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TKR When oh when oh when

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Is anyone out there? I still am! I saw the pain management doctor. He gave me a cortisone shot in my side/butt where I said I had what I thought was a pinched nerve. Yes I know cortisone can be dangerous but he was not nice when I dared question him about it--bad communicator (shock). I can't do all this over again so I'm going back in February to get the epidural shot, which I thought I was getting at this appointment. This will be in my back, the L5 region.

As far as my KNEE.... Every day by 6 pm my surgery leg starts to ache. The thigh feels terrible, and a lot of times the calf part is cool feeling. At night my leg feels hot and achy and tingly. I take gabapentin before I go to bed, 2 100 mg tablets. Why my ex-super-surgeon never had me take this until after 10 months of post-surgery pain, I am baffled.

I am getting blood work done for the new young surgeon and seeing him soon. But I wonder out loud to the BoneSmarters @EalingGran, @Jockette , @Jaycey @sistersinhim @mendogal @WFD etc. -- are there people here who have had LEG PAIN/zingies, aching, heat, ZINGY FEELINGS, A YEAR + after surgery? I am hoping the new doctor will see something in my bloodwork that will warrant a revision, but when he looked at my X-ray he said it looked great. Really tired of hearing I'm normal. I will write an update when I see the new doctor post bloodwork. Thanks everyone!
 
It just baffles me that some surgeons won’t look past a “good” xray to find an answer for our continuing knee problems. None of my 3 second opinions would do that. (Though my second one did order blood work, which of course came out fine ((for which I am thankful!) )There is so much hope, and yet stress, each time we see a new second opinion, only to hear the same old, same old. I just can’t keep going through that time and time again. I do know that if their knee/leg felt like ours does, they’d continue to search for answers.

In my case, I know the difference between pre op pain, post op pain, and the continued pain of a poor outcome. I wish I could go back 7 years and not have this surgery. My pre op pain (and I was not bone on bone) was the best of these three scenarios. Both my knees were quite painful, the same way, before my surgery. And now, my non operated knee hardly ever has pain. I think it saw what happened to the other one and fixed itself to avoid the same fate! :heehee: Daily ibuprofen has also done wonders for my non operated knee, making me question the necessity of the PKR I got.

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. :console2:
 
So sorry to hear of your struggle. I hope you can get some answers. I guess the epidural will at least tell you whether some or all of the knee pain is actually from your back.
I do know from my own experience pre-op that it can be very difficult to work out where the source of pain is. In my case it was my knee and the twisting of my leg ( valgus deformity) that caused my sciatica and hip pain. But I am pretty sure it can work the other way as well. An epidural nerve block will block any pain from your L5 back arthritis- so I guess if you still have the pain it can't be from the back.
It must be really miserable to still have so much pain so long after surgery. Here's hoping 2024 provides solutions.
 
I had some discomfort for a few years, but I wouldn't describe it as pain. Even now when there are quick barometric changes, I get some pains. Of course, my OS told me that I'd not be completely pain-free because of what my knee had already been through.

Getting other opinions is definitely a good thing. I pray you can get this resolved quickly. Enough is enough!
 
So sorry you continue to struggle with pain and uncertainty. It is disappointing that the pain management doctor was so dismissive. Hopefully you find some relief from the injection you received, or from the one you receive in February. Best wishes for your upcoming bloodwork.

I can only imagine the impatience, frustration and anxiety you likely feel as you're searching for answers in addition to the physical pain you're dealing with. I wish you comfort, peace of mind and the endurance needed as you seek second, third and even fourth opinions...whatever it takes to bring you the relief you deserve.
Please know that we care and are here for support whenever you're in need. :console2:
 
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I certainly have pain and swelling continuously, five months after my last surgery. Zingers too. I've had those for as long as two years after a previous surgery, but I had an undiagnosed infection.

I probably have the infection returning, so when you get your bloodwork, make sure to check the markers of inflammation, expecially CRP (C-reactive protein). That was always the most sensitive marker for me.
 
To
@EalingGran, @Jockette , @Jaycey @sistersinhim @mendogal @WFD @Layla

Thanks all! I appreciate the love and support. I am hopeful about the epidural. BoneSmart has made me aware that I am not alone in this struggle. I also know from reading other people's posts, I'm not as bad as other people, and a lot of us have something or other weird and annoying going on from this surgery. Anyway, I am still able to go out and about, just hope there will be change this year. I think this new surgeon is sharp, will let you know.
 
