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TKR When oh when oh when

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My mom was an office manager for a surgeon and a couple of other doctors when I was in school. She always told me that when you have a problem you need addressed you can’t stop complaining/reminding the doctor about it. If you do they will assume it’s fine or at least not a big deal. Also if you go silent for a time and then come back, you’ll be seen as starting over with a new problem vs continuing to have a long standing problem. So don’t give up and make all the noise it takes to get their attention!
 
Possibly their frustration, lack of compassion, or whatever it is you're sensing from them is because they don't know what to say. Not because they don't believe you, or don't care about you. All you can do at this point is be proactive in getting a fresh set of eyes on your case and go from there. Hopefully you find a surgeon that's able to get to the origin of your pain and help resolve it. I wish you comfort and hope you find answers soon, Jammy.
We care, so come and vent here whenever you feel the need. :console2:
 
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Thanks everyone, you are the best! I think I wrote here on BS that my surgeon had me get the MRI of my back and said that my pain is probably a result of what she saw on the MRI. She wanted me to see a pain management doctor, and implied he would give me a shot. The one she recommended didn't take any Medicare insurance. Of course. So I saw a different pain doctor yesterday, hoping I would finally get some relief. He took a look at the MRI and said, "Your back just doesn't look that bad to me." He asked me some questions about my pain. He came up with the brilliant conclusion that "Your knee may just be taking a lot longer to heal than normal." Um, ya think? He gave me a referral to see a neurologist to do a nerve conduction study. It's holiday time, ho ho ho, I can't see the neurologist until Jan. 3. Then back to the pain management doctor on Jan. 8th, more than a month from now. Who knows what will happen, if anything, then.

When oh when oh when will this end? It is ENDLESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
 
I'm sorry, :console2:Sending a warm hug your way.
 
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Here's a hug from me, too. I know you are tired of this!
 
:console2: and another one for good measure!
 
Hugs and good wishes from London too!
So sorry it feels so endless and it is really frustrating that the holiday month slows your search for answers right down.
Good luck for January!
 
Today is my one-year anniversary and all I can say is, RESEARCH THIS. If people are thinking about getting a knee replacement, you might want to read my post. I am scheduled to see a neurologist to get a nerve conduction study (what for?) before I go back to the pain management doctor who will maybe/maybe not give me a shot in my back that my ex-surgeon recommended months ago. My surgeon is an ex not because I fired her, as I should have, but because she is moving on to another practice, a place I shall not visit. And really, what good is a shot in my back? Why isn't it much better by now instead of having pain and swelling and coldness and zinginess? By the way, I just finished 7 weeks of PT and do light exercises to get the knee area stronger. It is stronger. But still a mess.
 
I am so sorry. What was your Physical Therapist's prognosis?
Did they make note of the swelling, etc.?
A nerve conduction test will show you (and the doctors) whether you have any nerve damage in and around your knee/leg. This could be very helpful for a clear diagnosis.

Please hang in there and again I am so sorry you are still struggling. Please keep us updated?
I for one, would love to hear your results from your nerve conduction study.
 
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Sorry about all the problems you’ve experienced. But even with all you’ve gone through and are still experiencing, please try not to give up hope for improvements. Sometimes we just have to find the right person to help. That can be a challenge, so I do suggest you get some new eyes on your knee and the rest of your body. This would be a different surgeon - a revision specialist who deals with problem knees. You likely will have to drive to see someone like this. It also may help you to see a DO instead of your regular PCP. These doctors take a more holistic view of your body and look at the way everything relates to each other.

In reading your posts, it sounded as though you were not using any type of walking aid for very long at the beginning of your recovery. Instead, it sounded like you’ve been limping and walking incorrectly for a long time and maybe even still are. This would not be a good thing and it could throw your entire body out of balance. Imbalance causes pain in all kinds of weird places.

Are you limping when you walk now?

My suggestion is that you find a physical therapist who is specifically trained in gait analysis and have that tested. You may need gait training to get things back in balance. You also may benefit from using a cane or walker for a period of time for support as you retrain your muscles to walk with a correct gait. I know something like this might seem like a huge step backwards, but if it’s suggested by someone who is trained in gait analysis and treatment, give it a try.

Please continue to let us know how you’re doing. While it’s important for you to have feedback from those who are seeing and evaluating you in person, your BoneSmart family will always be here for support and encouragement.
 
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Jamie said:
In reading your posts, it sounded as though you were not using any type of walking aid for very long at the beginning of your recovery. Instead, it sounded like you’ve been limping and walking incorrectly for a long time and maybe even still are. This would not be a good thing and it could throw your entire body out of balance. Imbalance causes pain in all kinds of weird places.
Click to expand...
Totally agree with this.Even though I have had a pretty good recovery and I am walking well ( 5.5 Km/hour for 10-15,000 steps/ day) with have no visible limp-my teacher still notices subtle imbalances.
She noticed that the calf muscles on my unoperated side are still stronger and got me doing more exercise on this.
I also notice that if I stand for long periods I still put more weight on my unoperated leg and have to concentrate to stop doing this.
I wish my Fitbit measured gait imbalances- I think the Apple watch does this.
 
