Coping

hi Mandy, because I have other medical issues when it comes to operations I did not even see a physio until 2 days into op and managed to do the baby exercises. I think where I am living at the moment is that the physios read a book and the book says you should be at this stage and that is what they expect and I think they don't realise that everyone is different. They told me yesterday that a woman had a double tkr and was up and walking on the first day and out on the third day, pain free!! I hope the woman is pain free for her sake, but alas we are all different. How did you manage your pain? Thanks for your reply

Ask them if they know they can go to hell for lying same as stealing. What a bunch of bull. Due to the number of times I've been through this I've met a lot of people in and out of therapy and have never met a soul or have ever heard a story like that from any of the therapists I'm around. That therapist should be ashamed coming to work after a long stop over at the neighborhood pub.

Have to be careful what I say as in a country where there are no pubs! However I have just seen a Doctor that I haven't seen befor and he told me that I am where I should be and he went and got the surgeon and they are allowing me home later today. I live on a compound and there is an ex matron there who is arranging for my friends to come in and help me, that way I am extremely lucky to have such good friends around. However, it is still good to talk to people that have gone through this themselves, and it does give encouragement, so please keep up the good work.

Well, I agree that they had me up the day after my surgery. But I thought for sure I was going to pass out...they did too! I did manage to take two steps. The next day they had me walk further. Being out of pain, that is ridiculous. The only way anyone would be out of pain would be because they were on some really good drugs. Even with mine, the pain was intense. And Oldfatguy is right, this therapist is terrible for even saying such things. As if he can guilt you into feeling better. I could barely manage to vertically lift my legs before being discharged 6 days after surgery. And prior to surgery I had been swimming and making sure I was ready for the physical challenge.

How did I manage my pain? Seriously, I felt as if I had the weakest meds available to mankind. I didn't have any of the strong stuff that others got. I was miserable. But the one thing that did bring relief was ice and stretching - sitting with my legs straight out in front of me and touching my toes. So much of my pain was behind my knees. Unti I started having to bend them. Then I thought for sure my stitches were going to pop open. I think the more you can ice them the better. I really wanted heat on the back, but was told that wasn't good for the healing process (sometimes I'm not sure about the doctors in India, but I have heard similar feedback on here). I did use a muscle rub on the backs of my knees and on my thighs...any where that a muscle was screaming and would massage it a bit too.

Hi Gill, same as the others, ice ice and more ice, and good old massage, and rest, I walk 50 to 70 yards 3times daily, still only that , as am waiting to get other knee done a.s.p , and most of the time it's in more pain than the operated one. I do my bits of physio at least 3 times daily , tend to do extra knee bends ect whilst resting it as well, I try to do little bits around the house, but usually end up paying a high price for the privilege, but it makes me feel like I'm trying. I'm pretty depressed I have to say, think I'm just fed up, of not being able to get out and about. Never mind it will pass. I take anti inflamatorys, just too or three times a week, as I don't really get on very well with them, and I take co-codamol, as and when. Won't it be nice, to get our lives back. I was so  excited that I was getting it done, but for some ridiculous reason, I thought it would be in and out, next one done, and all over, I know so much better now,. Sorry if I've depressed you , not having a very good day, as I'm sure you can gather, hope your having a better one.😃

Hi Mandy, I think you are ever so brave to get your other leg done.

from reading the forum, it seems like we all think that within two weeks we will be fine and back to normal, if only.

youve not depressed me, and if you ever want to talk I'm here, don't go through this alone promise me, I am here,  this forum is great helping us realise that we are not the only ones going through this, so keep your chin up and today will be a better day.

Thank you , but I'm not brave, I have to have it done or I can't get out with my dogs, and that is what I love to do. I live in a park home, and I have always been the youngest one here, at the moment I feel like the oldest, whilst doing my walking, I walk a little way along the little road that goes round the park, and I don't get words of encouragement, only, thing like for example , well you shouldn't have put yourself through it at your age, . I'm 54, or wait till you get to my age, they can see I'm really struggling and near to tears, but that's all I get. They don't seem to get that I didn't just get up one day and say, " oh I now I think I'll pop in and get a couple of knee replacements" I've had all the steroid injections, months of physio, , morphin patches, when it comes down to it, I have no cartilage, and I'm grinding my bone to powder, you just can't function like that.. I'm so fed up with hearing them, 😢 sorry I am getting very low, I'm already on anti depressants,  few weeks and I have this all again. 

