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Total Knee Replacement 8 weeks Post Op

Posted , 148 users are following.

pegs_girl
pegs_girl

Hi 

I am 8 weeks Post Op and wondered how you were all getting on!!

I am pleased wit my progress other than having what is commonly know as a Bursea behind my Knee, this is causing me pain on bending but mainly through the night.

I am achieving a 140 bend, can walk properly up a full set of stairs going up, but still coming down with both feet on 1 step and need to work on this.

Physio have now reduced my visits to monthly and the consultant is really happy with the 'end' result, albeit i do have to go back in 6 weeks to check the Bursea. i have been told this may be drained or surgically removed if it doesnt go down on its own accord!! 

The on going issues i have is through the night i do have pain that keeps me awake and i rarely get a full nights sleep.

For all of you out there who have either just had the Operation or are due too i can only advise to be patient, the pain and disability gets better in my opinion after about 4 weeks, each day after this i found so much improvement, i am back driving, dont use any sticks at all now, and can walk quite a distance, i still have a slight limp when walking and am working hard on 'marching' when i walk advised by physio, apparently if i concentrate on swinging my arms when walking it makes me walk straight without a limp. I am still off work and dont imagine going back for a further 6 weeks. I use an static bike twice daily and try and beat my time each day, this is helping with my muscle wastage.

I could never imagine i would feel this way 4 weeks ago but now i am doing so well i know its been worth it. My scar looks good and is just a thin line although its a bit purple looking, i still have swelling on the knee but not much, and my Knee does look a funny shape!!

I hope you are all doing good and that my experiance helps you with your recovery.

Good luck and stay positive...

20 likes, 341 replies

341 Replies

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  • gloria29023
    gloria29023 pegs_girl

    Posted

    pain level dropped at 2 weeks! Not 6 smile
    • pegs_girl
      pegs_girl gloria29023

      Posted

      Hi gloria 

      You done well going back to work . Im not allowed for another 4-6 weeks . 

      This forum has been a great tool for all us TKR people its great way to share experiences .

      Glad you also doing well.

      Take care and take it easy .

  • kim02048
    kim02048 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Thats great! I am 7 weeks opst op. I think I am doing ok. Not using the stick all the time. Still a lot of pain and discomfort at night but thats ok. My knee is still swollen and very hard . Not much happening on the bend still about 100 but I had a set back with the wound so had to lay off physio for a while. I must say though I am feeling a lot better walking wise. I'm back at driving so thats a plus. I am plodding onward and upward, thats all I can ask for.  It will improve over time.

    Cheers from Sydney smile

     

    • pegs_girl
      pegs_girl kim02048

      Posted

      Well done Kim keep up with your exercises thus will help. If its any consolation i gave van to my GO tonight to see if he could give me anything for the night pain. He has prescribed a slow releasing pill that should last 12 hours. Hopefully this will help my sleep. 

      Your right keep plodding on thats what i do i don't know about you but i still have fearful days but they are less often now.

      Hope you having better weather in Sydney than here in UK!!

      Take care 

    • kim02048
      kim02048 pegs_girl

      Posted

      My doctor also gave me some slow release Meds. Tramal or Tramadol. I had been taking Endone initially but the Tramal seems to be working but only when I need it. I do have some rotten days but I do feel better than what I did before I had the op. 10 Years ago when I was 48, I  had a partial knee replacement so this op was a bit different in that it had to be removed and replaced. So I can't really complain. I see my surgeon on Wednesday and he will let me know when I can start hydrotherapy.  At leaset I am progressing.

       

  • gloria29023
    gloria29023 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Pegs girl what a good idea. I wouldn't describe what I get at night as a pain but is an extreme annoyance whatever it is so I usually medicate but getting a slow release is a thought. It's what I used to have for the first 6 weeks and helped a lot so I may ask again. Kim I'm finding it gets easier every week so I look forward to the next Tuesday smile cheers to all from Perth West Oz btw. We are global!
  • gloria29023
    gloria29023 pegs_girl

