knee felt like a concrete block .

Hi Chris I had my knee op at Nottingham City Hospital Nuh and can honestly say the care pre op work up and post op support had been second to none . We were offered knee school pre op and was encouraged to set some goals mine was to walk down the long back lane as I can hear the Donkeys if the wi d is in the right direction but have not been able to walk down to them as bad knees would not get me there . Well that is just under a mile there I walked there and back neede meds when hit back Monday I walked to the local pub as they had got music on so walked very slowly there and got a lift back Tuesday paid for it but sooooo glad I made the lane able to tick off first goal works for me jets us know what goals you set second for me is to be walking with out crutch short distance by end of week six . Be interesting to hear everyone's goals

Melanie, that is SO good, and SO interesting!  The only goal I've got is to be able to get up and down from a chair without leaning on the arms, but I've not thought about distances at all.  I suppose without the other leg done, I'm limited anyway, but you have certainly make me think about goals for when that's done!  Our son and famiy live about a 25 minute walk from us, so I suppose that would be a good one to start with!  Then I could have a rest there and walk back.  But I think it's going to take the other knee being done to manage that.  It's so good to hear something good about Nottingham Hospitals because I think it was Queens that I heard not very good reports from recently.  It's great that you are inspiring us!  We all need this:-))))  And to be honest, I think I need a bit of a kick to get me doing more, despite the other knee!  But I did manage half a minute on the elliptical today, which tomorrow will be a whole minute and I'll go up half a minute daily.  The crunches coming from the bad knee are horrible, but it will be worth it.  That's as well as the 7 minutes at level 7 on the recumbent and 7 minutes faster walking on the treadmill.  I'm improving these every day, so getting there!  Am now wondering if I could manage that 25 minute walk, and then one of them could drop me back again:-))))  See - you've inspired me - thank you!

Marilyn, I keep reading your post not to over do it. I am 15 weeks. Whenever I do a bit extra my knee still feels like a slab if concrete! I ice it & do rest I can't seem to find the happy medium. Of course, as we all know only too well when the knee is numb the nights are sleepless. I guess there's no easy way . Feeling dissolutioned :-(

Morning Eileen

The nights are the worst for me . However what helps me is a orthodox knee pillow . I also have a hot water bottle on my lower back to help me relax . I usually get about 4 solid hours . Try some scar massage it's working wonders for me and helps with the tight knee. You sound like you are doing the right thing . Google knee excersise and see if there is a change of excersise might be good to mix it up a bit . You sound so fed up . Don't be too hard on yourself we are all in it together . Sending virtual hug .

Thank you Melanie , I am normally a very happy & contented person. My surgery was 21 st January , it just feels a life time ago. i also think folk think 3 months I should be over it. They have no idea.

Yes I will google for more exercises,thanks for tip, I feel with knee so stiff & 'solid' exercise will only agrevate it but I guess I do have to keep it moving. A friend loaned me an electric peddle machine you can adjust the speed . I'm a bit wary & will ask the physio next week when I go. Thanks for listening. At times I do feel like a " miserable old git" but have to snap out of it. My grandson is getting married 29 July in Huddersfield which is a 5 hour drive ,I won't be driving though. Hugs to you too

Yes this is a hard op to recover from isn't it!

Finding that happy medium can be near on impossible! There's no easy fix with TKR. You just have to keep on doing what you should. I must admit I knocked the icing on the head pretty quickly as I didn't feel it was doing anything! That's me, I can't say to you what you should do as your recovery isn't mine! Only suggest what worked for me.

You can only do your very best & keep going.

Please don't be disillusioned, this isn't an easy road & we all travel it in our own way, in our own time.

Sleepless nights are hard, you can do anything when you are rested, but it's like trying to climb Everest in flip flops when you're tired & hurting! Try to rest whenever you can, not always easy when friends & relatives are saying you should be ok now!! They haven't got a clue have they!!

All I can say is you will get there but when 'there' feels so far away you have to celebrate all the small achievements you have already made! Believe me you've made a lot!

In the meantime, rest, give yourself a treat (we talked a lot about cake & chocolate)!

There's no quick fix with the extension & bend, you have to do the exercises, but you can do them a little at a time, quality over quantity. Worth trying??

It's easier to feel good when things start happening for you. When are back to see the surgeon?

My knee is still numb on the outer side, top of calf, It feels odd if I brush up against something, as I don't feel anything there but the knee itself registers contact. The top is really numb, no feeling at all, below that it feels like your mouth does when you've had a filling & the sensation is just coming back! Weird feelings in the knee sometimes too! I babied mine when I 1st came out of hospital, when I straightened the leg & it went straight back I thought it was going to hyper extend, but it didn't! It was so long since the leg actually straightened it felt odd!

Just try to remember what you have achieved since TKR, you'll be surprised at what you have done! Celebrate it, heavens no one else will (apart from us)! Slice of cake anyone?

All the best

Marilyn

XX

Thank you so much marilyn for taking time to address all my issues. I take on board all you say. I am seeing my surgeon Monday May 8th for a check up. I actually drove to a local town today @ 20 miles, as I had ordered a dress for my grandson's wedding in July. I usually rest most of the days but thoughts, blow it, I'm awake most nights anyway with pain & discomfort, so it won't make much difference. The good news is , I loved the dress & felt a sense of achievement. I will take meds tonight to help relax & hopefully get some sleep. Yes it's a long haul recovery & as you say, looking back we've coma a very long way. Thanks for your thoughts, help , nobody really knows do they, take care . Eileen X

Ellen, you inspired me today!  I went out shopping, then after lunch did bike and treadmill and a tiny bit on elliptical, and then went out for a glorious walk down a farm track where we used to take our dogs.  Lambs were being vaccinated and so sweet to watch.  It was only a half hour walk, but a good start after doing everything else today.  We'll go a bit further every time now:-)))  Thank you for the inspiration:-)))

That is fantastic . Wow all that in one day you go don't forget to ice and meds when you stop .

Melanie, I've not taken pain meds since the first day of the op, other than Ibuprofen for inflammation for a week LOL!  I've just not needed it!   Haven't thought about ice since week five, either! It hadn't even gone through my mind to get the ice out LOL!  Maybe later tonight I might wish I had though LOL!  It was the non-operated knee giving me grief on the walk, so VERY pleased with the new knee!:-)))