Regrets TKR

try not to be too hard on yourself 7 weeks is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I think we are all guilty at times  of forgetting we have had major surgery,try and be kind to yourself. I will be very pleased if I am walking with one stick at 7 weeks ! best wishes

I'm 57 and had my TKR in October 2014 and on many occasions I did wonder why I'd had the operation, but now I can walk for long periods of time, whereas prior to the operation I could walk for ten minutes max and then spent hours in agony! It's taken a while but life is improving and to be honest if I hadn't had this TKR I'd have ended up on a mobility scooter with many other health problems due to not being able to exercise, so despite the long haul I'm glad that I had the operation and I hope that you will too a few months on. Take care.

I did regret it in the first few weeks and that's how I came to find this site because I felt so down about it all and so so disappointed that my leg fe!t so unwieldy and uncomfortable all the time never mind the pain! But now at 12 weeks I sometimes even forget my knee for a bit and though its still not a normal feeling leg its getting a bit less intrusive week by week so I really live in hope that I'll be really glad to have had the op. I am amazed that so many of you are so young to be having this op with all the pressures of having to get back to work - that must be really hard! I'm in my 70's so its easier in some ways and fortunately very fit apart from OA. I didn't stop using a crutch until 3 weeks ago and then it was the physio who said NO MORE CRUTCHES!! Still feel bit wobbly at times but press my foot really firmly onto the ground when this happens and it goes away! I'm sure you'll there sooner than you think - it just all feels so impossible sometimes doesn't it?

I think it is too early to have regrets. I am 56 and I was thinking exactly the same thing this morning, I struggle to get any bend and was trying to imagine how I would feel in a few months if there is no improvement. I had to swiftly remind myself, after reading the posts on here, that everyone heals at different rates and that the changes from one week to the next can be vast. You can't change the decision you took to have the replacement so try to remain positive that it will be worth the pain and the stress in the end. Good luck.

I'm just coming up to 12 weeks and I've just turned 53....not back to work yet due to teaching and not being able to care for the children properly or do PE etc...I still have days where I get pain but not the pain I had before the op...I swore when I had it done I would never have another one yet i would do it again now as things do get better...bend is 115° but I can't ride a bike yet and knee still feels like it's going to rip open if I try to bend too much yet i know people who seem to be all better and whooping it up at 6 weeks...or so they say! I'm just continuing at my own pace and carrying on taking tips and help from all the lovely people that have helped me through on this forum....It does get easier x

Bebe, isn't it nice to know you aren't alone in your missery? I'm turning 51 next month and had a bilateral the end of October 2014. Part of the reason for that was that I was afraid I would chicken out. I realy questioned my decisions. I had no clue the time it would take for things to get normal...I still don't. But like the others have said, I can do much more than I could before the surgery. I am told to give it up to a year. We have just had some major work done, bones sawed, new pieces attached. It takes a long time to recover from that. Do you have to still use the cane? What I experienced was that my brain had been trained to allow me to walk funny because of all the pain. I'd done it for so long that it was a huge mental battle to change that. My PT didn't allow me to get accustomed to the cane for too long.I appreciate that, otherwise, I might still be sporting it. I hope you find this less discouraging and will go forward with the other knee.

Hi Bebe 

i have just had my right TKR 18 days ago I had my left one done 15 weeks ago I am glad I had them done as my knees where so bad and I am 56. I am in pain with my righ and that one is not as bad as my left. But having them done so close together it's like having two new knees at once... But it's done and you do get better ..each of us are different with pain I have had a few cries myself but it does get easier good luck

Hi bebe im 56 and 5 weeks post op and boy do I regret it but im hoping this will change??? My cons told me because I was young and fit it would be a doddle!! He was sooo wrong!!! Only this morn ive laid on the bed crying cos im tired and uncomfortable. I thought that by 6 weeks id be back driving and maybe at 12 weeks back to my NHS job but at this rate ive no chance. The ONLY consolation is that it seems there are a lot of us out there struggling and its nice to be able to help each other feel NORMAL.