10 days post Total Knee Replacement ...Ouch!

Posted , 16 users are following.

I had no idea this would hurt so much. This forum is helping me to understand that I'm doing ok for this stage of recovery. Yesterday, I thought that because my knee felt stiffer than the day before, I must be doing something wrong..or not doing enough. Now I realise what   a long process this will be. I sleep so badly. Nowhere is comfortable. I have an almost continuous ache along the outside of my leg and many other intermittent pains, soreness and stinging sensations. Getting in and out of bed, up and down out of chairs and going to the bathroom are all awkward and involve pain and all activities take 5 times longer than they did pre op. I have found the best way to get in and out of bed is to place my good leg under my operated leg at the heel and use it as support to lower/raise my legs to the floor or bed. It's a great technique! 

 

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  • Posted

    Try some aspirin patches with menthol, so soothing.  Use pillows to support your sides and wedges are nice for elevating your TKR leg.  My surgeon stressed lots of random foot rotations, which works your calf.  But keep that TKR leg as straight as possible initially.  Then when you start bending you will still be able to extend fully.  You need to be taking aspirin as well as an anti-inflammatory, with your pain meds.
  • Posted

    I'm at 6 weeks post op. It gets better and better as long as you are doing pt. Not sleeping was the hardest part for me. I still can't do much I can only walk for 9 minutes. If i do anything like shopping or anything outside the house for a few hours I have pain and discomfort all night. Yet I see others are walking miles at my stage. My physical therapist says everyone is different and their level of activity before surgery makes a difference. Hang in there Corinne it really does get better and better

  • Posted

    Everyone felt exactly the same; no one is prepared for the pain...period.  Some of this may help...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499

    Welcome to the club...

    • Posted

      Wow thanks  its really helpful and positive - made me feel a whole lot better smile smile smile

    • Posted

      Be strong...stay strong.  No excuses...do the work!!!  The brain can only hold one thought at a time...make that thought anything but pain.  Read a book, watch a movie, kill aliens on x-box.  Anything.  If someone tells you that you should be better, club them repeatedly with your cane or run them down with your walker.  Have neither?  Grab the first 2x4 you can find.  Keep your sense of humor!  Lastly...

      "Never give up!  Never surrender!" - Tim Allen, Galaxy Quest

    • Posted

      Well said as usual CHICO MARX !! recovery is an ongoing long term proposition, you can be better than you were before, or at least for a long time. 2 years post op both knees, now I'm applying what I learned to my 6 week old hip. All is good, Tim Allen would be honored.

    • Posted

      After 4 days in the hospital and 6 days in a rehab joint, I completely recovered my right hip in six weeks...5 hours a day, 6 days a week...PT, therapy pool and gym.  Went back to work with zero pain, full flexion, no meds, no cane...no nuttin'.  If you put in the work, you get the results.

      At 68, I chose the TKR route right now so I'd have the strength and the will to do the recovery.  I was lucky; some people don't get to choose.  But you do get to choose how seriously you take the rehab.  For me, I refuse to walk with a limp or use a cane the rest of my life...so I do what I have to.

      Again, some people aren't that fortunate.  Previous injuries, age, other health problems, etc. may be a big factor in a TKR or any recovery.  The important thing is that there are no judgments.  Everyone's different.  Just do what you can for as long as you can.  Don't give up until you can look at yourself in the mirror and truthfully say that you did all you could.  Then be at peace with it.

  • Posted

    Sounds like your doing well.

    yes I did that with my leg, it was shown to me by physio in hospital.

    in time it makes your other keg ache.

    i now use a long scarf, just throw it over the foot and use it as a sling, it's so much better and especially if it's a ni ce soft silk type.

    some people use a belt.

    good luck

  • Posted

    had surgery jan/8th .since then 3 cortizone shots. 3 eufexxa shots and 9/9

    i monvisic shot.Going on 9 months on crutches pain is a 7 in the day and    at  night 10.  Can not sleep.B.P.is 200 from the pain.Gettin a new dr friday .No more stalling by dr.Whoes had a knee replacement.how long in hosp. recovery time.pain free etc etc thanks in advance.HURTING

    • Posted

      Sounds like a failed surgery.  Good you are getting a new Dr.  So if you had TKR 9 months ago, you should not need shots and visco supplementation.  Euflexxa didn't last barely 3 months pre surgery for me.  Cortizone shots don't really help that much, for me it lasted maybe a week.  I don't know the condition of your knee pre surgery but mine was bone on bone.  I stayed two days and two nights after surgery but balked at the constant motion machine so had only 35 ROM leaving the hospital.  By now, 7 weeks out I can bend 110.  I sleep on my side with pillows, and don't have much pain, or if I do I put on a lidocain/aspirin patch with menthol.  For short distances I can walk without a crutch.  I'm pretty stiff every morning right now but use heat in the shower to rebend it.  I looked up all the things that can go wrong and be the surgeons fault:  wrong size of parts, position of knee cap wrong, issues with scar tissue (everyone is different), other chronic illnesses or medication that inhibit healing.  I found out aleve actually helps scar tissue form.  Do as much research as possible.

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