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TKR Very challenging Left TKR

I am so sorry to read about your pain levels! I agree with the others posting before me try to contact them and firmly stress to them just how painful this is for you and I like the advice from Gingerbread-- maybe they didn't take your weight into enough consideration.

If it were me, I would also contact my family physician and see if they can put a good word in for me. It can't hurt, right?

Praying you get some relief soon, it shouldn't be like this!
 
Thanks everyone. it helps so much to not feel alone. Finally got his attention. Was ready to go to emergency room if he did not do anything. I’m on 4mg of hydromorphone and as long as I stay ahead of the pain with meds I’m just where I need to be. Daily pain 2-5. I’m walking, I can lift my leg, and I have decided to pull myself out of this hellhole regardless of what it took. Have a great ice machine and CPM device. Did a test for blood clots and changed/ upped meds. Oh, what a relief.
Dr did a great job, once pain was managed I’m walking 100’s of feet, my dog loves it, nothing but blues skies ahead. What a rollercoaster. Focusing on the future, moderation, proper gait. Slow and steady will win the race.

You can see what I do and why I did this on FB at S/v Elektra. Now that I’m not in major pain I will be adding content from my trip from Jan through June in the Sea of Cortez down Mexico way as they say….the fun side of the borderearlier this year. I thought it might be nice to share something other than the pain we all go through.

Ricardo has returned and is in the building.⛵
 
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Staying ahead of the pain is important. Keep up the great work and you'll get there.....this is why we say knee replacement surgery is not for sissies! It can be quite a challenge to get things in balance so you actually can make some forward progress.
 
@CapnRic So glad to read your update and to see you have new meds that are helping your pain.. Hurrah!! Yes, slow and steady will get you far in this THR recovery.

Your sail boat adventures look amazing, what a great motivation to get yourself "back on your feet".
 
Happy to hear you are doing better! Sorry to hear the pain you were in, I know it well. Personally I don't care what kind of pressure Doctors are under when prescribing drugs. Those drugs were created so people like us can have our pain reduced & not lose our minds. I take great offense to be forced to endure off the charts pain because some strangers abuse these drugs. Punish them, not us!
When I was in the pain you described, thank God my primary Dr stopped in to check on me. I could barely breathe. She immediately got me on the dilaudid/Tylenol drip & I got immediate relief.
So I went on your Facebook Blog. Great pictures. Great adventures. I too am a boater. Powerboat though. I have a 2002 28Ft Chaparral Signature. I will admit though, I absolutely love going out on friends sailboats. There is nothing like the peaceful feeling when you turn off the engine to go under sail.
I totally get why the knee replacement was so important. I have the same love of the water.
Smooth sailing to you. I will follow your adventures!
 
Hi Abbylayla, Blue skies ahead....
I appreciate your response. I need to figure out how to change my tagline, as I am not living the nightmare anymore, I'm afraid I was at my wits end when I wrote that. There were days I cried almost the entire day and night from the pain but that is all water under the bridge. I'm 61 years old, this was hard for me. Some folks take to it easily, but for some of us it is a challenging journey. I'm so glad I did it. Just so others (new people) know, it may seem like an eternity but the pain swill subside at some point and you will be happy again. Just came from the Surgeon's office, I'm happy to report he says I am doing quite well, my flex is 90 deg and extension is just short 5 degrees from straight. All things considered, not so sure about doing the right knee until I get amnesia from this experience :)

Power boaters are people too :), we love them as long as they don't hit our pokey-slow boats. I'm glad the page brought a little sunshine into people's lives. A dear friend (guy in the video) did this for me on her maiden voyage. If you couldn't tell I had a smile from ear to ear. I spent 6 months (thanks to my dear wife Sandy) just before the operation. Living in the bay on a mooring ball was everything and more that I have dreamt of for 30 years. I've read almost every adventure sailing book there is. Sometimes we have to remember those times to get through the rough ones is why I shared.

This board helped me through a most challenging time, probably the hardest thing I have ever done with my body. Thank you to everyone for your support. I will be making small cards up to put in my surgeon's office to steer new people to the page. Fear and anxiety are borne from lack of knowledge. All' ya'll (that plural for you non-texans) bridged that gap for me and really helped.

I have my therapy started (professionals-I winged it the first 2 weeks) and they are such wonderful people I am looking forward to this part of the journey, pain now pales in comparison to before the operation soooo.... I see blue skies ahead and I sincerely hope others can see them too.
Regards, Cap'n Ric
 
What an awesome report!

We can change your thread title for you, just post what you want it to be.
 
Thank you, @CapnRic. We try hard to do the things you mention for every single one of our members. Doctors and their staff many times just don't have the time to deal with all the minor bits of information that patients need to know. We try to fill in the gaps for them and so far have GREAT job security, as no one else seems to be able to deliver the amount of education and support that BoneSmart provides to this unique community of people.

If you feel BoneSmart was of value to you, I would encourage you to make a donation to our non-profit organization so that we can continue our work. Although our staff is primarily volunteers, there are plenty of expenses for programming, server space, maintenance, and educational webinars where we depend on donations. There is a Donate link in the blue tool bar at the top of the page.
 