We are 100% rooting for you!
 
WFD said:
when you get your bloodwork, make sure to check the markers of inflammation, expecially CRP (C-reactive protein). That was always the most sensitive marker for me.
Click to expand...
Agree with @WFD about the sensitivity of CRP. When I had an episode of sepsis at about 5 months post op- that was the most reliable marker.
 
@Jockette - thanks for your comments on Jan. 16. It is tiresome. I wish I hadn't done the TKR also. But I did. I was bone on bone but still don't know that it was better, to have had the surgery. I just don't think so! but will never know. People on this site say yes. I worry I will feel this burning tingling aching for the rest of my life. I hope you know that you do make a difference! I appreciate what you have to say and hope the best for both of us.
 
I am sorry you don't have any answers but it is good that there isn't any serious inflammation or infection. I guess CRP won't pick up soft tissue or alignment issues though.Does your knee still swell at all? That might suggest the pain is from the knee rather than your back or hip.
 
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Sorry I was away from the forum until now.

The normal level for CRP is usually quoted as 0.5 or 1.0 mg/dL. When the units are mg/L, the the number is 10x higher - 5 or 10. One of the hospitals my bloodwork was taken to used the different units and I got a shock the first time I looked at the results.

I'm not a doctor and can't interpret your results for you. Mine was as low as 0.68 after many weeks of antibiotics, but now the infection seems to be coming back, so this next time I'm going to be insisting we go until CRP gets much lower, but that is just me and your situation is different.
 
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I finally got my long-awaited epidural in my back today. Yee Ha! My appointment was for 11:20. The Great and Mighty Oz pain doctor showed at 12:20. Took about a minute to administer the shot. Just some pressure after the first numbing shot. I will say, it was pretty painless. But waiting an hour is very painful for someone who's impatient. He looked at my nerve conduction study and asked what side hurt the most. "Right." I had to remind him I had a knee replacement for the RIGHT knee. Eyeroll. DOESN'T EVERYONE KNOW I HAD A KNEE REPLACEMENT? I told him I had a burning feeling in my leg and he said, "Sounds like nerve damage." Ya THINK? Then, "I hope this will help you feel better." I hope so too. If not, next stop is a neurologist. Or something besides taking gabapentin, which I can only take at night, because it makes me so drowsy. And exercise is a NO. I hurt more from exercise than when I don't exercise. My daily activities are enough, right now I have seven appointments (dentist, doctor, MRI, etc.) from tomorrow till the 23rd. Plus I'm a Stepford Wife (the Katharine Ross version), and have to shop at Publix about every day! Good thing I don't have a job!
 
Good luck. I really hope this works for you and you get some relief and answers.
The doctor sounds annoying.
I might have been tempted ( after he had injected me) to suggest he might go on a patient communication/ engagement workshop.....!!
 
The report so far is not good. My back feels better in ways I didn't know it was bothering me. Maybe because I got the shot in my back. I still have that burning sensation in my leg. The terrible tight band feeling is still going on, and it's been a year and two months? I am really over it. I'm going to start taking tramadol in the morning and Xanax at night, so I can sleep. REGRET REGRET REGRET!
 
Sorry there is no improvement so far.
Hope there may be some benefit in the next few days.
I suppose, even if it doesn't help- it rules out one seat of the problem.
I know it must be incredibly frustrating to not have answers and that pain doctor doesn't sound like someone you could discuss alternative causes of nerve pain/ knee pain with unfortunately.
 
Hoping there is some improvement in days to come. Your frustration is totally understandable. Sending a ((hug)).
 
I am sorry you're struggling so.
Hopefully you'll find some relief in the upcoming days from the injection. :fingersx:
Best Wishes for all of the scheduled appointments between now and the 23rd.
 
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You are surely not alone in an unsatisfying recovery. I am one year post TKR as of February 15 and will go in for my one year follow up at the end of this month. I will tell the surgeon that I still can’t walk any distance comfortably and he will tell me the X-ray looks fine. There are people that have a great first knee replacement recovery and then an unsuccessful second knee replacement. I can tell myself to give it another 6 months, or I can tell myself I will just have to live with this. The surgery looks to me like it was a bet that I lost.
 
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