Cant stop crying

Hi Isabell, I am 14 weeks tkr and at times could sit and cry as I get so frustrated at things I still cannot do especially walking any longer than 10 mins. My gp won't let me back to work yet as my knee gets really stiff and has inflammation on one side and really hot.

​Can you move about a bit during day? are you still taking your pain meds?

​Did your gp give you ok to be back to work? maybe you aren't ready to be back, can you get an appointment with gp and see what they say?

​Keep me posted and I hope you feel better soon. xx

​

sixweeks sounds way too soon to be back at work to me.maybe you've rushed things a bit. Are you still taking your pain meds and are you icing and elevating your leg? This is a slow recovery

chis and sue are right.  I don't know anyone with a TKR who went back to work in 6 weeks.  Three months seems like the average.  Swelling?  You're pushing the knee too much...beyond what you can do 6 weeks post-op.  If you get swelling and pain, you have to back off and let it heal again.Very slow and steady recovery.

I'm 13 weeks out, past PT, meds and pain.  I took it very slowly and carefully.  Never had to deal with swelling.  Of course, the knee will look a bit swollen (compared to your other knee) and you will hear clicks and pops for the first year...maybe even a bit more.  Nature of the beast.  Your goal has to be full range of motion (zero / +120 or more)...that will take work but not so much that you get swelling.  Ice!!!  Check my thread titled "Zero Degrees!!!"

Hello Isabelle

 I will be 5 weeks PO Partial knee replacement on Thursday. I went back to work last week part time and back full time this week.

I too have some swelling by the end of the day. No pain really just swelling.

I run a business so really needed to get back but also my Doctor said you don't need the same amount of time off as a TKR. I feel like I am doing pretty good and really happy with the results. I can deal with the swelling as long as I know there will be an end at some point.

Some days it seems worse than others.. Just have to really try to get right home and ice and elevate (which I am really tired of doing but this is the new norm for awhile)

Hang in there from what I have read on here it just takes a long time to heal and get back to normal. Once I really embraced that fact mentally I had a turn around.

I am still taking ibuprofen for pain as needed nothing stronger. I hope I don't have a major relapse being back full time. I am trying to be sure to not sit to long and I am even going to ice when I can .

Hang is there! Tomorrow will be a better day

Hi Isabella, you really sound as though you're struggling.

I've had 2 TKR'S within a few months of each other and I'm sorry to say but I think Its way too soon to be back at work, at a desk all day. I know people have their own reasons for returning to work. And that's none of anyone else's business, but you HAVE to look after yourself.

You're not sleeping, so you're not healing properly. You're experiencing the tears which, to some extent, seem to be inevitable. People outside of this little band on here seldom speak about the mental strain this surgery places on oneself. Our bodies go through such trauma, it's unsurprising that our mental health can also take a battering.

Is it possible for you to take further time off work? And if you're still having a lot of pain, how about your pain meds? Are you still taking them? If not, why not? I think your next step should maybe be a trip to your GP, for another couple of weeks (at least) off work and a review of your pain meds, maybe swap things if needed?

I hope you can take some comfort from your friends on here, we really do understand what you're going through xx

I asked my doc at about 5-6 weeks, why I was sleeping so much.  Duh...your body is targeting all its energy to heal your knee!  I knew the answer as the question was leaving my mouth.  Gotta let your body heal...

I think personally 6 weeks post op is really too soon to go back to work, take care and llook after yourself it's obviously telling you to rest up more

I too am 6 wks po on a partial, and am a former business owner - I feel your frustration😁.  I keep thinking about getting back to "normal" as well! Others have talked of a "new" normal, but I haven't seen it yet, and it is hard to slow down.  Maybe a practical thing you could do is set yourself an alarm and every few hours do something for yourself ( put your leg up, do some stretching, think about what you have accomplished, close your eyes, whatever works). The cliche of one day at a time sometimes needs to be shorter than that.  A new mantra for me is to allow healing its time.

After my PKR I didn't return to work in retail for 8 weeks then graduated hours for the first 3 weeks back. My consultant says a PKR can take up to a year to fully recover hence my follow up appt April next year. I still get aching at end of working day sometimes back and hip ache as well. But I stress it is ache not pain. You may benefit from using a wireless TENs pain reliever easily bought from your local pharmacist- I used one for quite a while now only need occasionally. Set realistic goals for yourself - one step at a time. I am now 16 weeks post op and have recently done 3 trips to London using both train and underground! The trick is when you have had a challenging day -REST even if only in the evening or if possible next day. Only do the bare minimum of housework and always use a stick for extra support if you need it. There is light at the end of the tunnel - I have not regretted having the op you just have to allow time and keep on with any exercises the physio has given you to do. I hope this helps you to keep going x

Personally, I think it's too much too soon. Talk to your Dr immediately and lay all your cards on the table. They can give you something to help with the depression and crying but will probably want to get to the bottom of the problem which appears to be over activity. Call the Dr tomorrow without fail. In this day and age no one should have to live like that.