You are learning that you can't reason with the uneducated. They may have a list of degrees as long as your arm but until they have been through what you have there is no reason to try to discuss cause and effect. I might add that goes for family as well. It seems that joint replacement is just a good chance for others to either get a chuckle or make light of your condition. The same person that wouldn't consider having the same attitude with a breast cancer reconstruction patient will make an off the wall snide comment about a tkr patient. You can't waste your time and energy trying to educate them because they couldn't grasp it anyway. Hang in there, time is your greatest ally. Push yourself but not to the point of causing yourself to go backwards in the recovery. Best of luck

You will get Jobs Comforters everywhere. You are young for a TKR but the surgeon wouldnt have done it if xrays/MRIs didnt indicate that it was necessary. Bone on bone pain is very painful so going do your exercises and if any of your 'comforters' say anything just askthem if they have Osteoarthritis or rhumatoid arthritis.

If you can book yourself a holiday where you can be pampered or even a B&B for a few days in a nice place. I found a cruise that was very cheap, cheaper than a UK holiday (Thomsons) it was inclusive of all meals & tips and their welfare people look after you re aircraft seats/cabins. I was 19 weeks when I went. Just looking forward to it cheered me up, counting down the weeks/days 

Thank you both for your comments , I think the problem is that they think because I "only" had a half knee replacement, I should be up and ready to get out and do my usual 2hr hike every day,  one woman here had , she says a half knee, but I can't figure it out cause her scar is only  one and a half inches, so I'm wondering what she did have,  she had that when she was in her early 30s , she's in her late 40s now, surely they couldn't have done a half knee back then, with such a small scar, ? I don't now, but she tells every one that I'm milking it , because she was back to normal within in a couple of weeks, my physio say I'm doing well, so I must be at pretty much normall stage of recovery. I don't no what to say to them to be honest. My husband thought i was exaggerating, when I told him, what's going on, but he's seen it for him self now. But he's not the sort to say any thing, so that's that, . I think I just need to keep my head down  ,. Most of them do have arthritis, but they don't seem to think I could possibly get that , well it's not just my knees it's hands elbows and my jaw . At least they didn't get it till older. Sorry I sound like a right winge bag, I'll pick up soon , fingers crossed, we are trying to sort out some kind of a break, but its difficult, I have surgery on my jaw in June, then my other knee in August, not a lot of good going anywhere, when even a car journey isn't very comfortable. 😊

  

Partial knee replacements are fairly new and it wouldnt be a small scar. She probably had a meniscus repaired, now done by keyhole surgery. A PKR or a TKR is major surgery. Anyone who has been in theatres will tell you they are brutal ops. The equipment used would fit into a carpenters workshop

Take your painkillers regularly not as & when. The best way to keep painfree is to combine with GP permission. ie Codydramol 4 times a day & Ibuprofan 3 times a day so it means taking painkillers every 2 hours but your painfree. (im allergic to anti inflammatories so couldnt do that)

I dont only speak as a patient but as a nurse who has worked in theatres and on elective orthopaedic wards

Ask these people if theyve nothing better to do than gossip about you, or tell them they can gossip about you and leave others alone

Take care

That's very interesting, so basically she isn't a very nice person, then, I so can not wait to get out and do what I enjoy, I do have a couple of good friend here, one I helped through her bad car accident just before this Christmas, she broke breast bone  squashed virtibrays , she was bad, but she's been helping me with company mainly , she tells me the same as you, she doesn't understand why they have to be like this either,my daughters want to have words , but to be honest I think it would just make matters worse, if I was my normal self, I wouldn't take any notice, but I'm so low, I think I need a kick up the back side. 😞 this isn't like me at all , I'm the strong one, or I was.

.....and you will be again. If anyone really wants to get an understanding of what this is all about they can go on U tube and find the entire surgery. However; people like that would rather just rattle than learn.

Mandy, I hope today was a better day. Ugh, I hated it when I got stuck in those dooldrums. The pain combined with lack of sleep and helplessness and being stuck inside can just feel like too much to bear at times. I'm praying that you were able to move out of the rut and feel a little more optomistic today.

Sometimes people are so heartless. I'm 50 and had a bilateral. Didn't know if I'd have the courage to do one after the other. Now I think maybe I was insane to do it the way I did it. But, 6 months have passed and I can definitely say I'm in a better place than I was a year ago. Albeit, not as good of a place as I'd imagined. It's just a long, hard road we're one. And as I type I think, those must really be some miserable people to be so insensitive about your situation. I would have to say, they are jealous that you are younger and are going to be bouncing around soon whlle they are still going to be older. Hold your head up and stick your tongue out at them. Remind them whose junior. 

Your absolutely right, I never thought of it like that, . I am feeling quite proud of my self just this minute, as when doing my exercises I managed to do a complete turn on the bike, not once but four times, progress.👍

Well done I am 8 weeks post op and I get people saying why do you have to have so long of work , don't you want to go back to work yet I have been signed of for 12 weeks so got another 4 weeks but will see how I feel by then 

You may be off for 2 more months. Be guided by your GP and physio. If you feel ready then thats the time but go part time to start