TKR When oh when oh when

[mahscott72]

Oh yes, especially in the early months of a new knee. Weather makes arthritis pain worse, and also the angered soft tissues from a joint replacement. It does get better, though, once everything is healed and has settled down.

I was just wondering this. I’m 7 weeks today. Our weather has been like my hormonal teenager, up and down, cannot make up its mind. Yesterday sunny and 70s and I felt great. Wind switched off Lake Michigan and it’s rainy and 40s and boy do I ache!

 

[Jammy]

More knee and leg pain. Awful. Taking tramadol again. A small amount and I feel like my eyes are dilated. It helps the pain a little. If I took more it might help more, but then there's more: feeling wired; feeling weird; constipation. I told a friend I was still having pain and she said, Well, what's your doctor say? I told her I don't bother telling my doctor about my pain anymore. Been there, done that. It's almost like I've done something wrong. Normal people cannot believe you can have a surgery and then have pain for so long. Like, months and months. Pretty depressed.

Welcome @mahscott72. Other people say that this does get better. I can't say that though. Hopefully you will recuperate faster than me.

 

[EalingGran]

told a friend I was still having pain and she said, Well, what's your doctor say? I told her I don't bother telling my doctor about my pain anymore. Been there, done that. It's almost like I've done something wrong.

I know it is frustrating. I have friends who say ' Aren't you fully better yet?' in a slightly accusatory way as if I am being deliberately awkward....
It reminds me of the frustration when the kids used to say ' Are we there yet'- when it was only 20 minutes into a 4 hour car journey!
I am 2 months further on than you and I think it is gradually improving.
I still have some funny twinges but the most recent ones are settling and I can do more and more.
It is so hard to be patient though and every little setback makes me wonder if there is something more serious wrong..

 

[WFD]

@Jammy , I’ve been in your situation since October 2020 off and on, so at least you have company .

 

[JusticeRider]

Hi Jammy, you know I sympathize with your struggles. Hopefully you’ll turn a corner around 5 months like I did. Remember every recovery is different. Just keep moving that knee and icing and elevating. Walking is your best exercise, those legs were made for walking! Stretching gently every day is vital. Celebrate even the smallest victories. My neighbor who had a knee replacement 2 yrs ago and is now doing great told me her mantra was “keep your short term expectations low and your long term expectations high”. It might not apply to everyone, but it perfectly described my healthiest recovery mindset, being a slow healer. I told her I wish I had followed that mantra from the beginning. Even now, I don’t meet my friends’ expectations much of the time. But that’s ok! Hang in there and keep grinding Jammy!

 

[Jammy]

@EalingGran - Yeah, are we there yet? Not yet! If you are two months more than me, and can do more and more, that is good news. I like your apt description of "funny twinges." But you mean "unfunny," right? Those are what I get too.

@WFD - Thank you for your note. I'm sorry you've been struggling for such a long time. I'm glad I'm not alone but I do wish you felt better after all this time.

@JusticeRider - Ya know, I haven't really been icing. So I think I'll do that some more. I get so cold when I do it and I dislike being cold. I usually don't do stuff that makes me uncomfortable when I'm already feeling lousy, and try to justify it that way!

Update - I started taking two Advils with food instead of tramadol. It seems to help some and doesn't make me feel weird like tramadol does. I still get a slight bellyache, but oh well. I have found that with TKR, you have to pick your poison.

 

[JusticeRider]

Yeah, that icing really is important! As long as you’re having pain, keep it up. Have you tried a heating pad? I used one on my hips while I iced my knee and it was heavenly.

 

[EalingGran]

Agree with @JusticeRider about icing.
I still use my cool water Cryocuff after my long walk and pilates exercises. I also rest my knee on the Cryocuff water jacket to go to sleep and use a hot water bottle against my lower back.
I am back taking ibuprofen long acting once a day- mainly for my lower back, but probably also helps the knee..
I am managing lots of stairs though and walking 10000 steps regularly. So there is progress

 

[sistersinhim]

I started taking two Advils with food instead of tramadol. It seems to help some and doesn't make me feel weird like tramadol does. I still get a slight bellyache

Are you taking an antacid? They might help that tummy. Also, Tylenol is gentler on the stomach, if you can take it, and is a great pain reliever.

