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BEFORE TKP

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Hagarjane
Hagarjane

I am reading all the blogs and forums about Posts ops, I realise 29/September/2015 when I have my TKR, That I am going to expect a rough ride for a few months.

But my question is, Should me knees be hurting with chronic pain, and is this why I am having the op.

I have to have both of them done eventually but we  have decided that the left is the worst,Though sometimes I am dubious as to which.

Anyway they are really bad and the painkillers do not pain kill. Is this as good as it gets???

Thanks for listening

Hagar  

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Lindyblue
    Lindyblue Hagarjane

    Posted

    Hi Hagarjane,

    It WILL get better - says she who is only 6 weeks down, has little pain, walks unaided following one TKR, but battles with the other demons - depression, tears, insomnia, lousy appetite, constipation (now improved since finishing all pain meds) ... 

    I'm told it WILL improve, and I'm sure each day will improve but regarding pain and walking - so far so good but it is early days. Around the house, garden etc. is no problem, but as I wrote last week after my first shopping trip out, that knocked me for a sixer! I thought I was far more ready than I really was, to once again join 'reality'.

    Cheers for your decision to go ahead with the surgery, I'm sure you'll be happy - as they say - after around a year!!!!

    • Hagarjane
      Hagarjane Lindyblue

      Posted

      I just hope I am making the right decission ( I think nothing can possibly be worse than this ) I don't miss work of course, the money, yes, but what I miss most of all is the walking out with my precious (mut) our bruno who watches in anticipation every morning. He gets his walks, but it is more pressure on my dear wife

      Thanks for listening

      Hagar

  • dorothy97700
    dorothy97700 Hagarjane

    Posted

    Hello Hagar

    Like you, I had pain in both knees which did not respond to pain relief, gels, knee braces, etc.  I had a left TKR on 29 November last year, so approximately 7 months ago.  As you will have realised from the posts on this forum, it is quite an ordeal to go through for most people especially for the first three months or so.  My experience has been that after about four months, my knee feels normal when walking.  I have confidence in getting out of bed in the morning and being able to walk around without pain. It is lovely.  I could use my static exercise bike after about two months and my sleeping pattern returned to normal also after about four months.  My right knee which I thought was giving me quite a bit of pain before the left TKR is now not a problem when walking!  The consultant thinks that it may be two or three years 'down the line' before I am ready to have this one replaced and they will do a further xray of both knees before they sign me off in September.  Whether I was putting extra stress on the right knee because the left knee was so bad before the operation, I do not know!  All I know now is that I can walk again without pain and it is so good. I can manage going up and down stairs on alternate steps now although it still does not feel quite normal but, at least, I can do it!    It does seem to vary widely regarding post op physio.  My experience was one group session of physio at the hospital three weeks after surgery and a sheet of exercises to continue with at home.   I am a 71 year old lady living in the UK.  Best of luck with the operation, I am sure you will feel that it has been worthwhile eventually.  Just follow the instructions on pain relief, exercises, using ice packs, etc, as best you can.

    Regards.

    Dorothy

    • Hagarjane
      Hagarjane dorothy97700

      Posted

      Thanks Dorothy,

      I seems like I will grin and bear it and hopefully like yourself will not need the other leg doing. It does seem a long wait to get somewhat back to normal. I just hit 65 and until then I was fit and always active. now all I do is write and talk about my past.(sad eh )

      Thanks for your help

      Hagar

      Hagar

  • martinarvelo
    martinarvelo Hagarjane

    Posted

    Not quite sure what you mean . . if you have the op, and everything goes well, then you should be pain free about four months after the op if not before.  if you don't have the op, and you are already in permanent pain, then it will go on and get worse, i should imagine. Painkillers definitely do not 'kill' the pain, but after the op they are very important, and they do help to cope with it.  If you are already using strong pain killers, then you may need even stronger ones for a while afterwards. don;t let your doctor  fob yu off with paracetamol!  good luck, and hope it all goes well. 
  • angela52217
    angela52217 Hagarjane

    Posted

    The pain aspect reading posts on here is what bothers me most.  I accept it will be difficult, but I am already in pain before the operation, am I to assume it is even worse afterwards for a few months.

