exhausted after TKR

If I had had knee number 2 first there is no way I would have gone back for the second one!!!!

Hi sanders had my first knee operation in march which was a shock to the body so much pain emotions a roller coaster pysio very painful had to have my other knee done in october which i had no ôther choice its been 5 wks having electrodes on my muscles cant lift my leg up muscle is still asleep i feel so tired i have gud days and bad days sleeping not so gud i live in switzerland my doc is fab my pysio said i have a lot of bruiseing inside so very painful when bending my other knee is doing gud but its an operation very hard must have lots of patience this blog is great gives me alot of information thankyou

 

My hamstrings have have tightened over the last year or two so this is causing me problems straightening my leg and walking or standing makes them tighten even more so it s difficult knowing what to do for the best. Because I was never told how bad and how long it would take for me to get better I am very impatient. I expected to be more or less back to some sort of normality after four week and obviously I have found out that is not the case. It is hard to accept that I can't walk far, drive, bend get out of chairs easy let alone run. We have to take each day at a time and listen to our bodies. I have not been brought up to sit around doing nothing and expect other people to do things for me so it is difficult to spend time sitting with my leg up reading and I feel guilty so that is like an added burden but it has to be done. If I try do too much I end up hurting my knee and undoing a lot of the good I have done so it is better in the long run to accept this is how it has to be I order to get better as quick as possible. 

You're right this website is a saviour, I don't know how I would've coped without it.  Good luck with your recovery....😃

i understand what u saying not used to do nothing my second knee is much painful then my first flextion i had difficults with my right knee but my left knee problems with my muscles and tendons totally diffrent i keep icing my knee which helps alot friday see my doctor and 2nd xray but for the doctors everything is normal sit on the table let your leg dangle which really hurts in a few months i will be more positive but its a hard job i get very emotional to thanks for sharing my experience to

I have struggled finding a chair high enough to sit and dangle my leg.. I don't really want to sit on my dining table but I know if I did this my leg would probably been bending more. I walk round the house without my sticks most of the time but would need them if out.  I can't imagine walking outside without them, it frightens me. I am so scared about tripping up or slipping and as it's coming up to winter it's even worse. All I want to do is play football with my little boy and be able to sit on the floor with him.. Good luck with your doctors visit, hope it goes well...😊

i understand when my doc told me this i thought how am i getting on my table i also walk round the house without sticks outside another matter i have one crutch my doctor whats them away so quick but at the moment my muscle is still weak so it buckles also outside people are not so careful even though u have crutches also on the bottom of my cruthches is rubber so when its wet its slips a little so i dont go out much only if i have to go pysio or docs i can imagine u want to sit on the floor play with your son it will come we must be patient at the moment cant imagine sitting on the floor its frighten getting in to bed is bad i put my foot behind my other foot and it lifts my leg up sometimes the pain makes me feel a little nausea thankyou for your reports is so reposing to think we are so many going through this experience good luck to get well soon 

I used to hook my good foot behind my bad one to get in bed but I can lift up ok now. We are all different and find we can do some things easier than others. But it s nice to know there are other people out there who know what you are going through and are just a message away.  It's also nice to see how treatments In different countries vary.  Keep positive and things will get easier for you.....take care..x...🌻🍀🌷

Sharon... I know exactly what you mean... i am actually scared when the ground is wet  whilst  using my crutches. my knee also buckles  as my muscles are so weak ..my consultant said I should be walking without crutches... but when I tried it ... indoors thankfully... my knee gave way and I crashed to the floor .... fortunately I only bruised my good knee... but scared me .. I am  a very independent person... do all my own gardening.. Diy.. housework etc..   well I did    until op... It is hard relying on my family to do just about everything ... can't wait to get some of that independence back again..

Have you tried putting a large square of foam... cushion  on a dining chair. to give you more height?.. i bought a corner seat for in the shower from eBay.... its height  adjustable  too   so I use that to sit on  and swing my leg back and forward.

oh so sorry to here u fell mary hope u got up okay that is my nightmare i 

know what u mean being independent just do things at your own pace thas what i do when did u get operated hope u feeling okay just found this blg today is great to speak to people who are going through what  am nice meeting u

I had my op on 1st of September..... had bad reaction to anaesthetic.... then morphine.... had severe muscle spasms so couldn't do any physio at all for a week.... was in hospital for 8 days.... so not had the best start....didn't get any one to one physio... had to go privately... He was shocked i had " slipped through the net "... and arranged for intensive  physio programme on NHS... how about you ?... when was your surgery..

Hi Mary

i had my op on 4th September...... And I too had probs at first ...I was in hospital 9 days ....and the recovery is slow going ...but we will get there in the end ...just a little bit slower than others 

We will.... nice chatting to people who know  EXACTLY what it is like..... I don't feel so isolated and slow to heal as I thought... All the info before the op seems to paint such a rosy picture of how it will all be...... keep in touch. and take care x

I might look on eBay to see if I can get a cheap chair. Do you find it helps swinging your leg? I need  to make more of an effort I think. Hope you haven't lost your confidence falling. Take it steady. ...x...😃🌼🌸

Hi 

it really does help swinging your leg ....and if you can push your bad leg back with your good leg it's even better it helps with the bend ...I wish I could get to straighten my leg ...my bend isn't too bad 

mary had my op on 8 october i live in swiss was in clinic for 5 days had high blood pressure felt always sick but im getting there not easy 2nd knee operation had my first on 8 march but this operation recent one i have more pain i had really bad arthrithis finding a doc took me 4 yrs to have trust in one all saying i was to young im 52 then finally found my doc really gud and understanding it helps my pysio is very hard i asked him if he was in the milatary where my scar is so tender so much bruising this is not helping but will get there these post really help thankyou

hi sharon ... i am based out of switzerland too (zurich) and also struggled to find a surgeon as i am 51. i totally hear you, my stay in hospital was not pleasant as they couldn't get the medication right and it turns out i am "allergic" to the opiates which ended up with me passing out, my blood pressure crashing and lots of vomitting (sorry!).

haha! i did have to laugh re: your comment of your physio having been in the military! i am sure he was! i was sent into rehab and saw physiotherapists there, then i tried a couple different ones when i got back home and now i am with the physios in my surgeon's practice and am delighted. they have the experience of lots of TKRs and do an outstanding job. all this to say: if you are not happy with your physio, change. but remember: no pain, no gain. i know this sounds terrible, but is the sad sad truth! and it does get better. i turned the corner at 8.3 weeks!

britta - 9.2 weeks

I hope I start to turn the corner now a couple of weeks ago I thought I had as the pain eased and I was getting around much easier 

then last week back came the pain and sleepless nights again.

 But as you say exercise is the key ...although my physio has discharged me plus it was a group class ...we were just shown around the equipment and left to get on with it on our own. It was a total waste of time ....but ...that's the UK for you.

i exercise at least 3 times a day so eventually I should reap the benefit.

 Take care  and keep smiling 

Jean (9 weeks) post op 

 

Hi britta thanku for your support my pysio okay its true what u say no pain no gain i also with a pysio in my surgeons pratice sometimes its that bad the tears just flow but my muscle is still asleep so not easy lifting leg up but also only 5 wks he is just doing his job he sees it everyday he said with my muscle it happens to people 2 out of 15 trust me last nite had a terrible sleep lots of pain this morning couldnt even drink a coffee so must be bad my first knee which i operated in march had pain but not like this but surely will get better just takes time nice meeting u britta keep in touch