Knee Tightness

Just terrible and typing through tears - wish I had never had it do n e!

You poor girl.  Please believe me it does get better.  My husband bore the brunt of my distress at your stage.  Several times I shouted that I had made a huge mistake, but I know now I didn't.

Message me whenever you need a shoulder.

 Tracy stay positive it's just keep at your exercises it'll come its hard but don't give up I'm just keep trying and keep pushing yourself and just stay positive we all felt that way before but it will get better good luck

Hi Tracey poor you I know exactly how you feel I am 7weeks post op and have cursed myself through my tears for having it done. Had an exray and saw consultant this morning, apparently everything is good and my bends and straighenings are excellent. Been discharged wwhich is good news, says the emotions and depression take at least 6months to shift. Don't like the sound of that but what else can we do. Have to live each day as it comes  and hope tomorrow will be better. I do feel for you ,take care tucks x

Hi Tucks, glad to hear you had a good report from the consultant. It was similar to the one I had at 7 weeks. I was told I was making exceptional progress but probably wouldn't like the doctors for at least 6 months! It's reassuring to know all is well but depressing to think how long it's likely to be for any real recovery isn't it? Have to keep positive, as you say. Still thinking of you too, Tracey, and hope things will improve a bit soon. Jen x

hiya hun, well done you. i have had a few good days, but saw another physio last night & i think she expects to much. it is still only 4 weeks. i tried walking up the stairs 1 foot in front of the other, wow, when i put my bad knee down, it exploded with pain, it has been sooooo tight, hard & on fire today. i feel like i am back to square 1 again. i could cry, so much for a couple of good days. its a bloody nightmare. got my 1st consultation on 16th, i know i have made progress, but i think, the more you improve, the more they expect. then as i say, back to square 1. my family have no sympathy, its really hard. the aim now is to have me driving in 2 weeks, or so the physio said, but i am definately not going to drive until it feels safe. after all, you have to have quick reflexes, to be safe for other road users aswell. take care lovely. hugs, julie x x x

Can I offer some advice that my physio gave me about driving again?

Like you, I was nervous to start driving and certainly was nowhere near at 6 weeks.  My physio suggested that each day I just sat in my car, adjusted the seat and practiced using the clutch.

After a couple of weeks I began to think that if I didn't drive again soon, I'd loose my confidence completely.  So, to begin with, my husband came with me on short drives until I felt able to drive on my own.  It's a good idea to have someone with you to take over, if necessary.

I did that, Lynn. After sitting a few times I tried reversing up the drive. Next day, just drove around the block. It was nowhere near as bad as I'd feared. I don't drive long distances but have been driving now since about 7 weeks post op. It's good to have that bit of independence back. Good luck, No1nanny. Jen x

hiya lynn, really good idea, but i have got no1 to come with me. sad or what xx

Then just practice sitting in the car for a few times and then have a short drive when you're more comfortable.

It isn't as difficult as you'd imagine.  A bit like doing the dreaded stairs in the hospital before they'll discharge you!

Dear Nanny, are you still only at 4 weeks? That is much too soon to go upstairs one foot in front of the other! I'm at 10 weeks and still can't do it unless they are very shallow steps. The stairs in our home are supposed to be the standard height, but I can not go up them the normal way yet. Still both feet at a time.

I understand your fear of driving and again, it is still a bit soon for you. Like the others have said, sit in your car to familiarize yourself & when you are ready, drive around your block for practice until you feel ready to venture a little further out.

Hang in there sweet lady - you seem to be coming along better than you might think!

Hi Lynn

So difficult to hang on to the fact that it will get better but I know it will.

My Dr prescribed diazepam for so tried that last night and had the longest sleep having the open! Couldn't believe the clock said 6.30 instead of 2.30! :-)

Better still when I started to move the crushing feeling has lessened by enough to be able to cope again - could have thrown myself off my balcony yesterday!

So glad that stage is over - thank you for the support.

Thanks Cindy, I will - it's a rollercoaster of a journey to getting better!

Yesterday was down but today is has been a better day :-)

How wonderful.  With a good night's sleep we can cope so much better.

Hang in there Tracey.

Hi Tucks

That is fantastic news! Well done you.

You are right about each day - nothing else we can do.

As you will see from other posts today has been better I seriously didn't think that crushing feeling would go but it has lessened today thank goodness.

I would say to all of you that if sleeping is still an issue that diazepam (two x 2mg ) helped me last night - worth a try. Have two lined up ready for tonight!

