Does the cold weather affect the new knee joints?

Hot not Hoy, oooops

I agree with all of that, I no what the weathers doing before I even open the curtains, my bones tell me, . How you doing oldfatguy? Been thinking of you, 😀 is every thing running smoothly , really hope so,, x

Going fairly well.....I've hit a bit of a wall. Due to a little excessive drainage they wouldn't remove the stitches last Friday so I haven't been able to increase the bend or add weight bearing.......all of this because of the history of staph infection. Our medicare system says when you are in a facility like I'm in the therapy department has to show you are continuing to make progress or you have to leave. According to their record keeping iv plateaued so i need to go home even though I have to go back and have the stitches out and a new therapy schedule set this Friday. So...

.right now I'm just waiting for someone else or a group of someone to take control of my well being and get me going. As far as the surgery recovery I am doing o.k. My strength is improving

but of course I'm still in an immobilizer and can't work on the bend. I work on straight and at this point I'm probably at a 2 or 3. I'm ready to get started on the real pain producing part of rehab as soon as the medical people say get with it

Oh good luck with it all, a strange system over there, I should think after what you've been put through , they should be treating you like royalty not getting you to leave because of not enough ongoing progress . Not a lot you can do about that I guess, keep well , and try to keep smiling, things will get better soon your so brave, I would have been so scared to have been through what you have been through , I'm not sure that I would have gone through it again. 😱 we are all with you in our thought, . Look forward to your next update. X

i agree mandy we are all with oldfatguy and wishing the best for him .you would have to go through it like him if it happened to you because its human nature to go on even when the road is constantly uphill  i too look forward to his updates it helps me to keep going as my road is not easy either but compared to him its nothing

Your right ofcourse , I would have to carry on, what's the alternative . I think so far any way, I am very lucky, hopefully I will remain that way, good luck to you as well then, 😀 x

Prayers for you. What a situation! You have been so brave through it all and a great resource for the rest of us. 

ahh mandy i didnt mean to put me in the picture just that as you say we would have to carry on      oldfatguy is a truley brave guy and through more than any of us thats for sure and so helpfull to us all xx

Gosh, it sounds like you've got it rough. Are you getting exercises you can do at home? The nice thing about physio with a PT is that they push you a little harder than you might normally push yourself. But don't let the distance and lack of support discourage you (your knee will do that enough all by itself!).

Yes, it has certainly been a lot harder than I expected. There is still a lot of heat in the joint (where the pain is) but apparently it is still "healing". I have exercises which I do and have gone back to taking pain killers an hour before I exercise which allows more hard work then. At this stage, I regret having had the TKR but I suppose time will tell. I'm supposed to have the other one done in 3 months but at this stage that would be a NO WAY!

As has been discussed on the site often but can't be emphasized enough, Dr's just don't open up all the facts to their patients regarding recovery. One month is just a beginning for recovery and many go into it thinking they should be ready to go back to work, play golf, be on their knees working in the garden, etc. When you realize the extensive damage done to every facet of the skeletal/muscular/ nervous system and then comes along the horrible invasiveness to the emotional arena that no one even dicusses or warns you about. All of this is just crash course in survival. Try and relax and not get too far ahead of yourself. Take each step as a one day educational course because sure as beck today's crisis will be tomorrows memory and you'll have another set of concerns to contend with. You will find some of these issues are a one and done and others will resurface, go away and come back 3 months later. Just keep doing the basics.....rest at every possible opportunity, drink what seems excessive amonts of water, even with a faltering appetite, try and eat nutritious foods, don't pay any attention to what others are discussing as far as progress of friends and others who have gone through this and do the basics with regular dosages of pain meds, excercise, icing and elevation. 99% of those miraculous stories of healing are just rumors and will get you down if you believe them. Stay with this group

They have been through it and can help separate truth from fiction

Don't be too hard on yourself, Lorene, a month post op is still early days. 90 degree bend is fine, and Roland (OFG) is so right, it's such an invasive op, that the healing process can take a long time. My surgeon told me that they cut the large ligament above the knee in a vertical "slice" and to expect that to take months to heal. The heat in your knee is normal, mine lasted at least 3 months. The knee will also feel like a dead weight until your muscles start working well again, and that only comes with time.

We always hear what a great medical system we have here, but in the country it can be abysmal! I really feel for you. I'm in the Blue Mtns & luckily we're near a public hospital which has rehab facilities. Can't imagine what it must be like to be out west (or north or south for that matter).

Physio can be very emotional in the early stages, like everything else, so remember you're not alone, we've all been there, and take Roland's advice, he's our resident guru.

Denise from Oz

yes yes yes!!!! your so right doctors paint a ridiculas picture of how your suposed to recover and then you think your a failure for not reaching those goals .. the ammount of work done to even put in the new knee is unreal so of course the healing will take along time i for one after my revision 10mths ago still have swelling on my knee ,and if i dont excersise it regular it stiffens up or pain in it drinking alot of water i had not heard that one before so maybe i should also dink alot more

I'll always remember my GP telling me that surgeons are quite "simple minded". She explained that too many of them really believe that once they've done their job, then nothing more needs to be done. Mine, for instance, doesn't see why any of his patients need to go into rehab from hospital, even if they live alone! He was very surprised when I wanted to start physio and hydro before my 6 week appt with him, whereas I didn't want any problems from not moving ahead with my excercises! When I talked to my GP, we decided that what he didn't know, wouldn't hurt him.

Denise from Oz

Talk to your GP about some slow release prescription meds. I had bilateral TKR & was sent home on Targin 10 mg morning & night, plus Panadol osteo 4th hrly & ibobrufen when needed. When the Targin finished at 6 weeks I found I could not do my exercises without pain holding me back. I saw my G.P. @ 7 weeks & she prescribed a further lot of Targin which I only took in the morning. I did my exercises at home from a sheet given to me @ rehab, plus using frozen peas for ice packs several times a day before & after exercise. I am now about 14 weeks & continue to take Panadol. Walking pain free, though still swollen, numb etc. 

your bang on there it seems no matter what part of the planet your on its the same your op is done so go away and next one please on this side of the pond their like gods but their more like gobsh**es 

That amazes me. Around here they mandate PT immediately. If it's an early surgery they want you up by evening, walking with assistance next day and starting leg lifts, etc same day and as soon as staples/stitches out and drainage stopped you are into either home health or out patient bending,straightening and advanced balance excercise 3 x's a week and you are expected to do it on your own the other 4.

I had bilateral TKR in the morning & They got me up that afternoon on a frame. I walked from the bed to the door & back again. Next day, half way down the corridor. Plus exercise.

While in hospital - no problems. 24 hrs after op they removed all tubes, morphine, oxygen, drains, catheter, etc, then out of bed & physio started with a walk around the corridors. Next day I had a 90 degree bend, so was allowed home after that weekend. They sent me off with a few pages of excercises, but it was up to me to find a private physio & arrange anything else I needed. If I'd gone into rehab, then I would have had lots of follow-up. It seems to depend on the surgeon over here, & also helps if you know what questions to ask, otherwise it was like getting blood out of a stone. Even had to ask when I needed to remove dressing, or did someone else do it? Got 3 different answers & when it finally came off, had an infection!

This might sound as though I'm complaining - I'm not, just comparing different "systems". Had a great recovery, hardly any pain, no lost sleep, walking without any support in less than 2 weeks, definitely one of the lucky ones. Or maybe a brilliant surgeon?

Hope you're doing better, Roland, take care

Denise from Oz