1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Knee Problems

8 weeks TKR with regrets Advice pls

Posted , 22 users are following.

brozz1e
brozz1e

I'm a 49yr old male of a large 20st stature and 8 weeks on Tuesday I had a TKR on my left knee.

If I knew that the past 7.5 weeks was going to be this painful & uncomfortable I would never have had this done. All I was ever given & advised was success stories, I wish I had researched it in more detail as I would rather have suffered the knee problems I had compared to the ones I have now.

Although my PT is happy with my progress regarding leg bend of 115 & extension of -1, I come away full of smiles BUT the smile is very short lived. I still cant get comfortable, still cant sleep at night, cant sleep on my side and the pain during the night is ridiculous (I've tried the pillow in-between my legs), I have totally had enough, I'm still taking Tramadol to try & ease but now it's having little effect.

I've been walking unaided for almost 4 weeks now (by advice of my PT) but the problem I have is the swelling, the swelling just does not go down, I elevate my leg at least every 2 - 3 hours for 30mins at a time and still wear my cyrocuff for the icing at the same time. I have a sharp pain in my knee at times even while I'm just sitting still, my surgeon says there is nothing to be concerned about, again he is happy.

I do 3 x 1hr of home exercise & stretching which was advised by my surgeon and PT everyday without fail & try to push myself further each time.

I seem to have a fold across the centre of the knee which fills with swelling & then overhangs the bottom half of my knee which then makes my leg feel very stiff and heavy. My knee for pretty much 90% of the time feels stiff especially when I clench my thigh muscle. The left hand side of my knee is completely numb and the right hand side is so sensitive to touch or have any material on it, which again don't help me whilst in bed keeping me awake.

Am I doing something wrong? Will the pain ever ease? Will I be able to sleep again properly? When will this swelling ever come down? How long before I stop regretting having this procedure done? I am constantly feeling down & depressed that all that's on my mind is this bloody knee & if it will ever be "Normal"

Sorry for the long winded story and the whining, I need to know if others have gone through the same, as I know 2 people who have had the procedure done one was fully recovered in 6 weeks and the other in 8 weeks, so that's why I'm feeling so cheesed off and full of regret. It's also easier to talk to others who have gone or going through the same than ask my surgeon or PT.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated, Thanks in advance.

 

2 likes, 53 replies

53 Replies

Next
  • brozz1e
    brozz1e

    Posted

    Forgot to add, the throbbing that is there all the time, and when in bed my leg is so restless.
  • martha08360
    martha08360 brozz1e

    Posted

    Hate to say it, but its a helluva surgery.  Wish I had never had it done either.  Im 5 months out and still ice everyday, it still swells everyday and I still have pain everyday.  Oh, and yeah, my ortho doc says, All of it is normal. BS.
    • brozz1e
      brozz1e martha08360

      Posted

      I knew I wasn't the only one who's had bad experiences. But 5 months? Oh no, 8 weeks and I'm at the end of my teather.

    • natalie04381
      natalie04381 brozz1e

      Posted

      I'm 6 months post TKR and still get pain and swelling, doctor said all is normal and it take 6-12 months recovery , I have trouble sleeping also, the more I do during the day the more pain I have at night. I wish I hadn't had it done aswell , they don't tell you that bit xx

    • martha08360
      martha08360 natalie04381

      Posted

      I also take amytriptylene at night and it helps me sleep soundly.  Bad dreams also, but it goes with the territory.    And my doc also said 6-12 month recovery.  They say that to cover their arses.  And no, Im not in UK, in USA.  I say arses too.... ha
    • jenny61596
      jenny61596 natalie04381

      Posted

      Just be patient I am lucky in that I really haven’t had bad pain since about 8 wks and now at 7 mths my knee doesn’t hurt   just a bit of stiffness and ache but doesn’t keep me awake . Maybe you are overdoing it ?  I have more problem with low back pain after op which I hope will go as didn’t have it before . But my other knee replacement 7 yrs ago sometimes still aches and feels odd so it’s never totally pain free , if one hurts a bit the other does too ! Quite odd . I am sure give it time and you will find it’s okay 
  • Gramma
    Gramma brozz1e

    Posted

    I am almost the twin of you! The swelling is so bad I am going for acupuncture on Monday... will let you know if it helps.
    • brozz1e
      brozz1e Gramma

      Posted

      I'm thinking of doing the same, also looking into cupping as well, I'll try anything. Please let me know how it goes.

    • jenny61596
      jenny61596 martha08360

      Posted

      Cupping is Chinese , use a cup and put it on skin forms a vacuum and supposed to help remove pain , toxins I don’t know , google it , it’s rubbish I think I had it done once on my back as part of a massage , can’t say it did anything 
  • MAT2018
    MAT2018 brozz1e

    Posted

    I was in your shoes until I found this site...at six weeks I didn't think I would ever be able to tell people that this was worth it because I would hear about people who recovered in 6 weeks after this surgery...and it can happen but....not for everyone.  