@CapnRic I can assure you I am quite respectful of my blow boat friends when I'm cruising nearby. I minimize my wake & pass carefully so as not to take the wind out of their sails...literally. :)
Please continue to post on your progress. Love to hear how your replacement works out maneuvering around a sail boat.
I totally agree with you about this site. The information & support is priceless! Gotten me through more than a few tough days. Now I spend the majority of my Bonesmart time learning about hip replacement. Trying to get my head in a place to schedule it!!
Keep in touch with your accomplishments. You'll probably see that even one year out things will continue to get better with your knee. Right now I'm sitting on the edge of a recliner with both legs bent way under the leg rest. No indication of ever having a replacement. Works completely normal and I didn't even do PT! It's a beautiful thing!
 
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So I have another question... maybe seeking input from as many as possible.
Did your knee click at all? if yes, did it go away? When, why how?

2 weeks after, some swelling has gone down, I'm at 90 deg sitting in a chair, stand without excessive pain. However, when I walk my knee clicks on every step. Trying to find a gait that does not make it click but I can't find one. Walking heel to toe, still clicks. I am assuming it has something to do with evening out the muscle tone on all sides of the knee, as it is still bound up pretty tight.

I hate to bug my Dr,. so before I go back in I was hoping for some feedback from others.
 
Clicking after TKR is not uncommon @CapnRic. Here is an article from the library about it.

bonesmart.org

Clicking/clunking knee joint after surgery

Revised March 9, 2021 by Jamie Many patients who undergo knee replacement surgery will describe noises that come from their replaced joint. People commonly mention a clicking or clunking coming from their knee replacement when they walk, and they often worry that something is wrong with their...
bonesmart.org bonesmart.org
 
My knees, like yours, started clunking more and more once the cushioning swelling decreased. At eight months, the knee that has always been the better one clunks more than the one that lags behind! Maybe they will stay like that, but I don’t notice it much any more, so perhaps it is diminishing, it’s difficult to ascertain. Provided they both end up completely pain free, and I stop considering them all day and every day, I’ll be happy whatever noise they make.
 
CapnRic said:
However, when I walk my knee clicks on every step. Trying to find a gait that does not make it click but I can't find one.
Click to expand...

@CapnRic -- My new knee didn't start click until almost 4 weeks in, and I was worried. But just had my 6-week follow-up with my surgeon (w X-rays) and he said there is nothing wrong. Clicking is totally normal as the implant settles and it will probably last for several months.

Like you, I was trying to find a way to walk to stop the noise, but now have decided to embrace it -- it mean THE NEW KNEE is working properly!
 
These comments are right on target. Don't worry about any clicking or clunking, especially since you have no pain along with the sounds. When you replace bone with hard metal, it can take a while for everything to settle in. It should disappear within a few months.
 
Mine clicked some while I was waiting in the PT room, just before she came in. I was swinging my legs back & forth, then tried side to side - my knee clicked! No pain, just a click. Can’t wait to show this to our Grandson!
 
I have an update and a question. 6 weeks today. Majority of pain is gone but still on pain meds occasionally. No Cane or Walker, can walk around the block but that's about it. Can sit comfortably, can ride a bike (gently) with resistance.

Have any of you had a problem with locating your patella properly? My is not where it needs to be. I have decent mobility in the kneecap, have great extension (within 1 deg) and rotation (110-120). I have attached an x-ray. My Doc says it's not that big of a deal, everything else is excellent. Easy for him to say, he's not walking around with a dislocated patella. Maybe I need a new doc??? So I have been having pain from more like irritation than core pain. After seeing the x-ray the PT person put some Kinesio tape on the knee(pic attached) and it seemed to help for the entire day yesterday, felt like a million bucks However, today my knee is sad. It gets like raw hamburger in there and I don't want to even think about getting up at that point. It seems that what I need is more strength as well as focusing on exercises that will move the kneecap over (to the inside). It's my understanding (???) there is an oblique under the quad that has a tie to the patella and if I can strengthen that it should normalize the patella position. Is this BS or has anyone else experienced this? Is this something that happens alot? Dam, it it would just track I would be doing great. Any experiences or suggestions to help me through this? Thanks inb advance, I appreciate everyone's help.
 

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Proper patellar tracking is part of the knee balancing process. You are being told correctly that exercises can help get the tracking to normalize. But your surgeon's Laissez-faire attitude about it is concerning. A maltracking patella can cause severe pain and inflammation and may result in wear to the patella eventually. I suggest you try to find a revision surgeon who will agree to look at your knee. If that doesn't work (since you are fairly new out from surgery), see if you can press your current surgeon to take a more active interest into the problem. He needs to reassure you that the therapy exercises will resolve the problem. In any case, definitely continue to work with your therapist to strengthen surrounding muscles. Don't push your knee when it hurts. That's your sign to slow down so as not to inflame the tissues. You are still recovering and things are not completely healed inside.
 
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