Managing Time on Your Feet

Take it easy. Listen to your body.

Good luck

Hi Jane and congratulations and making great progress through your first 9 weeks of recovery. Everyone moves at a different pace so I think you have crossed the big hurdle of recognizing your own limitations and listening to your body. As far as shopping stamina goes, I went through the same disappointment only to find that you are probably right on schedule and maybe even a little ahead of the game. Do short outings to begin with, with frequent rest stops between your errands. Don't push your knee too hard at this point. Same thing with your job. I went back at about 14 weeks. I work as a nurse and started with 6 hour shifts and now at 20 weeks I am up to my full 12 hour shifts. I do not usually work 2 days in a row, though, so the following day I take it easy by relaxing with my feet up, sometimes still icing. It's truly an individual journey as far as the time line goes. Many people will remind you to listen to your body and stop when you feel you had overdone it. I will also remind you, and others, that remaining too sedentary is also detrimental for TKR replacement as it continues to weaken the already weak muscles and causes stiffness and pain. Find your balance and don't let anyone push you too fast or limit you by telling you that you are going too quickly. Only you can gauge that. Best wishes for continued success with your recovery!

About 14 weeks for me.

Good healing

Hi Jane. I was at 4 months and was offered 12 hours high paying work on my feet all day. I knew I couldn't manage it. Now, at 10 months, an 8 hour full day of work is manageable. I need a day off between though. I am 64, had both knees replaced in Mar 2016 and find, if I exercise 3 days a week for 40 minutes, I can achieve most of what I want and need to undertake. Best of luck.

Back to work at nine weeks?  Really?

Read...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499

This takes a year...period.  I'm 10+ months and I'm still not done.  Most people tell the same story.  Very, very, very, very few kick this in 4-6 weeks.  Most of us don't go back to work for 6 months.  Some pain, stiffness and clunking sounds can last 12-18 months.

I don't know who set you up with such an expectation but you need to rid yourself of it.  Everyone heals in their own time; do not compare your recovery to anyone else's.  That said, almost all of us fall into the 6-9 month range before we feel substantially better.

Swelling, soreness, aching...ALWAYS indicate that you pushed the knee too far that day.  A FitBit or pedometer can be helpful in finding the number of steps that bring on the pain and swelling.  Back off to find that point...stabilize there...then advance slowly.  Constant pain every day is NOT recommended and will push your recovery out longer.  Be prepared for advances, setbacks and plateaus.  After PT gets you your 0 / +120 ROM back, a lot of gym work to rebuild your quads, glutes and core will be necessary.  Your knee swells or aches because there are no muscles to take the strain off the knee.  Gotta rebuild.

A Zen Master will tell you: "You'll be better when you're better."  Any "timetable" is just in your head...get rid of it.  Going back to work too early would certainly not be recommended by anyone who has been through it.  Minimum is usually in the 3-4 month range with most of us closer to six.  You go back to work when your ROM is back to normal and you have rebuilt your muscles.  Your pain indicates that you went back waaaaay too soon.

Hi Jane

I live on my own and there's no way I can stay off my leg for any period of time. I ice and elevate as much as I can but even at 4 months post op I have swelling. I was perturbed about it but after reading a lot of helpful posts I'm just going with the flow and looking forward to a year post op. Good luck for a speedy recovery.