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TKR VW's new joint venture

I also experienced it with arthroscopic surgery. I still had it 6 weeks later when I went in for my knee. And now? Well...you know. It's still there, but it has diminished a bit in intensity. Enough so it's not driving me nuts....sound good? Well, in about another week or two you'll probably feel the same.
 
21 days post op.=3 weeks
Not much change to yesterday.
I did notice that while using TENS for pain, I could flex knee a tiny bit more, maybe 3 to 5 ° more. :what:
I was able to walk about a few more steps (12 or so) without walker and felt fine. I like that part.
Thigh still hurts. Physiotherapist hour tomorrow.
Reducing daytime pain meds as of today. Let's see how I do.:unsure:
 
Mines took about 15 weeks to fade away but have been aware of a slight tightening above my knee this week, have put it down to me being more active now at 20+weeks and the knee is gently reminding me IT'S STILL IN CHARGE:no-fin:
 
You have been accomplishing a lot! Good for you. I am thrilled you are doing well.:yes!:
 
Ask your physiotherapist about heat and massage for your quads and hamstrings. This has been very helpful to me, especially in eliminating that deep quad soreness. He heats me up for 10 minutes, does some massage, then has me perform the dreaded heel-slides and quad extensions. Using this routine, the difference in my ability to perform these exercises is astonishing, especially the heel-slides. For the quad extension, he is now telling me to use a soccer ball underneath my knee. Doing so has almost eliminated the deep quad soreness felt otherwise.
 
22 days post op
Physiotherapist came to the apartment and observed my gait walking without any aids and checked stability of knee as I tried different steps. Declared I can dispense of walker inside our home but to keep using crutches for walks outside at least until the next time. I need them anyway to get up and down steps to the flat.
I'm supposed to exaggerate my bend a bit to keep from developing a limp. Am ok with doing that. I feel like a character in monty python of the funny walks sketches, if anyone can remember that.

Getting up from our sofa I twisted my op leg this evening and owowow. What pain! Mostly pain from the injured thigh muscle. Have ice packs on again. Hope I didn't do anything to knee with dire consequences. Am still worried about that.

2 out of 4 per day (daytime) meds now reduced to half.
Only thing that hurt noticeably was my calf.
Used TENS as per instructions from physiotherapist and IMO it helps a little.
Must try it again tomorrow.
Am still easily exhausted after some mundane tasks. Uff! Am so glad I don’t have to go to work.
Healing is work, hmmm?
 
VW54 said:
Getting up from our sofa I twisted my op leg this evening and owowow. What pain! Mostly pain from the injured thigh muscle. Have ice packs on again. Hope I didn't do anything to knee with dire consequences. Am still worried about that.
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I'm sorry you hurt your leg when you twisted it. New knees don't like thta twisting, as you found out, painfully.

I'm pretty sure you don't need to worry about damaging the implant, though - they're pretty tough and can usually withstand being landed on if you fall. You may have done a little soft tissue damage, though, so give yourself permission to spend most of today resting, icing and elevating.
 
Ouch, sorry to hear you twisted your OP leg @VW54.:bawl: Hopefully, the ice and elevation will take care of it and it will feel much better tomorrow. Like @Celle, I also doubt you did anything serious. These new knees are made of tough stuff.

It sounds like you had a good visit with your physiotherapist; yay! It's also great to get rid of the walker indoors.
 
That twisted knee will need some extra TLC for a day or so. Let it calm down before getting active on it again. A miss-step can happen so quickly an end up hurting like crazy.
 
Ouch for you twisted knee. My OS told me the implants are rugged, so it's probably fine. Just sorry you're in pain. Let me know how those blueberries work! Can always use a tip for sore muscles.
 
23 days post op
A down day.
Blegh.
There were positive things but all in all, it was not so good. New pains showing up that weren't there before and downright stupid comments from partner regarding rehab and moving more and forcing myself to do more. Ugh. I'm not supposed to be broken this long.
 
You'll go up and down like a yoyo with your emotions for a while yet VW, husbands are conditioned not to grasp the big picture at times, mines is exactly the same. On the whole he has been fantastic but every now and then he says something and I think, he doesn't really get this!! I actually said to him one day that I wished he needed a new knee so he would completely understand what we go through on our very long recovery process! You're only three weeks out which is a tiny speck in the recovery and you're doing really well so try to hold onto that. You will get various different aches, pains and sensations for a few months yet but you will get used to them happening. For example my knee has been really good for a few weeks now and I was thinking of it less and less, zingers started up again a few days ago out of the blue, last night in bed I must've moved funnily and got a darn sore pain in ligament at side of knee and tonight my scar has been itching like hell, so now I'm really aware of it again but the difference is that at 5 months down the line I can now accept these feelings without panicking which I did for first six weeks or so after surgery.:console2:
 
It is strange that all these different aches and pains pop up unannounced for many months after this surgery. All these are normal.
 
Bummer on the down day! Maybe you are more tired than usual? I know lack of sleep can certainly affect me that way; pffft! This recovery is such a zigzag battle and some days we have the energy to deal with it and some days not. You're in good company here.:console2:

Who says "You are not supposed to be broken this long?" Whoever it was is very misinformed. Even the word *broken* is annoying. You're not broken, you're recovering! Personally, I think you are right on the mark with your recovery. I'll bet your OS and Physiotherapist would agree as well.

Be extra good to yourself over the next few days and don't push yourself to do anything you're not ready for, regardless of what others might think. You and your knee know best. :hugzz:
 
Thanks so much my co-bonesmarties.
Had a good cry :cry:then went to sleep, much much later than usual. Too many thoughts.
Can't say I'm missing sleep. On past nights it I've been sleeping midnight to 7 a.m.
I'm missing some sympathy from outside of the forum.
There's probably a lack of understanding as to how major this operation is. :old:
I have even 'heard' insinuating comments that I did this to myself by staying overweight so long.
Moreover 'accusing' (so I interpreted the tone) why I had not tried the suggested injections of x,y or z that had helped the aunty, their best friend and/or neighbour to stave away the operation. :skep:
And then the proverbial stories of the man who could ski after 4 months or the lady who went on a pilgrimage walk of 300 km 10 weeks after.:walking:
My DH hears other such stories and brings these home. Perhaps he is trying to motivate me but it had backfired last night.
I did threaten that I'd be putting a really tight ace bandage on one knee and ask him to live with it for 16 waking hours. No, i won't do that, of course not. But cranky me says things like that.:whistle:

Because of the Rivaroxaban meds I must take another 10 days, I'm full of bruises. Just a tiny bump somewhere and BAM a bruise forms.
Even where the crutches meet my arms, I have bruises. Hard to dare go anywhere in this heat too. Got plenty of looks as I sat at café with an icepack on my knee. I think due to bruises (and crutches) some people think I was in an accident? :chinstroke:
My daughter hasn't called in 2 weeks. Sigh.:sigh:
Some people I thought were friends, haven't called or emailed.:unsure:
So it was an accumulation which led to a solo pity party. :boohoo:
Thanks for letting me vent. Thanks that there's this forum. How in the world did people manage this just 2 decades ago?
 
I had days like this also. My good friends and family were always there, but I was disappointed by other "friends". Out of sight, out of mind was definitely the case, especially for my work friends. Luckily, my dad and bff both had TKRs and knew what a long, consuming recovery this is.

If you can, lose yourself in a good book or movie today. It'll help keep your mind off knee things.
 
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