    Read the posts by Chico Marx, OldFatGuy, and jenny80029...three of my favorite but there are plenty more on this site with great advice.  

    I am 6 months post TKR, still have swelling, still have some problems sleeping and still have some stiffness.  But not as bad as a month ago or 2 weeks ago..and not the incredible pain I was in before the surgery.  I can now say thought it was worth it.  I am kicking up my exercise routine like I haven't been able to do for years.  It kicks me back later in the evening but I am happy.  

    Have you looked at the videos of what is involved in in a TKR....this is one bad surgery.  It really does take time for most people.   I am taking the advice of the folks on this site that have been there and done it and I assume it will take a year for things to get back to "normal".  This is a tough recovery.  As Chico Marx likes to say your knee will heal when it heals, don't compare yourself to others.  

    Hang in there!!!

  • susan22517
    susan22517 brozz1e

    Posted

    You're not whining.  This is a HORRIFIC surgery.  Tramadol gave me restless legs at night.  Maybe you could get a mild sleeping pill or tranquilizer to help you relax and sleep?  Once I started sleeping more than 3 hrs. at night (with the help of Valium) I felt better.

    I'm almost 2 years out from my right TKR and am finally glad I had it done.  Even vaguely considering doing the left knee, which I SWORE I would never do.

     

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX brozz1e

    Posted

    What you're feeling right now IS NORMAL!!!  What?  You thought this would be over and done with in 8 weeks?  Wow...you really were listening to all the wrong people.  A full recovery from a TKR takes a year...accept it...own it.

    We have ALL been where you are now...all of us....well, there was that one guy who went back to mountain climbing at 13 weeks post op...never heard from him again...I hope someone used a metal detector to find the body...

    Really...  The first three months absolutely suck...period...no getting around it.  Your -1 / +115 is excellent for 8 weeks.  Took me 12 weeks to get to -1 / +123.  While everyone is different, you seem to be on the good side of the curve.  The really bad pain is usually gone within 90 days; the swelling also decreases noticeably in the 3-6 month range.  However, there is always the danger of "balloon knee" on any day you push the knee too far.  It's not about distance or time...it's about the number of steps in a day.  Get a cheap fit bit...track your steps...chart your progress.

    Swelling decreases very gradually over time.  You might even find that the new knee still looks a tiny bit bigger at one year...this goes away.  Clicking, popping and clunking noises are also normal.  At 2 1/2 years post-op, I don't hear them anymore.  Pain when kneeling on hard surfaces is a nerve issue that gets better looooong term but may never go away.  Has nothing to do with the knee itself.

    Ice, elevate, do your exercises.  A great topical anti-inflammatory and pain reliever is Voltaren Gel (RX in the US; generic diclofenac elsewhere).  OTC pain killers include BioFreeze, Lidocaine patches and Aspercream with 4% Lidocaine...the last two are good for nerve pain.

    We have lots of people saying that they regret the op in the first few months and then completely change their tune by their one year anniversary.  A very common tale.  First step is to finish the ROM work.  These will help at home...#3 is a killer!!!

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-rom-work-at-home-620053

    Next, you have to take all the pressure off your knee and put it back on your dead quads, glutes and core.  The muscle rebuild is mandatory so you can walk correctly, regain your balance and then be able to do stairs...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/post-tkr-exercising-565527

    Finally, stairs...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/mastering-post-tkr-stairs-552728

    Your PT may have you doing stairs in the reverse manner to my discussion; no big deal...that's the way I was taught by my PT and I was climbing stairs two at a time without holding onto anything at 14 months.  Whatever works.

    If you want to know how I felt right after my op, this was the first discussion I posted...

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

    Yeah...rude awakening.  I thought that I would just breeze right through like my hip replacement, two shoulder impingements and more.  Boy, was I wrong...  Click on my name and then "See All Discussions" for a lot more helpful topics.

    Also, print this out and hang it on your fridge...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-reality-of-a-tkr-recovery-in-one-picture-626038

    Welcome to the real world...yeah...I should have taken the blue pill too... 

    • brozz1e
      brozz1e CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      That is everything I needed to hear, thank you so much in describing in detail what to expect and the reality check. I appreciate the time & effort you went through to give me all this information. Thank you.

  • jenny61596
    jenny61596 brozz1e

    Posted

    I think people push themselves too much and this causes the swelling and pain , I didn’t and I can get my leg straight and bend it , my advise is to cut down on your physio , I did very little , and at 7 months I have full movement , little pain and haven’t had much swelling since about 6 weeks , but I didn’t overexercise it , also no one is over op in 6-8 wks they may have less pain than you but it takes a year . Go to a pool and do stuff gently . I was sleeping fine by 8 wks and off opioids , I found pain level suddenly decreased from awful to not too bad . Good luck , oh another thing I was told by a surgeon is that the people who have the worst pain are men in their 40’ S  and  fifties , 
Back to top
Next

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.