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Oh, I'm so upset !!!

Posted , 11 users are following.

susan89127
susan89127

I've just been to my weekly slimming class, and although I did well and lost 4 1/2 lb, yay!!, I saw a lady who has just returned to class after having a full knee replacement two months ago, I'm at 6 months partial knee replacement. She is using one crutch, no pain in knee and her scar is amazing, just a thin line. I'm still in pain, using a walking stick and still having problems with kneecap crunching and standing from sitting and stairs. She had same surgeon as me also. I feel like a right wuss!

2 likes, 19 replies

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  • cheryl90571
    cheryl90571 susan89127

    Posted

    Don't worry! I have discovered that recovery is as unique as each of US are!

    No two knees are the same. Perhaps your surgeon had areas that he needed to repair in addition to installing your new knee replacement.

    Also, each person reacts differently to pain, and swelling can be present which causes more difficulty in bending/ straightening.

    Compare yourself to YOU and only YOU. If you sit down and write down your successes and your progress, you will discover your own UNIQUE pathway to YOUR OWN recovery. You will see how far you have come and see that you are making progress in your own UNIQUE way.

    Also, I have realized that other factors play parts, too. The weather often determines how successful my progress is on a given day. Rain makes EVERYTHING more painful for me. When I overdo it and don't rest or ice or elevate when I NEED to, I know I will pay the price with pain and less progress.

    Be confident that you are progressing at the pace UNIQUE to YOU. Trust yourself to know your own body. After all, YOU are the one who knows your body BEST!

    I look forward to hearing about all your progress!

    Take care of YOU!

    • susan89127
      susan89127 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Thanks Cheryl, I know you are right but I think I foolishly thought I would be back to " normal " by now. Everyone said give it six weeks and you will be fully recovered, especially with having a partial, which I now know is totally unrealistic. I do have a habit of comparing my progress with others. I'm 59 and you should see some of the older ladies in my physio class go !! Basically I just needed to vent. Thanks x.

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 susan89127

      Posted

      I know what you mean! VENTING should be my middle name! It really DOES help to get it all out there! I read several books about female brains vs. male brains, and they all said that women TALK TO UNDERSTAND THINGS. Males MOVE TO UNDERSTAND THINGS.

      That is why discussion groups are PERFECT for women and playing basketball, hockey, etc. helps men to process THEIR thoughts. This information helped me survive living in a family of boys and men. Without my girlfriends and now my daughter-in-law I NEVER would have made it!

      Keep trusting yourself and keep taking care of YOU!

    • irish_linda
      irish_linda susan89127

      Posted

      oh susan i so understand comparing others to yourself its hard not too there is a guy who had a tkr and in 5wks was back driving and back at work in less than 8wks (he is a dentist ) i couldnt believe it he is a heavy guy oldler than me and i was struggling to go to the shops but im getting there at my pace  but then on the other side i have a friend who has struggled much more than me and she would give anything to be me so we all need to vent sometimes .im 57
  • ElaineA
    ElaineA susan89127

    Posted

    If her scar is thin, she may not be doing her exercises properly. My consultant said he could see I had been doing my exercises by the shape and stretch of the scar. So if hers is a thin line I am dubious about her exercising. Have you discussed with your doctor and/or surgeon your pain worries. They should put you at ease. Does she have no pain because she is taking high meds still? Please don't worry, but do see someone if you are concerned.
  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 susan89127

    Posted

    Just remember, there are those way behind you at the same time and are jealous of your progress. As everyone's a acknowledges after getting into this, our recoveries are as different as our fingerprints.
    • susan89127
      susan89127 Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      Thanks everyone for your replies. I have an appointment with surgeon at the end of August. Hopefully he will put my mind at rest. I love this forum as I know I can have a moan and no one thinks bad of me. You are all brilliant x.
  • kathryn42410
    kathryn42410 susan89127

    Posted

    Susan I constantly feel like that. I don't even come on here as much as I'm so much worse than everyone else. I know mine is complicated and I have issues that others don't but it's impossible not to compare. Everyone is so nice to me but it doesn't stop me from feeling sorry for myself.

    My scar would've been a thin line if my wound hadn't split. She probably had hers glued rather than stitches. It does leave less of a mark. She's obviously been incredibly lucky with no complications. God dam her!! 😩 All you can do is to keep going and try not to worry about anyone else. We are all on our own journey. I just need to take my own advice too.

