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Emotion after TKR

Posted , 14 users are following.

yve20637
yve20637

Hi

im 6 days in and have become an emotional wreck. Ive gone from saying everything is fine at tea time to having a full blown meltdown at 9 pm ( caused by not getting to the bathroom in time).

Is anyone turning into an emotional rollercoaster- scaring man and dog around me??

0 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • alison42818
    alison42818 yve20637

    Posted

    Hi ,

    Ever day if not every hour is different, I have good days and bad days, tears are normal due to lack of sleep, major surgery and the pain. Hang in there I'm six weeks today and still have my ups and downs.

    Treat yourself you deserve it.

    xx

  • jean02698
    jean02698 yve20637

    Posted

    You are very normal. At this point i was wishing my life away. You have just had major surgery and its one of the most difficult surgeries. In time it will get easier. Take your meds, ice, sleep whenever and wherever you can. IT WILL GET EASIER

  • Wrightingtonmz
    Wrightingtonmz yve20637

    Posted

    i too have already had two meltdowns so think we ok x its just a release of emotions x youll b ok im sure of it x its a mixture of pain control and time to recover from surgery then doing the excercises and continuing to get further each day x chin up love n dont stress yourself out x we are going to get there

  • Jeep15
    Jeep15 yve20637

    Posted

    I had my surgery March 12 and I still have meltdowns . Don't sleep well , still have pain! Just part of having this surgery. I've gone back to work but still go home early alot from leg swelling and pain. Hard to put up leg at work and ice. I too was worried about everything so got in to see my Doc today he took xrays told me everything is fine and most of what I'm feeling is normal. You will be fine it will just take awhile, at least that's what I've been told😁! Have your man pamper you! Mine does and it's great!😉

  • yve20637
    yve20637

    Posted

    thank you everyone- i really needed this reassurance today. The pain, the lack of mobility and independance really messes with your head. Good to know im not going crazy!!

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX yve20637

    Posted

    Welcome to the club, Knee-bie. Completely normal...we have ALL been through it. In my case, I was so whacked out on Percocet and Flexeril, rolling out of bed, falling down on the way to the bathroom, that my wife called a rehab joint and unceremoniously kicked me out of the house for 10 days. I vaguely remember the ride...just a haze.

    The problem is expectations...those delusional stories we tell ourselves that always start with: "It's been "x" days (or weeks). I should be...". Pure crap that will screw up your head big time. So the first step is to give up ALL expectations and experience a recovery that is truly your own. Yes, you may share a lot in common with others, or not, but YOUR recovery is uniquely individual. Accept it...own it. Time, work and patience are your tools.

    Click on my name and then "Discussions" over on the right, and finally "View All". Got about 30 of them out there covering a whole range of topics (pain, sleep, depression, exercising, etc.) that will hopefully help you out. We're here to let you know that you're definitely not alone...

    Meanwhile, post this on your fridge...

    Reality

    ...and don't forget your oars for the boat part...

    • karen14697
      karen14697 CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      I had my LTKR yesterday, am home today. This is nothing like my RTKR-nothing! I had pt before leaving the hospital and my ROM is 90 or more. I don't understand this. MY pain is tolerable - Dr. prescribed Percoset; I hate how it makes me feel, like I'm in a cloud. So now he scripted one for hydrocordon. I have energy and just don't get it! My at-home pt is coming tomorrow and won't believe it. i have an ARCTIC ICE machine and a CPM which I'll use this evening. I am looking for anyone who had a miraculous start right after surgery Chico???????

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX karen14697

      Posted

      Three things:

      1. Percocet is oxycodone plus acetaminophen while Vicodin/Norco are hydrocodone plus acetaminophen. Straight hydrocodone is just the opioid. NIH studies have shown that both provide the same level of pain relief at equivalent dosages and the only significant difference between the two is that hydrocodone is a lot more constipating. Then again, it all comes down to each individual person's reaction to any drug. If hydrocodone is better for you, I would suggest taking stool softeners to mitigate the constipation effects. Work with your doc on med dosing (2.5 mg to 10 mg) and timing (every "x" hours) adjustments to maximize the pain relief benefits.
      2. In the 3+ years I've been on here and after reading over 20,000 posts, I can tell you that "a miraculous start" ending with a 6 week total recovery is very rare...like I can count those reported here on less than one hand. There are a few more that get off quickly but then get bogged down into normal recovery mode. Again, very few.
      3. When I read of people doing the second knee months or years later, I have found one striking, repeating theme: The two experiences were very different, for better or for worse. Very few bi-lateral patients report having the same experience twice. The only way to explain it seems to be that each operation is a completely separate event leading to completely different outcomes. One does not seem to predict the other. Those that had a great experience with #1 and then had more difficulty with #2 are more likely to deal with anger and depression since they EXPECTED the same outcome. Yup...those expectation really do screw with our heads.
    • karen14697
      karen14697 CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      i had a horrible #1 so any improvement here with #2 is remarkable! I'll probably "hit the wall" tomorrow and this was just a teaser, I'm afraid. Regardless, ONWARD!

  • Guest
    Guest yve20637

    Posted

    This was my exerience as well. Your mood should lift as your knee improves, but keep an eye on your emotions. My knee caused a year of moderate depression. Had to work on this with my dr and a counselor. It's a long hard road. Hang in there!

  • JRS11
    JRS11 yve20637

    Posted

    i am now 8 1/2 months post op, still have pain and stiffness but not as bad as 3 months ago. Each of us is different, I hope you heal faster than I am.

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX JRS11

      Posted

      You sound about right on schedule. Most people report feeling "more like themselves" around nine months with any lingering pain really in the background but still dealing with some selling, stiffness (tightness) and clunking sounds until about a year...maybe to 18 months. It all goes away at a slow, imperceptible rate. One day, you'll look back and wonder when you last felt a certain feeling.

      PS: Exercise really helps the stiffness. You have to keep the knee active for the rest of your life or stiffness will return. You will hear this from long-term patients all the time. Plus, pain from kneeling on hard surfaces is caused by the damaged nerves and not the knee itself. The chances of that going away are extremely slim.

  • denise00393
    denise00393 yve20637

    Posted

    hi everyone well got my

    date

    for knee surgery 9th july pre op 21st june i must say i am getting more and more jittery as the weeks

    pass臘

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX denise00393

      Posted

      Read a lot and educate yourself. Do NOT have unrealistic expectations!!! They will absolutely screw up your head!!! This is a difficult surgery with typically a year-long, slow and steady recovery. Click on my name, then on "Discussions" on the right side and finally "View All". There's about 30 out there on all sorts of topics. I hope they help.

    • Deeruss63
      Deeruss63 denise00393

      Posted

      You'll be fine. I'm 56 Male, had my RTKR April of last year & had my LTKR done 11 days ago. There's going to be pain, ups & downs. After 6 months you'll be saying yo yourself "I don't remember the pain I had before this surgery ".

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