TKR When oh when oh when

[trinket]

My gut felt just awful after surgery and I stayed with the colace and miralax at the advice of my surgeon. I only felt worse. I finally quit both of those and started eating prunes. My bowel cleared up fast and I felt so much better.

 

[sistersinhim]

I had a rough time with constipation after my tkr and took Colace in the morning, and Miralax 3 times a day during my meals. I was so glad to finally get off of the pain meds and let my symptoms ease away.

 

[Sun_Lover]

@beachy Wondering as I asked Tino2 about your cannabis type and dose. I did take some gummies before surgery with some good results. My surgeon warned not to take for a couple of weeks pre-surgery but the ongoing pain at about 6 1/2 weeks now is making me think of a trip to the cannabis store

I also found it was really helpful to use cannabis after my LTKR. I lived in Colorado at the time where it's legal and so I was able to go to a dispensary and buy quality, lab tested products. Right after my TKR, I used just a little in a tincture in addition to the oxycodone I was prescribed. It really helped me to be able to use less of the oxy and I was able to extend the time out before I needed to take another dose of the narcotic. My husband did the same thing when he had rotator cuff surgery and we'd both swear by it. I was able to get off all the narcotics after only 3 weeks and only used ibuprofen. I also used CBD too which has great anti-inflammatory benefits. I'm almost at 7 months now and so my knee is finally feeling a lot better. But it's still a little stiff and at night it's a little achy. Especially if I've walked on it more that day. Like everyone has said - this has been a much longer process than I ever would have anticipated! And it's been pretty discouraging at times. I've never been a good sleeper due to having a history of PTSD with a lot of anxiety so I still use a CBD gummy at night. Most nights, this helps. I'd encourage you to try to get some non-psychoactive CBD. That can help a lot with the inflammation and some of the pain that results from that. Take care and hang in there and know that there's a bunch of us in this journey with you!

@beachy
@Tino2You

 

[Jammy]

@Sun_Lover, wow, that's discouraging to still have knee pain at 7 months. I feel for you. I am sorry but I'm not too into doing cannabis. Just too afraid the cops would come and get me, ha! I live in Florida and I wonder if it's even legal. This is a state where they ban books, ya know. Anyway, I am just having a depressing time which is why I haven't been on the board here. My whole leg seems to ache, and I'm so stiff and my knee feels so wooden and clunky and achy. I stopped doing the pool and anything that I think might make it worse. But I still walk like a gimp because of pain. I now have that tight band feeling on my knee that I feel when I walk-- @beachy, did you still have that tight band feeling for a long time? Once again, I think this surgery was a big mistake. I wish I had waited and gotten it 5 years later, maybe it wouldn't be so barbaric. I didn't have that much pain when I decided to do it; it's worse now than it was before surgery. I had bone on bone though and thought I better get a TKR. I should have researched it more. I know a lot of people say it gets better, but really, this is too long to be feeling unwell, uncomfortable and unhappy. I made a plan to go to New York in June and feel that I'll have to put that off -- maybe another year? I never thought this would go on like this. Thanks for your nice post @LeftKnee123.

 

[EalingGran]

Sorry it is still so painful. Can you see any progress? Are you doing more and that is masking improvements? At one stage I felt my pain wasn't improving but when I checked my fitbit I could see I was walking a lot more so the same level of pain was actually progress.
I am only really definitely in profit at 5 months. I feel my knee is getting stronger and the pain on stairs is getting less.
But some things like standing or sitting too long in one position can still irritate my knee.

 

[beachy]

Jammy, you're not quite 4 months post op.
Like you need me to tell you that LOL

Its 9am and I have to ice my knee. Up at 7, did some chores, shower and by 8:30 knee was swollen. Just enough that it was tight. So yes, the tightness, swelling can last awhile. Can't say how long. It sometimes aches in the area where implant goes into tibia. Not terrible, but enough to make me aware that there are lots of moving parts to this surgery.
I sometimes need Tylenol during the day and before bed. Not always.

Had you waited another 5 yrs your knee would have deteriorated to the point where tkr recovery would be more difficult. I waited over 4 yrs and this recovery may take longer. Or not. And I'm 4 yrs older. At 69 it is......older.
You just have to take it each day at a time. No 2 days are alike.
Hang in there. One day you won't regret having tkr.

And I hate having this surgery, but know the knee would only get worse. Thank the Lord that He didn't give us 3 knees!

 

[sistersinhim]

I wish I had waited and gotten it 5 years later, maybe it wouldn't be so barbaric. I didn't have that much pain when I decided to do it; it's worse now than it was before surgery. I had bone on bone though and thought I better get a TKR. I should have researched it more. I know a lot of people say it gets better, but really, this is too long to be feeling unwell, uncomfortable and unhappy.

