specialist asked how I sleep. Now I realize my back and thigh really stared hurting when I stopped sleeping on my back. So I think I had two issues affecting the same area. Seems there are so many things that can contribute to our pain and it is a bit of trial and error to find what helps. That is why this site is so great. If one thing doesn't work there is usually more then one suggestion to try. Prayers you figure it out.

 

[maryo52]

Say more about the tingling. I have relentless curiosity so I like to google search medical stuff and see what comes up, and IT band syndrome plus another called meralgia paresthetica came up when I searched using your symptoms. The latter involves numbness on the front of the thigh, which can be experienced as tingling. Josephine can help you narrow it down.

Anyhow, my experience with orthos is they do a great job within a narrow scope, like tunnel vision. Sometimes it's a good idea to go back to our regular doctor for help with non-TKR matters. If the ortho had said "do this" or "avoid this" or indicated a remedial treatment, that's one thing. Did he say what he thought it was? Good luck!

 

[kbraz]

Thank you, Josephine, for merging everything. I think I have located the pain and tingling to R1 and above in that same area. I will watch the video right away.

 

[kbraz]

You know, I really think I need a new brain as well as a new knee. Can't blame it on the pain meds as I'm not on them any more. Josephine I read the excellent article and I think I am going to do the self-massage and see how that goes. There is a wealth of advice in that article (which I called a video a minute ago). Thanks so much - I've been in a panic as we have three little grandchildren (age 4 and two age 2) that I miss chasing around and, as you know, a big trip coming up. As I go through the forum I realize how truly lucky I am with my procedure so far. Just this bump in the road and you to guide me - if I will just register the info in my brain. Thanks again!