frustrated after 11 weeks

I also had my knee replacement in January and have been going through some of the same things you talked about it has been brutal I am getting better which I guess is a good sign so just hang in there and I must say keep reading some of the comments on this website they definitely help we're not alone we all are going through the same thing and I have been getting some great positive feedback good luck

Read around this forum, both answers you get and older posts.

You have had brilliant replies already but I will add a bit more to the pot! You are going to need to be very very patient! Its going to be a matter of pacing things carefully and will be for at the very least six months and possibly more.

Use a stick from time to time if you need to as it helps reduce pain. Gradually what you can do will increase, but in your own knees time! I was icing 5 or six times a day.

An awareness of restrictions surfaces now and again, and will do for six months or even up to a year for some. Everyone is different. The consciousness of this is bound to make you feel anxious and low in mood. Because while before having the surgery you have your restrictions, you imagine having the surgery and them all being taken away. Well, this is true, but it is not quite like that. There is a kind of purgatory phase between having the surgery and reaping the benefits in full. And this is a difficult and challenging experience. It is the awareness, ever more present than has ever previously been in one’s life, that one is not a master of time! The time it takes to heal is not something we can control and so demands of us a level of patience and understanding that we may not have previously extended towards ourselves.

Read around the forum and knowing you are not alone may offer some encouragement.

You can choose older posts by picking through the page numbers shown on the KNEE PROBLEMS main page. Look to the right of the page subtitle "All discussions in this group" and you will see page 1 but flick on the arrow to see other previous pages also.

You may like to go to my profile by clicking on the image next to my name. I kept a journal of my own knee replacement journey, and I have been told by several people they found it helpful to read, or skim through. It's got a lot of general information in it, and gives you one person's experience right from hospital to the 12 month mark!

Good wishes to you for your recovery.

I found relaxation techniques vital for sleep, mindfulness, meditation and prayer helped me a lot. Now 12 months post op, and it has been more than worth it, but it is hard in the early weeks and months.

Are you drinking plenty of water. Dehydration is one of the most overlooked and misunderstood parts of recovery. A tight, stringy muscle just doesn't heal rapidly or properly. Be sure to elevate so the leg is slightly above the heart and add something like a good anti inflammatory to your medications. I've used Aleve which is an every 12 hr med. Also, if all the scabs are gone and there is no more drainage, massage vit E oil in the knee twice a day. Great healer plus soothing but don't expect immediate results. It will take a few days.

What others have written is true Patience!!! This will not be better tomorrow or next week or next month it takes time. I understand unforgettably being in pain daily is absolutely no fun, going to PT 2-3X a week stinks pushing yourself to hard and paying for it later, yes it gets rather depressing. As everyone has said keep doing what the Dr. has said do your exercises. By doing your exercises ( I know its painful ) the faster you will get thru this but its still going to take time. Do not be afraid to ice I am icing pretty frequently.