Need Help

Julie , unfortunately it is normal I had the same issues at 4 weeks and the stabbing pain is terrible and no sleep makes everything all worse... call your dr for some sleeping medication as once you can get 7 hours of sleep at one time things are a little better, I Am at 8 weeks post op and still have a lot of swelling and some pain.. it does get a little better each week, ICE and elevate and only do the exercises when you can...

Hi Julie. Have you tried putting ice in a bag then a tea towel over your knee first then the ice on top that helps with the pain and swelling you can do that a few times a day each time for about 30 minutes it helped me a lot I also bought a little pedal machine when you sit in a chair you just pedal like a bike I also use to just move my foot up and down and round in a circle if it carries on go and see your GP. Good luck x

What you are going through is pretty normal. At 4 weeks I was stil on prescription pain meds, swollen and sleepless. I thought I was prepared, unfortunately this is a very brutal surgery. I have recently had my one year anniversary. You will start to feel better as time passes. Stay ahead of the pain by taking your meds consistently. Ice and elevate.  Talk to your surgeon about your pain. Everything you read on this forum will encourage you. Stay in touch and read the posts of Chico Marx.

Ellie

Try to relax you are going to be ok. Check with doc and understand you are so early in the process. Swelling is unfortunately a huge problem with getting those exercises done. I know how hard it is. But relax this is a long road and you have just begun. It truly does get much better. Dont worry about sleeping at night just sleep when you can  day or night. This is very very normal. Ice elevate rest and do the exercise the best of your ability. Take pain meds regularly. Its brutal surgery, but you will be ok. It gets much better. I am only 4 and 1/2 months out and still working on everything very much.  Its gotten much so much better hang in there!

For the crying (hint...it's a Jedi Mind Trick)...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-post-operative-depression-604195

For the sleeping...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/trouble-sleeping-post-tkr--539591

For the swelling, remember ice and elevation.  There is also Voltaren Gel (RX in the US) which is a fantastic topical anti-inflammatory.  Talk to your doc about it.  Check for side effects and interactions with other meds.  Stay on your med schedule religiously.

At 3 weeks post-op, ALL of this is totally normal.  The first month is like a descent into the seventh level of Dante's Inferno.  The worst of this should be gone by the 3 month mark after you've done the PT ROM work.  A complete recovery usually takes a full year.  Be prepared...stay strong...

I agree with many comments already posted.  I made my recliner my haven pillow on the sides and a travel pillow behind my neck,covered up with a soft cuddly blanket.  Once I started to sleep better the time I stayed in bed increased.  I always started in bed but left when I got restless or in pain.  Little by little it gets better and after I put in a couple good nights sleep my healing increased along with my attitude.  Hang in there they told me this was a rough surgery and I watched my mom but was surprised at the pain.  If you get offered an Ice machine utilize it.  I just had to flip a switch to have a cooling pad around my knee, kept at 42 degrees.  Smiles this will be a grand year!!

 

Your pain management may need looking at...are you in UK ? Go to GP and get them to sort itn out for you. I also found a TENS machine useful. There are already excellent responses ton question so I won't repeat. Once the pain is better managed you will feel much better. Early days..at 2 weeks though i tried hard I only managed to begin to touch on some of the bending leg exercises....swelling makes it hard to bend. Keep swelling down as much as possible. Are you seeing a PT?

Hi there Julie,

All this is normal! You are more or less at the same stage as I am! It's horrid! Sleepless nights & pain but please do not over exercise that knee! If it is really hurting, ease up on the exercises! Pain is there to tell you when you've done too much! In the early days do NOT push it! Your knee is in charge of this recovery NOT you, listen to it!

You will not put back your recovery by doing slightly less at this stage! The exercise should be fairly gentle now, building up as the structures around your knee that have been sliced & diced rebuild & gain strength! They cannot rebuild if being constantly torn apart again!

Have a look at the video on you tube of TKR, you will have a little more understanding of what has actually been done & why it's best not to push too hard right now! I know you know what has been done but when you actually see it.....

Your body, your knee HAS to recover from that operation 1st before it can really start to work on rehab. Don't leave off the exercises completely but do them carefully, quality not quantity! Rest, rest rest!! Ice & elevate, at this stage you should still be taking it easy, just recover from the op 1st. 

As recovery can take anything up to 18 months or more there is plenty of time!

At the mo I am doing the exercises at the most twice a day, more usually once! That will increase as the swelling goes down. I am at 2.5 weeks.

Having gone through this all last year, I can safely say once you are able to exercise more, the rom will increase! I have found that at least having one good leg really helps! Last year I had my right knee done & my left became so much worse with the strain on it. This year I really do have a good leg to stand on! Lol

Read anything that Chico or Oldfatguy post, they are the wise ones here! 

Give yourself a break, do not try to run before you can walk! Forgive the pun!!

Have you started physiotherapy yet? Mine starts next week! 

This recovery is a marathon not a sprint, don't put yourself back!

Keep in touch

Marilyn 

XX

Hi Julie,

It’s a brutal operation so your experience is normal. I found icing and elevation really helped. A recliner won’t work - you need to lie flat on your back with your legs elevated on 3-4 pillows which knee your legs straight and higher than your heart. I did this whilst having an ice pack strapped to my knee and took my painkillers - a combination of those three things brought relief. I could then do my exercises and repeat the process. 

Take naps during the day - it is exhausting and your body needs to heal. Take painkillers half an hour before a nap to help you sleep.

There is light at the end of the tunnel and it isn’t too far away - just hold on to that thought and remember that when the going gets tough, keep going.

Good luck 

I'm a week ahead of you, Julie.  It's already much better than at 3 weeks.  Last night I slept almost a full 8 hours with one break for the bathroom!  It was heaven.  The nights I would wake up often I would get up and walk around for a few minutes.  It actually helped the pain.  Then I'd have a healthy snack and read or watch TV while icing and elevating til I got drowsy again.  

For those stabbing pains I used a compound cream prescribed by my OS.  It's a combination of diclofenac, gabapentin, and a couple of other things including a mild muscle relaxer.  It did the trick and those are gone at this point.  However, given the nature of this journey, they may be back! 

Hang in there!  We'll get through this.