As beachy said, if you had waited 5 more years you would have had 5 more years of damage to your knee and soft tissues. Your recovery would be even worse. You will get better, but it takes a long time for most of us. There is a whole lot of healing going on inside that knee of yours and the vast majority of those in your same timeframe are going through the same thing you are! Very few doctors warn us about how bad it's gonna be. All mine said was that I was going to hate him for months. Of course, I didn't hate him, but hated myself for putting myself through a TKR! As time slowly dragged on, I got better. You will, too.

I described this recovery as worse than having a baby. The pain is just as intense or even more and lasts a whole lot longer!

 

[Cinders2023]

@Jammy you are not alone. My surgery was about 2 weeks after you and I am struggling with swelling, low ROM, and depression. i can‘t be on my feet over 20 minutes before swelling gets me. It would be so much easier to check off a list of things to do to get through recovery. It is hard to do something passive like resting and waiting to get better. i try to get out in the sun a little to lift my spirits, I told my husband last night I was so sick of looking at the same 4 walls every day! We also have a trip planned in June to fly to Seattle from California for a wedding. Not sure if I will be able to sit for a 3 hour flight, but a lot can change between month 4-6 from what I’m reading. Take this one day at a time and focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. We need to keep telling ourselves it will get better, until it does.

 

[Jammy]

EalingGran , beachy . sistersinhim and Cinders2023 -- thank you for your responses. You are giving me hope and encouragement. One thing I realize is that I am not taking tramadol (well, I did a week ago, but once a week is not bad) and I'm just taking Tylenol and Advil for the pain. This is a good thing but also a not good thing in that I still feel pain pretty much, especially at night. Still, I see it as an improvement, especially since I feel less tired now. Also, I am lucky in that my ROM was good as soon as I got out of the hospital. Don't hate me but it was. Nonetheless, I've experienced pain a lot longer than my doctor or even past TKR friends told me I would. @beachy I am almost as old as you--I'm 68. Feel like 80, haha. Well, you all know this can be depressing, but just hearing from everyone cheered me up. The other thing I'm fortunate about--because now is the time to count my blessings--is I live in a sunny state. It is sometimes aggravating, how sunny it is, especially if you're in a bad mood, ha! Don't hate me for living in Florida. It is quite beautiful here and I live on the coast. Fabulous! @Cinders2023 - I am supposed to go on a 3 hour flight in June, also. So, we have to get better! I am going to go see my cousin who has been getting chemo for a year and a half, so I have nothing to complain about. I am going to get better, someday. She can't say that for sure yet, but I sure hope so. Once again, I have to count my blessings. I will just take my Tylenol and Advil and carry on. Thanks everyone.

 

[beachy]

Get on that flight in June and go see your cousin! You are going to be fine.
We saw so many people going thru chemo today at the infusion center. Fortunately for us, my hubs is going for immunotherapy which isn't as serious as chemo. It makes you count your blessings! I was feeling blessed that I "only" had a tkr.
You got this, Jammy!

 

[Jammy]

@beachy - true. But when oh when will this stupid pain end? Sometimes it's so deep! Why hasn't it gotten better? I still wonder if something went wrong in the surgery. Every time I talk to my surgeon she takes an X-ray and says it looks good. When I tell her about pain, she says I'm doing great! That is why I need my BoneSmart people.

 

[beachy]

Can't answer your question as to when. Its different for everyone.
Has there been any improvement? And what are you doing activity wise?

 

[Jammy]

@beachy - It is too hot here already for walking. Maybe 7:00 pm would be a good time but I'm spent from the day. I have terrible sleep and lots of times get up at 3:00 am and can't go back to sleep until 7:30 then I wake up at 11:00. It's nuts. When I wrote that I was vacuuming, or grocery shopping, or going to the pool, people thought that was too much. But since my hub works and then does his radiation, I feel I have to contribute, so I at least go grocery shopping. Seems like a half hour there and somehow I end up there every other day. Today I did some vacuuming (too much fur), but only the bedroom. It doesn't seem to matter if I'm active or not. There's pain. I'm wearing Salon Pas patches now. I might take a tramadol tomorrow. I break it in half, take 25 mgs. I don't want to but am too fraught with discomfort.

 

[eaglemom]

I realize you feel you need to contribute, I totally get that and understand.

However, let's think differently - maybe instead of grocery shopping, why not on-line order the groceries? By the time you carry them inside and put them away, that's all you need to do for the day.

Vacuuming is difficult with all of the movement, back and forth, etc. I'm glad you only did one room. That's how you need to do it. One room a day. But frankly your early on in your healing process, that's a task that is difficult.

Something like laundry. Have that be the only thing you do one day.

You get the picture, I really think your taxing your knee more than it likes and its telling you about it in pain. We all want to heal quickly and get back to everything, and you will, but it will take time.