 

[Jammy]

@sistersinhim - I have been taking both. Tylenol doesn't seem to help the aching like the Advil does. I'm just kind of glad not to be taking tramadol now. I take one omeprazole every morning. I never took it until this surgery.

@JusticeRider - I did ice today. Seemed okay. I do have a heating pad and usually use it for my cold feet at night-- or day, during naps. Cold feet and our place is 76 degrees. Wimp! I could try it for when I'm icing but my feet are up so I will have to think of something.

 

[sistersinhim]

Advil is an anti-inflammatory, so it's helping to get that swelling down. That's probably why you're feeling better after taking that. Just be careful. It is an NSAID and can be bad for your heart and tummy.

 

[Jammy]

@sistersinhim - I'm not taking too much I don't think. Anyway, I pretty much always have a belly ache, headache, back ache, or knee ache going on. Fun times at age 68. I had no idea before having bone on bone knee pain, how great my life was.

Today I have been rubbing/massaging the back of the surgery knee, which for some reason feels upset. As Roseanne Roseannadanna says: It's Always Somethin'. Especially in TKR World.

 

[sistersinhim]

In this recovery, it does seem it's always something.

 

[JusticeRider]

I pretty much always have a belly ache, headache, back ache, or knee ache going on.

My husband has hurt his back a couple times in the last year and strained a calf muscle. And of course I’ve had my surgeries which cause the usual hip and knee pain, plus a rotating cast of back, neck, shin, foot, etc etc. Now when we both get up in the morning moaning and groaning, we joke “what have you pulled out of your collection of aches and pains today?”

On the other hand, all the twinges and tweaks and ouches and aches get much fewer and farther between the further I get post surgery. I bet the same will happen for you, Jammy

 

[EalingGran]

what have you pulled out of your collection of aches and pains today?”

My husband and I are a good bit older than you @JusticeRider. Definitely agree on this one! It gets even worse though.
When we meet with friends there is always talk of various illnesses- some pretty serious these days. We have a deal that we limit the " organ recital" to a shortish discussion at the beginning!

 

[EalingGran]

On the other hand, all the twinges and tweaks and ouches and aches get much fewer and farther between the further I get post surgery

This is also definitely true for me too.
My leg is getting stronger and I have to hold on to the gradually upward trajectory in my progress. And not get discouraged by the blips.

 

[Jammy]

I'm not as enlightened as you gals. I still get discouraged by the blips. And blops.

I'm 68. Not that old. Some of my friends have passed away already. Have to be glad I don't have cancer.

 

[Jammy]

It's almost my 5 month anniversary and I still wake up after finally falling back asleep after I wake up in the middle of the night, and am reminded that I had a knee replacement as soon as I put my TKR foot on the ground. Tightness, stiffness, achiness. I'm supposed to go across the state for a celebration of life for a dear friend and hope I can make it. We are spending the night so at least my knee/leg will have some time to stand and move around. I'll try to get up when we're sitting for a long time, so that my knee doesn't get cranky.

I love to share my latest "experiences" here -- the latest is that the stitches on my knee seem to feel like they're snapping or coming undone? Which is weird because I thought they had dissolved. I'm sure it's "normal" like everything else. Also my knee seems especially crunchy now. Why oh why now is it crunchy?

 

[EalingGran]

Are you doing a bit more that could be aggravating the knee?
I had a few days away at my son's house and felt much better. I even thought when I came back that I might put away my ice machine as I hadn't used any ice whilst I was away.
One day back at home with three floors of stairs and three lots of washing/ ironing and I needed a lie down with some ice again because I was pretty sore....
It really is still very variable.
I have been trying to do the Oxford knee score once a month and also record here monthly and I do see progress. It helps if you can record an upward path even if it is very back and forth.

 

[Jammy]

I do not think I've aggravated my knee. It did seem better the past two days. I'm afraid to say that!

@EalingGran, you were definitely doing too much! Try to buy things that don't need to be ironed!