TKR When oh when oh when

[EalingGran]

I also agree with @JusticeRider about massage. I tried that once recently on a spa day with my daughter and it did seem to help for a few days. I am going to look for a good practitioner. I am just a bit cautious because of my lumbar arthritis and spinal stenosis as I don't want anyone too vigorous.

 

[Jammy]

@JusticeRider - I need to look into it. I haven't because of funds. I actually want to go back to work, so I'll have some funds, but worried about it. I can't sit all day like I used to. I can look into pilates like @EalingGran suggested. I went out with a galpal I haven't seen for years and she told me I'm limping. Oh dear. My husband never tells me this. He is either 1) afraid to say that to me, or 2) oblivious, which is more likely.

 

[Jammy]

I haven't posted on this board for a while. Most stories I read seem to be success stories, except mine. I am so depressed. It's been eight months since my surgery and I've been in so much pain. Maybe for over a month! My knee is stiff with that awful tight band feeling, still, and my leg down to my feet is really stiff. At night I'm feeling pain in the hot area on the side of my knee. I mean, I had all this stuff going on four months ago! I feel like I will never recover. I have not been doing "too much" or "too little." I haven't been exercising, just doing house stuff and stupid grocery shopping and taking a few walks around the circle where I live. When I walk my knee feels like it was before I had surgery, bone on bone, and here I am, with a new knee, limping, in pain. I am seeing the PA on the 25th but I have seen her before and she's always very perky. She doesn't listen, she hears her own voice telling me I'm doing great. This is what's happened in the past, anyway. They only take an X-ray but I wonder if an MRI would show anything going on with the tissue? Do I need to go back to horrible PT? Maybe need a manipulation I've read about? I'm taking Advil about four times a day. I tried taking part of a tramadol but even with a small amount I was up until 3:00 am! It really interferes with my sleep. I still have not engaged in pilates or gotten a massage. I'm at a standstill. Like depressed people get. Can't do anything. Just thought I'd get online and vent. Maybe someone's been through this before?

 

[EalingGran]

I've been in so much pain. Maybe for over a month! My knee is stiff with that awful tight band feeling, still, and my leg down to my feet is really stiff. At night I'm feeling pain in the hot area on the side of my knee. I mean, I had all this stuff going on four months ago! I feel like I will never recove

So sorry for all this pain.
I don't think it can be right for your knee to be so painful at 8 months. Nor really warm either. My knee was still slightly warmer by then and can still be fractionally warmer at 10 months- but it definitely wasn't really hot.
I wouldn't be fobbed off by your surgeon's assistant. Have you tried recording your knee scores on the charts here on BoneSmart? I found them useful for recording my progress and reassuring myself I was doing ok. But they would also be useful for showing a professional exactly what the problems are.

 

[JusticeRider]

I agree with @EalingGran . Not a doctor, but this doesn’t seem right. If it were me, I would call to make an appointment with your surgeon and insist on seeing him/her instead of the PA. Don’t take no for an answer!

 

[Clocacola]

Sorry for your troubles. I agree with the others...Please be aggressive in getting it properly examined by surgeon, after all they've been the architects to your new joint.(Nothing against NP's and PA's )..Especially if your knee is hot and stiff radiating down to your foot. In my own experiences its better to be safe than sorry . Best of luck!

 

[benne68]

I am seeing the PA on the 25th but I have seen her before and she's always very perky. She doesn't listen, she hears her own voice telling me I'm doing great

I would encourage you to call the office and insist on an appointment with your surgeon. If something is really off, you have every right to request that, rather than settling for seeing a PA that you have no confidence in.

It's your knee and your recovery. You chose that surgeon because you wanted the surgeon -- not his PA. Please advocate for yourself!

Sending hugs

 

[Cinders2023]

Jammy, you and I are in the same boat. I will be 8 months on September 3 and I am meeting with the OS on September 13. I am hoping to get some answers, diagnostics, or referral to a specialist we had previously discussed. I try to keep in mind everybody heals at their own pace, but really feel like something is keeping me from getting a normal leg back. We must insist on getting answers. Nobody will advocate for you, you have to insist on being heard! Please listen to the Bonesmarties on here and get an appointment with your OS. None of the PA’s in my dr office listened to me either, only my OS would listen to my concerns.
Just remember you are not alone. Hang in there.

 

[Jammy]

Thanks, all. Unfortunately my surgeon is a woman, and she is out on maternity leave! What is she going to do, have the baby and go back to doing knee surgeries? I didn't ask but assume, that is what she will do. Maybe the hub can be at home. But really, who knows when she'll be back, or if? I hate to say this, but this is the problem with having a woman doctor, unfortunately. They get preggers and leave you in the lurch. On the other hand, she was easy to communicate with. I might just end up getting a consult from a different surgeon.

@EalingGran, thanks for your post. All I have to do is look at my BoneSmart posts to see how I've been progressing. I will say there have been times I felt much better than this, and if you read my posts, I went on vacation in June and did pretty well. This TKR has been an up and down and twirl-around experience! I am just hoping it will get better! I'm still going to see the PA tomorrow. I have to do something!

 

[Mutti3]

@Jammy
My OS is retiring at the end of this year. He did my left knee In 2017 And both of my husband’s knees. This OS practice doesn’t use PA or NP.
Hopefully the PA will help you with all your knee issues.

 

[benne68]

Unfortunately my surgeon is a woman, and she is out on maternity leave!

That's unfortunate, but aren't there other surgeons in the practice who are handling her cases while she is out? (I had a similar situation a few years back: my ob-gyn was out on maternity leave when I had a medical emergency; one of her partners did the consult and the surgery.)

