Revision TKR Third times the charm- hopefully

[jboles]

Today is my 6 week checkup. I have so many questions. What’s going on with my almost 2 year old left knee, why is it so painful in my right leg when I walk using anything other than my walker?? I bought a pair of walking sticks (posture canes) tried using them yesterday, outside walk and indoors last night. The pain down the calf just below the knee on the inside of my leg is almost unbearable. My husband says you’re walking so much better than before surgery, but I don’t see it. I only used a walker for a couple of weeks with my other surgeries, and I can’t seem to get rid of it this time. Any suggestions? Anyone else had problems getting rid of the walker?

 

[Jolease]

I sure hope you get some answers today. I have a sharp pain toward the outside of calf. It takes my breath away, it isn’t constant though. I was told it was my hamstring. It started at 6 weeks, maybe because I’m moving more? I bought walking sticks and find them really helpful. Let us know what the surgeon says. Good luck!

 

[jboles]

@Jolease thank you

 

[jboles]

Back from 6 weeks checkup. X-ray looks good. Right knee is straight, left knee looks good, just overworked. No measurement, just eyeballed it for ROM, he’s pleased with it, I am too. Told him I was frustrated with not being able to walk any distance at all without my walker. He said it was because I have had 2 major surgeries on this leg in just a little over a year and that it never really recovered from the first surgery and now I’m recovering from a revision surgery. He wants me to continue to use the walker and just slowly increase my walking distance to build up the muscles in that leg. I told him I only have a few pain pills left and I don’t take any during the day. He said at 6 weeks I should be able to wean off of them totally. So no refill I guess I really need to ration them out. Wants to see me back in 3 months.

 

[Jockette]

I like what he told you about the recovery from multiple surgeries. (where have you heard that before )

I’m sorry you didn’t get a refil. Hang in there.

 

[jboles]

@Jockette yeah I know, don’t mean I like it. We all want to be better “right now”, or at least I do. My granddaughter has a band concert tonight. Parking far away, long walk in, then sitting in a cramped seat with no way to stretch out leg for 2 hours or more, so I’m not going. It’s things like this that frustrates me. You have this surgery to get your life back, not so you can sit on the sidelines while everyone else goes and does things. My daughter and I canceled our annual beach trip. My knee isn’t ready for a 4 hour trip and standing in line at restaurants, my knee just isn’t ready for much of anything. Can you tell I’m a little down?

 

[Jockette]

You have this surgery to get your life back, not so you can sit on the sidelines while everyone else goes and does things.

I know. Last summer we went to visit our kids in Ohio. They live in a more country area, the back yard is huge. I had to take my cane if I wanted to walk on the uneven grass, at 17 months post op. I never expected to have to do that, going into my surgery, as I walked just fine on grass before my surgery.

The kids went further back to a field where the ground was softer and grass taller. I needed both my cane and my daughter’s hand. She said to me, you don’t have to come with us. I told her I didn’t drive all the way to Ohio to not do things with them.

But I was way further along than you are now, so I just need help to maintain my balance.

I haven’t even tried to walk on a beach, not that that’s a problem, I’m not fond of the beach anyway, but it’s the principle of the matter.

I so wish I hadn’t had this partial done. While there are still some improvements, I don’t expect to see a “full recovery.” It’s been more than 2 years now. I’m just biding my time and managing with what I’ve got.

 

[jboles]

@Jockette I’m so sorry that you’re still struggling with your recovery. We just have to make the best of the situation that we are currently in and hope that we continue to improve.

 

[Jockette]

And I’m sorry you’re missing your granddaughter’s concert.

 

[Jolease]

I hear you on wanting to be better by now. I feel like I’ve been recovering forever! Probably because I have been -ugh. My leg is extremely weak and only time can help it get stronger. Hang in there, I feel for you. Sorry you didn’t get a refill, I was able to get more tramadol at my 6 weeks, I’m rationing them also for the really bad pain days as I’m sure it will be the last refill.

