TKR TKR and patella replacement

[Cococat]

I am now 14 weeks post op TKR and it is getting better. I can do most things during the day and sometimes I forget the knee completely.
shopping is awful with the twisting of the shopping cart and if I use the mobility cart my leg gets stiff and painful.
Walking is still giving me low back pain even though I have bought new shoes and wear an insert recommended by the osteopath.
My ROM is really good and I’m not really having to work at that at all.
I only take pain meds at night and still need oromorph to completely stop the throbbing ache which is relentless on rest.
My biggest issue is exhaustion. I frequently just fall asleep - I’ve never done that is my life. Come 8 pm my whole body aches and I long to lie down. I am sleeping well and laying in until mid morning.
I want to be more active and I want to walk and garden but the sheer fatigue of just living is overwhelming.
I don’t regret the TKR but I still don’t feel glad I had it done. I live in hope but need to know if I will get past this exhaustion?

 

[sistersinhim]

Could you be overworking, causing your exhaustion? Have you had your blood checked for anemia? It would probably be a good idea to call your GP for an appointment. Rest and sleep are actually very good for healing your knee and it may be your body's way of doing just that.

 

[Celle]

My biggest issue is exhaustion. I frequently just fall asleep - I’ve never done that is my life. Come 8 pm my whole body aches and I long to lie down. I am sleeping well and laying in until mid morning.
I want to be more active and I want to walk and garden but the sheer fatigue of just living is overwhelming.
I don’t regret the TKR but I still don’t feel glad I had it done. I live in hope but need to know if I will get past this exhaustion?

Yes, you will get past the exhaustion.
It's still part of the Energy drain for TKRs
Some of your body's energy is still being directed towards healing your knee, which means there isn't as much energy left for other activities.

I think it took about 6 months before I no longer needed an afternoon rest.

As sistersinhim wisely advised, it's a good idea to also get checked to make sure you're not anaemic.

 

[Cococat]

Could you be overworking, causing your exhaustion? Have you had your blood checked for anemia? It would probably be a good idea to call your GP for an appointment. Rest and sleep are actually very good for healing your knee and it may be your body's way of doing just that.

Thank you. My bloods are fine so it is the healing process

 

[sistersinhim]

Great that your blood is OK and all you need is rest. The energy drain is quite draining!

 

[Cococat]

So, I am 18 weeks post right TKR and I cannot believe how the time has gone by. It has been awful at times but now I am feeling much more normal. During the day I can do pretty much everything except kneel down. It is surprising how much kneeling is part of our lives!
I am walking between 1 and 2.5 miles in 24 hours though walking a complete mile round the village is totally exhausting and I struggle with an aching back. I have lost a lot of fitness in the past 4 months.
I am not on any medication during the day and I finally can see the end of needing oramorph to deal with the night time pain.
I still need encouragement. My ROM seems excellent but my mood needs constant boosters as I am less a person than I was before the op. I am told that healing continues but I cannot imagine being without residual stiffness, exhaustion and nighttime aching. Will I actually feel normal again or do I need to accept this as is?
I noticed that Bonesmart is also for rants so I guess this is mine.

 

[Jaycey]

@Cococat so sorry you are feeling the blues. But please remember, you are only 18 weeks into a process that can take one year or more. Many of our members report improvement for many months post op - even into year 2 or 3 post op.

Please don't push yourself to do that walking. You should enjoy it - not struggle. Shorten the walk and then if you still feel good the next day, length by a very little bit. Slow and steady back to improved fitness.

You will get there. Just give that knee time.

I noticed that Bonesmart is also for rants so I guess this is mine.

Rant anytime you need to. This whole journey can be frustration and exhausting. We totally understand!

 

[FCBayern]

Sorry to hear you are feeling frustrated @Cococat. I agree with Jaycey, you are still early in recovery (as crazy as that seems) and you have a lot of improvement to look forward to. I saw improvement throughout my first year and even more in my second. Patience isn't easy, but it's what you need right now.

 

[Cococat]

Thanks again. I have recommended this site to the father of one of my friends who is about to undergo TKR surgery. Everything in me wants to yell don’t do it but I won’t!
I think I do push myself and I have done since the first day. Thanks for giving me permission to keep the brakes on.

 

[Cococat]

I am 6 months post right TKR and it has been a traumatic journey. My ROM is good and I average 1 - 2 miles over a 24 hour period. If I try 3 - 4 miles then my leg swells and I get pain for several days.
I can ride the bike and I’m not too bad with stairs. I don’t find lifting my leg easy to put socks on etc but I’m managing. I don’t take pain meds during the day but do still need them at night.
My biggest issue is tiredness. I feel ready for bed by the early evening and it is a weariness which affects my whole body. Sometimes I find I have fallen asleep without realising it.
I long to feel normal and just be able to forget my knee. It certainly has changed me and I feel old.
Does damp cold weather affect it? Am I just a woose? So much is unknown to me.
I want to step back into life and enjoy it But my knee complains if I overdo it, it complains if I sit in one position for too long and I cannot stand for long periods - an hour for instance.
So, is normal ever going to reached? By this I mean will I get to a point where my knee is no longer the focus of my life?

 

[Pumpkin]

@Cococat,
You are only half way through this yearlong plus recovery.
Some of heal faster some slower, looks like you are on the slower train to recovery,
Focus on the positives, you can walk 1-2 miles a day, ride a bike, and you are doing well on stairs.

If I try 3 - 4 miles then my leg swells and I get pain for several days.

Suggest you start with walking 2 1/4th miles, increasing slowly. Paying attention to your knee and reducing/increasing distances as indicated. Jumping to 3 miles is too much right now.

Does damp cold weather affect it?

Yes, responding to inclement weather or barometer changes is normal. We have had cold rainy weather the last 4 days and my recently operated foot has let me know loud and clear it does not like this weather, my revision knee was a little stiff.

So, is normal ever going to reached?

You should feel a lot better at the one year mark if not sooner.

My biggest issue is tiredness.

Listen to your knee and stop before it gets tired, and pace yourself throughout the day spreading out activity with frequent breaks so you do not fatigue so easily.