    Go you on the weight loss though. Well done x

    • susan89127
      susan89127 kathryn42410

      Posted

      Yes my wound kept splitting also and she did have glue and dissolving stitches inside, but so did I. Oh well, hopefully will get there in the end.
  • caroline46398
    caroline46398 susan89127

    Posted

    Know the feeling. Am nearly seven months post op age 56 and struggled for ages. My mum 83 had hers a month after me and hasn't really had any bother with it apart from some tenderness the first two weeks. Whilst I'm delighted for her I can't help feeling like you. Most on this site are like us that's why we looked for the site! Everyone is unique. Great news re the weight loss perhaps you can beat her on that!
  • hazel14959
    hazel14959 susan89127

    Posted

    Susan, I had the same surgeon for both my knees, 8 years apart and each was different....first one could straighten took 6 hard months to bend right, this one bend was easy but still struggling on the straightening....   I am just 5 months...but no pain, no stick. my friend who is 9 months still has pain, uses a walking stick and still has problems bending and has had  manipulation but its no better.
  • diana70696
    diana70696 susan89127

    Posted

    Boy are you guys all right about being different!   

    I am 16 wks TKR R and 20 wks TKR L.  I am not doing too good on the bend --the right one is only 90-95ish and the left one is only 80ish  I have been struggling to achieve a better bend on them.  I am still very stiff on both of them all the time and still need to walk with a cane when I go out and cannot walk for a long time I get very tired.

    Most of the stories I have been reading everyone is doing very good on the bend.  The only advantage for me in doing these knee replacements is that I am not in pain anymore when I bend them!

    I am getting frustrated that I will never have a bend like I want and that I will walk like this for the rest of my life!

    My family has been very helpful but now they have given up on me as they see I can walk .

    My goal was to ride a bike!   I am still trying my best to get that pedal to do the full circle!  

    Susan to you I say Yeah!  Continue doing what you are doing.  Your knees will come around and continue on losing that weight!

    If only I can hear my own advice to others...

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 diana70696

      Posted

      With TWO surgeries just FOUR WEEKS apart I think that you are doing VERY WELL!

      Just THINK of all the trauma your body has gone through in just TWENTY WEEKS!

      I will be having my second knee done in October, so I will kind of be where YOU ARE not so long from now. I SO look forward to having NO PAIN in my knees! I envy you with this and sure hope I can achieve the same!

      I had physical therapy at the beginning of my knee journey. That was FOUR YEARS AGO. I was unable to ride the bike in the normal way. I was unable to move the pedals 'round and 'round. It was just yesterday that I managed to move the bike pedals in their normal way. It was a HUGE milestone FOUR YEARS IN THE MAKING!

      Whatever you do, NEVER sell yourself short. NEVER compare yourself to anyone else when you are measuring your success. YOU are YOU. Nobody else is experiencing EXACTLY what YOU are!

      I learned a very good exercise this week to help bending. Here it is:

      Get a chair that has arms. Sit in it with both feet flat on the ground. Get up a bit from the chair and move the leg you'd like to focus on back about an inch. Leave the other one where it was. Now, GENTLY AND SLOWLY sit down. You will feel a pull in the knee you are focusing on. Hold this for 20 seconds.

      If THAT felt OK, try moving the foot BACK another inch upon rising and sit back down gently as you did before.

      I made it a game between LEFT KNEE (my current surgical knee) and RIGHT KNEE (my surgical knee-to-be!)

      It worked quite well, and I experienced good success. It is also an exercise you can do anywhere you findca chair with arms.

      The arms are important to keep you safe and give you support.

      I look forward to hearing all kinds of great things from you as you travel your own path to success!

    • diana70696
      diana70696 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Thank you Cheryl for your words of encouragement.  It is now one am by me and of course, I cant sleep.  But that is a whole other issue.   After reading what you wrote, you are exactly right.  And I do feel better now.   I am going to try that exercise tomorrow morning.

      I do wish you a speedy pain-free recovery on your first knee and on your upcoming knee.  Lots of luck and keep us all posted as so will I.

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 diana70696

      Posted

      I'm up putting on Icy Hot on my sacrum area, lower back, and hip area! It is 2:40 am here!

      Funny how nighttime is SO DIFFICULT!

      My husband has diabetes and the pheriphial neuropathy that often goes with it. He can't sleep, so HE is up doing updates on his computer!

      Even with the two knees done eventually, I have to realize that I STILL have osteoarthritis, and there are PLENTY of other places in my body that will CONTINUE to ache.

      My hips have been ESPECIALLY "noisy" the last 24 hours since my last physical therapy session!

      I realize that MANY have knee surgeries and THEN go on to have HIPS REPLACED.

      (Sigh...)

      Hope you get some sleep!

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