TKR Week 5

[Jamie]

I hardly have any swelling. Icing a lot.elevating and cpm machine.

One thing about swelling with a TKR is that you can have it and not actually SEE it! You only FEEL it - that's the pain! You see, the knee compartment is really compact and it doesn't take much in the way of swelling to cause you pain. When you get pain, you also get inflammation which can cause even more pain. It can be a vicious cycle that you must break. That's where proper pain management comes in.

So.....if you have pain, please continue to treat it with the medications your doctor gave you. If they run out before the pain does, request more. This is so important in recovery!!! Many, many people take some type of pain medication for a couple of months or more after a TKR. It's a major surgery and one that can give you a lot of pain afterwards.

This is also why we advise people not to overdo the therapy, exercise or activity in the first critical months. Your knee must have time to heal. Inflammation and pain slows down that process and can even set some people back. So do take good care of yourself!!

 

[tcbabe]

Week 5 today. In some ways I'm doing very well. Walking around house without cane. Almost 0 extension and 115 flexion. I'm getting stronger every week. I'm not sleeping! Can't get comfortable! My whole body hurts especially lower back and hip. ( from walking differently) I still have a limp , am very stiff and swell big time when I stand. I have to go back to work part time on the 18th of Nov and am concerned. I'm a hairstylist and stand! When will I say I'm glad I had this done?

 

[marco4432]

I'm also at five weeks, sounds like your doing much better then me, bend 90 Max -10 extension, I walk one day with a cane then I have to go back to the walker, to recover. I work as a server on my feet 8 hours a day I cant
see when i'll be able to go back to work, If I may ask are you forcing your knee or has it come naturally, any other secrets.

Congratulations on your recovery, ( I'm green with envy LOL)

M

 

[Josephine]

tcbabe I've just merged your three recovery threads. We much prefer you to stick with ONE recovery thread so we don't keep repeating ourselves. Also, you don't appear to have been back to the previous two threads where people have taken the trouble to offer support and advice. I also ended up leaving you the recovery articles twice along with some questions which you have never answered. Now your posts are all in one place, perhaps you would be kind enough to go back and look at the questions and answer them and also to read the recovery articles. At lease then we will know if what we've posted has been helpful to you which is our aim.

As for your plan to return to work in 2 weeks time, given what you have reported above, I would say no way will you be ready. You will only be 7 weeks out and will not be able to spend a day on your feet without regretting it big time! In my 'other life' as an occupational health nurse, I often get to clear employees for return to work after hip and knee replacement and always say the same: as a base line for return to work it's 12 weeks and then a Phased return to work for another 4 weeks. Nearly all my 'patients' tell me they are very very grateful I stopped them going back earlier! But for the few who have problems, I might keep them off for another 2, 3 or more weeks according to how well they do. I suggest you rethink your plan and negotiate with your boss. I predict if you do go back on the 18th there is every likelihood that you will end up having to take more time off after a very short period.

 

[tcbabe]

Thank you for merging my posts. I did read all the articles and other post. Just couldn't figure out how to thread. Think I've got it now. I'm a self employed hairstylist. No work , no income. My plan is to go back very part time, with time to ice in between clients. If it swells or feels to uncomfortable I will not to it! Thanks for all the feed back.