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knee replacement symptoms, depressed

Posted , 9 users are following.

Fjohn
Fjohn

73 year old male. knee replacement 6 months ago, symptoms of shakes, weakness and fatigue. loss of balance and vision foggy.

History of anxiety

Former mental  health practitioner

 

1 like, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • chrishappy
    chrishappy Fjohn

    Posted

    Hi, I too am 6 mths post tkr. It's been a long slog to recovery. I felt very low for some time and still am not 100%. Physically I'm still recovering, I have fluid on the back of my knee which can take a long time to go down,and if I walk too much or overstretch myself I get very fatigued and feel weak.its major surgery and I think that I have tried too hard to get back to normal quickly(as I have other medical conditions) I'm now learning to pace myself and exercise little and often,keep hydrated and find things to stimulate my mind when I'm resting.I'm reasured by others on this site that I will get better with time. Stay on this great site for support, I'm sure you will find it helpful. Good luck on your journey

    • jemma33320
      jemma33320 chrishappy

      Posted

      Fluid in back of the knee sounds like a Baker's Cyst which is pretty common after a TKR. I had an ultrasound done two weeks after my TKR to check for Baker's Cyst and DVT (blood clots). If those don't go away, sometimes they're drained by a doctor or steroids given to reduce the swelling.
    • chrishappy
      chrishappy jemma33320

      Posted

      Thank you, I was beginning to wonder if its a bakers cyst. If it doesn't go down soon I will mention it to my GP. As I feel it MA be hampering my bend. Do they subside on their own ?
  • cheryl90571
    cheryl90571 Fjohn

    Posted

    Hi!

    How is your blood sugar level? My husband is diabetic and gets those symptoms if his blood sugar is too high or too low.

    Also, it MIGHT be an issue with medication.

    I'd recommend a trip to your doctor for blood and urine testing. Can't hurt, and it MAY give you some answers.

  • deb88473
    deb88473 Fjohn

    Posted

    Hi,

    i had a knee replacement about 18 months ago and suffered all of the symptoms you have described on a regular basis for about 9 months. It was a difficult and at times scarey period of my life. I think I had prepared well for the surgery but hadn't really thought too much about the recovery and how this operation absolutely floors you on all levels. I felt so low at one time I started a course of antidepressants which actually seemed to make the situation worse, I stopped taking them with the support of my GP and started to feel better. It felt like I'd taken a bit of control back and although the physical signs persisted my mood lifted. In total I think it's fair to say it was about 12 months before the physical symptoms really settled and I never really got to the bottom of why I suffered them. Things can seem very dark when you feel you're battling on several fronts and going nowhere but take heart, I got there and I'm sure you will. It's such a long process, progress seems to be be measured in months not days and weeks, I wish you well

    deb

    • liz00723
      liz00723 deb88473

      Posted

      Hi Deb

      Good post.  I am 3 months post-TKR and this has been 100 times harder than I anticipated and were it not for people on this forum I think I would have gone round the twist.  

      I know we are in a minority thank goodness and I so wish I had been one of the lucky ones but I wasn't.  

      I got got ill a week ago and think it is a flu type virus, but that has set me back a lot.  Weepy again and you wonder when it will ever get better but you only need someone like yourself to put a few comments on and I can feel a lot better.

      thank you Deb and everyone else on here for your positive remarks.  

      I am am getting better with bend etc. but still get pain at night and sleeping has got really bad again since this bug.  I know Its going to take at least 6 months and probably a lot longer but I will get there.

      THANK YOU EVERYONE

      Liz xx

    • deb88473
      deb88473 liz00723

      Posted

      Hi Liz,

      You absolutely will get there, the virus won't have helped, our resilience isn't the same when we're recovering from such huge surgery and things that you would normally cope well with seem overwhelming. I'm facing another Knee Replacement this year and although the thought doesn't thrill me I'm hopeful that I'll cope better this time. Keep going Liz, all will be well

      Deb

  • sarah87162
    sarah87162 Fjohn

    Posted

    TKR is a big operation. It takes about a year before you really begin to feel the benefits.

    Try not to think about it too much.

    Take care and keep in touch

    Sarah

  • kathryn42410
    kathryn42410 Fjohn

    Posted

    Today is my first day back on this site in over 6 months. I had my tkr in Feb. Had a tough time with various complications, followed by a failed MUA. I still only have limited movement with -30 on extension and a bend of 70. I was told last week my only option is to have a complete revision and all my ligaments stripping out. I will need all sorts of scaffolding put through my leg and there's a high chance I will need my leg amputating later in life as limited options after this. My next surgery isn't likely to be until May. I am 37.

