How long to heal?

Everyone has a different rate of healing, and there are no hard and fast rules as to the length of time. The important thing is to follow the instructions of your doctor and physical therapist. There will be times of exercise, rest, ice and all over again.

I had a tkr 12 wks ago this coming Monday and I am just now feeling I have turned the corner of recovery. Some have a quick and easy time and some have a long and difficult time.

Don't compare yourself to another person's recovery. Be patient and as positive as possible.

As to those who may be angry at/with you for not being able to attend the dinner, pay them no mind! You need to place your recovery first. Those who truly love and care for you will understand and want what is best for YOU!

Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

Way to early to be trying to be pressured into a normal lifestyle. Surgery is surgery.....the body is still in shock no matter how you were sedated. I can't imagine anyone pushing you to go faster than your body and mind allows. First thing I would tell them, of you are that inconsiderate, I don't need you as a friend. Take your time.....do the excercises and above all......rest......Trying to push it beyond limits will only cause you setbacks and and slow down recovery. I hope you weren't misled into believing a partial is quicker and requires less work in the road back. I've never had a partrial but many who have and have been participants in contributing to this site have gone in thinking it was going to be easier and turned out having many of the same problems and recovery time. Stick by your guns and don't be pushed into anything. Your body will let you know when you're ready

Knee surgery varies tremendously from person to person. Even one knee can have a very different outcome than the other knee!

Try to give yourself permission to take care of YOUR needs. There will be really good days when you feel ready to tackle just about anything, and there will be days that it is best to lay on the couch drinking tea and relaxing after taking pain medication!

Your physical therapist will help you learn exercises that will build strength, develop balance, and show you how to bend and straighten your knee.

I had my left knee TKR in June and my RIGHT kneeTKR in October. Both were different experiences. I am about six weeks ahead of schedule from my first surgery. My first surgery brought a lot of swelling which hampered my overall progress. My right knee had minimal swelling, so I have been able to do MUCH MORE sooner. I was surprised because my right knee was the one that hurt more of the two prior to surgery.

Ten days SEEMS like an eternity when you have had surgery! Each day brings challenges that are not fun. I think you will begin to feel better pretty soon. Week three was easier for me because my 29 staples were out, and I could begin outpatient physical therapy. It was good to be able to be finished with Home Care! I began to feel normal again.

Keep positive.

Surround yourself with SUPPORTIVE people who care for YOU.

Eat well, drink plenty of water.

Ice, elevate, do your exercises.

Come to this site often!

Let us know how you are doing!

It WILL get better. Be patient.

10 days is just infancy time. A partial takes just as much trauma as a total. You will need lots more recouvery time yet. Explain to folks that your leg was detached, cut off and drilled into the bone to attach a new knew joint. Don't ever do something for someone else. It's your body and you need to take care of it. I'm thinking at leave five wks or more, like deb said everyone is different. Good luck and a speedy recouvery. I'm nearly a yr and my good friends and family are still very respectful and will ask if I can do something. 

Hi Sandybug, how awful you must feel, especially having such inconsiderate people in your life!

Regardless of whether it was a Total or Partial, your body has been through major trauma. A big incision; nerves, muscles and ligaments dissected and some lost forever. Bits of your bones SAWN OFF! Holes drilled in said bones, strange objects HAMMERED into your bones, cement smeared into the joint, and finally many, many stitches or staples. Read all that to the people who have the nerve to be mad at you 10 days after surgery and ask how they think THEY would be coping right now! (And you could always show them the surgery on YouTube - it's an eye-opener!)

It's hard to say "when" you will really start to feel better as every knee is a completely different story, but you should probably be seeing incremental improvements on a day-to-day basis.

I'm 16 days out from my 2nd TKR, and coming up to 9 months on my first. I thought I'd had a really good day yesterday as I managed to get a few jobs done in the house, but boy! Did I pay for it during the night! If anything, Im guilty of trying to rush myself to get better, but I CERTAINLY won't be letting anyone else rush me! And neither should you. It's YOUR knee and YOUR recovery, you set the pace!

Good luck starting PT - hopefully you can start to build your strength and stamina, and give your recovery a boost.

