2 new knees and I don't know how I should be feeling!!!!

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hi there, I'm a 52 year old male from Scotland and I just got out from hospital on 9th December after having 2 new knees ( bilateral knee replacement). My knees are both still very swollen and numb on the front and sides. Ny staples come out in 3 days time and I have my first visit to the physio dept the following week. I'm still walking with crutches and it is still a big effort to move my legs. I just don't know how I am doing on my "road to recovery". My No 1 frustration is that because my knees are still quite swollen my levels of flexibility seem to to vary greatly. Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Ouch ...both knees done at the same time 

    how very brave ...

    I only had a total knee replacement on my right knee and all I can say is it's a long hard road to recovery 

    you need to find out all the information you can from your GP and physio

    all the best on your recovery and keep in touch with this site ..there are many people with some good advice on here 

    Jean 

    plots of rest ,..exercise....and ice 

  • Posted

    You are to be commended for your courage. 2@a time is a tremendous undertaking for anyone. Very few orthopods will even consent to that. You are going to be on a mentally draining roller coaster ride......lots of highs and lows at break neck speeds. I am in the US and here therapy starts the day after. One of the 1st things you will need to do is take pain meds as scheduled not on as needed because you will need them round the clock.  When you start therapy, push to the point of going a little further each time but not so far as to create so much pain you have setbacks. Ice every time you put a strain on the legs. It will minimize swelling as much as anything. You'll find the docs won't tell you anything about the mental side. I've been through therapy to rebuild 4x's and yet to meet anyone who hasn't gone through periods of depression, tears (male and female). You will feel periods of isolation. People look at you and say you look great not realizing you have pain that is eating you to the very heart of your being. Learn patience if you are not already a patient person & self indulgence. Don't be afraid to take a couple of naps a day, drink plenty of non alcoholfluids as the body will not heal without rest andfluids. Generally appetite is off so veggies and fruits plus proteins. Now back to your oruginal question. The swelling and hardness is just a part of the healing and will come and go as you continue to advance. Stay with this forum and you will find folks fr all over the world and at every stage of recovery. They are wonderfully kind and honest but are straightforward. For those coming on looking for sympathy, they are out of luck. For those wanting information and support, often times with some great humor, it's a God send. Best of luck and stay in touch. You have a bumpy road ahead and you'll have a ton of questions.
  • Posted

    Two at the same time, I don't know how people do it, but you have my full admiration. It's early days for you, so lots of painkillers, lots of ice and lots of rest.

    It seems that we have all had varying degrees of ups and downs for many, many weeks post op. It's an emotional roller coaster. 

    Even at 20 weeks post op I have some pain, discomfort and the feeling that I have a lead weight in my knee, sometimes, not always, I can barely lift my foot off the ground.

    Hang in there, stay in touch with this forum and expect some days to be better than others, but most importantly, keep smiling smile

    Good luck crispin.

     

  • Posted

    I've had knee surgery but not a TKR - but the one thing I can tell you is that you cannot really measure yourself against the guy in the next bed. You are you and how you react to surgery and how you heal is different from anyone else. Don't punish yourself because someone else appears to be doing better - their problems could come later. You are very early days yet - be patient.

    But boy - 2 at a time? Respect! I'm a Scot too - we're hardy types!!!!

  • Posted

    you have my respect ...two at the same time, I had one in september, still struggling somedays, physio is hard but worth it, but in the meantime, you should listen to your body, I have had days of complete despair, then other days I think I'm doing great, it is  a hard slog, listen to "oldfatguy" he seems to knowwhat he is talking about and i agree with the post he sent you. good luck with recovery, this forum is fantastic, very informative and helpful people ... I am from Scotlandtoo, what part are you from ?

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.