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Almost five months post TKR surgery

Posted , 12 users are following.

merrie54027
merrie54027

I had total knee replacement on July 21, 2014.  Five days in hospital.  Surgery went well.  Pain management was good, pain pills plus Ibuprofen every 6 hours.  Recuperating well until I was taken off of pain meds.  Found out they were masking an ulcer I had developed in my stomach from the Ibuprofen.  Such pain.  After three visits to ER got proper diagnosis and feeling better.  :0)  Released from physical therapy with 110 bend on operated knee and 120 on unoperated knee.   PT said that normal use would help the bend increase.  Try walking up and down stairs normally but sometimes just do not like the pain, so I walk up one step at a time.  Pain is manageable most of the time with Tylenol.  Knee very still upon sitting with it bent for any length of time.  I just ordered a peddling machine to use while I am sitting watching TV.  My surgeon said it would take up to a year for it to really be well.  Scar tissue inside causing pain when skin hits replacement inside.  This will subside he said.  

     I am 67 years old and am glad I had it done.  The pain before was so bad I stopped going places.  Nothing stops me now from going shopping, food shopping etc. etc.  

     After considering all that was cut in the surgery I can understand why there is pain and stiffness.  If I were younger I think it would have been easier.  I hear of people having both knees done at one time.  To me a crazy idea.  I met a lady at Cracker Barrel yesterday.  She was at lease 15 years older than me and she had two canes.  Had both knees replaced at once and is really having a hard time.  :0(  

     I do not know if its my imagination or not, but it feels extremely cold inside of my knee.  Is it possible to feel cold from the replacement inside there?  Just wondering.  

     Otherwise hoping this may help someone else.  

 

1 like, 80 replies

80 Replies

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  • Yorkyrebel
    Yorkyrebel merrie54027

    Posted

    Been interesting reading come of the comments and replies to this subject.  I am in the USA and had knee replacement 4 weeks ago tommorow.  Am discontent with recuperative process - it seems that I should be better by now than I am.  I had home nursing/therapy care for the first 3 weeks post surgery, then began outpatient therapy just last week.  I also have trouble sleeping throughout the night, stiffness upon standing, and paind walking downstairs.  The knee feels swollen, stiff, and warm to the touch.  I now have 111 degree movement in the operative knee but the PT tells me I need at least 120 to be dismissed from therapy.  Haven't seen the surgeon since the day of surgery, but have an appointment January 9th (9 weeks after surgery).  Walked the dog yesterday for a whole block for the first time.  Will I ever walk without a limp again?  Oh, I am 62.
    • jean95756
      jean95756 Yorkyrebel

      Posted

      You really are doing well 4 weeks post and I was struggling to walk around the house ...let alone round the block

      you should feel proud of yourself biggrin

    • suzidownunder
      suzidownunder Yorkyrebel

      Posted

      Just 4 weeks! You're doing fine! 

      You'll see on here we all heal at different rates. 

      I'm 6 weeks and about where you are now. 

      I still can't straighten my leg - its still at about 5 degrees but working at it. 

      I went to a local Christmas carnival on Saturday and have paid for it dearly in pain and sleeplessness. 

      My surgeon told me id be feeling a lot better by the months - so hang in there and keep positive. smile 

    • britta217
      britta217 Yorkyrebel

      Posted

      4 weeks is VERY early days. do not despair and do not hold yourself to time lines given by anybody else. in essence, they have no clue because your body heals itself at its own speed and nobody knows what that is. personally, i would have been throwing a party if i had 111 degrees bend at week 4. i was stuck at 85 and it didn't go over 95 until i went it to have it mobilized at week 12. so celebrate your success, you are right on track and give yourself and your knee time to build up to 120. i was just today patting myself on the back as i walked down a set of stairs and i am at week 15 ... and in answer to your question, the chances are looking good that you WILL walk without a limp, but only time will tell.
    • Yorkyrebel
      Yorkyrebel britta217

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your kind words.  You keep working on this and I just know you will see success!  Good Luck!
  • Yorkyrebel
    Yorkyrebel merrie54027