Don't let negative people get you down. Their ignorance is their burden to bear, not yours.

Stay strong

Terri xx

Hi, I have had two pkr this year the last one in middle of July , it still causes problems, both do actually, but at your very early stage, there was no way I would have been able to go out to a dinner, firstly because it's in the evening , by which time you've normally had it, and just need to rest ice and massage, secondly, to sit in a normal chair in sitting position , so not putting foot up would just not be an option at your stage. If they are real friends perhaps they should be a little more understanding of what you have been through, it was a major operation . You didn't just have a tooth pulled . You look after you, don't rush, it will take plenty of time, I'm only 54 , and pretty active usually, but even at this stage, after a 2 hour hike, then normal house chores, cooking a meal, I'm dun in, your only ten days, give yourself a break. And take care.😊

Hi, can I ask if you have had a lateral partial knee replacement or a medial. I have been trying to find someone who has had a lateral, the same as me. I had mine done in January. It is a long road to recovery and I think you are at a very early stage. I was told I would be fine after 6 weeks !! What a joke. I am still using one crutch and in a lot of pain. I hope this will not be the case for you. Even though it is a partial knee replacement the recovery time can vary just the same as a full. Take time to heal and keep up with the exercises. All the best x

I had the same pkr 9 weeks ago.  There is no way I could have gone out to dinner at 10 days!  I still have discomfort sitting with my knee bent for any length of time.  I think I am a quick healer with very high pain tolerance but this has really slowed me down!  I have a doc that required me to use a walker for six weeks.  He said he treats this surgery like any other broken bone and if I do what he says, I'll do great.  I was ready to get rid of the walker at six weeks but I'm still having alot of stiffness, and my knee gets really tired & sore when I've had a busy day.  I am having my other knee done on Dec 17th and looking forward to it.  I can tell quite a difference and look forward to finally being pain free on both.  

I really thought this would be a quick recovery because it was a partial, but I have found, by reading these posts, that the recovery is pretty much the same. 

Hang in there and don't rush your recovery.  

Hi,

I'm nearly six weeks post op for PKR. Even though I have been doing quite alot and maybe too much it is a slow process.  If I sit for too long with my knee down it gets very stiff, swollen and sore.  My sick note runs out this week but I am going to ask for another six weeks off as I don't want to rush going back to work sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day and then have to take days off dure to pain etc and not sleeping well also.

I was given the impression that the healing process is quicker with PKR but as others have already mentioned we have still have had major surgery.  I'm now waiting to hear when I will have my left knee done!!

Best of luck, exercise, rest, Ice and let your body when it is time to do stuff, not others who haven't experienced it.

 

Thanks everyone! I feel a little better reading about your experiences. I forgot to mention that right before surgery they did a nerve block on the leg that was being operated on. After being left alone for at least an hour and not knowing that the block had taken effect I told a nurse that I needed to use the rest room. She told me to get up and use the one across the hall, when I tried to stand up I crumbled to floor because my leg was numb and woke up with a sprained left ankle and a pkr.  The hospital was trying to ignore my ankle, but it was painful. My first post op visit to surgeon he put ankle in brace. I feel guilty about the fall, but am trying to tell myself that they should have been more aware then me. I will keep checking back for advice. I appreciate all your feedback and I'm hoping you all get better sooner and with less pain. BTW, I sent some nice chocolate covered strawberrie to the hostess of the dinner that I didn't attend. I'm hoping that she feels a little guilty and forgives me for my last minute rudeness

I had TKR 3 and a half years ago. It was about a year before I really began to feel the benefits of the op. Obviously this will not be as long with a partial knee replacement.

Sorry if this sounds a long time to you now but it is better to be honest with you.

Take care and keep in touch

Sarah xxx

People are  right in saying everyone is different as far as healing time but after being thru my first one and reading several hundred  posts I think 8 weeks is a safe estimate at feeling 1/2  way healthy/normal. And you will still have great days and awful days tucked in between. Best thing that was told to me is to listen to your body. If you feel worn out the best  thing to do is to sit and elevate your leg or lay down. Trust me, going to someone's dinner would have tossed you in reverse foor a few days. Take care !