2weeks post op , I'm in agony any suggestions?

Hi Jacqui

you are only 2 weeks post op so take full advantage of your pain meds. You need them in order to exercise. You will be very stiff. At 10 weeks post op I still need to force my knee into a bend when i get up in the morning. Keep icing and elevating the knee after exercise it id early days and you nerd to be patient and not rush things. Your knee will go at its own pace as long as you keep doing the exercises. There is a lot of healing still to be done. Good luck,.

Jacqui, why are you not taking your meds regularly?   This is important so that you can exercise without pain.   Sure you need something at night but I can't stress the importance of taking meds in the first weeks.  No meds, no exercise, I say.   You will be pushed to do lots of things at physio and I know I couldn't do it without meds.   Please take them,that's my advice.   Take care.

Hi,Jacqui,welcome to the club!

as someone who is 14mnths post op,I would suggest these.....

1. You are very early in your journey after major surgery so be kind to yourself.

2. Don't try to cut down on painkillers yet,you need them to exercise effectively.

3.Ice!

4. Do not expect to sleep all night yet. It's a bit like having a newborn in the house! Just rest your mind by doing something like reading,music,using the internet ( I Pad or tablet useful here ) meditating/relaxation etc.

5. Have a small goal every day...not necessarily knee related.

6.Be patient!

There are other useful tips,I'm sure,and other people on this forum are very kind. Soon it will be you offering help! Hang on in there.

As the others have said, you need to use your painkillers properly - and that means taking them regularly. They work most effectively when you don't allow the pain to establish itself but catch it before that stage. Once the pain has started it becomes a downward spiral and you find they don't work so well. You are lucky to have medical teams who encourage you to use them - all too often the doctors are reticent about giving painkillers! But without them you can't do your exercises and that is what in the long run will help the pain.

Hi Jacqui

I am now a 15 weeks and remember the early days too well.  The first 3-4 weeks were the worst for pain and stiffness. I tried normal painkillers, paracetamol and ibruprofen once the hospital painkillers and finished, but after a week I couldn't cope any longer and got some co-codamol from the doctors and took those four times a day. Nightime is the worst, for the first three weeks I slept on the sofa until I could manage to sleep on my side in bed.

You need some pain relief, make sure you ice it regularly and keep it raised.

It's a slow process but there is light at the end of the tunnel, I am now back and work and also nearly back to my fitness levels before.

As others will tell you I'm sure, this isn't a sprint, its a marathon which at times feels more like an iron man competition. Pushong yourself to do the exercises is excellent but please understand, there ate noedals given for being a martyr. Pain meds are there for a purpose......to help the body test. Without proper rest, hydration and nourishment there is not proper healing no matter how hard you are pushed in therapy. The big negative is the body doesn't heal on a straight line..........it heals in peaks and valleys. 2 weeks from now you will be experiencing something different but one thing will remain......pain of some sort

You can facilitate healing, and you should, but you can't force it as the body will rebel.

Back to the 4 needs. Unfortunately when you go through this appetite suffers, therefore nutrition suffers. Sleep is horribly disrupted, therefore sleep is on small quantities. Plan on small but healthy meals and grabbing naps throughout the day. Above all, make sure you have pain meds that actually work for you an take them at regular times. You will get a lot of advice from people who have never been through this........

Ignore it and talk to those of up us that have been through it, some of which have been several times

Hi there Jacqui, Im so sorry that youre having a rotten time.

I havent had my TKR yet, ive got 16 days to go, but I had a meeting at the Hospital yesterday, and one of the things they emphasised really strongly was the use of pain relief. Ive done heaps of research leading up to my op, but I learned fron the hospital yesterday thay our bodies have the facility to "store" certain pain meds, and then release them when they are needed. So its important to medicate to the clock, so as not to let the pain get a hold, and to keep your reserves topped up. I dont want you to think that Im poking my nose in, and Im sure that anyone who's already had their op is much better placed to give you information, its just that it REALLY stuck in my mind what the Hospital told me. 

Please be kind to yourself, rest, eat as well as you are able, and above all listen to your body. I hope you get some respite soon xx

Hi Jacqui, 2 weeks is much too soon to stop taking regular pain medication. I still take some painkillers and I am 22 weeks, if I am having a bad day.  One thing I found helpful in the early days when you can't sleep on yr side. I used an extra pillow under my head so I wasn't laying completely flat. I also used another pillow under my knee /calf/ankle to keep the leg straight which definitely helped. ( don't just put under your knee as they tell you not to do that ). 

I also kept my leg elevated quite a lot in the early days because I had a heamatoma and lots of swellin.

Hi Jacqui,

I am now 4 weeks post op and I am feeling much more positive than I did 2 weeks ago. I was really frustrated as I wasn't sleeping well at all and could not bend beyond 80 degress. The knee was really stiff and sore and I could not seem to get in a comfortable postion. I went for Physio on Friday and the bloke who is a very laid back Scotsman put me through my paces on a bike. I could not get a full pedal turn until he highered the seat and then almost on tiptoes I made it with a full turn and just kept going. Since then it has spurred me on that the knee will bend further bit by bit and I can now get about 95 degrees and I am walking quite well almost without a limp. Keep you chin up and it will get easier and better. I am going to the gym tonight (2nd time) just to slowly walk on a treadmill and do some stretching as it does make me feel better. I know I am not out of the woods yet but your body tells you when you have over done things and you have to listen to it. Stay positive and you will get there. Thats what I keep telling myself. I have set a target to be riding my bike by easter as we are going to centre parcs. I will keep the forum imformed.

PS Take the meds !!! everyone tells you to and it keeps the pain at bay !

Good luck. Mike