    Posted

    You know, I just posted and now remember something else I would like to mention.  I have several friends around, some a  little distance from me.  One thing that continues to bother me is that nobody came to the hospital during my 3 day stay, nor did they send card(s), flower(s), etc.  Nobody has called, emailed, or texted since I've been home.  No offers of help.  No offers of "hey, do you want to get out".  Has anyone else experienced this?
    • jean95756
      jean95756 Yorkyrebel

      Posted

      Hi

      i spent 9 days in hospital and everyone made promises to rally round when I came home

      it didn't happen..... Luckily my hubby was brilliant but as for so called friends ....not a chance ....lol 

    • Yorkyrebel
      Yorkyrebel jean95756

      Posted

      Sorry to hear you experienced the same that I did.  It really is saddening.  Like you, my partner has been great!
    • EileenH
      EileenH Yorkyrebel

      Posted

      I experienced that when my husband had cancer 20 years ago, people crossed the road to avoid speaking to me. But that's a bit different. Oh well - saves you doing anything for them if they ever need a hip or knee.

      The UK has got so rude nowadays - not to mention selfish - I'm assuming you are there at least. What are other countries like?

    • jean95756
      jean95756 EileenH

      Posted

      Eileen 

      i know your post wasn't to me but I think your comment about the UK people being selfish is very unfair.

      not everyone is the same  there are some really nice people around

      Admittedly there is no community spirit anymore but I think in this day and age everyone is so busy trying to make ends meet that by the end of the day they are exhausted.

      we all have to cope the best we can with what life throws at us

      Jean 

       

    • suzidownunder
      suzidownunder jean95756

      Posted

      You're so right Jean.  I'm in Australia. My family are all in the uk. 

      The problem is i dont think anyone who hasn't experienced a TKR understand what we go through! 

      I had both family and workmates assume id be back at work in a week! 

      As for the pain and stiffness - they still can't really comprehend. What 6 weeks and you still limp? Was one comment! 

      My husband says we've almost had our leg amputated - remodeled and stuck back on! Go figure! Lol

    • jean95756
      jean95756 suzidownunder

      Posted

      When I moan that I don't think I'm doing very well my Son says the same as your husband .....so there are some understanding people ....

      I just look back to the first few weeks after the Op and think ...I couldn't even lift my leg onto the bed and now that's no problem.

      so there is definitely progress albeit slow

      just relax and enjoy your Christmas ...we can only get better

      Jean 

    • suzidownunder
      suzidownunder jean95756

      Posted

      You sound like a very nice  strong person Jean 

      havea  lovely Christmas .

       This time next week-  well be further along the journey !  

    • jean95756
      jean95756 suzidownunder

      Posted

      Ha ha

      I'm really a big softy and I've shed enough tears to cause a flood since this Op 

      but Onwards and Upwards 

      Jean 

       

    • EileenH
      EileenH jean95756

      Posted

      Jean - I happen to be British and that is my experience in the UK - I have only lived here for a few years. I and my daughters both have some fantastic friends but generally it is not the same country as it was. We were abroad for a lot of the 80s before returning for my husband's career and we didn't recognise what it had become then. That's part of the reason we left again.

      Perhaps I used the wrong words but it is rude when people don't wait for you to go through a door but let it bang in your face or who push you out of the way to get to do things before you. I lived in one house in Durham for nearly 10 years and only knew the two neighbours next to me in terms of "come and have a coffee" and then one of them moved when her marriage broke down. I moved a mile down the street and got to know half the street in the 6 months we were there. So yes, there are great people but my experience is they are in the minority.

