In pain and discouraged

Marilyn...you are still at the beginning. I put my heel on a piece of cardboard...some use a plastic bag...for my heel slides at home. I did as much as I possibly could 3 x a day. Heel slides along with leg lifts...squats while holding on to the kitchen sink counter...ankle pumps and a few others.

My physical therapist did not believe in causing horrible pain...he pushed me but then allowed me to progress at my own pace. we are all different, so I don't believe there is a one size fits all in recovery. Work on your home exercises as best you can...ice and elevate.

Its a long process so please don't get discouraged. Next visit you may do better!!

it does get better,have you tried the heelslide with a plastic carrier bag under your heel,use your dressing gown cord to put round the food and pull your knee up gently I Found this helpful

I HAD MY SURGERY ON MAY 9 OF THIS YEAR. IT TOOK UP TO 8 WEEKS BEFORE THE PAIN FINALLY WAS MANAGEABLE. DO WHAT YOU CAN AND TAKE YOUR MEDS AS NEEDED AND ICE AS MUCH AS YOU NEED. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. HANG IN THERE. IT DOES FINALLY GET BETTER

Hi Marylyn, Sorry to hear you are having a bad time, you should not be in pain, both my PT and doc told me only to do as much as i could and not to push myself over level 4 pain level in the early weeks. Also i was advised to take pain meds regularly and before excercise. I feel for you, as i too was reduced to tears but it does get better, We are all different dont put your hurdle too high. Hope it gets better soon, easy does it.

are you taking enough pain killers and the right ones to suit you? You should have your pain controlled. There are so many pain controls available. The pain will drop considerably after 6 weeks in my experience. use lots of ice and really rest your leg in between exercises, raising it above your heart. Best to do this in bed with lots of pillows making a slope so all parts of your leg are supported. ice every two hours which is a pain but worth it. it is a very painful time but will get better x

PLEASE , don'T be downhearted to learn there could be a long way to go. four and a half weeks is just the tip of the iceberg. but it does and will get better.

when you are able, get on the rowing machine. i wish i had done sooner than i did.

in the meantime exercise bike will suffice.

You can do it,good luck

Mike

This is still very early days.

One of the exercises I did was to sit on the bed with a tea tray at my feet.

Have a sock and put it under your foot.

Then slide your leg up towards you.

Make a mark on the tray to see how far you get and try to get a bit further every time.

Don't give up.

Take care and keep me updated.

Sarah xx

A TKR recovery is NOT a linear path...you don't get better every day. If you expected that, drop it. In fact, drop ALL expectations...they only screw with your head. There are advances, setbacks and plateaus (the worst...I got stuck at -4 for weeks before breaking through...). All completely normal.

Post this on your fridge...

Reality

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

You must try ayurvedic treatment

you must try home remedies and ayurvedic treatments.