when do I get my life back?

Good question...lol id like to know also. But im guessing by my past, the day your knees are 100% again...the next day we die. Lol

Aint life a bit*h? You're born...bust ur hump working...and then you die.

Woe is me! Oh Lordy Lordy Lordy woe is me!

But ill promise you all one thing. When i get face to face with our maker, im going to hand him a very strongly worded letter of complaint and ask that I BE in charge of Quality Control of the human body assembly line!

Lololol 😀😀😀

Hi tashia

I know how you feel regards to stairs. I have pkr to right leg and to left had 4th tkr in octtoberi still have stiffness in keg also, cannot do stairs and my leg feels cold nternally .i dont think it will be normal again.

I totally understand i have had this ten years now,its fourth knee in this leg it does my head in,i try so hard but get nowhere

Perhaps the pain shifts because you transfer your weight from one side the other., When you come down stais, does so backwards, putting equal amount of weight on each step.  If you do so slow and deliberate you will feel the muscles working. Do this a few times and you should then be able to come down the stairs properly, applying the same train of thought .  Sounds like a marathon, but the more times (not all in one go) you do this the easier it becomes.  Once your muscles are fully developed, you knee cap will track properly and most of the pain will ease.  The othe caus of pain is your nerves.  This could be the major source of your pain and there is not a lot can be done except painkillers, massaging and perhaps gels you can get over the counter that are being advertised these day on tv for muscle pain (the one where the female tennis player rubs it on her back). I know it is for muscles, but it is a painkiller thgat you can take without worrying if it will affect you taking tablets. It will ease,some people, like you, really do take a long time to get over it, in which case you will have to learn to embrace the pain, take the pills and get on with life.  Dont let pain rule you. Wear earphones and turn the music up (trust me, it takes your mind off the pain!)

Want to know what helped me the most here? For people to post that they were having problems not unlike mine and everything wasn't flowers and butterflies. I was 59 when I had a LTKR on February 3,2016 . Things went well for about a week then the knee felt, hot, inflamed , I couldn't eat or retain food. Was able to do pt (I did such a good job I was his favorite)but afterward was in SCREAMING PAIN ( yes I took my meds). On each doc visit I said "I believe I'm having too much pain"." It's a painful surgery Jeanne" "but it getting worse" (this was his clue to bill me and get out.). Opened and began draining....nope he said it wasn't infection that I had a problem with the glue. Why only there? No answer no acknowledgement. My daughter in law (an OT) and I a nurse practitioner with 38 years of practice. derided and got it closed.( neatly packaging pseudomonas into my joint and the artificial ins) . Joint was removed 92 days after initial placement, I had PICC line for home administration of IV antibiotics every 3 hours. Groin to ankle brace , no weight bearing. New and last joint June 29.

Why did I tell this? I shed many tears, I prayed , I even screamed and cried. What helped? The thought that I wasn't alone. I firmly believe the chance that you will set an infection and grow through what I did is slim to none....still a hard surgery. Keep doing your exercise and take pain meds. If your pain is int controlled. If you think it's not right,it's not right.

M

Best wishes sweetie. If I knew then what I know now.