    My reason for giving my back story is that I want to explain that I am one of 'those' people who everything went wrong for. I know a tkr is tough for anyone but some people are incredibly lucky and seem to come out the other side relatively unscathed. I have struggled feeling depressed and questioning what the point of everything was. I've had many a 'why me' moment. Although I've still got an even tougher road ahead with my next round of surgery but I am finally in a better place. I've found a way to get myself back to work (admittedly with help getting there some days as driving for long periods is difficult). I love my job though which is a huge plus. Reclaiming some independence, albeit only a tiny bit, made me feel like a new woman. I still have to use crutches sometimes and still take regular medication but I've stopped beating myself up over it all. I do what I do to get through a day and most of the time I'm genuinely happy.

    I feel guilty for saying it on here but a big step for me was taking a break off here. Reading all the positive stories of how much movement and progression others had made really started to get me down. That sounds terrible I know as people mean well but sometimes it's unbearable to hear their positives when you feel like you're drowning in negatives. However, once I accepted that my journey was just more problematic and literally most of the advice others could offer was just not relevant to my situation, my mind set vastly improved. Everyone is different and once we lose the expectations set by comparing ourselves to others then it's a relief.

    Get yourself to see your Doctor and explain. I've had problems with anaemia (common with tkr) and also dehydration (again common when taking medication as more fluids are needed). I had symptoms of fatigue, loss of balance etc with both. I have always had low blood pressure too which doesn't help with balance when feeling off. I also had shakes when trying to reduce my medication...embarrassing to admit that I was facing withdrawals. All issues were easily dealt with but I needed a Doctors help for that. I am now fighting fit....obviously still with a dodgy leg.

    If you've suffered with anxiety in the past I can only imagine that resurfacing. You expect after 6 months to have all this behind you. We all set ourselves targets without even realising. The panic sets in that you'll never be 'normal' again. It's took me almost a year to adjust to what my new 'normal' is and to be at ease with that. It's impossible to put it out of your mind or fool yourself into being right. You need to deal with it head on otherwise it will keep resurfacing. Go and speak to your Doctor. There is no shame in it x

    • jemma33320
      jemma33320 kathryn42410

      Posted

      "I feel guilty for saying it on here but a big step for me was taking a break off here. Reading all the positive stories of how much movement and progression others had made really started to get me down."

      I think you're absolutely right. Sometime sites like this can be both inspirational to some and detrimental to others. We have to learn to dissect information gathered up through the experiences of others and apply it rationally and selectively to our personal situation. There are actually more successful TKR's than there are unsuccessful, but when we look for answers here it's because we're in the minority of those unsuccessful ones and seek the solice of others that were in the same situation.

      If we're made to feel unusual or exceptional in our bad situation then it can become a very negative force that will delay our progress. If we feel others have been in the same bad situation as we are but they have found a way to work through it and we try the same things but haven't had their good results, then we get depressed and anxious. That's not a good situation to be in.

      Just take one day at a time and follow your doctors instructions and advice. There's really nothing else you can do besides just help yourself do the best you can. Don't expect miracles but don't give up hope either. Even the longest journey begins with little steps.

    • kathryn42410
      kathryn42410 jemma33320

      Posted

      Thanks Jemma. It's been a difficult time for me but I'm thankful I'm in a good place now. Even though my journey is far from over, I've finally accepted that. My quality of life is so much better than prior to my first surgery (my knee had all but disappeared following a fall as a student) so I'm able to cope with the wait for the next surgery with relative ease. I did feel guilty for feeling depressed as I felt like I had no right too with everything else going on in the world, it took me 6 months, with help, to realise that I had every right.

      I returned to this site as I felt that I was back in a place where I could offer advice to others. So many helped me in the early days on here, it was just when they all improved and I didn't, that I hit a low. Although I'm nowhere near being out of the other side, I can attest to, when everything goes wrong, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel.

    • hertz
      hertz kathryn42410

      Posted

      Hey Kathryn, glad to hear you are feeling better! I had and still having the same feeling. I always question why my knee problem wasn't properly diagnosed by doctors when I was a teenager then I wouldn't be in this mess and I'm only in my 30th now.
    • kathryn42410
      kathryn42410 hertz

      Posted

      Same here. I fell at 18 (drunken student), my knee took a knock but I ignored the pain and swelling. It was fine for years but then started paining me at 24. Numerous tests and then a simple X-ray showed osteoarthritis (apparently it had a crack in that hadn't healed). I was told I needed a knee replacement then but I was too young. It kept getting worse but I was told to cope with it. The pain was becoming unbearable. I took myself to a physio for help, he was shocked by the condition so asked a surgeon to come and look. Thankfully he was a man who specialises in younger limbs, he examined me and said I was way past needing a replacement and my knee was one of, if not the, worst he'd ever seen. My ligaments are damaged beyond repair now. The wait clearly played a part in my current state. It's so annoying that if I'd been 30 years older, they'd of replaced it for me. Regardless of my age you would think the fact that I could barely walk would've held some weight.

      Ah well. I passed the anger stage long ago.

      I hope you're ok.

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