    Angela

    • martinarvelo
      martinarvelo angela52217

      Posted

      No, definitely not for a few months, unless you are VERY unlucky.  the pain in my case was really the first two or three weeks. . After that, there was a lot  of aching, pain when I was pushing the bend etc. but not pain on walking, which I am sure is what is really bad for you at the moment.  Yes, it ached and I was very glad of the pain killers, but I do not think you need to fear excessive pain over a long period.  the first few days are pretty bad, and it very much depends on your hospital and the pain medication they give you.  Once you go home, you will probably find that sleeping is a real problem, irrespective of how the pain situation is. Most of us find that to begin with we feel very low, tearful, etc. etc. and surprised at how much it affects us psychologically . . A lot of us felt we were strong, able to recover from things quickly, etc. and this operation took us by surprise a bit!  For about a month I SWORE that I would never go through it again, but now at six months, if my other knee were to go down the same route, I would have it done.  To be free of that grinding pain, walking or not, has been worth a few weeks of extreme unpleasantness.  And it is weeks. . not months.  However, FULL recovery is a matter of months or even a year, but for instance at four months I was walking freely, beginning to feel able to climb a stepladder, coping with stairs in a normal way (although with a degree of pain).  And you could be one of the lucky ones who sails through it !!! remember, on the forum we are mainly people who have felt the need to look for advice and support.  there are probably thousands who have never felt that need and you could be one of them!
    • Lindyblue
      Lindyblue martinarvelo

      Posted

      Very well put Martinarvelo!

      I agree with you 100%.

      I had never even been on this forum prior to surgery ... I had acupuncture, pain relief, etc. before surgery and managed to put it off for years.

      Then finally, I had it done, felt like I'd been totally overcome by the misery bunny and started looking for answers online - boom! I found this forum.

      And I agree, while its only early days for me (6 weeks post TKR) would I do it again? No. Because of the pain? Nope. Because of the depression and insomnia. Its the pits! I was beginning to think I'd turned BIPOLAR! But as I raise a glass in hope that this too will diminish with time, (today is not one of my bad days - got some sleep last night finally!) I also read of soooo many others who have been down the same path as me, and I know I'm not alone, nor am I unique. We ALL go down this path, just to differing amounts. Me? I think I'm one of the unlucky ones in the emotional rollercoaster, but one of the lucky ones with regards to pain smile Go figure!??!

      Cheers,

      Lindy

       

    • angela52217
      angela52217 martinarvelo

      Posted

      Thank you for that.  I feel somewhat better.   The key sentence in your reply is that if the need arises you will go through it again.   
    • martinarvelo
      martinarvelo Lindyblue

      Posted

      I think that at six weeks I definitely felt the same as you.  Life revolved around the knee, I was cold all the time (even in Tenerife!) unable to sleep day or night, desperately tired, depressed,  . . and I have to say I am one of the lucky ones in that I was able to employ a home help for three hours a day, so my house has never been cleaner!!!!  Even so, just things like putting the washing in the machine, filling the dishwasher. . all of it was difficult, and I hate to ask people to help me.  Emotionally I had never experienced feeling so down, so tearful often for no specific reason . . . I think perhaps it's the lack of sleep which is the worst part of it.  But, the months pass, and then you start to see things differently.  Still don't sleep well, and wonder if I ever will again!
  • irish_linda
    irish_linda Hagarjane

    Posted

    i have to add that its no walk in the park and no going back and im not trying to be negative here but i think the depression after is also due to the fact you have lost your natural knee right 98% of ops go perfectly well and for the most of them results are great but you also need to look at the 2% of failures its only when your about to go to theatre that you sign to say you agree to the fact it might not go right you could have a break or infection or both im sorry if all that sounds scary but i think you need to know i had serious complications on my bi lateral it changed my life till the revision im now recovering well i supose what im trying to say unless you cant live with the pain you have dont do it ,if pain is really unbearable then you have no choice as it could change your life for the better what ever you do i wish you the best of luck
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