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Partial Knee Replacement

Posted , 10 users are following.

Simmons516
Simmons516

Hi everyone... Need some help.. I had partial knee replacement 6 weeks ago.  Thought My knee is getting better slowly I've been experiencing aches, pains and real fatigue.  I have experience flu like symptoms.. The area around the surgery gets fatigued and painful.  I just went this week to the drs. and had blood work but do not have the results yet.  I'm trying to come off pain meds but sometimes advil doesn't help.  I am or was a 52 year old female Triathlete and now i could hardly function. I know my age is playing a part but its sad to see everyone moving around and I can't.   Any advice.  

2 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • caroline46398
    caroline46398 Simmons516

    Posted

    Be patient it is very early days. Stay on the meds do the Physio like your life depends on it. The worse it was before the longer the recovery and as you were sporty this will help in that muscles should be strong but also hinder in that you had a lot of wear and tear. There is a lot of healing going on and hopefully, barring infection , this will be a matter of time. Nine months for me and finally starting to feel a bit normal after tkr. Was v active before and the psychological aspect tears etc of frustration has been harder than the physical - hope things improve x
    • Simmons516
      Simmons516 caroline46398

      Posted

      Thank you so much...I feel like life is going on around me.  I've been down and so I went to the internet to read about my symptoms  and found this website. 
  • cheryl90571
    cheryl90571 Simmons516

    Posted

    Hi!

    I am not an athlete, but my son and daughter-in-law are. (Ultramarathon, Ironman, Exterra, Cross-Fit, etc.) I KNOW how dedicated athletes are and also that athletes can be VERY HARD on themselves when performance is less than expected.

    We have seen athletes of all ages perform amazing feats of endurance, strength and pure heart!

    I have had both knees replaced ( June and just a week ago) I am NOT an athlete, but I AM pretty strong and push myself to recover. Some days are MUCH harder than others. As I type this I am in bed, sleeping in for one of the first times in a very long time. It is like heaven just taking a break from RECOVERING and giving myself time to REST!

    Knee surgery is QUITE rough. Fatigue is common because moving takes energy, sitting takes energy, doing exercises takes energy. EVERYTHING can tire you out!

    We have all been through major surgery. This surgery is a trauma to our tissues and to our very being.

    I'm thinking that since, as an athlete, you ALWAYS expect more from your body than the average person, that you really may not be aware of how challenging THIS SURGERY EVENT you just participated in actually was! You have been through a BATTLE!

    It is also possible that you MAY have the FLU! In a weakened condition we are all more susceptible to colds, flu, etc.

    Do you take a multivitamin? Once my daughter-in-law's mom started taking them, her fatigue disappeared. It is an easy fix and can't hurt to add to your regimen.

    My first knee is now 16 weeks post op. It has ITS issues which are DIFFERENT issues than my second knee which is just a week old now. I experience good days with lots of energy and COUCH POTATO days where I give myself permission to REST.

    I must say that the best advice I have been given has come from the WONDERFUL people on this site! We are all in a KNEE CLUB here! There are those just new to the surgery, those who are veterans of many years, and everybody in between!

    Advice most helpful has been: 1) relax and listen to your body. It will TELL YOU what it needs. 2) Hydrate! Helps everything from getting fever down to easing constipation to helping your body work more efficiently! 3) Move! Get going on all the exercises you have been given! 4) Stretch often. Hamstrings can be very tight. Use all you know from your experience as an athlete. You expertise comes in HERE! 5) Eat well. Give that recovering body the FUEL it needs! 5) Ice is your friend! Elevate and ice. Very helpful! 6) Stay POSITIVE! Get those endorphins flowing! It truly makes a difference!

    Also, on a personal note, I must add prayer. I' m not sure if you are a believer, but if you are, use prayer. This is MY personal BEST THING that gets me through EVERYTHING!

    I wish you continued success with your recovery and hope that the fatigue and flu symptoms go away soon.

    Keep us posted on your progress, OK?

    • Simmons516
      Simmons516 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Chery,  Wow... that helped  smile    a lot!!!!  Can I be part of the knee club,  is there a special place on this site i can go to. I fell off my bike in 2010 and broke my clevical in several place.  With that came a couple of surgeries.  I found that easier to recover from.  This knee injury was undiagnosed from that accident so time made is worse.   I hope you get better soon and would love to check in on you.
    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 Simmons516

      Posted

      You had knee surgery. You are ALREADY part of the KNEE CLUB!!!

      Yes, I would LOVE to keep in touch with you!

      Our son, the extremely competitive athlete who has ALWAYS been super active, played MANY sports, competed in many Ultras, Iron Men Triathalons and done pretty much all that's out there, was riding his bike two summers ago on a bike path with his wife and several of their friends. His front tire blew, he swerved to NOT crash against his wife's bike, hit a patch of moss and flipped into a clearing. In doing all this he separated his shoulder. It was a level three separation.

