I need more time!

Everyone heals different to be honest I had a partial knee replacement and I'm 42 and I'm usually pretty strong but even I've had problems and I'm just over 3 weeks post op now still got stiffness swelling oh my lord the swelling nothing can prepare you for that and the surgical pain so I ask you this do you need it? And is this your only option left? If your answer is yes then don't put it off

Sharon's right...don't put this off.  If it's your only option and your quality of life is zero, then it should be done.  However...

There is Synvisc.  After 4 knee scopes (two each side) plus arthritis left me hanging in my 50's, the doc used Synvisc (three shots, days 1, 8 and 15) to keep me going for 5-6 years in New Jersey.  Each round lasted close to a year.  Moved to the warmth of Texas in 2010 and that change in climate left me pain-free for another five before needing the TKR.  No guarantees but Synvisc worked amazingly well for me. I asked the doc about more of it last year before the TKR and he told me that the left knee was so bad that the injections would do very little for me at that point so I bit the bullet and did the op.  At 20 months post-op...zero regrets.

Reality: No one knows going into the op how difficult or long their recovery will be.  There are very, very few people who have quick (less than 3 months) or lengthy (greater than 18 months) recoveries.  For the vast majority of us, this takes a year.  People typically return to work in the 4-6 month range depending on how well they've recovered, age, type of job, and many other factors.  You cannot expect to be "OK" in three months...you just can't.  You may be lucky and end up with a fast recovery buy you cannot count on it.

The problem is that you cannot push a knee to recovery.  Try, and it bites you back...big time.  Pain, swelling, exhaustion, inability to walk, etc.  I once did 8,200+ steps at 5 weeks and paid for it with a "balloon knee" for three days.  The knee heals gradually.  It will take you up to 3 months just to get your ROM back to at least 0 / +120...then you have to rebuild the strength in your dead quads, glutes and core to walk properly, climb stairs, etc.  That takes up to a year post-op.  By 8 months, I was doing 11,000+ steps (5 miles) with no ill effects...but it took time, work, patience and a healthy respect for the new knee.

For a TKR, there can be no expectations, no timetables.  It is the most Zen of all surgeries: "Your knee will be better when it's better."  Anyone promising you that you will be fully recovered and back to work in 3 months is delusional.  I'm not saying it's impossible as we've had a few of those unlikely success stories reported on the Forum, but those are very rare. 

So, to answer your question "Will I make it through three months?", the answer is OF COURSE!  It will painful, difficult and challenging.  Will you be able to go back to work at that point?  The truth is: Not likely. The problem for you (and for all of us at the beginning) is that you never know the real answer and no one can predict how recovered you will be at that point. 

If you want to read about the realities of recovery from my personal perspective and after reading thousands of posts, I've posted a lot of discussions about pain, sleeping, depression and many more on the Forum.  Click on my name or picture and then "See All Discussions".  The one great thing you're doing is educating yourself about the op.  Virtually all of us were told nothing pre-op and we all had the same impossible expectations to deal with afterward.  The truth is that it's a brutal operation with a lot of pain to endure in the first 30 days or so.  Then it takes a lot of PT and work at home to regain your ROM followed by walking and strength exercises to build back all that musculature.  All of this takes time...you just don't know how much at the beginning and no one can predict the length of your recovery.  

It depends on your job, if you stand, walk a Lot I would say 3 months is close. Everyone recovers differently, I am 9 weeks my leg is still swollen, painful and stiff, but I do not regret having the operation. Best wishes

When are you having your surgery Linda? ...

I’m 9 weeks post op and have been working since week 3. I started by doing a few emails at home then went in for a meeting or two then gradually built up the time. I’m still not quite full time because sitting at the computer is actually the hardest thing. You have to remember to get up and walk around often or the leg ceases up. I’ve been really lucky with a flexible employer and still have good and bad days - swelling, stiffness, pain, yes. But doing it gradually has really helped me, as well as knowing when you’ve done too much and easing off. And of course leaving plenty of time for exercises. 

It definitely depends on your job. If I had a desk job I would've been back by now, I'm coming up for 9 weeks on Monday. The job I do, huge warehouse, miles of walking and heavy lifting, I have no chance. Everyone is different though so can't say yes and can't say no