 

[EalingGran]

It doesn't seem to matter if I'm active or not. There's pain. I'm wearing Salon Pas patches now. I might take a tramadol tomorrow. I break it in half, take 25 mgs. I don't want to but am too fraught with discomfort

Sorry the pain isn't settling. Is it generalised or any particular part of the knee? Might be worth recording exactly where it is on the joint, what triggers it, what helps and severity over a few days.
That might help to see a pattern and help decide whether there is some improvement ( however slight) or if you need to demand some further help/ tests.
You are still pretty early though and lack of sleep definitely makes pain worse.
Good luck!

 

[Soreone]

Jammy I too am 10 weeks out and Itook a 2 week break from PT at 5 weeks post op. I was terrified this would set me back. I continued my exercises at home during this time and when I returned to PT my ROM had actually increased. My pain was much better from the rest too. I have been back to PT for 3 weeks now and my ROM has steadily increased and today the PT told me I only need to come 1x/ week. I have bad days and good days but I feel so much better having some control over my PT treatments.

 

[Flashlight]

Maybe ask your PCP if you are taking the right amount of an anti-inflammatory. I was taking ibuprofen at the wrong dose and when I took that with tylenol it made a big difference. Is some of your pain/discomfort caused by swelling and stiffness? At 10-weeks I was still using ice and elevating. I know you want to help out your husband. As someone who went through radiation treatments I only wanted to feel like my old self and wanted to do the things I had always done. Maybe have a chat about what you can do together as you both heal. Some days you both are going to feel weak and tired. One of the hardest things as you go through this is not knowing what the other is thinking or being treated like you shouldn't do anything.

 

[KneeDeepCurious]

I live alone and don't have anyone to do the chores around the house, so I understand that need to see a clean house, have groceries, clean laundry, etc. when there is no one else to do it for you despite the pain you know you will feel afterwards. Talk to your husband. Perhaps he thinks as you do, in that he sees you able to do so much after a major surgery that he feels a need to contribute more. Maybe, you BOTH need to slow down. I know my husband felt absolutely horrible and with no energy after radiation.

Secondly, level of pain is relative and affected by a multitude of factors such as anxiety, adrenaline/endorphin levels, strain from over-exertion, sleep quality and so much more.

Anxiety is a surprising significant contributor and can often increase a person's sensitivity to pain. With your husband's health, your personal and assumed responsibilities, and other external factors, you are surely to have plenty of this. Anxiety can also have you anticipate future pain; pain you know you will feel on stopping an activity (PT, household chores, sleeping, etc.). This is my worst pain inducer.

As to the last one, a good night's sleep is incredibly helpful especially if you can get quality deep sleep/REM sleep to help your body repair itself. In addition to pain meds and anti-inflammatory, I use dual-acting melatonin to help me sleep so I get a proper, non-chemically-induced sleep.

Also, I used to wake up frequently from the pain for about an hour or so each time. I reduced this by doing the following: beside my bed, in a small cooler is a prepared ice pack (I wrap mine in pee pads like an envelope so if/when they leak, the bedding doesn't get wet), and also have some pain meds for that middle-of-the-night recurrence of pain you KNOW you will have. Having this reduces my chance of becoming fully awake to retrieve these things, and I can get back to sleep faster after waking.

sorry for the wall of text, but the tl;dr of it is....
Reduce anxiety, find a way to get better sleep, manage your pain alongside limited mild exercise
and good luck. It's a long road (which I too am still on) but I'm told it is well worth it.

 

[EalingGran]

Also, I used to wake up frequently from the pain for about an hour or so each time. I reduced this by doing the following: beside my bed, in a small cooler is a prepared ice pack (I wrap mine in pee pads like an envelope so if/when they leak, the bedding doesn't get wet), and also have some pain meds for that middle-of-the-night recurrence of pain you KNOW you will have. Having this reduces my chance of becoming fully awake to retrieve these things, and I can get back to sleep faster after waking

Agree. I have a Aircast cryocuff. I fill the vacuum container with lots of ice before bed and rest the cool water jacket on my knee.
I used to refill it if I woke to go to the loo in the night. I can do it very quickly and half asleep! I don't need to do it as much these days.

 

[beachy]

I get it, Jammy.
I'm kind of in the same boat with hubs. 2 1/2 weeks post op he had part of his lung removed.
He's having immunotherapy now and has a great prognosis. He's also back to work half days. The man loves his work. But, like you, we've had to cope. I had to get organized. Fast. This was all unexpected.

I agree with eaglemom's post about grocery delivery. And everything else. At 12 weeks I still can't do grocery shopping...not the whole store. A quick grab and go is ok.
Instacart has been a lifesaver.

Vacuuming a room isn't too bad, especially if you have pets. Can you get a cleaning service bi-weekly? I did that and it's a huge blessing. I still tidy up and wipe up the bathrooms in between.

Do you have access to a gym? The stationary bike has helped me. 15 min tops going slow, no resistance. And I had to work up to that. It may not be for you, but the motion of the bike seems to move the swelling around. If that's even possible.

Lack of sleep and anxiety are huge.
I hope everything works out soon and your knee eases.