13 weeks in and still can’t walk far and my return to work is tough
Posted , 4 users are following.
well my leg has 120 degree bend and straight yet cant walk far it goes stiff and tight the more i do, seem to have hit a wall , no progress also going down steps and stairs is slow because i used to go down one at a time think its in my mind , have to hold on to go down .Also ive gone back to work im 50 and work in construction ( joiner ) and i struggle with my weight so being self employed i had to go back and its hard , because my other knee has gone so much worse since having this done , im basically back on all my meds again which i didnt want , even in bed my legs ache , throb so when im trying to stand from 8 till 4 my lega are horrendous and i wish sometimes i had never had it done because how its affected my other knee , i ride my push bike and when i stop it goes stiffer , so fed up with it cheers john
0 likes, 5 replies
bobbymac57 john50984
Posted
13 weeks is still very early in this process. It would have been better if you could have stayed off work longer but life gets in the way sometimes and we cant always do what's ideal. Very sorry for your pain and hope it gets better soon. Are you applying ice regularly? If not you might start and keep your leg elevated as much as possible.
This is a brutal operation and it takes anywhere from a year to 2 years to get over it. The good news is that it does get a lot better for most people.
lynda49844 john50984
Posted
I'm not surprised you're suffering if you're on your feet for 8 hours at 13 weeks. It was a long time before I could stand for any length of time. It's hard if you have to work. Could you take some breaks every couple of hours and find somewhere to sit and elevate your leg, maybe even ice it if possible? Failing that I'd suggest spending as long as you can every evening icing and elevating your leg even overnight if possible. It might be worth investing in one of those cryocuff coolers. One thing I did find that helped with standing was to relax my knees and have a very soft bend in them.
It will get better. You're only a quarter of the way through the minimum recovery time. I also found my other knee worsened as I did more and had the second done 4 weeks ago, a year after the first. I know you probably don't want to think about having it done yet. There was no way I would have at 13 weeks, but by 8 months I knew I needed to proceed with it and I'm glad I did. This one has been so much easier.
john50984 lynda49844
Posted
cheers got a ice cuff , i will ice more i have hardly iced for the past 5 weeks , i have been swimming and try to go on my bike at weekend , i may have to reduce to 3 days a week for now , but i have not worked properly for 6 months and i am main earner so you soon get through your savings and unexpected things happen , vets , vehicle repairs , and i bought new van last year so that needs paying every month , everyone tells me ive gone back too soon , but circumstances force it , im a joiner all i have ever done and i enjoy it , im going to ice it more and keep taking the drugs , ive not told my physios ive gone back but will tell them this week , wish i worked for some company at least i could take 6 months and get payed , i dont want to undo this because it took 18 months and alot of persuading to get new knee cheers for replying john
lynda49844 john50984
Posted
It sounds as if you're doing way too much for that knee. Obviously you need to earn so I would make that your top priority and cut back on the other exercise for now. See what advice your physio has, but maybe working fewer hours or alternate days is a start and don't forget the ice and elevating whenever you can, I can understand you wanting to get back to activities you enjoy, but you need to pace yourself. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
luci44152 john50984
Posted
If you are able to do some walking in the pool that will help, my physio says it solves most problems!