 

[jboles]

@Jolease we’ve been recovering for about the same amount of time. Does feel like forever- ugh... I knew the doctor wasn’t likely to give a refill so I wasn’t too upset over it. My husband was, he told the doctor that he hated to see me in pain. I would rather be in some pain than get addicted to pain medicine. Ice and elevate while hubby is at band concert. Oh well, there’s next time I guess.

 

[Jolease]

It just sucks being in pain. I’m fed up, I will get there this time I know it! So will you! I hope your pain subsides! If it doesn’t please don’t suffer if you don’t have to xx

 

[FCBayern]

Sucks being in pain and it sucks missing events, especially when it involves a grand child. Hope you aren't too far away from a positive turn, between 6-8 weeks things started getting better for me and at 12 weeks a huge difference. It's tough to stay patient but it does get better.

 

[Irish471]

@jboles , no pain pill refill I would have cried! Sounds like things were explained very weel, though, so you know why things have been hurting and where.

I’m sorry you had to miss your grand daughter’s concert! That would make me sad and frustrated, too! And the beach trip, too I feel so out of touch with everything after being cooped up in the house for 6 weeks. It makes recovery feel like it will never end sometimes. I think we all just want life to go back to normal.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be better!

 

[jboles]

@Irish471 you hit the nail on the head about feeling out of touch with everything.
And yes, hopefully tomorrow will be better. I hope you got a good report yesterday. I’ll hop over to your thread and see if you posted a glowing report. I hope so, it will be encouraging.

 

[Lindylee]

@jboles It is tough when we have to miss out on things. I can empathise as I had to miss my granddaughter's first performance in Oz. It was just too soon for the journey and sitting around all day.
Can I ask if you had any problems with your knee drifting inwards after your original surgeries? I'm trying to look at other people's valgus knee stories to find out if it's a common problem. Mine drifted a lot before surgery and I hoped the operation would cure it, but it's still happening although to a lesser degree and I don't know if it's just because the muscles need more work or if it will always be like it and whether I need to do anything about it yet or wait until I see the OS in January, which seems a long way off. Sorry for the long post. I did put something on my recovery to see if anyone had any suggestions, but got no response.

 

[jboles]

@Lindylee I’m not sure if I understand what you mean when you say “drifting in”? Is your knee turning in, valgus? Or is it only when you’re walking?

 

[Lindylee]

@jboles I have valgus knees. The left one started to drift inwards about 3 years ago anytime it was bent, going up,or down stairs, doing squats etc. I could see the whole knee shift to the right and it became very unstable especially going downstairs. The right, although also a valgus knee, has never done that (yet). After my LTKR it didn't seem to drift until around a month after surgery. At first I thought it was only going upstairs, but then it started to drift when walking. Just not sure what it means and whether I should be concerned.
This morning I had to go for a routine blood test and I mentioned it when the nurse asked how my knee was doing. She sent a note to my GP and I had a call later to say they've referred me back to PT for advice. I had mentioned it at my last PT appt, but she just said that's what the exercises were for and they don't seem to be making any difference. I was curious as to anyone else with valgus knees had the same thing happen.

 

[IronGirl6]

My doc cut me off pain meds at FIVE DAYS. Thankfully I had a pain management doc nearby who could take the reins. That's whats happening now - you might want to find such a physician to help you. The 'no need after 6 weeks' routine is a load of... It always seems to be people who've never gone through this saying stuff like that. I used mine very sparingly - but if you have constant pain, staying ahead of it so you can walk and move in order to heal properly is of paramount importance.

 

[jboles]

@IronGirl6 I received a one week supply when I came home from the hospital and an additional one week refill. I’ve been using it very sparingly mostly just at night and occasionally one during the day. I’ve iced a lot! This has definitely been a more painful recovery because of the restrictions on opioids. I had so much hamstring pain yesterday and last night I couldn’t get it to ease off even with a pain pill. So I spent the night in my recliner with a heating pad on the back of my thigh and ice on my knee. Today had been mostly resting.