At minimum, you could ask the PA to please have one of the other surgeons take a look at your situation when you are there.

 

[Jammy]

I saw the PA. She seemed baffled. She told me she spoke with my surgeon before seeing me. She ordered blood work, a CT scan, and gave me some stretching exercises to do. She also ordered (tried to order) Voltaren cream 3% for the knee. Well, my Publix doesn't have it and the pharmacist said others don't have it. I read up on it and there are big side-effects with this drug. Geez, guess she didn't know. Anyhow. . . my surgeon had her baby boy and is coming back to work in October. The PA pulled through though, I thought she really listened, will give her a pass on ordering a no-good drug. As it is, I had side-effects from most the drugs I took after surgery. My knee/leg is still very stiff. My husband said it looked like my surgery leg was in pain. What a drag. And now we've got another hurricane coming. . .

 

[sistersinhim]

These creams don't get into your bloodstream so you shouldn't have to worry about those side effects. You can always ask the PA about it. It also comes in a generic form. I use it occasionally without any problems.

 

[Jammy]

@Mutti3, have you been able to find a different surgeon? I hope he/she recommends someone for you to see.

@sistersinhim, thank you! Unfortunately my TKR friend said that Voltaren is stinky, and my hub is very sensitive to smells. My pharmacy now does have it, and it's $38 with a coupon. It is the strong version. I am torn as to whether to get it. I know it is supposed to help, but do I also slather it on my leg, which is stiff? I also read it comes with a lot of unpleasant side effects, which I usually get. So. . . probably won't get it.

On a positive note, no hurricane here.

 

[mendogal]

Re voltarin...
There is a dosage ruler inside for applying the correct amount. So you won't overdo it.
However, @sistersinhim , a small and generally negligible amount of active ingredient is usually absorbed on most topicals - that's why dosage is important! - when I did apply the prescribed "two large joint" dosage to my knees, the NSAID gastric pain and reflux was triggered. I could get away with using half that but it wasn't effective at the lower dose.

 

[Mutti3]

@Jammy
i will need a new OS after 1/1/24. my current OS has been treating our family since1997. I ask the NP that works with my OS for recommendation. She gladly gave names!

 

[sistersinhim]

On a positive note, no hurricane here.

Here either, just some wind and rain.

 

[KFTCS]

Will I feel better? I am 68 yrs old, and 10 weeks post-TKR (also known as the Dragon). My ROM has always been pretty good and is now 122. A week after surgery it was 115 so I guess that's some improvement. But I STILL have some pain and am taking tramadol or Advil. The tramadol helps the "hot spots" on the outside of the knee, but causes constipation more than Advil. With Advil I have to take it with a couple of crackers and it doesn't do as much and I still often get a stomach ache. Ugh.

Not only is this surgery a pain in the knee, it is a pain in the butt and the constant struggle can get very depressing. That is why I joined this forum. My experience so far is there are good days (rare) and then the Dragon shows up and says, NO WAY, and you have several bad days, and the Dragon says GOOD! I normally feel crappy and I am/was a healthy thin non-crappy feeling person before this surgery. I had bone and bone caused by arthritis and thought I should have this surgery before things got too bad.

My highly rated doctor told me there'd be two weeks where it's quite rough and then you slowly begin to get better. NOT. My knee feels like there's a tennis ball in there wanting to come out and play. I complained again about pain to my doctor in January and she prescribed a 6-day steroid pack methylprednisolone for the swelling. It did seem to help with the swelling but not for long; the Dragon wouldn't have me smiling.

I have noticed that I hurt more during and after physical therapy and am tempted to stop that, even though it's supposed to be so helpful. I don't know about you but I hate having my painful knee pushed down really hard until I almost cry. I stick with it because I don't want to fail in my recovery and this is what my doctor wants me to do.

I haven't even gotten to the interrupted sleep and awful fatigue. I am worried I will feel like this for another six months. I am close to looking into getting a therapist, the mental kind. If only I had the money for one, but hey, Medicare doesn't cover this like they cover a TKR.
Sorry so long, but Leonard Cohen didn't write "Hallelujah" in a day.

Jammy, it’s been said before, but I can’t say it enough times, don’t let a PT hurt your recovering joint. It can’t get better if it’s constantly being hurt, it’s that simple. How will the inflammation go away if they’re constantly manipulating it farther than it can really go and causing more? I promise you if you just do what you can, you’ll get better. Walk walk walk that’s my recommendation. I was lucky, I had surgery on both legs that was virtually pain-free, no surgical pain, no PT pain no recovery pain. What the doctor gave me was four days of an antibiotic, three weeks of a nerve medicine, aspirin to prevent blood, clots, and four weeks of Tylenol three times a day without fail. I had two weeks of self PT, based on the app on my phone from Zimmer Biomet, the manufacture of my new knee. After two weeks, I started PT. For my left knee I waited three months to go back to the gym; for my right knee I went back in three weeks. Just riding the bike to keep my range of motion loose.

I’ll be thinking of you and I hope you update us in a few days/weeks to let us know that you’re doing better.

 

[Jammy]

@KFTCS - I wrote that in February. There are many posts since that one. I'm not doing PT now and haven't gone for months. But thanks for reading! I am trying to increase my walking.

I did get the Voltaren gel 3%, the generic. Put it on my knee and waited. It seems to help but I think I have stomach problems from it. I will keep using it and see. I hope that side effect goes away because this does work.

 

[JusticeRider]

Hi Jammy, I’m glad the Voltaren seems to be helping, though I hope it doesn’t distress your stomach too much. If it does, you could also try topical arnica gel or Traumeel. Both of these were very helpful for my pre op cartilage damaged knee. I had less noticeable results post surgery but it might be worth a try.