TKR Tourniquet feeling

[sistersinhim]

You are right about getting older.

Getting older is wonderful! It's the side effects that stink.

 

[EalingGran]

Getting older is wonderful! It's the side effects that stink.

Very true! I think it was Winston Churchill who once said in a speech.
" Getting old.........( very long pause in which audience began to wonder if he had lost the plot).......is better than the alternative!"

 

[ProgressAtLast]

I am 12 weeks post op and I have the same thing. Some days it is worse than others but totally agree that a little bending and stretching makes it a little easier. This tourniquet feeling has definitely improved so hold on in there as I am of the same thoughts that it is 150% better than the 'collapsing' knee I had pre surgery.

 

[Candyapple]

I had my surgery when I was on the cusp of needing it. I could've waited longer but didn't want to wait til I was bone on bone like I did with my hip, so I dont really have that pre op basis of comparison than many others. I'm just ready to see some sign of improvement, so matter how small

 

[JusticeRider]

Candyapple, all I can offer is my personal experience. It took me 5 months to feel like my knee was better now than before surgery. And my knee before surgery was trashed! Since yours wasn’t too bad, it might take longer to feel it’s better off now. There’s so much surgical pain and trauma to all the soft tissues to recover from after the surgery, it will feel worse at first and probably for a while.

 

[Candyapple]

It's just such a totally different experience than the hip, which I expected to a point. Healing is at a snail's pace at this point, which is also discouraging. I wonder at what point you literally feel no sensations or limitation from the surgical site at all....

 

[sistersinhim]

I wonder at what point you literally feel no sensations or limitation from the surgical site at all....

There is no set time for this. When this happens for one will not happen at the same time for another. I used different textures of cloths to help desensitize my knee. I started with very soft ones at first, then increased the roughness as my knee tolerated them.

 

[beachy]

My first tkr surgeon who also does hips told me that the hip is a much easier recovery than the knee. So please don't compare your tkr to hip recovery. disclaimer: I'm sure some people had very difficult hip recoveries.
Knees are a long, crazy, roller coaster recovery. Hang in there, ice and elevate and be gentle with yourself. It gets better.

 

[Layla]

Hello and Happy Friday

I wonder at what point you literally feel no sensations or limitation from the surgical site at all..

Since recovery takes a full year for most and even longer for some, please realize you're probably right where you should be at this point. I am sure you're making strides with each passing month and will notice progress if you gauge it that way. While almost four months post op may feel like a long time, you have many months left to notice and enjoy improvement and you will.
Hang in there, Candyapple, you can do this!
I hope you have a lovely weekend!

 

[PamS78]

Candyapple, I've wondered the same thing myself. I had right TKR August 15, 2022. I still have a "tightness" when going down the stairs. Occasional pain after walking a while. And bending--that was my toughest thing during therapy. SO PAINFUL. I still have some pain when bending my knee significantly, say, past about 100 degrees or so. I can say that at five months I am SO much better than the first month!! That was ALL pain management. Second month I could tell that ROM and endurance was better and pain was much less. But it wasn't until month 3-4 that I felt as though I was actually feeling "better" in terms of what I could do and how often I felt pain. Now each month that goes by I can really feel improvement.

 

[benne68]

I wonder at what point you literally feel no sensations or limitation from the surgical site at all....

While I think this probably happens differently for each of us, I can share the following from my recovery:

• At 5 months, I was able to take a 2-mile hike without needing to stop because of discomfort -- although I did still worry about my knee it didn't limit my walking ability.
• At 7 months, I traveled to NYC and spent the day on my feet, walking almost 5 miles according to my FitBit. I had no pain in The Knee!
• At 9 months, I went on a three-week holiday that involved a lot of walking on cobblestone streets, scrambling up hillside paths and climbing steep flights of stairs. No pain and no limitations.

I am more than a 16 months out now and don't think about the knee at all.

Yes, it's a slow recovery, but if you acknowledge and celebrate the small milestones, you will see that you are making progress!

 

[EalingGran]

At 5 months, I was able to take a 2-mile hike without needing to stop because of discomfort -- although I did still worry about my knee it didn't limit my walking ability

That feels very realistic to me. I am 14 weeks post my PKR. I can walk one and a half miles with little or no discomfort (1 out of 10) - then stop for coffee for 30 minutes and walk back the same one and a half miles. If I do over 10000 steps/ day the knee will be slightly warm and slightly swollen by bedtime but settles with ice/ rest.

 

[Layla]

Happy Four Month Anniversary, Candyapple!

You mentioned your hip a few posts up. I am wondering if you had a THR and if so, if you'd be willing to share the date for your signature?

I hope you have a lovely Sunday and week!
@Candyapple

 

[Candyapple]

Layla, yes of course. Total right hip replacement on Aug 2, 2019.

 

[sistersinhim]

@Candyapple, thank you for the date of your hip replacement. I added that information to your signature for you.