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Does this sound normal?

Posted , 5 users are following.

peter73207
peter73207

Hello folks,

Not sure what's happing here. Maybe I just need to take some time to vent.

This knee replacement sure is a roller coaster. Some days are ok, and there have even been times when I went a few hours with hardly any pain at all so I figured I was progressing pretty good, but all of a sudden tonight, BAM! for some reason my pain level shot up to a 9.

I really pushed the exercises today. Maybe to much, who knows. Iv'e also taken some older Percocets I had in the house today. Maybe they were no good. Again, who knows?

About an hr ago I doubled up on my normal pain meds and things are settling down a bit now. Talk about ups and downs. This is one wonky ride.

Thanks for listening folks. It really is a wonderful help. 

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • mary83072
    mary83072 peter73207

    Posted

    My physio said only to do alternate days when doing strenuous exercise   what sort of stuff are you doing.?.

    I use an exercise bike ... tension quite high  balance ball...using ankle weight when doing leg muscle work.... but is hard going at times due to muscle spasms and pain.. take care and don't push yourself too hard.

    • peter73207
      peter73207 mary83072

      Posted

      Hi Mary,

      it's day 18 for me so I been doing the basic stretching and strengthening exercises.

      My extension was pretty terrible (about 25 degrees) so I been working pretty hard on it.

      Got it down below 15 today but think I over did it. I would like to get it down to about 10 for my next physio appt in 4 days but maybe thats unrealistc.

      Think I just have to learn more patience. I'm just afraid that if I don't get proper flexion/extension relatively early, It might not come at all.  

    • sally58158
      sally58158 peter73207

      Posted

      Hi peter

      sounds painful. I certainly hurt after physio today. I am on day 23 now and my knee is pretty straight. However the bend is only 75 which was the same as discharge. My physio said that was good because it takes work to keep that up however he wanted more. One thing he said was that as well as set exercise time, always take a minute here or there to do a stretch or a bend, on the loo, in bed keep it moving as part of everyday which is good advice i thought.. so now i am stretching and pulling a little here and there little and often. Less pain some gain! This is our window of opportunity to get moving but dont overdo it. Xx

  • britta217
    britta217 peter73207

    Posted

    hi peter ... 18 days is really early on, there is still soooo much healing going on.  from my experience, that is totally normal.  if you do want to push yourself with exercising, then make sure you have taken your medication 1 hour before and as soon as you have finished, ice it.  by the sounds of things you are doing well but again, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
  • lilacgilly
    lilacgilly peter73207

    Posted

    I know exactly what you mean about a rollercoaster experience. Between weeks 2 and 4 post op, I felt as if I was making steady progress, bending the knee a little more and managing to do more about the house. Now, at week 6, I feel as if I am at a standstill. The knee feels like it will explode if I try to bend it further than 90 degrees and I am back to taking painkillers throughout the day. I see my surgeon on Thursday so perhaps he will reassure me all is normal and I just have to be more patient !

  • peter73207
    peter73207

    Posted

    Thank you everyone. The pain got so bad I had to go to hospital last night. The doc did some blood cultures and stuck a needle in my knee to drain a bunch of blood.

    they ruled out any infection but it appears that I overdid the exercises. Guess i tore someting open inside and it started bleeding in there. The build up of all the pressure is what caused the pain. It's much better now that its been drained. He said it might happen again if it starts bleeding again but to take it easy on the exercise.

     

  • sally58158
    sally58158 peter73207

    Posted

    Sorry to hear that Peter. I was in pain today so i took it easy on the exercises just in case. It is such a play it by ear process! Hope you are feeling better.
    • peter73207
      peter73207 sally58158

      Posted

      Yes feeling much better today. Thank you very much sally. You are so right that this is a play it by ear process and you are most wise to take it easy on the exercises.  Hopefully I have learned that you have to listen to your own body.  Much has been done and this is a slow healing process.

      One good thing, I slept for a solid 5 hrs after getting hom last night. Best sleep ever since the hospital!

      have a great day!

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