I used a roller walker for months. Maybe I didn't talk about it but all of my treks out were usually with the walker, probably until May. I didn't ever use a cane though.

Re my surgeon. I don't know if my problem is that something happened with the surgery. She has addressed my questions about it several times and shown me my CT scans and said it all went well. She does revision surgeries. She's been listed as a top doctor for the past two years in this city's high-brow magazine. Hard to know. It could be what the pain management doctor said: Maybe you're taking a longer time to heal.

I'm sure I have a gait imbalance. I feel like I have a pinched nerve around my hip area and assume that's why. I hope to find out more when I get the nerve conduction study. I agree about seeing a DO in 2024.

Thanks, everyone!
 
I was pretty much walker to nothing. I just don’t seem to do well with a cane. I could probably learn but I think using the walker is safer and better for my gait. Currently using nothing unless I’m going to be in a crowd or somewhere with very unlevel ground.
 
I am also struggling to walk any distance at a continuous pace without so much discomfort that I need to stop. Long walks are impossible as they are too torturous and not the simple pleasure they once were and should be. My hope too Is that although my TKR happened over 10 months ago, I still need to give myself more time to heal.Comfortable walking is my as yet unattainable goal.
At this point I have been back to see my surgeon a few times who doesn’t know why I still have pain and loss of an adequate gait. I hav been to
Pain management, a second opinion OS appointment and a neurologist. The just seem to be pushing me off onto someone else. A friend two months ahead of me with TKR has undergone a couple of nerve blocks and nerve ablations with just MORE pain and is just taking a break from doctors and their procedures for awhile. More suffering for no benefit is not cutting it! Sadly medicine is too focused on getting customers to
Undergo their lucrative procedures that we are sadly too desperate and too intimidated to refuse. The procedures are not fully explained and sugarcoated for a sale. Patient benefit is just a crapshoot!
 
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There have been members that as a result of surgical trauma, gait changes, pre-existing conditions, etc., ended up with an impinged nerve in the area of the spine that caused pain to appear in their leg. In their cases, "a shot in [the] back" was exactly what they needed. Has this possibility been discussed with you?
 
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@LeftKnee123 - I know EXACTLY what you are talking about! One of the most lucrative of procedures is probably a total knee replacement! I can't believe how the medical industry doles these out.

@Jamie - I saw a different surgeon yesterday. Young and engaged. He had my records. Said my surgeon did a great job on the TKR. Doesn't know why I have pain and zinginess running through my leg and knee, aching all the time. I went to the neurologist for a nerve conduction study (which was recommended by the pain management doctor) and the neurologist said, like my previous surgeon, it looks like the pain's coming from my back. In the L5 region. I told the new surgeon all this and he wants to see me two weeks after I get my shot from the pain management doctor. Said the only thing he thinks it might be is the plastic piece in the TKR that looks sort of flat (can't remember the name) might be the wrong size. To me, this seems very possible. Because every step I take I feel in the knee! But he thinks it's not too likely. But meanwhile has no answer--he said the continual tight band feeling might be because I'm "thin." Geez. I don't know what kind of shot the pain management doctor will give me but a friend told me that at that region (L5) it can be painful. So yes, @WFD this has been discussed with me. I read up on it and some articles say it doesn't do much more than taking gabapentin. Well that will not be good, I already have a heap of gabapentin but I can only take it before I go to bed, it makes me drowsy. I don't think it helps - maybe while I'm sleeping!
 
It so happens that on Wednesday I took my Dad to the hospital to get an epidural shot in his back. He gets excruciating nerve pain in his hips because a nerve is compressed exiting the area of the spinal column in the area of the L3/L4 disk (if memory serves). He really should have surgery but it is very major and at 92, it might be his undoing. So he gets the shot every three to six months or so and he is fine.

The injection is mainly steroids with a litle xylocaine to provide immediate numbing. He got the shot in late morning and by evening he is pain free, and stays that way for a number of months. The actual number of months varies from shot to shot. He never complains about any pain from the shot itself.

These injections are not without their risks but for him it is the best solution. One injection and he gets months of relief.

Obviously your situation is different but this is one data point.
 
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Please consider some of the other recommendations I made for you. It is possible that your pain is coming from the spine. Something like this can be very difficult to diagnose and you often have to go through a process of elimination of possibilities before the answer is found.
 
@Jamie I told you I had been using a walker for a long time before stopping. I am done seeing PTs for now. Sounds like the kind you are talking about would be specialists and very hard to find, and as it is, the recent 7 weeks of PT I had was costly, even with insurance. $35 a pop. I am hoping the pain management doctor is helpful, like it was for @WFD 's father. The past days my knee and leg has been in pain so I am actually looking forward to this.
 
The therapists who specialize in gait analysis and training shouldn’t be any more expensive than any other PT. But I do understand that after 7 weeks of therapy you might need a break from that type of treatment. I hope this works out for you and you get some relief. Continuing pain can be very wearing on a person both mentally and physically.
 
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