Hi Julie lovely to hear from you. Sounds. As if you are really having some very bad days. I do sympathise. I think you are so right about the physios some of them expect too much. I do my excersies 3times a day but if I particularly feel bad I leave them off for a day or two until my body feels ready, I told the. Consultant this yesterday and he said that was perfectly ok and on the days off try to get some sleep.this constant heat and pain really gets you down but I promise you it will start to ease off over the next few weeks. I am 8 weeks today, driving again, no problems there and walking round the supermarket unaided. If someone had told me I would be doing this 4weeks ago I would have laughed. You are going to find soon that the heat and pain will lesson however gradually. Saturday night I went to a party at my sons, stayed up till 1 30 and did a bit of karaoke .hows that for progress Julie 

.you are in my thoughts and ike me you must feel very alone with it sometimes. I am willing you to start improving and get back to some sort of normality.lots of love from tucks xx

Morning!

So pleased things are looking up for you.

Great that you had an evening out on Saturday.  We are planning a trip to the USA to visit our daughter at the end of November.  Sometimes feeling a little nervous at the thought, but honestly believe you have to push yourself to get back some normality into your life.

Getting away from the 'scene of the crime' will, hopefully put me in a better frame of mind!

 

hiya huni, your right, i can not see 4 weeks ahead & if my pain, stiffness & swelling, i leave it for a day.  good for you driving again, i can not wait. i never rea lly go anywhere, but because i know i can not, i feel like a prisoner. the thing is, i am doing everything i am told & they are all pleased with me, but they expect me to do things i have not been able to do for years, with my spinal stenosis & fibromyalgia. i have lost 6 inches of my height in the past few years & all this exercise & limping about, is just breaking my back with pain. i know i will keep progressing with my knee, but was wrote of years ago with my back. when i was 44 they wanted me to be a guinea pig as i had the spine of an 86 year old woman, they wanted to see why my spine & back had aged so rapidly. i had been through all sorts & just said, NO THANKS. so doubly hard for me. never mind, its done now & onwards & upwards. lovely to hear from you sweetie. keep smiling & keep up all of your good work, lots of hugs, julie xx

Lynn... One thing to watch out for. When you deplane in Denver you may notice a little more stiffness. The altitude gets me every time I go through there . not to worry, just part of the phenomenon of strange piece of .ayerial in your bodyguards

Hi lyn .how lovely to have that trip to look forward to. And you have another 7/8weeks to further your recovery. It's these goals that are helping us through this. My goal has been my granddaughter Rachael's wedding on its Nov. I love her so much and I have promised myself I will dance at her wedding, if I can find a partner that is. This morning I went to Docs, drove there and walked in without stick. Nurse thought she was seeing things. Then I walked 100yards up the road and bought myself a packet of chips. I feel mega today Lynn people have said to me 8weeks is the turning point and it looks like its true. Have a lovely visit with your daughter, I'm sure you will be fine on the flight. Love and best wishes from tucks. Isn't it lovely to have people to share your experiences with? Xx take care

Oh Tracey how wise of you to have some thing to help you sleep. I have bee taking just a half a tablet of zoldeplene for the past couple of weeks. They are a mild sleeping tablet can't get diazepam because of heart, but you know what I have been getting some precious sleep which is so important. They are not going to do us any great harm are they  a friend of mine has been on them for ten years and she's fine. The nights are not to be dreaded now are they take care love from tucks x

Well, if you've promised to dance at your Granddaughter's wedding then you will.  I definitely do more for family members than I'd do for myself!

This forum is fantastic for swapping notes. Great to see you progressing so well after being so low not that many weeks ago. Congratulations!

I agree with Lynn - great to hear of your improvement. Well done! Jen x

Have no idea what that last sentence meant. Damned spell check. What I meant was: a strange piece of foreign material I'm your body. I have to go to CA to a kids wedding and dread going through Denver because of the altitude and the layout of the terminal, distance wise. This time will be even more difficult as my wife's Parkinson's has reduced her to a walker(if she will be even be able to travel by then, which is doubtful)

We travel through Denver regularly and I am usually nauseous for the couple of days we spend there.

Because both my knees were so bad when we came over in April, I had arranged mobility assistance off the aircraft as Denver Int. is huge.  That worked so well.  The guy stayed with me through immigration, to collect our bags and then came with us to catch the bus to collect the hire car.  Suggest you try this with your wife.  The service is excellent.

Yep, your previous message was odd - thought you'd been on the wacky baccy!

been there too , trust me though tracey it will get better , ive stamped my feet so many times about the pain . it is such a big op to get over so keep up with the exercises and all will end well