    Posted

    I must say that I am not fearful of facing my other TKR now despite the fact that it was one of the most painful procedures. The bad pain lasts 2 weeks, but u can be heavily medicated and if I accept that I'm just going to lie around and recover during that time, I can put up with it. The other thing I have learnt is t listen to my body. The experts will tell you to push etc but I found that I pushed until my body told me to stop and I still recovered in a timely way. So doing exercises your wn way as long as you do them is ok. Also there will prob always be some negatives, like the tightness in my knee for example but it's better than it was so I get on with it but still treat myself with care when I need to. Bring it n!
  • kim02048
    kim02048 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Hi again, the weather has been great. 25 degrees here today so I have been sitting around the pool sunbathing, well sitting in the sun getting some rays to my scar. They say the sunlight helps lol
  • susan5374
    susan5374 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Hi, I had my TKR 8 weeks ago as well, although my bend is only 110. Physio have "written me off" after 3 sessions saying once I am back to work and being more active things will improve. I start back in my office next week so we will see. You are very lucky that physio are still seeing you, your scar sounds a good deal better than mine too, mine is still purple and quite wide in spite of using Bio Oil on it twice a day.  Knee is now only just over an inch bigger than the other one, althugh I do have a quite pronounced bone bruise on the outside the operated knee, very painful, althoughI agree, a few weeks ago I would never have imagined things had improved so much although I feel I have a long way to go yet. On a plus point I no longer get arthritis pain in the knee, something which was dreadful, particularly when it is cold or raining.
    • gloria29023
      gloria29023 susan5374

      Posted

      Hi Susan. I guess what the different posts prove is that everybody heals in their own way and in their own time. Each patient has their own set of probs in recovering. But it sounds like we are going to get there.i still have swelling and numbness around the knee but I ride the ex bike , do the od stretching exercises and massage the knee to reduce swelling which I think causes the tightness I dislike so much. I aso went to GP to get another lot of Tremadol for night sleeps. The good thing about getting back to work is that it actually gets your mind off the knee. Up to 6 weeks the knee was the sin th

       

    • gloria29023
      gloria29023 susan5374

      Posted

      Up to 6 weeks the knee totally dominated my every move, work enabled a change. I'm glad you don't get the arthritis and yes I agree the knee feels solid without the old pain. Well done us!
  • lynn08926
    lynn08926 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Hi,

    Just read your initial post.  So pleased to hear that things start to improve after 4 weeks.  I am 4 weeks, plus 1 day after op and things seem to have reached a plateau for the past few days.  Bend still not great (just under 80) but working hard on physio and feel the swelling is holding me back.  Find walking a trial as my other knee also needs a tkr.  Not yet though, this whole thing has been far more traumatic than I ever dreamed.

    The 'tight band' feeling is unpleasant and each morning the knee is so stiff, I feel I'm back to square 1.  So frustrating.  And don't get me started on these pigging stockings.  Still 2 weeks to go.

    Any ideas on how to increase the bend?  Doing all the usual exercises.

    • cindy90071
      cindy90071 lynn08926

      Posted

      Hi Lynn08926,

      I am 7.5 weeks out and also had a plateau, that will pass.  Kepp up your excercises.  I found out the hard way to do heel slids laying down NOT sitting up-so I was set back about 3 weeks.  I also need a 2nd TKR and it does make walking hard for now.  The tight band feeling you have?? do you have it just in the mornings?.. I have the same symptoms....but mine last all the time-no releif.  Hope someone has some good news for that.  As for some knee bends that I found to be helpful is place you new knee leg on the 1st step from the bottom and lunge forward do 10 times-then sit and stretch it out then repeat--this has helped alot for me--good luck

    • toni1943
      toni1943 lynn08926

      Posted

      Lyn08926

      Hang in there - I hit a plateau at three weeks and stuck at 90.  However I am now five weeks and have a bend of 125 and my knee is straight.  The tightness persists but they tell me it will go - I live in hope.  The pain is slowly lessening.  It takes time,  Try to find the balance between listening to your body and doing what the doctors and therapists ask. 

    • alan91550
      alan91550 lynn08926

      Posted

      Hello there , I,ve finished physio and the therapist had me take a bed sheet roll it up like a rope and lay flat on floor , and twist the sheet around my ankle then with two hands gently full the ankle close to your butt , I now have 140 degree bend .It works really well

       

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