    • jean95756
      jean95756 EileenH

      Posted

      Perhaps you're right in some aspects...but my motto is try to treat everyone as you wish to be treated yourself.

      maybe it doesn't always work but the people it doesn't work on are not worth bothering with.

      we make lots of acquaintances in life but very few True Friends.

      the World is changing rapidly and as I always say...I'm glad I'm on my way out and not in ...lol

      J 

       

    • britta217
      britta217 Yorkyrebel

      Posted

      yorkyrebel ... i am very, very fortunate that i have a handful of loyal and loving friends as they did come to the hospital and rehab, driving me there and back. but interestingly, it wasn't the friends i had counted on who stood up to the plate. and this did cause me sadness. but it has kind of sorted the wheat from the chaff for me in my head. in fact i saw a friend whom i considered one of my closest friends on saturday for the first time since my operation. that is 3.5 months ago. i had wanted to confront him about his absence but ... i have just let it go. who wants to waste energy on that when we need all the energy we have got to get better?
    • EileenH
      EileenH jean95756

      Posted

      I devoutly hope you aren't hurrying on your way out Jean!

      You are so right though - my own daughters are faced with things we never dreamt of and as for my teenage grandchildren, I feel so sorry for them with the world in general being the way it is at present. My real friends are all over the world now and we meet maybe once a year. Maybe it is my fault for never having lived in any house more than 10 years, usually less - I've always been "that newcomer"! Because I went out to work I didn't see much of the neighbours and in two places I worked from home - perhaps people thought I was stand-offish because I wasn't out and about when they knew I was there. When we returned to the UK the girls were big enough not to need me to take or fetch them from school so I didn't meet other mums that way and then one father , a neighbour, decided we were Germans and actually gave his children "permission" to call the girls "Nazi bitches". They had stones thrown at them on the way home. It was a very unpleasant experience - maybe it left more of a mark than I thought.

    • Yorkyrebel
      Yorkyrebel EileenH

      Posted

      That's horrible - that is so sad you went through that.
    • jean95756
      jean95756 EileenH

      Posted

      What a terrible thing for your daughters to go through and for a Father to encourage it ....then enough said about his intelligence.

      i've live in this same house for 48 years and I only know my immediate neighbour as different people just come and go. Also they are so busy getting on with their own lives.

      live and let live I think 

      Jean 

       

    • Yorkyrebel
      Yorkyrebel jean95756

      Posted

      Sounds like everyone on this forum has been faced with pretty much the same challenges, ie: friends not there, people who don't understand, recuperative time not really as expected, etc.

      I live in the USA and it's true - the world isn't what it once was.  Neighbors go about their day without notice of anyone.  People are so consumed with concentrating on survival they tend to not see what is happening around them.  I have lived where I am now for 1 year and happily can announce that I have met and visited with 6 neighbors, although it is only the customary wave.  I wish people were closer like they use to be - maybe times gone by!

    • jean95756
      jean95756 britta217

      Posted

      You are so right Britta I find it easier to smile sweetly and keep my thoughts to myself

       one of my granddaughters who is well known to be a bit selfish really stepped up to the mark and now she's gone up in my estimation.

      also my 27 year old grandson rang every day to see if we needed anything.

      He even invited us to Xmas dinner but we'd already made arrangements to go to my daughters.

      but where were my kids? Who knows ....lol 

    • suzidownunder
      suzidownunder jean95756

      Posted

      It's seems such s shame the world has changed so that neighbours are almost strangers. 

      I remember growing up in street  where no one locked their doors and neighbours just walked in..

      if you needed help they were there. 

      That was in the UK. 

      Mind you - people in oz are pretty nice on the whole! 

      A new neighbour in our block popped a note under the door offering tea and sympathy.! And left 2 books for me to read! So nice! 

    • jean95756
      jean95756 suzidownunder

      Posted

      How lovely was that ...

      And you're so right neighbourliness doesn't exist any more.

      its sad but it's a sign of the times Plus everyone seems to drive so they go down the path and straight into the car.

      its been a really miserable Grey day here so the only people I've seen were through the window 

      never mind ...Spring will soon be here.

      jean 

       

    • suzidownunder
      suzidownunder jean95756

      Posted

      It's actually grey and raining here in oz today. Just when id decided id recovered from my last jaunt and was thinking of another trip out. 

      I need to get my husband a nice bottle of something for Christmas. Very quiet one this year! 

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