      He fought back for a year, visiting his doctor and doing PT outpatient AND coming home to his PT wife for massage, more PT exercises and planned out his own nutritional plan to help him be at the best physical level that he could be. He is fine now, back to doing pretty much everything he once did. He said the shoulder thing was his first real injury and really stopped him in his tracks for a bit! He is 34.

      As far as your knee is concerned, you had so much going on with your clavical and all THOSE surgeries that you probably hardly noticed the PAIN in your knee. ( I have noticed how athletes ALWAYS seem to work through the pain!)

      You will be fine. Get that blood work result and go from there. Keep asking questions until you have ANSWERS.

      Wishing you the best!!!

  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 Simmons516

    Posted

    Stay with the meds until your body lets you know its time to stop. This is such a stressful recovery both from a physical and mental side. Everyone wants to jump back to the "normal" life as soon as they can and sometimes the push is a little More than the 51st s tem can handle. Try backing off a little. Don't be shy about resting when you are tired instead of pushing forward. Hydrate.......a dehydrated system just won't heal properly and takes much longer. Continue excercising but make sure you are going slow through each one of the steps. I am in the 4th month of my 5th leg rehab (same leg) and each time Its different.
  • ken25066
    ken25066 Simmons516

    Posted

    Uni-Knees take much longer to rehab that totals.  They are also technically a much more difficlut procedure.

    Six weeks is still pretty early for full recovery.  Hang in there.

  • irish_linda
    irish_linda Simmons516

    Posted

    well 6 wks for a start is too soon to say goodbye to your meds ,some people are ready to cut down on meds early ,but for most of us we really do need to take them for alot longer ,in my opinion getting off meds are not the most important thing ,the most important thing is to get plenty of rest ,doing all the excersises regularly ,and as much sleep as you can manage .i myself had bi lateral at 55yrs and had revision at almost 57 a year and a half after the first because of a messed up op . the fatigue and pain is perfectly normal at 6wks its so early after the op ,because of being an athlete you most probably are impatient ,understandably but im afraid there is no fast track in recovery your body is telling you this . iwas like you i used to look at people especially older people rushing about while i was crawling and feeling every step ,good news you will improve just try not to think it should happen ,remember its a matathon not a sprint !!! best of luck
    • Simmons516
      Simmons516 irish_linda

      Posted

      Thanks Linda,  Two things you said that are so correct. I am impatient because it was two years in pain before surgery.  I was driving home from work th other day and rubbing my leg cause it hurt when I saw a women in her mid 60's doing her power walk with a smile on her face.  My second thought was good for you.  My meds are better than advil but I feel they are making me tired.  Thanks for your time and thoughts.  Posting today had helped me so much.
    • nicole0714
      nicole0714 irish_linda

      Posted

      Hi Irish Linda,

      My husband a partial knee replacement 4 weeks ago and I found your post by googling flu-like symptoms after partial knee replacement. He has gone backwards... Was doing great but had a stitch access and started swelling again... Is on a course of antibiotics and rest this weekend. What caused your flu-like symptoms? Like you, he started cutting back on his pain meds very early... Switched to Tylenol or ibuprofen...but the flu like symptoms go away when he takes a 5 mg OxyContin... He's Worried about addiction, even though he has no history or inclination for addiction...I think his main problem is that he isn't sleeping well...justwanted to check in with you and see how your experience has been these last few months. Thanks!

    • irish_linda
      irish_linda nicole0714

      Posted

      hi nicole its only 4wks since his op which is very early stages and i wouldnt be cutting down just yet  he needs all he can get to help with the pain .oxycontin is a strong pain med i was on that at the begining it didnt suit me made me feel very sick when i got home i used zydol 200mg which was also strong but my tummy could take it no problem .the fact that i was on it for a very long time made me adicted to it .like your husband i never had any dependance on any substance before as a matter of fact i rarely took a tablet at all for anything but this tkr  can have you taking tablets by the bucket full to get through with it  .as for flue like symtoms yes i did have that feeling i was hot/cold feeling sick and weak but considering how long id been on them its why i had been like that so my flue like feeling was totaly because of zydol they are hard to come off if your on them for along time ,ive never experienced anything like it so glad im off them now but if i needed them again i probably would take them if i had an opperation again because they helped when i needed them just come off them very slowly dont just drop the dose suddenly ween off
  • pyesangel
    pyesangel Simmons516

    Posted

    Six weeks is a bit too soon to wean yourself off pain meds. I'm 25 weeks out and still take an occasional Tramadol. At 6 weeks, ice is still your best friend and rest and hydration...lots of fluids, water, juice. Walking and doing what the PT tells you to do in the way of exercising. Not to the point of out and out pain but til it is uncomfortable. Working on the straightening of your leg is important!!!! I had my TKR this past April and BTW I am 68 years young. This is a long road to recovery and the best thing is to take it one day at a time...you will have good and bad days. So just hang in there and you will make it...we all do eventually!!
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